Is a Disney cruise worth $5-$6 grand?

[lostatdisney]

Personally I don't think the 3/4 day cruises are worth the money especially when you factor in costs to get to the port. We live in Canada so if we are going to fly to Florida it is for 7 days minimum.
QUOTE]

I agree that I can't imagine that the 3/4 day cruises are worth it. My DD16 and I just sailed on the Dream on a 5-night cruise. It went by way too quickly! I wouldn't do anything shorter than that. With all the work packing and preparing, and then going through the disembarking process, I would definitely want a longer cruise.

 

[NancyIL]

Did anyone else have parents that said "you get what you pay for?" These "low price" hooks are just to get you on board after that you'll pay extra for everything else worth doing. I have not been on Carnival but I know that don't feel near as comfortable going on the party ship and giving my kids as much freedom as they have on DCL. I'm not bashing any other cruise line I'm just saying they have their niche. Hey I was a poor college kid once and I couldn't afford DCL but I could afford Carnival, just sayin.....

I sail on other cruise lines, but I rarely pay for any extras. I don't drink pop or alcohol, I rarely eat in the specialty restaurants (whereas I have paid extra for Palo on each of my DCL cruises), I don't gamble, and I bought a lot more merchandise on Disney ships than on other cruise lines. Now that the Fantasy has BBB, I can just imagine some parents' onboard bills! Disney is the winner when it comes to separating people from their money - both before and during the cruise!

 

[BeyondKen]

Did anyone else have parents that said "you get what you pay for?" These "low price" hooks are just to get you on board after that you'll pay extra for everything else worth doing. I have not been on Carnival but I know that don't feel near as comfortable going on the party ship and giving my kids as much freedom as they have on DCL. I'm not bashing any other cruise line I'm just saying they have their niche.

I have been on 10 Carnival cruises and 'crafty' is completely wrong to label it a 'party ship'. I would have no problem bringing children along, and I know many people that do. They will have a fantastic time!

 

[ilovetexas]

Did anyone else have parents that said "you get what you pay for?" These "low price" hooks are just to get you on board after that you'll pay extra for everything else worth doing. I have not been on Carnival but I know that don't feel near as comfortable going on the party ship and giving my kids as much freedom as they have on DCL. I'm not bashing any other cruise line I'm just saying they have their niche. Hey I was a poor college kid once and I couldn't afford DCL but I could afford Carnival, just sayin.....

I can afford any cruise line I choose and I've chosen Carnival over Disney a LOT. As a matter of fact, I would have preferred the Carnival Legend for the trip we have in four weeks, but DH chose DCL. BTW, there are several of us on this thread alone that sail Carnival and I would venture a guess that you've just managed to insult all of us. Unless and until you start sailing Seabourn on a regular basis, you've really got no room to be so condescending.

Of course you've never been on Carnival but already have an opinion.

 

[crafty91]

Got my flame suit on! Geez I don't really think I'm offending anyone. I think everyone on on here including those that cruise Carnival are MAKING the point that Carnival is cheaper up front. Unless I read wrong many are making the point to OP that Carnival is an option based on cost alone. I'm making the point to be sure to weigh everything including your families needs before you go with cost alone. Flame on.

 

[lostatdisney]

When we were in Atlantis, we were in line to get a locker (almost a one-hour wait, by the way, but that's another story!), and we visited with a mom and her two daughters in their early twenties. They were on an NCL ship, but were wishing they were on DCL because, according to them, they had wanted a really beautiful ship and wonderful service and didn't feel that they were getting it. Part of the problem may have been that it was spring break, and I think many of the cruise ships had a "college-spring break-party till you drop" crowd. But I felt bad for them that they were unhappy with their cruise.

One BIG advantage to DCL is that you generally get a very nice crowd of people. With no casino and all the famiy emphasis, you won't get the party crowd on Disney ships. And that's fine with me!

 

[Dziactor]

I have done a Carnival cruise and one Disney cruise. While Carnival was fun, Disney is leagues better than that it. Between the shows, the food, and the service is crazy amazing. After doing the Disney cruise, I don't know if I could even go to another cruise line.

 

[wmharley]

Did anyone else have parents that said "you get what you pay for?" These "low price" hooks are just to get you on board after that you'll pay extra for everything else worth doing. I have not been on Carnival but I know that don't feel near as comfortable going on the party ship and giving my kids as much freedom as they have on DCL. I'm not bashing any other cruise line I'm just saying they have their niche. Hey I was a poor college kid once and I couldn't afford DCL but I could afford Carnival, just sayin.....

I've been on Carnival twice without issues. Once to celebrate a group of underage friends' 15th birthday. Tehre were 30 of them. At no point wasn't there anything to do.

If you've not been on a Carnival, don't be a lemming and quote the same "party ship" mantra that is out there.

You can say that Carnival is a pay for what you get and there are other costs that add to the bill. But guess what, if you don't want to drink soda or booze, you don't pay for it. DCL charges you regardless, so your bill is now higher even if you don't use it.

This was the 1st cruise for my kids, so I picked DCL to give them that nice first experience.

however, future cruises will probably be geared to a last minute cruise on a non-DCL. I know I can get a Carnival, same dates, same locations execpt each line's private island, WITH a veranda for over $1000 less now than Disney's when I signed up last yr. In fact, the DCL and the Carnival, if I signed up right now, is even more of a difference, about $1500, and that is with an Interior DCL room and the Veranda Carnival room. so if I apples and apples it, i'm sure it be much much more the savings.


But i'd rather go to an all inclusive in the Caribbean for much less.

 

[sorul82?]

Why not take the kids out of school? Especially if they're young or if they get good grades. We plan our vacations according to whats best for OUR pocket. So we wanted to go on our first Disney cruise and the cheapest dates just happened to land on the 8th of September. Sorry teacher we're outta here!! You only live once!!!

The OP already stated that two children are in the honors program and can only miss two days of school.

 

[woody73]

. . . I have not been on Carnival but I know

Enough said.

Woody

 

[crafty91]

Grab the whole quote Woody if you are going to make your point. The "I know" that I refer to is my perception and opinion which is valid to me and only me. OP will make her own decision based on her own needs.

I don't need to travel another line at this point to know that DCL at any price is worth it to my family. My choice. Period.

 

[lostatdisney]

I do hear that the new Carnival ships are fantastic. The only Carnival ship I've been on was the Ecstasy out of Galveston. The only other cruise DH and I had been on was about a decade before on NCL. The Ecstasy was older and had that glitzy Vegas decor, but we had a nice time. I was frustrated that the shows were also Vegas-style, and the one that I was told would be appropriate for children featured dancers in thongs- not my idea of appropriate. We had fun because we were with a large group of family.

The Ecstasy was later used to house transplants after Hurricane Katrina. I think they have since refurbished it, but I don't know where it is now.

 

[crafty91]

Grab the whole quote Woody if you are going to make your point. The "I know" that I refer to is my perception and opinion which is valid to me and only me. OP will make her own decision based on her own needs.

I don't need to travel another line at this point to know that DCL at any price is worth it to my family. My choice. Period.

 

[NancyIL]

You have to be careful with the "you get what you pay for" mentality. Higher-quality products usually cost more than lower-quality products. However, price alone isn't always a good indicator of quality. DCL has been discounting their Fantasy cruises for this summer with some non-refundable IGT/OGT/VGT fares. The December 2012 Panama Canal cruise on the Wonder already has IGT fares - 8 months before sailing! DCL is as susceptible to supply and demand as every other cruise line, and when the supply exceeds the demand, the prices are cut. Don't assume that an inexpensive cruise means it is inferior.

 

[ilovetexas]

Got my flame suit on! Geez I don't really think I'm offending anyone. I think everyone on on here including those that cruise Carnival are MAKING the point that Carnival is cheaper up front. Unless I read wrong many are making the point to OP that Carnival is an option based on cost alone. I'm making the point to be sure to weigh everything including your families needs before you go with cost alone. Flame on.

No, you weren't. You were making the point that Carnival's "niche" was partying college kids who couldn't afford anything better.

Grab the whole quote Woody if you are going to make your point. The "I know" that I refer to is my perception and opinion which is valid to me and only me. OP will make her own decision based on her own needs.

I don't need to travel another line at this point to know that DCL at any price is worth it to my family. My choice. Period.

I did previously grab your whole quote and Woody's point is still valid. You've never been on a Carnival cruise so instead of bashing it, why didn't you just tell the OP what you like about DCL? And BTW, that whole "I'm not bashing any other cruise line" and then proceeded to do it really doesn't fly.

I do hear that the new Carnival ships are fantastic. The only Carnival ship I've been on was the Ecstasy out of Galveston. The only other cruise DH and I had been on was about a decade before on NCL. The Ecstasy was older and had that glitzy Vegas decor, but we had a nice time. I was frustrated that the shows were also Vegas-style, and the one that I was told would be appropriate for children featured dancers in thongs- not my idea of appropriate. We had fun because we were with a large group of family.

The Ecstasy was later used to house transplants after Hurricane Katrina. I think they have since refurbished it, but I don't know where it is now.

Funny thing, even though the Ecstasy is one of their older ones, that was one of my favorite Carnival cruises. I'm not sure why, maybe because it was just me and my mom and we had no responsibility to kids or spouses or anyone; we just got to do whatever we wanted and have a great time! They have moved the Ecstasy to Port Canaveral now and I think she's doing 4 and 5 day runs.

OP, it seems that this thread has been hijacked by Carnival haters and Carnival cheerleaders! Sorry!

 

[KSDisneyDad]

My parents talked me into this 4 night cruise. As I said, it's killing me to pay this much when I can find so many better deals out there.

For me, I would have gone with something less expensive per night. I have talked them into trying Carnival in October ($1800 for 7 nights so it's only about $85 per person per day - and we have a Spa cabin). I'm hoping they love that cruise line as much as I do so that I can stop choking everytime I pay the vacation bill.

I agree that the off-season rates are great for all lines. We have sailed on Disney for the 5 of us for 7-nights in two rooms for $3,500 in September. That's $100 per day. (Again, there is a big difference between paying for 3 and paying for 6 given that you have to pay for at least 4 adults.) I didn't bring up off-season rates solely because the OP stated that they cannot sail in the off-season due to their kid's school. I fully understand this as we too stopped taking our kids out of school once our oldest hit middle school. I really miss those off-season rates, but for our family, we feel it is best that the kids are not pulled from school. We are now "stuck" with going only during peak seasons. We have to determine if the perceived value exceeds the cost. As long as it does, we'll pay it.

Each person has a different "value" vs "cost" threshold. I continue to be amazed that people will pay so much to cruise concierge with Disney, yet demand was so high for this that the number of such rooms multiplied on the new ships. And others will not sail in anything other than the lowest category inside stateroom and perceive that anything more is wasted money. We are somewhere in the middle.

We choose Disney over other lines only because we are Disney fans and have had nothing but good experiences with Disney. Plus, my wife cruised another line and enjoyed it, but didn't get that same feeling as she does with Disney. That said, there are price points that are too high for us so we plan accordingly. We try to cruise when it is least expensive for us and if we have to, we'll go with a lower room category. The only other line we've considered is the RCCL Oasis class ships, but each time I've priced them, they've been higher than Disney for the same type of rooms (we need two rooms for our family so we are paying for at least 4 adults).

 

[crafty91]

KSDisneyDad, thank you for being so clear! I 100% agree with your statements. Further it actually answers the OP's original question of "worth" not "cost" as others are trying to bring in. OP knows what $6k is and what she is asking is not how can I cruise cheaper but is DCL "worth" the additional dollars to cruise on DCL over other options. Worth cannot be broken down into costs. So i agree with ilovetexas that, as I did in the beginning of this forum and like many others, you should put why you think DCL is "worth" the extra money. So have pointed out that DCL is not always more expensive but during the time OP wants to go it happens to be. RCL, Carnival, etc don't figure into answering her question.

I applaud Carnival defenders and would challenge them like I have been challenged to provide proof of "worth" for sailing them vs. DCL to the OP not to me because I don't care. I have given my statements of worth as many others have. I even see RCL's worth debated in this string. I do not see any other lines "worth" vs. DCL defended.

I think we can all use this as a bully pulpit to get our view of DCL vs. others out but that doesn't help answer OP's question. We are all obviously Disney fans or we wouldn't be on this site so lets help OP with some facts not opinions. I include myself in that statement.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

When you're talking about "worth" and "value" somewhere along the line, price is a factor.

There wasn't much more "value" on my DCL cruises then on my Carnival cruises. I enjoyed the main dining rooms on both lines (Carnival ahead - warm chocolate melting cake tips the scales); I enjoyed the entertainment on Carnival - kareoke, superstar kareoke, comedy club, dance club; the cabin / beds on the Carnival Dream were outstanding and I liked that the bed separated (not so on the Disney Dream or Fantasy) and service was great on all of my Carnival cruises (not so on all of my DCL cruises).

Yes, I do like the movie theatre on DCL and the free movies in the cabin. I do like that soda is included. However, these things do not make a DCL cruise "worth" double what other cruise lines cost.

Going back to the OP's question - no, in my opinion, a 4 night DCL cruise for 6 people is NOT worth $6000.

 

[NancyIL]

Each person has a different "value" vs "cost" threshold. I continue to be amazed that people will pay so much to cruise concierge with Disney, yet demand was so high for this that the number of such rooms multiplied on the new ships. And others will not sail in anything other than the lowest category inside stateroom and perceive that anything more is wasted money. We are somewhere in the middle.

I am one of those who usually books the least expensive cabin - especially on DCL. However, I watch prices, and when a higher category cabin drops in price, I have been known to change cabins. I'll be on two 12-night cruises in May and June. My DH and I will have a concierge-class veranda on Celebrity Silhouette in May (changed from inside gty to veranda gty when prices dropped, plus a free upgrade after final payment price drop), and I'll have a single oceanview cabin on Brilliance of the Seas in June (for the same price as an inside).

I do think paying for more cabin than I need is a waste, and I think some Disney cruises are a waste of money from the get-go - even in the "cheap seats"!

 

[ilovetexas]

KSDisneyDad, thank you for being so clear! I 100% agree with your statements. Further it actually answers the OP's original question of "worth" not "cost" as others are trying to bring in. OP knows what $6k is and what she is asking is not how can I cruise cheaper but is DCL "worth" the additional dollars to cruise on DCL over other options. Worth cannot be broken down into costs. Dictionary.com would disagree with you. So i agree with ilovetexas that, as I did in the beginning of this forum and like many others, you should put why you think DCL is "worth" the extra money. So have pointed out that DCL is not always more expensive but during the time OP wants to go it happens to be. RCL, Carnival, etc don't figure into answering her question. Of course they do. The term worth is a term of measurement. In this case, since technically we can't decide whether or not a DCL cruise is "worth" $6,000 to the OP, all we can do is either tell her why we think it is worth it due to tangible items that we don't all agree on or tell her it's not worth it based on something we all experience in the same way...DOLLARS. A judgement based on dollars is going to necessitate comparison to like items....other cruise lines.

I applaud Carnival defenders and would challenge them like I have been challenged to provide proof of "worth" for sailing them vs. DCL to the OP not to me because I don't care. I have given my statements of worth as many others have. I even see RCL's worth debated in this string. I do not see any other lines "worth" vs. DCL defended. Then you didn't read my original response to this thread. I said my kids loved BOTH lines. When I am cruising with my kids, that is WORTH a lot.

I think we can all use this as a bully pulpit to get our view of DCL vs. others out but that doesn't help answer OP's question. We are all obviously Disney fans or we wouldn't be on this site so lets help OP with some facts not opinions. I include myself in that statement.

Here is a "worth" statement for the OP that you will approve of; no comparisons to specific cruise lines.

Unless you are a big Disney fan, DCL is not worth the premium you have to pay to sail on their ships, IMO. They do not have the most elegant/nicest ships, they do not have the best service, they do not have the only kids clubs, they do not have the best food, they do not have the best itineraries, they do not have the only movie theaters at sea, they do not have the best specialty dining at sea and they don't have the only private island.

They DO have beautiful/elegant ships, fabulous kids clubs, great service, good food, movie theaters, specialty dining, a lovely private island, possibly the best entertainment at sea (best I've seen so far, excluding Carnival's 80's show), the only fireworks at sea AND the Disney experience-which no one else can replicate.

You must decide how much, if any, the Disney experience is worth to you because it is that, and only that, that you are paying extra for. And it is, indeed, a fabulous experience. That much, we can all agree on!