fredandkell
I'd rather be cruising
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2013
Disney Dream vs. Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas
Background: Our family likes Disney, but we in no way subscribe to the “machine” nor do we think Disney is the be-all and end-all. We have traveled twice on Disney Dream in 2013 and 2014. The kids were 3 and 7 the first trip and 4 and 8 the second trip. I have traveled once previously on RCL with just my husband in 2001. The kids were 5 and 9 on this trip. When researching a 4-night Bahamian cruise for Thanksgiving week, both RCL and Disney had the same itinerary (1 day in Nassau, 1 day at private island, 1 day at sea). We always book 2 connecting cabins. Disney wanted $3,200 for 2 connecting interior staterooms and RCL wanted $1,800 for 2 connecting oceanview staterooms. While we were very satisfied with the Dream, we thought we’d experiment with RCL because a) it was cheaper, and b) we wanted to check out a different private island. We knew in advance that Enchantment wouldn’t be as nice as the Dream; it was built in 1997 and revamped in 2005, whereas the Dream was built in 2011. Our main consideration, then, was this: Is Disney Cruise line worth an extra $1,400?
Boarding: Both Disney and RCL had a very smooth boarding process. Both had lines for repeat cruisers and both were relatively painless. Disney has the slight edge on announcing the family name and clapping when you get on board, but overall Boarding = Tie.
Staterooms: We’ve stayed in interior staterooms with magical porthole and balcony staterooms on the Dream, and we stayed in oceanview rooms on EotS. Disney’s rooms were bigger, enough to have a separate couch and true seating area with a curtain that could be drawn all the way across to block half the room if a child was napping. Disney also has the split bath, but that’s never been a selling point to us since we always get two rooms and therefore have two bathrooms anyway. EotS had a little curtain that could be drawn about 4 feet across—we weren’t really sure of its point? There was just one chair in each room, not a sofa (despite the pictures on the website showing a sofa), and not a real sitting area. The real kicker, though, was the cleanliness/appearance. While we didn’t mind EotS looking older (and expected it), there were spots on the bathroom mirror, some dust in the corners, the carpet didn’t look very clean, and worst of all, the windows were so scratched and dirty (in both rooms) that it was very difficult to see out of them! You could also hear people walking above you much worse on EotS. Staterooms = Disney
Entertainment: Two of three of Disney’s shows were great and entertained parents as well as kids. All the EotS shows were awful. Laughable. Like high school drama club bad. Disney had lots of movies and cartoons on demand in the room; EotS just had regular satellite TV. Disney has wave phones so you can keep in touch with your party and your children throughout the ship; EotS did not have this feature. (And they wanted $30/day per device if you bought wireless! Um, no.) Entertainment = Disney
Kids’ services: OK, we knew Disney would blow this one out of the park. We did not expect EotS to have as good a kids’ club as Disney. But…we didn’t expect it to be so pitiful, either. The kids’ club was maybe 600 square feet. Maybe. They had the 3-5 year olds in one little room and all the 6-11 year olds in another room. The club could hold maybe 70 kids max. Maybe. There were no visible toys, or things to play with….just one little abacus that we could see. We felt bad to leave the kids there, whereas on Disney, we knew they were having a great time in the club. On Disney, the kids can eat in the club with their friends off a buffet; EotS offered two night only where kids could eat, and it was pizza and French fries both nights—no other choices. There was no way for the counselors to contact you if the kids had a problem, except they gave beepers to parents of 3-year olds. On Disney they contact you via wave phone if your kids need you, and they have GPS in their wristbands so they can be located immediately. Also, there were zero characters on EotS, despite RCL’s website talking about the Dreamworks experience. Disney has all kinds of character sightings, experiences, and playtime included in the price. Kids’ Services = Disney
Ship Activities: EotS had a climbing wall and a Sky Zone (bungee trampoline park). We never once saw the climbing wall open. Sky Zone was open for maybe 20 minutes before they closed it “due to wind.” Given both attractions’ locations on the ships, wind would always be a factor (top deck, fore and aft of ship) so one wonders how often they get used. The EotS casino was decent, but very smoky, and we hardly used it because as I said we felt bad for leaving the kids in the kids’ club. Disney has a movie theatre and also the Aqua Duck water coaster. It just felt like there wasn’t as much to do on EotS overall except hang out by the pool. Perhaps on a newer RCL ship this would be improved, but on this one, not so much. Ship Activities = Disney
Pools: Here was one area that I felt EotS did better than Disney. The pools were actually large, somewhat swimmable, and deep. The adult pool looked really nice (we didn’t use it, sadly) and it wasn’t in a cut-through area like the Dream’s adult pool. There weren’t movies constantly blaring on the jumbotron like on the Dream (which leads the kids to just stand in the pool and stare at the screen like zombies); rather, kids actually seemed to be enjoying the pool. There were nice bands and music by the pool and it was open 24 hours. EotS did not have a waterslide, which was disappointing, but the kids liked the pools and hot tubs and splash pad a lot. Pools = Royal Caribbean
Overall Ship Appearance: Disney’s ships look like works of art. We’ve parked next to the Magic and the Wonder, and they are the same age as EotS, yet they look brand-new. Our ship looked like the Holiday Inn parked next to the Ritz Carlton (Dream). Disney is constantly cleaning, painting, washing, polishing, spraying, etc. their ships. We hardly saw anyone doing any kind of exterior or common room maintenance or cleaning on EotS. Appearance = Disney
Food: We were pleasantly surprised by the food on EotS. It was consistently good in all areas, whether the dining room or at the buffet. Disney has the edge on having more dining room venues (EotS had one dining room, one buffet and one specialty restaurant, whereas the Dream had 3 dining rooms, one buffet, and two specialties) but I was a little disappointed in Disney’s food. I guess since Disney does most things so well, I had higher expectations. EotS had very good food and an excellent selection of healthy and vegetarian options. Food = Royal Caribbean
Frequent Cruiser Incentives: Disney gave us a lanyard, a tote bag, and a dry erase board. RCL offered several drinks specials, spa and internet discounts, etc. I hear that Disney’s gifts are the same each cruise for each level, so how many tote bags, etc. does one need? The RCL incentives were more useful. Incentives = Royal Caribbean
Private Islands: Oh, Castaway Cay, how I love you. Such a fabulous private island by Disney; perfect beach days with everything included. Coco Cay? I don’t know if I love you, because on the two cruises I’ve been on that were supposed to go to you, both times you’ve been missed “because of wind.” Disney actually docks at Castaway, whereas RCL tenders to Coco (so I hear), so the odds of docking are much higher with Disney. Our waiter informed us that RCL misses Coco Cay “all the time,” so it seems like false advertising to lure people in with promises of a rarely visited private island. We did end up staying in Crap-sau (I mean, Nassau) an extra day to “make up for” missing Coco Cay, but with the cheapest shore excursion that went to a beach in Nassau being $65/pp (this got you a ride over there, but no towels, chairs, or umbrellas) up to $185/pp!! (this let you use Atlantis’ facilities) it was crazy expensive. We ended up going to a tiny beach near the pier by using Hilton points but Nassau is in no way compensation for missing a private island. Private Island = Disney
Overall: While our trip on EotS was good, it wasn’t great. Both trips on the Disney Dream were great. The husband and I both agreed that Disney is worth the price premium for parents of kids. When mine are too old for the kids’ club, I might try RCL again, but I’ll probably avoid itineraries that include their mythical private island. Verdict = Disney Cruise Line is worth the price premium.
Background: Our family likes Disney, but we in no way subscribe to the “machine” nor do we think Disney is the be-all and end-all. We have traveled twice on Disney Dream in 2013 and 2014. The kids were 3 and 7 the first trip and 4 and 8 the second trip. I have traveled once previously on RCL with just my husband in 2001. The kids were 5 and 9 on this trip. When researching a 4-night Bahamian cruise for Thanksgiving week, both RCL and Disney had the same itinerary (1 day in Nassau, 1 day at private island, 1 day at sea). We always book 2 connecting cabins. Disney wanted $3,200 for 2 connecting interior staterooms and RCL wanted $1,800 for 2 connecting oceanview staterooms. While we were very satisfied with the Dream, we thought we’d experiment with RCL because a) it was cheaper, and b) we wanted to check out a different private island. We knew in advance that Enchantment wouldn’t be as nice as the Dream; it was built in 1997 and revamped in 2005, whereas the Dream was built in 2011. Our main consideration, then, was this: Is Disney Cruise line worth an extra $1,400?
Boarding: Both Disney and RCL had a very smooth boarding process. Both had lines for repeat cruisers and both were relatively painless. Disney has the slight edge on announcing the family name and clapping when you get on board, but overall Boarding = Tie.
Staterooms: We’ve stayed in interior staterooms with magical porthole and balcony staterooms on the Dream, and we stayed in oceanview rooms on EotS. Disney’s rooms were bigger, enough to have a separate couch and true seating area with a curtain that could be drawn all the way across to block half the room if a child was napping. Disney also has the split bath, but that’s never been a selling point to us since we always get two rooms and therefore have two bathrooms anyway. EotS had a little curtain that could be drawn about 4 feet across—we weren’t really sure of its point? There was just one chair in each room, not a sofa (despite the pictures on the website showing a sofa), and not a real sitting area. The real kicker, though, was the cleanliness/appearance. While we didn’t mind EotS looking older (and expected it), there were spots on the bathroom mirror, some dust in the corners, the carpet didn’t look very clean, and worst of all, the windows were so scratched and dirty (in both rooms) that it was very difficult to see out of them! You could also hear people walking above you much worse on EotS. Staterooms = Disney
Entertainment: Two of three of Disney’s shows were great and entertained parents as well as kids. All the EotS shows were awful. Laughable. Like high school drama club bad. Disney had lots of movies and cartoons on demand in the room; EotS just had regular satellite TV. Disney has wave phones so you can keep in touch with your party and your children throughout the ship; EotS did not have this feature. (And they wanted $30/day per device if you bought wireless! Um, no.) Entertainment = Disney
Kids’ services: OK, we knew Disney would blow this one out of the park. We did not expect EotS to have as good a kids’ club as Disney. But…we didn’t expect it to be so pitiful, either. The kids’ club was maybe 600 square feet. Maybe. They had the 3-5 year olds in one little room and all the 6-11 year olds in another room. The club could hold maybe 70 kids max. Maybe. There were no visible toys, or things to play with….just one little abacus that we could see. We felt bad to leave the kids there, whereas on Disney, we knew they were having a great time in the club. On Disney, the kids can eat in the club with their friends off a buffet; EotS offered two night only where kids could eat, and it was pizza and French fries both nights—no other choices. There was no way for the counselors to contact you if the kids had a problem, except they gave beepers to parents of 3-year olds. On Disney they contact you via wave phone if your kids need you, and they have GPS in their wristbands so they can be located immediately. Also, there were zero characters on EotS, despite RCL’s website talking about the Dreamworks experience. Disney has all kinds of character sightings, experiences, and playtime included in the price. Kids’ Services = Disney
Ship Activities: EotS had a climbing wall and a Sky Zone (bungee trampoline park). We never once saw the climbing wall open. Sky Zone was open for maybe 20 minutes before they closed it “due to wind.” Given both attractions’ locations on the ships, wind would always be a factor (top deck, fore and aft of ship) so one wonders how often they get used. The EotS casino was decent, but very smoky, and we hardly used it because as I said we felt bad for leaving the kids in the kids’ club. Disney has a movie theatre and also the Aqua Duck water coaster. It just felt like there wasn’t as much to do on EotS overall except hang out by the pool. Perhaps on a newer RCL ship this would be improved, but on this one, not so much. Ship Activities = Disney
Pools: Here was one area that I felt EotS did better than Disney. The pools were actually large, somewhat swimmable, and deep. The adult pool looked really nice (we didn’t use it, sadly) and it wasn’t in a cut-through area like the Dream’s adult pool. There weren’t movies constantly blaring on the jumbotron like on the Dream (which leads the kids to just stand in the pool and stare at the screen like zombies); rather, kids actually seemed to be enjoying the pool. There were nice bands and music by the pool and it was open 24 hours. EotS did not have a waterslide, which was disappointing, but the kids liked the pools and hot tubs and splash pad a lot. Pools = Royal Caribbean
Overall Ship Appearance: Disney’s ships look like works of art. We’ve parked next to the Magic and the Wonder, and they are the same age as EotS, yet they look brand-new. Our ship looked like the Holiday Inn parked next to the Ritz Carlton (Dream). Disney is constantly cleaning, painting, washing, polishing, spraying, etc. their ships. We hardly saw anyone doing any kind of exterior or common room maintenance or cleaning on EotS. Appearance = Disney
Food: We were pleasantly surprised by the food on EotS. It was consistently good in all areas, whether the dining room or at the buffet. Disney has the edge on having more dining room venues (EotS had one dining room, one buffet and one specialty restaurant, whereas the Dream had 3 dining rooms, one buffet, and two specialties) but I was a little disappointed in Disney’s food. I guess since Disney does most things so well, I had higher expectations. EotS had very good food and an excellent selection of healthy and vegetarian options. Food = Royal Caribbean
Frequent Cruiser Incentives: Disney gave us a lanyard, a tote bag, and a dry erase board. RCL offered several drinks specials, spa and internet discounts, etc. I hear that Disney’s gifts are the same each cruise for each level, so how many tote bags, etc. does one need? The RCL incentives were more useful. Incentives = Royal Caribbean
Private Islands: Oh, Castaway Cay, how I love you. Such a fabulous private island by Disney; perfect beach days with everything included. Coco Cay? I don’t know if I love you, because on the two cruises I’ve been on that were supposed to go to you, both times you’ve been missed “because of wind.” Disney actually docks at Castaway, whereas RCL tenders to Coco (so I hear), so the odds of docking are much higher with Disney. Our waiter informed us that RCL misses Coco Cay “all the time,” so it seems like false advertising to lure people in with promises of a rarely visited private island. We did end up staying in Crap-sau (I mean, Nassau) an extra day to “make up for” missing Coco Cay, but with the cheapest shore excursion that went to a beach in Nassau being $65/pp (this got you a ride over there, but no towels, chairs, or umbrellas) up to $185/pp!! (this let you use Atlantis’ facilities) it was crazy expensive. We ended up going to a tiny beach near the pier by using Hilton points but Nassau is in no way compensation for missing a private island. Private Island = Disney
Overall: While our trip on EotS was good, it wasn’t great. Both trips on the Disney Dream were great. The husband and I both agreed that Disney is worth the price premium for parents of kids. When mine are too old for the kids’ club, I might try RCL again, but I’ll probably avoid itineraries that include their mythical private island. Verdict = Disney Cruise Line is worth the price premium.
Everytime I price Disney, it's close to double the cost and from what I read, i'm not sure the extra cost is worth it for us. My kids loved the kids club on EoS, they wanted to spend every minute there. Had to drag them out for some family time. 
They also loved the bungee trampoline, the rock wall and the shows. They are fairly easy to please. We've been to both Coco Cay and Labadee and love both, usually better than wherever else we're visiting (especially nassau). Unlike most people, I am not a fan of cruise food, they all are equal to me. My 7 yr old has been researching cruises by watching youtube videos and has decided on Oasis as our next cruise. However, I have booked Anthem so we can drive to the port. 
