Just Saying No?

[oufpat]

Yes, the prices are high, but having completed my first Disney Cruise this past September, I'm hooked!!

 

[Jennifer777]

If I had the experience I had on my first two Disney cruises, I would be willing to pay the higher prices. However, they continue to take away little perks that made sailing with Disney better (in our view) and every time they do, they take away one more reason we previously chose Disney. Not to mention our last cruise was just off, not the same service, ship was not as clean, dinner was so slow and the excellent speeches... ugh. After going back and forth we decided to use our placeholder for our 15 year anniversary trip. We sail this weekend and we have already had numerous issues leading up to this sailing to the point I regret booking it. I already have a cruise booked with DCL next year that is non-refundable (concierge) so I'll do that but it will very likely be our last unless something changes. We can sail in suites on other lines for what we pay for a balcony room with DCL. So no, the price alone isn't driving me away but I am definitely looking elsewhere at this point.

 

[JimGA]

If you are asking if other people talk about jumping ship and complaining about price increases every single time new itineraries are released, then yes. Yes they do. Every time. Many threads. You aren't the first one this go-round, probably won't be the last. Then there will be half a dozen more with the next release too, and the one after that, and so on.

You don't need to take a stand and start a poll, you can just book another line. Nobody will flame you for deciding to sail with another cruise line. Eventually maybe Disney will have trouble filling ships and start dropping prices, but that day is probably not today.

Exactly, these posts are a dime a dozen every year. Yawn.....

 

[Allison]

Let’s stop with the hyperbole. Disney isn’t “price gouging”.

Are they overpriced? Yes, I agree with that opinion. However, a.) cruising isn’t a necessity like water, gas or lodging; b.) DCL’s prices are high all the time; they are not jacking up prices to take advantage of an emergency or other short-term non-discretionary demand spike; and c.) there is no supply shortage; you have plenty of other choices on which to spend your cruising dollar.

Like @lbus42 said - is Lexus “gouging” when they charge $75k for a sedan? Is Four Seasons “gouging” when they charge a standard $800 per night for a room with a swank view? Is Apple “gouging” when they charge $1,000 or more for an iPhone X?

If you don’t like DCL’s pricing, again, I’m with you. But it’s not “price gouging”.

Thank you. I don't think people understand what price gouging really means.

 

[cyclenut]

We are careful where we choose to spend our vacation dollars. It is sometimes Disney and sometimes elsewhere. Sometimes it's a cruise and other times, something else. It isn't about lowest price but overall value and that is highly dependent upon the individual. I've been on the Fantasy once. I loved it. I won't likely do it again unless it leaves the Caribbean. I'd like choose RCL next time, probably Allure since I've not been on one of the mega ships yet. If there is a port on that itinerary I haven't been to, value goes up. I'm willing to pay a bit more for an itinerary fits my schedule better.

For example, we paid more to sail on the Wonder in January than we paid to sail on the Carnival Breeze in September. Both 7-day itineraries, but different destinations. We liked the Wonder itinerary that included Key West, Castaway Cay and Nassau and were really looking forward to experiencing the new look. We loved both cruises. They both brought good value for us. Someone else may view this very differently.

I understand the disappointment when looking at prices for a vacation and hoping that the opening day prices will be a bargain only to find they are higher than expected. There are still quite a few who choose to plunk their money down because for them, the overall value is still there.

 

[aggiedog]

For the PP that asked how our trip was on MSC, here's the link to my trip report:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/trip-report-msc-splendida-in-the-med.3623051/

 

[disneynewcruiser]

I'll say upfront that I have not yet sailed with Disney (our first cruise is coming up June 2018). However, I sailed many times with RCCL (diamond status with them) and also sailed once on Carnival (never again) and twice with NCL (the experience left me lukewarm both times). When we decided to book with DCL we saw that the prices were higher than with other cruise lines, particularly RCCL with whom we typically sail. However, we adjusted to combat the higher price by booking ocean view cabin instead of a balcony cabin as we usually do. This reduces the prices difference between the cruise lines. Still, DCL is more expensive but from what I understand you are paying for premium experience that you are hard pressed to find on other lines. Come June 2018 we will see for ourselves but if the experience is indeed a premium one, then it warrants a higher price. There is a reason why people pay more for a Lexus: it's the experience.

 

[MUN]

It isn't about lowest price but overall value and that is highly dependent upon the individual.

A neighbor of mine likes to say that "Price is what you pay, value is what you get."

MUN

 

[cruiser21]

Yes, the prices are high, but having completed my first Disney Cruise this past September, I'm hooked!!

In 2 years would you pay for double for the same cruise? The reason so many people on here complain is because they are paying double for the same cruise they took just a couple of years ago. Most people got hooked after the first cruise, but are having a hard time justifying paying so much more for something they have done a few times. You may be back here in few years saying the same thing or you may not.

 

[cruiser21]

I'll say upfront that I have not yet sailed with Disney (our first cruise is coming up June 2018). However, I sailed many times with RCCL (diamond status with them) and also sailed once on Carnival (never again) and twice with NCL (the experience left me lukewarm both times). When we decided to book with DCL we saw that the prices were higher than with other cruise lines, particularly RCCL with whom we typically sail. However, we adjusted to combat the higher price by booking ocean view cabin instead of a balcony cabin as we usually do. This reduces the prices difference between the cruise lines. Still, DCL is more expensive but from what I understand you are paying for premium experience that you are hard pressed to find on other lines. Come June 2018 we will see for ourselves but if the experience is indeed a premium one, then it warrants a higher price. There is a reason why people pay more for a Lexus: it's the experience.

I have a hard time understanding the Lexus analogy that you and others have used. The Wonder is a lexus and the Harmony is a Kia? Doesn't make sense. I wouldn't go into your DCL cruise with expectations that its going to be worth the premium over RCCL. You might be disappointed if you do that.

 

[Pens Fan]

Everyone seems to enjoy throwing around the Lexus comparison, but I really don't see DCL as a luxury cruise line similar to Crystal, Oceana, Viking, etc. In our experience Disney is an extremely well run, mainstream cruise line that caters to two specific demographics - families with children and the Disney obsessed. And they do it well, oh so very well. There is a reason we waited to jump ship until our son was an adult, and I don't regret waiting. We have loved every DCL cruise we've ever taken. But I never once confused our enjoyment of them with the experience of staying in a true luxury hotel or eating at top notch restaurants around the world. We weren't looking for a "Lexus" experience (and we didn't get one), we were looking for a Disney experience and we got that in a truly wonderful way.

To expand on the Lexus analogy:

A few years ago we splurged and bought an extra car for our family. We did not need this car, as we already had three (there are only three of us), but it was something my husband and son had dreamed of, drooled over for years. What did we buy? A used Toyota FJ Cruiser. My guys love that thing! They wash it, they wax it, they take to automotive shops and have things added to it that I have no clue what they do, but it makes them oh, so very happy. My son takes it to college in the winter months because he's in an area for which the term lake effect snow is an every day occurrence and blizzards are common. In the summer the trusty FJ gets them to their favorite fly fishing holes that can't be reached by pavement. Toyota quit making FJ's a few years ago, so you can only buy them on the used car market. If someone came up and offered to swap them a brand new shiny Lexus for their 2011 favorite toy, they would laugh in their face, jump in the FJ and drive away smiling.

It's not about premium or luxury. It's about what works for your family and your interests. Disney does Disney. They do it well. Many, many people are willing to pay for that and they always will. Good for them and good for Disney (and good for my Disney stock!) If I was looking for a true luxury vacation and money was no object, honestly the word Disney wouldn't even enter my mind. Disney is Disney - it's a unique and fabulous product, but I just do not get the luxury connotation that so many do on here. To each their own I guess.

 

[DCLCrazy64622]

In 2 years would you pay for double for the same cruise? The reason so many people on here complain is because they are paying double for the same cruise they took just a couple of years ago. Most people got hooked after the first cruise, but are having a hard time justifying paying so much more for something they have done a few times. You may be back here in few years saying the same thing or you may not.

This is exactly right. Thank you!

 

[squirk]

I have a hard time understanding the Lexus analogy that you and others have used. The Wonder is a lexus and the Harmony is a Kia? Doesn't make sense. I wouldn't go into your DCL cruise with expectations that its going to be worth the premium over RCCL. You might be disappointed if you do that.

I think the Lexus analogy (at least, how I was thinking about it) was used in the context of defining what is or isn’t “price gouging”.

That isn’t to say that a $75k Lexus is “$50k better” or “200% better” than a $25k Kia. My point was - just because something is overpriced doesn't mean the vendor is “gouging” anyone, particularly with regard to something as discretionary as a cruise vacation.

 

[aggiedog]

So it's semantics? We can call it overpriced for our personal perceived value, just not gouging?

And I totally agree with PensFan, and would just expound that DCL charges a price most would associate with luxury. I love Disney, too, and would cruise with them for the right price, but not for 3 times the price when I can cruise with someone else.

 

[cruiser21]

I think the Lexus analogy (at least, how I was thinking about it) was used in the context of defining what is or isn’t “price gouging”.

That isn’t to say that a $75k Lexus is “$50k better” or “200% better” than a $25k Kia. My point was - just because something is overpriced doesn't mean the vendor is “gouging” anyone, particularly with regard to something as discretionary as a cruise vacation.

There's a clear difference between a Lexus, Mercedes, BMW etc and a Kia or Honda. I don't see a difference between a disney ship and a royal, carnival or NCL ship. The car analogy just doesn't work. Dcl has Mickey and friends which sets it apart, but as far the ships go...other cruiselines probably have nicer and newer ships.

 

[squirk]

There's a clear difference between a Lexus, Mercedes, BMW etc and a Kia or Honda. I don't see a difference between a disney ship and a royal, carnival or NCL ship. The car analogy just doesn't work. Dcl has Mickey and friends which sets it apart, but as far the ships go...other cruiselines probably have nicer and newer ships.

Of course there is a difference between a Lexus and a Kia. Is there $50k worth of difference? Some people may not think so. Some may not feel they get enough value for the $50k premium - just like some folks (e.g., you) don’t feel like they get enough (or any) value for the premium DCL charges. Again, that doesn’t mean DCL is “price gouging”.

And some people feel like the value is there. Who are we to tell them they are wrong?

I’m sorry you find the analogy flawed. But I think it’s good enough to make my original point.

 

[squirk]

So it's semantics? We can call it overpriced for our personal perceived value, just not gouging?

And I totally agree with PensFan, and would just expound that DCL charges a price most would associate with luxury. I love Disney, too, and would cruise with them for the right price, but not for 3 times the price when I can cruise with someone else.

Semantics makes the difference sound trivial. Anyone who has been in a situation where they were truly getting “gouged” - on things like clean drinking water, a hotel room when their home has been damaged, gas when they need to flee a hurricane, etc. - might take exception to the term being applied to something like a cruise vacation.

I’m one of those folks, BTW. I find the equivocation not only semantically incorrect, but hyperbolic to the point of almost being insulting. Anyone else who’s had themselves and their family intentionally exploited during a time of crisis and desperation might feel the same.

 

[jenf22]

In 2 years would you pay for double for the same cruise? The reason so many people on here complain is because they are paying double for the same cruise they took just a couple of years ago. Most people got hooked after the first cruise, but are having a hard time justifying paying so much more for something they have done a few times. You may be back here in few years saying the same thing or you may not.

I don't often come to the defense of the "DCL only" crowd, but we kind of do this with Hawaii. We paid less than $3000 the first time we went to Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island and fell in love with the place. It's our version of paradise. I imagine the waterfalls and the turtles when I need to relax. So now when we go to that island, we stay there, and we pay about twice as much as that first time. So I guess I understand spending so much more if a DCL cruise ship is your version of paradise. We could maybe go to the Keys (well, not now) or some other island and have just as much fun. But we're unwilling to risk it.

Now with cruising, I would love to sail DCL again, but I don't think I'll ever be able to justify the cost. We cruise to see new places, to experience new things, and to spend time as a family. We can do that on any line. We just got back from Princess in NYC to Canada. We saw the Magic there too. She was doing a 7-night and we were on a 5-night. The Magic was about $4000 more than the Princess cruise. With that "savings", I can do another vacation. My kid will always pick 2 vacations over 1, even if it means not sailing Disney. I do still love DCL though. We happened to be on the 102nd floor of One World Trade Center when the Magic sailed out on Saturday and I took a gazillion pictures of her. I think she'll always hold a special place in my heart since it was my first cruise.

 

[cgolf]

I have been a lurker now that we are booked out on other lines through 2019.

I do have a few comments though.

I don't buy the Lexus reference at all and here is why. Over the years we have seen the quality of the service decline and small perks kept being removed. We started to notice the change when the dream came on line and from talking to many of the crew, they are stretched more thinly on the Dream class vs the classics and don't get to spend as much time pampering us guests. We actually did the Magic post the big re-imagine and the staff was awesome and very friendly. Many of the same staff was on the Fantasy 2 months later and were not as friendly and were just focused on doing the job and getting to their next responsibility. Even Fitz wasn't himself, he just looked super worn out, but was still super friendly when I stopped to chat. So is the service good sure, but not as good as it used to be. So in my eyes we were starting to pay more for a lesser product, so getting less value for our vacation money.

For our first 12 cruises we only sailed DCL. When we went on RCCL we found the service to be better in some ways and not as good in others, pretty much a wash. I will say our daughter who is know in college, felt like she grew up on DCL did not cruise RCCL with us so we don't know the kids club comparison. So for us going on DCL we would not be seeing an improvement in service over RCCL. We are looking forward to our Celebrity cruise as I have heard very good things about the level of service, but not a line to compare against DCL since they really don't cater to kids.

I am curious to see what happens moving forward. If DCL raises their price enough they may attract a crowd that expects a premium/luxury product and DCL is not in that class, so it could get interesting. To be honest for us the timing was perfect for a switch, we had been on so many DCL cruises in a relatively short time that we had pretty much seen all the shows and entertainers. Very curious to see what they will do with the new ships, that could definitely draw us back, or some good deals on the Magic

I will say though that if families are crazy about DCL saving up for at least one DCL cruise, long as you don't have to go into debt to do it, would be a trip of a lifetime. We have a ton of great memories we will always cherish, and are hoping we will be creating new and different ones moving forward.

 

[Cabelle1863]

We love DCL, and will likely cruise them again if/when there's an itinerary that interests us and is priced accordingly. However, that may be a while. We have our Merrytime cruise next week, and are very excited about it, but afterwards we'll probably switch to NCL for the other cruises we're interested in. We want to do an Alaskan cruise, one to the British Isles, and the Norwegian Fjords, and the DCL ones are just too expensive for us. We're very interested in seeing what NCL is like, and although I'm sure we'll miss the extra Disney touches, the priority for us is the places we want to see. This way, we'll be able to afford to cruise, then get our Disney fix at one of the parks in possibly the same year time span.