Getting outpriced, am I the only one?

[jujubiee4]

Maybe. Interest rates have been low for years which makes using credits cards easy and even beneficial at times. Some people carry credit card debt, but still have large 401k's and savings. I think you have to look at person overall financial health. The statistics don't really look at that. I never automatically assume because a person has a large credit card balance that they are not well off financially. I'd rather pay off a disney cruise in 6 months with the interest free offer then pull money out of my savings.

Most of the people I meet on DCL cruises seem to be college educated and have careers that would support a disney cruise. True a lot of people in this country live paycheck to paycheck, but there's just as many that don't, and there's a lot of people in this country making a lot of money. I'm astounded at the amount of money being spent onboard. I went to a DVC lecture on our last cruise and couldn't believe the number of people that were making appointments to buy DVC. I don't think Disney will ever have a problem filling their ships.

I don't like paying ONE penny more than i have to....but that's just me. Any extra
money could be making interest elsewhere. We will continue to cruise long as we
can "comfortably" afford it. And right now Disney is making it tight

*side note. We just got our taxes done and i overheard the couple next to me
get upset at the amount of refund they were getting. They thought they were
getting much more and Booked a trip to Paris in June. They were hoping to pay
it off with their refund.

One of my best friends is a debt counselor and she tells me all the time..People
do a lot of assuming when it comes to money.

 

[jujubiee4]

I have a DCL Med cruise booked for this upcoming summer. I constantly see people saying other cruise lines are a lot less money. I have searched and searched, and really don't find that to be true. I think the difference though is that there are only 2 of us travelling. I think with only 2, the price difference just isn't much. I think it is when you have more than 2 travelers, there is a much bigger difference. Also, when I look at some of the other ships, I really don't see much that my daughter would enjoy. Maybe when she's older. She is super happy right now, because as of our cruise that we just took in January, she could go to the Oceaneer's Club/Lab AND Edge. She was constantly busy with super fun activities.

I actually have found that to be true sometimes also when i look. I wonder if they are catching sales?

 

[jujubiee4]

Our table mates said if they cruised again it wouldn't be on DCl. I got the feeling they didn't feel it was worth the money. The probably spent more on excursions then I did on the whole cruise. We've stayed away from DCL excursions. I've done a couple and was disappointed both times. I think the more I cruise and travel the better I get at cutting costs. Some people book everything through Disney for convenience, overspend in the gift shop, spa treatments, photo packages and walk away with a huge bill and say never again.

Yup I know its weird to some people but when i book a cruise. That is my vacation i want to sit and relax. Normally we
stay away from DCL excursions but will try sometimes. That last time on our 11 night Fantasy i spent more on excursions
than I ever have and walked away thinking ..."that won't be happening again". Unless it is Alaska.

 

[Shanti]

I have a DCL Med cruise booked for this upcoming summer. I constantly see people saying other cruise lines are a lot less money. I have searched and searched, and really don't find that to be true. I think the difference though is that there are only 2 of us travelling. I think with only 2, the price difference just isn't much. I think it is when you have more than 2 travelers, there is a much bigger difference. Also, when I look at some of the other ships, I really don't see much that my daughter would enjoy. Maybe when she's older. She is super happy right now, because as of our cruise that we just took in January, she could go to the Oceaneer's Club/Lab AND Edge. She was constantly busy with super fun activities.

I agree that the price difference is less for two people, and that for most kids, DCL is the way to go.

 

[jujubiee4]

I long for the day I can rent the 2 royals and the middle room on Fantasy or Dream, and bring the extended family on the trip...

That must have been truly be something. I get super excited if we get a veranda.

I've seen pictures of the royal room. It is gorgeous. I would have thought i was
dreaming.

 

[cadien]

NCL released most of their 2019 schedule back in December. Some of the northern European cruises have yet to be released for some reason, though the Baltic itinerary has.

I'll just mention something because I've seen it discussed quite a bit on Cruise Critic. When NCL started using the Getaway / Breakaway (depending on the summer) for the Baltic route, there were a lot of complaints about them not always being able to dock directly in Stockholm. Apparently due to the size of those ships, they can't always sail all the way to Stockholm due to weather conditions and end up docking a good ways away from the city center. Depending on who you listen to, that either isn't a big deal or it ruined their entire cruise. I understand that the sail in to Stockholm is pretty spectacular so you could miss out on that, and I'm sure it also reduces your time in Stockholm a bit, but personally it wouldn't deter me from choosing that cruise. Just something you might want to check on if any of that's important to you.

We picked the itinerary that overnights in Stockholm just to be on the safe side!

Their switch to the bigger ships was a disappointment.

 

[cruiser21]

I actually have found that to be true sometimes also when i look. I wonder if they are catching sales?

It depends on how many are in your cabin. On NCL the 3rd and 4th person are usually free, and on Carnival they are a nominal fee. I'm not sure about Royal, but I usually see kids sail free and 50% off on 2nd, third and 4th passengers. DCL does not give a break to the kids in the cabin they are nearly full price.

 

[GREG6120]

I hate to say but the first place that I will cut back is tipping. To pay $13,000 for a 7 day cruise and then have an added $500 for tips at the end is obnoxious. If Disney wants their employees paid well, then they need to cut back on the outrageous costs to go on a cruise.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

You are not alone. This is literally me walking into the VGT/FL Res discount thread hoping for a miracle to see if I can afford it.

 

[oumagic]

We have only been on one DCL cruise last year on Magic. We enjoyed it and are going on another DCL cruise Dec 2018 on Wonder. My expectations in some areas were not met, particularly because of price. How can I not get a tea refill on DCL in a timely manner when I can on Carnival/Princess? How could my steak be perfect on Carnival and not on DCL when I pay so much more? At times, their pricing can be their own worst enemy because it helps set expectations so high. In other areas, they exceeded expectations. Carnival shows simply could not compare to Disney for my family. The theme/decor was much better for my family. I liked going to movies. If I just pay for it and forget how much I pay, I enjoy DCL. Part of the allure of Carnival is that I cannot believe what fun they supply for the price.

I still do not feel that they are worth the price difference to my family of four. But some of our other traveling party do feel that they are so we either sail without them on another line or with them on Disney. Sailing with my dad and brother and niece/nephew is worth the price

I am probably booking a fall cruise for our family of 4. DCL total cost is $6215.08 for an inside room for 7 nights to Mexico from San Diego and this cruise is nearly sold out. Mexico for 7 nights on Carnival for inside room is $1891.60.

The Cloud 9 spa balcony room we likely will get is $2761.60. The Grand Suite that we are contemplating is $3721.60.

 

[momof2n2]

I have been priced out since almost immediately after our 2014 Cruise. Thankfully NCL has a product we like for a price we are comfortable with.

I still look at IGT/OGT/VGT page Now and then just in case. ;-)

 

[momof2n2]

No your not the only one.

I have done 9 cruises with DCL and last year we decided to cruise with RCI so we could do a comparison and because they were so much cheaper. This year we are booked with Princess Cruises and have booked a mini-suite for £1600 for 14 days (Mediterranean cruise). I am actually more excited to go with different cruise lines so i can see what they have to offer than to go with DCL and i never thought i would say that.

I love Princess!!!

 

[mmmears]

Not totally priced out, but it's not something we can do with the frequency I see others posters sail. I guess we kind of go for the itineraries that we find more interesting, which also increases the cost. Will we consider other lines? Absolutely. For our upcoming cruise (which costs enough that I can't say it'll be a great value no matter how good the service will be or how much we love Disney) I actually wasn't able to find another line that had a comparable itinerary at the exact time that worked for my family. Hoping it'll be a great trip, and I hope it's not our last. I don't see the prices plunging though, even with the 3 new ships on order.

I am just looking at the $6500 for a verandah room vs the $1300 I could spend on maintenance fees for my DVC points for an Oceanview studio at Aulani to make my comparison. For me the flight is about $1200 more for my family to get to Hawaii vs Florida from Toronto (or Buffalo in the case of Florida we are equal drive to both airports), I figure my family might spend $2000 on food since prices in Hawaii are high but that still leaves $2000 left over (cost to get to and from the airport vs cost to rent a car in Hawaii for a week is the same)

While I think that DCL prices are sky high right now, I honestly don't think it's fair to compare a cash vacation with a timeshare that you've already paid for. And without DVC points, Aulani is not anything close to being a great value. Just my 2¢.

 

[mevelandry]

I hate to say but the first place that I will cut back is tipping. To pay $13,000 for a 7 day cruise and then have an added $500 for tips at the end is obnoxious. If Disney wants their employees paid well, then they need to cut back on the outrageous costs to go on a cruise.

It doesn't sound fair to make the CMs pay for the choices of DCL (who are only looking for profits). You think they are going to care? They won't.

If you want to make an impact, you shouldn't give them your money at all.

 

[newdeal]

While I think that DCL prices are sky high right now, I honestly don't think it's fair to compare a cash vacation with a timeshare that you've already paid for. And without DVC points, Aulani is not anything close to being a great value. Just my 2¢.

You could rent points and stay at Aulani and even though that would cost like double or a little more than double of what I would pay with maintenance fees for the point it would STILL end up cheaper than a cruise.

 

[SunnyDhappy]

When I went on our first DCL cruise (a 7-day in 2014), we got a Concierge 1-room suite and paid full price for it, just under $12,000 (it was a one-time super splurge after a huge year for my company, but it was well worth it). We booked it in early 2013 I think. The sail date was around April 7th, 2014, heart of spring break.

Now that same cruise in that same room costs $20,000+, almost double the price. Not only can we not afford that, but the smaller Concierge 300 sqr foot room (half the size) is now in the $12k range! CRAZY.

Here are my thoughts on why this is happening:

1. Supply and demand:

Disney still only has 4 ships and demand keeps going up, driving prices up yearly. Disney needs to build those 3 new ships ASAP! Prices will not go down, but they may stabilize if Disney can expand their offerings. Otherwise it just becomes a cruise for the same rich people over and over and it makes the normal Joe not want to "do Disney" anymore. Bad for their brand. Disneyland (in California) right now is having the same exact problem, and unfortunately they have no room to expand. Annual prices just go up and up and up much faster than the Walt Disney World rate. Expansion can do a world of good for Disney AND for us here. It's a win-win in a good economy.

2. The 1% (or 5%):

"The rich get richer" is a idiom which is generally true right now. As the top earners continue to make more, and the middle class get pushed down via inflation, housing prices, etc, Disney is becoming more of a rich-mans vacation. It's in the parks, it's at the movies, it's on the cruises.... it's all getting more expensive. The top earners can afford to pay the $50,000 for the Royal Suite. Heck, Disney could make it $100k and it'd still sell, why not? When a person with $5 million now has $10 million, why not double the price of your rooms? Not sure how to solve this one, and let's just leave it at that.

3. Stock price:

Disney is constantly pushed to deliver on quarterly and yearly earnings, and they must continue to increase prices to show "growth" and "profits" for shareholders on Wall Street to be happy. Apple is running into the same problem.... an iPhone X now costs over $1000. Why? To keep margins up and keep shareholders happy. Eventually this model will break, but until then, prices go up and up and up until people stop paying. When the economy is good (like it is now), it just gets higher.

Anyway, my opinions.

Ethan

Very similar experience is that 2015 we paid 6,000 for a 7 night in June now that 7 night is 9,500-10K. ( family of 4)

We are upper middle class with no debt other than mortage, probably upper 5-10% and budget $10K per year for travel. If we were only to do Disney cruise, we'd only be able to do one vacation a year. We have now looked at other cruise lines. MSC, NCL and Princess. Last year, we did 3 cruises (Princess, NCL and MSC) for the cost of 1 Disney cruise peak week.

I am like who the heck is affording these prices! I guess if it is a one and done deal, maybe if you want to travel only once a week or every couple of years.

I think there are a lot of people going in debt to be able to afford Disney prices in the last 2 years not only cruise prices but WDW prices that are skyrocketing as well.

I am glad we had our Disney fill when our kids were young as I feel bad for young families now wanting to have a DCL experience and paying these rates.

 

[SunnyDhappy]

No your not the only one.

I have done 9 cruises with DCL and last year we decided to cruise with RCI so we could do a comparison and because they were so much cheaper. This year we are booked with Princess Cruises and have booked a mini-suite for £1600 for 14 days (Mediterranean cruise). I am actually more excited to go with different cruise lines so i can see what they have to offer than to go with DCL and i never thought i would say that.

I hear you! After 13 DCL cruises and being a previous die hard "DCL is the only way to cruise attitude", we started to get priced out and tried Princess last year. We were so delighted with our trip. Princess is like Disney without all the Mickey's and Disney shows. Princess customer service is tremendous, food and food options were delightful and entertainment was pretty awesome. I loved the Movies under the Stars every night. We have another Princess cruise planned for spring break this year and so stinking excited to go back.

 

[Frozen2014]

Very similar experience is that 2015 we paid 6,000 for a 7 night in June now that 7 night is 9,500-10K. ( family of 4)

We are upper middle class with no debt other than mortage, probably upper 5-10% and budget $10K per year for travel. If we were only to do Disney cruise, we'd only be able to do one vacation a year. We have now looked at other cruise lines. MSC, NCL and Princess. Last year, we did 3 cruises (Princess, NCL and MSC) for the cost of 1 Disney cruise peak week.

I am like who the heck is affording these prices! I guess if it is a one and done deal, maybe if you want to travel only once a week or every couple of years.

I think there are a lot of people going in debt to be able to afford Disney prices in the last 2 years not only cruise prices but WDW prices that are skyrocketing as well.

I am glad we had our Disney fill when our kids were young as I feel bad for young families now wanting to have a DCL experience and paying these rates.

Does that include airfare? That adds to the cost too. I'll add too that for us and other Canadians, we need to convert to CAD which is even scarier (or sadder).

We cruise Royal due to the cost (and now our kids are a bit older so Royal is perfect) but I'll say that cruising in general has gone up. In 2016 we went on Allure (we considered Fantasy but for reasons just mentioned went with Royal). Today that same Allure cruise is $2k more....but still much more afforable than Disney.

 

[MUN]

It doesn't sound fair to make the CMs pay for the choices of DCL (who are only looking for profits). You think they are going to care? They won't.

If you want to make an impact, you shouldn't give them your money at all.

I will point out that Disney is a for-profit company and not a charity. A main goal of theirs is to maximize return for shareholders. However, I don't agree that people should withhold tips to the CM's.

 

[bobbiwoz]

When we stop liking DCL, we will stop buying. Booked an IGT 7 night for early March. We looked at other lines, itineraries, in the end we both WANTED the DISNEY PRODUCT, even in an inside cabin.