Is Disney smoking crack or what???

[disneycruising]

But it would depend on the child. Each family has to know their children and what would work for them or not. In our family our children love to travel, we have been taking them on vacation since they were little. They especially love Europe, the history, the difference in culture, etc

What is good for one family may not necessarily be right for another and we have to respect each persons outlook on it instead of saying you are right or you are wrong

There are also the people that don't have the luxury of leaving their children with a family member while the parents go away on their own. For those that do count your blessings

This is exactly why we love DCL. We know that we can take the kids and there is something for everyone!

We took our children on the repo transalantic cruise. They where 12,10,8,& 6 at the time. We all had a great time!

I knew when we booked our trip that it would be a great learning experience for everyone. We spend all of our pre-cruise time planning for the trip. Figuring out everything we could about every port. We read a ton of books about the different cultures, best places to see, food, money, language & etc. To this day my children can tell you all about Gibraltar. To me this is History...that they can't get in school.

I do agree that you have to know what your children would like and not like. Otherwise it would be just be torcher for them, us and everyone on our tour. We planned all of our excurions around what the kids would enjoy. My huband and I have never been to any of these places...so we where greatful just to be there! I am not going to pretend that there wasn't things that we would loved to done...if we didn't have the kids... But that's just part of being a parent.

My children are only with me for a short time and I want to give them as much experienses as I can. Someday god willing they leave home. When that happens my DH and I will travel to all the places that we want to see. And then we will do ALL the tours that WE want to take! Maybe a cruise around the world....

 

[skibum]

This is exactly why we love DCL. We know that we can take the kids and there is something for everyone!

We took our children on the repo transalantic cruise. They where 12,10,8,& 6 at the time. We all had a great time!

I knew when we booked our trip that it would be a great learning experience for everyone. We spend all of our pre-cruise time planning for the trip. Figuring out everything we could about every port. We read a ton of books about the different cultures, best places to see, food, money, language & etc. To this day my children can tell you all about Gibraltar. To me this is History...that they can't get in school.

I do agree that you have to know what your children would like and not like. Otherwise it would be just be torcher for them, us and everyone on our tour. We planned all of our excurions around what the kids would enjoy. My huband and I have never been to any of these places...so we where greatful just to be there! I am not going to pretend that there wasn't things that we would loved to done...if we didn't have the kids... But that's just part of being a parent.

My children are only with me for a short time and I want to give them as much experienses as I can. Someday god willing they leave home. When that happens my DH and I will travel to all the places that we want to see. And then we will do ALL the tours that WE want to take! Maybe a cruise around the world....

We are with you 100%. We feel it is our job to give them a taste of everything, and when they turn 18, they can do what they please.
Our kids are lucky - we have travelled all over the country, mostly by car. Visited key historic sites and National Parks. When they see stuff on TV, they know where it is. With DCL, they have travelled to many other countries due to sailings in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. My 11 year old likes to talk about her visiting 39 states and 14 countires. At 10 years old, she did get a lot out of our European vacation last year. When we think of the places we visited last year, what a great education in a fun environment - Pompeii, Rome, Florence, Pisa, the Vatican...
Our 16 year old just came home from school and said her American History teacher loved us. When my daughter was asked why, she said because she has been all over the country and can talk about places she has been.
These memories will last a lifetime, and it is easy learning at that age!

 

[JsMom2]

My DD and I travel all over the world. She loves learning about other people and cultures. We also both love Disney.

It's great when you can combine the two things. But I can't see spending more for an inside cabin on the Magic to the Baltics than for a mini suite on Crown Princess! (That would only be for 10 nts, but includes more ports).

Plus when you travel to Europe, you want your kids to be excited about the history and culture. Why put them in the position of having to choose between a "special activity" on the ship or the rich history of the Baltics?

I say cruise on another line, and use the money you save to take a trip to WDW for some magical family time. Either that or do an Adventures by Disney trip. Yes, they are expensive but you get a real immersive experience and aren't torn between activities ashore and on the ship. And after seeing the 2010 cruise prices, they are seeming more reasonable all the time...

Yes, our kids love Disney. But that doesn't mean they can't have a wonderful time on another cruise line! Don't we want to teach our kids to have an open mind about trying new things???

 

[woody73]

. . . Yes, our kids love Disney. But that doesn't mean they can't have a wonderful time on another cruise line! Don't we want to teach our kids to have an open mind about trying new things???

Well said!

Woody

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

After pricing out a cruise this morning, I definately do think Disney is smoking crack!
I am booking RCCL!

 

[Skallywag]

NCL Baltic and European price brochure out early December 08 to cover summer of 2010 have been told.

 

[kaseyC]

NCL Baltic and European price brochure out early December 08 to cover summer of 2010 have been told.

Good, I would like to be able to compare prices before I decide if we will keep our booking with DCL or not. Those Courtyard Villas on NCL are awesome and the suite perks are amazing!

 

[tammymacb]

I could not believe the prices this morning.

DH and I have taken DD ( who loooooves to cruise ) on Carnival, NCL, Celebrity, RCCL and the Magic. Her favorites are actually Carnival and RCCL ( she's 11 and says the kids club on the Magic was *boring* )

Anyhoo, when I saw the Med offerings, I decided that this was the kick in the butt I needed to finally do the cruise. So I got up at 0800 and...........


c'mon, are they serious?!?!

Over 9 grand for an inside room?! WITHOUT airfare?

I've already contacted RCCL and they will get the sale.

As I said on the other thread. It's not only about the ability to pay- it's about how much I'm willing to pay. And I'm not- not that much.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I checked the prices on the 11 night Med w/airfare just for kicks and it was over $19,000 (the airfare portion was $8,000). Oh my!!!

 

[Tinkermom3]

DCL is going to price themselves right out of the market if they keep this up!

We are currently booked in a Cat 4 for 5 people in October '09 (7 night). We booked this October '09 cruise while on board in February of '08 for $5200.00 (with our 10%). We have to cruise in off season in order to be able to afford it.

We were considering moving the 10/09 cruise to February 2010 since our kids would have one extra day off of school at that time. We priced it this morning hoping to jump on the least expensive price by getting in early. The SAME CRUISE in the SAME CATEGORY we took this past year which cost us ~$6,000.00 is NOW over $9,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot imagine what the prices for 2010 cruises will be in a few months!!!

DH also priced out a Cat 6 just to see what it would be for 3 people and it was $4300.00.

If Disney keeps going like this our 10/09 cruise may be our last on DCL, unless we win the lottery.

I really cannot express how disappointed I am in DCL right now. Even our travel agent said that pricing is ridiculous.

I thought DCL catered to families? I imagine that many families are not going to be able to pay these prices. We are looking at RCCL for our next cruise. What else can we do?

 

[bzzelady]

I'm sharing the same feeling as you are...I am going to research RCCL this afternoon. I spent over two hours on hold this morning to move a 11/28/09 western cruise and got disconnected by DCL. That was about the amount of time I needed to wake up and decide to either go with another cruise line or put my money away until after all the early bookers final payments are due on 3/20/10 and see what comes up on the last minute sale list.
I don't have problems with the ability to pay for this...it's what I'm willing to pay and I'm not willing to pay the prices that have been posted.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

As I said on the other thread. It's not only about the ability to pay- it's about how much I'm willing to pay. And I'm not- not that much.

Good way of putting it. I budget about $6000 a year for a 2 week vacation for my daughter and I. Jan 2009 we are doing the western cruise ($2200), and a full week at POFQ beforehand ($2000), plus expenses, air (not so cheap anymore - $1000 from Seattle), and spending....6 grand goes quick!

I can't justify the DCL prices for 2010 to stay within my $6000 budget for 2 weeks.
I feel $6000 is a decent budget for a single mom and 1 child, and I shouldn't feel the need to spend more than that.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

The title of this thread is exactly what I was thinking when I heard about the summer 2010 prices- and then when I went online to look at the 10nt and 11nt southern cruises. I was definitely thinking the title of this thread- exactly!

It looks like to me that on many of those cruises- only the rich and/or famous (LOL) are going to be able to afford those cruises. It would have cost us almost $20k for our family 5 in 2 rooms (cat 7 and cat 11) for the 11nt southern. The cat 11 for 3 ppl alone was over $9k. ridiculous!

At this point we can only "afford" the more reasonably priced trans atlantic cruises which are only so inexpensive due to their timing during school- not exactly catering to "families" in that respect. the only time families could afford to cruise disney would be during school times! sigh......

 

[itutorfortravel]

DCL is going to price themselves right out of the market if they keep this up!

We are currently booked in a Cat 4 for 5 people in October '09 (7 night). We booked this October '09 cruise while on board in February of '08 for $5200.00 (with our 10%). We have to cruise in off season in order to be able to afford it.

We were considering moving the 10/09 cruise to February 2010 since our kids would have one extra day off of school at that time. We priced it this morning hoping to jump on the least expensive price by getting in early. The SAME CRUISE in the SAME CATEGORY we took this past year which cost us ~$6,000.00 is NOW over $9,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot imagine what the prices for 2010 cruises will be in a few months!!!

DH also priced out a Cat 6 just to see what it would be for 3 people and it was $4300.00.

If Disney keeps going like this our 10/09 cruise may be our last on DCL, unless we win the lottery.

I really cannot express how disappointed I am in DCL right now. Even our travel agent said that pricing is ridiculous.

I thought DCL catered to families? I imagine that many families are not going to be able to pay these prices. We are looking at RCCL for our next cruise. What else can we do?

i am totally in agreement 100%! we currently have a may '09 cat 5 booked for 3 ppl for $4600. To me, that's a lot of money but it's starting to look like a bargain!

we were considering moving our cruise to spring break 2010 b/c my step dd will be graduating from high school this year and between 2 trips so close together we just logistically didn't think we could do both once we learned that graduation was midweek - talk about another genius at the helm of decision making in that school district - HA!

anyhow, we priced a cat 6 for 3 ppl and the price is $7700! i can't believe it! just this past summer, i had inquired about pricing for spring break '09 and it was cheaper for a cat 6 on that cruise (even though it was only 9 months out) than it is for this one, in the first minutes of booking!!!

i am almost disgusted with the situation. i love love love wdw and wanted to try dcl. but i just cannot justify that price. there are so many other wonderful places to go for $8K (more once you factor in travel and expenses). i suppose there are people who can (and will) pay those prices. i for one do not believe in going into debt for vacation or being so emotionally wrapped up in something that i make a hasty and crazy decision with my money. and i sincerely believe that $8K for a week on a cruise ship is a little over the top no matter whether it is disney or anyone else.

ok, i am done venting now! off to find other ways to spend my money!

 

[tammymacb]

For those of you who really want to be ill...

I took DD on the special Magic 5 nighter with 2 stops at CC this Labor day. ( We actually ended up with a day at CC because of weather )

DH had to work, so for the two of us, I got a SPH room on the 5th deck. Guess what I paid..? Around 1200.00 dollars for the two of us..

Now, I'm seeing 7 grand for the same 5 night cruise on the Wonder?! They better be shooting a lot of pixie dust from the stacks to make that sting better for the folks who are shelling out 5 thousand plus more than I did last month.

I'm thinking the execs have moved on to a more expensive drug than crack...and they are needing a fix.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

I am still in shock that people WILL actually pay this kind of $$ to be on a 12 yr old ship that has not had a decent dry dock in years, and won't before 2010. People are reporting worn out staterooms, stained carpets, mold in the corners of the bathroom, saggy mattresses, food that is not up to par with other lines,etc.... YET....they are willing to pay this because it is "Disney"?!
Sure, customer service and on board service may be good quality, but all of the other quality issues outweigh that in my opinion.

I can have a room on a brand new ship (Oasis) with a ton more entertainment options, brand new room, brand new everything, excellent food (I assume),etc... for $3000 for a balcony room! $1500 less!

 

[riggins]

I posted this on the "big" thread, but thought I'd mention it here too. I booked a Cat 10 cabin for my family of 4 this morning for our 2010 Spring Break. The total without insurance or transfers was $6,681. It seemed pretty high, but I booked it anyway because we love our Disney cruises. I then decided to call Royal Caribbean and see what they had. I was able to book 2 inside connnecting cabins on Freedom of the Seas, out of Port Canaveral, on a very similar itinerary, for $4526. So, I can sail on a newer boat with more ammenities, in 2 cabins instead of one, for $2,155 less! I haven't cancelled my DCL booking yet, but I suspect I will. I simply can't justify the difference. For what its worth, they had 2 connecting balcony staterooms for the same price as my one Cat 10 on DCL.

I also booked the Dover to Barcelona repo. When the other cruise lines come out with their 2010 Europe cruises, we'll see how DCL compares. I can't imagine that we won't sail with DCL in 2010, but these prices are forcing me to shop around. Being able to afford something and being willing to pay for it are two very different things!!

 

[itutorfortravel]

I am still in shock that people WILL actually pay this kind of $$ to be on a 12 yr old ship that has not had a decent dry dock in years, and won't before 2010. People are reporting worn out staterooms, stained carpets, mold in the corners of the bathroom, saggy mattresses, food that is not up to par with other lines,etc.... YET....they are willing to pay this because it is "Disney"?!
Sure, customer service and on board service may be good quality, but all of the other quality issues outweigh that in my opinion.

I can have a room on a brand new ship (Oasis) with a ton more entertainment options, brand new room, brand new everything, excellent food (I assume),etc... for $3000 for a balcony room! $1500 less!

i agree wholeheartedly! the ships aren't even new and they are raising the prices to ridiculous levels! i think the pp is right, disney has moved on to a more expensive drug and they are definitely needing a fix!

i for one would almost be embarrassed to admit that i booked anything for 2010, unless you are choosing something really off-season or even the transatlantic cruises. just for fun, i priced out the WB transatlantic for our family and WITH air it was $9500 for a cat 6! that is 14 days on the ship /airfare/insurance (which is $477 of that total)! THAT is reasonable....$8000 for 7 nites / insurance (at $277), with no transportation is LUDICROUS!

 

[itutorfortravel]

oh my gosh! i just checked spring break for 2009 and i can get a cat 6 stateroom for about $7300, including insurance (no transfers) that is $700 less than spring break 2010...now how does that even make sense?!

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

For fun, I just priced out the 14 day in April, inside cat 11, for 2 of us with air from Seattle - $3700!
THAT is reasonable!
Not sure I could do an inside cabin for 14 days, but that is another story.