Why Disney Cruise Line Isn’t for Everyone

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, it’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Disney Cruise Line vacations. My family’s cruises on DCL have been some of our favorite memories, and I recommend DCL to many people.

However, a Disney Cruise isn’t the right choice for everyone. If you fall into one of these groups, I wouldn’t recommend a Disney Cruise for you.

Buffet Lovers

Disney Cruise Line has a buffet restaurant available for breakfast and lunch, but no buffet is available for dinner. If you don’t want to sit through a plated sit-down dinner in one of the main dining rooms, you can order room service or eat at a quick service restaurant near the pools. But, none of the other options are served buffet style.

Some people prefer buffets for dinner to avoid a long dinner and/or to more easily pick foods that work with their food preferences and allergies. I totally get it! When my kids were younger, we would sometimes order them room service or arrange for them to eat in the kids’ clubs so that we could enjoy a long sit-down dinner without the whining.

A workaround for allergies is to let your serving team know ahead of time. I’ve read from several people that DCL is very accommodating with alternate choices and menu modifications.

However, if you really want a true buffet for dinner every night, DCL is not for you.

Gambling Enthusiasts

Disney Cruise Line ships do not have casinos. If playing blackjack is a requirement on your cruise or a significant portion of how you like to relax and play on a cruise, you probably shouldn’t choose DCL.

Disney Cruise Line does have bingo, however. It costs money to play and you can win money, although I don’t think the stakes are too high.

Bargain and Value Hunters

Let’s be honest. It’s very difficult to find a true bargain price with any Disney Cruise.

Even in the off season, when school is in session, DCL is less expensive than other times of the year but still more expensive than most other cruise lines.

Five to six years ago, DCL was still running special “Kids Sail Free” promotions. My family booked a cruise during that time and I still consider that a bargain or at least a good value. But once the economy picked up, demand has increased and there are no more true bargains to be found.

Despite the higher price, I do believe that DCL offers a top-notch product with excellent service. But bargain and DCL do not belong in the same sentence.

People Who Want to Avoid Kids and Noise

My mom went on a Disney Cruise a few years ago and didn’t like it as much as other cruise lines because there were so many kids on board and they were running and noisy. She went in October during a popular fall break time, so that might have added to the number of kids on board. But even during non-school holidays, DCL will have more kids on board than most other cruise lines.

DCL does a good job with creating adult-only spaces. My husband and I take advantage of these spaces every time we cruise! Even though we have kids ourselves, we still like to escape for some adult quiet time. I enjoy the Rainforest Room in the spa and the adults-only pool area as well as the adults-only restaurants, Palo and Remy. People also report fewer kids in the late dining rotation.

But if kids and noise from kids really bother you, Celebrity, Princess or Holland America are better choices.

But What About….

What about people who don’t like Disney characters or who are just “meh” about Disney in general?

No, I don’t think those people should avoid Disney Cruise Line. I’ve read too many reviews from non-Disney fans who ended up loving DCL.

The Disney decorations on-board are subtle and sophisticated. The shows, entertainment and service are top notch. If you don’t want to have your photo taken with a Disney character, you can easily avoid it. You can make the cruise as Disney or as non-Disney as you’d like it to be.

So, I may be DCL’s #1 cheerleader, but I can’t in good faith recommend DCL to everyone. What do you think? What is your favorite cruise line, and what are its drawbacks?

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