Question about DCL Prices

[dato63]

Do they go up each week? I'm very ignorant about cruises, just starting to read, etc. to get an idea for 2010. When I was playing with different cruises & time of the year (using the 2009 data on disneycruises.com) I wrote down the prices in a spreadsheet. They are all higher this week.

Is there a time of the year that is more economical? I've been torn. My DH suggested going over halloween - but reading some of the trip reports it didn't sound like halloween was received well by people who've been. We are going to WDW this year in November (and next year planning again for November). However, in 2010 the girls will be in 1st grade - not sure how the school handles pulling them out for 5 days. And Thanksgiving weeks looks like it is nearly double the other weeks in November. Living in a gulf coast area - I was a bit wary of the summer months due to hurricanes.

I'm rambling. Sorry. Just wondering when the prices first come out, are they lower and then go up each month or something? Is it as the cruise fills up the rates go up?

 

[Fizzgig]

Play around with pricing on disneycruise.com. The pricing goes up from whatever DCL sets as the base as cabins are booked.

 

[dato63]

Play around with pricing on disneycruise.com. The pricing goes up from whatever DCL sets as the base as cabins are booked.

Thank you - that explains why I've seen them go up in a short time. I'll have to book early for 2010 - once we decide for sure if we are okay taking 1st graders out of school for 5 days.

 

[govmarley]

I know you'll hear lots of opinions both ways about taking the kiddos out of school, but we've always been of the mindset that family travel time can be just as valuable of a learning environment as school time. I wouldn't hesitate to take my 1st graders out of school for a week for a cruise. We are taking our 3rd and 4th grader out of school for a week for our cruise this year, but I figure they won't miss too much that they can't make up!

 

[CarolAnnC]

DCL books in pricing tiers. So your best cash prices will be early on when they are first released. As each tier books, the price will rise. So it can go up considerably fast at times.

As far as keeping the children out of school, well I have my opinion on that. I often took my girls out of school for a week or so for WDW vacations. It was often difficult to book vacations with our two jobs as it was. My girls now cherish those memories as their dad passed away suddenly when they were only 15 and 17. So follow your heart....I am glad that I did.

 

[dato63]

I know you'll hear lots of opinions both ways about taking the kiddos out of school, but we've always been of the mindset that family travel time can be just as valuable of a learning environment as school time. I wouldn't hesitate to take my 1st graders out of school for a week for a cruise. We are taking our 3rd and 4th grader out of school for a week for our cruise this year, but I figure they won't miss too much that they can't make up!

DCL books in pricing tiers. So your best cash prices will be early on when they are first released. As each tier books, the price will rise. So it can go up considerably fast at times.

As far as keeping the children out of school, well I have my opinion on that. I often took my girls out of school for a week or so for WDW vacations. It was often difficult to book vacations with our two jobs as it was. My girls now cherish those memories as their dad passed away suddenly when they were only 15 and 17. So follow your heart....I am glad that I did.

Thank you both. I have gone back and forth on taking them out of school. It is nice to read someone else's viewpoint on it. I do not know how strict our school district is - but will find out. I also think family time is a very important part of life.

Also - I'll be watching for when the cruises first come out to book early! Thank you.

 

[JungleJim]

Thank you both. I have gone back and forth on taking them out of school. It is nice to read someone else's viewpoint on it. I do not know how strict our school district is - but will find out. I also think family time is a very important part of life.

Also - I'll be watching for when the cruises first come out to book early! Thank you.

By state laws, days missed for vacations are unexcused days.
That being said, most teachers will work with you to help make up the work. But please don't expect the teacher to give extra time to go over things that were missed due to family vacation....that's just not fair to the teacher.

It all depends on the child. Students who are struggling, I always wonder why a parent would pull them out of school. Also, don't pull children out at the end of a quarter (worst time to miss classes). Please take the school calendar into consideration.

I don't agree that a cruise is a learning experience, but family time is very important.

We don't have a choice of when to go. We must go during the summer when rates are high. But different weeks have different rates. (There was a few hundred dollars difference for us between the first week and second week of August). We also decided on a cat 12 cabin and had a great time!

Can you tell I'm a teacher? (So is my wife.)

 

[kcashner]

Previous posters are correct about prices rising as "tiers" fill. Depending on the cruise, rates can change in a matter of hours (like the repo cruises), months, or never. If you are traveling in the peak season, book as early as possible--you can always change the dates if needed!

As to kids out of school....state laws are just that--they vary by state. Schools also vary as to how strictly the enforce attendance rules.

If you have a "straight A" student who is functioning well ahead of grade level, I wouldn't hesitate to take her out. If you have a child who is struggling, that is a different matter. Cruising can be very much a learning experience...and one that overlaps with school issues. My DD chose her foreign language based on a crew member on the Magic, chose the country for a geography report based on where a server was from (and delighted everyone with her autograph book entry written in his native language and translated!), wrote a piece about the boarding process for an assignment on "The Best Vacation Ever," etc. I was impressed with the last piece!

No, cruising isn't school...but seeing other countries, meeting crew members from all over the world, discussions of "do you like your job, what do you have to study in school to do this job," are educational. There are very educational parts of vacations and family time which can be enhanced by parents. My daughter spent an hour with a dolphin trainer in a one-on-one unbelievable experience which was far better than anything that could have happened in a classroom. In fact, as a senior in high school (yesterday!) my daughter came home and related a conversation from her history class that day where she knew the answers FROM our 2005 Panama Canal trip.

Yes, I took her out of school for 2 weeks to do the crossing--she "made up" the work ahead of time, and the only teacher who was critical was the geography teacher (of all things!) I pointed out that she has "A"s in all subjects and that I felt it was better to see and live geography than to read about it in a book. Sorry....There were tough moments--starving animals near the port in Mexico and children who didn't look much better fed. Hmmm....that made a bigger impact than reading that a country is "impoverished."

My suggestion would be that you know your children and their academic abilities/status better than anyone. You can decide best whether the benefits of travel exceed that of a week in school. And you can choose to enhance the benefits of travel in advance and during the trip--get a map and discuss where you will go and what you will see....what animals might be in the ocean and which you might see....what are Mayan ruins? who lived there and what were they like? etc. You get the picture.....

 

[dato63]

Previous posters are correct about prices rising as "tiers" fill. Depending on the cruise, rates can change in a matter of hours (like the repo cruises), months, or never. If you are traveling in the peak season, book as early as possible--you can always change the dates if needed!

As to kids out of school....state laws are just that--they vary by state. Schools also vary as to how strictly the enforce attendance rules.

If you have a "straight A" student who is functioning well ahead of grade level, I wouldn't hesitate to take her out. If you have a child who is struggling, that is a different matter. Cruising can be very much a learning experience...and one that overlaps with school issues. My DD chose her foreign language based on a crew member on the Magic, chose the country for a geography report based on where a server was from (and delighted everyone with her autograph book entry written in his native language and translated!), wrote a piece about the boarding process for an assignment on "The Best Vacation Ever," etc. I was impressed with the last piece!

No, cruising isn't school...but seeing other countries, meeting crew members from all over the world, discussions of "do you like your job, what do you have to study in school to do this job," are educational. There are very educational parts of vacations and family time which can be enhanced by parents. My daughter spent an hour with a dolphin trainer in a one-on-one unbelievable experience which was far better than anything that could have happened in a classroom. In fact, as a senior in high school (yesterday!) my daughter came home and related a conversation from her history class that day where she knew the answers FROM our 2005 Panama Canal trip.

Yes, I took her out of school for 2 weeks to do the crossing--she "made up" the work ahead of time, and the only teacher who was critical was the geography teacher (of all things!) I pointed out that she has "A"s in all subjects and that I felt it was better to see and live geography than to read about it in a book. Sorry....There were tough moments--starving animals near the port in Mexico and children who didn't look much better fed. Hmmm....that made a bigger impact than reading that a country is "impoverished."

My suggestion would be that you know your children and their academic abilities/status better than anyone. You can decide best whether the benefits of travel exceed that of a week in school. And you can choose to enhance the benefits of travel in advance and during the trip--get a map and discuss where you will go and what you will see....what animals might be in the ocean and which you might see....what are Mayan ruins? who lived there and what were they like? etc. You get the picture.....

Thank you for all the insight. Right now I do not know how my children will do academically as they are 4, but I will keep an eye out and if it looks like they are the type to struggle I would certainly not take them out of school. Currently one is considered advanced for her age - and the other is right on target, but at their age that could change one way or the other when they enter more formal schooling.

I do agree they can get a lot of exposure that is a great growing experience in the atmosphere you shared (pointing out the ruins/animals, etc) I will make sure to do my research to make sure to do the same. Thank you.

While I do understand family vacations are not emergencies/sick time - and so are not under the realm of excused, I still feel if they are not struggling or absent a lot for those reasons (sick/emergencies) - family time is valuable as well.

 

[cruisinmama06]

By state laws, days missed for vacations are unexcused days.

Not in my state. My school district actually allows a week off for "Family Vacation Time"...it is excused with no questions asked.

At this point, I pull the kids out, but they are still young (oldest is entering 3rd grade). I told her that as long as she keeps her grades at an exceptional level (her last 4 report cards were straight A+'s...so I can't ask for more than that ) then I will continue to allow her to sail during the school year. Once she goes down from an A+ to god forbid an A - lol - then I will make sure the vacations are during the breaks.

dato - You can do mock bookings on booking sites like Expedia. Then you can see when the cheapest prices are for each week.

 

[dta87]

allseastravel.com prices out 3, 4, and 7 night DCL cruises for Cat 4-12 staterooms (for 2 - 5 people in a stateroom) for all the available sailing dates (through 2009 right now). It is a quick way to estimate the cost of a cruise for different weeks of the year without having to input dummy dates over and over on DCL or Expedia

 

[dato63]

allseastravel.com prices out 3, 4, and 7 night DCL cruises for Cat 4-12 staterooms (for 2 - 5 people in a stateroom) for all the available sailing dates (through 2009 right now). It is a quick way to estimate the cost of a cruise for different weeks of the year without having to input dummy dates over and over on DCL or Expedia

Thank you - I liked that site! It was nice to be able to look at all the prices at once for 1/3 of the year instead of by month.