Cruise once with Disney or three times with royal?

[sethschroeder]

Summer break, spring break, winter break and fall break

When is fall break? That is what I would target with Disney.

 

[Cheburashka]

Summer break, spring break, winter break and fall break

Fall (not Thanksgiving) you can find deals on DCL on non-Wish ships. I really do recommend you either get a good deal, or stick with RCCL. DCL is very special, but imo it isn't worth the price you quoted for 4 nights unless price is no object to you.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Freedom is not a mega ship though its a Fantasy sized ship. Now if you were talking about Oasis class ships then its not really a comparison in the volume of options.

Good point. I got confused by the posting talking about mega ships and was thinking of Oasis class ships.

 

[Intr3pid]

The mega ships offer more options for entertainment, dining, retail, etc. How is that not a guest benefit?

Everyone has their own preferences and there are positives and negatives to each ship.

I compare Oasis class with your city's megamall. Tons of options - but absolutely tacky and impersonal that you could easily trade with an AI resort in Cancun.

And you don't get much of a break in prices either.

Quantum class, on the other hand, has that premium feel. If not for the crowds (and the top deck), you could forget you weren't sailing on Celebrity. Probably sports the best mix of options, contemporary features, and itineraries within the RCL fleet.

 

[tvguy]

We loved our Disney cruise, and glad when went, but since then, we have been in the more cruises are better mindset.

 

[DCLMP]

Does it have to be the Wish?

Yes, it's true that DCL is more expensive than the mass-market carriers. But you're choosing a uniquely expensive itinerary as your point of comparison.

The Bahamas is a uniquely expensive itinerary.... since when?

 

[DCLMP]

We’ve priced out a cruise on the Disney wish 4 night in august inside stateroom family of 4 and it’s roughly $6300 vs a cruise with royal for $1900 for the same number of nights on freedom (this $1900 figure is what we are doing this coming week with two connecting inside staterooms). The wish looks incredible but is disney cruise line worth spending less vacation time on the high seas when I could get two more cruises in with royal for less money? We don’t drink sodas and get 4 free alcoholic drinks per day with royal as diamond members. We also never do speciality dining on royal so essentially our cruise fare covers pretty much what we would do on the ship.

If you are Diamond on Royal and you like it why it the world would you pay 4300 dollars more for the same cruise. You could go to WDW or fly to Europe for that amount of money. If you want to try DCL look at the Dream out of Miami there has been some great deals. We paid 1700 for a verandah for three people 4 night cruise this September.

 

[auntlynne]

Yes, do Disney. On the Wish. But not this first summer.

Booking is opening this week for dates through Dec 2023. Take a look and find the cheapest price on the Wish that fits your family’s vacation schedule.

You are going to pay more when schools are out. You are going to pay more for Disney. You are going to pay more for the Wish.

One year shouldn’t make a difference in whether your kids like Disney; if it does, then maybe they don’t need it.

When Ship #6 comes out (2024?), maybe Wish prices will stabilize - or not, as Disney pricing seems to increase faster than earning and cost of living.

And try to determine whether what you are paying extra for are things that the family will appreciate.

 

[auntlynne]

And if you spend your cruise budget on one cruise, what are you going to do the other two vacation times?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The Bahamas is a uniquely expensive itinerary.... since when?

Do you not realize how wildly cruise prices fluctuate? Bahamas on the Wish could be $6,200 or it could be $3,800 for the exact same room one week apart.

The uniquely expensive part isn't WHERE they're going, it's WHEN and which ship.

A few days after this $6,200 inside stateroom sailing is a Verandah for $4,400.

 

[ucf_knight]

And if you spend your cruise budget on one cruise, what are you going to do the other two vacation times?

Probably a staycation somewhere local with credit card points for the hotel.

 

[Cheburashka]

The Bahamas is a uniquely expensive itinerary.... since when?

Since the Wish started doing those sailings.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Freedom is not a mega-ship. I have one on Harmony next year, now that is a mega ship. I do the specialty dining on RCL though. The regular dining is mostly awful.

I quit cruising DCL regularly some years ago. Going on the Wish end of next month but because of the timing, it's not that expensive, I don't need two staterooms, and I'm only doing it to see the Wish. then it's right back to the cheaper lines. The quoted price for summer peak is an unbelievable price for a 4 night cruise.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The quoted price for summer peak is an unbelievable price for a 4 night cruise.

I think that's the common thread that's emerging from all of the answers. I am extremely pro-DCL to the point that I would just skip a cruise entirely if it had to be on a different line, but $6,300 for four nights is so inordinately out of line with reasonable prices that I don't think there's any justifying it.

 

[sheilafri]

You are the only one who knows whether a certain price point is worth it to you. Personally, I don’t get paying the Disney premium for certain experiences. I say at the Swolphin for the price of an “in the bubble” mod. I live without the Disney decals on the walls and I get excited to get into the parks in the mornings.

DH and I are going to Paris this fall—economy plus and four star hotel for 10 days for less than $6000. It’s a much better deal for me than 4 nights on a ship. Obviously, YMMV.

 

[Cheburashka]

DH and I are going to Paris this fall—economy plus and four star hotel for 10 days for less than $6000. It’s a much better deal for me than 4 nights on a ship. Obviously, YMMV.

To be fair, though, that trip would cost a lot more for a family of four, which is the OP's travel party.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I believe it is for two staterooms, which means half that for one stateroom, but still, wow

 

[CaptainAmerica]

DH and I are going to Paris this fall—economy plus and four star hotel for 10 days for less than $6000. It’s a much better deal for me than 4 nights on a ship. Obviously, YMMV.

Hotel versus ship is apples and oranges though. OP is a family of four and I'd value food and beverage at at least $100 per person per day.

Disney ship versus non-Disney ship is a much more accurate comparison.

 

[Karin1984]

I would do the Magic, as you have never sailed Disney, you do not know what you are missing or not. And I am personally convinced that Tangled is a better show than the new shows on the Wish.

Plus the Wish is new, it takes a few months to get all the kinks out.

 

[MomOTwins]

I believe it is for two staterooms, which means half that for one stateroom, but still, wow

Yeah, that was my thought too. Disney rooms sleep 4 comfortably so they are priced assuming you are buying 1 one room per family. Heck we are a family of 5 and we always book the rooms for 5 rather than spread out on two rooms. On other cruise lines, the rooms are often smaller and don't have the split bath layout so two connecting rooms is better. But OP, I would re-look at Disney with a single room. I would also seriously consider doing it for one of your other annual cruise trips later this year or next year. As others point out, the Wish JUST started sailing this month so there is an absolutely massive premium built into the inaugural season prices.