Disney Cruise Prices

[happycamper47]

There is literally no one size fits all in cruising. People who pay more to sail DCL are not deluded. They know what they want and pay for it. People who sail other lines are not missing out. They know what they want and pay for it. Different strokes, different folks.

Amen to that!...

 

[DCLMP]

DCL’s Europe cruises in general for 2023 were eye watering as they are sending the Dream over. The same week and IMO a worse itinerary was about 50% more than what I paid this year.

There’s a lot of rooms left next year. I sometimes wonder what DCL is thinking when they price these. NCL and Royal have new ships sailing in Europe next year. I could see DCL thinking double the price of our competitors, but quadruple.

Europeans love to come out and see the Disney ships in port, but I see very few onboard.
I wouldnt be opposed to switching to DCL if they offered some deals again, but the gap is so wide even 30% off wouldn’t come close.

 

[DCLMP]

Amen to that!...

I would agree with that too, but some people have legit been priced out. Therefore you look elsewhere and find it’s not so bad.

 

[auntlynne]

Peoples big mistake comparing pricing don’t seem to realize Disney offers a different product than Royal and NCL. These are not commodities we are talking about here they are vacations. The clientele and overall mood/vibe of the experiences are very different IMO. Obviously different things appeal to different people. Royal and NCL seem to try to appeal to everyone because they have so so many cabins to fill- from retired people, to families, to boozing singles/couples in their 20s. They try to do too much for my tastes.

Imagine if Disney converted their cruise experience to more like Royal - loud top 40 pop music playing in most public areas. A shopping area that feels like a mall, people buying unlimited drink packages trying to get their moneys worth, reservations for shows, keeping track of your pool towels , occasional spring break vibes at the pool , and a six flags like water park built on top of a beautiful Bahamian island.

Of course they will never do these things because they are targeting to people with different expectations

DCL fans expect a cleaner vibe suited for a family atmosphere (including ALL ages) for lovers of the storytelling and nostalgia they grew up with or are growing with - from the classic film music in the hallways, to top production shows, to themed MDRs, activities designed that families can do together. Simple turnkey vacation with limited planning , reservations , upselling, or stress.

From the time you step on a DCL ship you are stepping into a show , the mass market lines will offer you a room and a ton of other different options depending on your likes.

For some of the previous posters the show isn’t worth the premium charged - for many of us it is - why is that so hard to understand?

Merry Christmas!

I think this is a great addendum to my post; I gave her a lower-priced cruise (with extra days), but also didn’t want to convince her that it was a good replacement (It would be for some people). Especially when the cost difference was so little. If a Disney and a Royal cruise to the same region are the same price, it really comes down to the experience.

Your points are exactly the reason I pick Disney (19 cruises) over Royal (1).

 

[auntlynne]

 

[NEGeekymama]

The problem with Disney and this is includes the Disney Cruise Line. They have taken away the magic over the years

I keep seeing people say the "magic is being taken away!" and...just...how?

As a grown *** adult who knows full well that it's just a cast member in a suit I still got excited to hug Chewie.

My husband and I were both brought to tears when riding Rise of the Resistance.

I absolutely despise the new Genie+ system, but that didn't take away any of the magic when we were at WDW last December. Now we're planning a trip to DLR in October, and I'm probably more excited than our 9 year old because of the chance to meet the Avengers.

If you think the magic is gone, maybe it's a you thing and not a Disney thing.

 

[NEGeekymama]

Check out prices on Viking. Or Azamara. Seabourne. Also small fleets.

I’m not saying DCL isn’t expensive; but they have really increased their prices since I started cruising in 2007.

Saying a cruise line has increased prices over the past fifteen years is like saying water is wet. I could easily do the same with the RCCL cruise we went on in 2008 and compare it to what I priced out for 2023.

 

[NEGeekymama]

I would agree with that too, but some people have legit been priced out. Therefore you look elsewhere and find it’s not so bad.

I mean, a cruise is sorta like pizza....even if it's kinda meh pizza, it's still pizza.

We did three Carnival cruises after our Disney cruise in 2015, and while they weren't downright horrible, they just sorta...were. On one of them the kids clubs were under renovation, so they had the kids meeting in a lounge. And this past one we did in March (which we had originally booked in late 2019 for November 2020) was a massive let down. It was the first time I ever found myself bored on a cruise ship.

 

[DCLMP]

I mean, a cruise is sorta like pizza....even if it's kinda meh pizza, it's still pizza.

We did three Carnival cruises after our Disney cruise in 2015, and while they weren't downright horrible, they just sorta...were. On one of them the kids clubs were under renovation, so they had the kids meeting in a lounge. And this past one we did in March (which we had originally booked in late 2019 for November 2020) was a massive let down. It was the first time I ever found myself bored on a cruise ship.

I'm curious what inspired you to do three Carnival cruises when it's so obviously beneath you. Was it price? How many DCL cruise have you done again?

 

[DCLMP]

I think this is a great addendum to my post; I gave her a lower-priced cruise (with extra days), but also didn’t want to convince her that it was a good replacement (It would be for some people). Especially when the cost difference was so little. If a Disney and a Royal cruise to the same region are the same price, it really comes down to the experience.

Your points are exactly the reason I pick Disney (19 cruises) over Royal (1).

DCL itineraries are very limited. The more you cruise the more you want something unique. All things being equal I'd choose DCL, but they are very rarely equal. If you really start looking at the places other cruise lines sail to there is just no comparison. There a ton of places I can go on other cruise lines that DCL doesn't come close to

 

[Cheburashka]

DCL itineraries are very limited. The more you cruise the more you want something unique.

Not necessarily. Everyone's wants are different. After several cruises, our favorite cruise is still a DCL getaway to Castaway Cay. The other ports are mostly irrelevant to us.

 

[Cheburashka]

I keep seeing people say the "magic is being taken away!" and...just...how?

Lots of cuts. It hasn't been much of an issue on DCL, imo (just very minor things you can easily overlook like paper navigators, individual shampoos and the officer's pin trading).

But at WDW it's been a big issue. They used to regularly have longer basic park hours, plus Extra Magic Hours for all resort guests that went late into the night (think a.m., not p.m.) It was so fun because you could get so much done and effortlessly by making use of these. FastPasses were free. Magical Express started your vacation at your home airport by taking care of your bags until they appeared in your resort room the day of your arrival, and you were cheerfully guided onto a bus to your resort. When you arrived early at Magic Kingdom, there was a morning show with all the characters that everyone watched from the gates that was so cheerful and welcoming: "Good Morning, Good Morning..." There have been many other cutbacks, too, that chip away at the experience, but those are a few I'll take the time to mention. Some magic has been lost, all while they're raising prices to stratospheric levels.

And it wasn't that long ago that it was different. I'm recalling our experiences from 10 years ago. Not 20 years, not a past generation.

There are valid reasons for complaints. If you're new to WDW within the past few years, you might not notice this and just accept what's given as the best Disney can do today. But those of us who went several years ago can see glaring deficiencies.

So far, DCL has held steady in its quality, probably because of the high cost for all guests, but if they pull a WDW and start cutting everything, we will stop cruising DCL.

 

[holula]

There’s a lot of rooms left next year. I sometimes wonder what DCL is thinking when they price these. NCL and Royal have new ships sailing in Europe next year. I could see DCL thinking double the price of our competitors, but quadruple.

Europeans love to come out and see the Disney ships in port, but I see very few onboard.
I wouldnt be opposed to switching to DCL if they offered some deals again, but the gap is so wide even 30% off wouldn’t come close.

There was a couple of weeks last year when Americans and Brits were about 50/50 - I was on the Norwegian Fjords and this was the case (along with a handful of other countries.) Apparently the cruise prior had more Brits than Americans for the first time ever. Disney Magic at Sea staycation cruises absolutely worked on getting people to repeat cruise.

I’ll be interested to see if they start offering restricted rates, they have already started on some of their late May Alaska cruises.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Lots of cuts. It hasn't been much of an issue on DCL, imo (just very minor things you can easily overlook like paper navigators, individual shampoos and the officer's pin trading).

But at WDW it's been a big issue. They used to regularly have longer basic park hours, plus Extra Magic Hours for all resort guests that went late into the night (think a.m., not p.m.) It was so fun because you could get so much done and effortlessly by making use of these. FastPasses were free. Magical Express started your vacation at your home airport by taking care of your bags until they appeared in your resort room the day of your arrival, and you were cheerfully guided onto a bus to your resort. When you arrived early at Magic Kingdom, there was a morning show with all the characters that everyone watched from the gates that was so cheerful and welcoming: "Good Morning, Good Morning..." There have been many other cutbacks, too, that chip away at the experience, but those are a few I'll take the time to mention. Some magic has been lost, all while they're raising prices to stratospheric levels.

And it wasn't that long ago that it was different. I'm recalling our experiences from 10 years ago. Not 20 years, not a past generation.

There are valid reasons for complaints. If you're new to WDW within the past few years, you might not notice this and just accept what's given as the best Disney can do today. But those of us who went several years ago can see glaring deficiencies.

So far, DCL has held steady in its quality, probably because of the high cost for all guests, but if they pull a WDW and start cutting everything, we will stop cruising DCL.

It has already started with the decline in food quality and customer service.

 

[DCLMP]

Not necessarily. Everyone's wants are different. After several cruises, our favorite cruise is still a DCL getaway to Castaway Cay. The other ports are mostly irrelevant to us.

I like going to Europe and Disney doesn't offer a lot of variety. I'm aware everyone's wants are not the same....that's a pretty obvious statement.

 

[Cheburashka]

It has already started with the decline in food quality and customer service.

I haven't found that to be true. I've sailed on DCL within the past year and found both to be the same as our first cruise seven years ago.

 

[DCLMP]

There was a couple of weeks last year when Americans and Brits were about 50/50 - I was on the Norwegian Fjords and this was the case (along with a handful of other countries.) Apparently the cruise prior had more Brits than Americans for the first time ever. Disney Magic at Sea staycation cruises absolutely worked on getting people to repeat cruise.

I’ll be interested to see if they start offering restricted rates, they have already started on some of their late May Alaska cruises.

Whenever DCL puts out a new itinerary like the first time they went to Iceland or the 12 night Greek Isles cruise that got ruined by Covid they sell very quickly. The rest are hit or miss. I would expect to see some restricted rates.

It was a good marketing strategy, but at the time I think they just wanted to start sailing again and weren't thinking about it from that perspective. I believe British schools get out in late July and go back in September. I'm sure that had something to do with them switching the cruises out of England to August and September.

 

[Cheburashka]

I like going to Europe and Disney doesn't offer a lot of variety. I'm aware everyone's wants are not the same....that's a pretty obvious statement.

You said "you", not "I", in your previous post. So I pointed out that it isn't true for everyone.

Have fun cruising Europe. I prefer taking land trips there so I can spend more time at each place I visit. But to each his own.

 

[holula]

It has already started with the decline in food quality and customer service.

I feel customer service highly depends on the ship. I think it’s amazing on the Magic and Wonder still, have sailed both this year. The Fantasy just doesn’t seem to be as service focused which tbh I have always found on the larger ships. Nothing was horrible but nothing was standout.

 

[Cheburashka]

I feel customer service highly depends on the ship. I think it’s amazing on the Magic and Wonder still, have sailed both this year. The Fantasy just doesn’t seem to be as service focused which tbh I have always found on the larger ships. Nothing was horrible but nothing was standout.

Weird but we've found the opposite to be true: slightly better food and service on the Dream and Fantasy for us. I think most of it is which particular servers you happen to get, the size of your party, and your preferences.