(Almost) Buyer's Remorse with RCCL LOTS

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Tell me I'm doing the right thing!

We've cruised Disney 3 times. Alaska (Wonder) and two 3 night Bahamas cruises on the Dream. We welcomed a 3rd child in November of 2017 and she did join us for our last cruise to the Bahamas. Even that little 3 day cruise was $3,100 for just one stateroom. I'm afraid Disney is just out of reach for us now as a family of 5.

I've put a hold on a 7 night cruise from Galveston on Liberty in November of 2020. Rooms 7307 and 7308. They are (almost) across from each other. Kids will be (just turned) 12, 9 (a month shy of 10) and (just turned) 3. Cost for 2 rooms (balcony and ultra spacious promenade view) for 7 nights is under $3,900.

The cruise is all to places we've never been yet have never had any interest of traveling to. Not necessarily that we don't want to just that it hasn't been on our radar. Galveston, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan. I am, however, more interested in the ship. I think it's the best ship for all three of my kids. I'm just having doubts about the quality compared to Disney. The other draw is having a shorter flight (Houston vs. Orlando from the L.A. area) I'm a fairly easy person to please but will I be disappointed?

Anyone in a similar situation or has been in this situation? Can anyone give me some positive feedback on Liberty in particular? Sailing out of Galveston in early/mid November?

Thanks so much!

 

[ScooterScott44]

We had 11 DCL cruises completed before making the leap and trying RCCL. We found that the experience was relatively similar. We were on Oasis and Liberty seems to have plenty to do, so even though it is a smaller ship you should still have plenty to do. Doing a direct comparison we gave a very slight edge to Disney overall and they barely edged out royal on most things we compared. Royal did better on a few items.

Once we factored in the cost Royal won hands down. We went ahead and booked our second while on the Oasis and are about 70 days out. We compared the cost DCL for a similar cruise and it is not even close.

Enjoy!

 

[pepperandchips]

We could afford DCL but we can’t justify it - for those prices we could be in a suite with concierge service on basically any of the other family oriented cruise lines. We sailed on Liberty’s sister, Freedom, in 2015 and there’s almost too much to do on board. We are booked on a smaller Royal ship for spring break this year to see if that works better for us. There are already a lot of existing threads comparing DCL to Royal, so I will keep it brief... your family might like Royal better, or they might not. But you’ll never know until you try and it sounds like this is a perfect test sailing for you.

Your itinerary is basically beautiful beaches. I would check out cruise critic to learn more about those ports and see what types of Shore excursions would appeal to your family. We love the all inclusive day resort options at Cozumel. Might be a nice indulgence for parents while kids play in the water!

even though it is a smaller ship you should still have plenty to do

Freedom class is definitely smaller than Oasis but Liberty is still bigger than anything DCL currently sails. I get what you’re saying but wanted to clarify in case other posters don’t know

 

[Wild4Walt]

I've been on 4 RCCL cruises in the last 12 years - I have not been on a DCL ship just after reading up on DCL and seeing some of the Dis videos side from the room size, the ships seem to offer quite a bit of the same types of experiences ( although they no longer have characters on RCCL ), excursions and dining experiences.

Take a look at some of the reviews on this site and others. You will at least be able to go into it with realistic expectations. But I don't think you can go wrong with RCCL, especially with a balcony room.

 

[ZerasPride]

We have only been on one DCL cruise and it was amazing! I did not think any other line could compare but for our 25th anniversary last year we gave Oasis a try and what can I say? We were hooked! For about the price of balcony cabin on DCL were stayed in a Grand Suite!

We enjoyed the shows, the food Central Park and found the crew to be pretty much on par with the staff on DCL. I don’t think anything can compare to Castaway Cay but we will be on the Harmony in September and look forward to the Perfect Day in the Bahamas. We can afford a cabana and several other upgrades with the money we “saved” booking a junior suite on Harmony versus a balcony cabin on the Fantasy.

Whatever you decide enjoy the cruising experience with your family.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

We had 11 DCL cruises completed before making the leap and trying RCCL. We found that the experience was relatively similar. We were on Oasis and Liberty seems to have plenty to do, so even though it is a smaller ship you should still have plenty to do. Doing a direct comparison we gave a very slight edge to Disney overall and they barely edged out royal on most things we compared. Royal did better on a few items.

Once we factored in the cost Royal won hands down. We went ahead and booked our second while on the Oasis and are about 70 days out. We compared the cost DCL for a similar cruise and it is not even close.

Enjoy!

What would you say Royal was superior with in comparison to DCL? Cost is the main draw to me as well. I can not justify spending twice as much for just one stateroom. My husband and I said we'd take our daughter in a few years when our sons are older and won't appreciate Disney anymore.

We could afford DCL but we can’t justify it - for those prices we could be in a suite with concierge service on basically any of the other family oriented cruise lines. We sailed on Liberty’s sister, Freedom, in 2015 and there’s almost too much to do on board. We are booked on a smaller Royal ship for spring break this year to see if that works better for us. There are already a lot of existing threads comparing DCL to Royal, so I will keep it brief... your family might like Royal better, or they might not. But you’ll never know until you try and it sounds like this is a perfect test sailing for you.

Your itinerary is basically beautiful beaches. I would check out cruise critic to learn more about those ports and see what types of Shore excursions would appeal to your family. We love the all inclusive day resort options at Cozumel. Might be a nice indulgence for parents while kids play in the water!



Freedom class is definitely smaller than Oasis but Liberty is still bigger than anything DCL currently sails. I get what you’re saying but wanted to clarify in case other posters don’t know

Thanks for your input! And thank you for clarifying the ship sizes. I had a feeling that's what the previous poster meant but wasn't 100% certain. I honestly think we'll enjoy the bigger ship (my husband is disappointed we're not doing Symphony ) but that may change once we try it!

I've been on 4 RCCL cruises in the last 12 years - I have not been on a DCL ship just after reading up on DCL and seeing some of the Dis videos side from the room size, the ships seem to offer quite a bit of the same types of experiences ( although they no longer have characters on RCCL ), excursions and dining experiences.

Take a look at some of the reviews on this site and others. You will at least be able to go into it with realistic expectations. But I don't think you can go wrong with RCCL, especially with a balcony room.

Thank you! We'll also have a super spacious promenade view room. I'm not sure our room arrangements yet but they're across from each other so I'm not too worried even if my boys get a room to themselves.

We have only been on one DCL cruise and it was amazing! I did not think any other line could compare but for our 25th anniversary last year we gave Oasis a try and what can I say? We were hooked! For about the price of balcony cabin on DCL were stayed in a Grand Suite!

We enjoyed the shows, the food Central Park and found the crew to be pretty much on par with the staff on DCL. I don’t think anything can compare to Castaway Cay but we will be on the Harmony in September and look forward to the Perfect Day in the Bahamas. We can afford a cabana and several other upgrades with the money we “saved” booking a junior suite on Harmony versus a balcony cabin on the Fantasy.

Whatever you decide enjoy the cruising experience with your family.

Thank you! I'm glad you think the crew is similar. That's one aspect I love about Disney.

I've read some reviews of LOTS that were discouraging. I guess it's due for a refurb soon after our cruise so makes me wonder how worn out it will be when we get on. However, I've also read very positive reviews. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty easy to please. But I also just love Disney and am nervous to switch!

Thanks for all the input!

 

[starvenger]

Tell me I'm doing the right thing!

Ok. You're doing the right thing

In all seriousness, you're not close to platinum status on DCL so it's a good time to try other cruise lines. So truly, you're doing the right thing. You don't have to stop at Royal either. Try carnival and princess and see if those appeal to you.

The cruise is all to places we've never been yet have never had any interest of traveling to. Not necessarily that we don't want to just that it hasn't been on our radar. Galveston, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan. I am, however, more interested in the ship. I think it's the best ship for all three of my kids. I'm just having doubts about the quality compared to Disney. The other draw is having a shorter flight (Houston vs. Orlando from the L.A. area) I'm a fairly easy person to please but will I be disappointed?

Anyone in a similar situation or has been in this situation? Can anyone give me some positive feedback on Liberty in particular? Sailing out of Galveston in early/mid November?

Thanks so much!

I will say that I lived in Houston for 4 years and most of my colleagues expressed zero interest in traveling to Galveston.

Roatan seems like a newer spot for the non-Carnival cruise lines. It's apparently a good scuba and snorkeling spot. The West End reminds me a bit of Oahu's North Shore - easy going, a lot of eclectic shops, and comforting.

Cozumel is Cozumel. Probably not a lot I can say that you haven't already read or heard about. Did Nachi Cocum last trip there ($55/adult all inclusive) and it was very nice if a bit too quiet. Planning to go to Paradise Beach ($3 admission, a la crate pricing) next trip in Jan.

Costa Maya is the cruise equivalent of a college town in that it's hard to imagine that the place exists without the cruise traffic. Beaches have had an algae/seaweed problem in the past but the shop owners have been fairly resourceful in trying to stem the tide. Beach bars are cheaper than what you'll find on board so something to consider there. I went to Tropicante and it was very nice. Good service, owner is on site and food is not bad. Also cheap, firm 1 hour massages if that's your thing. My wife and both SiL were quite satisfied with it.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Ok. You're doing the right thing

In all seriousness, you're not close to platinum status on DCL so it's a good time to try other cruise lines. So truly, you're doing the right thing. You don't have to stop at Royal either. Try carnival and princess and see if those appeal to you.


I will say that I lived in Houston for 4 years and most of my colleagues expressed zero interest in traveling to Galveston.

Roatan seems like a newer spot for the non-Carnival cruise lines. It's apparently a good scuba and snorkeling spot. The West End reminds me a bit of Oahu's North Shore - easy going, a lot of eclectic shops, and comforting.

Cozumel is Cozumel. Probably not a lot I can say that you haven't already read or heard about. Did Nachi Cocum last trip there ($55/adult all inclusive) and it was very nice if a bit too quiet. Planning to go to Paradise Beach ($3 admission, a la crate pricing) next trip in Jan.

Costa Maya is the cruise equivalent of a college town in that it's hard to imagine that the place exists without the cruise traffic. Beaches have had an algae/seaweed problem in the past but the shop owners have been fairly resourceful in trying to stem the tide. Beach bars are cheaper than what you'll find on board so something to consider there. I went to Tropicante and it was very nice. Good service, owner is on site and food is not bad. Also cheap, firm 1 hour massages if that's your thing. My wife and both SiL were quite satisfied with it.

Can confirm Roatan has some pretty legit scuba diving. I would think the snorkeling is just as good, but haven’t personally done that.

 

[Fuzzywuzzy]

We always read about the "Disney Experience" when the issue of price disparity between DCL and other lines comes up. That is fine and well and at times they do have the edge in some areas. However from my experience if you are going to charge twice as much you should be twice as good. And that they aren't.

 

[starvenger]

We always read about the "Disney Experience" when the issue of price disparity between DCL and other lines comes up. That is fine and well and at times they do have the edge in some areas. However from my experience if you are going to charge twice as much you should be twice as good. And that they aren't.

I mean, it's basic economics, right? Demand > Supply, and people are still willing to pay their prices, so they'll keep their price point where it is until it isn't sustainable.

 

[msjprincess]

I've never sailed on Liberty but I have sailed on both sister ships. Once on Freedom and twice on Independence. We all loved both ships. My kids were 9-17 when we sailed.

I just did 2 very similar itineraries

Allure - Nassau, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan
Carnival Magic - Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan, Cozumel

In Cozumel we took a taxi to Paradise Beach the first cruise. The second cruise we didn't want to do much. My daughters and I walked down the road to a very, very small "beach" for lunch at the Sunset Beach Club. While my husband and son just hung out at the port. They did have snorkeling, scuba and snuba in a very small area.

In Roatan we did ziplining and went to https://monkeyandslothhangout.com/home/index.php/excursions/

In Costa Maya we did a tour of ruins and then hung out at the pier. Next time I would be happy just relaxing and hanging out at the port.

 

[SA mom]

I've never cruised DCL, just RCCL. We could afford to do DCL, we just can't justify spending so much more. Out of Galveston, similar cruises are about 2.5 to 3 times more expensive on DCL. It's still on my bucket list, but with 2 teens, not right now. We only book interior cabins because we just are not in the room much, basically only to bathe and sleep. We have thoroughly enjoyed the shows, the food, the ports. We've always had outstanding service and have loved all of our waitstaff and stewards.

Cozumel is beautiful. The snorkeling is wonderful. We've been to Playa Mia and Chankanab and enjoyed both. There are tons of great excursions, but the kids really enjoyed playing in the beautiful water.

 

[Ginamarie]

It will be ok. We prefer DCL but there's no way we can afford to do it every year. It's been a stretch to do DCL every 2-3 years. We have sailed on Freedom of the Seas (a sister ship to Liberty) and on Anthem. I always go into it with the mindset that it's not going to be DCL. There are usually fewer family activities onboard, BUT we really enjoy sailing on RCCL, especially for the price. They do a great job on the pool decks and we find our RCCL cruises to be more relaxing since there's less to do. We recently booked Anthem of the Seas again because we got an awesome deal for Feb 2020.

 

[bbel]

I've not done liberty but freedom class is my all time favourite class.

Would sail a freedom class ship over dcl any day. Way more affordable and much more to do on board. I don't need singing and dancing at dinner, the windjammer is perfect for me, and all though I like them, I don't want to spend so much more just for a few characters...And those are the main differences I can think of...

And if it makes you feel better, so many dcl crew are also jumping ship to royal. I personally know of at least 8 in the last year...

 

[starvenger]

And if it makes you feel better, so many dcl crew are also jumping ship to royal. I personally know of at least 8 in the last year...

Makes sense actually. with only 4 ships there's only so far one can move up on DCL. So if you want to advance the only other way to do it is to go to another cruise line.

 

[bbel]

Makes sense actually. with only 4 ships there's only so far one can move up on DCL. So if you want to advance the only other way to do it is to go to another cruise line.

I don't think it's necessarily 'moving up' it's just needing a change.
Change of scenery. Change of pace. Change of ports. Change of clientele. Change of expectations.
And every ship I've been on on royal is different, dcl, everything was the same...
I look back to my dcl days and it was just suffocating in a number of ways.

 

[cel_disney]

OP - we are Disney Vets but have never cruised DCL - but my family of 4 has sailed out of Galveston twice - once on the Navigator (kids ages 4&8) and once on Liberty (kids ages 6&10).
When looking at cruises this year all my kids wanted to do was go back on Liberty this year!

The ship is amazing and you will not regret the ship choice one bit!!

Why do I think it’s great? Mainly - I believe the size is perfect for your kids ages. Totally small enough for the older kids to go and get pizza alone on the promenade or to walk back from adventure ocean to the room, but big enough to have tons of activities such that they will never be Board!

The boomerang water slide is quite thrilling and the others were okay for those that could go fast (wear less clothing!) - the flowrider is great- and a round of mini golf or a little basketball is always fun.

My kids enjoyed adventure ocean and made many friends. When my son was 10 I did give him sign out privileges but he was so anxious to impress us with his responble behavior that he never abused them and only used them when we had agreed to it. He also was able to sign my daughter in/out of AO (because I signed his name as having that permission) which was great for those late nights when they wanted to stay out and we were ready for bed! They would check out at our agreed upon time or when I called, stop for pizza and head back to the room! (We has connecting balconies - but that’s a lot harder to do when you need 3 in one room like you do!)

While some of these details might not be relevant anymore - this is to my review on cruise critic ..which does bring up one point which is that WiFi is sort of slow on this ship!!

Can’t say enough good things about our tour inn roatan!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2398879-live-ish-from-liberty-416-423/

There is one downside to cruising out of Galveston and that’s transportation to the port. I believe this may have improved since our trips but head over to the cruise critic boards to get the lastest advice on that. (Try gulf coast departures area)

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

OP - we are Disney Vets but have never cruised DCL - but my family of 4 has sailed out of Galveston twice - once on the Navigator (kids ages 4&8) and once on Liberty (kids ages 6&10).
When looking at cruises this year all my kids wanted to do was go back on Liberty this year!

The ship is amazing and you will not regret the ship choice one bit!!

Why do I think it’s great? Mainly - I believe the size is perfect for your kids ages. Totally small enough for the older kids to go and get pizza alone on the promenade or to walk back from adventure ocean to the room, but big enough to have tons of activities such that they will never be Board!

The boomerang water slide is quite thrilling and the others were okay for those that could go fast (wear less clothing!) - the flowrider is great- and a round of mini golf or a little basketball is always fun.

My kids enjoyed adventure ocean and made many friends. When my son was 10 I did give him sign out privileges but he was so anxious to impress us with his responble behavior that he never abused them and only used them when we had agreed to it. He also was able to sign my daughter in/out of AO (because I signed his name as having that permission) which was great for those late nights when they wanted to stay out and we were ready for bed! They would check out at our agreed upon time or when I called, stop for pizza and head back to the room! (We has connecting balconies - but that’s a lot harder to do when you need 3 in one room like you do!)

While some of these details might not be relevant anymore - this is to my review on cruise critic ..which does bring up one point which is that WiFi is sort of slow on this ship!!

Can’t say enough good things about our tour inn roatan!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2398879-live-ish-from-liberty-416-423/

There is one downside to cruising out of Galveston and that’s transportation to the port. I believe this may have improved since our trips but head over to the cruise critic boards to get the lastest advice on that. (Try gulf coast departures area)

Great information!

So our rooms are actually across from each other. A spacious promenade view (these look HUGE btw) and standard balcony. I think by the time the boys are 12 and almost 10 I'll feel comfortable with them being alone at night. I'd probably feel comfortable today doing the same thing. Our daughter will stay with us regardless.

That's good to know about sign out privileges. They'll be happy to be out on their own. And they're responsible and cautious so I trust them.

What about the transportation to the port is not good?

I'm so glad your kids liked the ship! My biggest concern was having enough for the wide age range and it sounds like they'll be just fine!

 

[msjprincess]

Great information!

So our rooms are actually across from each other. A spacious promenade view (these look HUGE btw) and standard balcony. I think by the time the boys are 12 and almost 10 I'll feel comfortable with them being alone at night. I'd probably feel comfortable today doing the same thing. Our daughter will stay with us regardless.

That's good to know about sign out privileges. They'll be happy to be out on their own. And they're responsible and cautious so I trust them.

What about the transportation to the port is not good?

I'm so glad your kids liked the ship! My biggest concern was having enough for the wide age range and it sounds like they'll be just fine!

I gave my daughter sign out privileges at 10. I gave her strict instructions where she was allowed to go. Sometimes she would leave with a friend to get an ice cream cone on the pool deck and go back. Plus it made it easier for us. I think the hours on sea days were something like 9-12 2-5 and 7-10. She would just sign herself out and meet us at noon.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I gave my daughter sign out privileges at 10. I gave her strict instructions where she was allowed to go. Sometimes she would leave with a friend to get an ice cream cone on the pool deck and go back. Plus it made it easier for us. I think the hours on sea days were something like 9-12 2-5 and 7-10. She would just sign herself out and meet us at noon.

I can probably find the answer somewhere but what is the minimum age for sign out privileges? My younger son will be a month shy of 10. I'm not concerned about the older one as he'll have just turned 12.