HappilyEverAfter80
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
It's nice they have room options for single cruisers
Disney Cruise Line v. Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas comparison
- Thread starter HappilyEverAfter80
- Start date
HappilyEverAfter80
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
I wanted to tell you about some of our interactions with Guest Services on both DCL and on Royal Caribbean's Anthem when minor issues came up. It was interesting to me how it was handled on Disney and how it was handled on Anthem.
I will do the overall customer service comparison when I do my final thoughts... this post is just on a couple of "isolated" interactions.
I'm not sure which Disney Cruise it was anymore (we did 4) but on one of them, DH and DS were playing in the arcade. DS (who was probably 6 at the time) won a game and should have won a prize, but the prices for that level were empty... It would have been something small like a key chain anyway, and DH told DS it's not a big deal, he had fun playing and was going to leave it at that. As they were coming out of the arcade, a cast member was walking by so DH told him that the prizes were empty in the machine and that was it. Cast member said he will mention it to Guest Services. DS forgot about it 5 minutes later, and everyone went on with their day. When we returned to our stateroom in the evening, there was a surprise for DS - a Phineas plush tucked in DS's bed with a note. There was also a couple of treats and a $10 card to spend in the arcade. I didn't even know about this at first because I wasn't with them when they played in the arcade, so DH told me the story. I said wow you complained about that? (We don't complain about minor stuff) DH said he didn't complain to the cast member, didn't ask for anything - yet this is how DCL handled it.
Another time on DCL, it was on the Fantasy actually, I went to register for the Mixology class on embarkation day. The computer system was down when I got there, so the cast member said that he wasn't sure if there is still room, but took our names down and said they will call us if it's a go. We did not receive a call, or we missed a call so I never attended the Mixology. On the last night we noticed we were still charged for it. So I went to Guest Services and told them that we never attended as it wasn't confirmed if there was room or not. The cast member just said "You didn't take the Mixology class?" No? Ok, we have applied the credit to your account. Thank you. That was it. I was prepared to give them the story of how the computers were down etc, but honestly the CM just did it without any hassle.
Anthem of the Seas - The first night we came back to our stateroom, the stateroom host had already prepared it for the night with a sofa bed for DS. DH was standing beside the sofa bed when DS went to sit it on it. At that moment the sofa bed collapsed on my DH foot. It was the metal mechanism that collapsed. DH wasn't sure if there is something wrong with it, he is pretty handy but said that he would rather have them take a look at it. I could see he was in pain too, his foot was swelling fast. We called Guest Services, said that the sofa bed collapsed on his foot, and they sent maintenance within 10 minutes. Maintenance guy came in and looked it, said that apparently the bed wasn't locked properly. DS finally went to sleep, so did DH, I tried to get him to go see the doctor and he refused. He's a stubborn one. His foot didn't look good, and I was afraid something was broken. DH said there is no way he is walking in a brace the rest of the cruise anyway... fine I finally got fed up trying to get him to go. He was more or less mad that this happened to begin with, and what if it was DS that it fell on? DS weighs a whopping 68 lbs... Shortly after DH fell asleep, Guest Services called and asked if he was ok. They said the maintenance guy told them the sofa bed fell on DH's foot. I said his foot is swollen but he seems OK at the moment. They asked if they can send a Nurse to see him, DH didn't want that either.
The next day we got a call again from Guest Services to check on DH, and they asked again if we want to see a doctor. DH was better at this point and swelling was going down, so we said it's OK. They kept asking if they can do anything else for us? We said it's OK. They ended up sending a bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries to our stateroom anyway. DH said it was nice they were trying to follow-up, but this was more of a big issue then no prizes in the arcade.... Our stateroom host never said a thing about it though.
The other interaction we had with Guest Services on Anthem was similar to what happened on Fantasy, there was a charge for something on our folio that we didn't agree with. It was from a bar and only for like $5, but since we had to go to Guest Services on the last night anyway, DH brought that up. They said it was something from the bar. We said we have a drink package, and have not gotten any drink that was $5 above the $13 limit. They said well maybe you got a drink in a souvenir cup. Nope. Well you must have. No, we didn't. Finally DH said forget it, not going to argue with you over $5. They never took it off, and we did pay it. I immediately thought back to Disney Cruise line just removing the wrong charge from our account. And it was for $30 and not $5. Maybe it's just who we got, but I couldn't believe (especially knowing we have a drink package) that Guest Services would argue over $5 with us.
That's it, these are a couple of things that stick out in my head.
Next up is the Night life on Anthem v. Disney and a summary
I will do the overall customer service comparison when I do my final thoughts... this post is just on a couple of "isolated" interactions.
I'm not sure which Disney Cruise it was anymore (we did 4) but on one of them, DH and DS were playing in the arcade. DS (who was probably 6 at the time) won a game and should have won a prize, but the prices for that level were empty... It would have been something small like a key chain anyway, and DH told DS it's not a big deal, he had fun playing and was going to leave it at that. As they were coming out of the arcade, a cast member was walking by so DH told him that the prizes were empty in the machine and that was it. Cast member said he will mention it to Guest Services. DS forgot about it 5 minutes later, and everyone went on with their day. When we returned to our stateroom in the evening, there was a surprise for DS - a Phineas plush tucked in DS's bed with a note. There was also a couple of treats and a $10 card to spend in the arcade. I didn't even know about this at first because I wasn't with them when they played in the arcade, so DH told me the story. I said wow you complained about that? (We don't complain about minor stuff) DH said he didn't complain to the cast member, didn't ask for anything - yet this is how DCL handled it.
Another time on DCL, it was on the Fantasy actually, I went to register for the Mixology class on embarkation day. The computer system was down when I got there, so the cast member said that he wasn't sure if there is still room, but took our names down and said they will call us if it's a go. We did not receive a call, or we missed a call so I never attended the Mixology. On the last night we noticed we were still charged for it. So I went to Guest Services and told them that we never attended as it wasn't confirmed if there was room or not. The cast member just said "You didn't take the Mixology class?" No? Ok, we have applied the credit to your account. Thank you. That was it. I was prepared to give them the story of how the computers were down etc, but honestly the CM just did it without any hassle.
Anthem of the Seas - The first night we came back to our stateroom, the stateroom host had already prepared it for the night with a sofa bed for DS. DH was standing beside the sofa bed when DS went to sit it on it. At that moment the sofa bed collapsed on my DH foot. It was the metal mechanism that collapsed. DH wasn't sure if there is something wrong with it, he is pretty handy but said that he would rather have them take a look at it. I could see he was in pain too, his foot was swelling fast. We called Guest Services, said that the sofa bed collapsed on his foot, and they sent maintenance within 10 minutes. Maintenance guy came in and looked it, said that apparently the bed wasn't locked properly. DS finally went to sleep, so did DH, I tried to get him to go see the doctor and he refused. He's a stubborn one. His foot didn't look good, and I was afraid something was broken. DH said there is no way he is walking in a brace the rest of the cruise anyway... fine I finally got fed up trying to get him to go. He was more or less mad that this happened to begin with, and what if it was DS that it fell on? DS weighs a whopping 68 lbs... Shortly after DH fell asleep, Guest Services called and asked if he was ok. They said the maintenance guy told them the sofa bed fell on DH's foot. I said his foot is swollen but he seems OK at the moment. They asked if they can send a Nurse to see him, DH didn't want that either.
The next day we got a call again from Guest Services to check on DH, and they asked again if we want to see a doctor. DH was better at this point and swelling was going down, so we said it's OK. They kept asking if they can do anything else for us? We said it's OK. They ended up sending a bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries to our stateroom anyway. DH said it was nice they were trying to follow-up, but this was more of a big issue then no prizes in the arcade.... Our stateroom host never said a thing about it though.
The other interaction we had with Guest Services on Anthem was similar to what happened on Fantasy, there was a charge for something on our folio that we didn't agree with. It was from a bar and only for like $5, but since we had to go to Guest Services on the last night anyway, DH brought that up. They said it was something from the bar. We said we have a drink package, and have not gotten any drink that was $5 above the $13 limit. They said well maybe you got a drink in a souvenir cup. Nope. Well you must have. No, we didn't. Finally DH said forget it, not going to argue with you over $5. They never took it off, and we did pay it. I immediately thought back to Disney Cruise line just removing the wrong charge from our account. And it was for $30 and not $5. Maybe it's just who we got, but I couldn't believe (especially knowing we have a drink package) that Guest Services would argue over $5 with us.
That's it, these are a couple of things that stick out in my head.
Next up is the Night life on Anthem v. Disney and a summary
Last edited:
DnA2010
Rope Drop!
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2010
This is a fun read! we actually did things the other way and did Oasis and Freedom and then the Fantasy..while we LOVED our cruise on the Fantasy, we def didn't feel it was worth over double the cost (and that was a VGT rate) and didn't experience any of the top service or pixie dust that is often noted on here...we preferred the food on RCL, the pools of course, our service was actually better on RCL (dining especially- on Oasis our MDR server was outstanding, and ever though we did MTD on Freedom, we still had the same staff who were great) and our DD preferred the clubs on Royal, as did we, as we didn't like how there were lots of computers and that, Castaway tho- def loved that.
While we loved the cruise, can't see us doing it again as we just didn't see the value- we'd rather add a week at WDW for the difference in cost
Looking forward to more
While we loved the cruise, can't see us doing it again as we just didn't see the value- we'd rather add a week at WDW for the difference in cost
Looking forward to more
Main Street Matilda
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 1, 2010
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. My family's very first cruise was several years ago on Royal Caribbean and unfortunately, the experience left me cold - enough so that I never planned on cruising again. The best way to describe it was that everything felt like it needed to be done just a little bit better; the food, the service, the kids programs, the shows, the stateroom. It certainly wasn't a bad experience - just not a great one. Our daughter really wanted to do a Disney cruise and so we "bit the bullet", hoping that since we loved WDW, DCL would work better for us. Our cruise on the Fantasy fit the bill enough so that we are sailing on the Fantasy again next year.
However, the Royal Caribbean ship was a different class and I'd heard such good things about this new class of ships that it had me wondering if perhaps I should give it another try. There is a cost difference (as we all know!) but more importantly, as my children are getting older, there is a likelihood that they'll enjoy the more mature offerings on Royal Caribbean. Your point-of-view as someone who also loves Disney is something I was looking for ...
However, the Royal Caribbean ship was a different class and I'd heard such good things about this new class of ships that it had me wondering if perhaps I should give it another try. There is a cost difference (as we all know!) but more importantly, as my children are getting older, there is a likelihood that they'll enjoy the more mature offerings on Royal Caribbean. Your point-of-view as someone who also loves Disney is something I was looking for ...
Buzz's Buddy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2002
I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed the thoroughness of your review. I'm waiting for your final opinion along with many other readers, and I can honestly say that I have no idea which direction you're going!
I think that is proof that this is a well-done, non-biased, very informative review.
Thank you!
I think that is proof that this is a well-done, non-biased, very informative review.
Thank you!
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barbarossa_hoosier
Red-Bearded Cruiser
- Joined
- May 2, 2017
To the OP: please don't be discouraged by such comments. I for one am loving your review/comparison, and appreciate the effort and detail you have put into the thread. I hope you continue, and look forward to reading the rest of the review, and your final thoughts.
HappilyEverAfter80
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN ON A SHIP... What's there to do for Adults at night on Anthem of The Seas v. Disney Cruise Line.
First of all my apologies, last couple of days got busy and I was just too tired in the evenings to continue this review
Our 4 Disney cruises I would say were all similar, including the night time experience. The different bars on DCL have different theming and I had my favorites of course. Overall, as beautiful as the bars/loungers are on DCL, I have to say that they were near empty after 10 pm and a ghost town after midnight. This suited us fine because the kids clubs on Disney are open until midnight and so even if we wanted to hang out longer, we didn't have that option.
If however we had our parents with us, it would have been nice to perhaps stay out until... gasp... 1 or 2 am??? Maybe... I say that now ....
What we usually did on DCL... we had the late dinner and DS always went to the kids club around 9pm. DH and I (and friends if they cruised with us) would go and try and check out a comedy show, or go sit somewhere and have some drinks while listening to (sometimes) live music. Often times we would go from bar to bar just to check them out, and more often than not we were one of a handful of guests inside. This did not bother us, but it seemed that unless there was a show geared towards the adult audience such as a comedian, or hypnotist... the adult district was dead after a certain time. Maybe this was just our experience, but from what I hear it's the norm more often than not.
Anthem of the Seas:
This probably does not come as a surprise, but there is a LOT more evening entertainment and places to hang out for adults on Anthem. Most likely on all Royal ships, but that's just a guess, I can only say for sure about Anthem.
These are some of the bars/lounges/clubs (other than the 4 pool bars I already talked about in the pools section):
- 2 Level Music Hall - Rock'n'Roll Theme - This place was super cool and multi-purpose... from dance classes during the day to Karaoke and Live Concerts in the evenings. Most of it was rock music which is not what we like, so we normally would just pass through. The venue itself is amazing though, oh and you can play a game of pool here too. It was always busy in the Music Hall.
- Michael's Genuine Pub - It is similar to the pubs on DCL, it was a very happening spot where you could catch a sports game and have a drink as well as some light pub fare (for an additional charge of course)
- Boleros - Latin nightclub with live Latin bands each evening. This was our favorite spot and it got packed after 10pm with lots of dancing going on.
- There is also Schooner Bar with its nautical theme, The Bionic Bar where the robots make your drinks, Vintages Wine Bar and a bar in Two 70. Some of the bars are present on most if not all Royal ships: Boleros, Schooner Bar and Vintages.
It was funny to us because most places started to get busy after 9 or 10 pm. For example in Boleros, the live band would play some Latin jazz from say 8-9:30, then take a break and start playing lively dance music at 10:30.
Couple of times we left DS in Adventure Ocean until midnight because we had so much fun enjoying the live bands, and dancing. We met a lot of super friendly and fun people, and it was just a lot of fun. Nobody was falling over drunk, and we didn't see anything crazy (other than the Quest show but that's a different story
. ) We still never stayed out past midnight, but DS is fairly young at this point. Although he told us each night "to pick him up at 2 am" 
In the evenings, the bars/lounges weren't the only places to go to. They had music trivia and poolside movies. There is a library with games, puzzles and of course books....
We never made it to the Casino other than walk through it, but it's there if this is something you like. Of course many of the shows took place in the evenings, I mention those in the entertainment post.
Two 70 turned into a nightclub with a DJ after 10, and one day they did what's called a "Silent Party" where you are given wireless headphones and choose your own music. It was hilarious to watch everyone grooving to different music and singing too... of course it was fun to join as well.
DH and I had a deluxe drink package on this sailing, mainly because we wanted to try it as it's not an option on DCL. We are not big drinkers, but I figured even on DCL I had 4-5 alcoholic drinks in the course of the day. Some days I had none, but on a sea day I would usually have a couple by the pool, and a couple in the evening. On Disney I always either got a $4.65 drink of the day, or $5.65 draft beer.
I knew that the average drink on Anthem is $11-$13, drink of the day $8.50 and most beer was $7.50. No draft beer other than Heineken, almost all beer was served in aluminum bottles.
The drink package included virtually everything you can think of. Drinks/wine by the glass up to $13, fresh squeezed juices, smoothies, specialty coffees, bottled water and pop.
We got the drink package with unlimited surf & stream internet for $48/per adult/per day. Knowing the drinks on Anthem are more than DCL, I didn't want to have to think about what I was ordering.
Each day, we usually each got:
- Fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast $4
- Several bottles of water, let's say $10 worth
- 2 specialty coffees $10 on average
- 2 pop - $5 on average
- 5 alcoholic drinks/ - around $50 on average depending if we had cocktails or beer
Some days I only had one 1 pop ( I don't drink it at home unless we eat out) and some days 2, same with the specialty coffees.
Your drink package comes with a souvenir mug you can use at any of the ship's free style coke machines, but I only used it a couple of times. DH never even took his mug from the room. If we got pop, we ordered it from the bar, or with lunch or dinner.
I know DCL doesn't have a drink package at this time, but I still wanted to mention it. It was nice to be able to order whatever we wanted and not worry about the bill at the end. However, I also realize now that I don't need a drink package next time, especially on a longer cruise. By day 5 I found myself just ordering drinks to try them, but really had no interest in drinking them
Keep in mind there are other packages available, including fountain soda only. If you don't drink pop, or alcohol, but you love good coffee, you can get a specialty coffee punch card which costs $31 and you can get 15 specialty coffees. You can share this with family members unlike the drink package. There are several places on Anthem to get your specialty coffee.
Keep in mind too, not every Royal ships has the freestyle coke machines, but I think most of the newer ones do. If you are going to get the drink package, look for sales in the Cruise Planner ahead of time. You would also get the coffee card in advance.
In summary, you can dance the night away on Anthem more so than on DCL and if you like more adult type entertainment, racy shows like Quest, there is definitely more of that on Anthem of the Seas. Google Quest on Royal Caribbean, like our cruise director put it... some things you will see cannot be unseen....
Late into the night too. There is also a lot more live music on this ship compared to Disney. Anthem even has an in-house orchestra, which we enjoyed.
Service was excellent in the bars at night, unlike the bars by the pools during the day. The bartenders made a point to chit-chat with us, and knowing we had the drink package, they would "make us" try different cocktails.
At the end of the day (no pun intended ) we had a lot of fun on both DCL and Anthem. I would give a slight edge to Anthem for the adult variety and to Disney for the theming and drink prices.
Edited to add: Anthem enforced a Junior Cruiser curfew for the under 18 crowd. As of 1 am they were not allowed to be in the public areas (except Adventure Ocean or the Teen club).
If you have any questions about night clubs on Anthem of the Seas, the drink package, or night life in general let me know.
Next up is the Summary and final verdict
I appreciate everyone that read my review/comparison so far and thank you for the mostly really nice comments
First of all my apologies, last couple of days got busy and I was just too tired in the evenings to continue this review
Our 4 Disney cruises I would say were all similar, including the night time experience. The different bars on DCL have different theming and I had my favorites of course. Overall, as beautiful as the bars/loungers are on DCL, I have to say that they were near empty after 10 pm and a ghost town after midnight. This suited us fine because the kids clubs on Disney are open until midnight and so even if we wanted to hang out longer, we didn't have that option.
If however we had our parents with us, it would have been nice to perhaps stay out until... gasp... 1 or 2 am??? Maybe... I say that now ....
What we usually did on DCL... we had the late dinner and DS always went to the kids club around 9pm. DH and I (and friends if they cruised with us) would go and try and check out a comedy show, or go sit somewhere and have some drinks while listening to (sometimes) live music. Often times we would go from bar to bar just to check them out, and more often than not we were one of a handful of guests inside. This did not bother us, but it seemed that unless there was a show geared towards the adult audience such as a comedian, or hypnotist... the adult district was dead after a certain time. Maybe this was just our experience, but from what I hear it's the norm more often than not.
Anthem of the Seas:
This probably does not come as a surprise, but there is a LOT more evening entertainment and places to hang out for adults on Anthem. Most likely on all Royal ships, but that's just a guess, I can only say for sure about Anthem.
These are some of the bars/lounges/clubs (other than the 4 pool bars I already talked about in the pools section):
- 2 Level Music Hall - Rock'n'Roll Theme - This place was super cool and multi-purpose... from dance classes during the day to Karaoke and Live Concerts in the evenings. Most of it was rock music which is not what we like, so we normally would just pass through. The venue itself is amazing though, oh and you can play a game of pool here too. It was always busy in the Music Hall.
- Michael's Genuine Pub - It is similar to the pubs on DCL, it was a very happening spot where you could catch a sports game and have a drink as well as some light pub fare (for an additional charge of course)
- Boleros - Latin nightclub with live Latin bands each evening. This was our favorite spot and it got packed after 10pm with lots of dancing going on.
- There is also Schooner Bar with its nautical theme, The Bionic Bar where the robots make your drinks, Vintages Wine Bar and a bar in Two 70. Some of the bars are present on most if not all Royal ships: Boleros, Schooner Bar and Vintages.
It was funny to us because most places started to get busy after 9 or 10 pm. For example in Boleros, the live band would play some Latin jazz from say 8-9:30, then take a break and start playing lively dance music at 10:30.
Couple of times we left DS in Adventure Ocean until midnight because we had so much fun enjoying the live bands, and dancing. We met a lot of super friendly and fun people, and it was just a lot of fun. Nobody was falling over drunk, and we didn't see anything crazy (other than the Quest show but that's a different story
. ) We still never stayed out past midnight, but DS is fairly young at this point. Although he told us each night "to pick him up at 2 am" In the evenings, the bars/lounges weren't the only places to go to. They had music trivia and poolside movies. There is a library with games, puzzles and of course books....
We never made it to the Casino other than walk through it, but it's there if this is something you like. Of course many of the shows took place in the evenings, I mention those in the entertainment post.
Two 70 turned into a nightclub with a DJ after 10, and one day they did what's called a "Silent Party" where you are given wireless headphones and choose your own music. It was hilarious to watch everyone grooving to different music and singing too... of course it was fun to join as well.
DH and I had a deluxe drink package on this sailing, mainly because we wanted to try it as it's not an option on DCL. We are not big drinkers, but I figured even on DCL I had 4-5 alcoholic drinks in the course of the day. Some days I had none, but on a sea day I would usually have a couple by the pool, and a couple in the evening. On Disney I always either got a $4.65 drink of the day, or $5.65 draft beer.
I knew that the average drink on Anthem is $11-$13, drink of the day $8.50 and most beer was $7.50. No draft beer other than Heineken, almost all beer was served in aluminum bottles.
The drink package included virtually everything you can think of. Drinks/wine by the glass up to $13, fresh squeezed juices, smoothies, specialty coffees, bottled water and pop.
We got the drink package with unlimited surf & stream internet for $48/per adult/per day. Knowing the drinks on Anthem are more than DCL, I didn't want to have to think about what I was ordering.
Each day, we usually each got:
- Fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast $4
- Several bottles of water, let's say $10 worth
- 2 specialty coffees $10 on average
- 2 pop - $5 on average
- 5 alcoholic drinks/ - around $50 on average depending if we had cocktails or beer
Some days I only had one 1 pop ( I don't drink it at home unless we eat out) and some days 2, same with the specialty coffees.
Your drink package comes with a souvenir mug you can use at any of the ship's free style coke machines, but I only used it a couple of times. DH never even took his mug from the room. If we got pop, we ordered it from the bar, or with lunch or dinner.
I know DCL doesn't have a drink package at this time, but I still wanted to mention it. It was nice to be able to order whatever we wanted and not worry about the bill at the end. However, I also realize now that I don't need a drink package next time, especially on a longer cruise. By day 5 I found myself just ordering drinks to try them, but really had no interest in drinking them
Keep in mind there are other packages available, including fountain soda only. If you don't drink pop, or alcohol, but you love good coffee, you can get a specialty coffee punch card which costs $31 and you can get 15 specialty coffees. You can share this with family members unlike the drink package. There are several places on Anthem to get your specialty coffee.
Keep in mind too, not every Royal ships has the freestyle coke machines, but I think most of the newer ones do. If you are going to get the drink package, look for sales in the Cruise Planner ahead of time. You would also get the coffee card in advance.
In summary, you can dance the night away on Anthem more so than on DCL and if you like more adult type entertainment, racy shows like Quest, there is definitely more of that on Anthem of the Seas. Google Quest on Royal Caribbean, like our cruise director put it... some things you will see cannot be unseen....
Late into the night too. There is also a lot more live music on this ship compared to Disney. Anthem even has an in-house orchestra, which we enjoyed.
Service was excellent in the bars at night, unlike the bars by the pools during the day. The bartenders made a point to chit-chat with us, and knowing we had the drink package, they would "make us" try different cocktails.
At the end of the day (no pun intended
) we had a lot of fun on both DCL and Anthem. I would give a slight edge to Anthem for the adult variety and to Disney for the theming and drink prices.Edited to add: Anthem enforced a Junior Cruiser curfew for the under 18 crowd. As of 1 am they were not allowed to be in the public areas (except Adventure Ocean or the Teen club).
If you have any questions about night clubs on Anthem of the Seas, the drink package, or night life in general let me know.
Next up is the Summary and final verdict
I appreciate everyone that read my review/comparison so far and thank you for the mostly really nice comments
Last edited:
HappilyEverAfter80
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed the thoroughness of your review. I'm waiting for your final opinion along with many other readers, and I can honestly say that I have no idea which direction you're going!
I think that is proof that this is a well-done, non-biased, very informative review.
Thank you!
Thanks, I appreciate you saying this. I wasn't sure at first how to write this without giving away what I really prefer...
HappilyEverAfter80
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
I'm sorry I don't have many pics of the bars at night due to poor lighting and lack of a good camera.
Below is the Bionic Bar with robot bartenders, it's great to watch but drinks are gross...
The souvenir cup you get with all drink packages, use it in the coca-cola freestyle machines
My fav drink from Boleros - Mojito
From the Cruise Compass - You can see the amount of music and dancing on the ship
Below is the Bionic Bar with robot bartenders, it's great to watch but drinks are gross...
The souvenir cup you get with all drink packages, use it in the coca-cola freestyle machines
My fav drink from Boleros - Mojito
From the Cruise Compass - You can see the amount of music and dancing on the ship
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HappilyEverAfter80
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
Oops I lied... I wanted to briefly touch on DISEMBARKATION
On DCL, 3x we have done the "regular" disembarkation leaving our luggage outside of the room and going to our breakfast assigment then getting off after.
Once we stood in the line up (Fantasy) for almost an hour and a half. The other two times we were off within 1/2 hr (Magic).
The last Fantasy cruise we decided we wanted to eat breakfast in Cabanas at our leisure so we opted to "self-carry". Worked very well, we got off the ship within 20 min because it was "in between" breakfasts. The early seating got off already and late was still eating.
We didn't know what to do on Anthem. We decided to self-carry as well, and to our surprise if you wanted to do that you had "pre-register" at either Guest Services or in the My Royal IQ,
3 days before end of cruise. If you didn't, you had to leave your luggage outside your room the night before, and then go to a designated area in the morning at a specific time (Two 70, Theatre etc) until your # was displayed on the screens). Then you proceeded to get off and retrieve your luggage in the terminal.
For self-carry, there was a choice of 3 different times to self disembark from 7:00 to 9:30.
We chose the 9-9:30 slot.
There was no main breakfast assigment, at least not that I know of.
There were a few places to go for breakfast including the Windjammer and Cafe Two70.
At about 9:05 we went down to deck 5 to disembark only to find a HUGE line...
It seems that more people self-carry then not. Maybe it's just port dependant, this was NYC ...
I was thinking great, this will take forever. If you are familiar with the ship the line spread from the beginning of Royal Esplanade to Two70 which is all the way at the back of ship...
Luckily it moved fast, we were off and through customs within 35 min.
Disembarkation seemed both like a mess and yet smooth... it was odd
On DCL, 3x we have done the "regular" disembarkation leaving our luggage outside of the room and going to our breakfast assigment then getting off after.
Once we stood in the line up (Fantasy) for almost an hour and a half. The other two times we were off within 1/2 hr (Magic).
The last Fantasy cruise we decided we wanted to eat breakfast in Cabanas at our leisure so we opted to "self-carry". Worked very well, we got off the ship within 20 min because it was "in between" breakfasts. The early seating got off already and late was still eating.
We didn't know what to do on Anthem. We decided to self-carry as well, and to our surprise if you wanted to do that you had "pre-register" at either Guest Services or in the My Royal IQ,
3 days before end of cruise. If you didn't, you had to leave your luggage outside your room the night before, and then go to a designated area in the morning at a specific time (Two 70, Theatre etc) until your # was displayed on the screens). Then you proceeded to get off and retrieve your luggage in the terminal.
For self-carry, there was a choice of 3 different times to self disembark from 7:00 to 9:30.
We chose the 9-9:30 slot.
There was no main breakfast assigment, at least not that I know of.
There were a few places to go for breakfast including the Windjammer and Cafe Two70.
At about 9:05 we went down to deck 5 to disembark only to find a HUGE line...
It seems that more people self-carry then not. Maybe it's just port dependant, this was NYC ...
I was thinking great, this will take forever. If you are familiar with the ship the line spread from the beginning of Royal Esplanade to Two70 which is all the way at the back of ship...
Luckily it moved fast, we were off and through customs within 35 min.
Disembarkation seemed both like a mess and yet smooth... it was odd
Last edited:
trouttigger
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2008
I'm reading this also. I've never been on a cruise. Just told hubby that we should consider a Disney cruise. I'm having second thoughts because DS is now 17, and I'm afraid DCL just may not be fun for him.
disneymagicgirl
Been there, Done that, Going back!
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
Just read the entire thread. Can't wait for the final verdict. Sounds like my family might like Anthem!
hanscarlet
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2013
Do you watch Dream Cruises on AWE channel? They feature a lot of MSC Mediterranean cruises on that show - they look really nice!
Main Street Matilda
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 1, 2010
@trouttigger - I wouldn't be reluctant to take a DCL cruise even given the age of your son. My sons, who were 14 and 16 on our last cruise are both very much looking forward to the DCL cruise I booked for 2018 - and they'll be 18 and 20 at that point. Both are pretty typical guys, although with very different interests, but both found niches which made their cruise enjoyable. The blend of family time and time on their own in the teen clubs seemed to hit the spot. In other words, I wouldn't discount DCL just because of your son's age.
HappilyEverAfter80
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2014
My apologies again for taking so long to summarize this review/comparison... The 60 day mark was coming up on our WDW vacation, and I was pre-occupied with the fast passes+ and all the other planning that goes with that... Yes I know... First World Problems
I did finally type the conclusion yesterday and accidently erased it all...
Let's give this another try
If you followed the review, you know that I was aiming at comparing our experience with Disney Cruise Line to our first Royal Caribbean Cruise on Anthem of the Seas.
We have sailed with DCL 4 times in a span of 2.5 years, and I feel like my family's experience has been consistent and similar all 4 times. However... on our last Disney Cruise (Fantasy last October) I was starting to feel a bit like... ok this is getting a bit old. I still loved it, but there was no "pinch me I must be dreaming I'm on a Disney ship" feeling anymore. Everything was starting to repeat, from shows to menus. Granted, this may not be everyone's experience, like I said we went 4x in a relatively short amount of time.
We decided to try another line, not because I was done with DCL, but I wanted to see for myself if we are paying too much as everyone says... I also wanted to prove to DH that Disney is far far superior... Well.
Anthem of the Seas is a stunning ship. No doubt about it... but while on it, here is what I missed about our Disney cruises...
Some of these are silly, but if I thought about it more than once.. well it made the list
- Anthem has too dark of a decor, solid brown doors, dark walls....
- No round portholes... Anthem has beautiful windows in the restaurants and hallways but they are square.. not sure why but I missed the round ones found on DCL...
(Yes I may need professional help)...
- No Disney music in the hallways...Anthem played music too but it was same as I hear at home on the radio.. I kept thinking how the DCL background music put a smile on my face every time I walked to our stateroom
- Speaking of staterooms, I also missed the decorated doors. Even though we don't go overboard decorating doors ourselves I greatly enjoy checking them out
- Missed the H2O spa toiletries in the bathroom
- Really missed the all day movies by the pool on Funnel Vision, even if most of the time I just laid there listening with my eyes closed...
- I missed the atmosphere in the Cabanas and some of the food.. yes I go for the Mickey waffles along with all the kids
- Also missed the Disney shops and merchandise.. which ended up being a good thing for my pocket, but missed it nevertheless
- Edited to add, Disney's wall art was something else I missed.. Anthem's art is kind of weird and abstract and "grown-up"... I think it's specific to Anthem though.
Obviously I knew this is not Disney cruise line and wasn't expecting to find Disney music or merchandise... but I realized that I enjoy these little Disney touches and greatly missed having them.
Some other things that are big about DCL, I did not miss at all:
- Split baths
- Characters and their line-ups all over the place
- Rotational dining with its drawn-out process
- The announcing of families on arrival... could take it or leave it.
- Pirate night... it was awesome the first two times...
While I missed the Disney touch on our cruise, there were many WOW's for my family on Anthem. Starting with the innovative staterooms, amazing pools, adult areas and nightlife.
Amazing technology and attractions such as the North Star, SeaPlex, etc.
I already mentioned before that Two70 is an amazing space on Anthem, one that I may actually miss on any ship now.
The dining options on Anthem are amazing too, even though many are an extra charge, there was even more included in the cruise fare without just limiting yourself to fast food. Cafe@Two 70 was my favorite with the paninis, wraps, soups and salad bar.
Anthem of the Seas was full when we sailed and other than the Windjammer buffet, I did not feel like it was crowded. It just seeemed to handle crowds better.
We had an amazing time on Anthem, but overall yes, I missed Disney. I am a Disney fan, DH says boarderline in need of a therapist...
Even though I loved our Anthem cruise, I have to admit I still prefer DCL. Service we had on Anthem was excellent 90% of the time, where it was excellent 100% of the time on Disney. I like the classic design of the Disney ships a little more, they seem more nautical..and cozy.. while Anthem is more sophisticated and elegant.
Having said all this, my humble opinion is that Disney is not worth a lot more $ unless you absolutely can't live without Mickey Mouse. This is for a repeat cruiser only. DCL is definitely worth a lot of $ at least once.
We usually do one Disney vacation and one non-Disney vacation each year so for me this was a non-Disney vacation which I still greatly enjoyed.
Many things I liked better and I think Royal does better than Disney.
But there is just no getting around it, I missed the little Disney "things".
Will I only go on Disney cruises though? Nope. Having tried Royal, I can say with certainty that it's an excellent cruise line and a definite competitor for DCL in terms of "family cruising". I only speak for Anthem of course, but based on my research, the Oasis class is even more family-friendly. Freedom class also great choice.
Let's put it this way... if I was presented with 2 options for a cruise, same itinerary and same price then I would most definitely choose DCL at this point. If the DCL cruise was $500-$800 more... well.. making the choice at bit tougher. If DCL is more than $1000 than sorry.. I can live without Disney. When we came back from our 5 night Bermuda cruise on the Anthem, we priced out the same cruise for October 2018 on both Anthem and Disney Magic.
Same month, same length, same ports.
Magic was $1800 more for our family of 3, balcony cabin, opening prices. Well, I have been on both Anthem and Disney Magic now and I can tell you Magic is not worth that kind of premium to me. Not even close.
I would sail on Anthem again in a heartbeat and would happily wave to the Magic people in port... "Yeah you have Mickey, but have you seen our pools and North Star"?
I would pay more for Disney, but not a lot more.
While I still prefer Disney, our Anthem cruise sparked enough of curiosity that I definitely want to cruise with Royal again. I have my eyes on the Oasis class, Harmony or Symphony of the Seas as they have some elements of the Quantum class such as staterooms.
DH and DS are more split in the middle... DH looking solely at value said Anthem is better than Disney. He finally agreed DCL has better overall customer service, but said "not that $$$ much better"
DS 8 preferred Adventure Ocean and loved things like bumper cars at sea and North Star.
He did miss some things about DCL like the Aqua Duck (dream class), and Midship detective agency, but I would say around age 8 is the turning point for some kids where they may prefer Royal. Especially if they are active and sporty kids.
Which line we'll cruise with next, will depend on where we want to go and when. If we get a great deal with DCL, great. If not, well we may never become gold with them
If we want to cruise in the summer or holidays, sadly it won't be on DCL. We will not pay that much more now for the privilege and it's not because we can't afford it.
We may even try a different line altogether, but I have determined that if it's not DCL, it has to be a newer ship.
My advice if you are thinking of trying another line is to do some research. Watch YouTube tours of the various ships. As you watch them, try to imagine your family on it.
Read on about entertaiment and activites offered. Are you a busy, active family? Your older kids may appreciate options on Royal better.
DS loved the idea of bumper cars or rollerblading at sea. Oasis class has skating at sea. Flow riders, rock climbing.... does that sound interesting to you? Do you have to see a Disney production show every night?
In the end, I may still prefer Disney cruise line but I also see myself on Royal again. It wasn't one and done for our family. It became another cruise option and a definite contender for us.
I would like to thank you for following along and again all the great thoughts and comments. Really appreciate everyone's input and hope this helped.
Please ask if there is something specific, as I'm sure I missed something
I did finally type the conclusion yesterday and accidently erased it all...
Let's give this another try
If you followed the review, you know that I was aiming at comparing our experience with Disney Cruise Line to our first Royal Caribbean Cruise on Anthem of the Seas.
We have sailed with DCL 4 times in a span of 2.5 years, and I feel like my family's experience has been consistent and similar all 4 times. However... on our last Disney Cruise (Fantasy last October) I was starting to feel a bit like... ok this is getting a bit old. I still loved it, but there was no "pinch me I must be dreaming I'm on a Disney ship" feeling anymore. Everything was starting to repeat, from shows to menus. Granted, this may not be everyone's experience, like I said we went 4x in a relatively short amount of time.
We decided to try another line, not because I was done with DCL, but I wanted to see for myself if we are paying too much as everyone says... I also wanted to prove to DH that Disney is far far superior... Well.
Anthem of the Seas is a stunning ship. No doubt about it... but while on it, here is what I missed about our Disney cruises...
Some of these are silly, but if I thought about it more than once.. well it made the list
- Anthem has too dark of a decor, solid brown doors, dark walls....
- No round portholes... Anthem has beautiful windows in the restaurants and hallways but they are square.. not sure why but I missed the round ones found on DCL...
(Yes I may need professional help)...
- No Disney music in the hallways...Anthem played music too but it was same as I hear at home on the radio.. I kept thinking how the DCL background music put a smile on my face every time I walked to our stateroom
- Speaking of staterooms, I also missed the decorated doors. Even though we don't go overboard decorating doors ourselves I greatly enjoy checking them out
- Missed the H2O spa toiletries in the bathroom
- Really missed the all day movies by the pool on Funnel Vision, even if most of the time I just laid there listening with my eyes closed...
- I missed the atmosphere in the Cabanas and some of the food.. yes I go for the Mickey waffles along with all the kids
- Also missed the Disney shops and merchandise.. which ended up being a good thing for my pocket, but missed it nevertheless
- Edited to add, Disney's wall art was something else I missed.. Anthem's art is kind of weird and abstract and "grown-up"... I think it's specific to Anthem though.
Obviously I knew this is not Disney cruise line and wasn't expecting to find Disney music or merchandise... but I realized that I enjoy these little Disney touches and greatly missed having them.
Some other things that are big about DCL, I did not miss at all:
- Split baths
- Characters and their line-ups all over the place
- Rotational dining with its drawn-out process
- The announcing of families on arrival... could take it or leave it.
- Pirate night... it was awesome the first two times...
While I missed the Disney touch on our cruise, there were many WOW's for my family on Anthem. Starting with the innovative staterooms, amazing pools, adult areas and nightlife.
Amazing technology and attractions such as the North Star, SeaPlex, etc.
I already mentioned before that Two70 is an amazing space on Anthem, one that I may actually miss on any ship now.
The dining options on Anthem are amazing too, even though many are an extra charge, there was even more included in the cruise fare without just limiting yourself to fast food. Cafe@Two 70 was my favorite with the paninis, wraps, soups and salad bar.
Anthem of the Seas was full when we sailed and other than the Windjammer buffet, I did not feel like it was crowded. It just seeemed to handle crowds better.
We had an amazing time on Anthem, but overall yes, I missed Disney. I am a Disney fan, DH says boarderline in need of a therapist...
Even though I loved our Anthem cruise, I have to admit I still prefer DCL. Service we had on Anthem was excellent 90% of the time, where it was excellent 100% of the time on Disney. I like the classic design of the Disney ships a little more, they seem more nautical..and cozy.. while Anthem is more sophisticated and elegant.
Having said all this, my humble opinion is that Disney is not worth a lot more $ unless you absolutely can't live without Mickey Mouse. This is for a repeat cruiser only. DCL is definitely worth a lot of $ at least once.
We usually do one Disney vacation and one non-Disney vacation each year so for me this was a non-Disney vacation which I still greatly enjoyed.
Many things I liked better and I think Royal does better than Disney.
But there is just no getting around it, I missed the little Disney "things".
Will I only go on Disney cruises though? Nope. Having tried Royal, I can say with certainty that it's an excellent cruise line and a definite competitor for DCL in terms of "family cruising". I only speak for Anthem of course, but based on my research, the Oasis class is even more family-friendly. Freedom class also great choice.
Let's put it this way... if I was presented with 2 options for a cruise, same itinerary and same price then I would most definitely choose DCL at this point. If the DCL cruise was $500-$800 more... well.. making the choice at bit tougher. If DCL is more than $1000 than sorry.. I can live without Disney. When we came back from our 5 night Bermuda cruise on the Anthem, we priced out the same cruise for October 2018 on both Anthem and Disney Magic.
Same month, same length, same ports.
Magic was $1800 more for our family of 3, balcony cabin, opening prices. Well, I have been on both Anthem and Disney Magic now and I can tell you Magic is not worth that kind of premium to me. Not even close.
I would sail on Anthem again in a heartbeat and would happily wave to the Magic people in port... "Yeah you have Mickey, but have you seen our pools and North Star"?
I would pay more for Disney, but not a lot more.
While I still prefer Disney, our Anthem cruise sparked enough of curiosity that I definitely want to cruise with Royal again. I have my eyes on the Oasis class, Harmony or Symphony of the Seas as they have some elements of the Quantum class such as staterooms.
DH and DS are more split in the middle... DH looking solely at value said Anthem is better than Disney. He finally agreed DCL has better overall customer service, but said "not that $$$ much better"
DS 8 preferred Adventure Ocean and loved things like bumper cars at sea and North Star.
He did miss some things about DCL like the Aqua Duck (dream class), and Midship detective agency, but I would say around age 8 is the turning point for some kids where they may prefer Royal. Especially if they are active and sporty kids.
Which line we'll cruise with next, will depend on where we want to go and when. If we get a great deal with DCL, great. If not, well we may never become gold with them
If we want to cruise in the summer or holidays, sadly it won't be on DCL. We will not pay that much more now for the privilege and it's not because we can't afford it.
We may even try a different line altogether, but I have determined that if it's not DCL, it has to be a newer ship.
My advice if you are thinking of trying another line is to do some research. Watch YouTube tours of the various ships. As you watch them, try to imagine your family on it.
Read on about entertaiment and activites offered. Are you a busy, active family? Your older kids may appreciate options on Royal better.
DS loved the idea of bumper cars or rollerblading at sea. Oasis class has skating at sea. Flow riders, rock climbing.... does that sound interesting to you? Do you have to see a Disney production show every night?
In the end, I may still prefer Disney cruise line but I also see myself on Royal again. It wasn't one and done for our family. It became another cruise option and a definite contender for us.
I would like to thank you for following along and again all the great thoughts and comments. Really appreciate everyone's input and hope this helped.
Please ask if there is something specific, as I'm sure I missed something
Last edited:
Shanti
Momketeer
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2015
Thanks for sharing. This was quite informative. Confirmed for me that we're a DCL family, but as we really love the ships, the characters & Castaway Cay, that's no surprise. Your RCL cruise sounded great & I hope RCL continues to give DCL a run for their money. Maybe someday that will temper DCL's prices a bit.My apologies again for taking so long to summarize this review/comparison... The 60 day mark was coming up on our WDW vacation, and I was pre-occupied with the fast passes+ and all the other planning that goes with that... Yes I know... First World Problems
I did finally type the conclusion yesterday and accidently erased it all...
Let's give this another try
If you followed the review, you know that I was aiming at comparing our experience with Disney Cruise Line to our first Royal Caribbean Cruise on Anthem of the Seas.
We have sailed with DCL 4 times in a span of 2.5 years, and I feel like my family's experience has been consistent and similar all 4 times. However... on our last Disney Cruise (Fantasy last October) I was starting to feel a bit like... ok this is getting a bit old. I still loved it, but there was no "pinch me I must be dreaming I'm on a Disney ship" feeling anymore. Everything was starting to repeat, from shows to menus. Granted, this may not be everyone's experience, like I said we went 4x in a relatively short amount of time.
We decided to try another line, not because I was done with DCL, but I wanted to see for myself if we are paying too much as everyone says... I also wanted to prove to DH that Disney is far far superior... Well.
Anthem of the Seas is a stunning ship. No doubt about it... but while on it, here is what I missed about our Disney cruises...
Some of these are silly, but if I thought about it more than once.. well it made the list
- Anthem has too dark of a decor, solid brown doors, dark walls....
- No round portholes... Anthem has beautiful windows in the restaurants and hallways but they are square.. not sure why but I missed the round ones found on DCL...
(Yes I may need professional help)...
- No Disney music in the hallways...Anthem played music too but it was same as I hear at home on the radio.. I kept thinking how the DCL background music put a smile on my face every time I walked to our stateroom
- Speaking of staterooms, I also missed the decorated doors. Even though we don't go overboard decorating doors ourselves I greatly enjoy checking them out
- Missed the H2O spa toiletries in the bathroom
- Really missed the all day movies by the pool on Funnel Vision, even if most of the time I just laid there listening with my eyes closed...
- I missed the atmosphere in the Cabanas and some of the food.. yes I go for the Mickey waffles along with all the kids
- Also missed the Disney shops and merchandise.. which ended up being a good thing for my pocket, but missed it nevertheless
Obviously I knew this is not Disney cruise line and wasn't expecting to find Disney music or merchandise... but I realized that I enjoy these little Disney touches and greatly missed having them.
Some other things that are big about DCL, I did not miss at all:
- Split baths
- Characters and their line-ups all over the place
- Rotational dining with its drawn-out process
- The announcing of families on arrival... could take it or leave it.
- Pirate night... it was awesome the first two times...
While I missed the Disney touch on our cruise, there were many WOW's for my family on Anthem. Starting with the innovative staterooms, amazing pools, adult areas and nightlife.
Amazing technology and attractions such as the North Star, SeaPlex, etc.
I already mentioned before that Two70 is an amazing space on Anthem, one that I may actually miss on any ship now.
The dining options on Anthem are amazing too, even though many are an extra charge, there was even more included in the cruise fare without just limiting yourself to fast food. Cafe@Two 70 was my favorite with the paninis, wraps, soups and salad bar.
Anthem of the Seas was full when we sailed and other than the Windjammer buffet, I did not feel like it was crowded. It just seeemed to handle crowds better.
We had an amazing time on Anthem, but overall yes, I missed Disney. I am a Disney fan, DH says boarderline in need of a therapist...
Even though I loved our Anthem cruise, I have to admit I still prefer DCL. Service we had on Anthem was excellent 90% of the time, where it was excellent 100% of the time on Disney. I like the classic design of the Disney ships a little more, they seem more nautical..and cozy.. while Anthem is more sophisticated and elegant.
Having said all this, my humble opinion is that Disney is not worth a lot more $ unless you absolutely can't live without Mickey Mouse. This is for a repeat cruiser only. DCL is definitely worth a lot of $ at least once.
We usually do one Disney vacation and one non-Disney vacation each year so for me this was a non-Disney vacation which I still greatly enjoyed.
Many things I liked better and I think Royal does better than Disney.
But there is just no getting around it, I missed the little Disney "things".
Will I only go on Disney cruises though? Nope. Having tried Royal, I can say with certainty that it's an excellent cruise line and a definite competitor for DCL in terms of "family cruising". I only speak for Anthem of course, but based on my research, the Oasis class is even more family-friendly. Freedom class also great choice.
Let's put it this way... if I was presented with 2 options for a cruise, same itinerary and same price then I would most definitely choose DCL at this point. If the DCL cruise was $500-$800 more... well.. making the choice at bit tougher. If DCL is more than $1000 than sorry.. I can live without Disney. When we came back from our 5 night Bermuda cruise on the Anthem, we priced out the same cruise for October 2018 on both Anthem and Disney Magic.
Same month, same length, same ports.
Magic was $1800 more for our family of 3, balcony cabin, opening prices. Well, I have been on both Anthem and Disney Magic now and I can tell you Magic is not worth that kind of premium to me. Not even close.
I would sail on Anthem again in a heartbeat and would happily wave to the Magic people in port... "Yeah you have Mickey, but have you seen our pools and North Star"?
I would pay more for Disney, but not a lot more.
While I still prefer Disney, our Anthem cruise sparked enough of curiosity that I definitely want to cruise with Royal again. I have my eyes on the Oasis class, Harmony or Symphony of the Seas as they have some elements of the Quantum class such as staterooms.
DH and DS are more split in the middle... DH looking solely at value said Anthem is better than Disney. He finally agreed DCL has better overall customer service, but said "not that $$$ much better"
DS 8 preferred Adventure Ocean and loved things like bumper cars at sea and North Star.
He did miss some things about DCL like the Aqua Duck (dream class), and Midship detective agency, but I would say around age 8 is the turning point for some kids where they may prefer Royal. Especially if they are active and sporty kids.
Which line we'll cruise with next, will depend on where we want to go and when. If we get a great deal with DCL, great. If not, well we may never become gold with them
If we want to cruise in the summer or holidays, sadly it won't be on DCL. We will not pay that much more now for the privilege and it's not because we can't afford it.
We may even try a different line altogether, but I have determined that if it's not DCL, it has to be a newer ship.
My advice if you are thinking of trying another line is to do some research. Watch YouTube tours of the various ships. As you watch them, try to imagine your family on it.
Read on about entertaiment and activites offered. Are you a busy, active family? Your older kids may appreciate options on Royal better.
DS loved the idea of bumper cars or rollerblading at sea. Oasis class has skating at sea. Flow riders, rock climbing.... does that sound interesting to you? Do you have to see a Disney production show every night?
In the end, I may still prefer Disney cruise line but I also see myself on Royal again. It wasn't one and done for our family. It became another cruise option and a definite contender for us.
I would like to thank you for following along and again all the great thoughts and comments. Really appreciate everyone's input and hope this helped.
Please ask if there is something specific, as I'm sure I missed something
Last edited:
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