Galveston Sticker Shock

[fiver97]

We are so excited that Disney came back to Galveston for the holidays but oh my gosh... A 4a cabin for 2A3C for the Thanksgiving cruise was over $9k thousands more than we paid last year for the Thanksgiving cruise.

So we're cruising the following week instead & are just going to have to cozy up to our girls' teachers & principals to make up for pulling them out of school for a week.

Still crazy excited to be able to drive to the cruise & hope Disney keeps coming back!

 

[TexasMouseFan]

I thought the same thing. I was looking at the Christmas / NYE cruises. The 6-night (pre-Christmas) and 4-night (Christmas) are almost the same price. When you get to the 7-night (NYE), the price almost doubles. ...and all for the same cabin / cabin category. I know prices increase as more people book, but I booked 1st thing opening day (platinum). Crazy pricing and minimal ports. Definitely crazy!

 

[MomtoBJSF]

Yes I was extremely shocked as well, so instead we are sailing 11/27th.

 

[princessmommyx3]

I actually had the opposite experience today & am so excited about it! Today I booked a cat T for the 7 night Nov. 6 2015 W. Carib out of Galveston & it was the exact same price as our cat T 7 night Eastern Carib. this Oct. out of Port Canaveral on the Magic. I was so happy about that! Was expecting it to be higher since it was a year later. Maybe because it is out of Galveston & not PC?

 

[mareed]

As much as I love DCL, I expected that the XMAS prices would be too high for us. We sailed with them Thanksgiving 2012 & 2013 from Galveston because my kids were both in High school and out for the entire week. Cost was about $4500 for 2 inside cabins, but it looks like they've greatly increased Thanksgiving price for 2015.

I'm trying Royal Caribbean for the first time next month and am hopeful that we'll love it too, so have booked XMAS week 2015 for the 4 of us (1 in college at that point so no longer off all week for Thanksgiving) in an inside and ocean-view for about $4,000 for 7 night cruise.

DCL's 4 night XMAS cruise in 2 inside cabins is about $4,000 but is 3 fewer nights than Royal! We'll take the additional nights with Royal given that pricing!

I hope Disney does well from Galveston and I sailed on 4 cruises when they were there previously, but won't do it during their brief 2015 stay.

 

[wynntx]

We are also sailing 11/27. I wanted to sail 12/28, but it was just too much for us.

 

[fatfish]

I bit the bullet and booked Thanksgiving week. I got an SPH for 2A for $3368. I had the same cabin booked for the 2012 Thanksgiving cruise for $2645. That's a big increase!!

 

[2boogersmom]

We are on the 11/27/15 out of Galveston, as well! Told the TA to not even bother looking at Thanksgiving because I knew it would be out of our price range. We debated 11/13 vs 11/27 and the less days out of school PLUS longer time at Castaway Cay were the selling points for us.

Sooooo excited DCL is coming back to Galveston! WOO! HOO!!!!!

 

[Ashleyfaz]

Major sticker shock. Changed the thanksgiving cruise (9C for 2A2C - $5900) to dec. 18 (9A for 2A2C - $4600). I know it's one less night, but it's a lot cheaper for a better cabin. I think the 9C was around $4300.

 

[MomtoBJSF]

we initially had 11/13 booked, called back and added 11/27th, for the exact same reason less out of days out school. we are going on our first cruise 7/31, will try to book the same thing while on board to see if the prices are any better. We are so excited to be departing from Galveston!!

 

[weinerranchers]

I am looking at the 11/27 date. I have never cruised DCL before... this IS a good rate for Disney... isn't it? I know the holiday prices are super high but I am getting a deal... right?

 

[mickeys girl 52]

We are so excited that Disney came back to Galveston for the holidays but oh my gosh... A 4a cabin for 2A3C for the Thanksgiving cruise was over $9k thousands more than we paid last year for the Thanksgiving cruise. So we're cruising the following week instead & are just going to have to cozy up to our girls' teachers & principals to make up for pulling them out of school for a week. Still crazy excited to be able to drive to the cruise & hope Disney keeps coming back!

We are doing the same thing. Also priced the Thanksgiving week cruise which would be great since the kids are off from school but way too high. We are going the following week also . Still so excited to not have to fly.

 

[Gina]

It makes me just nauseous that a Disney ship will be back so close to home and I won't be sailing on her, but I about swallowed my tongue when I saw those prices. The BF and I are booked on Navigator of the Seas over Valentine's Day out of Galveston for a week, in a room with a balcony you could literally throw a party on, and we're paying $1445 total.

I obviously love Disney, and sailing with Disney, and everyone expects them to be a bit higher in price... But seriously, we could take *several* wonderful RCI cruises for the same price. And I do love Royal Caribbean -- My son has had an amazing time onboard and so have I. The service has been impeccable, and the ships are gorgeous. I do miss DCL, but there's just no way to justify those prices!

 

[tigerali]

I expected the price to be what it was, but it certainly is a big commitment of money. We booked Thanksgiving week. Being a teacher and having kids in school, it was our only option, and we will still miss a day. I am hoping it is worth every single penny, and am glad we have over 500 days to save and pay it down!

 

[Ashleyfaz]

I expected the price to be what it was, but it certainly is a big commitment of money. We booked Thanksgiving week. Being a teacher and having kids in school, it was our only option, and we will still miss a day. I am hoping it is worth every single penny, and am glad we have over 500 days to save and pay it down!

I am in the same position (teacher), but booked 12/18 instead. Still just missing one day of school and saving $1200

 

[KalamityJane]

So we have 2a3k, did you try 2 insides instead of the cat 4 cabin? I was pricing out yesterday and it was going to be 9k+ in a cat 4 for us but 6700 for 2 insides. Worth a try?

 

[tigerali]

I am in the same position (teacher), but booked 12/18 instead. Still just missing one day of school and saving $1200

That would have been great, but we have exams that day, so it was a no-go here! Glad it worked out for your schedule!

 

[cruisecrasher]

For us, it's cheaper than flying plus the same length cruise, but the prices are a little higher.

 

[Homemom]

I found the price to be as expected for the 11/13 cruise I wanted (we ended up choosing the 12/4 for the same price), but I'm sure it's because it's not a holiday cruise. It's going to cost my family $4700 and for comparison I had been watching the 11/9 cruise this year on the magic (7 night Eastern) and it would cost my family $4800 for the same room. I'm happy, it's less money, it's still a 7 night, includes CC and the big pluses are no airfare, transportation to port costs, or a pre-cruise hotel. I wish it could work out for everyone.

 

[peachygreen]

I am in the same position (teacher), but booked 12/18 instead. Still just missing one day of school and saving $1200

This is what we did. I wasn't even going to look at the Christmas cruises as I figured they'd be way out of my price range and was pleasantly surprised to see the 6 night price on 12/18. And that Friday is a half day too, so really I'm only pulling the girls out for a half a day (instead of the 3 I was planning on at Thanksgiving). No truancy threats from the school district for that.