In the event you’ve been a frequent reader right here, you recognize that I’m an avid cruiser on the Disney Cruise Line. I really like their stunning ships and unbelievable service and have been blissful on each single crusing I’ve finished. We have reviewed all of their ships right here and we have all the time had a constructive expertise.
Nonetheless, this previous winter break, my household sailed on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and in addition actually beloved it. Many individuals have requested for a Royal Caribbean vs. Disney Cruise comparability to allow them to select the best choice for his or her household.
We’ve got beloved our expertise on each cruise traces, and I plan to journey on each sooner or later. However there are some discrete variations which are good to know, and you’re more likely to have a special expertise on every line. Each are nice for a household trip, and each are nice cruise traces for younger adults and youths.
Disclosure: I have been on cruises on each traces at no/discounted value, and have additionally paid my very own manner on each. All opinions are my very own. This publish comprises affiliate hyperlinks and a purchase order/click on by means of one among these hyperlinks might lead to a fee paid to us at no extra value to you.
Guide your cruise by means of Get Away In the present day.
Royal Caribbean vs. Disney Cruise: The Most Main Variations
Variety of Ships on Royal Caribbean Vs. Disney Cruise.
There are presently six Disney Cruise ships in service, with an extra ship, the Disney Treasure, which started its inaugural season in 2024. These six cruise ships are in three completely different classes- with the Disney Magic and Disney Marvel being the 2 smaller ships and the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy being the bigger two ships.
The Disney Want and Treasure is a brand new class – the Triton class. Extra ships have been ordered for the long run, together with the Disney Future and the Disney Journey
Royal Caribbean has twenty-eight ships in service, with extra introduced (together with extra within the new Icon class). There are a number of completely different lessons – together with the Oasis, Freedom, Quantum, Radiance, Voyager, and Imaginative and prescient Lessons.
Due to the bigger variety of Royal Caribbean ships, you’re more likely to discover an itinerary with ports of name that work in your busy schedule. Royal Caribbean sails in lots of locations that Disney Cruise Line does not, together with ports in Asia.
With the smaller variety of ships and lessons on the Disney Cruise Line, there’s a sense of familiarity when crusing. Each time I step onto a DCL ship, I really feel comfy, nearly like going dwelling.
Alternatively, Royal Caribbean ships, with their giant fleet, differ by class and have thrilling, energetic entrances. I do not really feel the sentimentality however do get excited to discover the ship. There are some similarities among the many ships, but in addition many variations.
Costs
For a lot of households, that is essentially the most vital issue. Cruises could be costly. Usually, I’ve discovered that the bottom price on the Disney Cruise Line tends to be greater than a similar-length cruise on Royal Caribbean.
Nonetheless, you will need to take a look at the inclusions. Some issues are included within the Disney Cruise Line that are not included in Royal Caribbean. These embody delicate drinks and room service charges (for supply of the whole lot apart from continental breakfast).
Drink Packages
Each cruise traces provide complimentary fundamental drinks, together with faucet water, espresso and tea (excluding premium espresso), and commonplace juices. Different drinks can be found a la carte, and every cruise line has completely different beverage buy choices.
On Royal Caribbean, there are a number of beverage packages obtainable for buy prematurely or as soon as you’re on board (you may normally lower your expenses by buying prematurely). The choices embody the Deluxe Beverage Package deal, the Refreshment Package deal, and the Soda Package deal. Drinks on the Starbucks places on the ships (for these with a Starbucks) usually are not included in any packages.
Disney Cruise Line does not have a package deal that features all alcoholic drinks. They do, nevertheless, provide commonplace and premium wine packages.
Beer packages are additionally provided. Additionally they have an alcoholic and nonalcoholic drink of the day, which is supplied at a cheaper price.
Keep in mind that delicate drinks are included in a Disney Cruise, so you will not must pay individually for these. Premium coffees are additionally provided on Disney Cruise Line for an extra price.
Actions
Each cruise traces have loads of actions to maintain you busy at sea. The actions that you’re going to expertise on these traces differ, nevertheless.
As you’d count on, the Disney Cruise Line ships have a number of Disney magic. You may see Disney characters, Disney leisure, and Disney films.
There are additionally enjoyable deck actions, together with swimming pools, a splash space for younger children, a play space, water slides, scorching tubs, a sports activities deck (with a basketball courtroom), and outside films.
In case you are crusing on Disney Magic, you will get a chance to journey the AquaDunk, whereas the Disney Dream and Fantasy provide the AquaDuck. The Disney Want affords a brand new attraction referred to as the AquaMouse.
Royal Caribbean ships are stuffed with enjoyable actions, however these differ by ship. For example, on the Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas, completely different experiences embody an iFly, a climbing wall, a FlowRider, a North Star statement capsule, and bumper vehicles.
On the Marvel of the Seas, you will see a FlowRider, two rock partitions, a carousel, Final Abyss slides, mini golf, zip lining, ice skating, and a sports activities deck. You should definitely verify the particular actions on the ship you’re reserving as a result of they do differ.
In case you are excited by gaming, each cruise traces provide bingo. Nonetheless, the Disney Cruise Line ships don’t provide casinos, whereas the Royal Caribbean ships do.
Leisure
All the cruise ship leisure that I’ve seen on each cruise traces has all the time been top-notch. Disney Cruise Line affords Broadway-style musicals within the Walt Disney Theater. On longer sailings, different entertainers, like magicians and ventriloquists, typically carry out there.
You can even see first-run films from Disney-owned studios within the onboard theater. Singers and different musicians carry out at varied venues throughout the ships, all through the day.
Different leisure choices on Disney Cruise Line ships embody animation lessons, trivia, recreation exhibits, and extra. The schedule for these could be discovered within the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.
Royal Caribbean additionally boasts unbelievable onboard leisure. Their exhibits showcase great expertise however aren’t particularly family-friendly.
Additionally they have some very distinctive venues, together with an ice-skating rink, an aqua theater, and smaller theaters like Two70. Remember the fact that these venues do differ by ship. Like on DCL, performers could be seen in bars and different venues all through the day.
Additionally they provide karaoke, recreation exhibits, trivia, laser tag, and different programming every day. There isn’t any lack of leisure. I’ve discovered that the exhibits on Royal Caribbean are particularly distinctive, revolutionary, and pleasing, and infrequently have nice particular results.
Eating places
Disney Cruise Line affords rotational eating. Every night time, you will go to a special restaurant of the three choices, and your serving crew travels with you.
I’ve all the time beloved this since you by no means get bored with the restaurant, and it is nice to have the identical crew touring with you, particularly you probably have dietary restrictions. The eating places are closely themed, typically with leisure and typical Disney magic. For longer cruises, you will revisit the identical eating places in the identical rotation.
There are two premium restaurant choices on the Disney ships. Remy and Palo are adult-only eating places which are obtainable on the Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream, whereas the Disney Magic and the Disney Marvel solely provide Palo. The Disney Want has Palo and a brand new restaurant referred to as Enchante. These are provided for an extra price.
Along with the eating rooms and eating places, there are many quick-service choices obtainable all through the ships. Complimentary room service can be obtainable.
Royal Caribbean usually affords one major eating room, though some ships have two. There are two seatings, in addition to “My Time Eating”. All through the cruise, you will have the identical servers in the primary eating room.
In contrast to DCL, Royal Caribbean ships provide many specialty eating places not included in your cruise fare. These specialty eating places embody diverse choices resembling Johnny Rockets, Izumi Sushi and Tepanyaki, Chops Grille, and Hooked Seafood (they differ by ship) and they could be a nice add-on to your cruise.
Themed Cruises
In contrast to Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line affords themed cruises all year long. With particular occasions, decor, and characters, these could make your cruise expertise much more thrilling. A few of these included:
- Halloween on the Excessive Seas
- Marvel Day at Sea
- Pixar Day at Sea
- Very Merrytime Cruise
In case your cruise is one among these special-themed cruises, will probably be clearly labeled once you e-book.
Laundry Amenities
I usually don’t love doing chores on my household holidays, however typically I’ve to scrub garments. Disney Cruise Line has a number of self-service laundry services onboard.
There may be an extra price for utilizing them, however they’re very straightforward to make use of and you will get an alert in your app when the machine stops.
Royal Caribbean does not have any self-service services. Nonetheless, there’s a full-service laundry possibility should you want garments to be cleaned throughout your journey. Generally, there’s a promotion the place you will obtain a bag in your stateroom, and the whole lot that matches within the bag is washed for one flat price.
Non-public Islands
A non-public island or island resort could be among the best cruise ship excursions. Each Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line provide these experiences.
Disney Cruise Line’s Caribbean and Bahamian itineraries usually cease as soon as at Disney’s Castaway Cay, a personal island within the Bahamas. Castaway Cay is stunningly stunning, with excursions, character interactions, seashores, a children’ membership space, and far more.
It is normally my favourite cease on the Disney Cruise Line. Lately, Disney Cruise Line added an extra non-public vacation spot – Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Level. This vacation spot, positioned on the island of Eleuthera, affords stunning seashores, enjoyable excursions, and far more. It is an amazing addition to the Disney Cruise Line vacation spot line up.
Royal Caribbean has two non-public island/resort areas, and extra are on the way in which. Excellent Day at CocoCay is a newly renovated Bahamian Island providing a water park, scorching air balloon, non-public seashore membership, excursions, and extra. It has one thing for everybody, and after a number of journeys, there are nonetheless so many issues I have not explored there.
Along with Excellent Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean additionally has a personal resort space in Labadee, Haiti. Labadee affords an inflatable water park, an alpine mountain coaster, an overwater zip line, and exquisite seashores. These non-public properties are provided on choose, however not all sailings within the Caribbean.
Youngsters’ Golf equipment
In case you are touring with youngsters, children’ golf equipment could also be an enormous a part of your cruise ship expertise. Each cruise traces provide children’ golf equipment with nice programming.
On Royal Caribbean, ships provide the Journey Ocean Membership – which is break up into infants, juniors, and children. The Journey Ocean Membership is free and affords “edutainment” programming for youthful children, together with expertise exhibits, artwork programming, science tasks, and far more. There’s additionally an space devoted particularly to teenagers.
The Disney Cruise Line affords the Oceaneer Membership and Lab. These revolutionary children’ golf equipment have unbelievable theming and actions, together with areas themed to Star Wars and Toy Story.
Youngsters have so many alternative areas to play in. Disney Cruise Line additionally affords devoted teen and tween golf equipment together with their youth golf equipment.
Extras
Each Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line provide paid WiFi entry. Royal Caribbean has two ranges of web access- a regular and one that permits streaming and is paid by the day.
Disney’s web entry has modified from a data-based price to a flat price. There are a number of tiers of Disney Cruise Line WiFi provided.
Each cruise traces provide apps which are free to make use of whereas on the ships. Disney’s app permits without spending a dime messaging to others on the ship, whereas Royal Caribbean costs a nominal price for that service (though they’ve lately been waiving that price). Disney Cruise Line additionally affords complimentary iMessage entry for all ship company.
Have you ever been on a Disney Cruise and/or a Royal Caribbean cruise? Which do you favor, and why?
Contemplating a household cruise? Take a look at our information to household cruising, with posts about fashionable cruise terminals, cruise ships, and cruise traces, in addition to suggestions for cruising.
