Disney has priced us out.

[lbgraves]

Threads like this are started by people who have sailed on DCL and would prefer to sail on DCL. The problem is - DCL's price increases have made it difficult for many to be able to pay those prices, and for others to be willing to pay those prices. I'm in the latter group - except I have never been willing to pay what Disney charges for their peak-season cruises. I have also been happy to sail other cruise lines. It makes no difference to me if others want to spend big bucks for DCL's Europe or summer Caribbean cruises, or splurge on suites. However, as long as some people are willing to pay those prices, Disney will continue to push the limits of pricing - just as they do at their theme parks.

Exactly my feelings. We started cruising on DCL in 2003. While I understand inflation and the fact that prices rise, this latest increase from 2014 to 2015 cruise prices has been much greater than in the past.

 

[carpenta]

......and don't forget the sky high airfare that most have to purchase to get to the ship....It all adds up and the total costs can be staggering......

 

[jjgarv]

Exactly my feelings. We started cruising on DCL in 2003. While I understand inflation and the fact that prices rise, this latest increase from 2014 to 2015 cruise prices has been much greater than in the past.

We began sailing DCL in 2000 as part of our honeymoon. We love DCL and continued to sail them regularly, but we have also had great vacations on other cruise lines. If the fall 2015 prices have as much of an increase as the first 3/4 of 2015, we will not be sailing with DCL any longer. The price increase, plus losing the 10% off of a OBB b/c we couldn't book within the 18-month window, will be enough of a price increase that we just can't justify it.

 

[kittylady1972]

We are in this "boat" as well regarding pricing. We have a family of five. Really wanted to do a Summer 2015 cruise with us and some extended family, but I just can't bring myself to pay those prices and I can't do that to the family members who want to join us either!

Today I let my TA know that she could cancel our two holds from our January 2014 trip. I had until July 2015 to move them...and none of those dates worked out for us.

I considered maybe moving us to a January 2014 cruise. It would be a 5-night out of Miami and even with airfare it would be less than the 3 or 4 night summer cruises...and we'd get to go somewhere other than the Bahamas where we don't even get off the boat any longer!

Still really don't want to have to pay for airfare and the only way to avoid pulling the kids out of too much school would be to fly out on the day of the cruise and back on the day we return, and they would miss two days. We have pulled our kids of out school more than once for vacations and we'll continue to do so. We are heathens that way! Time with family and especially their grandparents (who always go with us) is very important to us and not that school is not...but the teachers are usually pretty understanding.

Anyway we do still have two other holds on cruises that were made before the rules changed, so we have until November 2015 to drop those or change them. I figure we can hold onto them for now, just in case something changes. I think the current hold dates are Dec 2014.

Really want to do another DCL but if it doesn't happen soon, that's okay. We can wait for more discount rates to come out again, like we did in January, and book at that time. Would love for a last-minute deal to be released for this summer for military rates, but have not idea if there's any chance of that happening!

 

[NancyIL]

I was looking for a local departure and found the Princess Cruise Line Transatlantic 2015. I had already checked out the DCL 2015 TA. Look at the difference!

Cheapest inside cabins
2015 sail dates Transatlantic
$1509 pp Princess 17n
$3293 pp Disney 15 n

More than twice as high! We only book DCL when we can find comparable , or only slightly higher, rates. DCL prices most of us out!

I just checked the price of DCL's Transatlantic. The price of $3293 is for two people in the least expensive available inside cabin. That's $1575 pp plus taxes.

 

[Mrsvstol]

Kindergarten? My son is in High School and missed a week for our Fantasy cruise last Dec. He is an honor roll student and handled it well, but I would NOT recommend that for most people. But, there is no way that I would let Kindergarten stop me from saving $1000's on a cruise. Just my opinion.

Sent from my IPad using DisBoards.

This! Kindergarden No WAY. Not even 1st - 3rd grade. We took our son out of 10th grade last October for a cruise on the Fantasy. He had work to make up but he still made honor roll.

 

[DisneySisters]

I think threads like this are started for several reasons:

1) In hopes DCL will read and take notes
2) To see if other people in the 'community' are on the same page, or on the 'same boat.'
3) To find options

Well said, and so true.

 

[LyndaC]

I was looking for a local departure and found the Princess Cruise Line Transatlantic 2015. I had already checked out the DCL 2015 TA. Look at the difference!

Cheapest inside cabins
2015 sail dates Transatlantic
$1509 pp Princess 17n
$3293 pp Disney 15 n

More than twice as high! We only book DCL when we can find comparable , or only slightly higher, rates. DCL prices most of us out!

I totally understand about the high prices of DCL, but I'd like to point out that as of today, the East Bound Transtlantic in May 2015 is priced at $3300 for a 10C for 2 people, so $1650 per person. The lowest priced cabins, 11's are sold out right now.

 

[luv2sleep]

I totally understand about the high prices of DCL, but I'd like to point out that as of today, the East Bound Transtlantic in May 2015 is priced at $3300 for a 10C for 2 people, so $1650 per person. The lowest priced cabins, 11's are sold out right now.

I think some people only want to sail balconies or ocean view though. They want the whole package. Not pay all that $$ for an inside just to get on the ship.

 

[JLS]

In the US public schools lose money when students are absent from school. For this reason, they've found ways to turn it into a moral and legal issue. It is not an issue of getting a better education any more than standardized test scores are.

Yes, this is the case in California for sure. There is an enormous amount of pressure on parents not to have kids miss school for any reason, and obviously vacations during school time are really frowned upon. Some people still do it but face problems with the District and are forced to invent phony excuses.

 

[luv2sleep]

Yes, this is the case in California for sure. There is an enormous amount of pressure on parents not to have kids miss school for any reason, and obviously vacations during school time are really frowned upon. Some people still do it but face problems with the District and are forced to invent phony excuses.

Really? We are in CA and as long as agreed to homeschool during the 2 week trip they were fine. Maybe they talked behind my back!

 

[knawest8]

We had planned on a vow renewal on DCL for July 2015. Now that the prices have been released, I am stunned. I cannot ask family/friends to pay that much money. So we either go it alone or switch to another company. That is a large booking for someone else I guess.

 

[gotomu212]

On a positive side the sticker shock has convinced us to take a break from cruising and check out other destinations. We found DCL in 2010 and went a little crazy. We had some awesome trips and explored their longer, more unusual itineraries but we were in a bit of a rut.

We decided that instead of the Greek Isle cruise this summer, we'd do a land trip to Australia. With airfare, hotels, and several excursion actives booked we've got 24 days, 6 cities for $6,500. We still have to pay for food but the price difference between our typical cruise+airfare and this upcoming trip were jaw dropping. After looking at 2015, we've thinking that maybe well head to the Galapagos instead.

The increases helped us break out of our pattern and try something different which is a great step for us (unless I get eaten by a crocodile).

 

[justhat]

Yup. We missed a week of Kindergarten and sailed the Fantasy in Dec 2012. It was an amazing experience. Loved the decorations. The kindergarten teacher gave her homework & sent her with her blessing and told us to make memories! We also missed 7 school days (so 5 in one week, two in another) this year in first grade on the Dream/Magic. She's reading at a 3rd grade level, top in her class in math, and being tested for gifted for 2nd grade. Missing those days was nothing. And, in second grade, we are going on the southern/repo, another 6 school days. I think it'll be ok. Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

My kids both do well in school, but I won't take them out just for a cruise. If that was all we ever did, then I would consider it. But they miss days here and there for family things (weddings out of state, for example) so I wouldn't miss a full week for a cruise unless it were somewhere like Europe or Alaska, meaning worth the experience.

My reasoning is specifically because they are advanced. My oldest is in 4th grade and reads at a 9th grade level now. As such, she is in the "extended reading" class, meaning she gets more challenging reading assignments and they move through books at a more rapid pace. So being out of class for a week means a lot of work she'd need to do on vacation. Same with math. She was in regular math in 3rd grade but skipped to 5th grade math this year. Since she missed the entire 4th grade math year, she really needs to be in class to make her math work easy. And in science they do group projects and presentations now, also the advanced pull out group, so being out means possibly missing such a project and the grade that goes with it.

My son isn't as accelerated, he's in a regular reading class but the advanced math group (so not a full year ahead in 2nd grade, but they did the 2nd grade curriculum in the first half of the year and are now working on the 3rd grade curriculum). He's also in Spanish immersion and that is what really makes me hesitant to pull him out, because any time out of the classroom means time he isn't hearing his instruction in Spanish and missing out on vocab that he'll be expected to know for subsequent lessons. Right now they are learning about the water cycle, precipitation, clouds, etc, all in Spanish. I'm fluent so I can help him, but I also don't know what a cumulus cloud does so knowing the vocab is only half the battle.

My 3rd is still in preschool but will start Spanish immersion in K so I'll be hesitant to take her out then too.

I feel like no matter how good they are in school, it's just hard on them to miss class instruction and catch up when we're home. So now we plan stuff over fall break when they have 2 days off and 3 1/2 days or rodeo week (2 days off) or spring break.

 

[Ofinn]

How did this thread turn into a debate about taking you kids out school. I think this subject has been beat to death on these boards. Do you really have to justify it to anyone. It's great if you have accelerated kids, but it really has nothing to do with being priced out of DCL.

 

[phinz]

My oldest is in 4th grade and reads at a 9th grade level now. As such, she is in the "extended reading" class, meaning she gets more challenging reading assignments and they move through books at a more rapid pace.

Nice to see things haven't changed since *I* was in advanced classes 30 years ago. (read that with sarcasm) It's not about *better* reading, it's about *more* and *faster* reading.

 

[luv2sleep]

How did this thread turn into a debate about taking you kids out school. I think this subject has been beat to death on these boards. Do you really have to justify it to anyone. It's great if you have accelerated kids, but it really has nothing to do with being priced out of DCL.

I suppose to discuss ways to avoid higher cruise fares.

 

[alaskanabbott]

How did this thread turn into a debate about taking you kids out school. I think this subject has been beat to death on these boards. Do you really have to justify it to anyone. It's great if you have accelerated kids, but it really has nothing to do with being priced out of DCL.

Yep! I have kids in accelerated/gifted programs, and the opposite end of special ed in the intensive needs class, and kids in the middle. I don't care what anyone else does in regards to missing school, seriously who cares! Parent your own bundle of id, and I will parent mine. Either way DCL is dang expensive!!! We're checking on RCCL for 2016

 

[slg]

I think that now that the economy is improving, travel costs are going up and we won't see the prices that we saw a few years ago, not for Disney or anything else. That is just how it goes unfortunately. If folks are prepared to pay, then the price is not too high.

 

[Twin45]

DCL is pricing me out of some longer cruises. However it is giving me an option to look at other cruise lines, particularly NCL for 2016.