I cancelled my Alaskan concierge cruise on the Wonder to go with Seabourn instead

[Kwami]

Your last comment that I bolded tells me everything. Perks and amenities are wholly what the cruise line designates it is. You have zero idea what Seabourn offers and to be fair that was us in 2022, I even asked on the DIS but very few people here have sailed them much less heard of them. BUT you have to look at things in a different way when you are talking about perks and amenities because you're thinking about it from DCL viewpoint and at the most basic level you get more included in the price than DCL gets you because that's the business model of Seabourn. That's why I pushed back on your of course comment. It's not because they were looking at a verandah vs whatever and that's why the price was lower, that feeds into the mentality that DCL couldn't possibly be more expensive...just because...when we all know that's how they can be.

First, I feel that you're being needlessly confrontational. I'm not attacking you. I'm not attacking the OP. I'm not attacking Seabourn. I'm just posting information.

Second, you're missing the point here. I'm not claiming, and I never have claimed, that Disney and Seabourn offer the same cruise experience. In fact, I've said just the opposite. I'm simply saying that a concierge room on a Disney ship comes with extra perks, which increases its cost. I don't think it's fair at all to compare a 2A on the Wonder with a V2 on the Encore. It's not even close to the same kind of room.

A much fairer comparison is the 5B vs. V2 that I posted earlier, which is $7.4K vs. $10K. Those are similar rooms. Then, you can decide if the extra $2.6K is worth it for the Seabourn experience.

Personal choice though in the bathrooms on Encore/Ovation I wish they would remove the bathtub and have a larger shower but enough people like the bathtub. I do love the double vanity.

Like the OP mentioned the price isn't the be it all when comparing so I do get you mentioning size but yeah just because X room on the Wonder has Y doesn't mean that's why the Encore verandah was less.

Size is by far one of the most important factors when pricing a room on a ship, though, because space on a ship is limited. If Cruise Company X makes a bigger room, then they're going to charge more for it.

I mentioned an extra half bath in the Wonder 2A room because it is, in fact, an extra half bath. You get a second toilet with its own sink. That's not present in the V2 room on the Encore. Neither is the whirlpool tub. Both rooms offer a double vanity and a shower and a bathtub. The 5B room on the Wonder has the typical DCL split bath, which kind of has a split double vanity, but I guess it's not quite the same.

They do frequent sales for sure, they vary in what they are from category upgrades to on board credits or reduced deposits. I don't see that as fake in the least.

To their credit, this sale actually did end and it wasn't immediately replaced with an identical sale. That's different from most other cruise lines, which continuously offer the same "sale" and pressure you to purchase before the sale ends, even though the sale almost never ends and therefore it's really a sale.

Now that the sale has ended, a V3 is cheaper than a V2 on the same cruise that I was looking at, but the lowest price of for V room has gone up to $11,378.

That cruise we just did booked at 14 months in advance was a really good deal but they were trying to sell it, a 12 day one in the first parts of the season to the Med (end of march/to mid-april) where weather is cooler and as time went on while there were future sales they weren't not as low as we got. And quite a few months in advance of our cruise the cruise had sold out. Typically when cruises are released are when they are at their lowest so normally the longer you wait the more expensive it will be which is why it's hard to even compare pricing at the moment for a September 2026 cruise when that cruise has been available for booking for quite a long time already.

Disney does the same thing, though, and this May, 2026 cruise doesn't appear to be anywhere close to sold out. I'll accept that the Seabourn cruise has been on sale for longer, but both cruises have been on sale long enough to get over any early day pricing.

On the surface I get that perhaps its in the tone and the wording you use. There's not really an overlap in customer base between DCL and Seabourn so it's understandable you may be coming from just the DCL experience but the way you've framed your comparisons is heavily on "here's how DCL is better" but without having the info on how it would be on Seabourn.

I kind of figured that the OP wanted to know what they'd be missing out of by not choosing DCL since that's what they asked for in the first post. So, yes, I'm posting from a DCL perspective. That makes sense to me.

Like that there's only one-ways well that IS pretty much vastly what Seabourn does all over the world but it's also because they do cruises on average so much longer than DCL (or the more main stream ones). You're not going to find a 7-day RT cruise because that's not the market base for the line.

So? It's still a difference worth noting, isn't it? It's probably going to cost more and be more of a hassle to fly home from Juneau than from Vancouver. I think that's worth considering when deciding which cruise to take.

So yes mentioning that they do 1-way and yes Juneau isn't a particularly easy end or start place I totally get but the way you made it sound was more on the negative side when typically what it means is you get to see more on your cruise because they aren't having to account for a return journey time.

I also mentioned that the itineraries were very different, which makes the cruises harder to compare. To start with, the Seabourn cruise is 8 nights instead of 7. And except for Ketchikan, every port is different.

Totally fair to mention a casino, but are you conjuring up a smoke-filled casino that you can't avoid and have to walk through to get to the food? Asking is even having a casino a dealbreaker (like it would be for my mother-in-law) is completely fair but thinking about a casino as an immediate con kinda different.

This is the casino on Encore, first cruise we saw 1-2 people max there, second cruise 2-3 people.
View attachment 982106

You can't smoke inside the ship. The casino is up against a wall so no going technically through there. To me at least on the Encore and Ovation the casinos feel like an afterthought. I haven't been on Quest, Sojourn or the now gone Odyssey (all three are sister ships of each other) to know what they feel like there. We toured Venture and I can't even remember seeing the casino so that tells you how much it was not in your face.

Even if you don't use the casino, it's there and taking up space that could be used for something else. The Encore is already a smaller ship than the Wonder, so that matters. Additionally, ships with casinos and card rooms and the like will attract a much different audience than ships with kids clubs and movie theaters. I was only pointing out the difference.

These are kinda more what I'm getting at, yeah you're trying to flesh out things so the OP can get more of an idea but it's also heavy on the implied "are you sure you're getting a better ____" thing.

Nah, I'm just pointing out differences. It doesn't matter to me which cruise the OP goes on and it doesn't matter to me which company gets their money. I'm sure that both cruises offer plenty of good things for different people.

 

[Kwami]

If you compare a 5B to a V1 on Seabourn the DCL has FEWER perks because you get ZERO hot breakfast options and very limited, cafeteria-level room service options.

If you do a fairer comparison of a 2B, then it's 5000$ more than Seabourn for EQUAL perks.

The private Glacier viewing on the concierge deck with Mickey and Minnie in their Alaskan outfits is the only big perk I see on the Wonder. The lackluster lounge is a far cry from Triton class lounge and with a limited happy hour and no hot galley, I don't see the concierge lounge as a valuable perk.

I guess if you don't care at all about in-room dining then a 5B would be a great experience.

If I won the jackpot I'd be sailing in the Roy or Walt suites and get Palo delivered to my room all the time. Alas I haven't lol.

Well, I said very early on that if eating in your room is the most important thing, then the Seabourn cruise is probably better.

But I still reject the idea that a Wonder 2B and an Encore V* have the same perks. They very clearly do not. The 2B is a much larger room with a much larger verandah, a whirlpool tub, a separate bedroom, an extra half bathroom, and concierge perks. That means boarding earlier, choosing activities and excursions earlier, getting seats at the theater shows earlier, and so on.

 

[Lewisc]

Well, I said very early on that if eating in your room is the most important thing, then the Seabourn cruise is probably better.

He said that in numerous posts. The only way to get room service on DCL is to book a cabin larger than he needs.

The OP is comparing the cheapest cabin, which meets his needs, on DCL and Seabourne.

I don't know why the continued debate.

 

[Kwami]

He said that in numerous posts. The only way to get room service on DCL is to book a cabin larger than he needs.

The OP is comparing the cheapest cabin, which meets his needs, on DCL and Seabourne.

I don't know why the continued debate.

Nobody has ever suggested otherwise.

But that still doesn't mean that the two rooms are in any way equivalent. They just aren't.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm simply saying that a concierge room on a Disney ship comes with extra perks, which increases its cost.

For Seabourn all of it could be considered a concierge situation. That's what you get when you move up in categories. Regent for example has a butler with every room. Seabourn doesn't have a butler but I always felt waited on and my needs attended to. I didn't need a special room category to get that.

that means boarding earlier, choosing activities and excursions earlier, getting seats at the theater shows earlier, and so on.

But you don't need that on Seabourn.

1) There is no set boarding time. For a very short time in the pandemic there was but it was never adhered to. Technically your boarding pass will have a boarding time but you can show up really at any time though unofficially not earlier than 12-12:30pm. Now that can be a con to people used to a PAT at 10:45am but they do it so they can turn over the rooms and other stuff. Your room is mostly ready by the time you board the ship, ours was both times and we boarded about 12:45pm the second time and closer to 1:45pm the first time (that was due to a 20 min shuttle necessary in Venice).

2) You don't choose activities or excursions based on your room. As soon as you put a deposit down on your cruise you can begin booking excursions and for Seabourn it's paid in full for those but easily cancelled. That might be a con to people because for DCL you don't pre-pay. Now excursions can get added as time goes on so they do recommend to keep checking if you are interested. In some cases it's not an added excursion but added space (meaning an additional coach, ferry/boat, tour guide, etc) has been added due to demand.

3) You don't need to get seats at in the Grand Salon earlier. There are majority of the time two shows per evening. You enter and sit where ever you want to, a crew member will be by shortly to ask if you'd like anything to drink, etc.

Size is by far one of the most important factors when pricing a room on a ship, though, because space on a ship is limited. If Cruise Company X makes a bigger room, then they're going to charge more for it.

But that's not how it is for the luxury/ultra luxury market, in simplistic terms a larger room they can charge more sure but it's a small part of it because they are accounting for different "perks and amenities" as you put it. To give some examples for Seabourn there's no wifi charge, there's no additional food charge for any restaurant, all drink is included (sans high premium stuff like I mentioned), there's no gratuity, if you want a specialty coffee go get it but you won't pay an 18% gratuity on it like DCL. You don't pay for anything really (spa services of course are a 3rd party that's different). Now for Seabourn they don't include excursions except for Expedition cruises, Regent does, I believe Silversea has gone to a model where you can choose to have excursions included or not.

I'll accept that the Seabourn cruise has been on sale for longer, but both cruises have been on sale long enough to get over any early day pricing.

We all know that DCL charges what they charge because they can, same as any other company, practically speaking that's how it is. You're really stuck on the OP's exact example.

So, yes, I'm posting from a DCL perspective. That makes sense to me.

Exactly, but you're doing it from a standpoint of not having any information on Seabourn. DCL is more comparable to RCL in terms of experiences and ways of doing things. It's why there's a disconnect, to me, in what you're saying. Because the way that DCL operates isn't the same way that luxury/ultra luxury lines operate.

I think that's worth considering when deciding which cruise to take.

It's not that, it's the way you worded it.

it's there and taking up space that could be used for something else. The Encore is already a smaller ship than the Wonder, so that matters. Additionally, ships with casinos and card rooms and the like will attract a much different audience than ships with kids clubs and movie theaters. I was only pointing out the difference.

Again this is because you're thinking more the main stream lines. And you're going highly stereotyping. You really think that DCL passengers don't gamble or wouldn't gamble given the opportunity? I kinda thought you were having some sort of issue with a casino as if it means a certain person goes there but that's your preconceived notion of what a casino means.

I opted to not do math and let google do it for me but the numbers that it reflects is

• The Seabourn Encore, a luxury cruise ship, has a space ratio of 67.25 or 1:66.8. When not sailing at capacity, it can be as high as 75.8. A space ratio above 39 is generally considered to offer plenty of space per passenger.
• The Disney Wonder has a space ratio of 35.4 or 1:48.57. When sailing at maximum capacity, this can be as low as 33.9.

In addition when they ordered Encore and Ovation they made the ship 30% larger approximately compared to the existing three sister ships but only increased passenger count I believe 20 or so percent thus Encore and Ovation, while being the largest of the current fleet, also have even more passenger space than the older smaller ships. If I had to give a comparison the very long term Seabourn passengers prefer the smaller ship (not the Expedition which is even smaller), whereas newer passengers prefer the larger two ones.

There is more space on Encore per passengers than the Wonder by a large amount. The casino won't attract a different clientele than Disney for the luxury/ultra luxury market. The luxury/ultra luxury market itself attracts a different clientele. Those are two very different mentalities. The OP mentioned they had been looking at Celebrity which is already a different market than DCL by far.

______
Truthfully I recognize I'm coming in hard here but it's because I don't want the OP to not have at least some information about Seabourn if the only other person mostly commenting is coming at it from a DCL perspective without knowing how very different it is for the higher up categories. It's why I said there's not really an overlap with DCL.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

He said that in numerous posts. The only way to get room service on DCL is to book a cabin larger than he needs.

The OP is comparing the cheapest cabin, which meets his needs, on DCL and Seabourne.

I don't know why the continued debate.

As an example this is from one of our nights the in-suite dining (available 24/7 though during dinner hours it's The Restaurant's menu) hopefully both pictures come across well enough

 

[Lewisc]

But that still doesn't mean that the two rooms are in any way equivalent. They just aren't.

Staw Man. The rcabins are dramatically different. No dispute. I don't know why you keep bringing it up.

The concierge perks on DCL are either extended to all Seabourne passengers or are irrelevant.

Passengers who want those perks on.a DCL cruise are required to get a larger cabin than many need.

 

[Kwami]

Staw Man. The rcabins are dramatically different. No dispute. I don't know why you keep bringing it up.

Because people keep trying to compare the prices of those two rooms and claim that it's a fair comparison. It isn't. I'm not sure why that's even controversial.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

I mentioned an extra half bath in the Wonder 2A room because it is, in fact, an extra half bath. You get a second toilet with its own sink.

Just fyi the 2A on the Wonder has an extra 3/4 bath—toilet, sink, and shower. Sailed in one of those rooms in 2022 (amazing but the creakiest room I’ve ever been in!)

 

[Kwami]

Just fyi the 2A on the Wonder has an extra 3/4 bath—toilet, sink, and shower. Sailed in one of those rooms in 2022 (amazing but the creakiest room I’ve ever been in!)

Even better!

But apparently, the only thing that matters is eating in the room and everything else is not relevant. Oh, well.

 

[AquaDame]

Second, you're missing the point here. I'm not claiming, and I never have claimed, that Disney and Seabourn offer the same cruise experience. In fact, I've said just the opposite. I'm simply saying that a concierge room on a Disney ship comes with extra perks, which increases its cost. I don't think it's fair at all to compare a 2A on the Wonder with a V2 on the Encore. It's not even close to the same kind of room.

A much fairer comparison is the 5B vs. V2 that I posted earlier, which is $7.4K vs. $10K. Those are similar rooms. Then, you can decide if the extra $2.6K is worth it for the Seabourn experience.

Size is by far one of the most important factors when pricing a room on a ship, though, because space on a ship is limited. If Cruise Company X makes a bigger room, then they're going to charge more for it.

I mentioned an extra half bath in the Wonder 2A room because it is, in fact, an extra half bath. You get a second toilet with its own sink. That's not present in the V2 room on the Encore. Neither is the whirlpool tub. Both rooms offer a double vanity and a shower and a bathtub. The 5B room on the Wonder has the typical DCL split bath, which kind of has a split double vanity, but I guess it's not quite the same.

[...]

So? It's still a difference worth noting, isn't it? It's probably going to cost more and be more of a hassle to fly home from Juneau than from Vancouver. I think that's worth considering when deciding which cruise to take.


I also mentioned that the itineraries were very different, which makes the cruises harder to compare. To start with, the Seabourn cruise is 8 nights instead of 7. And except for Ketchikan, every port is different.


Even if you don't use the casino, it's there and taking up space that could be used for something else. The Encore is already a smaller ship than the Wonder, so that matters. Additionally, ships with casinos and card rooms and the like will attract a much different audience than ships with kids clubs and movie theaters. I was only pointing out the difference.

I think you're really getting hung up on the differences between the rooms themselves - which OP already covered by saying they neither need nor want more space and tub/second bath etc JUST to get hot food - and not giving enough weight to the benefits that are included by default with the smaller room that is the space and configuration they need. Nothing wrong with pointing that out, but in OPs case it is irrelevant. Much more weight is put on concierge style perks like hot food in the room (literally the only reason they'd need a large suite). I'd argue that without the concierge tag Seabourne covers what that gets you on DCL and then some as others have stated, such as included liquor, an arguably better in room dining menu and having many other perks be irrelevant such as boarding times, excursion bookings, theatre seats etc. You just don't need a leg up for these on a smaller ship - there is so much less competition. When EVERY guest is treated like concierge guests you don't need to state it as such.

I'd also suspect it may be cheaper and easier to fly home from Juneau than into Vancouver just because it means you aren't flying internationally. People often complained how much more expensive it was to fly into Vancouver than Seattle way back when DCL had home ported there in recent memory. It IS a longer flight, but that gives you back days in cruising time that can be spent IN Alaska. Seems a fair compromise either way you slice it depending on personal preferences.

I could argue that kids' clubs are wasted space on DCL since we do not use them. Or perhaps bars are if you do not drink, or the adult area is if you are sailing with lots of kids and spend all your time at the pool. It doesn't matter though, its nice there is something for everyone and I don't mind one whit, them being in those spaces leaves space where I want to be. The Encore has such a smaller passenger capacity than the Wonder as well, by a lot. Bingo is still gambling. Whether you get your thrills playing slots or letting a digital pad mark off randomized numbers for you is irrelevant. I've sailed DCL, RCCL, Ponant, AMA Waterways, Eco Ventura and on all of them have generally encountered the same genuine lovely folk out to have fun and an adventure. The only differences have been their economic class and that is still just ink on paper when you're both guests on the same trip.

 

[Kwami]

I think you're really getting hung up on the differences between the rooms themselves - which OP already covered by saying they neither need nor want more space and tub/second bath etc JUST to get hot food - and not giving enough weight to the benefits that are included by default with the smaller room that is the space and configuration they need. Nothing wrong with pointing that out, but in OPs case it is irrelevant. Much more weight is put on concierge style perks like hot food in the room (literally the only reason they'd need a large suite). I'd argue that without the concierge tag Seabourne covers what that gets you on DCL and then some as others have stated, such as included liquor, an arguably better in room dining menu and having many other perks be irrelevant such as boarding times, excursion bookings, theatre seats etc. You just don't need a leg up for these on a smaller ship - there is so much less competition. When EVERY guest is treated like concierge guests you don't need to state it as such.

I think you (and apparently many others) are missing my point, so maybe I'm just not communicating well here.

But the initial poster claimed to be surprised that the Seabourn room was $7K less than the Disney room when they expected it to cost more. And my response was that of course it's cheaper. It's a much smaller room with a much smaller verandah, only one bathroom, no whirlpool tub, no separate bedroom, and so on.

That's it. That's the entire point.

I'd also suspect it may be cheaper and easier to fly home from Juneau than into Vancouver just because it means you aren't flying internationally. People often complained how much more expensive it was to fly into Vancouver than Seattle way back when DCL had home ported there in recent memory. It IS a longer flight, but that gives you back days in cruising time that can be spent IN Alaska. Seems a fair compromise either way you slice it depending on personal preferences.

A lot of cities have direct flights to Vancouver, though, and direct flights tend to be cheaper. Seattle seems to be the only US city outside of Alaska with direct flights to Juneau.

When I last went to Alaska, it was actually cheaper for me to fly to Vancouver than to Seattle, but maybe that's not typical.

I could argue that kids' clubs are wasted space on DCL since we do not use them. Or perhaps bars are if you do not drink, or the adult area is if you are sailing with lots of kids and spend all your time at the pool. It doesn't matter though, its nice there is something for everyone and I don't mind one whit, them being in those spaces leaves space where I want to be.

Well, sure. But the OP asked for differences to see if they'd be missing out on anything. So, I mentioned differences. I don't know why some of you are so against that. The casino is a difference. That's all.

I've sailed DCL, RCCL, Ponant, AMA Waterways, Eco Ventura and on all of them have generally encountered the same genuine lovely folk out to have fun and an adventure. The only differences have been their economic class and that is still just ink on paper when you're both guests on the same trip.

I disagree here. The two companies don't seem to be trying to reach the same people.

Disney doesn't have a dress code outside of the adult restaurants and even that's been nearly eliminated. Disney has kids clubs and movie theaters and Disney characters walking around and all sorts of other family-friendly stuff. Disney's prices are more affordable than Seabourn's. There are likely to be more big groups on a Disney ship celebrating a birthday or graduation or anniversary after a trip to the parks. More first timers or only cruise ever people.

Seabourn has fancier food, free alcoholic drinks, a casino and card room, and a rather strict dress code. They offer longer cruises, which attract people who have more time to spend cruising (retired people and people who can take many weeks or months out of work). There are probably more couples, fewer big groups, and a higher average guest age.

Of course, there's some overlap. That's obvious just from some of the posts here. But I really don't think the overall crowds are all that similar, even if there are lovely folks in both.

 

[AquaDame]

I think you (and apparently many others) are missing my point, so maybe I'm just not communicating well here.

But the initial poster claimed to be surprised that the Seabourn room was $7K less than the Disney room when they expected it to cost more. And my response was that of course it's cheaper. It's a much smaller room with a much smaller verandah, only one bathroom, no whirlpool tub, no separate bedroom, and so on.

That's it. That's the entire point.


A lot of cities have direct flights to Vancouver, though, and direct flights tend to be cheaper. Seattle seems to be the only US city outside of Alaska with direct flights to Juneau.

When I last went to Alaska, it was actually cheaper for me to fly to Vancouver than to Seattle, but maybe that's not typical.


Well, sure. But the OP asked for differences to see if they'd be missing out on anything. So, I mentioned differences. I don't know why some of you are so against that. The casino is a difference. That's all.

I disagree here. The two companies don't seem to be trying to reach the same people.

Disney doesn't have a dress code outside of the adult restaurants and even that's been nearly eliminated. Disney has kids clubs and movie theaters and Disney characters walking around and all sorts of other family-friendly stuff. Disney's prices are more affordable than Seabourn's. There are likely to be more big groups on a Disney ship celebrating a birthday or graduation or anniversary after a trip to the parks. More first timers or only cruise ever people.

Seabourn has fancier food, free alcoholic drinks, a casino and card room, and a rather strict dress code. They offer longer cruises, which attract people who have more time to spend cruising (retired people and people who can take many weeks or months out of work). There are probably more couples, fewer big groups, and a higher average guest age.

Of course, there's some overlap. That's obvious just from some of the posts here. But I really don't think the overall crowds are all that similar, even if there are lovely folks in both.

Gotcha; thats the disconnect then. I, and many others it seems, consider the much higher price tag to be related to the level of service on the ships and the niceness of the interiors/food and not so much the square footage. Of course it does matter, but when you put "luxury" vs. "Disney" square footage isn't the first thing that comes to mind. I'd expect them to charge the same because they can despite not being Disney - like how the Four Seasons generally commands top dollar even beyond the Deluxes at WDW.

Disney does have a very lenient dress code but it IS still there, around swimwear and athletic wear/problematic messaging.

I know only Disney does Disney things; I think I'm just so used to folk conflating casino = bad, that I thought that is what you were saying when you mentioned different audiences. I apologize.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That's it. That's the entire point.

With all due respect and I do mean that you are the one missing the point and I can't fault you except for that fact that you continue to miss the point.

claim that it's a fair comparison.

When you brought up room size you also brought up perks and amenities. You also said that Seabourn would bring you "fewer" perks and amenities but you don't actually know the Seabourn stuff to be able to say that. It goes back to how I said the way you were commenting was like DCL was better. Every company will have some pros and cons but you can't look at DCL and say that they have more perks and amenities without knowing how the other company does it or what they have. And for the OP who hasn't sailed Seabourn that can give them a very wrong impression of what it would be like if someone is talking about the things that DCL has with an assumption that Seabourn doesn't have those or that what DCL has translates to Seabourn. When you kept saying "of course it's cheaper/less expensive" it was without having the information about Seabourn. A smaller room on Seabourn does not mean it's less expensive in comparison to DCL because it's a smaller room without the exact same half bath as whatever on Disney Wonder. That is the salient part that you're saying. When you say "of course it's cheaper" it's positioning it like DCL is superior/better/includes more stuff which I took issue with.

I don't know why some of you are so against that. The casino is a difference. That's all.

Because you framed, quite loudly in a subsequent comment, in a negative way. People don't book Seabourn because it has a casino. It is not the moneymaker for the ship, the design of it and off to the side is meant to not be in your face about it. If you meant something different I don't think you got that point across with doubling down on wasted space, different audiences and the like.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

consider the much higher price tag to be related to the level of service on the ships and the niceness of the interiors/food and not so much the square footage.

Something along those lines with mentioning square footage is the room capacity.

With the 2a being discussed the max capacity is 5 people, it was designed with this in mind. Of course you'll win out on space with just 2 people but the more people you put in the room the less square footage you actually have in terms of space. That additional bath is not there because they are being generous for the room category, it's put there because the room allows up to 5 people, specific to these more main stream cruise lines.

Seabourn, as you would expect given the level, is designed mostly for 2-3 people and generally only 2 people are staying in each room. DCL is designed with families in mind (teens to babies) and it's more common to fit more people in each room.

 

[Pinkjgray]

I'm a newbie cruiser. We cruised on the Fantasy as a family for the first time last year and we loved it so much, we immediately booked a cruise on the Treasure for May 2026. We are sailing on the Wish in three weeks, and sailing on the Dream with just my wife in January.

So when the Summer Alaskan itineraries were released I jumped on the chance to book a bucket list item of mine for my 40th birthday next year as early as possible to get the best possible price. Since it will be just me and my wife, I initially wanted to book Celebrity and stay in the Retreat. Food is super important to me, but Alaska is also very much about the itinerary, and the excursions. Having the ability to dine in my room was also a factor, as without the kids, we love having hot breakfast, or dinner, in our rooms overlooking a great view. I began fearing I would regret my decision to sway from DCL, and if I was missing Glacier Bay, I might as well stick with what I know.

The only option to have hot meals in your stateroom on DCL is to book a 1-bedroom. So I booked a 02A on the Wonder in September for 17k after seeing how amazing they look with the new refurb. I didn't research any alternative and just accepted this once-in-a-lifetime experience is what it would cost.

Over the last few months I've made a lot more research and realized I would have a more intimate experience that is aligned with my expectations on a smaller ship, and that I shouldn't miss Glacier Bay. I started comparing the options, and with my criteria of food, luxury. in-room dining and comfort, the Seabourn Encore was the clear winner. So I went on their website expecting it to cost more than my DCL concierge cruise (as DCL is a premium brand and Seabourn is categorized as Luxury according to to the one true reference in the matter, Jake from Bright Sun Travels. lol) and I was shocked. I booked a Verandah room for 10K, a 7K saving. I get to see Glacier Bay and have thousands of dollars more for excursions. I modified my DCL Alaskan cruise to another family cruise in the future not to lose out on my deposit.

I feel slightly bummed because this DCL Alaskan cruise would also have been my 5th and made it my Gold CC milestone cruise, so it felt extra special, but I really feel like getting to see Glacier Bay on a smaller luxury ship for 7k less is the better move.

Any seasoned cruiser advice? Am I overlooking something?

I thought you were allowed to cancel a DCL cruise and receive a refund as long as it’s done at least 90 days before the sailing date.

 

[AquaDame]

I thought you were allowed to cancel a DCL cruise and receive a refund as long as it’s done at least 90 days before the sailing date.

Different terms for concierge - the deposit is nonrefundable, but IS moveable. Even if you move to a non concierge cabin later the portion that was the original deposit remains nonrefundable.

 

[goofy4prez]

For Seabourn all of it could be considered a concierge situation. That's what you get when you move up in categories. Regent for example has a butler with every room. Seabourn doesn't have a butler but I always felt waited on and my needs attended to. I didn't need a special room category to get that.

Not trying to be confrontational, but Regent offers a butler for it's Penthouse suites and above. Below a Penthouse they do not have a butler. Silversea offers the butler for every suite.

I have quickly browsed through this thread and probably should read more in depth before I post, but I'll post anyway. I love DCL and have been on them four times so far. But I have also been on Regent Seven Seas twice now with a cruise to Alaska for June 2026 and another for their newest ship Prestige. I picked Regent this time to Alaska because I wanted the one way trip and then from Anchorage I will be doing a four night excursion to Denali.

Can I pick a favorite? Not at all. I love each one for what they each offer. I book DCL and concierge when I want my Disney fix, and I book Regent when I want a smaller more intimate cruise that Disney cannot offer.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I will be doing a four night excursion to Denali.

That sounds awesome! We'll eventually get to Alaska but most people I've known who have gone have said if you can swing it do it both by land and by sea, doing it in the same trip preferably but at least try at some point to do both.

 

[ilovebassets]

DCL Alaska cruises are crazy expensive for what you get. We priced out a deluxe family verandah room for one week with the usual three ports and it was about $16k-$17k.

We can get a Haven room on NCL for $20k for ten nights with six ports. We have more time in each port on NCL as well. It's a no-brainer.

We did the DCL Wonder to Alaska about 8 years ago, and it was lovely, especially for a first trip to Alaska, but the value just isn't there for us anymore. As a couple without kids, there is now way I'd be paying for DCL concierge rooms just for warm meals on my verandah knowing what else is out there.