Has the price of DCL chased you away?

[cruiser21]

It's causing way too much unnecessary stress! I had decided on the Adventure of the Seas (RCL) but then I read where a DCL cruiser hated it and went back..we may not get another 'vacation' for a few years with all three of our kids in college this Fall...it kills me to be disappointed...My kids are 18,19, 21...which ship would you go on? We chose Adventure b/c we could sail out of San Juan, PR and see Southern Caribbean, we've done 3 Caribbean cruises with DCL so have hit many of the ports on Eastern/Western

I like the ports on the Vista and Horizon. Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk and Dominican republic. I also like the Western on the Getaway that goes to Honduras and Belize. I haven't been to any of those ports that's why I like them. We have done a Southern on DCL and they don't seem to change up the itiinerary on that one either. There's a few DCL cruisers on here that have had positive things to say about the Vista. I don't put a lot of stock in negative reviews from DCL cruisers because other lines are not Disney. They may be just as good or better then Disney, but they are not Disney. I think some DCL fans have a hard time separating Disney from cruising. I cruise to see parts of the world that are easier to get to by ship. Others cruise on DCL as a replacement to going to WDW.

 

[seacruise]

I'm out at the moment. I will book DCL again one day but I can't justify the prices right now.

Just did a quick check for cruises for Feb 2018:

DCL - Feb 11th - 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Leaving from: Port Canaveral, Florida
Aboard: Disney Wonder
Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
4 Guests
$9068.00 CDN (plus tips, international airfare, etc)

I completely love DCL and have a pretty decent family income and can't justify paying double!!! It's hard for a die hard Disney fan when you can't justify Disney prices.

Wow, it is pretty incredible how much the DCL prices go up over time. We are booked on the Wonder for Feb 18th (Presidents Day week) and are paying ~half that for a balcony for 4. We booked on opening day though and used a future cruise credit. I would not pay 9k for a 7 day Caribbean sailing on DCL, but obviously plenty of people will.

We did one RCCL cruise pre-kids on the Radiance and it honestly wasn't great. Haven't had any desire to go back, but maybe when the kids outgrow Disney (does that really happen). When we aren't on DCL we almost always do HAL and Princess which both work really well for our family. We did a 10 day HAL cruise in Feb for much less than next years DCL cruise.

 

[cruiser21]

Wow, it is pretty incredible how much the DCL prices go up over time. We are booked on the Wonder for Feb 18th (Presidents Day week) and are paying ~half that for a balcony for 4. We booked on opening day though and used a future cruise credit. I would not pay 9k for a 7 day Caribbean sailing on DCL, but obviously plenty of people will.

We did one RCCL cruise pre-kids on the Radiance and it honestly wasn't great. Haven't had any desire to go back, but maybe when the kids outgrow Disney (does that really happen). When we aren't on DCL we almost always do HAL and Princess which both work really well for our family. We did a 10 day HAL cruise in Feb for much less than next years DCL cruise.

Do they outgrow Disney? No. Will they have a good time on different ships? Most likely. One thing my kids understand as they get older is cost and the value of a dollar. I discuss the costs of different cruises with my kids. As much as they like DCL they are usually shocked at the price difference. A couple thousand dollars seems like a ton of money to a kid. Of course they started thinking of all the cool things they could buy with a couple thousand dollars. Kids sometimes have a way of putting things in perspective.

 

[cgolf]

Do they outgrow Disney? No. Will they have a good time on different ships? Most likely. One thing my kids understand as they get older is cost and the value of a dollar. I discuss the costs of different cruises with my kids. As much as they like DCL they are usually shocked at the price difference. A couple thousand dollars seems like a ton of money to a kid. Of course they started thinking of all the cool things they could buy with a couple thousand dollars. Kids sometimes have a way of putting things in perspective.

They may not outgrow Disney, but if they cruise often enough they may get tired of the repetitiveness of a DCL cruise. I know that happened to us to the point we hardly ever went to a show anymore on DCL. In a 4 year span starting in 2016, we will have done the Magic, Freedom, I believe serenade (mid 2000 person capacity RCCL ship), and the new Celebrity Edge in 2019, which will give us new experiences to tryout instead of the same old thing. Then we may be onto the new DCL ships, and hopefully the kid will be out of college so we can foot the bill

 

[cruiser21]

They may not outgrow Disney, but if they cruise often enough they may get tired of the repetitiveness of a DCL cruise. I know that happened to us to the point we hardly ever went to a show anymore on DCL. In a 4 year span starting in 2016, we will have done the Magic, Freedom, I believe serenade (mid 2000 person capacity RCCL ship), and the new Celebrity Edge in 2019, which will give us new experiences to tryout instead of the same old thing. Then we may be onto the new DCL ships, and hopefully the kid will be out of college so we can foot the bill

I haven't been to a show in 13 cruises. At least not the traditional shows. I will go if it's a special guest, comedian etc.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

It's causing way too much unnecessary stress! I had decided on the Adventure of the Seas (RCL) but then I read where a DCL cruiser hated it and went back..we may not get another 'vacation' for a few years with all three of our kids in college this Fall...it kills me to be disappointed...My kids are 18,19, 21...which ship would you go on? We chose Adventure b/c we could sail out of San Juan, PR and see Southern Caribbean, we've done 3 Caribbean cruises with DCL so have hit many of the ports on Eastern/Western

I've done two Southern itineraries on RCCL. One on the Adventure and one on the Jewel. I believe the Adventure has since been in dry dock.

I enjoyed both cruises, but while I've sailed DCL I'm not really a "DCL cruiser". Be aware that there are a lot of locals that sail out of San Juan. They tend to be quite energetic! We ran into groups chanting and singing in the elevators. It got to be a bit much for us as we're quieter people lol. In no way did it ruin the cruise for us, but I think it's worth mentioning.

I flat out don't like cruise ship MDR food, so my comparison to DCL is probably not helpful haha. I think Chops is worth the upcharge, though it's not spectacular (again I have actually enjoyed very few cruise ship meals. I'm hoping my planned Crystal cruise breaks the trend lol).

We do like the anytime dining option. Even though we made reservations for a set time every night, the my time dining area is much smaller and feel less chaotic than the MDR. This is only a plus if you don't necessarily enjoy the typical cruise dining with half the ship.

The Flow rider is fun-there is usually a line but nothing too painful. Wear a rashguard!!! I accidentally flashed and entire deck after a tumble.

What style of cruisers are you guys? I think that can make a big difference.

 

[RedSox68]

After 16 great cruises with DCL, we have for the 1st time cancelled a future cruise because of the price of the cruises. We unfortunately can only cruise during peak time since me wife is a teacher and as everyone knows.............Peak time = $$$$$$. For the 1st time in 10 years we are considering other cruise lines. Anyone in the same "boat" as us?

It is emotional to admit that yes, sadly, we had to stray from Disney for most of our future cruises. Disney was our very first cruise and we consider the Magic our home; but even though we can sail any time of the year, the only cruise we found reasonably priced in the last three years was the upcoming WBTA in September. We have cruised 16 times - 10 on Disney and are now platinum and hope to use those benefits in the future, but overall we can't afford Disney pricing.

We were in the "won't get better service on any other line" thought pattern because we were living the dream on Disney. Of course, never having cruised before we didn't know what else was out there and at the time we were afraid to try anyone else. I have mentioned on several threads how once we branched out we realized how much we could save -- literally thousands over what Disney was charging for the same itinerary and room category. Examples: we saved $6,000 on our HAL Alaska cruise compared to Disney's for same itinerary (except for Glacier Bay) and same category stateroom; we saved $7,000 on the Princess 12-night British Isles cruise -- same itinerary and category stateroom; and we saved $2,000 plus by taking Carnival out of NYC to Canada compared to what they wanted for the Magic cruise out of NYC. With hindsight looking at past sailings, we realize we really did spend more than we needed to -- but wouldn't change any of those memories.

As much as we love Disney and what they offer and the confidence they provide in a good cruise and experience, in branching out we have also seen that on other lines they offer just as good service, excellent food, great staff and wonderful staterooms. Granted, we don't have young children so for many they may not like the children's clubs/activities on other lines, but I think those lines are improving and adding more and more for families with young children and many will in the future brave a new venture for less money.

I know many on these threads wonder why we post on here if we "hate" Disney's prices. I don't hate them, I just don't understand them. And if I could afford to do nothing but Disney, I would as they have always taken such good care of us (even through two hurricanes and mechanical issues). And many of us who are touting other lines for the sake of saving money aren't dissing Disney, just providing other alternatives and our experiences on other lines so they won't be so afraid to try it.

I hope with the two new ships maybe Disney will have more of an opportunity to offer better prices and give families more of a chance to stay loyal.

 

[cyclenut]

Our first DCL cruise was to Alaska and we were disappointed. Since then, we will never recommend DCL to Alaska. The itinerary is expensive no matter what line you do it on, but Disney is really high. Alaska is about the scenery primarily and Disney has yet to figure out how to make Alaska look better from their ship. Why pay the higher price? We shared our experience with many people within Disney. In fact, we were surprised to learn how many of our suggestions appeared on the Wonder just a few short months later. We don't think we were solely responsible, but based on who Disney had us talk to, we know our feedback made a difference.

What we did after our Alaska experience is call Disney to tell them what happened and what we thought they should do to fix it. Then we told them that we were so disappointed in them that even as avid Disney fans, we were cancelling the future cruise we had already booked, which is exactly what we did. Disney eventually decided to give us an OBC to give them another shot, which we did. We were pleasently surprised.

We learned a few things from the experience.
1) Disney does listen to guests
2) Disney can be a good value, if you have flexibility and are willing to be patient.
3) It's all about expectations

I place a lot of responsibility on my vacation dollar. That Alsaka cruise was expensive for us because of how we booked it. We booked it just a few months before sailing and we booked three cabins for our crew of seven. Boys in one cabin and girls in another and one for my wife and I. We could have saved a lot of money cutting it down to two, but our youngest was 16, so it made sense. We later booked a WDW vacation for our group (plus one granddaughter) and also booked three rooms (POR). Pretty much the same duration of time and during peak season (Christmas). Once again, very expensive. This time, we had the right expectations and we had a very enjoyable experience.

More recently we took a trip to Disneyland, a place we used to spend a LOT of time at since we lived nearby and had annual passes. We now live in TX, so this trip (nearly 4 years since our last trip) was great, but also expensive. We were a bit surprised at how much it actually cost us, even though I used points and stayed at the Spring Hill Suites across the street. Three day park hopper tickets, meals, etc. It adds up quickly.

The answer really is that Disney is pricing us out, for some things. They are not our "go to" or "default" vacation destination. They are our "experience" vacation. When we want something very specific and know we can only get that with Disney, we will choose them. Land or sea, it will only be Disney for those certain circumstances.

Our next DCL experience will be in April of 2018. We have a discount on that one and one OBB to figure out when we'll take.

 

[deanimal]

Short answer: yes

 

[aprincessatlast]

Short answer: yes

uhh its the disboards! Short answers are not excepted here. We want your full opinion! lol We want details!!

 

[RedSox68]

Our first DCL cruise was to Alaska and we were disappointed. Since then, we will never recommend DCL to Alaska. The itinerary is expensive no matter what line you do it on, but Disney is really high. Alaska is about the scenery primarily and Disney has yet to figure out how to make Alaska look better from their ship. Why pay the higher price? We shared our experience with many people within Disney. In fact, we were surprised to learn how many of our suggestions appeared on the Wonder just a few short months later. We don't think we were solely responsible, but based on who Disney had us talk to, we know our feedback made a difference.

Just curious, what specifically were you disappointed in?

 

[Trekker]

Yes it has - our last 3 cruises have been on RCI/RCL.

Doing NCL next tear - but only because we are cruising Pride of America around the Hawaiian Islands.

 

[wilkeliza]

We just priced out our 2018 cruise (I know late to the game) and I have to admit while we are probably still going it was a massive sticker shock. The same cruise we did 2 years ago and I mean exact same is now 2 times what we paid even factoring out the discounts. We paid roughly 1,000 per a person on the last cruise and this time it will be 2,000. We are even booking about 2 months earlier then we did last time (last time we decided in June for a February cruise this is April). I was showing the prices to my fiance and he was just aghast. He thought I was doing something wrong in the search for it to be that high. We are considering a 5 day instead of a 7 day since the price drops significantly if you are willing to give up 2 days.

 

[mevelandry]

I like the ports on the Vista and Horizon. Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk and Dominican republic. I also like the Western on the Getaway that goes to Honduras and Belize. I haven't been to any of those ports that's why I like them. We have done a Southern on DCL and they don't seem to change up the itiinerary on that one either. There's a few DCL cruisers on here that have had positive things to say about the Vista. I don't put a lot of stock in negative reviews from DCL cruisers because other lines are not Disney. They may be just as good or better then Disney, but they are not Disney. I think some DCL fans have a hard time separating Disney from cruising. I cruise to see parts of the world that are easier to get to by ship. Others cruise on DCL as a replacement to going to WDW.

I agree. I have read great reviews about the Vista here. Since I liked the Victory, I'm pretty co fodent that I'll like my Vista cruise too.

 

[kaseyC]

We have not been chased away but I will be more selective with the DCL cruises I choose. We will probably do a few more TA crossings because I feel those are a great value.

We just returned last Saturday from our first RCCL cruise on the Harmony of the Seas. As I mentioned before we are concierge cruisers on DCL and NCL. We love NCL's Haven experience and feel the concierge service and perks are better than DCL. I can now add my opinion of RCCL Royal Suite Class, which IMO, is better than DCL. We were in a Crown Loft suite which is a two level suite with a wall of windows and a fantastic balcony. Service was exceptional from the concierge team, room stewards, Coastal Kitchen hostess and concierge lounge bartenders. What we loved about the concierge experience:

- Priority embarkation and debarkation
- Unlimited Voom wifi - one device pp.
- Concierge lounge and dedicated Concierge Restaurant - Coastal Kitchen
- wine, beer and soft drinks available from 11-11 in the lounge.
- bottles of water and the fancy coffee drinks from the fancy coffee machine available during opening hours
- Happy hour from 5:00 - 8:30 in the CL offered complimentary top shelf liquor and custom cocktails (the bartenders were wonderful, they would and could make almost any drink you wanted)
- No need for reservations for the shows. 2 rows were reserved for Concierge guests at every theatre including the Aqua theatre and the Ice skating rink. Just had to show your key card at least 10 minutes before show time. After that the seats would be released to whoever.
- Suites only sun deck with key card entrance and bar service. The sundeck also had a few cabanas. No reservation necessary just first come first serve.
- Private island Labadee had a gated Concierge beach called Barefoot Beach Club. It had plenty of lounge chairs plus a variety of cabanas for rental.
- Barefoot Beach Club upgraded lunch buffet which had steaks, lamb chops and shrimp skewers as well as the usual grill fare


What we loved about the ship overall:
- Great shows especially the Aqua Theatre shows with the high divers and synchronized swimmers and the Ice Shows.
- the variety of activities. I traveled with my 2 youngest DDs (15 & 13) and my DD(15) best friend who was 16. They were busy constantly with some youth club activities but mostly on their own. Doing the slides (water and non water), zip lining, boogie boarding on the flow rider, mini golf. They also enjoyed dressing up and taking pictures in Central Park and the Boardwalk.


Let me mention price since that is what this thread is about. Our Spring Break cruise (March 25-April 1) in a Crown Loft suite (so not even the least expensive suite on the Harmony) was a bit under $9K for 4 passengers. At the time I booked the Harmony the Disney Fantasy for the same week in a 1 bedroom suite was a bit under 27k. This is a basic 7 night Caribbean cruise. As someone who has sailed 9 of my 10 DCL cruises in concierge, IMO, there is nothing DCL offers in the concierge or Disney experience that is worth 17k more.

 

[RedSox68]

Let me mention price since that is what this thread is about. Our Spring Break cruise (March 25-April 1) in a Crown Loft suite (so not even the least expensive suite on the Harmony) was a bit under $9K for 4 passengers. At the time I booked the Harmony the Disney Fantasy for the same week in a 1 bedroom suite was a bit under 27k. This is a basic 7 night Caribbean cruise. As someone who has sailed 9 of my 10 DCL cruises in concierge, IMO, there is nothing DCL offers in the concierge or Disney experience that is worth 17k more.

WOW, that is a significance difference! And that is not even a specialty itinerary!

 

[cgolf]

We have not been chased away but I will be more selective with the DCL cruises I choose. We will probably do a few more TA crossings because I feel those are a great value.

We just returned last Saturday from our first RCCL cruise on the Harmony of the Seas. As I mentioned before we are concierge cruisers on DCL and NCL. We love NCL's Haven experience and feel the concierge service and perks are better than DCL. I can now add my opinion of RCCL Royal Suite Class, which IMO, is better than DCL. We were in a Crown Loft suite which is a two level suite with a wall of windows and a fantastic balcony. Service was exceptional from the concierge team, room stewards, Coastal Kitchen hostess and concierge lounge bartenders. What we loved about the concierge experience:

- Priority embarkation and debarkation
- Unlimited Voom wifi - one device pp.
- Concierge lounge and dedicated Concierge Restaurant - Coastal Kitchen
- wine, beer and soft drinks available from 11-11 in the lounge.
- bottles of water and the fancy coffee drinks from the fancy coffee machine available during opening hours
- Happy hour from 5:00 - 8:30 in the CL offered complimentary top shelf liquor and custom cocktails (the bartenders were wonderful, they would and could make almost any drink you wanted)
- No need for reservations for the shows. 2 rows were reserved for Concierge guests at every theatre including the Aqua theatre and the Ice skating rink. Just had to show your key card at least 10 minutes before show time. After that the seats would be released to whoever.
- Suites only sun deck with key card entrance and bar service. The sundeck also had a few cabanas. No reservation necessary just first come first serve.
- Private island Labadee had a gated Concierge beach called Barefoot Beach Club. It had plenty of lounge chairs plus a variety of cabanas for rental.
- Barefoot Beach Club upgraded lunch buffet which had steaks, lamb chops and shrimp skewers as well as the usual grill fare


What we loved about the ship overall:
- Great shows especially the Aqua Theatre shows with the high divers and synchronized swimmers and the Ice Shows.
- the variety of activities. I traveled with my 2 youngest DDs (15 & 13) and my DD(15) best friend who was 16. They were busy constantly with some youth club activities but mostly on their own. Doing the slides (water and non water), zip lining, boogie boarding on the flow rider, mini golf. They also enjoyed dressing up and taking pictures in Central Park and the Boardwalk.


Let me mention price since that is what this thread is about. Our Spring Break cruise (March 25-April 1) in a Crown Loft suite (so not even the least expensive suite on the Harmony) was a bit under $9K for 4 passengers. At the time I booked the Harmony the Disney Fantasy for the same week in a 1 bedroom suite was a bit under 27k. This is a basic 7 night Caribbean cruise. As someone who has sailed 9 of my 10 DCL cruises in concierge, IMO, there is nothing DCL offers in the concierge or Disney experience that is worth 17k more.

If you have done a review of this trip, somewhere could you pm me a link. These rooms would normally be off our radar, except maybe for a special anniversary in the future. I am really curious what they are like. When we recently looked at the Fantasy Cat V off peak for 2 it was over 7k which makes your price look like a steal. The Fantasy is a ship we only experienced Concierge which was really pretty nice.

 

[kaseyC]

If you have done a review of this trip, somewhere could you pm me a link. These rooms would normally be off our radar, except maybe for a special anniversary in the future. I am really curious what they are like. When we recently looked at the Fantasy Cat V off peak for 2 it was over 7k which makes your price look like a steal. The Fantasy is a ship we only experienced Concierge which was really pretty nice.

I don't do reviews because I'm just not organized enough but I'll be happy to answer any questions. You can PM me if you want. I'm not great with posting pics but I will try.

 

[tinkerone]

We have not been chased away but I will be more selective with the DCL cruises I choose. We will probably do a few more TA crossings because I feel those are a great value.

We just returned last Saturday from our first RCCL cruise on the Harmony of the Seas. As I mentioned before we are concierge cruisers on DCL and NCL. We love NCL's Haven experience and feel the concierge service and perks are better than DCL. I can now add my opinion of RCCL Royal Suite Class, which IMO, is better than DCL. We were in a Crown Loft suite which is a two level suite with a wall of windows and a fantastic balcony. Service was exceptional from the concierge team, room stewards, Coastal Kitchen hostess and concierge lounge bartenders. What we loved about the concierge experience:

- Priority embarkation and debarkation
- Unlimited Voom wifi - one device pp.
- Concierge lounge and dedicated Concierge Restaurant - Coastal Kitchen
- wine, beer and soft drinks available from 11-11 in the lounge.
- bottles of water and the fancy coffee drinks from the fancy coffee machine available during opening hours
- Happy hour from 5:00 - 8:30 in the CL offered complimentary top shelf liquor and custom cocktails (the bartenders were wonderful, they would and could make almost any drink you wanted)
- No need for reservations for the shows. 2 rows were reserved for Concierge guests at every theatre including the Aqua theatre and the Ice skating rink. Just had to show your key card at least 10 minutes before show time. After that the seats would be released to whoever.
- Suites only sun deck with key card entrance and bar service. The sundeck also had a few cabanas. No reservation necessary just first come first serve.
- Private island Labadee had a gated Concierge beach called Barefoot Beach Club. It had plenty of lounge chairs plus a variety of cabanas for rental.
- Barefoot Beach Club upgraded lunch buffet which had steaks, lamb chops and shrimp skewers as well as the usual grill fare


What we loved about the ship overall:
- Great shows especially the Aqua Theatre shows with the high divers and synchronized swimmers and the Ice Shows.
- the variety of activities. I traveled with my 2 youngest DDs (15 & 13) and my DD(15) best friend who was 16. They were busy constantly with some youth club activities but mostly on their own. Doing the slides (water and non water), zip lining, boogie boarding on the flow rider, mini golf. They also enjoyed dressing up and taking pictures in Central Park and the Boardwalk.


Let me mention price since that is what this thread is about. Our Spring Break cruise (March 25-April 1) in a Crown Loft suite (so not even the least expensive suite on the Harmony) was a bit under $9K for 4 passengers. At the time I booked the Harmony the Disney Fantasy for the same week in a 1 bedroom suite was a bit under 27k. This is a basic 7 night Caribbean cruise. As someone who has sailed 9 of my 10 DCL cruises in concierge, IMO, there is nothing DCL offers in the concierge or Disney experience that is worth 17k more.

The Aqua Theatre show blew us away! On the Oasis it was called Oasis of Dreams and it was very Cirque du Soleil, just amazing. I've just seen the DCL shows to many times to still appreciate the beauty.

 

[cgolf]

I don't do reviews because I'm just not organized enough but I'll be happy to answer any questions. You can PM me if you want. I'm not great with posting pics but I will try.

I figured if you had a review up somewhere I would take a look. Thanks for the offer though. We are looking 5 years out at this point to our 25th anniversary. Because in theory our DD will have been out of college at least a couple of years and we will be free of those payments, so we could splurge again on a nicer cruise.

What had gotten me interested in those rooms, was seeing them across the dock when we were on the Freedom, they looked pretty cool. They also sound more reasonable than some of the suites on the new Celebrity Edge. We just booked an inside on the edge to get on the ship and see what it is all about. Having a kid in college really puts a damper on cruise planning