How Many DCL Trips Have You Taken?

[mab2012]

How do you all afford so many dcl cruises?! I did one in 2015 that set me back almost 3k for an inside room. Their prices just seem insane.

The same way people afford anything else they buy. They make enough money.

Or they take on debt, which is not something I would personally do or advise, but lots of people do it.

Individual circumstances vary. For us time is a bigger issue than money, but there is very definitely a limit to what I am willing to spend on a vacation. And apparently it's a lot lower than many people are willing to pay. I look for "bargains" during slower weeks when most US schools are in session but my kids are off, or less popular itineraries.

We have done 7 and number 8 is booked. My question for those who do more than 1 cruise a year; don’t you get bored with the menus, shows and other entertainment?

We are booked on our 5th DCL cruise next year, and have been taking them at a rate of about one every 18 months since 2014. Much as I love to sail, I don't know that I'd want to do DCL more often than that. We have sailed on other lines without our kids, and are very much open to sailing other lines with our kids if the time and itinerary are right. There are also lots of land vacations we enjoy. So much to do, so little time.

 

[Corwin]

We've been on six DCL cruises so far, and will be on cruise #7 next month, with #8 booked for 2020.

We've only cruised on DCL, and have been doing so since 2010 about every 18 months to 2 years. If we went any more frequently than that we'd likely get bored with it. We're already cutting back on many of the shows, especially ones like the Golden Mickeys.

The OBB discount helps keep the costs down, but I really wish it lasted a little longer (like 3 years instead of 2 years). We like to take a cruise about every two years, and it sometimes gets difficult making the dates work out exactly. (For example, our next cruise will be departing 2 years to the day I made the OBB placeholder reservation last time. We would have preferred taking a cruise the following week, but between the normal summer price increase and losing the OBB discount, it would have cost us about $1,000 more to go that week.)

 

[DisneyHelen]

Six DCL cruises for us.Now taking a break and going back to the parks at WDW.

 

[85glht]

8 and counting...

 

[Jason Martin]

About to book #15 for me, my 10 yr old DD will Be Platinum herself this time, Dream Merrytime sailing. Starting to do ABDs which is limiting our cruises going forward

 

[StarSeven7]

Or they take on debt, which is not something I would personally do or advise, but lots of people do it.

Individual circumstances vary. For us time is a bigger issue than money, but there is very definitely a limit to what I am willing to spend on a vacation. And apparently it's a lot lower than many people are willing to pay. I look for "bargains" during slower weeks when most US schools are in session but my kids are off, or less popular itineraries.
.

This is us exactly! We usually stay in values at WDW so that makes it pretty affordable. We just booked our first cruise for January 2020 and it's really at the top end of what we feel comfortable spending on a vacation (at least a one week vacation to the Caribbean) - and we're only booked in an oceanview! We've got more than enough money in the bank to pay for the trip in cash but we're frugal so it's painful to spend that much! Lol!

 

[nrexxma44]

Headed out on my 10th at the end of May, which will give me Platinum status!!!!! We are on the members cruise in October and the Caribbean 9 night in July

 

[heggy]

Wife and I will be on our fourth cruise this May 3rd. A short 3 night cruise on the Dream.
First cruise without our darling daughter.
So looking forward to the cruise.
Glen

 

[bbn1122]

6 so far with number 7 booked for January 2020, since 2010.

We would loved have taken more but with 3 sons to get thru college and private HS. We also, joined DVC off our first cruise in 2010, so that is most of our vacations.

DH and I have taken 3 by ourselves. So, this January we are taking our 3 sons for the first time since 2014, they have been complaining about their lack of DCL vacations.

Would love to cruise DCL at least twice a year, maybe in a few years when college tuition is behind us !!!

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

This will be our first and possibly only DCL trip. There are a couple of other budget busting trips I want to take in the next few years, so I don’t imagine we will do DCL again before the new ships come out.

 

[mevelandry]

We have done 7 and number 8 is booked. My question for those who do more than 1 cruise a year; don’t you get bored with the menus, shows and other entertainment? There are only 4 ships and a limited number of itineraries. The trivia questions repeat as well. I adore DCL and love the vacations, but we are cruising on a different line this summer for a change of pace.

We realized that we were starting to get bored by cruise #3 which is why we decided to focus more on other cruise lines for a few years. Same happened with the other cruise line we sailed on (Carnival), by cruise no. 5, even though all ships were drastically different, we are now feeling the need to try another one (RCCL). Last time we cruised with DCL was 2017 but I will possibly cruise on DCL again in 2020 or later.

 

[Toulou]

Yes we did, we found that even the trivia questions were the same cruise to cruise. We also skipped most of the stage shows since we had already seen them. The only variety act we would watch multiple times is John Charles, he is incredible, the rest for the most part we skipped the second time we cruised with them. We never did a grand slam in 12 months like some have, but we did manage 3 of the 4 in 12 months. Right now we are cruise line free agents, we book what meets our needs and go with that. Excited to see the new Disney ships and sail the Magic at least once more, but 2020 is RCCL and right now 2021 is booked with Celebrity, this could change, time will tell.

I'm curious...can you explain what a grand slam in 12 months is? I am so not knowing. Thanks!

 

[i18mulan]

I'm curious...can you explain what a grand slam in 12 months is? I am so not knowing. Thanks!

Grand slam= sailing on all 4 Disney ships

 

[JonKPest]

While on the Hawaiian cruise 5 years ago there was a couple than had done 75 Disney Cruises at the Gold and Platinum reception. That was our first Gold Sailing.

 

[cgolf]

I'm curious...can you explain what a grand slam in 12 months is? I am so not knowing. Thanks!

All 4 ships in a 12 month period. We did 3 in 12 months, Dream, Wonder, and Fantasy, 26 nights at sea

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We have taken 4 DCL cruises. After #5, we will be gold members. Trouble is, I can not find an affordable DCL cruise.

 

[randumb0]

4 so far with plans to take another one in 2020

 

[cedricandsophie]

Number 22 coming up in July for Iceland/Norway.

 

[ryankski]

1st DCL in October. We had said we are done with the Caribbean, but my son loved his first cruise last summer (more than AK) and DCL worked out perfect with our WDW trip.

We prefer land based travel with more the 8-10 hrs to explore a city/country. We tend to save cruises for destinations that are better experienced via ship (i.e. Panama Canal or coastal AK). Our Disney cruise is growing on me but I'm more excited about our trip to Disneyland Paris in 2020 which will be my last Disney Parks (all completed since October 2014).

 

[sunmoon620]

13!