Just Saying No?

[lbus42]

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.[/QUOTE

This was exactly the point I was trying to make. I don't think a Lexus is $50K better than a Kia, but if that Lexus fulfilled one of my needs or wants, I might be willing to spend that extra $50K. An RCCL or Carnival cruise is still a vacation, but they do not make me say "Wow". Disney does. They satisfy some of my needs and wants, and to me they are worth the extra money. And like Squirk points out, that is not price-gouging.

 

[cruiser21]

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.

I never said DCl was price gouging. I don't see a difference in quality between lets say the Fantasy and the Harmony. It's completely subjective which you prefer. You're assuming that DCL is a better quality product. There is a clear difference in quality when it comes to cars. Cruise ships not so much. It's all opinion.
Why does everyone use a Lexus anyway? If I was going to buy a luxury car it would be a Mercedes, BMW.....or a Porshe.

 

[KashasMom]

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.

We booked the Bliss to Alaska for next year. Going with extended family - we're all excited!

 

[aggiedog]

Squirk, sorry your family had troubles.

 

[mevelandry]

After our April family cruise, my MIL was hoping that we would do another DCL cruise in 2019...

Based on the prices I've seen, not sure it's gonna happen.

 

[mevelandry]

We are DCL platinum. After comparing prices and amenities between DCL and Viking for a Baltic cruise, we chose Viking. We found a better itinerary (for us), smaller ship, fewer passengers, free wine and beer during meals, free included excursions in all ports, all staterooms have balconies, no class segregation,and free specialty restaurants (think Palo and Remy). I was shocked that there wasn't that big of a savings between the two. It isn't possible for families but great for adults only. If I was sailing the Caribbean on a shorter cruise I wouldn't mind DCL. But Viking gets my dollars in Europe.

Interesting. Never heard of Viking before.

 

[cgolf]

Thought about this while I was waking up this morning. I am getting tired of the argument that this is just a supply and demand issue, because to be honest they could raise their prices more and still fill the ships. What DCL is really doing is determine economic status of the people that they have on board (couldn't think of a better word). Back when we first started sailing them the cruises were available to people from many economic classes with the concierge suites topping it off. What they have started to do now is push people in the lower middle class to other lines by raising their prices. This is a move, not sure it is a good one.

What Disney needs to decide is what is their target market, a family that pulls in 100 to 150K a year or families that make 50 to 150k a year. It does appear now that they are starting to make a move to target the wealthier cruisers. At this point they really don't need to grow their brand anymore, it is pretty well ingrained in our thoughts and lives.

 

[mevelandry]

We booked the Bliss to Alaska for next year. Going with extended family - we're all excited!

#imjealous

 

[mevelandry]

Thought about this while I was waking up this morning. I am getting tired of the argument that this is just a supply and demand issue, because to be honest they could raise their prices more and still fill the ships. What DCL is really doing is determine economic status of the people that they have on board (couldn't think of a better word). Back when we first started sailing them the cruises were available to people from many economic classes with the concierge suites topping it off. What they have started to do now is push people in the lower middle class to other lines by raising their prices. This is a move, not sure it is a good one.

What Disney needs to decide is what is their target market, a family that pulls in 100 to 150K a year or families that make 50 to 150k a year. It does appear now that they are starting to make a move to target the wealthier cruisers. At this point they really don't need to grow their brand anymore, it is pretty well ingrained in our thoughts and lives.

I agree with you 100%.

 

[ForMyBoys]

I love me some DCL. But we also loved our Royal Carribean Cruise. In looking at European cruises the price difference floored me. I can get connecting balcony rooms on a newly refurbished RC ship for half the price of connecting interior rooms on DCL. Is DCL really worth over double??

Two out of three of my kids liked the DCL kids club better, but seriously I could book RC AND give each kid $1000 to spend on whatever they wanted on the vacation and still save thousands. It’s crazy.

So, I checked opening day price for a 4 night Caribbean on the Dream 2019 March and the prices didn’t shock me. So I did end up booking Disney with my placeholders. It didn’t seem that much more expensive then the 4 night we did a few years ago. However the prices in Europe and Alaska are crazy. So maybe it’s certain cruises at certain times. With only 4 ships I imagine it is supply/demand.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Interesting. Never heard of Viking before.

I noticed that you are French Canadian. I bet that is the reason. It is a Norwegian company that only targets certain countries. Don't ask me why, LOL. I've read their reasoning but I don't remember. They are, also, huge in European river cruises.

 

[abuck75]

I'm not sure if "luxury" is the right word, but it's certainly enough of a differentiated product and brand that it's able to demand a premium. The theme parks and hotels demand a pretty sizable premium over the many amusement and theme parks around the US that have just as exciting rides, lacking the quality of themes that the brand provides. It's really the same thing for cruises, I imagine.

I've been on one cruise many years ago, and generally speaking, cruises haven't appealed to me, but we'll be taking our first DCL cruise this February. We wanted to try something different, and literally EVERY person I've ran into in real life who has been on one raved about the experience. With a 5 and 9 year old, the added risk of them being bored for 7 days isn't worth the 30 - 40 % savings that come with another cruise line. With Disney we can reasonably be assured that they will find activities and things that they enjoy.

In addition, the limited size of DCL (4 ships) combined with the unique brand simply give them a price elasticity that doesn't have to compete with the other lines to fill their ships on a macro level. Obviously they do have to compete for individual travelers, but there is enough demand to still fill ships.

 

[YawningDodo]

I guess the question depends on what you want out of your vacation, what the draw is for you, and whether cruising is a regular staple in your life.

For me, I'm not looking at it in terms of considering myself the sort of person who vacations on cruise ships regularly. If that was my typical style of vacation, I would probably look more seriously at other cruise lines because the lower costs would probably ultimately justify whatever perceived difference in quality (and actual difference in amenities) I might find. That's not my situation, though. I've booked a Disney cruise for the same reason I've booked WDW and DL vacations in the past: I want the specific experience Disney is offering, and at the moment I'm willing and able to pay the price they're asking. It was never a question of whether I'd book on DCL or on Norwegian (or Carnival or etc.); it was a question of whether I'd book a Disney cruise or no cruise at all. Conversely, I'm not going to book any Adventures by Disney trips because what they're offering in that instance is a tour of a place I can tour perfectly well on my own at a lot lower cost.

Having seen similar price discussions in other sections of the board, I think it comes down to the same question of mindset it always has. Others have abandoned their annual WDW pilgrimages because of price hikes...and maybe not realized that for those of us who only visit a couple times a decade (and many, many people take these kinds of vacations even less frequently), the price hikes aren't so visible because we don't expect to go every year anyhow.

 

[Shanti]

I'm not sure if "luxury" is the right word, but it's certainly enough of a differentiated product and brand that it's able to demand a premium...With a 5 and 9 year old, the added risk of them being bored for 7 days isn't worth the 30 - 40 % savings that come with another cruise line. With Disney we can reasonably be assured that they will find activities and things that they enjoy.

In addition, the limited size of DCL (4 ships) combined with the unique brand simply give them a price elasticity that doesn't have to compete with the other lines to fill their ships on a macro level. Obviously they do have to compete for individual travelers, but there is enough demand to still fill ships.

Agreed. We're sailing to Alaska on the Wonder in June, and on a Dream B2B in December, and I've been satisfied enough with DCL to just pay the premium and not consider another line for our cruises. My son and I both love the characters, I like the classic design of the ships, they accommodate his dietary restriction well, and I know that my son won't be bored on the ship. That's huge, as a big reason why I want to cruise is to relax, and a parent can't relax while trying to entertain a restless child.

I could see how it wouldn't be worth it for people who were sailing adults-only, and/or didn't care for the Disney characters. That's why there are so many cruise ship lines: each has something for a different type of traveler. But for us, DCL is just right, and at this point in my life I'm willing & able to pay for a "just right" experience.

I hope that adding 3 ships will slow the rapid price increases DCL has undergone over the past few years. I guess part of that depends on where each ship will be sailing. Regardless, I'm looking forward to our upcoming cruises and to DCL's future ships and itineraries.

 

[mevelandry]

I noticed that you are French Canadian. I bet that is the reason. It is a Norwegian company that only targets certain countries. Don't ask me why, LOL. I've read their reasoning but I don't remember. They are, also, huge in European river cruises.

Highly possible... I will look them up. But it is possible that I did not notice them because I always shop for "popular" cruises instead of "luxury" too.

I've seen commercials for Norwegian, MSC and DCL on tv but never saw any commercial of Carnival...

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

Just looked at the Disney cruises that falls within our Spring Break and I found the price reasonable. Will book it while on-board next month on our Western Caribbean cruise.

We love Disney and cruise with them Fall-Spring. During the Summer though... Disney's prices increase too much and we cruise with other cruise lines such as Carnival (knowing to expect a very different experience, we very much enjoy those vacations too). Next summer, we'll cruise with family members 60+ though and we're going to try Celebrity.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

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.

Often times for the price of a balcony on DCL, you can book a suite on other lines; the suite is closer to a premium experience than DCL.

You may not find as much difference as you're hoping for. DCL is at it's very heart, a cruise so there are some portions that aren't really that different.

I cancelled my scheduled 7 day Eastern Caribbean DCL cruise (was supposed to be leaving tomorrow in fact) for a 10 day Partial Panama Canal Princess cruise in a Window Suite (in 2 weeks) that costs less in Canadian funds than DCL did in American (and DCL was a balcony).

I enjoy cruising; not just DCL cruising. If cruising on other lines means I get 4-5 weeks of enjoyment instead of 2 weeks on DCL, I'd rather take the longer and more frequent trips.

 

[kaseyC]

We are DCL platinum. After comparing prices and amenities between DCL and Viking for a Baltic cruise, we chose Viking. We found a better itinerary (for us), smaller ship, fewer passengers, free wine and beer during meals, free included excursions in all ports, all staterooms have balconies, no class segregation,and free specialty restaurants (think Palo and Remy). I was shocked that there wasn't that big of a savings between the two. It isn't possible for families but great for adults only. If I was sailing the Caribbean on a shorter cruise I wouldn't mind DCL. But Viking gets my dollars in Europe.

I just started looking at a Viking cruise for me and my 21 yr old daughter during her University's Winter break in Jan 2018. The itinerary is fantastic Rome to Barcelona with port stops in 4 countries including Algiers and Tunisia. I was shocked at how reasonably priced it is and all that's included. If I use miles for airfare, it will end up being one of my least expensive vacations.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I just started looking at a Viking cruise for me and my 21 yr old daughter during her University's Winter break in Jan 2018. The itinerary is fantastic Rome to Barcelona with port stops in 4 countries including Algiers and Tunisia. I was shocked at how reasonably priced it is and all that's included. If I use miles for airfare, it will end up being one of my least expensive vacations.

I was shocked, too. We took their Viking Homelands tour in May/June. It was fabulous. We were well taken care of. We saw a few "kids" that age and all seemed to be enjoying themselves. We've, also, taken their Grand European River Cruise. After that one I wasn't so sure I could ocean cruise again. It was THAT good.

 

[cruiser21]

Thought about this while I was waking up this morning. I am getting tired of the argument that this is just a supply and demand issue, because to be honest they could raise their prices more and still fill the ships. What DCL is really doing is determine economic status of the people that they have on board (couldn't think of a better word). Back when we first started sailing them the cruises were available to people from many economic classes with the concierge suites topping it off. What they have started to do now is push people in the lower middle class to other lines by raising their prices. This is a move, not sure it is a good one.

What Disney needs to decide is what is their target market, a family that pulls in 100 to 150K a year or families that make 50 to 150k a year. It does appear now that they are starting to make a move to target the wealthier cruisers. At this point they really don't need to grow their brand anymore, it is pretty well ingrained in our thoughts and lives.

I have gotten surveys that ask very personal financial info. Salary, investments, net worth etc.