CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[tidefan]

we are on your ship! Regal. Thanks again for your review. I am sure the kids will have a great time. If not, then they are beyond spoiled and we need to do a serious reassessment of how we are raising them! It just blows me away how much they love carnival. Thanks for the sub recommendations. If you have any other don’t miss things let me know!

One thing to note with your kids... They will let the kids participate in some of the game shows (you'll be able to tell which ones you may NOT want them to go to...), but I would highly recommend letting them go to and even participate in the "Yes/No" game. Basically, they put you in a hot seat and you have 3 minutes to not say either Yes or No. Sounds easy, but you wouldn't believe how many people can't do it. Even if you're not up there it's a lot of fun to watch...

Also, if they are still doing the crew rock band, they are amazing...

 

[lilsonicfan]

Hi all, popping in to ask what you'd choose if you were me ....
deciding between a 5 day DCL Fantasy cruise or a 7 day Carnival Breeze cruise, both in Sept 2020, same week.

Fantasy goes to Cozumel and Castaway Cay.
Breeze goes to Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan, Costa Maya.
None of those ports is particularly interesting to me although Castaway is always nice.

We're a family of 5. The Breeze has one type of room that fits 5, it's an oceanview. Cost for all 5 of us would be under $4,000. (I'm just going to use Canadian $ as that is how my spreadsheet is laid out!). But, this type of room doesn't allow the two lower twins to be pushed together when the uppers are in use - which is a negative. And I prefer balcony rooms anyway. Two balconies would run us about $6,000 for the 7 night cruise. PPPN is $171.

The Fantasy for some reason doesn't have the family oceanview rooms that hold 5, only the family verandah rooms. Cost for 5 of us would be about $6,600 after using a placeholder, which we have. PPPN is $264.

I'm not surprised that the Carnival cost isn't wildly lower; that tends to happen with Caribbean cruise pricing since there are 5 of us, and prices in the Caribbean seem slightly closer across cruise lines than in other areas. I'm also not surprised that even with a placeholder, the Fantasy comes in pricier. The trouble I'm having is that I did really love our last DCL cruise (in fairness it was a transatlantic) and am having trouble seeing $6,000 worth of value in the Carnival cruise.... I have sailed Carnival 2x before and hey any day cruising is better than not for sure and I am not super picky but I always said if costs weren't too far off I would choose DCL. I also feel like DCL might handle hurricane season better, but that sounds (even as I say it) entirely biased

So what are your thoughts?

 

[hdrolfe]

Breeze is one of the favourite Carnival ships, it has all the updates, water slides, ropes course, Guys and Blue Iguana. Personally, it's a ship I would like to go on. I love the Western itinerary. Mahogany Bay is lovely. In general I'd go with the longer cruise, two extra days for basically the same money? Is there a way you could do a balcony and an inside (across the hall)? It depends on the ages of your kids, but seems to be a popular option in some family situations. Obviously if the kids are too young and you need the connecting rooms then that's the best option.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

One thing to note with your kids... They will let the kids participate in some of the game shows (you'll be able to tell which ones you may NOT want them to go to...), but I would highly recommend letting them go to and even participate in the "Yes/No" game. Basically, they put you in a hot seat and you have 3 minutes to not say either Yes or No. Sounds easy, but you wouldn't believe how many people can't do it. Even if you're not up there it's a lot of fun to watch...

Also, if they are still doing the crew rock band, they are amazing...

Thanks! Sounds great.

 

[MAMA GRAVE]

I’m a big fan of the Carnival Magic!

Much nicer than any Disney cruise ship.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Hi all, popping in to ask what you'd choose if you were me ....
deciding between a 5 day DCL Fantasy cruise or a 7 day Carnival Breeze cruise, both in Sept 2020, same week.

Fantasy goes to Cozumel and Castaway Cay.
Breeze goes to Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan, Costa Maya.
None of those ports is particularly interesting to me although Castaway is always nice.

We're a family of 5. The Breeze has one type of room that fits 5, it's an oceanview. Cost for all 5 of us would be under $4,000. (I'm just going to use Canadian $ as that is how my spreadsheet is laid out!). But, this type of room doesn't allow the two lower twins to be pushed together when the uppers are in use - which is a negative. And I prefer balcony rooms anyway. Two balconies would run us about $6,000 for the 7 night cruise. PPPN is $171.

The Fantasy for some reason doesn't have the family oceanview rooms that hold 5, only the family verandah rooms. Cost for 5 of us would be about $6,600 after using a placeholder, which we have. PPPN is $264.

I'm not surprised that the Carnival cost isn't wildly lower; that tends to happen with Caribbean cruise pricing since there are 5 of us, and prices in the Caribbean seem slightly closer across cruise lines than in other areas. I'm also not surprised that even with a placeholder, the Fantasy comes in pricier. The trouble I'm having is that I did really love our last DCL cruise (in fairness it was a transatlantic) and am having trouble seeing $6,000 worth of value in the Carnival cruise.... I have sailed Carnival 2x before and hey any day cruising is better than not for sure and I am not super picky but I always said if costs weren't too far off I would choose DCL. I also feel like DCL might handle hurricane season better, but that sounds (even as I say it) entirely biased

So what are your thoughts?

The breeze is one of ccl’s best ships because it has almost everything vista has but without the crowding. Not that vista is crowded but the breeze feels “empty”! It is awesome. We loved breeze and would sail her again in a minute. I just did a mock booking for the September 5 cruise and put in for the 3 kids to be in an inside and the 2 adults in a balcony across the hall for at total of $3900. This was deck 10 if you’re interested. This is how we usually do it and it is dreamy having the kids in their own room across the way. They spend time in our room with the balcony of course. For booking purposes we book an adult in each room. I agree neither of those itineraries is to die for but they both have Cozumel which we love. I love dcl, but I personally could not bring myself to spend $6600 (about 7k with tips) for a 5 night for our family of five. I would much rather do the $3900 cruise and pocket $2700! That’s a lot of money! You could almost pay for another cruise. Or just put it in the stock market . But... we are all different, and that’s just how I think.

Ok, so to add, I just realized that you are Canadian, so I am not sure how the prices work for you! I just did a mock booking for 5 in a verandah on dcl fantasy sept 7 and it came to $5400. That closes the gap to $1500 US dollars. Still would be hard for me to go with dcl!

 

[lilsonicfan]

The breeze is one of ccl’s best ships because it has almost everything vista has but without the crowding. Not that vista is crowded but the breeze feels “empty”! It is awesome. We loved breeze and would sail her again in a minute. I just did a mock booking for the September 5 cruise and put in for the 3 kids to be in an inside and the 2 adults in a balcony across the hall for at total of $3900. This was deck 10 if you’re interested. This is how we usually do it and it is dreamy having the kids in their own room across the way. They spend time in our room with the balcony of course. For booking purposes we book an adult in each room. I agree neither of those itineraries is to die for but they both have Cozumel which we love. I love dcl, but I personally could not bring myself to spend $6600 (about 7k with tips) for a 5 night for our family of five. I would much rather do the $3900 cruise and pocket $2700! That’s a lot of money! You could almost pay for another cruise. Or just put it in the stock market . But... we are all different, and that’s just how I think.

Ok, so to add, I just realized that you are Canadian, so I am not sure how the prices work for you! I just did a mock booking for 5 in a verandah on dcl fantasy sept 7 and it came to $5400. That closes the gap to $1500 US dollars. Still would be hard for me to go with dcl!

Thank you for the post! My kids are still fairly young (10/8/7), so connecting rooms would be most ideal or one room if the ship allowed. Yes, the $5400 price = $6600 CAD.... and so the Breeze one balcony one inside would work out to be $5,265 CAD. That's great to hear about Breeze being a great ship!! Appreciate your post and that of hdrolfe as well.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Hi all, popping in to ask what you'd choose if you were me ....
deciding between a 5 day DCL Fantasy cruise or a 7 day Carnival Breeze cruise, both in Sept 2020, same week.

Fantasy goes to Cozumel and Castaway Cay.
Breeze goes to Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan, Costa Maya.
None of those ports is particularly interesting to me although Castaway is always nice.

We're a family of 5. The Breeze has one type of room that fits 5, it's an oceanview. Cost for all 5 of us would be under $4,000. (I'm just going to use Canadian $ as that is how my spreadsheet is laid out!). But, this type of room doesn't allow the two lower twins to be pushed together when the uppers are in use - which is a negative. And I prefer balcony rooms anyway. Two balconies would run us about $6,000 for the 7 night cruise. PPPN is $171.

The Fantasy for some reason doesn't have the family oceanview rooms that hold 5, only the family verandah rooms. Cost for 5 of us would be about $6,600 after using a placeholder, which we have. PPPN is $264.

I'm not surprised that the Carnival cost isn't wildly lower; that tends to happen with Caribbean cruise pricing since there are 5 of us, and prices in the Caribbean seem slightly closer across cruise lines than in other areas. I'm also not surprised that even with a placeholder, the Fantasy comes in pricier. The trouble I'm having is that I did really love our last DCL cruise (in fairness it was a transatlantic) and am having trouble seeing $6,000 worth of value in the Carnival cruise.... I have sailed Carnival 2x before and hey any day cruising is better than not for sure and I am not super picky but I always said if costs weren't too far off I would choose DCL. I also feel like DCL might handle hurricane season better, but that sounds (even as I say it) entirely biased

So what are your thoughts?

The Breeze is Carnival’s most highly rated ship, she is beautiful. I’m a little biased because we always cruise in 2 cabins for the 4 of us, so I’d definitely go with the Breeze. I find there to be a lot more activities to do on Carnival than DCL. By that I mean, when I’m on DCL I feel like we just watch entertainment happen, on Carnival we become one with the entertainment. One example is the Sail Away Party, Carnival's is definitely interactive while Disney we just watch. On the flip side of things, we definitely feel more pampered on Disney than Carnival.

As far as ports go, we loved Roatan! There is a beach a few minutes away from the ship via chair lift. There is a few dollar charge for a round trip ticket, and it’s a really great beach.

We’re spending a ton of money, more than I ever thought I would, for our 9 night Fantasy cruise this June, and I’m pretty sure it will be our last Disney cruise. We have a B2B, (14 nights), cruise booked for the new Carnival Mardi Gras for 2021. The Mardi Gras Cruise costs about 1/3 less than the Fantasy cruise and we get 2 extended length balcony cabins instead of 2 standard insides on the Fantasy.

 

[Mika02]

The Breeze is Carnival’s most highly rated ship, she is beautiful. I’m a little biased because we always cruise in 2 cabins for the 4 of us, so I’d definitely go with the Breeze. I find there to be a lot more activities to do on Carnival than DCL. By that I mean, when I’m on DCL I feel like we just watch entertainment happen, on Carnival we become one with the entertainment. One example is the Sail Away Party, Carnival's is definitely interactive while Disney we just watch. On the flip side of things, we definitely feel more pampered on Disney than Carnival.

As far as ports go, we loved Roatan! There is a beach a few minutes away from the ship via chair lift. There is a few dollar charge for a round trip ticket, and it’s a really great beach.
View attachment 470078
We’re spending a ton of money, more than I ever thought I would, for our 9 night Fantasy cruise this June, and I’m pretty sure it will be our last Disney cruise. We have a B2B, (14 nights), cruise booked for the new Carnival Mardi Gras for 2021. The Mardi Gras Cruise costs about 1/3 less than the Fantasy cruise and we get 2 extended length balcony cabins instead of 2 standard insides on the Fantasy.

I have to agree with the the sail away party after 3 Carnival cruises and taking my 1st cruise on DCL I was a bit shocked at how low key the Sailaway party was lol

 

[belle032]

Hi all!

We just got home from our 7 day Western Caribbean sailing on the Conquest! We had fantastic weather and a pretty smooth sailing overall. Won't go into tons of detail as this was our 2nd time on this ship, so if anyone has any particular questions please feel free to ask!

Just some observations:

1) Still really like this class of ship, but we did notice that the Conquest was showing her age a little bit since the last time we sailed. The hull definitely needed a good paint job and there were spots here and there with some wear and tear. She wasn't dirty by any means, just needed a little love.
2) Food was great overall. No breakfast at Guy's though! Really didn't have a bad meal at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
3) For the first time EVER, our room steward was pretty MIA. We saw him maybe twice? He was very pleasant and friendly when we did see him, but it was a definite difference from all our previous sailings.
4) We had Anytime Dining which really works well for us. The flexibility is great, but one negative it you don't get the same dining team every night. However, we lucked out and got an amazing server on the first night and found out we could request him for future nights. It worked out wonderfully and they saved us a table in his section for every dinner. So got the best of both worlds!
5) We confirmed the beverage package is worth the cost for us!
6) The theater shows were entertaining and fun and the performers were very good. However, the Heart of Soul show needs to be retired. #sorrynotsorry. The 80s show and Flick were the definite favorites.

Ports of Call:

1) Grand Cayman - we did the Sensational Stingray Swim through CCL. We were only in port until 3PM so this was a good, quick excursion to get us out to Stingray City. The water is beyond stunning and I would have been happy to just float there for hours!



2) Mahogany Bay (Roatan, Honduras) - We booked Daniel Johnson Monkey & Sloth Hangout + Snorkeling directly through them. OMG YOU GUYS THIS WAS SO COOL! We were picked up at the port and taken to the animal sanctuary and given a guided tour. We got into the cage with monkeys, HELD A SLOTH, held parrots, and just learned about all the animals. We then jumped on their snorkeling boat, which was just the four of us and two guides, and went out to a reef about 5 minutes away. And I can honestly say it was the best snorkeling we have ever done. Just stunning. So I can't recommend this place enough and if you ever port in Roatan, DO THIS EXCURSION!





3) Belize - We booked the Lamanai Mayan Ruins through CCL. It was an all day tour and it was HOT, but really glad we did this. We wanted to do something a little different and this was it. It was moderately strenuous and a long day, but to see these ancient ruins in person is just breathtaking. We also got a traditional Belizean lunch and it was delicious.



4) Cozumel - Mr. Sanchos! We had a great time here even though it was our only rather cloudy day. It's definitely worth the price and the food was super yummy! The beach was very pretty (a little rocky though!) and the pools were awesome. The only thing that was kind of a bummer was that our server wasn't great...at all. We rarely saw him in fact. We heard so many great things about the service and ours was very lackluster. We're really easy to please and very laid back so it doesn't take much to keep us happy, but unfortunately we were disappointed in our guy. We would absolutely go again though and hopefully get a better server next time!




Overall, we had a great vacation and really lucked out with our excursions! DH & I did agree that we were ready to try a newer and larger ship for our next cruise though. We are absolutely planning Alaska 2021 and thinking if we schedule that for September then we could maybe sneak in a Caribbean sailing next January. But for now, it's time to plan our WDW for this fall!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Glad you had a great cruise! Flick is my favorite Playlist production on Carnival, I’ve seen it 7 times. Do you have a ship picked out for Alaska yet?

 

[belle032]

Glad you had a great cruise! Flick is my favorite Playlist production on Carnival, I’ve seen it 7 times. Do you have a ship picked out for Alaska yet?

We are leaning towards Norwegian, but I will need to do some more research for sure! We enjoy CCL and DCL very much, but I don't think they are necessarily the best choices for Alaska. It looks like both the Norwegian Sun & Norwegian Bliss are our options on NCL for 2021 so there is a good chance it will be one of those two ships!

 

[Mika02]

We are leaning towards Norwegian, but I will need to do some more research for sure! We enjoy CCL and DCL very much, but I don't think they are necessarily the best choices for Alaska. It looks like both the Norwegian Sun & Norwegian Bliss are our options on NCL for 2021 so there is a good chance it will be one of those two ships!

Have you looked into Princess or Holland they both are supposed to be amazing for Alaska especially Princess. I think Princess has a Deal right now with Drinks, wifi and gratuities similar to NCL. Check them out.

 

[belle032]

Have you looked into Princess or Holland they both are supposed to be amazing for Alaska especially Princess. I think Princess has a Deal right now with Drinks, wifi and gratuities similar to NCL. Check them out.

Yes, I'm actually considering Princess as well so I will for sure check them out!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Overall , we had a great vacation and really lucked out with our excursions! DH & I did agree that we were ready to try a newer and larger ship for our next cruise though. We are absolutely planning Alaska 2021 and thinking if we schedule that for September then we could maybe sneak in a Caribbean sailing next January. But for now, it's time to plan our WDW for this fall!

Great photos! Thanks for your report. Roatan looks amazing. The one time we went there, we just hung out at CCL’s beach near the dock. It was beautiful, but it seems like there are a lot of other things to do there.

We have also done the stingrays at cayman and loved it so much that we would do it again. It has been a few years but I remember when we booked we tried to get captain Marvin (I think that was the name) but he was full, so we ended up going with another company. I cannot remember the name— something like waterways? They were decent but unremarkable. It seemed like at cayman you could pick up an excursion at the pier for a deal. There were people in our group who had done that and were paying less than we were.

We have received so many advertisements in the mail this year for cruising in Alaska— especially from Holland and Princess. We booked Alaska one year with Disney but ended up canceling. It was 2014, so now that booking seems like a deal (at least for Disney!). Every year we think maybe next year but then we always end up doing something else. I think we will have to just jump in one day with a non refundable deposit to make it happen! Interested to hear which line you choose.

 

[Youneek1]

I'm looking through this thread and to be honest there is so much that I am just going to ask my question even though I have a feeling there are already answers aplenty here.

I have cruised exclusively on DCL. I have a co-worker who is taking her honeymoon on Carnival Conquest in September. She wants any and all tips, pointers, suggestions, etc. It sounds like it will be a 3 day (or 4 day), stopping at Nassau only and leaving from Miami. I've given her the general tips that for me seem universal - don't try to do too much, get travel insurance especially based on the time of year she is traveling, tips for Nassau since we have actually been to that Island multiple times, but...

What suggestions would you offer, especially for those who have been on Carnival and/or Conquest specifically.

 

[belle032]

I'm looking through this thread and to be honest there is so much that I am just going to ask my question even though I have a feeling there are already answers aplenty here.

I have cruised exclusively on DCL. I have a co-worker who is taking her honeymoon on Carnival Conquest in September. She wants any and all tips, pointers, suggestions, etc. It sounds like it will be a 3 day (or 4 day), stopping at Nassau only and leaving from Miami. I've given her the general tips that for me seem universal - don't try to do too much, get travel insurance especially based on the time of year she is traveling, tips for Nassau since we have actually been to that Island multiple times, but...

What suggestions would you offer, especially for those who have been on Carnival and/or Conquest specifically.

I've sailed the Conquest twice now and we've had a great vacation both times. If you go to the first page of this thread, I believe @mevelandry has linked reviews for different ships so you don't have to search for them. I did a somewhat basic review for our first sailing on the Conquest and you can find it there.

I find the ship very nicely laid out and easy to navigate. Definitely try Guy's Burgers & Blue Iguana Cantina for lunch. Definitely do the Sea Day Brunch in the dining rooms. Pizza is very good and much better than DCL (my opinion!). If they enjoy a good cocktail, the Alchemy Bar on Deck 5 is hands down the best bar on any ship I've sailed on. DH & I really enjoy the comedy shows in the Degas lounge and I believe they're almost every night. Stage shows in the theater are worth seeing, but if you have to skip one, I'd recommend it be Heart of Soul (needs to be replaced IMO!).

Oh and I absolutely recommend these music trivia nights they have in the atrium. They aren't every night, but they'll be listed in the Fun Times and they should be around 8:30PM. They do 80s, 90s, Country music, etc. It's with the cruise director and they are SO fun! The lobby atrium will be packed on all of the floors and people will be singing and having a great time.

The aft pool and hottubs are adults only and that is enforced. I don't imagine there will be a ton of kids, but it's a nice space for adults. There is also a Serenity Deck in the front that is 18+ and it was really nice lounge chairs, hot tubs, it's own bar, etc.

I'm sure you'll get some others chiming in about what they enjoy and if you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask!

 

[Youneek1]

I've sailed the Conquest twice now and we've had a great vacation both times. If you go to the first page of this thread, I believe @mevelandry has linked reviews for different ships so you don't have to search for them. I did a somewhat basic review for our first sailing on the Conquest and you can find it there.

I find the ship very nicely laid out and easy to navigate. Definitely try Guy's Burgers & Blue Iguana Cantina for lunch. Definitely do the Sea Day Brunch in the dining rooms. Pizza is very good and much better than DCL (my opinion!). If they enjoy a good cocktail, the Alchemy Bar on Deck 5 is hands down the best bar on any ship I've sailed on. DH & I really enjoy the comedy shows in the Degas lounge and I believe they're almost every night. Stage shows in the theater are worth seeing, but if you have to skip one, I'd recommend it be Heart of Soul (needs to be replaced IMO!).

Oh and I absolutely recommend these music trivia nights they have in the atrium. They aren't every night, but they'll be listed in the Fun Times and they should be around 8:30PM. They do 80s, 90s, Country music, etc. It's with the cruise director and they are SO fun! The lobby atrium will be packed on all of the floors and people will be singing and having a great time.

The aft pool and hottubs are adults only and that is enforced. I don't imagine there will be a ton of kids, but it's a nice space for adults. There is also a Serenity Deck in the front that is 18+ and it was really nice lounge chairs, hot tubs, it's own bar, etc.

I'm sure you'll get some others chiming in about what they enjoy and if you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask!

Awesome, thank you a ton

 

[acndis]

Came back home Yesterday! Let me know if any of you are interested in reviews and/or pictures from Royal Palms in Grand Cayman or Costa Maya!

Yes! We are headed to Royal Palms in about a month (Disney Fantasy). We reserved the Palm Beach Cabana (all that was left) and would love to know how long it took you to get there and what time we should head back to the ship. Thanks in advance!

 

[mevelandry]

Yes! We are headed to Royal Palms in about a month (Disney Fantasy). We reserved the Palm Beach Cabana (all that was left) and would love to know how long it took you to get there and what time we should head back to the ship. Thanks in advance!

I'd say a 7 min cab ride to go to RPBC from the port but remember that you need to get to tender first.

Sometimes there are long lines to get back on the tendering boat so we leave RPBC about 90-120 min before the ship's departure.