CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[we"reofftoneverland]

Forgive me as I think the date format is different in french (which would be September 3rd, 2019)... Are going in March or September?

March!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I just googled it. Wow.

So far it's my favorite part of France (aside from Paris of course). You can come be my interpreter Actually, my DS will be taking French this school year so this will give him practice. I totally suck at languages other than English unfortunately.

 

[belle032]

Going back and forth on whether or not to get the beverage package for our 8 day. It seems so expensive but we love the convenience and having no surprises at the end of the week. Kind of like the DDP! #cruiseproblems

 

[mevelandry]

March!

This one?

https://www.carnival.com/itinerary/...sts=2&rateCode=&roomType=IS&sailDate=03102019

 

[mevelandry]

So far it's my favorite part of France (aside from Paris of course). You can come be my interpreter Actually, my DS will be taking French this school year so this will give him practice. I totally suck at languages other than English unfortunately.

French is not easy. Even french people mess it up.

 

[mevelandry]

Going back and forth on whether or not to get the beverage package for our 8 day. It seems so expensive but we love the convenience and having no surprises at the end of the week. Kind of like the DDP! #cruiseproblems

DH and I never buy the package, however, since we do know approximately how many drinks (+ coffee + soft drinks) we will most likely drink and we order enough "cruise cash" online in advance that goes right on our account)... It usually covers all our drinks + some extras and it is less expensive than the package.

I usually have one to two drinks + specialty coffee or iced cap or soft drink per day = 25$ per day.

So for my October cruise of 5 nights, I bought 125$ of cruise cash for my trip.

 

[MickeyD]

Sorry, things uploaded weird, so I deleted my reply, which I saw was already answered. It didn't show originally.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I keep trying to paste a screen shot of the cruise but ugh, I am so technologically challenged! C'est difficile pour moi!

It is Breeze Eastern March 9, 2019 out of Orlando/Canaveral.

 

[mevelandry]

I keep trying to paste a screen shot of the cruise but ugh, I am so technologically challenged! C'est difficile pour moi!

It is Breeze Eastern March 9, 2019 out of Orlando/Canaveral.

I just added it to the roll call.

 

[RedSox68]

DH and I never buy the package, however, since we do know approximately how many drinks (+ coffee + soft drinks) we will most likely drink and we order enough "cruise cash" online in advance that goes right on our account)... It usually covers all our drinks + some extras and it is less expensive than the package.

I usually have one to two drinks + specialty coffee or iced cap or soft drink per day = 25$ per day.

So for my October cruise of 5 nights, I bought 125$ of cruise cash for my trip.

Not on Carnival (yet), but on NCL we have been offered the drink package twice as a choice to pick -- but when I found out the gratuities they automatically tack on come to about $250, then that (in our opinion) is no longer free, but way more than we would even spend on drinks. Seriously, my DH might get a beer or wine everyday, but I get one or two drinks the whole week and I'm good. If we spend $20/day it still only comes to $140 for a 7 night cruise. Way cheaper to skip that "deal". We go for the free WiFi and specialty dining -- which for us is a nice treat and the total gratuities they tack on are $12/pp.

 

[mevelandry]

Not on Carnival (yet), but on NCL we have been offered the drink package twice as a choice to pick -- but when I found out the gratuities they automatically tack on come to about $250, then that (in our opinion) is no longer free, but way more than we would even spend on drinks. Seriously, my DH might get a beer or wine everyday, but I get one or two drinks the whole week and I'm good. If we spend $20/day it still only comes to $140 for a 7 night cruise. Way cheaper to skip that "deal". We go for the free WiFi and specialty dining -- which for us is a nice treat and the total gratuities they tack on are $12/pp.

Yes, for some of us, packages is not a good value at all. I think my husband and I could make it work if we added lots of specialty coffee and evian water... but at this point, it becomes an effort instead of a commodity.

 

[belle032]

Not on Carnival (yet), but on NCL we have been offered the drink package twice as a choice to pick -- but when I found out the gratuities they automatically tack on come to about $250, then that (in our opinion) is no longer free, but way more than we would even spend on drinks. Seriously, my DH might get a beer or wine everyday, but I get one or two drinks the whole week and I'm good. If we spend $20/day it still only comes to $140 for a 7 night cruise. Way cheaper to skip that "deal". We go for the free WiFi and specialty dining -- which for us is a nice treat and the total gratuities they tack on are $12/pp.

I do wish Carnival would offer a deal on the package like NCL or discount it sometimes like RC. Not sure why they haven’t, it would be a huge incentive.

DH and I enjoy our drinks on cruises. He’s a big guy and can go through a few beers just sitting by the pool. We like to have coffees in the morning, drinks by the pool, wine with dinner, drinks at the comedy shows, etc. So even though it’s not for everyone and we might lose a little on it, we generally just like the convenience and we aren’t hit with a huge bill at the end of the trip!

 

[mevelandry]

I do wish Carnival would offer a deal on the package like NCL or discount it sometimes like RC. Not sure why they haven’t, it would be a huge incentive.

DH and I enjoy our drinks on cruises. He’s a big guy and can go through a few beers just sitting by the pool. We like to have coffees in the morning, drinks by the pool, wine with dinner, drinks at the comedy shows, etc. So even though it’s not for everyone and we might lose a little on it, we generally just like the convenience and we aren’t hit with a huge bill at the end of the trip!

Isn't it the Carnival Package wayyyyy less expensive than NCL, though? (NCL 89$/pp per day and Carnival 52$/pp per day)

 

[cruiser21]

Isn't it the Carnival Package wayyyyy less expensive than NCL, though? (NCL 89$/pp per day and Carnival 52$/pp per day)

Ncl is usually free.

 

[ToyStory3]

Mini-Review of Carnival Magic

We just got off the Carnival Magic last Saturday. Wanted to come share our thoughts since prior to this we mainly cruised DCL and that's all our kids had been on before Carnival. We decided to try Carnival because all of our extended family decided to go on a cruise for my parent's golden anniversary. There were 16 of us in total. Going on Disney was never even on the table simply because of price. No one even suggested DCL because of the cost. This was already going to be an expensive trip since we were treating our parents. And, a couple families of 5 were already going to have to get 2 cabins and purchase plane tickets, etc.

We (my immediate family) made up our minds that we were going to have a great time being with everyone, but we knew it wouldn't quite compare to our DCL cruises. We kept our expectations somewhat low but as I was reading about the Carnival Magic I was already starting to get excited about it. It had so many great features and it looked like a beautiful ship. Overall we absolutely loved the Carnival Magic and had an amazing time! I'll break down our comparison.

Pros of Carnival Magic:

• The biggest pro of the whole cruise and this was also the most surprising....the food was absolutely AMAZING! It blew us all away. I've been on a few Carnival cruises many years ago and thought the food was fine. Nothing exceptional. This was hands-down the best food I've ever had on any cruise. My parents have been on over 20 cruises on every cruise line imaginable (Celebrity, Costa, Princess, Norwegian, etc.) and they agreed that they've never had better food. In the main dining room, the quick-service, Guys Burgers, everywhere. One of my favorite meals of the trip was dinner at the buffet on the Lido Deck. The exceptions to this were the breakfast buffet. I do think DCLs is better. And, the desserts in the buffet were nothing to write home about. But, other than that it was exceptional. They have so many more choices than DCL. The Blue Iguana was Mexican quick service with a huge salsa bar - they even have breakfast burritos. They had Guys Burgers which was delicious! Not typical fast food burgers at all. Guys Pig and Anchor BBQ. Asian quick service. But, the main dining room food was so good. Each of us raved about it every night. And, they have steaks on their "offered every night" menu. I thought it would be a really cheap cut, but after we realized how good it was someone from our party ordered it almost every night. One morning we had brunch in the dining room and ordered steak and eggs. These are not usually steaks to get excited about....it was filet mignon. You could cut it with a butter knife. Lunch time on sea days was a frenzy of trying to pick what to have and where to go because there were so many good options.
• There were whirlpools everywhere. Spread out over many different decks which helped spread out the crowds and was a nice surprise. They were nice and cool, too, so they were comfortable to sit in even in the heat.
• The Red Frog Pub was a favorite of the adults. It felt like a hometown pub that you could sit back and enjoy. We could sit inside or outside and really enjoyed it.
• Our room steward was just as amazing as our DCL room stewards. He came twice a day. Kept everything in perfect order and made sure our room was clean. He took great care of us.
• There were 2 ice cream stations and they were open 24 hours. The kids were probably here about 50% of the cruise.
• The private adult deck (Serenity Deck) was wonderful! They have huge loungers, big flat hammocks for 2, big clam shells for 2 that have some shade. It was heavenly! The chair hogs put a little damper on it but once you found a spot it was great.
• I kept telling my kids before our cruise not to rub it into their cousins all of the great amenities on the disney cruises. I didn't want to make them feel like this was a lesser vacation. That was not a problem! There were so many amenities and things for the kids to do it would not have ever entered their minds. There was a huge space devoted to kids with a splash pad (meant for kids of all ages - not just toddlers) water slides, etc. They also had an obstacle course, mini gold, all kinds of sports.

Pros of DCL:

• The experience in the Main Dining rooms on DCL is still better. I love the theming, having the waiters rotate with you, the experience. It is truly magical on DCL and we missed that. And, your servers really getting to know you happens much more on DCL. But, the servers on Carnival really went out of their way to provide great service and always did.
• Breakfast buffet on DCL is great IMO and slightly better than Carnival Magic.
• Love the overall Disney theming and constant Disney movies playing on the big screen and in your rooms. We definitely missed that.
• The chair hogs on Carnival were horrible. And, no one seemed to address it. It was very hard to get lounges and chairs at times because they were all "held" with someone's personal item. It was really frustrating. Others said that staff will address it if you point it out...but I didn't feel like I should have to do that. But, there were always quiet spots that weren't crowded where you could find a seat.
• Staff on the Carnival Magic were always cleaning. They worked so hard and were always sweeping, dusting, etc. But, somehow it just wasn't kept as nice as DCL. It was sad - we would see people who dropped plates of food, dropped ice cream cones, spilled drinks, etc. sometimes on the stairs or in hallways. It was frustrating. So, it never seemed that Carnival was just letting things go. But, more that the passengers were less respectful in some ways.
• The kids clubs on Carnival looked really fun and were themed nicely. But, the kids didn't seem to have as much interest in them. It was more of an after-thought. DCL's have the edge and definitely have that "magical" touch that draws you in. Although....my kids don't typically use them on either ship much. That's just their preference.
• I like the DCL includes soda without a package. We didn't buy the package because we are OK with lemonade and tea. But, a soda here or there would have been very nice.
• The guest services line was always long - it didn't seem like they had enough people working the desk. And, they seemed a little "burned out". We did have an itinerary change on our cruise because of a medical emergency on the cruise right before ours which made them get into port late. So, I'm sure there were a lot of scheduling and excursion changes which probably contributed. But, we dreaded going to guest services and waiting in their line.
• I hated how Carnival tracked their pool towels. You had 4 in your room at the beginning of the cruise. They would exchange them if you left them on the floor for a clean one. But, if you took it to the pool and left it their they would potentially charge you $20 and assume that you were taking it home. This happened to us and to our brother's family. The kids don't realize they're not supposed to keep it with them at all times and left it at a pool. We did speak to our room steward when this happened and he happily provided a new one to us without charge. But, I didn't like having this loom over us during the trip and worrying about keeping track of them.
• I missed the Disney touches. Especially the little song before the announcements and the Disney themed horns.
• We missed being able to sign up for "tastings" in the bars. Either Carnival doesn't have these or we couldn't find them.
• The rooms were nice and big on Carnival - but we really missed the split bathrooms on DCL! And, the nice toiletries that they provide.

Other:

• I think the pools on all ships are overall disappointing. They all seem small and crowded.
• Service on DCL and Carnival were both amazing. Everyone we passed on Carnival said hello and greeted us with a huge smile. We would meet a staff member (bartender or whoever) and they would remember you by name days later.
• I'm not really into the entertainment and shows. I didn't go to a single one on Carnival and have only been to a few on DCL. So, I can't really comment. It's just not my thing.
• Both ships had great "movies under the stars" in the evenings which are a lot of fun. We watched Black Panther, Last Jedi, Wonder, etc. in the evenings on Carnival.
• On Carnival's older ships I was never impressed with the gaudy decor. This wasn't the case at all on the Magic! It was beautifully themed. And, we absolutely love the decor and theming on DCL, too.

DCL is still our favorite. It's nearest and dearest to our hearts and we found ourselves missing some of the Disney touches and feeling like the servers are almost family. But, Carnival was right behind as a close second and we were pleasantly surprised with how much we liked it. It's literally half the cost so we won't hesitate to do Carnival again. But, I do believe you have to be selective in choosing a ship with Carnival. I'm not sure all of this would be true on their older ships. The Magic was really great. Hope this helps!

 

[cruiser21]

I agree with above poster on Carnival food it blows DCL away. I guess the silver lining is I don't gain weight on Disney cruises.
We docked next to the Vista in Miami last month. She sailed past us a couple of times. I saw lots of kids onboard and this was before school was out. It looks like a fun family ship.

 

[belle032]

@ToyStory3 Great review! Glad to hear you liked the Magic. We got married on her last year so she’s a little special to us!

That class of ships seems to be the favorite of many people (Magic, Dream, Breeze). We really like it and the class directly “below” it. It’s a nice balance of not being huge and over the top but still offering tons to do.

Can’t wait to compare DCL next year!

 

[mevelandry]

Mini-Review of Carnival Magic

We just got off the Carnival Magic last Saturday. Wanted to come share our thoughts since prior to this we mainly cruised DCL and that's all our kids had been on before Carnival. We decided to try Carnival because all of our extended family decided to go on a cruise for my parent's golden anniversary. There were 16 of us in total. Going on Disney was never even on the table simply because of price. No one even suggested DCL because of the cost. This was already going to be an expensive trip since we were treating our parents. And, a couple families of 5 were already going to have to get 2 cabins and purchase plane tickets, etc.

We (my immediate family) made up our minds that we were going to have a great time being with everyone, but we knew it wouldn't quite compare to our DCL cruises. We kept our expectations somewhat low but as I was reading about the Carnival Magic I was already starting to get excited about it. It had so many great features and it looked like a beautiful ship. Overall we absolutely loved the Carnival Magic and had an amazing time! I'll break down our comparison.

Pros of Carnival Magic:

• The biggest pro of the whole cruise and this was also the most surprising....the food was absolutely AMAZING! It blew us all away. I've been on a few Carnival cruises many years ago and thought the food was fine. Nothing exceptional. This was hands-down the best food I've ever had on any cruise. My parents have been on over 20 cruises on every cruise line imaginable (Celebrity, Costa, Princess, Norwegian, etc.) and they agreed that they've never had better food. In the main dining room, the quick-service, Guys Burgers, everywhere. One of my favorite meals of the trip was dinner at the buffet on the Lido Deck. The exceptions to this were the breakfast buffet. I do think DCLs is better. And, the desserts in the buffet were nothing to write home about. But, other than that it was exceptional. They have so many more choices than DCL. The Blue Iguana was Mexican quick service with a huge salsa bar - they even have breakfast burritos. They had Guys Burgers which was delicious! Not typical fast food burgers at all. Guys Pig and Anchor BBQ. Asian quick service. But, the main dining room food was so good. Each of us raved about it every night. And, they have steaks on their "offered every night" menu. I thought it would be a really cheap cut, but after we realized how good it was someone from our party ordered it almost every night. One morning we had brunch in the dining room and ordered steak and eggs. These are not usually steaks to get excited about....it was filet mignon. You could cut it with a butter knife. Lunch time on sea days was a frenzy of trying to pick what to have and where to go because there were so many good options.
• There were whirlpools everywhere. Spread out over many different decks which helped spread out the crowds and was a nice surprise. They were nice and cool, too, so they were comfortable to sit in even in the heat.
• The Red Frog Pub was a favorite of the adults. It felt like a hometown pub that you could sit back and enjoy. We could sit inside or outside and really enjoyed it.
• Our room steward was just as amazing as our DCL room stewards. He came twice a day. Kept everything in perfect order and made sure our room was clean. He took great care of us.
• There were 2 ice cream stations and they were open 24 hours. The kids were probably here about 50% of the cruise.
• The private adult deck (Serenity Deck) was wonderful! They have huge loungers, big flat hammocks for 2, big clam shells for 2 that have some shade. It was heavenly! The chair hogs put a little damper on it but once you found a spot it was great.
• I kept telling my kids before our cruise not to rub it into their cousins all of the great amenities on the disney cruises. I didn't want to make them feel like this was a lesser vacation. That was not a problem! There were so many amenities and things for the kids to do it would not have ever entered their minds. There was a huge space devoted to kids with a splash pad (meant for kids of all ages - not just toddlers) water slides, etc. They also had an obstacle course, mini gold, all kinds of sports.

Pros of DCL:

• The experience in the Main Dining rooms on DCL is still better. I love the theming, having the waiters rotate with you, the experience. It is truly magical on DCL and we missed that. And, your servers really getting to know you happens much more on DCL. But, the servers on Carnival really went out of their way to provide great service and always did.
• Breakfast buffet on DCL is great IMO and slightly better than Carnival Magic.
• Love the overall Disney theming and constant Disney movies playing on the big screen and in your rooms. We definitely missed that.
• The chair hogs on Carnival were horrible. And, no one seemed to address it. It was very hard to get lounges and chairs at times because they were all "held" with someone's personal item. It was really frustrating. Others said that staff will address it if you point it out...but I didn't feel like I should have to do that. But, there were always quiet spots that weren't crowded where you could find a seat.
• Staff on the Carnival Magic were always cleaning. They worked so hard and were always sweeping, dusting, etc. But, somehow it just wasn't kept as nice as DCL. It was sad - we would see people who dropped plates of food, dropped ice cream cones, spilled drinks, etc. sometimes on the stairs or in hallways. It was frustrating. So, it never seemed that Carnival was just letting things go. But, more that the passengers were less respectful in some ways.
• The kids clubs on Carnival looked really fun and were themed nicely. But, the kids didn't seem to have as much interest in them. It was more of an after-thought. DCL's have the edge and definitely have that "magical" touch that draws you in. Although....my kids don't typically use them on either ship much. That's just their preference.
• I like the DCL includes soda without a package. We didn't buy the package because we are OK with lemonade and tea. But, a soda here or there would have been very nice.
• The guest services line was always long - it didn't seem like they had enough people working the desk. And, they seemed a little "burned out". We did have an itinerary change on our cruise because of a medical emergency on the cruise right before ours which made them get into port late. So, I'm sure there were a lot of scheduling and excursion changes which probably contributed. But, we dreaded going to guest services and waiting in their line.
• I hated how Carnival tracked their pool towels. You had 4 in your room at the beginning of the cruise. They would exchange them if you left them on the floor for a clean one. But, if you took it to the pool and left it their they would potentially charge you $20 and assume that you were taking it home. This happened to us and to our brother's family. The kids don't realize they're not supposed to keep it with them at all times and left it at a pool. We did speak to our room steward when this happened and he happily provided a new one to us without charge. But, I didn't like having this loom over us during the trip and worrying about keeping track of them.
• I missed the Disney touches. Especially the little song before the announcements and the Disney themed horns.
• We missed being able to sign up for "tastings" in the bars. Either Carnival doesn't have these or we couldn't find them.
• The rooms were nice and big on Carnival - but we really missed the split bathrooms on DCL! And, the nice toiletries that they provide.

Other:

• I think the pools on all ships are overall disappointing. They all seem small and crowded.
• Service on DCL and Carnival were both amazing. Everyone we passed on Carnival said hello and greeted us with a huge smile. We would meet a staff member (bartender or whoever) and they would remember you by name days later.
• I'm not really into the entertainment and shows. I didn't go to a single one on Carnival and have only been to a few on DCL. So, I can't really comment. It's just not my thing.
• Both ships had great "movies under the stars" in the evenings which are a lot of fun. We watched Black Panther, Last Jedi, Wonder, etc. in the evenings on Carnival.
• On Carnival's older ships I was never impressed with the gaudy decor. This wasn't the case at all on the Magic! It was beautifully themed. And, we absolutely love the decor and theming on DCL, too.

DCL is still our favorite. It's nearest and dearest to our hearts and we found ourselves missing some of the Disney touches and feeling like the servers are almost family. But, Carnival was right behind as a close second and we were pleasantly surprised with how much we liked it. It's literally half the cost so we won't hesitate to do Carnival again. But, I do believe you have to be selective in choosing a ship with Carnival. I'm not sure all of this would be true on their older ships. The Magic was really great. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the review! If you don't mind I would like to add it to the reviews links on the first post.

So glad you guys ad a great experience.

Have you tried the Port Days Breakfast in the MDR? I'm obsessed with it!

There are tastings on Carnival and you can see them listed in the Fun Times every day. There are also free tastings of alcohol at least once during the cruise.

I agree with wjat you said regarding the towel system. I hope they will change it at some point. DH and I now bring our own towels. LOL

I have never bought the package either and I hope they will add self-serve soda machines someday.

I think the new Family Harbour cabins on new Carnival ships have split bathrooms.

In October I will sail on one of the oldest Carnival ships. I am a little worried but not that much knowing I loved the Victory very much. But I too, for hard core DCL fans would recommend the most recent ships.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Thanks for the review! If you don't mind I would like to add it to the reviews links on the first post.

So glad you guys ad a great experience.

Have you tried the Port Days Breakfast in the MDR? I'm obsessed with it!

There are tastings on Carnival and you can see them listed in the Fun Times every day. There are also free tastings of alcohol at least once during the cruise.

I agree with wjat you said regarding the towel system. I hope they will change it at some point. DH and I now bring our own towels. LOL

I have never bought the package either and I hope they will add self-serve soda machines someday.

I think the new Family Harbour cabins on new Carnival ships have split bathrooms.

In October I will sail on one of the oldest Carnival ships. I am a little worried but not that much knowing I loved the Victory very much. But I too, for hard core DCL fans would recommend the most recent ships.

I’m pretty sure all the Dream class Carnival ships have a split bath in the “Family Ocean View” cabins. They are actually 1 1/2 baths though. One bathroom is a full 3 piece bathroom the other is a tub/shower and sink.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

That's a great review and comparison Toystory3.

Important for us is the food, comfortable cabin (I do like that the Carnival beds still split and I find their beds and bedding great) and service - all of which we get on our Carnival cruises for a fraction of the price of DCL. As much as I love the "Magic" of Disney, it's tough to swallow when our 7 night Fantasy cruise is costing us $1000 more than our 13 night Carnival Sunshine Cruise.