Table Of Content
- Themed Cruises
- Choose Disney if You Don't Want to Be Nickeled and Dimed on Food -- and Like Whimsical Venues
- Choose Royal Caribbean if You Like Separate Activities for Different Ages of Kids
- Disney Cruise Line Destinations
- NEWS: DisneyBand+ Added to Another Disney Cruise Ship
- Best Overall: Disney Cruise vs. Royal Caribbean Cruise

Additionally, Disney Cruise Line offers kids-only events, such as themed dance parties, scavenger hunts, and interactive shows that immerse them in the world of Disney. Both Disney Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean excel in delivering a wide array of onboard amenities, each tailored to their unique brand of cruise experience. Royal Caribbean takes a slight lead when it comes to amenities geared towards adults and adventure seekers. They excel in creating enchanting environments and activities that captivate the imaginations of both young and old. From character meet-and-greets to themed play areas, Disney ensures that every family member, regardless of age, experiences the wonder of their magical world at sea.
Themed Cruises
Many families are loyal to a specific cruise brand and may feel leery about trying a different cruise line. This is especially true for those who are avid cruisers with Disney or Royal Caribbean. You'll also have a wider selection of departure ports in the U.S. with Royal Caribbean. Its ships sail from secondary home ports, such as Baltimore, Boston, Cape Liberty (Bayonne, New Jersey), Galveston, New Orleans and Tampa, as well as the major Florida ports, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver.
Choose Disney if You Don't Want to Be Nickeled and Dimed on Food -- and Like Whimsical Venues
Both cruise lines offer complimentary basic beverages, including tap water, coffee and tea (excluding premium coffee), and standard juices. Other beverages are available a la carte, and each cruise line has different beverage purchase options. My family and I love attending the family friendly shows onboard the Disney Cruise ships.
Choose Royal Caribbean if You Like Separate Activities for Different Ages of Kids
The Best Cruises in the World: 2023 Readers' Choice Awards - Condé Nast Traveler
The Best Cruises in the World: 2023 Readers' Choice Awards.
Posted: Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
While Disney does allow you to buy a reusable beer mug that grants you discounted refills, there’s no beverage package available for guests. This is true for both alcohol and specialty drinks such as smoothies; these are charged on a per-item basis. Pricing is probably where the Disney-versus-Royal Caribbean breakdown is most noticeable. Disney cruises are significantly more expensive than Royal Caribbean ones. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence.
Disney Cruise Line Destinations
The dreaded Muster Drill is the safety lesson that every cruiser must participate in before the ship is cleared to sail. Each stateroom has a specified muster station (near the lifeboats) where cruisers must report in the event of a severe emergency. Disney Cruise Line requires all passengers to meet at their muster stations at a specific time on embarkation day.
On Royal Caribbean, ships offer the Adventure Ocean Club – which is split out into babies, juniors, and kids. The Adventure Ocean Club is free and offers “edutainment” programming for younger kids, including talent shows, art programming, science projects, and much more. In addition to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean also has a private resort area in Labadee, Haiti.
If you’re debating Royal Caribbean vs. Disney Cruise Line

Actually our cabin steward never restocked our toiletries ONCE during an 8 night cruise. If I had loved the products the way I love the Disney products, I would have been stalking him for daily restocks. It was a standard scented shampoo/conditioner that was nothing to write home about. However, on our last Disney Cruise (October, 2018) the food was still very good, but not as good as previous Disney Cruises. On our most recent RC cruise, the food was significantly better than we remembered on the last RC sailing.
However, there are a few differences in inclusions between these two cruise lines. However, Royal Caribbean has done its best to differentiate itself with interior rooms featuring windows to indoor spaces. Some of its ships also include virtual balconies, which operate gigantic digital screens to show outdoor views in every room. Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise. Royal Caribbean also features more older kid and teen amusements than Disney as Disney is geared at the younger crowd with most attractions.
Family attractions
As you can probably surmise from the things we highlighted in this post, there were definitely some things we really liked about Royal Caribbean but also some things we didn’t like. On Royal Caribbean, we especially loved the buffet, the Solarium/day beds, the hot tubs and the Wi-Fi! For the entertainment (overall), the main dining, attention to detail and the level of service, we prefer a Disney cruise. Guests wishing that Disney Cruise Line had an alcohol package option will likely be happy to know that Royal Caribbean offers that! Disney Cruise Line of course has alcohol available for purchase, but they do not offer unlimited drink packages.

With their assistance, you’ll be able to navigate the Disney Cruise vs Royal Caribbean Cruise decision and find the perfect match for your unforgettable getaway. They can even help you compare Disney Cruises against other cruise lines such as Norwegian, Princess, and Carnival. If your heart is set on a family-centric experience, complete with the enchanting ambiance of Disney-themed entertainment and a strong focus on creating lasting memories, Disney Cruise Line is likely the better option. Renowned for its magical atmosphere, captivating entertainment, exclusive destinations, and family-friendly focus, Disney Cruise Line is perfect for families with younger children or die-hard Disney fans. Some of Disney Cruise Line’s notable restaurants include Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, and adult-exclusive dining options such as Palo and Remy, which offer sophisticated dining experiences.
Throughout each sailing, there are several character meet-and-greets, which are free to all, but tickets are needed for the princess ones due to high demand. You'll find plenty of alternative restaurants on the ships in both lines' fleets. Cruisers can score unlimited free pizza, burgers and other casual fare for free, as well as added-cost cuisine like steak, Italian and French. Most people will be drawn to Royal Caribbean because the cruise will be cheaper, but Disney really is magical.
Disney Cruise Line excels in themed dining experiences that are a feast for the senses and the imagination. Families dining on a Disney cruise are treated to more than just a meal; they enjoy immersive, character-driven experiences, making each dinner a memorable part of the Disney vs Royal Caribbean journey. In contrast, Royal Caribbean impresses with its vast array of dining options. Whether you’re seeking international cuisine, gourmet experiences, or casual bites, Royal Caribbean delivers, making it a strong contender in the Royal Caribbean vs Disney cruise debate for food enthusiasts. This diversity in dining is a hallmark of the Royal Caribbean Disney Cruise comparison, ensuring that every guest’s palate is well catered to on their sea voyage.
The entertainment on Royal Caribbean is tailored more towards adults than kids, although guests of all ages should find something to enjoy. The theatre shows include some amazing Broadway musicals, including Grease, Cats, Hairspray, We Will Rock You, and Mamma Mia. Royal Caribbean definitely has a wider choice of activities that guests can enjoy, especially for adults. It’s home to some of the most innovative attractions at sea, although the AquaMouse on the latest Disney ships really does showcase that Disney magic touch.
How do you make a decision when your vacation choice falls to Disney Cruise Line versus Royal Caribbean? The cruise lines are different in many ways — discover what sets the lines apart to determine which is the best for you. For self-guided fun, check out the Midship Detective Agency scavenger hunt onboard Disney Fantasy and Dream, a Muppets-themed mystery with clues hidden in "enchanted art" -- digital artwork that comes to life when you approach. And onboard Disney Wish, the interactive mobile phone-based Disney Uncharted Adventure takes guests throughout the ship on a quest to battle a Disney villain.
Our room had beds that could be arranged as two twins or as one Royal King (double). For families, I believe rooms that can sleep 4 are available with the exact same layout, but the sofa pulls out to make additional sleeping space. Some Royal Caribbean ships/rooms have pullman beds that come down from the ceiling over the main beds, so it can really vary depending on your ship and room type. The Disney ships have more similar layout across the board, with a queen bed (a true queen, it can’t convert to twins; we find this way more comfortable) and a sofa that converts into a single-size bed. In additional, the vast majority of DCL rooms have another single size bed that pulls down from the ceiling over the sofa, forming bunk beds.
The largest and newest Royal Caribbean ships feature full-length Broadway or London West End musicals on every sailing. Shows include "Hairspray," "We Will Rock You," "Cats," "Mamma Mia!" "Grease," and “The Wizard of Oz,” which debuted on Icon of the Seas. Also in rotation with the big production (and on the smaller ships) are guest acts and song-and-dance shows developed for the cruise line.
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