Since November 2013, I have had the opportunity to cruise with three of the most popular cruise lines for families: Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and Carnival. The three cruises were all in the Bahamas (Nassau), took place during winter (November to January) and were “short” (4 or 5 night) cruises. On RCCL, DCL and a few other cruise lines, I sailed out of Port Canaveral in Florida. Carnival’s cruise left from Charleston, SC. While I was on the cruise, I took note of ship amenities and spoke to dozens of guests (adults and children) to gain as much information as I could. The ships I sailed on were the Carnival Fantasy, launched in 1990 as the last ship of the Carnival fleet. Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment Of the Seas, launched in 1997 and the Disney Dream (2012).
After returning home, I took the time to reflect and rate each experience in different categories. In order to evaluate this research, the higher the score, the better. Think golf and not football. The overall scores are shown in blue. Below, the components of each score are in black. Disney (DCL) is the overall winner. This may not be surprising. Carnival is third but scored better than expected. These scores and the explanations below will hopefully help you decide which cruise is best for your family.
Checkin/Checkout
Cruise vacations begin long before the actual boarding of the ship. Disney is a leader in this field, offering a dedicated terminal for cruises at Port Canaveral that offers spacious waiting areas, pre-checking children into kids clubs while you wait to board, and an overall fun experience. Disney’s boarding is organized by zones and boarding times, so no one feels rushed. Each family is welcomed on board or Captain Mickey greets everyone.
The parking for Disney Cruises is well organized. As guests arrive at port parking terminals, they are directed curbside to drop off their luggage and then to the park area. For us, the whole parking process took around 15 minutes. Carnival’s Charleston port is unlike any other. The directions to the port were not clearly marked. (We missed our turn one time). Upon arrival at the parking terminal guests are required to present their passports and tickets in order to access the rest of parking area. After bags have been tagged correctly, the queue moves to another part of the parking area for the baggage drop off. The vehicles are then directed to a garage, and then shuttled to the terminal.
Disembarkation at Disney is (pun intended) a real dream. The guests are not funneled but can roam the ship freely until the final disembarkation. All guests are also invited to dine at the full-service restaurants (limited menus) before departing the ship. This won’t work for guests who don’t have time to fit into the dining schedule. But, for others, it’s a great way to enjoy a leisurely last meal.
Carnival requires that all drinks be thrown away at the check-in counter. The scanning area for carry-on luggage is confusing and crowded. The guests are then shuttled into another line and wait to be checked-in. The entire process is close to an hour long and resembles herding cows.
Royal Caribbean (RCCL), a cruise line, is somewhere in the middle. The check-in process and parking are better than Carnival, but not as good as Disney.
Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises were roughly the same cost on the three cruises that I took. Disney cost more than twice as much, but it was also a New Year’s Cruise. Disney cruises are about 50% more expensive than other cruise lines. Does it make sense? DCL’s faithful answer yes. They say that the service, amenities, and extras are worth it. DCL provides soda for free (in dining rooms but not in room service), and drink prices on land are generally comparable. It’s really up to you whether these extras are worth it.
Disney is the clear winner.
Food Experience
You might be surprised by the results in this category. I was. The overall food quality was similar in the main dining areas. Some dishes were outstanding and others fell short. It’s not surprising that some dishes were a bit bland when cooking for over 3,000 people. The best room service was on Carnival, not Disney, especially when it came to bedtime cookies and milk. Let that sink in. Carnival offered room service and a wider menu on the final morning. Disney does not provide room service at disembarkation (see the comments above for a great alternative).
Disney’s biggest “defect” — and it was not a lack in food — is the fact that the food choices are limited throughout the day to fast food at the pool deck. Royal Caribbean is the best in this regard, with casual dining available throughout the ship. The pool deck would be much more crowded if Royal Caribbean offered these other dining options on the day of departure.
For those who are unfamiliar with dining, each evening on a cruise guests will be assigned to either early or late seating in a specific dining room. Disney’s three themed dining areas rotate guests each night for a unique experience. The assigned servers rotate along with the guests, so you can get to know them just as you would do on other cruise lines.
Cabins
Disney also wins in this category by a wide margin. It’s not fair to compare the Dream, a 4-year-old ship, with Royal Enchantment and Carnival Fantasy (both older ships). The cabins on the Dream have a much more peaceful atmosphere than those of RCCL and Carnival. Disney’s split-level bathroom is also a nice way to get ready. (One side of the bathroom has a toilet and sink and the other, a shower and sink.) The cabin in Disney had a large porthole with a cushioned seat. The sunrise was spectacular.
Carnival is the winner for comfort in bed. These beds are amazing! Carnival, nice update.
Cabin stewards clean cabins twice a day on all lines, are friendly and create awesome towel animals. Want to know a little secret? You’ll find that if you are nice to people, they will go the extra mile for you!
Kids’ Space
A kids’ area is defined for the purposes of this review as an area designed specifically for children aged 10 and younger. Disney wins by a wide margin in this category. It’s amazing how much space is dedicated to children on the ships. Disney offers a top-notch security system and a great staff to child ratio. They also offer extended hours, including lunch and dinner. The kids’ staff will pick up children who are participating in late dining after the first one hour to allow parents time to enjoy dessert. (My daughter didn’t like this though …. She felt she had missed family time, and her first two meals were rushed.
Carnival Fantasy has a fantastic kids’ pool deck. However, other children’s spaces are retrofitted. It’s clean and has a friendly staff, but doesn’t match Disney. RCCL has good kids’ programming, but the hours are not as long as Disney. Both lines are upgrading to become more competitive but let’s be honest. Disney is the leader in family entertainment.
Deck Space for Sports/Pools/Deck
I know. I know. Disney’s AquaDuck is fun. But, why wait 45 minutes to ride a 3 minute attraction? It doesn’t happen very often. Disney’s AquaDuck and small sports deck, as well as the tight putt-putt course are all options. However, they lack the excitement and space of Royal Caribbean. A super slide can’t compete with the rock wall, trampoline, and large pools of Royal Caribbean.
Disney’s pools are tiny. The pools are so crowded that our sons don’t see the point. The adult pool on RCCL’s Enchantment of the Seas is not private, but it acts as a passageway from the elevators into the main pool. The adult serenity area offers a quiet retreat away from the children. Carnival’s retrofitted children’s deck, with its slides and water feature, offers a separate area for young families to play.
Disney has lifeguards, but Royal Caribbean wins the category for adults and teenagers.
Shows/Entertainment
You might be surprised by the winner. Royal Caribbean is the winner. Disney… gasp… comes in last. Disney fans will enjoy the first-run movies (we watched “Into the Woods”, our first night aboard) and Disney shows with their favorite characters. But to be honest, the Disney shows that featured the Disney characters felt like a giant Disney advertisement. You might like them better if you are a Disney fanatic. My daughter was certainly enthralled by them. We skipped the Disney stage show on one night for the first ever time and did not feel we missed anything. I am a BIG FAN of stage performances.
On all three ships, there was plenty to do for entertainment. There’s something to suit everyone, from trivia to bingo to mixology classes. Disney has no casino while other cruise lines have one.
Royal Caribbean is the winner because they offer a greater variety of shows and better seating than Carnival (could it be that the Fantasy was older? ).
Decor/Maintenance and Extras
Disney is the winner in all three categories. Every element of the Disney ships, just like in the Disney parks, is designed with care. The ships’ Mickey Mouse colors, portholes and other subtle nods are all deliberate. When I searched through the Disney Dream I found nothing out of place and no cobwebs. Carnival Fantasy is a ship that has seen better days with its 1980s décor and years of wear. The ship looked clean but was so old-fashioned. Enchantment of the Seas is also an older ship that needs a facelift. The neon colors and brassy shine of the 1990s are no longer “in”. The number of dishes scattered around the ship was another disappointment. The towels and bedding were the absolute worst on RCCL! Cabin towels were stained and frayed. Beach towels were severely faded and in need of replacement. Disney leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that guests have a great time.
What is the best cruise line for families?
There are so many factors that you need to consider. The only way to decide which cruise line will be best for your family, is to evaluate them and make a decision for yourself. Any cruise is better for our family than a full day at work or school. Disney is a great option for families with children who are on a budget. It’s impossible to put a value on quality childcare. Families with teens and older children will probably be better suited to RCCL or the latest Carnival ships.
Compare the ships you are considering with this chart. Carnival’s newer ships do not have retrofitted kids’ facilities and are more kid-friendly.