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Royal Caribbean vs Disney Cruise Lines

Choosing the right cruise line for your vacation can be a daunting task, especially when comparing two giants like Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Both offer unique experiences and cater to different preferences. Here’s a detailed comparison covering some of the most important aspects for travelers.

Main Dining Room

Disney Cruise Line: Disney offers rotational dining, where guests rotate between three themed main dining rooms, each with its own unique menu and ambiance. This ensures a varied dining experience throughout the cruise.

Animator's Palate on the Disney Fantasy
Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean features traditional dining with set times and assigned seating, as well as My Time Dining, which offers more flexibility. Their main dining rooms are elegant and offer a diverse menu.

Buffet Dining

Disney Cruise Line: The buffet dining options, Cabanas or Marceline Market (depending on the ship), offer a wide variety of dishes, including seafood, salads, and international cuisine. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (Marcelene Market offers breakfast and lunch only on the Wish and Treasure).

Cabanas on the Disney Fantasy

Royal Caribbean: Windjammer Café is Royal Caribbean’s buffet option, known for its extensive selection and themed nights. It’s a popular spot for casual dining throughout the day.

Other Free Dining Options

Disney Cruise Line: In addition to the main dining rooms and buffet, Disney offers several casual dining options, including quick-service spots and 24-hour room service.

Room service on the Disney Wish
Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean provides a variety of complimentary dining venues, such as the Café Promenade, Sorrento’s Pizza, and the Boardwalk Dog House.

Specialty Dining

Disney Cruise Line: Disney offers specialty dining at Palo and Remy (on select ships), which provide upscale dining experiences for an additional fee.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean boasts a wide range of specialty restaurants, including Chops Grille, Izumi, Jamie’s Italian, and more. These venues offer diverse cuisines and premium dining experiences.

Kids Clubs and Activities

Disney Cruise Line: Disney is renowned for its exceptional kids’ clubs, including the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, which offer themed activities and character interactions. There are also dedicated spaces for tweens and teens.

Oceaneer Lab on the Disney Wish
Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean youth program provides age-appropriate activities for kids and teens. The line also features unique attractions like rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, and surf simulators.
Adventure Ocean on Anthem of the Seas

Adults Activities

Disney Cruise Line: Disney offers adult-exclusive areas, including pools, lounges, and nightclubs. Activities such as mixology classes, wine tastings, and spa treatments are also available.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean caters to adults with a variety of activities, including fitness classes, adult-only solariums, and a wide range of bars and lounges. The line also offers extensive spa services and enrichment programs.

Bars and Lounges

Disney Cruise Line: Disney features themed bars and lounges, such as Skyline and O’Gills Pub, offering a relaxed atmosphere and creative cocktails.

O'Gills Pub on the Disney Fantasy

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean’s ships are known for their vibrant nightlife, with numerous bars and lounges, including the Bionic Bar with robotic bartenders and the lively Schooner Bar.

Bionic Bar on the Wonder of the Seas

Entertainment Variety and Quality

Disney Cruise Line: Disney excels in entertainment with Broadway-style shows, character meet-and-greets, and themed deck parties. The quality and production value are top-notch.

Walt Disney Theater on the Disney Fantasy

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean offers a wide range of entertainment, including ice skating shows, aqua theater performances, and Broadway musicals. The variety and innovation in their entertainment options are impressive.

inTENse show in the AquaTheater
on the Wonder of the Seas

Service

Disney Cruise Line: Disney is known for its exceptional service, with attentive and friendly staff who go above and beyond to ensure a magical experience.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean also provides excellent service, with a focus on guest satisfaction and a high level of professionalism from the crew.

Staterooms

Disney Cruise Line: Disney’s staterooms are spacious and family-friendly, featuring split bathrooms and ample storage. Many rooms also have magical touches like virtual portholes. They also offer tubs which is helpful for traveling with little ones.

Stateroom on the Disney Wish

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean offers a wide range of staterooms, from budget-friendly interior rooms to luxurious suites. The line is known for its innovative stateroom designs, including virtual balconies.

Stateroom on the Wonder of the Seas

WiFi and Onboard Services

Disney Cruise Line: Disney offers WiFi packages, but it can be pricey, especially if you plan to stream content. The line also provides a Navigator app for daily schedules and ship information.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean’s VOOM internet is touted as the fastest at sea, with various packages available. The Royal Caribbean app offers similar functionalities for guests.

Cruise Ships

Disney Cruise Line: Disney’s fleet is smaller, with eight ships, each offering a unique blend of classic elegance and modern amenities.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean boasts a larger fleet with 27 ships, including some of the largest and most innovative ships in the industry. However, some guests have found the largest ships to be "too big" and prefer the more intimate ships.

Itineraries

Disney Cruise Line: Disney offers itineraries to popular destinations like the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, and Europe. They also provide themed cruises, such as Marvel Day at Sea, and holiday cruises, Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises.  

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean offers a vast array of itineraries, including the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and even world cruises. Their extensive options cater to a wide range of travel preferences.

Private Islands

Disney Cruise Line: Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is a highlight for many guests, offering pristine beaches, snorkeling, and exclusive activities. Disney recently opened a second island destination, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on the island of Eleuthera.

Disney Castaway Cay

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean’s private islands, Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, offer thrilling water parks, zip lines, and relaxing beach areas.

Perfect Day at CocoCay

Debarkation Ports

Disney Cruise Line: Disney primarily sails from Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, with seasonal departures from other ports like Vancouver for Alaska cruises. These ports are conveniently located near major airports and offer easy access to the ships.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean sails from a wide range of ports, including over 10 North American homeports such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York, and Galveston. This extensive network of departure ports provides more flexibility and convenience for travelers.

Cost and Value

Disney Cruise Line: Disney cruises tend to be more expensive, but they offer a premium experience with many inclusions and high-quality service.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean generally offers more affordable base fares with a wide range of options to fit different budgets. However, some amenities and activities may come with additional costs.

Conclusion

Both Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line offer fantastic cruise experiences, each with its own strengths. Disney excels in family-friendly entertainment and exceptional service, while Royal Caribbean offers a broader range of activities and itineraries at a more affordable price point. Your choice will ultimately depend on your preferences and what you value most in a cruise vacation.

Planning a Disney Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean Cruise Line vacation? We are here to help! Contact your Kingdom Konsultant travel professional or submit a request form for a free quote today. Make sure to check out our Disney Cruise Line and Cruise Lines & All Inclusives pages for more posts.

We Want to Hear From You

Which cruise line is your favorite between Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line? Let us know in the comments.

Maci Schau

Maci is an avid foodie and loves trying out new restaurants and seasonal food offerings in the parks.  You can email Maci at maci@kingdomkonsultant.com.
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