Done with DCL

[holula]

You really should compare itinerary to itinerary as both RCCL and Disney charge more for eastern vs western
Also as i stated some rooms are cheaper but not always the case

On RCCL the week of Jan 22 a verandah with 187 sq foot room and 50 sq foot balcony (237 total sq feet) is $2293.90
On DCL the week you showed the standard verandah is 204 sq feet with a 42 sq foot balcony (246 total sq feet) is 3006.70

On RCCL the same week a Jr Suite 287q feet and 80 sq ft balcony is $3595.90
On DCL the Deluxe family oceanview with verandah Cat 4e extended balcony 241 sq feet with 80 sq foot balcony is 3412.70

Don’t be fooled by the name of the RCCL room as a suite, it gets no extra perks or suite privileges.

Since we book Cat 4 when sailing Disney as we like the extra room it is cheaper for us than RCCL.

My point is everyone is complaining that Disney is so expensive compared to RCCL. I am just saying that is not always the case, Not every Category is more expensive, just most of them.

Also the argument that Harmony is newer ship and that means it will cost more can also be used for why Fantasy is more expensive, after all it is only 3 years old compared to 8 years for Oasis.

I picked week vs week because not all weeks are equal because of school breaks. It would be like comparing 4/15/17 sailings to 4/22/17 sailings and expecting them to be the same price, but one is Easter week and one isn't.

Actually, Royal has started allowing Jr Suite guests into Coastal Kitchen (which was delicious, btw). When we dined in CK, they also allowed us to take advantage of the happy hour than ran between 5pm and 8pm. I don't know if this is going to continue or not, and it's only on Oasis and Quantum class which have CK.

Oasis only first sailed in December 2009, so she is only 2yr 3m older than the Fantasy. Allure is only 1yr 3mo older than the Fantasy. Harmony will be four years younger than the Fantasy and is still attracting inaugural ship pricing.

I just pulled up prices for Allure's April 16th 2017 Western sailing (since Allure is closest in age to the Fantasy). A Jr Suite is $4026.68. A Cat 4D verandah (as 4E only has the large balcony), is $5993.16 on the Fantasy's April 15th 2017 Western sailing. That IS a huge difference. 99% of the time, Royal will be cheaper. And like you said, off season Jr Suites compares to cat 4s might be the only exception.

 

[cgolf]

It is the same reason why we are not talking about how much less expensive Carnival is compared to RCCL, value is in the eye of the beholder. If you are fine with a smaller room then you can certainly save money with RCCL vs DCL. If you want a larger room like we do then DCL for the size we want is less expensive. It’s just that simple. There is no right or wrong answer but to say that DCL prices are through the roof and out of control I just do not find to be the case.

Depends on where you look I guess, a 3 night on the magic out of Miami in January that goes to Nassau and CC is 1084 for 2 people, other than CC which we have been to 9 times, no one will argue that Nassau is a must see port.

Celebrity reflection leaving from Miami a day earlier a 7 night eastern carib cruise that goes to San Juan, Phillpsburg, and Basseterre for 1398 for 2 people for an inside room. It also sounds like celebrity offers deals quite often too. I also just checked, the reflection inside rooms are 183 to 200 sq ft so the same or bigger than DCL and the reflection is their newest ship.

So for 314 bucks more I get 4 more nights. It is also a hard pill to swallow that a 6 night B2B on DCL 2017 is about roughly the same price as a 9 night B2B on DCL in 2016, both on the Magic.

We have always and will continue to do a lot of research for are trips, and we only compared Celebrity and Princess for 2017, RCCL did not make our list.

 

[JimmyV]

A Disney cruise is a unique experience.

A myth that keeps the money flowing. Yes, a trip to WDW is a unique experience as compared to other amusement park competitors. But a Disney cruise is decidedly not a unique experience. When the Disney ship ports in St. Maarten and the Royal Caribbean or Princess or Celebrity ships port in St. Maarten, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., the passengers on all of those ships are getting the exact same experience. There is nothing whatsoever unique about the Disney experience. Phillipsburg and Marigot and Orient Point and Maho Beach are all identical for every passenger who gets off the ship. And between 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. leading up to your port visit, you are asleep. So everyone's experience is the same. You don't "sleep better" on a Disney ship. So that leaves 6:00 p.m. when you get back on board until 11:00 p.m. when you go to sleep. What is unique about DCL? Is the dining experience unique? No. Those other cruise lines have Main Dining Rooms and for-fee Specialty restaurants same as Disney. And those other lines typically come out ahead in reviews when it comes to food. Is the entertainment unique on DCL? Well, those other cruise lines don't have Disney characters, but maybe people are looking to escape that. And others are looking to capture it. So there would be a reason to choose DCL if you are the latter. But that doesn't make DCL "unique" any more than it makes the other cruise lines "unique". They just have different entertainment. And you captured that when you say:

Comparing cruise lines is like comparing cars. We all have different needs and desires and tastes.

Different tastes and different needs are indeed what this is all about. But when Cruise Line "A" goes from Vancouver to Ketchikan to Juneau to Skagway, and DCL follows the same path, it is really hard to make out a case that DCL is "unique". It is different, to be sure. But not unique.

 

[holula]

Depends on where you look I guess, a 3 night on the magic out of Miami in January that goes to Nassau and CC is 1084 for 2 people, other than CC which we have been to 9 times, no one will argue that Nassau is a must see port.

Celebrity reflection leaving from Miami a day earlier a 7 night eastern carib cruise that goes to San Juan, Phillpsburg, and Basseterre for 1398 for 2 people for an inside room. It also sounds like celebrity offers deals quite often too.

So for 314 bucks more I get 4 more nights. It is also a hard pill to swallow that a 6 night B2B on DCL 2017 is about roughly the same price as a 9 night B2B on DCL in 2016, both on the Magic.

We have always and will continue to do a lot of research for are trips, and we only compared Celebrity and Princess for 2017, RCCL did not make our list.

I liked Princess a lot. They had great food and it was a nice, relaxed atmosphere! Plus their pizza. We got a great deal last year but haven't seen anything comparable this year, sadly. Formal night, if you like that, is a LOT more formal than DCL.

We are booked on Royal for January 2017 on an eight night cruise on Freedom that hits Labadee, San Juan, St Maarten, and St Kitts. It's only $25 more expensive than a four night on the Dream on the same week. No brainer, right? And I love Freedom. (Btw, we are booked in inside rooms on both.)

 

[perditax]

I've now sailed on NCL and DCL, and I won't be cruising DCL again unless the price goes down, which I suppose it won't. Nearly everything I liked about DCL had to do with the concierge level--our room location and great verandah, the concierge lounge, the ease of embark and debark, the relative quiet. This means that the DCL price point is even higher for me for the kind of (adult-oriented) vacation I want.

The non-concierge aspects of the cruise ran like it was on rails--and I don't mean that in a good way, I mean lack of choices and a sense of being herded from place to place. Want dinner? No real buffet, so you're either getting pool deck food or room service chicken strips, or you are going to sit through a full-service meal. (No, we didn't try the Cabanas table service option, it was only a four night cruise.) I didn't realize how much I would miss the many complimentary dining establishments on NCL until I didn't have them.

I also found the Dream claustrophobic and difficult to navigate after the NCL Getaway.

My next line to try out will be Celebrity, but I find I really miss the Getaway, and even with NCL's shady service charges I can cruise solo so much cheaper there. My next non-solo (adults) cruise will probably be on the Getaway or Celebrity.

My boyfriend liked DCL a lot, but like me, he mostly liked our stateroom and the concierge lounge, and didn't enjoy it when we had to go try to make our way through the rest of the ship and deal with the MDRs.

Unless it is absolutely essential that the Disney corporation be part of your vacation, I'd encourage people to look into other lines with an open mind, and ignore the horror stories people enjoy spreading.

 

[Rogillio]

A myth that keeps the money flowing. Yes, a trip to WDW is a unique experience as compared to other amusement park competitors. But a Disney cruise is decidedly not a unique experience. When the Disney ship ports in St. Maarten and the Royal Caribbean or Princess or Celebrity ships port in St. Maarten, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., the passengers on all of those ships are getting the exact same experience. There is nothing whatsoever unique about the Disney experience. Phillipsburg and Marigot and Orient Point and Maho Beach are all identical for every passenger who gets off the ship. And between 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. leading up to your port visit, you are asleep. So everyone's experience is the same. You don't "sleep better" on a Disney ship. So that leaves 6:00 p.m. when you get back on board until 11:00 p.m. when you go to sleep. What is unique about DCL? Is the dining experience unique? No. Those other cruise lines have Main Dining Rooms and for-fee Specialty restaurants same as Disney. And those other lines typically come out ahead in reviews when it comes to food. Is the entertainment unique on DCL? Well, those other cruise lines don't have Disney characters, but maybe people are looking to escape that. And others are looking to capture it. So there would be a reason to choose DCL if you are the latter. But that doesn't make DCL "unique" any more than it makes the other cruise lines "unique". They just have different entertainment. And you captured that when you say:

Different tastes and different needs are indeed what this is all about. But when Cruise Line "A" goes from Vancouver to Ketchikan to Juneau to Skagway, and DCL follows the same path, it is really hard to make out a case that DCL is "unique". It is different, to be sure. But not unique.

I could not disagree more. We've been on 10 Disney cruises and 5 cruises on other cruise lines and without question Disney is unique.

No other cruise line has Mickey Mouse and Tarzan and Daisy and Goofy and two dozen other characters walking around the ship and in shows. No other cruise line in the world shows pre-release and first run Disney movies in their theaters. No other cruise line has ice cream bars shaped like Mickey Mouse. No other cruise line in the world has ships the colors of Mickey Mouse. No other cruise line in the world has Nemo come and talk to you and interact with your and other passengers at dinner.
Aside from these very tangible unique things, the entire atmosphere on a Disney ship is different. It a combination of the crew, the colors of the carpet, the decorations and statues, the pats of butter at dinner and the waffles at breakfast shaped like Mickey, the art throughout the ship, the characters walking around everywhere and most importantly the energy and excitement of little girls walking around dressed up like Belle anxiously waiting for their turn to meet her in person! My kids are grown buy it brings back memories and melts my heart to see a little boy excitedly watching Tarzan on stage and singing along to Lion King.
If you find value in other things besides Disney that is fine. But it is disingenuous to say that Disney is not unique. You seem to be looking at cruise ship like a city bus and a hotel.....a mode of transportation to get you from A to B and a hotel to sleep at night. But I think you are missing the essance of my people enjoy Disney cruises.

Clearly if it was not unique, people would not pay 2x or 3x as much.

 

[Joel0917]

I could not disagree more. We've been on 10 Disney cruises and 5 cruises on other cruise lines and without question Disney is unique.

No other cruise line has Mickey Mouse and Tarzan and Daisy and Goofy and two dozen other characters walking around the ship and in shows. No other cruise line in the world shows pre-release and first run Disney movies in their theaters. No other cruise line has ice cream bars shaped like Mickey Mouse. No other cruise line in the world has ships the colors of Mickey Mouse. No other cruise line in the world has Nemo come and talk to you and interact with your and other passengers at dinner.
Aside from these very tangible unique things, the entire atmosphere on a Disney ship is different. It a combination of the crew, the colors of the carpet, the decorations and statues, the pats of butter at dinner and the waffles at breakfast shaped like Mickey, the art throughout the ship, the characters walking around everywhere and most importantly the energy and excitement of little girls walking around dressed up like Belle anxiously waiting for their turn to meet her in person! My kids are grown buy it brings back memories and melts my heart to see a little boy excitedly watching Tarzan on stage and singing along to Lion King.
If you find value in other things besides Disney that is fine. But it is disingenuous to say that Disney is not unique. You seem to be looking at cruise ship like a city bus and a hotel.....a mode of transportation to get you from A to B and a hotel to sleep at night. But I think you are missing the essance of my people enjoy Disney cruises.

Clearly if it was not unique, people would not pay 2x or 3x as much.

I agree with what you are saying above. totally. it is unique. it gives you a great feeling. a sense of expectation. My only concern is at what cost. Apples to apples it is $3000 more for that unique experience. i drew the line last year when it was about $1800 difference. But now it's $3000 and i just can't do it. I love those little touches. I love the horn, i even love the stateroom chime when the announcements go. I love sitting in the pool watching cartoons..but at what cost. Even on DCL to move down from our Cat 7a this april 2016 to pay the same for a 9c room...with porthole..we figured is $165 a day for a verandah worth it? Everything has a value...

 

[aprincessatlast]

A myth that keeps the money flowing. Yes, a trip to WDW is a unique experience as compared to other amusement park competitors. But a Disney cruise is decidedly not a unique experience. When the Disney ship ports in St. Maarten and the Royal Caribbean or Princess or Celebrity ships port in St. Maarten, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., the passengers on all of those ships are getting the exact same experience. There is nothing whatsoever unique about the Disney experience. Phillipsburg and Marigot and Orient Point and Maho Beach are all identical for every passenger who gets off the ship. And between 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. leading up to your port visit, you are asleep. So everyone's experience is the same. You don't "sleep better" on a Disney ship. So that leaves 6:00 p.m. when you get back on board until 11:00 p.m. when you go to sleep. What is unique about DCL? Is the dining experience unique? No. Those other cruise lines have Main Dining Rooms and for-fee Specialty restaurants same as Disney. And those other lines typically come out ahead in reviews when it comes to food. Is the entertainment unique on DCL? Well, those other cruise lines don't have Disney characters, but maybe people are looking to escape that. And others are looking to capture it. So there would be a reason to choose DCL if you are the latter. But that doesn't make DCL "unique" any more than it makes the other cruise lines "unique". They just have different entertainment. And you captured that when you say:

Different tastes and different needs are indeed what this is all about. But when Cruise Line "A" goes from Vancouver to Ketchikan to Juneau to Skagway, and DCL follows the same path, it is really hard to make out a case that DCL is "unique". It is different, to be sure. But not unique.

I get what you are saying. They are not the originators of cruising and yes all the ports are the same no matter the ship.

Using the definition of Unique, DCL fits that in the fact it is unlike anything else (or use word cruise line) in that DCL owns the licensing and abilities that other lines do not. Therefore the other lines can not replicate certain things. In two areas mostly The movie theater with first run movies and the CHARACTERS. Maybe it is just not your preferred type of unique. All the other things NCL, RCL, Carnival etc can choose to imitate but do not. Kids club hours, Fireworks, Soda stations, etc. Still though they can not replicate a Mickey meet and greet on their private island or have Jack Sparrow run around the beach with the kids. They can not have a opening week debut of Star Wars or have a star wars at sea day. Again maybe not for you but still it is unique.

 

[Rogillio]

I agree with what you are saying above. totally. it is unique. it gives you a great feeling. a sense of expectation. My only concern is at what cost. Apples to apples it is $3000 more for that unique experience. i drew the line last year when it was about $1800 difference. But now it's $3000 and i just can't do it. I love those little touches. I love the horn, i even love the stateroom chime when the announcements go. I love sitting in the pool watching cartoons..but at what cost. Even on DCL to move down from our Cat 7a this april 2016 to pay the same for a 9c room...with porthole..we figured is $165 a day for a verandah worth it? Everything has a value...

My thinking is the cost difference threshold should be different for first time cruisers than for repeat cruiser and for cruisers with older kids.

If you've sailed with your young kids for years then try a different/cheaper cruise line. But if your 7 and 9 yo kids have never sailed with DCL I would empty the bank and hold car washes and do whatever I could to take them on a Disney cruise regardless of how much cheaper other cruise lines are.

 

[JimmyV]

No other cruise line has Mickey Mouse and Tarzan and Daisy and Goofy and two dozen other characters walking around the ship and in shows.

But by that definition, Royal Caribbean is "unique" because it has Dreamworks characters and no other cruise line does. DCL has characters on board, and RCCL has characters on board. It makes them "different" and not unique.

No other cruise line in the world shows pre-release and first run Disney movies in their theaters.

And lots of other cruise lines have huge outdoor movie screens.

No other cruise line has ice cream bars shaped like Mickey Mouse.

But every other cruise line has ice cream. The fact that it is shaped like a mouse head makes if different. The fact that ice cream is available on every other ship eliminates the unique aspect.

Clearly if it was not unique, people would not pay 2x or 3x as much.

Again, you confuse "unique" with "different". People pay for the "difference". No one pays 2x to 3x more to get ice cream and movies on DCL due to the fact that those things are not available on other ships.

 

[JimmyV]

In two areas mostly The movie theater with first run movies and the CHARACTERS.

Disney does not have the licenses to have meet and greets with Dreamworks characters. So by this definition, RCCL is unique.

All the other things NCL, RCL, Carnival etc can choose to imitate but do not. Kids club hours, Fireworks, Soda stations, etc.

I hardly think that these other cruise lines are "imitating" DCL. They have been around a lot longer. If anything, it is the other way around. RCCL does very well in terms of kids clubs and family cruising. http://www.cruisecritic.com/editors-picks/

I've sailed on DCL. All the way back to the Magic's inaugural cruise. DCL is a terrific product. But when I am out to sea, I don't feel significantly different than when I am on another ship. Especially when the port stops are taken into account.

 

[cgolf]

My thinking is the cost difference threshold should be different for first time cruisers than for repeat cruiser and for cruisers with older kids.

If you've sailed with your young kids for years then try a different/cheaper cruise line. But if your 7 and 9 yo kids have never sailed with DCL I would empty the bank and hold car washes and do whatever I could to take them on a Disney cruise regardless of how much cheaper other cruise lines are.

This is perfect and and exactly where we are at now. My daughter will have cruised DCL from 9-18. In 2017 we will try something new and see what we think

It will also be very interesting to see how she likes DCL as an adult now, it may be difficult for her to be on the ship and not visit the clubs so a change of scenery may do her good.

 

[Rogillio]

But by that definition, Royal Caribbean is "unique" because it has Dreamworks characters and no other cruise line does. DCL has characters on board, and RCCL has characters on board. It makes them "different" and not unique.

You are mincing words. Yes, RCCL is unique. But they are not Disney and never will be. I've sailed RCCL and love them....but they are not Disney!

And lots of other cruise lines have huge outdoor movie screens.

You changed what I wrote. I said Disney had pre-release and first run Disney movies. That has nothing to do with having an outdoor movie screen.

But every other cruise line has ice cream. The fact that it is shaped like a mouse head makes if different. The fact that ice cream is available on every other ship eliminates the unique aspect.

Sorry, not only do they not have ice cream shapped like Mickey I doubt they have ice shaped like anything but a rectangle. Offer a frozen Mickey shaped ice cream bar and rectangular ice cream bar to any 10 year old in the world and nearly 100% would choose the Mickey!

Again, you confuse "unique" with "different". People pay for the "difference". No one pays 2x to 3x more to get ice cream and movies on DCL due to the fact that those things are not available on other ships.

You my friend are also unique. No one is just like you! You might arue that you are just "different" but I submit that you are unique. People can immitate you and dress like you and talk like you....but they will never be you! You are unique. Period.

People pay for Dinsey. You call if different, I call it unique....it really doesn't matter does it. People pay! Other cruise lines have done all they can to try to win back the family cruise market share the lost but that ship has sailed. (I crack myself up)

BTW, Magic Kingdom is unique....so is Universal Studios....so is Six Flags....so is Sea World....so is Busch Gardens. But people are willing to pay more to go get into the MK....because it is Disney. No getting around that.

 

[aprincessatlast]

But by that definition, Royal Caribbean is "unique" because it has Dreamworks characters and no other cruise line does. DCL has characters on board, and RCCL has characters on board. It makes them "different" and not unique.


And lots of other cruise lines have huge outdoor movie screens.

But every other cruise line has ice cream. The fact that it is shaped like a mouse head makes if different. The fact that ice cream is available on every other ship eliminates the unique aspect.


Again, you confuse "unique" with "different". People pay for the "difference". No one pays 2x to 3x more to get ice cream and movies on DCL due to the fact that those things are not available on other ships.

I have seen you around here but I can not remember if you are always so argumentative. with almost 7000 posts more than likely! It is quite arrogant of you to try to correct us all in telling us that we are confusing the word definition with unique when you yourself said "but by that definition" indicating there are many ways to define the word unique in certain context. Yes RCL is a unique in that way. Like with the ice cream you are looking at one aspect when we are all looking at the whole experience.

The whole DCL experience is unique within the sailing community! You even said yourself in a pp that Disney World was a unique experience compared to other park competitors! Hmm yet you are going to argue with everyone that DCL somehow does not fit in with the same context of your own definition. Then exactly how is Disney World unique compared to universal. You do not make any sense.

 

[Ofinn]

A myth that keeps the money flowing. Yes, a trip to WDW is a unique experience as compared to other amusement park competitors. But a Disney cruise is decidedly not a unique experience. When the Disney ship ports in St. Maarten and the Royal Caribbean or Princess or Celebrity ships port in St. Maarten, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., the passengers on all of those ships are getting the exact same experience. There is nothing whatsoever unique about the Disney experience. Phillipsburg and Marigot and Orient Point and Maho Beach are all identical for every passenger who gets off the ship. And between 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. leading up to your port visit, you are asleep. So everyone's experience is the same. You don't "sleep better" on a Disney ship. So that leaves 6:00 p.m. when you get back on board until 11:00 p.m. when you go to sleep. What is unique about DCL? Is the dining experience unique? No. Those other cruise lines have Main Dining Rooms and for-fee Specialty restaurants same as Disney. And those other lines typically come out ahead in reviews when it comes to food. Is the entertainment unique on DCL? Well, those other cruise lines don't have Disney characters, but maybe people are looking to escape that. And others are looking to capture it. So there would be a reason to choose DCL if you are the latter. But that doesn't make DCL "unique" any more than it makes the other cruise lines "unique". They just have different entertainment. And you captured that when you say:

Different tastes and different needs are indeed what this is all about. But when Cruise Line "A" goes from Vancouver to Ketchikan to Juneau to Skagway, and DCL follows the same path, it is really hard to make out a case that DCL is "unique". It is different, to be sure. But not unique.

I agree with some of what you said. If we didn't have kids we wouldn't cruise DCL. It isn't worth the extra cost. We have kids and we are off season cruisers. We are going to cruise off season no matter what cruise line we are on. We just sailed to Hawaii. There were only 30 kids in the Edge. On any other cruise line there probably would have been none. I didn't see any kids on the Princess ship that was on the same route as us. In that regard if you have kids DCL is a unique experience for them. Other than that I would agree with you.

 

[Heard02]

Having been on RCL, NCL, Carnival and DCL....DCL wins hands down every time.
In our opinion others cannot compare to DCL.
Have fun on Celebrity!!!

 

[Orukal]

Wow. Each cruise line is unique. NCCL, DCL, Celebrity, etc. Speaking as a staunch Disney fan, a 40% price increase isn't worth it for the characters that walk around, ice cream and butter shaped like Mickey or the color of the ship.

 

[cdoc29]

Want dinner? No real buffet, so you're either getting pool deck food or room service chicken strips, or you are going to sit through a full-service meal. (No, we didn't try the Cabanas table service option, it was only a four night cruise.)

Now this is something I have to agree with about DCL. There are a serious lack of food options at night. We did sit down cabanas service for dinner and it was just limited selection of the main dining room menu. That is one place the other lines do it better than Disney in my opinion is the food options at dinner time.

 

[cdoc29]

The question shouldn’t be what is the best line in terms of this or that but rather what is the best line in terms of what is right for you at the time you are booking.

Having been on several different cruise lines I know what I like and don’t. For instance I hear people rave about Princess but I was not impressed.

What I hate to see is so many people using the price they find because the week the want to sail or the category they want to sail is cheaper on one vs another so they feel the whole Disney cruise line is no longer a value for anyone else and how evil DCL is now. You have to do your research as I have found many instances where DCL is not out of line with the rest of the industry in pricing as everyone seems to lament. Fo the same size stateroom I have on my DCL cruise in Feb 2017 RCCL was more expensive, especially since I was using an OBB.

 

[FloridaBabe]

I am looking forward to our Celebrity cruise which I choose over over DCL. I have one more DCL this year and then venturing to pastures or should that be ports new!