Cruise lines sailing out of Baltimore are working to make alternative arrangements following Tuesday’s fatal bridge collapse.
08.03.2024 - 15:11 / thepointsguy.com / Royal Caribbean / Disney Treasure / Disney Cruise
If you're planning a cruise vacation with kids, you're likely focused on two brands: Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.
While other cruise lines cater to families, these two lines top the charts. Royal Caribbean is known for its humongous ships that are chock-full of family-friendly attractions, from waterslides and ice skating shows to huge kids clubs and adults-only solariums and sun decks. Disney is always top of mind for a family getaway, and the characters, quality of entertainment and family-focused service you're used to in its parks and hotels carry over onto its cruise ships.
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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.
Royal Caribbean is known for having some of the largest cruise ships in the world, including the 250,800-ton, 7,600-passenger titleholder, Icon of the Seas. Its Freedom, Quantum and Oasis Class ships are no joke either. Freedom Class ships measure roughly 156,000 tons and carry upward of 4,500 passengers at maximum capacity, Quantum Class ships measure 169,000 tons and accommodate 5,000 passengers, and Oasis Class ships measure a bit more than 225,000 tons and carry between 6,600 and 7,000 passengers.
As befitting their size, these ships are full of attractions and entertainment options, a range of cabins and suites at varying price points and multiple dining and drinking establishments.
The fleet does include smaller ships among its 28 vessels. The Vision and Radiance Class ships carry around 2,500 passengers when full. However, these ships lack many of the family-friendly attractions that Royal Caribbean is known for, and are also the vessels the line sends on longer voyages or based in secondary home ports, such as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Baltimore. On many of these smaller ships, you'll find more adults, though all will have kids clubs and welcome families.
Related: The 7 classes of Royal Caribbean cruise ships, explained
Disney Cruise Line has a much smaller fleet with only five ships (soon to be six by late 2024). These ships come in three sizes: the 83,000-ton Disney Magic and Disney Wonder carry 2,713 passengers at maximum capacity; the 130,000-ton Disney Dream and Fantasy carry 4,000; and the 144,000-ton Disney Wish (and its soon-to-debut sister, Disney Treasure) can also accommodate 4,000. That puts its larger ships on par with Royal Caribbean's Freedom Class.
Unlike Royal Caribbean, Disney's smaller ships still bring all the Disney magic, including waterslides, family-friendly dining options and all the
Cruise lines sailing out of Baltimore are working to make alternative arrangements following Tuesday’s fatal bridge collapse.
Cruise lines are evaluating scheduled sailings to Baltimore after the collapse of the city's Francis Scott Key Bridge closed access to the Patapsco River and port areas.
Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, two cruise lines are in search of alternate ports where their ships can dock when their current voyages conclude.
Calling all Royal Caribbean fans: There’s a new beach club experience in the works.The world’s largest cruise line has announced the expansion of its destination lineup with the forthcoming Royal Beach Club Cozumel in Mexico, which is slated to open 2026.“We are delighted to build on our longstanding partnership with the local community and government to continue bringing our guests to Mexico,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “The expansion of our destination offerings aligns with the growing global demand for the ultimate vacation experiences and enables our guests to connect with the beauty of local cultures and people in the places they visit.”The beach club will be located along the western coast of the island, according to a Royal Caribbean press release. The news follows Royal Caribbean’s previous big reveal that Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in The Bahamas will open in 2025.
About 140 miles east of Miami, Royal Caribbean's private Bahamas island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, receives thousands of eager families virtually every day of the year.
One of the cruise industry's most well-known brands is adding a private beach club to the growing list of cruise line-operated destinations set to open in the next two years.
Earlier this year, guests at Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay private island were the first to revel at the historic sight of the world's largest cruise ships, Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, docked side-by-side.
Royal Caribbean has a secret to its smashing success.
Disney Cruise Line continues its rapid expansion with the reveal of the third Triton-class ship name and theme. The ship will be called the Disney Destiny, be themed after heroes and villains and is scheduled to be delivered in 2025.
Disney Cruise Line fans, get ready to sail on ... Disney Destiny.
Civil unrest in Haiti has forced the Royal Caribbean Group to cancel all plans to visit its private destination in Labadee.
Cruises are more popular than ever, but they're also more controversial than ever, with destinations around the globe limiting or outright banning them from ports in an effort to combat over-tourism.