Disney Cruise Experience is Worth It

[CarolynU]

We've gone on 10 DCL cruises, including their first South Pacific cruise in 2023 on the Magic from Honolulu to Sydney. Next, we'll be going on an Arctic Expedition Cruise with Swan Hellenic. The 9-day, 8-night cruise will circumnavigate Iceland. The ship is named the SH Diana. It looks gorgeous and only holds 192 passengers. Our price through a special offer of 50% off for a second passenger for a 215 sq. ft. Oceanview Stateroom is $9,270. The price includes the following:

Airport transfers.
An incoming stay at the Courtyard by Marriott.
All meals including 24-hr. room service, coffee tea, soft drinks, and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours.
A diverse lecture program.
An extensive shore excursion program.
A branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka.
Use of rubber boots for onshore landings.
Standard Wi-Fi.
All tips and port taxes.

I'll let you know how it goes.

It sounds amazing. So many parts of the world to explore. So many diverse experiences. This itinerary would in all probability be too cold for me. If only I were younger! But, I’d love to hear all about it.

 

[auntlynne]

Thank you. I’m definitely interested in the South American region. I do like formal nights as an excuse to get a bit glitzy and I saw that they don’t have those, but it seems a different type of cruise experience completely. What was the food like?

When I sailed MSC out of Miami on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary, we had lots of Cubans and Columbians. They looked so snazzy. Maybe not formal gowns, but lots of sequins. Tres chic.

I would expect similar with guests from across South America.

 

[CarolynU]

When I sailed MSC out of Miami on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary, we had lots of Cubans and Columbians. They looked so snazzy. Maybe not formal gowns, but lots of sequins. Tres chic.

I would expect similar with guests from across South America.

A lady can never have too many sequins ha ha! I think my snazzy days might be over, but I’ll give it my best shot lol! I think that I have about six to eight beaded sequinned long gowns. Maybe that means I should take eight dressy cruises before selling them and taking life at an easier pace. We have Saga in the uk designed for the older market. They pick you up at home, transport you to the ship, even take you onboard in needed, they make sure that you aren’t lonely, and you get where you need to be. They take you off at the end and transport you to your front door! I think I might be ready for that after another eight dressy cruises!

 

[Lisa F]

r.e. bold -- Just a bit confused about the apples to apples and *serious downsides.* Value for dollars spent is our apples to apples

Just did a comparison for our 52nd Anniversary of a 4 Day cruise in June 2025.

DCL Magic Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, 304sq.ft. - $8,030 -- launch 1998 - 984 ft length

DCL WISH Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, 296sq.ft. - $8,307 -- launch 2022 - 1,119 ft. length

MSC Seashore Yacht Club Royal Suite, 667sq.ft. + Verandah of 335sq.ft. - $6,800 -- launch 2021 - 1,112 ft. length

I couldn't tell you how concierge compares as it's way above my pay grade.

I could have found a 5 or even 7 night cruise for half what I paid on the magic but it was in an older Norwegian ship. Friends of mine have sailed that way and it was fine, not great.

Newer better royal Caribbean ships were about the same price within a few hundred dollars.

The same week the fantasy was nearly 2x as much.

I haven't checked every single category on every single cruise on every single line but if you compare a boring ordinary Caribbean cruise to other lines with similarly nice ships the price isn't that much. If you're willing to sail an older ship in a cheaper line they are usually cheaper for a reason.

If you want to sail a special highly desirable cruise on dcl like the first one to lighthouse point it's going to cost a lot more.

But you can't say an old run down ship for half the price of dcl is a fair comparison.

No idea about concierge - I'm not that fancy.

 

[John VN]

I couldn't tell you how concierge compares as it's way above my pay grade........................................

I haven't checked every single category on every single cruise on every single line but if you compare a boring ordinary Caribbean cruise to other lines with similarly nice ships the price isn't that much. If you're willing to sail an older ship in a cheaper line they are usually cheaper for a reason.

........................................No idea about concierge - I'm not that fancy.

r.e. bold I've compared WISH Verandah to MSC Yacht Club and have found Yacht Club DeLuxe Cabins to be priced at and at times lower than WISH Veranda and MSC Yacht Club Interior are even cheaper and includes the Yacht Club All Inclusive Ship in a Ship Perks that are beyond DCL Concierge.

 

[Alicatt]

I totally get wanting new itineraries. I hope DCL as some in the future. I'm not in that boat yet. I also don't really care where we go, as long as it's warm. I love sea days as much as port days. We travel to explore new places on alternate years. I really love the vibe on DCL and since I can't cruise often, I will spend the money since for me the ship is the main attraction. Plus my kids are teens now and have 0 interest in another line. We're crusing next year on the Treasure during its first summer in August. For a 5c family verandah with a bump out for 3 it's $7800. For inside for 2 it's $4500. Both are on the 9th floor. I had very little flexibility on dates. I'm not saying I couldn't have found cheaper but I got exactly what I wanted and that's worth the money for me.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

(It seems Disney is the only one where all of the ships are kept up to snuff - in other lines you really have to make sure you're not on an older/dated ship or if you are, that accounts for lower price), the pricing is really not all that different.

If you are willing to go down a step then of course you can save money.

I don't agree about stepping down or that other lines you have to make sure you're not on a dated or old ship and Disney is the one that has kept things up to snuff (there actually was quite a lot of reports in 2022 and 2023 about the disrepair of parts of Disney's ships namely the older ones).

I mentioned this on another thread about a week and a half ago:
To give a breakdown the two 2025 cruises I can see that are at least the most similar to the 12 day western Med we are taking one is $6K more on DCL (12 day cruise) than our cruise and the other is $2K more on DCL (11 day). With DCL there are still additional charges such as tipping and mandatory gratuity plus costs in alcohol and specialty dining which is all included on the cruise. This is comparing verandah to verandah.

The cruise we are taking is an ultra-luxury cruise. The oldest ship in that line's fleet is from 2009 and it was sold to another line (last sailing is in a few months under this cruise line's name). That leaves the oldest ship in the fleet from 2010. The ship we're taking is from 2018.

I'm stepping up big time and paying less.

I think what others said is fairly accurate about location. For example I would not take Seabourn (the cruise line we had done and are doing again) for a Caribbean cruise because it will cost you the same as a Mediterranean cruise sometimes more actually (for example a 7 day cruise in each place), their profit is higher for Caribbean without a doubt. European cruises can be extremely costly for DCL but at the same time they also charge a lot for Caribbean cruises.

I think most people agree Disney charges what they do often because they can. Some features of a DCL cruise will mean someone is more willing to pay that higher prices such as theming of Disney or character meets but other factors are less about what Disney is charging correlating to getting something "better".

 

[LAS2AMS]

I don't agree about stepping down or that other lines you have to make sure you're not on a dated or old ship and Disney is the one that has kept things up to snuff (there actually was quite a lot of reports in 2022 and 2023 about the disrepair of parts of Disney's ships namely the older ones).

I mentioned this on another thread about a week and a half ago:
To give a breakdown the two 2025 cruises I can see that are at least the most similar to the 12 day western Med we are taking one is $6K more on DCL (12 day cruise) than our cruise and the other is $2K more on DCL (11 day). With DCL there are still additional charges such as tipping and mandatory gratuity plus costs in alcohol and specialty dining which is all included on the cruise. This is comparing verandah to verandah.

The cruise we are taking is an ultra-luxury cruise. The oldest ship in that line's fleet is from 2009 and it was sold to another line (last sailing is in a few months under this cruise line's name). That leaves the oldest ship in the fleet from 2010. The ship we're taking is from 2018.

I'm stepping up big time and paying less.

I think what others said is fairly accurate about location. For example I would not take Seabourn (the cruise line we had done and are doing again) for a Caribbean cruise because it will cost you the same as a Mediterranean cruise sometimes more actually (for example a 7 day cruise in each place), their profit is higher for Caribbean without a doubt. European cruises can be extremely costly for DCL but at the same time they also charge a lot for Caribbean cruises.

I think most people agree Disney charges what they do often because they can. Some features of a DCL cruise will mean someone is more willing to pay that higher prices such as theming of Disney or character meets but other factors are less about what Disney is charging correlating to getting something "better".

Great post. People keep saying “Disney’s worth it because it’s better …” but ignore what similar $$$ will buy elsewhere. You can find many saline itineraries (sans Bahamas / Caribbean , as you noted) for less on true luxury cruise lines. And many of those Bahamas / Caribbean itineraries are available for less on lines like Carnival in premium sections that have the amenities and so much more that they say makes Disney “better.”

Don’t get me wrong - we love Disney and DCL. But you’re not paying for something better, you’re paying for Disney ambiance. DCL prices are high simply because the demand for everything Fisney is so high. But that may change - we’ve seen strong discounts at WDW this year, Disneyland hasn’t sold out its after dark events yet, etc. maybe it’ll trickle to DCL.

(as far as DCL keeping its ships in better share, definitely not true - in recent years, Carnival and Royal have poured significantly more money in rebuilding the public spaces of its older ships… like the Magic and Wonder, they are 20-almost 30yo and if you look hard, you’ll see signs of aging. It’s unavoidable).

 

[CarolynU]

I couldn't tell you how concierge compares as it's way above my pay grade.

I could have found a 5 or even 7 night cruise for half what I paid on the magic but it was in an older Norwegian ship. Friends of mine have sailed that way and it was fine, not great.

Newer better royal Caribbean ships were about the same price within a few hundred dollars.

The same week the fantasy was nearly 2x as much.

I haven't checked every single category on every single cruise on every single line but if you compare a boring ordinary Caribbean cruise to other lines with similarly nice ships the price isn't that much. If you're willing to sail an older ship in a cheaper line they are usually cheaper for a reason.

If you want to sail a special highly desirable cruise on dcl like the first one to lighthouse point it's going to cost a lot more.

But you can't say an old run down ship for half the price of dcl is a fair comparison.

No idea about concierge - I'm not that fancy.

Last year I wanted a change of Cruiseline largely to experience something different. It was a boring old Caribbean cruise x 2
I chose Princess. That was just to make a change.
Cost:- like for like.
DCL inside cost the same as
Princess Veranda.
DCL no added extras.
Princess that included drinks package and tips.
Ships :-
DCL smaller
Princess larger.
Service Impeccable on both.
Main dining Identical
Entertainment Princess wins.( Remember I’ve seen everything on DCL multiple times) otherwise it might have been equal.
Embarkation /Debarkation Princess wins
State of the ship maintenance Identical
Guest behaviour DCL wins because I don’t like drinks packages.
Palo v Crown Grille Crown Grill wins due to downgrade of Palo experience and up charges.
Pool side food Princess wins
Excursions possibly Disney wins
General ambiance Identical
Formal night Princess wins as far as guests desire to make the evening more special, with photos, champagne tower .
Shutters v Princess similar
Room service never ordered on either.
So from personal recent experience I’d say value between the two cruise lines. Identical with no downgrade of service or standard of ship.
Was Princess less expensive? I suppose so because I upgraded to a verandah with wifi, tips and drinks package. So those cruises I added them on for an identical price to an inside DCL with no extras.
Apart from that how did I rate the two cruise lines Feb/March 23?
You got more for your money on Princess without question not at the expense of service, food, ship comfort or maintenance.
You got fabulous entertainment. On a par with DCL but not if you want Mickey Mouse.
Service was great on both. Food was passable on both.
Why have I returned to DCL next week? I’m not a fan of drinks packages which do increase volume levels.
However, I did feel that guests did make more of an effort on Princess to change between day swim / sports wear on Princess than on DCL and for whatever reasons that matters to me. I can’t explain why but it does. Even when I sail with my grandchildren we wouldn’t dream of heading into dine without all of us dressing as if we are heading into a restaurant on shore. DCL is now very relaxed and that’s fine. It suits the majority just not us so much.
But I’m now looking for even more, but even if I wasn’t Princess is less expensive but I did not think that this came as a sacrifice in any way at all. Disney is fine and Princess is just as fine. I cannot speak for any other cruise line because I’ve never sailed with them, and unless I have first hand experience I wouldn’t judge.
I’m also not seeking familiarity or Disney characters.
Please don’t run away with the idea that it’s either DCL or old run down ships to save money. It isn’t!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I’m not a fan of drinks packages which do increase volume levels.

It's sorta an interesting thing I think to look at alcohol aspect. I could have all the alcohol I want on Seabourn whenever I want it, it's an included thing in the base fare, there are some alcohol (wine or hard liquor) you can purchase if you want but there's a lot included that would appeal to a wide variety of people.

Drunken behavior is not a main complaint at least on Seabourn (although I don't think those who sail Seabourn and also the other luxury lines have reported drunken behavior elsewhere). Nor is there a bunch of rowdy people because of it. The ambiance is less conducive to drunkards being seen as commonplace. I'm not saying you couldn't run into a person who imbibed too much but it's not a feature of the line and you're paying in a roundabout way for the alcohol in the price you paid even if it's not a separate charge.

But I do know that those add on packages that are a main-stay of the main lines it can be easy for people to feel they need to get the value of it and overindulge. In some ways though I think when the special deals for fares on other main lines that include alcohol but also things like wifi, an excursion, specialty dining, etc people may be less pressured to get their monies worth on the alcohol part since the charge includes other things than if it was just doing a drink package alone but that's just random thoughts on my part.

 

[auntlynne]

It's sorta an interesting thing I think to look at alcohol aspect. I could have all the alcohol I want on Seabourn whenever I want it, it's an included thing in the base fare, there are some alcohol (wine or hard liquor) you can purchase if you want but there's a lot included that would appeal to a wide variety of people.

Drunken behavior is not a main complaint at least on Seabourn (although I don't think those who sail Seabourn and also the other luxury lines have reported drunken behavior elsewhere). Nor is there a bunch of rowdy people because of it. The ambiance is less conducive to drunkards being seen as commonplace. I'm not saying you couldn't run into a person who imbibed too much but it's not a feature of the line and you're paying in a roundabout way for the alcohol in the price you paid even if it's not a separate charge.

But I do know that those add on packages that are a main-stay of the main lines it can be easy for people to feel they need to get the value of it and overindulge. In some ways though I think when the special deals for fares on other main lines that include alcohol but also things like wifi, an excursion, specialty dining, etc people may be less pressured to get their monies worth on the alcohol part since the charge includes other things than if it was just doing a drink package alone but that's just random thoughts on my part.

I’ve heard it said “on Carnival, they’re all drunk all the time. On Norwegian, they’re half drunk most of the time.” The difference between paying a lot for alcohol and only pay the gratuities - not having to “get your money’s worth.”

Now, I am not saying this is actually true. But I found the only cruise I have done on Carnival to be a 5-night party, egged on by the activities crew. The Norwegian guests were more subdued (4 cruises - but somewhat older crowd).

 

[auntlynne]

There’s also the notoriety of weekend cruises being labeled “Booze Cruise.” Even weekend cruises on Disney are considered to have a different vibe. (And think about EPCOT during F&W. Yikes. The stories of drinking.)

Many of the higher-end cruises are week- or longer itineraries. May be a contributing factor.

 

[tink1970]

Thank you. I’m definitely interested in the South American region. I do like formal nights as an excuse to get a bit glitzy and I saw that they don’t have those, but it seems a different type of cruise experience completely. What was the food like?

Oooh I'm terrible about food-since I have the palate of a 5 year old . I'm never hungry on board but am happy with basic food and on our last cruise was not feeling 100% so often was having cheese, crackers and grapes for dinner...then again, I could have that plus fruit or a salad for lunch so there's that. There is the option of a sit down for every breakfast and dinner (maybe lunch too?) and buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a pool grill, and some light bites in a couple places as well as an Italian restaurant and Chef's table that is no surcharge and you can make reservations at least once and more (based on your stateroom type)...the Chef's table theme varies and I'm super picky (again, a 5 year old palate with lots of allergies) so I've never dined there but the Italian place is very good -probably close to Palo but free (except for some of the spirits I'm guessing-we don't drink) and early on learned we could order half portions so we don't leave feeling overfull. Sushi and gelato are offered daily, as is pizza (but the pizza isn't great) and as someone who tries to eat meat sparingly, there are enough options to do so, so again, I'm happy.
The sit down restaurant has a slower, more relaxed pace and nicer presentation but often most of what is served there can be found in the buffet as well (not everything, but many of the offerings, just not as elegantly) and of course there is room service as well. It's also nice since the ship is small-the servers seem to get to know you if you frequent the same restaurants and can anticipate your beverage choices, etc. It's definitely not a "foodie" line like some of the others but it's not terrible...as far as I can tell (again, I'm not the best person-I'm happy with my veggie burger, vegetables, cheese and crackers and a night or two at Manfredi's ).

 

[CarolynU]

Oooh I'm terrible about food-since I have the palate of a 5 year old . I'm never hungry on board but am happy with basic food and on our last cruise was not feeling 100% so often was having cheese, crackers and grapes for dinner...then again, I could have that plus fruit or a salad for lunch so there's that. There is the option of a sit down for every breakfast and dinner (maybe lunch too?) and buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a pool grill, and some light bites in a couple places as well as an Italian restaurant and Chef's table that is no surcharge and you can make reservations at least once and more (based on your stateroom type)...the Chef's table theme varies and I'm super picky (again, a 5 year old palate with lots of allergies) so I've never dined there but the Italian place is very good -probably close to Palo but free (except for some of the spirits I'm guessing-we don't drink) and early on learned we could order half portions so we don't leave feeling overfull. Sushi and gelato are offered daily, as is pizza (but the pizza isn't great) and as someone who tries to eat meat sparingly, there are enough options to do so, so again, I'm happy.
The sit down restaurant has a slower, more relaxed pace and nicer presentation but often most of what is served there can be found in the buffet as well (not everything, but many of the offerings, just not as elegantly) and of course there is room service as well. It's also nice since the ship is small-the servers seem to get to know you if you frequent the same restaurants and can anticipate your beverage choices, etc. It's definitely not a "foodie" line like some of the others but it's not terrible...as far as I can tell (again, I'm not the best person-I'm happy with my veggie burger, vegetables, cheese and crackers and a night or two at Manfredi's ).

Oh thank you for this info. There seems to be a good variety of food and places to go. I like most things plain and fancy, but what a struggle with is what is supposed to be hot served to me as either tepid or cold. To be honest neither DCL nor Princess score highly with that, but it’s inevitable really with the number of passengers onboard. That’s why it feels like mass catering.
I only do sit down dining in the evening. During the day I’m always hoping for good weather so that I can find a spot in the shade and read or maybe take a nap ha ha! That’s a luxury for me. With our climate we don’t see consistent days of sun even in the Summer, so that’s my luxury!

 

[Mango7100]

Great post. People keep saying “Disney’s worth it because it’s better …” but ignore what similar $$$ will buy elsewhere. You can find many saline itineraries (sans Bahamas / Caribbean , as you noted) for less on true luxury cruise lines. And many of those Bahamas / Caribbean itineraries are available for less on lines like Carnival in premium sections that have the amenities and so much more that they say makes Disney “better.”

Don’t get me wrong - we love Disney and DCL. But you’re not paying for something better, you’re paying for Disney ambiance. DCL prices are high simply because the demand for everything Fisney is so high. But that may change - we’ve seen strong discounts at WDW this year, Disneyland hasn’t sold out its after dark events yet, etc. maybe it’ll trickle to DCL.

(as far as DCL keeping its ships in better share, definitely not true - in recent years, Carnival and Royal have poured significantly more money in rebuilding the public spaces of its older ships… like the Magic and Wonder, they are 20-almost 30yo and if you look hard, you’ll see signs of aging. It’s unavoidable).

Agree. We were suppose to do the 10 day Southern Caribbean on the Fantasy in July. Our cost for an ocean view was $12000 for the 3 of us—literally just the room. By the time we added in all the drinks, Palo, Wi-Fi, etc it was going to be 15k likely. We cancelled before our PIF and switched to 8 night ABC island cruise in July on Celebrity Beyond (the ship first sailed in 2022). We have a verandah room, did the premium drink package for the 2 adults, premium Wi-Fi for 2 devices, and 2 dinners for the 3 of us in their specialty restaurants Eden and La petite Chef. Our cost is 7100 for all that. So 5k less for more stuff on a newer ship but 2 days less And DD11 even voted to cancel DCl and do Celebrity which shocked me.

We will see how it goes, but Celebrity would have to be pretty awful for me to think the DCL cruise would be 5k plus “better”. For disclosure, DD11 is done with characters, likes a smaller kids club with more interaction with counselors as opposed to just a free for all, and we are all kind of done with the DCL shows as well. We will be doing the Treasure next year though.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Because more people read this forum than participate, and come here for information, I want to clear a couple fallacies that are perpetually repeated:

Most people that actively participate are among Disney’s biggest fans. Instead of admitting that they’re willing to pay for Mickey (nothing wrong with that!) they use confirmation bias (basically, they look for things to support that DCL is the best even though those things may not be true).

Here are some of the most common: (and I’m not addressing any single poster, just claims they are constantly repeated):

— No matter which cruise line you choose, most people dress up in the evening. I have no idea where the concept that more people dress up on DCL came from but it’s absolutely not true. In fact, I’d say DCL has the fewest number of people dress up in the evening, probably because many DCL cruisers wouldn’t otherwise be cruising and didn’t know they were to dress up. This is especially true of kids…

— I live 45 minutes from the Ports of Long Beach/ Los Angeles and thus have done many of the weekend “booze cruises” through the years. People obviously come on these cruises to have a good time… but they do the same on 3day DCL. Yes people drink and misbehave but they drink and misbehave on DCL. They’re not going to impede on the enjoyment of your cruise… that’s just silly. I think that people cling to stories from many years ago… it isn’t like you or your kids are going to be more exposed to alcohol than on DCL. People drink heavily no matter where you are. Just mind your own business and you won’t notice.