How do you convince friends/family that a Disney cruise is totally different than anything they've experienced before

[elemeht]

We've only been on one cruise, but it's just about convinced us to forsake the parks for the cruises since we had such a great experience.
We have some friends that we've done the parks several times with and we're trying to convince to join us on our next cruise. They are anti-cruise because of a bad experience with another cruise line.
How do you tell them that a Disney cruise is totally different than anything they've experienced before and absolutely worth the extra money?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We've only been on one cruise, but it's just about convinced us to forsake the parks for the cruises since we had such a great experience.
We have some friends that we've done the parks several times with and we're trying to convince to join us on our next cruise. They are anti-cruise because of a bad experience with another cruise line.
How do you tell them that a Disney cruise is totally different than anything they've experienced before and absolutely worth the extra money?

Generally, it's impossible to convince someone that "cruising is for you" if they don't want to be convinced.

All you can do it talk up how your cruise was, and hope they may change their minds after hearing about it. Be aware, most of the time subsequent cruises are not as much a "WOW" as first cruises are.

 

[sethschroeder]

I mean you do more in an afternoon than you do a whole trip on a DCL. Which is fine but its basically like a Disney themed and produced beach getaway.

As far as convincing them I would just focus on the fact that Disney can charge 2x of many lines and still get people coming back again and again. Also outline NCL, Carnival, ect are all cruise companies while Disney is an entertainment company who happens to have cruise ships.

 

[hrhdhd]

I agree with Shmoo and will note that having had only one cruise, you don't really know that "a Disney cruise is totally different than anything they've experienced before." Disney is nice, and has that Disney thing, but it's not better than other cruise lines in all aspects.

I wouldn't want to have to talk people into cruising with me. Just go and enjoy yourself. (And what if they have a terrible time on DCL? That wouldn't be good for a friendship.)

 

[gotomu212]

What didn’t they like from their first cruise?

 

[Clojel]

What didn’t they like from their first cruise?

This!! I think you need to find out (if you haven't already) what it is that they didn't like about their first cruise. Was it something that DCL does different...quality of food, service, entertainment options...etc... OR was it that they didn't like "cruising" at all. If the things they didn't like about cruising was the motion of the ocean, cabin size being cramped, pool overcrowded, etc... well...those things don't really change no matter the cruise line.

But, if you think you have a shot at convincing them...my main question would be do they have kids? For me, the big selling point for DCL is the kids club. A DCL cruise is the only vacation we've been on where all 3 of us (DH, DD, and myself) have JUST as much fun together and apart. DD absolutely loves kids club and DH and I enjoy a night out at Palo OR watching a game in the pub while she's there...DH and DD love bingo, I'm take it or leave it, so they do that while I grab my book and read on the verandah...DD and I hit the aqua-duck early while DH sleeps in. The variety of options on board is a great selling point for families.

As far as DCL v. the Parks goes...I'm with you...I'd pick cruising any day over the parks BUT they are definitely 2 different types of vacations. Some people really like the go-go-go nature of a park trip...and they get bored easily on the slower paced cruise where you sometimes have to SEEK out entertainment rather than it being thrown in your face. I wouldn't make it an either-or comparison so much as something different entirely. When we've cruised in the past, we've done 2 or 3 days at the park and then hopped on a 4 night cruise to relax. Maybe your friends would be more willing to try a combo trip like that!

 

[KVH]

I don't even try anymore. Not worth trying to convince people who also think the World is only for kids under 8.

 

[Joe Brig]

Maybe suggest a split vacation, parks then a 3 or 4 day cruise. You can also point them to a few YouTube reviews.

 

[MomOTwins]

I still prefer a disney parks trip to a disney cruise after several cruises, so we usually do a split land and sea. The cruise is enjoyable, but it's not like it is objectively betterto me--boils down to personal preference.

Compared to my other cruise experience (Alaska pre-kids on Princess) I would say some things were clearly better but others were not as great--so I wouldn't say it completely blew my other cruise experience out of the water:
--Princess main dining room food and cocktails/wine selection were MUCH better
--Disney cruise cabins and ship common areas were MUCH nicer
--Princess had better pools
--Disney had better on-ship entertainment--especially the stage shows
--Princess had better excursions
--Disney was better for kids (outweighs pretty much all the other factors now that I have kids)

If your friends have kids, between the clubs, the pirate night, the kid-friendly food choices, the characters, the shows, etc: Disney is great. But for all the same reasons that Disney Parks are great (and the parks are cheaper). I guess if I were you I'd just describe what you like and see if it resonates with them or not.

 

[squirk]

I agree with Shmoo and will note that having had only one cruise, you don't really know that "a Disney cruise is totally different than anything they've experienced before." Disney is nice, and has that Disney thing, but it's not better than other cruise lines in all aspects.

I wouldn't want to have to talk people into cruising with me. Just go and enjoy yourself. (And what if they have a terrible time on DCL? That wouldn't be good for a friendship.)

^ This.

 

[elemeht]

I agree with Shmoo and will note that having had only one cruise, you don't really know that "a Disney cruise is totally different than anything they've experienced before." Disney is nice, and has that Disney thing, but it's not better than other cruise lines in all aspects.

I wouldn't want to have to talk people into cruising with me. Just go and enjoy yourself. (And what if they have a terrible time on DCL? That wouldn't be good for a friendship.)

To clarify, I've been on several cruises with other companies but the Disney one just has that extra "wow" factor. Perhaps that will fade with time, but I'm just so looking forward to my next one that I wanted to share the joy.

That being said, I think this is the best advice. My family will just go enjoy our time and not worry about convincing anyone it's worth it.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[squirk]

To clarify, I've been on several cruises with other companies but the Disney one just has that extra "wow" factor. Perhaps that will fade with time, but I'm just so looking forward to my next one that I wanted to share the joy.

That being said, I think this is the best advice. My family will just go enjoy our time and not worry about convincing anyone it's worth it.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I hear you. We have close friends who took a CCL cruise with their young daughter and walked away unimpressed. And it didn't sound like they were disappointed in the ship itself or cruising in general, but rather the overall CCL "vibe".

I had been trying to persuade them to join us on our next Disney cruise. But then I pulled back, because while our friends have the financial resources to pay for a Disney cruise, they may nonetheless still find it to be overpriced, and I don't want them to feel pressured into booking a cruise that's priced above their comfort level. It's not like taking a risk on a movie you might not like, where the worst you're out is $10-$20. I'd hate to lean on them to sail and have them walk away thinking, "I can't believe I paid $15k for that."

So, if asked, we still tell them how much we love DCL, and we have extended an open invitation for them to join us if and when they feel ready to give it a shot. But I've stopped trying to "recruit" them.

 

[T & R]

Shmoo and KVH are correct. There is really no way to talk someone into DCL or explain it. I often tell people we're going on a Disney Cruise and they look at me funny like "that's what you chose for your vacation?" When my wife booked our first one, I was actually upset and did not want to go. Not only was it pricey but I had visions of thousands of screaming kids and being trapped at sea with no escape from them. Fast forward to today and we try to book at least 2 DCL trips a year and in between cruises I'm on this board so that I can get by until our next cruise. It's a prime example of don't knock it until you try it. It's just something that has to be experienced and cannot be explained. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen people go on their first Disney Cruise and then not book a place holder because they thought it would be one and done. Then they get home and sure enough, they start planning their next one and regret not getting the place holder discount.

 

[Melissa S]

Don’t do it! We convinced my cousin and her family to cruise DCL with us 6 years ago. We loved hanging out with them, our daughters are the same age, and vacationed with them in the past. They HATED the cruise, made our vacation MISERABLE and as a result we are no longer on speaking terms with them. Literally walked off the ship and went our separate ways. I wouldn’t try hard to convince someone.

 

[T & R]

Don’t do it! We convinced my cousin and her family to cruise DCL with us 6 years ago. We loved hanging out with them, our daughters are the same age, and vacationed with them in the past. They HATED the cruise, made our vacation MISERABLE and as a result we are no longer on speaking terms with them. Literally walked off the ship and went our separate ways. I wouldn’t try hard to convince someone.

What happened if you don't mind me asking? Did y'all have a bad server, obnoxious table mates or what? Were they having issues they brought onboard with them? I've heard people say it wasn't for them but I've never heard "hate", that's pretty extreme.

 

[Skywalker]

We've only been on one cruise, but it's just about convinced us to forsake the parks for the cruises since we had such a great experience.
We have some friends that we've done the parks several times with and we're trying to convince to join us on our next cruise. They are anti-cruise because of a bad experience with another cruise line.
How do you tell them that a Disney cruise is totally different than anything they've experienced before and absolutely worth the extra money?

Personally, I don't think a Disney cruise is "different than anything they've experienced before and absolutely worth the extra money"..AT ALL...so maybe just accept the fact that cruising maybe isn't for them. I doubt you'd prefer someone foisting THEIR vacation preferences onto you.

 

[belle032]

I wouldn't try that hard, TBH. Our friends & family know that cruising is our vacation of choice, and not always on DCL. We always say that if anyone would like to join us on a cruise vacation, they are more than welcome, but we don't push it. It goes both ways: I don't want to be blamed for someone not having a great vacation, feel like they wasted money, for "talking it up" and not delivering, etc. I also don't want to have to worry about the people I talked into going the entire time and have that ruin MY vacation. I feel the same way about WDW.

I'd say the offer to cruise with us is always there, but let them make the decision about whether they want to take you up on it or not.

 

[randumb0]

My one complaint about DCL is there's no nightlife on DCL. After about 11 or 12 the ship goes silent.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Generally, it's impossible to convince someone that "cruising is for you" if they don't want to be convinced.

All you can do it talk up how your cruise was, and hope they may change their minds after hearing about it. Be aware, most of the time subsequent cruises are not as much a "WOW" as first cruises are.

I agree. Plus it's not like "hey try this awesome brand of mustard" for a few $. It's hard for a skeptical person to spend A LOT of money on a vacation they aren't sure they would enjoy.

 

[JM23457]

DCL is expensive, especially in high-season. I would never try to talk a non-nuclear family member into it unless they were open-minded AND I was paying for them. Since neither seems to be the case here, I'm glad to read that you've decided to let the matter drop.

Also, you've only cruised once with DCL. You had a great experience, and it's wonderful when everything gels like that, but if you keep cruising with them (or anyone) repeatedly, you're bound to have some less-than-stellar experiences, and to notice & be bothered by issues that you glossed over in your initial excitement, but that your friends might happen to find even more off-putting.

No one experience is for everyone. I hope you enjoy your next DCL cruise with your family!