Just looked at price increases for '05

[tecdavidt]

Wow, we just checked out '05 pricing for Spring Break. We would have to be in a cat. 5 for what we paid for our cat.3 this Spring Break!!! Not good DCL. Husband just said, "Steph will be old enough we need to check out other cruiselines." I have to agree DCL. You're good but come one, that is one huge price increase! Supply and demand, hm, we probably won't be cruising Disney in '05. Not that we haven't cruised other lines. We have cruised on Celebrity, and Carnival. This Dec. we will be on Princess. Maybe we will try RCCL for Spring Break '05. We have cruised on DCL 6 times after this cruise coming up in March '04, maybe it is time for a change. Disney won't notice that we won't be there but maybe if enough return cruisers agree that the cruise fee increase is more than what they are willing to pay and the returning cruisers don't book new cruises, well, the Castaway club party will be getting smaller--- DCL is used to a huge returning cruiser market. That market won't be there if DCL raises their fares so high that returning cruisers decide other lines make more sense dollar wise. This is especially true if you have to drop 2 cat. in one year! Come on, a cat. 5 for the price what we paid for a cat. 3. Kathy

 

[dis4me]

Wow That is a big increase. We have done 4 DCL cruises but I too think we will be doing another cruise line next time. Not enough new things or incentives to keep us on DCL.I do love the Disney quality but I feel I have to give others a try especially now with price being a big factor.

 

[PiperG]

With DS6 still young enough to pull out of school (please don't flame me for that), we have taken advantageous of non-peak rates.

However, I see that changing next year as he hits 2nd grade. DH has already been checking out RCCL for spring break '05 because the DCL cost is so high. I hate to leave DCL, because I just can't see other lines having the Pixie Dust I have come to love. However, its hard to argue when RCCL is so much lower.

 

[FredS]

If your spring break is set at the same time as ours, the reason 2005 is more expensive for the same time period is due to Easter falling in late March rather than April as it will in 2004. We had tentatively thought to cruise at spring break in 2005, and also saw the unusual jump in price for the time period, but then realized it was due to the proximity to Easter.

Just unfortunate timing for some of us who are used to late March being a less peak, thus less expensive, time to vacation.

 

[KaitlinsMom]

We also checked for March 2005 - No thanks! We could do the 10 day Christmas cruise for what we were quoted!

 

[tecdavidt]

Our Spring Break would start March 19th. I don't believe it is timed to Easter. Maybe it is timed for Spring Break. This week and the week after are about the same price. The two weeks before are dramatically less. This price increase is huge over what we paid for a cat. 3 this year and last year.(which is Spring Break pricing) The quoted price for a cat. 4 in '05 is $300 more than what we paid for a cat. 3 in '04 and '03. There is huge difference in a cat. 3 from a cat. 4. We can not justify paying for a cat. 4 in '05 for what we paid for a cat. 3 in '04. I realize prices do increase but not by this much. Kathy

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by tecdavidt
Our Spring Break would start March 19th. I don't believe it is timed in to Easter. Kathy

Easter is the 27th and that would explain a price increase over years when Easter is in April.

 

[tecdavidt]

I still don't think it is Easter since the cruise on March 19th ends on March 26th and Easter is March 27th. Kathy

 

[DisneyGator01]

Coming from WDW,

the absolute BUSIEST time of the year, other then xmas holidays, is the week before, and week after easter...

I would say the rates might be higher since the cruise you are looking falls into that time period..

 

[FredS]

Originally posted by tecdavidt
I still don't think it is Easter since the cruise on March 19th ends on March 26th and Easter is March 27th. Kathy

You can look at prices for years past for Disney. Many schools have their spring breaks the week before and/or the week after Easter. It isn't just the cruise which hits precisely on Easter.

 

[rae519]

Verandah Man and I are planning our 50th Birthday Cruise for spring of 2005 - we might just have to change some plans with those price increases - I am certain points will take a big jump also.

Andy is visiting the Pages this weekend - so I won't know til later when we will be cruising - leaving it up to him since Angelina has a school scheduling to contend with.

Maybe we'll take a HAL and go North to Alaska!

Rae

 

[Redmic]

Our spring break is always the 3rd week of April and we just booked that week in 2005 for $2000 less than the same week in 2004. It is definitely due to how Easter falls.

 

[tecdavidt]

Well I guess I am just use to the Midwest where our Spring Breaks are never tied to Easter. In fact, the schools do not have any days off for the holiday unless you go to the private schools that are run by churches.

We really won't know exactly when our spring break week is for sure until late Jan. '04 or even Feb. '04. This past year we had to reserve two weeks until the district made their decision. What we do know is that my husband's birthday always falls during Spring Break and the week is about midway into the semester. The semester runs Jan. - the end of May so the middle of March is always the week off.

We started to check out the price after reading about the huge fare increases for '05. I am 99% positive we won't be on DCL for our Spring Break. We have our TA checking on '05 pricing on DCL and other lines. Maybe we won't be cruising at all. Kathy

 

[KaitlinsMom]

With my luck, we would book April 2005, and then Disney would bring their cruise line out here!!! (I live in So Cal)

 

[CSX2]

We are veterans of 3 DCL trips but are suffering sticker shock looking at the prices for next year. I haven't done a comparison of all lines and different sailing dates but the general impression is that DCL has dramatically increased in price!

For the same CAT and timeframe I have noticed an increase of over 30%. We love DCL but we will be looking at other cruise lines.