Plz delete - thx.

[squirk]

EDIT - never mind. Mods, please feel free to delete if you are reading this.



I had a placeholder reservation with DCL that I was holding for Mardi Gras week in 2017. Now that the Early 2017 itineraries are out, I went comparison shopping. We have three kids, but given how cumbersome it is to book five to a cabin and/or multiple cabins, I kept it simple with just two adults as a baseline.

Port Canaveral, Feb. 25-Mar. 4, 2017, 2 Adults, Cheapest Ocean View Balcony:

NCL (Epic): $2210

RCCL (Oasis): $2232

DCL (Fantasy): $4243

I always knew DCL was going to be a lot more, but that is a 92% markup for the Disney "difference" on this sailing. Astonishing.

 

[tinkerone]

thanks squirk, its nice to see the comparison, REALLY see it. you can't deny it when its staring you in the face……..well, most of us can't. lol.
again, thanks for posting.

 

[Mineu]

I just checked DCL and there is a 7A for your dates for $3342.70. With your OBC, it will bring it down a little bit. Still higher than the others-but at least not as bad.

 

[squirk]

I just checked DCL and there is a 7A for your dates for $3342.70. With your OBC, it will bring it down a little bit. Still higher than the others-but at least not as bad.

Are you sure it's the same search? Because that was the very lowest 7A I could find when I ran the search earlier this afternoon. You can even see it's the lowest price in the range of state rooms at the top of my screen shot.

 

[squirk]

thanks squirk, its nice to see the comparison, REALLY see it. you can't deny it when its staring you in the face……..well, most of us can't. lol.
again, thanks for posting.

There certainly is no shortage of posts where people tell us how much they saved by sailing on another cruise line, but when you personalize it with an actual vacation that you want to take, I think the point becomes even more powerful.

 

[Mineu]

Yes-I booked this cruise for my family yesterday and was very happy with the prices.

 

[Mineu]

I noticed your computer is still using the old website-maybe that is causing the discrepancy. This is what I'm getting:

 

[lilclerk]

I just checked DCL and there is a 7A for your dates for $3342.70. With your OBC, it will bring it down a little bit. Still higher than the others-but at least not as bad.

This is what I'm getting too, I think the quote in the OP is for the Feb 18th sailing. Still a decent mark up!

 

[cdoc29]

I don’t know if the pricing is that out of line, there are a lot of things to look at. When people talk about RCCL being less expensive I think it come down to how you look at the ships.

With a family of 4, 2 Adults and 2 Kids.

The Cat 5 verandahs on Fantasy Eastern Carib in Feb 2017 were about $1500 more the same equivalent stateroom size wise on RCCL . ( 182 sq feet + verandah RCCL vs 204 sg feet + verandah DCL) while the going up to Cat 4 verandahs DCL was about 200 cheaper without the OBB and even more with the OBB. Cabin sizes for equivalency were 287 + Verandah for RCCL and 241 + Verandah for Disney).

At double occupancy RCCL for the same week on an equivalent ship has about 41 tons of ship per passenger vs 56 tons of ship per passenger on DCL. When we max out occupancy on both it drops to 35 tons for each.

So when people talk about how much cheaper RCCL is it is because they have smaller cabins, thus they can fit more people onto a ship and sell more for less.

This doesn’t even take into considerations like more dedicated children space, quality of programing, and the such.

So to book Harmony of the Seas the same time period as my Eastern Caribbean Disney Fantasy Cruise in Feb 2017. (Disney Feb 25th, Harmony March 4th) I know harmony is new but it is still about the same price as the others for same itinerary in the RCCL line there was about a $100 to $200 difference between Oasis and Harmony for the same cruise over the same two week period. Plus they are to have the largest kids area at sea which is a huge plus for us.

For my Family of 4

Harmony of the Seas in Jr. Suite (287sq feet + Verandah) is $6334.38, Disney Fantasy Cat. 4e (241sq feet + verandah) is $5733.40 and with my OBB was $5198.00

Royal does have some pretty awesome suite perks
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/.../enhanced-program-for...

However the fine print does say that doesn’t include junior suites. So looking at the fine print unless you upgrade to a Grand Suite which is $6619.68 for the equivalent cruise you are treated the same as everyone else, just like disney non-concierge.

If you are comparing concierge to concierge then RCCL wins on price hands down.

I understand the comparing DCL from one year to the next. That is why people are upset because the cost has gone up.

If you are going to book on another cruise line you have to compare the two.

In the end you have to do a fair comparison to what you are getting for the price. I know everyone is upset but I still have yet to see any convincing price that makes me say another cruise line is better value, especially for the category stateroom we want to sail.

 

[sundaisy]

Squirk, it looks like your screen shot is from old website. Maybe this is the reason you are getting rates that are off. I have also been pricing this particular cruise and I have received $3342 for cheapest balcony. Maybe try calling in and see if they can help you.

 

[squirk]

This is what I'm getting too, I think the quote in the OP is for the Feb 18th sailing. Still a decent mark up!

Argh, you're right. Now I feel stupid, justifiedly so. It's no fun to have your righteous indignation undercut by accurate facts.

A 50% markup still is not great, but within my tolerance level.

 

[tinkerone]

I don’t know if the pricing is that out of line, there are a lot of things to look at. When people talk about RCCL being less expensive I think it come down to how you look at the ships.

With a family of 4, 2 Adults and 2 Kids.

The Cat 5 verandahs on Fantasy Eastern Carib in Feb 2017 were about $1500 more the same equivalent stateroom size wise on RCCL . ( 182 sq feet + verandah RCCL vs 204 sg feet + verandah DCL) while the going up to Cat 4 verandahs DCL was about 200 cheaper without the OBB and even more with the OBB. Cabin sizes for equivalency were 287 + Verandah for RCCL and 241 + Verandah for Disney).

At double occupancy RCCL for the same week on an equivalent ship has about 41 tons of ship per passenger vs 56 tons of ship per passenger on DCL. When we max out occupancy on both it drops to 35 tons for each.

So when people talk about how much cheaper RCCL is it is because they have smaller cabins, thus they can fit more people onto a ship and sell more for less.

This doesn’t even take into considerations like more dedicated children space, quality of programing, and the such.

So to book Harmony of the Seas the same time period as my Eastern Caribbean Disney Fantasy Cruise in Feb 2017. (Disney Feb 25th, Harmony March 4th) I know harmony is new but it is still about the same price as the others for same itinerary in the RCCL line there was about a $100 to $200 difference between Oasis and Harmony for the same cruise over the same two week period. Plus they are to have the largest kids area at sea which is a huge plus for us.

For my Family of 4

Harmony of the Seas in Jr. Suite (287sq feet + Verandah) is $6334.38, Disney Fantasy Cat. 4e (241sq feet + verandah) is $5733.40 and with my OBB was $5198.00

Royal does have some pretty awesome suite perks
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/.../enhanced-program-for...

However the fine print does say that doesn’t include junior suites. So looking at the fine print unless you upgrade to a Grand Suite which is $6619.68 for the equivalent cruise you are treated the same as everyone else, just like disney non-concierge.

If you are comparing concierge to concierge then RCCL wins on price hands down.

I understand the comparing DCL from one year to the next. That is why people are upset because the cost has gone up.

If you are going to book on another cruise line you have to compare the two.

In the end you have to do a fair comparison to what you are getting for the price. I know everyone is upset but I still have yet to see any convincing price that makes me say another cruise line is better value, especially for the category stateroom we want to sail.

you almost lost me in the technical bit but once i focused my eyes again i found this interesting.
i to went to feb 25th, 2017 for both sailings. not sure why you looked at fantasy for feb and harmony for march. heres what i found.

Fantasy Feb 25,2017, Deluxe Ocean view with Verand (246 sq ft), 2A 2C $5327
Harmony Feb 25, 2017, Superior Ocean View with Balcony (232 sq ft) 2A 2C $4486

that's a big difference, of course i did not take any discounts into the figures but its still a lot. convert that to Canadian, which a lot of us have to do and its an even bigger difference ($7084 vs $5966.38

maybe i'm missing something but i don't see where your comparison is apples to apples. mine may be granny smith apples compared to Fiji apples but its a lot closer i think. help me out, what am i missing? with a difference of 14 sq ft i don't think we would have to book a jr suite.

 

[bumbershoot]

So when people talk about how much cheaper RCCL is it is because they have smaller cabins, thus they can fit more people onto a ship and sell more for less.

This doesn’t even take into considerations like more dedicated children space, quality of programing, and the such.

When I talk about how much cheaper Royal is it's because on our cruises we have spent less per night* on Royal than we have on Disney. I have never noticed a difference in the room size; I don't walk around with a tape measure. I notice a good use of space, I notice how I feel when I'm in the room, if I have room for everything. On Royal I have just as much room, if not more, than on the DCL rooms we've been in. (two concierge category Vs, an Inside stateroom, and a one-big-porthole room... on Dream)

My son has a lot more fun on Royal than Disney; the Disney space is prettier, but the counselors on Royal are sooo interactive and fabulous, and DS has more fun. Plus, he was crowned "king" of the kid's club on Freedom...can't beat that. (OK fine Disney tried, by giving him a Magical Moments certificate saying he's the "most talented kid" in the club/lab, but that didn't come with a crown! and there's the suspicion that many other kids got that same MM certificate on the same cruise...but only one boy and one girl got crowned King and Queen on that sailing)


And quality programming is in the eye of the beholder. Villians is OK-ish. Once was enough for me. Golden Mickeys made me froth with how ridiculous the "story" was. DH and DS strongly suggest I NOT see Believe. I believe them. I won't see it. We don't see the shows on Royal. We DO see magicians and comedians. We've liked both on both lines. So for the stuff we see on both lines, the quality is the same. And can I tell you how COOL it is to see an ice show while on the ocean? Let alone how cool (and painful!) it is to SKATE on an ice rink while on the ocean? (note to self, go to the skating rink a few times before March to limber up LOL)

However the fine print does say that doesn’t include junior suites.

Jr Suites DO come with some extras, by the way. Should check out some cruisecritic threads about it. Biggest perk is you get double points for a jr suite booking. Pretty darned sweet.



* (per night cost has meaning and value to me...total has meaning as well, but what I get for the cost means a whole lot)

3 night category V 12528 Feb 2013: 720/night DREAM
4 night category V 12008 Oct 2014: 689/night DREAM
4 night Inside 7501 Oct 2013: 575/night DREAM
4 night 1-cool-porthole 6666** Jan 2015: 482/night DREAM

7 night great aft-corner balcony 1700 Jan 2015: 466/night FREEDOM
7 night new panoramic OV Mar 2016: 465/night FREEDOM (future cruise)
7 night supercool aft balcony Dec 2016: 404/night ADVENTURE (future cruise)
5 night then-new panoramic OV 7584 Oct 2014: 324/night VISION




**neat room, I recommend it, if you can handle the looks you get when you say the room number!

 

[TestingH2O]

That's an interesting way to do it. I've seen you talk about it before, but I never actually ran the numbers.

So, our 8A in 2017 is going to be $250/night. Pretty good. Our T in 2016 is $440/night. Both are off season and the suite is in line with high season prices on other lines.

 

[cdoc29]

My son has a lot more fun on Royal than Disney; the Disney space is prettier, but the counselors on Royal are sooo interactive and fabulous, and DS has more fun. Plus, he was crowned "king" of the kid's club on Freedom...can't beat that.

That is one of intangibles you can’t put a price on. My son loved the kids club on Disney I could hardly get him out of there so I am hooked.

My point is that you need to compare more than just price. I find that we tend to sail in the Cat 4 on Disney and the equivalent on RCCL the Jr. Suite is always more expensive.

I just don’t think the prices are as out of line as everyone is making out except when you compare it to past DCL cruises. Having been on several cruise lines (carnival, RCCL, princess and DCL) i look at if i feel i get value for my money. Right now DCL provides the better value for me than RCCL. That might not be the case for everyone

 

[cdoc29]

you almost lost me in the technical bit but once i focused my eyes again i found this interesting.
i to went to feb 25th, 2017 for both sailings. not sure why you looked at fantasy for feb and harmony for march. heres what i found.

Because they sail the same itinerary different weeks, when Disney Sails Eastern RCCL is sailing western and vice versus. When comparing the two lines they both charge more for eastern vs western. Since I wanted to compare similar routes I had to use offset weeks

Fantasy Feb 25,2017, Deluxe Ocean view with Verand (246 sq ft), 2A 2C $5327
Harmony Feb 25, 2017, Superior Ocean View with Balcony (232 sq ft) 2A 2C $4486

that's a big difference, of course i did not take any discounts into the figures but its still a lot. convert that to Canadian, which a lot of us have to do and its an even bigger difference ($7084 vs $5966.38

maybe i'm missing something but i don't see where your comparison is apples to apples. mine may be granny smith apples compared to Fiji apples but its a lot closer i think. help me out, what am i missing? with a difference of 14 sq ft i don't think we would have to book a jr suite.

Since we like to sail Cat 4 on DCL which is 241 sq feet interior vs 287 interior for Jr suite (the most comparable room size wise) we find the Jr suites are always more expensive. The reason we like it the larger room is for the split bath and large tub since we are a family of 4.

If you tend to book Cat 5 on DCL then RCCL is cheaper, IF you tend to book Cat 4 on DCL then RCCL is more expensive, it really that simple. My point is that not all prices are more expensive on DCL it is all in what you want out of your cruise.

 

[tinkerone]

Because they sail the same itinerary different weeks, when Disney Sails Eastern RCCL is sailing western and vice versus. When comparing the two lines they both charge more for eastern vs western. Since I wanted to compare similar routes I had to use offset weeks



Since we like to sail Cat 4 on DCL which is 241 sq feet interior vs 287 interior for Jr suite (the most comparable room size wise) we find the Jr suites are always more expensive. The reason we like it the larger room is for the split bath and large tub since we are a family of 4.

If you tend to book Cat 5 on DCL then RCCL is cheaper, IF you tend to book Cat 4 on DCL then RCCL is more expensive, it really that simple. My point is that not all prices are more expensive on DCL it is all in what you want out of your cruise.

i could be wrong, i have been before and will be again, but i think the difference between eastern and westerns are never more than a hundred or so. its the weeks that make the big money difference. you can't take week one and compare it to week two. one could be a plan old week in feb and two could be march, a spring break for a group of kids. again, its not apples to apples.
as to your room size, i'm really sorry and not trying to be hard to get along with but as noted above, Superior Ocean View with Balcony (232 sq ft), so how is it the jr suite is the most comparable room size wise? i might be missing something but the difference with the SOV to your DCL cabin is only 14 sq ft where as what your suggesting, the difference is 46 sq ft. not apples to apples.
i'm just curious, we all see things differently. dcl fits you better and that can not be argued with. i just don't see where royal isn't less expensive which is the point of this thread.

 

[cdoc29]

how is it the jr suite is the most comparable room size wise?

A Jr. Suite is comparable in size to a Deluxe Family Stateroom Cat 4. 287 sq ft inside RCCL vs 241 sq ft inside DCL. (excluding balconies)
A RCCL verandah is 187 sq ft inside to a Family Stateroom Cat 5 201 Sq feet inside.

We like the bigger cabin on DCL, if we want the equivalent we would need to book a Jr Suite. I would not consider 187 sq ft vs 241 sq feet to be comparable. I agree the 14 sq feet is not much of a difference and if you tend to book the Cat 5 on DCL then RCCL is cheaper. However to me 54 sq feet is a big difference hence I compare it to the equivalent on RCCL the Jr. Suite.

If the you are not looking for the larger room then as I stated you are correct that RCCL is less expensive, If you are looking for the larger room then DCL is less expensive.

 

[cdoc29]

posted twice oops

 

[cdoc29]

i could be wrong, i have been before and will be again, but i think the difference between eastern and westerns are never more than a hundred or so. its the weeks that make the big money difference. you can't take week one and compare it to week two. one could be a plan old week in feb and two could be march, a spring break for a group of kids. again, its not apples to apples.

DCL sailing Eastern VS RCCL sailing Western

Fantasy Feb 25,2017, Deluxe Ocean view with Verand (246 sq ft), 2A 2C $5327
Harmony Feb 25, 2017, Superior Ocean View with Balcony (232 sq ft) 2A 2C $4486

Now lets look at week of Feb 4th/5th where Disney Fantasy is Sailing a Western and RCCL Harmony and Oasis are sailing Eastern

Family of 4 (2A/2K)
DCL Cat 5 (201q feet + Verandah) $4468.00

RCCL Harmony Superoir Ocean View (187q ft + Verandah) $4684.68

RCCL Oasis Superoir Ocean View (187 sq ft + Verandah) 3907.80

Lets say you have the OBB the DCL cruise now it becomes $4021.00

This to me is equal in price for the same week. But like I said you will pay more for a DCL eastern Caribbean than a western one.

Now it comes down to do you want to sail RCCL or Disney