Has the price of DCL chased you away?

[dani24]

Our first DCL cruise is in May, so I haven't experienced it first hand. We've sailed 4 times with Princess (just DH and I -- the DCL will be DD's first cruise). We've looked at DCL in the past, but always immediately noped-out because the cost was more than we felt comfortable spending. It's not that we can't afford it, it's just that we prioritize our vacation dollars differently. Some of the prices I've seen quoted on here, or when looking at other itineraries on the DCL site give me heartburn!

What changed this time is that our daughter is about to turn 5 and start Kindergarten. We wanted to do something extra special for her while we still had flexibility (we are not believers in pulling kids out of school for vacation). We found a 5 day repo on DCL for $3000 in a cat 9C for the three of us. We still experienced sticker shock, but it also looked like a bargain compared to the pricing on other DCL sailings. Especially considering we could have done a 6 day on Princess with a similar itinerary in the same category also this Spring, for about $1800 total. Even comparing what we spend on extras, DCL looks like it's going to cost us way more than on Princess (and we tend to do a lot of special experiences on Princess -- Chef's Dinner, spa days, Bingo, specialty dining, balcony dining, casino, etc.) But our daughter only turns 5 and starts Kindergarten once, right?

We love Princess, and there are a lot of things that I've seen DCL doesn't have that Princess does that I'm bummed about. But I also realize DCL has many other unique things that we can't get elsewhere, and we're looking forward to enjoying that at least once. It's not a direct apples to apples comparison, and we are swallowing the premium pricing for the novelty of DCL.

That said... DCL will really have to blow us out of the water compared to Princess for us to justify cruising them again in the future. From everything I've read so far, I expect to have a great time, but not great enough to justify a significantly higher cost. We love Disney, but have generally felt we'd rather pay the premium to go to Disneyland (over other amusement parks) than a Disney cruise (over another cruise line), because we aren't convinced the value comparison is the same.

 

[GREG6120]

We just booked a cruise during school vacation in 2018. The price was outrageous. So, if the cruise is not spectacular, since we're paying spectacular prices, we will not be back!

 

[godde8ss]

We've had a similar experience. We've only taken two Disney cruises - one in 2012 and one in 2013. Granted it was only the 3 of us at the time (my DS was not not born yet) but the costs for a 4 night cruise in 2012 was $2800 and the cost for the 2013 7 night cruise was $5,129. (I may be a geek, because I saved the confirmation from the travel agency! ) both of these rooms were cat V and since my DD was only 3 and 4 at the time, pulling her out of preschool for a September cruise was not an issue. (September and December are the slowest times at work - so it's easiest for us to go during those months).

My DD LOVES Disney - and has repeatedly asked to go on another cruise - but we have held off because I felt the price increases since 2013 were very aggressive. Fast forward to 2017 - my two best friends and their families want to go on another Disney cruise. Our kids are in school now - so we priced out a summer cruise in the same cat V. Maybe we were a little late to the game this time in terms of booking - but the cost would have been $18k+ for a family of 4 during the summer. We wound up booking the Fantasy for the first week in December 2017 - and the cost for the week is $10,007 - similar to what one would pay for a September sailing (give or take $500-$1000). My point is that's a pretty big increase since 2013 for the same number of nights and stateroom category. To be fair though, I have no idea what the price increases have been for that same time frame for other cruise lines - or the cruise line industry in general.

So why are we doing it? Well, for one I'm sure it will be a fun trip; my little guy (who will be 3 by then) has never been on a Disney cruise and he wants to go on "Mickey boat, Mamma!!" (we saw the Magic I think in Key West) and my two best friends and their families are going. Yes I am pulling my daughter out of school that week, but it will be a week of half days because of conferences. (I"m trying to make it sound better in my mind). It will probably be a while if/when we do another Disney cruise after this one though. It's not on my husband's list of favorite things - we have a sailboat and he much prefers spending his vacation time sailing. The idea of being on a big cruise ship makes him crazy - but he goes anyway because it makes the kids happy. I love that man! (which is why I book the cat V - to give him some quiet spaces).

We are also cruising Dec 2017/ 1 week on fantasy! My littliest will just be 4.
Parry of 4 in an ocean view cabin. Cost was $4600. What cat are you booked in?

 

[bumbershoot]

So that I'm not ALL just "bleah" on DCL...I was shocked in December to find that my son does NOT like the Teen club on Royal. On Royal they go to Teen at 12, unlike still having the club/lab available to them. Even though he's tall, his voice is changing, and he's got some peach fuzz, he still IS 12, and he felt out of place. He was told later in the cruise that he should have come back after the first night, because he's tall and could have fit in, but a 12 year old acting like he's older isn't a great idea, and even DS knows it.

Alas he is refusing vacations that interfere with his dance schedule now, so we can't take One Last DCL cruise before he's booted from the Lab.

He liked the KID clubs on Royal better than he liked Oceaneers, but it wasn't the same for the teen club.

I'm aware of that. I have kids and I still cruise on DCL. I'm aware of what a single supplement is too. That's pretty standard in the cruise industry.

The words you used in your responses to dug made it sound like you expect everyone to have kids and that you have NO idea what solo travelers might deal with. It did not sound like it was coming from a place of knowledge of where others are coming from. And it really made it sound like she's not allowed to have an opinion since she doesn't have kids. I *have* a kid and I've been priced out (WE like other cruiselines so it's not a hardship, and going on DCL the first time was only because family went and they asked us to join, and many of the things that people love about DCL makes us cringe), but it still just made me cringe.

 

[cruiser21]

So that I'm not ALL just "bleah" on DCL...I was shocked in December to find that my son does NOT like the Teen club on Royal. On Royal they go to Teen at 12, unlike still having the club/lab available to them. Even though he's tall, his voice is changing, and he's got some peach fuzz, he still IS 12, and he felt out of place. He was told later in the cruise that he should have come back after the first night, because he's tall and could have fit in, but a 12 year old acting like he's older isn't a great idea, and even DS knows it.

Alas he is refusing vacations that interfere with his dance schedule now, so we can't take One Last DCL cruise before he's booted from the Lab.

He liked the KID clubs on Royal better than he liked Oceaneers, but it wasn't the same for the teen club.





The words you used in your responses to dug made it sound like you expect everyone to have kids and that you have NO idea what solo travelers might deal with. It did not sound like it was coming from a place of knowledge of where others are coming from. And it really made it sound like she's not allowed to have an opinion since she doesn't have kids. I *have* a kid and I've been priced out (WE like other cruiselines so it's not a hardship, and going on DCL the first time was only because family went and they asked us to join, and many of the things that people love about DCL makes us cringe), but it still just made me cringe.

I think I explained(clarified) myself several times in previous posts. You can go back and read them. I'm not going beat a dead horse. Like I told the person you're trying to defend.... just let it go.

 

[cruiser21]

We need a pretty large cabin. Also need separate beds for the boys (they can't sleep when they share). They are 12 and 11 and if we try to cram into one room, it better be pretty big! We are almost to a point where we can trust them in their own room if it connects. But we can't do insides...One of our kids gets very claustrophobic. When you move to 2 cabins, though, it gets more expensive because you lose the 3rd/4th passenger discount. Two connecting outside cabins on DCL is more expensive than one category 8.

And don't get me started on trying to find connecting cabins on Royal. Their site is abysmal for that.

At this point we are waiting until they are old enough to be in the cabin next door WITHOUT them being connected so we can have more options. Probably in a couple more years we will be there.

I won't do Carnival anymore. Done them twice and it's just not for us. NCL is a possibility.

We cram into one room. It's not so bad because we're barely in the room. It's so expensive to even get two inside rooms. I've only cruised with Carnival on the Breeze when it was new and we're trying the Vista(which I've read good things about this Fall). I know the Vista is close to sold out on many of their Fall cruises so that seems like a good sign to me. I like NCL. The rooms are smaller on NCL, but you could get a mini suite. I don't know if NCL has the promotion going on now, but sometimes they offer third and 4th passenger free. They were even offering it in the Haven on the newer ships. The price was around 6,400 for 4. I don't know what your budget is, but that's a really good price for the Haven. I know very little about Royal. I cruised on them once pre- kids. Their website turns me off so much I don't even bother looking. If we ever go to Asia or Australia they would be my first choice though.

 

[petrola]

We are also cruising Dec 2017/ 1 week on fantasy! My littliest will just be 4.
Parry of 4 in an ocean view cabin. Cost was $4600. What cat are you booked in?

Hi there! my little guy will be 3 1/2 by the time we cruise - would love to meet up if you're interested ... - we will be traveling with friends that also have a 4 year old! We are in cat v. I will look for the cruise meetup thread and post there as well!

 

[darnheather]

For those of you that no longer sail DCL why do you still hang out here? I'm just curious. Honestly, it's your right but I don't understand why'd you want to.

 

[xlxo]

Pixie dust addicted...

 

[Pens Fan]

For those of you that no longer sail DCL why do you still hang out here? I'm just curious. Honestly, it's your right but I don't understand why'd you want to.

Well, if you read all of these posts, a lot of the people commenting DO still plan on sailing DCL, they are just investigating other options as well. So why wouldn't we continue to "hang out here"? As I posted (either here or the other similar thread that's going around - I don't remember which), it is very helpful to me to discuss other cruise lines with people who have sailed on and enjoyed DCL in the past. I enjoy hearing about their experiences on other lines.

If these threads aren't your cup of tea, just skip them.

 

[keaster]

For those of you that no longer sail DCL why do you still hang out here? I'm just curious. Honestly, it's your right but I don't understand why'd you want to.

I answered this earlier in another thread/post...we are not saying we are abandoning ship forever. We still love DCL, we've enjoyed every single trip we've taken. I will keep scoping the website and these boards for any deals that may come along and to keep updated on what is new.

However, reality does set in. With the less than ideal Canadian/US exchange rate, the continuing rise in prices and lack of any deals (like Kids Sail Free) our trips will be fewer and far between. I'll keep an eye on *GT rates but we are not necessarily able to plan last minute trips that fall in line with those rates.

 

[darnheather]

Then obviously my question was not aimed at the two of you. I am asking those that absolutely no longer sail DCL.

 

[lpandorf]

While we are going on DCL to Alaska in June we are trying Celebrity in December. My Dad wants to take a cruise. He has never been on one. We've only cruised DCL so I looked there first. I've got a junior in high school with demanding AP classes and can't pull her out of school so we are stuck with summer and Christmas break. Four day on the Dream during break was 2x the amount of the same four days on the Celebrity Reflection. Budget may be able to handle one DCL trip each year but not a second. The Reflection seems to have good reviews and I think my Dad will enjoy it. Hoping rest of us have a blast too as oldest will be heading off to college in a year and money will be tighter and non-DLC cruise options may be better for us with tuition.

 

[mevelandry]

For those of you that no longer sail DCL why do you still hang out here? I'm just curious. Honestly, it's your right but I don't understand why'd you want to.

This is a copy paste from a post I made in another thread:

A) Some of us plan to cruise DCL again if the price is right.

B) Some of us still like DCL even though we are satisfied/more satisfied with other cruise lines.

C) Some of us love helping people planning their cruises.

D) Some people enjoy Disboards forums.

E) All the responses above.



Also, I will refer you to post #55 of this thread.

 

[tinkerone]

Then obviously my question was not aimed at the two of you. I am asking those that absolutely no longer sail DCL.

I'm not sure anyone has said they will absolutely no longer sail DCL.
In a previous post I have said that I am waiting for the new ships and that I probably will sail with DCL again then, but I am still curious as to what options are out there and how they compare to DCL. As for now I'm forgoing them. But that's for now, why wouldn't I still hang out here? I still like to keep up with what's new or changes that are being made.
I wonder why people keep asking why we don't leave and why we want to compare cruise lines.

 

[cgolf]

Then obviously my question was not aimed at the two of you. I am asking those that absolutely no longer sail DCL.

You probably weren't aiming at me either, but I will answer anyways.

As I have said on other posts, DCL is not ruled out it is just lumped in with all the rest that we look at. If it is a good deal we will jump on it, if not we will cruise a different line. Don't hate DCL, just see it as another option. I will say that now that we have seen a glimpse into the other side, I do look at DCL a little differently, maybe not quite as highly as I previously thought. If interested, check out my DCL RCCL compare on here, I gave both lines good reviews where they deserved it.

For staying on the boards, mostly because I have a good knowledge base of GF cruising on DCL, at least 7 of my 12, and since we aren't fully ruling them out I can keep up with what is happening on DCL. The DCL thread on CC is not very lively at all. If another year or two passes and no DCL for us, I will likely fade away until we find a DCL cruise we can do, figuring that my GF info is good for 2 or 3 years since that is the cycle many on here do.

 

[Sanchez]

Then obviously my question was not aimed at the two of you. I am asking those that absolutely no longer sail DCL.

I will not sail with DCL now given the absurd pricing, but that doesn't mean I will not do so in the future. There are many factors to consider. Therefore, I can answer your question as someone who has no intention of sailing with DCL in the near future.

I don't think that I (or anyone else here) comes on and tells others to not cruise DCL. These price threads pop up regularly which means that pricing is a LEGITIMATE concern that many people have and want to discuss. You may think that it serves no purpose to discuss or complain about pricing, but many want to know about alternatives.

I have some experience to offer. I have sailed several ships in the last few years and am qualified to directly compare those lines/cruises with DCL. When people ask about other lines it certainly helps to have information from sources other than those who only sail DCL or from those who defend DCL at all times and provide incomplete or false information about other lines.

I may be wrong, but your question (and some prior posts) leads me to believe that you are made uncomfortable by criticism of DCL. I happen to believe that the purpose of these boards is more than just cheerleading and over the years I have gained valuable information from many sources. Criticism of DCL is not an attack on you and you are under no obligation to defend them. I find the idea of fish extenders to be ridiculous and therefore do not read those threads. If criticism of DCL pricing is objectionable to you perhaps you would be best served by not participating in those discussions. Why do you feel it necessary to question those who wish to discuss these issues?

 

[LSUfan4444]

Has the price of DCL chased you away?

Not completely, but I have diversified more without question. Cancelled a DCL cruise last year and went to hawaii for 10 days instead (and saved money). This year we switched from a 7 night to a 4 night and added a trip to the Philippines we just got back from. I'm still going to travel and I'm still going to spend alot of money doing it, but there are plenty of other quality vacations that are NOT DCL.

I could be wrong but if someone was chased away from DCL forever, I don't know how much they would frequent a DCL forum. I'm sure there would be some but I wouldn't expect very many (simply because of the sample size/audience).

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Then obviously my question was not aimed at the two of you. I am asking those that absolutely no longer sail DCL.

I really don't think anyone on here said they'd never sail DCL again. We've all been commenting on moving to other lines but also still wanting to continue with DCL if/when possible.

It's also nice to share information with other people who may not be able to afford DCL any longer but still live cruising that there is life outside of DCL. I've helped people to feel a little better about Carnival because of my experience with the Vista last year. I'm also anxiously awaiting our first RCCL cruise based on others experience here.

These boards are for gathering and evaluating information, not just for cheerleading. I hope that helps to answer your question.

 

[cruiser21]

Then obviously my question was not aimed at the two of you. I am asking those that absolutely no longer sail DCL.

I think you have to understand that some of us have done a number of DCL cruises. I've done 14 and about to do my 15th. If your signature is correct you've done 1 DCL cruise. I felt just like you after the first Disney cruise. I've done 14 now and there are only so many pirate nights, mickey parades in the dining room, Disney movies, princess gatherings etc. etc. etc. I can do in one lifetime. I won't even get into the repetitive ports. DCL will always hold a special place in my heart. It was our first cruise as a family, my kids grew up on DCL, but I need variety. I need something fresh. Even my son picked the Carnival Vista over the Fantasy this Fall. I know there are posters on here that can go to WDW year after year, cruise DCL year after year, but some of us like to do new things. It doesn't mean we don't like the old things. It's not always about price either.