So Convince Me That a Disney Cruise is Worth the $$$$

[rf53]

We have been visiting Disney World at least once or twice a year for years, and we love going there. We have also been on many cruises, but never on a Disney Cruise. For the money you have to lay out to cruise with Disney, you can book a high end balcony suite on the highest end cruise line and have money left over for the next time. Additionally, having been on many cruises I find the Disney cruise caribbean destinations pretty standard (been there, done that).

So putting aside the advise from all the experts that cruising with Disney is not really worth it due to their price point... and taking into account what I stated above... I would really like to hear from those who have cruised frequently why Disney should be among my potential choices for a caribbean cruise? Thanks!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We have been visiting Disney World at least once or twice a year for years, and we love going there. We have also been on many cruises, but never on a Disney Cruise. For the money you have to lay out to cruise with Disney, you can book a high end balcony suite on the highest end cruise line and have money left over for the next time. Additionally, having been on many cruises I find the Disney cruise caribbean destinations pretty standard (been there, done that).

So putting aside the advise from all the experts that cruising with Disney is not really worth it due to their price point... and taking into account what I stated above... I would really like to hear from those who have cruised frequently why Disney should be among my potential choices for a caribbean cruise? Thanks!

Disney is an entertainment company doing cruising, the others are cruising companies doing cruising and some entertainment.

The a Shows better than any other cruise.
Entertainment better.
High Disney levels of service,
Deck parties.
Fireworks.
Characters.


More included less excluded, other lines nickel and dime you, like RCL with expensive soda package per person, and paying for upgrades on coffee, ( really poor) orange juice ( whipped away post breakfast)' steak, etc.

DCL includes most.


Castaway cay the best cruise line island st all.

Try a fantasy seven night east or west.

 

[JohnDS]

We talked ourselves into a cruise instead of a land vacation. We would typically do a disney vacation at about 20% of the cost of a disney cruise. That said once we decided to try a cruise the disney cruise seemed as close to a all inclusive experience as there is. So we picked disney as a way to minimize hidden costs.

 

[justmestace]

We have been visiting Disney World at least once or twice a year for years, and we love going there. We have also been on many cruises, but never on a Disney Cruise. For the money you have to lay out to cruise with Disney, you can book a high end balcony suite on the highest end cruise line and have money left over for the next time. Additionally, having been on many cruises I find the Disney cruise caribbean destinations pretty standard (been there, done that).

So putting aside the advise from all the experts that cruising with Disney is not really worth it due to their price point... and taking into account what I stated above... I would really like to hear from those who have cruised frequently why Disney should be among my potential choices for a caribbean cruise? Thanks!

If you have kids under the age of 14 or 15, they (and you) would probably enjoy it. But if they've (you've) been happy with the cruises you've been on, then it probably isn't worth the extra money.

Food and entertainment are very subjective. Some people will like some things that others do not. Seeing the stage shows on Disney is fun, the first time. After that, it's the same thing over and over again.
There's not as much for adults to do, at any time of the day. No comedy clubs, very few games like trivia or "Name that Tune" or "Family Feud"-type games/shows that we've enjoyed on other lines.

Yes, you can carry on your own alcohol...but for the extra money, it seems less expensive to me to pay for drinks on another line...not too many people can drink $1000 worth of liquor in a week. And yes, DCL has one "free" soda station, and soda at meal times, but again, not THAT much money's worth.

Service is hit or miss on ANY vacation. Everyone here on a Disney Board will insist that DCL's service is above and beyond, but that's to be expected when you ask a question on a Disney-only Board.

We did enjoy our Disney cruises when our kids were young, but once they got close to the teen ages, they were bored, and so were we.

 

[justmestace]

More included less excluded, other lines nickel and dime you, like RCL with expensive soda package per person, and paying for upgrades on coffee, ( really poor) orange juice ( whipped away post breakfast)' steak, etc.

DCL includes most.

.

If you want GOOD coffee on DCL, you have to pay for it at the Cove Cafe.

I already mentioned the soda....since you've cruised before (OP) then you know that you don't HAVE to pay for a soda package. Obviously you can pay as you go, and it doesn't have to cost that much.

Disney has steak at their main dining rooms (being from Nebraska, though, it's hard to call it "steak") as do the other cruise lines. If you want a good filet, you pay to go to Palo or Remy on DCL....the same as you would pay for one of the upsell restaurants on another line, except DCL charges more for their upsell restaurants than the others do.

 

[nicbic97]

I just added a post that we were really disappointed with WDW but love our disney cruises. The food at dinner is comparable to the signature dining at WDW and the breakfast and lunch buffets are better than what was offerred at WDW. The service is 100x better than what we experienced at WDW. The shows are great and I actually feel like there is much more to do for adults on the ship than WDW, but maybe not other cruise lines. I think the fantasy or magic would be your best bet.

 

[Saamh]

If you are diligent in watching prices and have some flexibility in your schedule, DCL isn't horribly expensive. I watch for *GT rates or travel offseason and have had a lot of luck getting reasonable prices. We live in Arizona so we also have to coordinate decent airfare. The first time I looked at a Disney cruise it was for the coming summer and prices were crazy. I wondered how anyone chose to spend so much on a vacation. Instead, we found good prices for our fall break. I also check the DCL website for current deals and have been able to book Kids Sail Free a couple of times. We love the all-inclusive aspect of DCL. We budget of drinks, gratuities and some souvenirs but it's nice to pay for the entire trip in advance and have all food and entertainment covered. We enjoy not having to watch a budget while enjoying our vacation.

 

[stsomewhere]

We love DCL. That being said after 7 cruises with them we feel that they are getting too expensive. Plus, we like the more exotic ports. Our kids are 16 and 13. They do not go to the kids programming like they use to.

We sailed on NCl on a 10 night over Christmas and NY. It was half the price of DCL 5 night.

On NCL, we did not feel like we were nickel and dimed like RCI.

There was steak available in the main dining room and buffet every night.
There was soft serve and hard ice cream near pool at no extra cost.
In the sports bar, you could order comforts food in the evening like wings, hamburgers, fries, wraps etc for no charge.

We did purchase the soda package. It was $75 pp for the entire cruise. $300 for our family. It was a lot cheaper than another $4000 it would of cost us to cruise on DCL

ETA: We do have a DCL cruise booked for July but may change to another line over the holidays. DCL wanted $9000 for an inside 7 night over Christimas. I can sail on another line and get two or three cruises.

 

[JohnDS]

I wondered how anyone chose to spend so much on a van action.

Lol, I love auto-correct.

 

[Saamh]

Lol, I love auto-correct.

Lol!

 

[justmestace]

We love the all-inclusive aspect of DCL. We budget of drinks, gratuities and some souvenirs but it's nice to pay for the entire trip in advance and have all food and entertainment covered. We enjoy not having to watch a budget while enjoying our vacation.

There are a LOT of activities on a Disney cruise that cost extra. Galley tour, Behind the Scenes Tour, Princess Tea, Brunch or dinner at Palo or dinner at Remy, alcohol tastings, Bingo....

So if you don't ever do ANY of those things, then yes, it can be all-inclusive. But that's no different than any other cruise line.

No one twists your arm on any cruise line to pay for something that isn't in your budget.

A few included sodas do not make up for the extra $$$ it costs to cruise on Disney....or even alcoholic drinks, because if you're in a club on Disney and want a mixed drink or beer, you have to pay for it.

 

[Sur]

We currently go for the Disney experience. The kids enjoy the high quality activities at the kids clubs (especially when a character or princess pop in), the character meets (with shorter waits than the parks), and Castaway Cay. We enjoy some adult time (without the fees of the parks) and the weather. Oh and Castaway Cay. Other ports and excursions, once we did them, we just don't repeat, rather enjoy a less crowded ship.

The dynamic we enjoy will likely change as the children get older. Hopefully, at that time, the cost of a cruise won't be equal to a year in college. Right now it's more than a semester.

 

[rf53]

Disney is an entertainment company doing cruising, the others are cruising companies doing cruising and some entertainment.

The a Shows better than any other cruise.
Entertainment better.
High Disney levels of service,
Deck parties.
Fireworks.
Characters.


More included less excluded, other lines nickel and dime you, like RCL with expensive soda package per person, and paying for upgrades on coffee, ( really poor) orange juice ( whipped away post breakfast)' steak, etc.

DCL includes most.


Castaway cay the best cruise line island st all.

Try a fantasy seven night east or west.

As a Disney person, I can appreciate the Disney touch. However, even if the entertainment is better quality, and even if there are some extra charges on other lines, my question remains... is it really worth the price difference, particularly if as some have pointed out, the Disney cruises offer little for adults to do while the other cruise lines have much more entertainment and activities for adults? I mean...are any of the Disney "perks" really worth it?

Since you brought up RCL, I did a little price comparing with rack rate cabins on both lines. Here is what I found in two of the higher end comparable categories for a 7 night caribbean cruise for four passengers during July 2014:

Disney Fantasy: State Room with Veranda: $8,297 ($2074 per person)

RCL Oasis: Ocean View with Balcony: $4,776 ($1194 per person)

Disney Fantasy Concierge Suite with Veranda (comparable to RCL description below): $21,401 ($5350 per person)

RCL Oasis Crown Loft Suite: $12,796 ($3199 per person) Two deck high stateroom with panoramic views. 2 Master bedroom, on first and second level with non-converting King size bed. Bathroom with shower on main level. Master bath with shower for two on second level. Stairway to Loft. Private balcony with chairs, dining area with dry bar, table/desk. Living room sofa converts to double bed.

It seems that Disney is asking for almost 50% more for their product. I am trying to justify it, but...

 

[tomatofish07]

I've been on three cruises one of which was Disney and going on my second Disney cruise in 27 days. It is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY. Comparing it to the other cruises we have been on which were about 2k less expensive -- the 2k is worth the difference. Now we don't have the luxury to only go on Disney cruises which is why we've tried the others but when we can, we'd go Disney all the way. The service and food DOES NOT COMPARE. the extra 2k goes to pay for the PHENOMENAL service, the PHENOMENAL Broadway style shows, the PHENOMENAL food, the numerous character meets - all the soft drinks and room service is included - we paid an additional $50 pp to just get the soft drink package on Norweigan. Not to mention that DIsney is also one of the few cruise lines to allow you to bring your own liquor. I'm not as experienced as some of these people on disboards in terms of how many times I've been on a Disney cruise but I am seriously a fan!

 

[justmestace]

As a Disney person, I can appreciate the Disney touch. However, even if the entertainment is better quality, and even if there are some extra charges on other lines, my question remains... is it really worth the price difference, particularly if as some have pointed out, the Disney cruises offer little for adults to do while the other cruise lines have much more entertainment and activities for adults? I mean...are any of the Disney "perks" really worth it?

Since you brought up RCL, I did a little price comparing with rack rate cabins on both lines. Here is what I found in two of the higher end comparable categories for a 7 night caribbean cruise for four passengers during July 2014:

Disney Fantasy: State Room with Veranda: $8,297 ($2074 per person)

RCL Oasis: Ocean View with Balcony: $4,776 ($1194 per person)

Disney Fantasy Concierge Suite with Veranda (comparable to RCL description below): $21,401 ($5350 per person)

RCL Oasis Crown Loft Suite: $12,796 ($3199 per person) Two deck high stateroom with panoramic views. 2 Master bedroom, on first and second level with non-converting King size bed. Bathroom with shower on main level. Master bath with shower for two on second level. Stairway to Loft. Private balcony with chairs, dining area with dry bar, table/desk. Living room sofa converts to double bed.

It seems that Disney is asking for almost 50% more for their product. I am trying to justify it, but...

There is NO comparison between any of the concierge suites on the Disney Fantasy or Dream, when compared to the Loft Suites, as Disney (on the two newer ships) only has one bedroom suites. At least on the Magic and Wonder, they had/have two bedroom suites. I think not having them on their newer ships is a major fail. I'm certain they did it on purpose, in order to make even more money. For families wanting an extra bedroom, they'd have to pay for FOUR full adult fares and get adjoining staterooms.

 

[justmestace]

I've been on three cruises one of which was Disney and going on my second Disney cruise in 27 days. It is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY. Comparing it to the other cruises we have been on which were about 2k less expensive -- the 2k is worth the difference. Now we don't have the luxury to only go on Disney cruises which is why we've tried the others but when we can, we'd go Disney all the way. The service and food DOES NOT COMPARE. the extra 2k goes to pay for the PHENOMENAL service, the PHENOMENAL Broadway style shows, the PHENOMENAL food, the numerous character meets - all the soft drinks and room service is included - we paid an additional $50 pp to just get the soft drink package on Norweigan. Not to mention that DIsney is also one of the few cruise lines to allow you to bring your own liquor. I'm not as experienced as some of these people on disboards in terms of how many times I've been on a Disney cruise but I am seriously a fan!

Food is subjective. I'm not a fan of the meals served in the main dining rooms on Disney, I have enjoyed better food on other lines. But that's just me.

Hmmm.... $50 for a soda package, or $2000 more for soda that's supposedly "free" on Disney.....my math skills aren't all that great, but I'm not sure this adds up.

 

[bheuett]

Having cruised a few times, I'd say it was worth it. I have no kids and still had fun. There is a reason these cruises by Disney sells out every time. You can't say that about other cruise lines. They have to resort to selling super discount last minute deals to fill up their boats. Not Disney. Full every time. Service and class sells!

 

[rf53]

There is NO comparison between any of the concierge suites on the Disney Fantasy or Dream, when compared to the Loft Suites, as Disney (on the two newer ships) only has one bedroom suites. At least on the Magic and Wonder, they had/have two bedroom suites. I think not having them on their newer ships is a major fail. I'm certain they did it on purpose, in order to make even more money. For families wanting an extra bedroom, they'd have to pay for FOUR full adult fares and get adjoining staterooms.

So what you are saying is that the Disney Concierge Suites at almost twice the price are no match for the RCL Loft Suites?

 

[justmestace]

Having cruised a few times, I'd say it was worth it. I have no kids and still had fun. There is a reason these cruises by Disney sells out every time. You can't say that about other cruise lines. They have to resort to selling super discount last minute deals to fill up their boats. Not Disney. Full every time. Service and class sells!

I think it has more to do with supply and demand.

If you live in an area that has four Burger Kings, but your cousin lives in an area that only has one Burger King, whose Burger King is going to be busier?

Considering the number of ships the other lines have, they actually don't sail empty, and a lot of them will offer the discounted price to passengers who are already booked. Disney doesn't do that. I've cruised another line, where if the price did go down, I could contact them, and the difference in what I paid and what the going rate is would be refunded to me.

 

[justmestace]

So what you are saying is that the Disney Concierge Suites at almost twice the price are no match for the RCL Loft Suites?

That's obvious by comparing the stateroom layouts.

And on NCL, not only do the concierge suites have more space than DCL, they also have a private swimming pool, hot tubs, small exercise room, & sauna. (The Haven)