OP - Thank you for posting your insights. I find it to be beneficial to hear many different opinions on the similarities/differences between cruise lines.
We have only cruised once (on the
DCL's Wonder) and had an amazing time. My husband and I are going in November (sans kids) and are currently booked on the Disney Dream for a four-night jaunt over to the Bahamas with a stop on
Castaway Cay. RCL has a very similar iten (leaving same day) that substitues the Castaway day with a stop on CocoCay (which I think is RCL's private island).
Now, I'm no expert in room categories, but it seems for our iten the RCL option (Enchantment of the Seas) is significantly cheaper than the Disney Dream for a similar room type. Yes, for this specific compairson, the Disney Dream is more than double the cost of the similar RCL trip. For my pals who love numbers (roughly $1450 vs. $575 for two people in an ocean view room)
Apples to apples...well very close.
We have talked about switching to RCL many, many times to save the money, but I fear our experience on RCL might make me miss all that I love about Disney. Argh...first world problems. We are constant soda drinkers and really enjoyed the food on the Wonder. We also adored the movie theater and the great Disney entertainment. Everyone we encountered on our cruise was truly fantastic. We loved it all, the Disney music, the signature customer service, the awesome character interactions, the spotless ship...all of it!
In any case, I really like the spirited discussion about the pros/cons of the experiences...your time and comments are helpful. I'm glad you had a nice vacation.
Take care everyone and have a happy day!