Need help booking cruise-Disney or NCL

I will booking my cruise at the end of month for either disney or NCL (just my 4 year old son and I). What cruise would you recommend? Would it be better to book with travel agent or on my own? Who would you recommend?

TIA

Message edited 11/18/2012 9:54:31 AM.

Need help booking cruise

Use cruise.com to narrow it down to which cruise you want. I say this because they are like expedia for cruises.

Once you decide throw your cruises into cruisecompete.com to get the best price.

Deciding factors for us are always....where do we want to leave from. How many days and how many stops. Do we like the islands we're going to? Do they have adventure or relaxing excursions.

NCL is great, I've never been on Disney but I'm sure with a kid it's awesome.

Re: Need help booking cruise

We used Costco as we got on board credit.

Re: Need help booking cruise-Disney or NCL

I do not like NCL been on two...and 6 on other companies..and were far on the bottom of my likes list...

i have heard AMAZING things about Disney and that is def on my list for next cruise..

if you dont want disney i would rec Royal Caribbean or Celebrity before NCL

Re: Need help booking cruise-Disney or NCL

Disney Cruises are PHENOMENAL. They are pricier than NCL, but they are awesome. You can also get good deals, depending on when you book. If you can take a cruise between now and Feb (esp between now and the end of the year) there are great deals.

I know a lot of people would choose RCCL over NCL, especially since RC now has Dreamworks characters.

I love Disney because
-It's Disney
-The attention to detail, like at Disney World, is absolutely incredible
- Their restaurants are truly unique. No big dining room, but instead, 3 smaller themed restaurants you rotate to with your tablemates and personal waitstaff.
-Speaking of waitstaff, they play games and do magic trips at the table.
-2 words- Pirate Night
- One more word - AquaDuck! (On the Dream and the Fantasy).

For kids the kids areas are just so well thought out. Disney is the only cruise line that is specifically built with families in mind. From the staterooms (some with split baths and round tubs, making it easier to bathe kids, and lots of space), to the dining (especially Animator's palate), to the activities (who doesn't want to have a dance party with Mickey? and daily Disney movies by the pool), it's just awesome for families.
That having been said, DH and I don't have kids and had an absolute blast on the Disney Cruise. We're planning another one for Fall 2013.

ETA: As far as booking, my (biased) opinion is to work with a travel agent. It's always good to work with someone who knows the cruise line and knows the ships, can help you pick the date that fits your budget, hel you decide on a stateroom, suggest activities and excursions, etc. Disney allows us to offer any onboard credits we please, but other cruise lines have actually cracked down on onboard credits, so you can't count on getting them the way you may be used to.

Message edited 11/19/2012 1:42:10 PM.

Re: Need help booking cruise-Disney or NCL

We took a Disney cruise for Christmas a few years ago. I agree with everything Jennifer says. Their kids activities and their kids clubs are second to none. We went with 13 family members and we all enjoyed it very much.

Re: Need help booking cruise-Disney or NCL

Disney cruise was amazing. I always book directly with the cruise line. Mostly because I need a wheelchair cabin but I found the Disney reps to be great.

Re: Need help booking cruise-Disney or NCL

I loved NCL when cruising with DH, but I don't think it's very kid friendly. I would go with Disney for the two of you.