NYC Prices are too high!

[FJS961]

After getting the quotes today, we will not be cruising out of NYC. The price is ridiculous. We wanted to do the 2 nighter on 7/13 followed by the five nighter on 7/15 in a 4B. The cost for 2 adults was almost $6000!!! We have 2 weeks B2B, same category on the Fantasy in October for $6800! That's a whole other week for less than $1000.

We live in Boston (I am from NY though), so we would be flying either way and spending a night in a hotel on one or both ends, so that is a wash for comparison. IMHO, airfare is much cheaper and safer than parking a car in NYC for a week.

Sorry DCL, guess we won't be doing 4 cruises in 2012. Go back to the Baltics in 2013 and we will see you then.

First I think doing a B2B on the Fantasy is AMAZING, wish I had 2 weeks off to do that!

Second, did you take into consideration for pricing that your Fantasy is in October (lower rates) versus summer? At least when I booked in January, summer Fantasy rates were very high and I wound up with the last week in August where I saw a 33% price cut from the prior weeks sailings ....

 

[loveysbydesign]

That would be "OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND"....

We used to go to OC,MD but we stayed on the mainland at Assateague Pointe Resort. We loved it there but it got old after a few years..then once the internet became huge it was easy to price out WDW vacations and we realized we could go to WDW and visit much nicer Florida beaches for what it cost us to go to OC,MD!
A relative of mine is spending almost $1500 in lodging to stay at Wildwo0dd, Nj for the week this summer..I flat out told her she was nuts!

 

[MD_Guy]

We used to go to OC,MD but we stayed on the mainland at Assateague Pointe Resort. We loved it there but it got old after a few years..then once the internet became huge it was easy to price out WDW vacations and we realized we could go to WDW and visit much nicer Florida beaches for what it cost us to go to OC,MD!
A relative of mine is spending almost $1500 in lodging to stay at Wildwo0dd, Nj for the week this summer..I flat out told her she was nuts!

Ditto...I have friends who go to OC every year. It kills me when I hear how much they spend on a room, that isn't even ocean view.

 

[sabrecmc]

Looks like we'll be doing the 5 night to Canada on July 8, 2012. Considering that is the middle of summer in NYC, I honestly didn't find the price that terrible at about $900/person. For food, entertainment, babysitting, lodging...and keeping me out of the NYC shops! We'll pair the cruise with weekends in NYC before and after, so will get to enjoy one of our favorite cities as well.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Again, its NOT an apples-to-apples comparison because the ports are not the same.

Its like any cruise line...the per-person, per-day price is ALWAYS going to vary depending on the itinerary.

Much of the price difference often has to do with the particular ship sailing the route, too. On RCCL, the Oasis class almost always commands a higher price than other ships sailing identical itineraries simply because its a newer ship.

That's not apples to apples. It's 2 different ports and 2 different cruise destinations. Apples to apples would be 5 day, same date range, nyc to canada.

As to just a cruise vs disney. We found tons of magic with RCCL. It's food in the included restauarants was great, room service great. Our waiter saw us in port and asked where'd we been the night before by our first names. (We'd gone to the buffet restauarant). Don't tell me that's not great service. Yes, they aren't a luxury liner like Celebrity, but I don't consider DCL a luxery liner either. Yes a step up, but not a huge step up. Sure pin trading would be awesome, but the ice skating show equals the loss for me. Value is price, but with quality. I think they just overcharge because of the disney name, but I'll keep trying.

I have to respectfully disagree about it not being an apples-to-apples comparison. To me, if you are deciding between two items, it is a fair comparison. The OP was comparing two cruises (i.e. two choices for a family vacation) and made a decision to go with one over the other as the OP thought one was a better value and fit for her family.

I do not believe that most cruisers only compare cruises with identicial itineries in making a decision. Depending on their potential vacation budget, they may compare 4 to 6 different cruises leaving from different ports and visiting different places. When comparing two cruises, you will NEVER have a true apples-to-apples comparison even if it's the same cruiseline as you have to consider the fact that they are completely different ships with different itineraries, different room sizes, different availability for specific room category types, different onboard activities or amenities, varying costs of getting to the port as well as recommendations from others or past experience, personal preference, etc. etc. etc.. That said, I believe that it is fair to compare prices of similar length cruises as a starting point of ships with different itineraries and then move to the next step of deciding if the different prices are worth it or not? Obviously, if you have a preference for a particular itinerary, then the extra cost may be worth it once all other differences are factored into the person's decision.

I think everyone here is smart enough to understand that there is no perfect apples-to-apples comparison when making any buying decision. I replaced our 15-year old gas grill this past week. I looked at a lot of different grills ranging in price from $250 to $1,500. Each one had different bells and whistles so I could not simply compare prices from one brand to another as my only deciding factor. I had to consider what features were important to me including perceived brand reliability as I wanted my new grill to last as long as my old one. If every grill brand was identical with the only difference being price, it would have been an easy decision. That's the same as choosing a cruise. Price is but one consideration, albiet a very important one for many. If you don't perceive that two 5-night cruises are different, then you'll always go for the one with the lowest price.

 

[FJS961]

After much thought, DH and I decided to do our May 18, 2012 Magic Cruise out of Port Canaveral instead of NYC.
We REALLY like those 2 days at Castaway Cay plus since we are Annual Passholders, we can extend our vacation with 3-4 more days in WDW!

We have to decide on a 5 night double dip Dream with rounding out the week at WDW versus doing the 8 night out of NYC ... we have done the former and love it. DW loathes, despises flying so thats a big pro in that column...

 

[silmarg]

I really hope that it won't be sailing out of NYC in 2 years.

What will be interesting is if they do NYC in 2013 - and lets fact it, if they can sell these 2012s then they will come back - could what happened to the 2nd (or was it 3rd) try at the Mediterranean Cruise happen here (where some dates had to deeply discounted to moove them)

 

[silmarg]

Not that I would actually book these cruises, but if I am calculating this correctly, the Magic's last Port Canaveral cruise returns on May 18. The first NY cruise is not 'till May 25. Is there a repositioning cruise from Florida to NY - or will it be a mini refurb / dry dock?

Same goes to the other end of the trip where the last NY cruise returns on Sept 16, yet the first Galveston Cruise is not until the 22nd. Will there be a repo... or a refurb?

 

[BethieTink]

First I think doing a B2B on the Fantasy is AMAZING, wish I had 2 weeks off to do that!

Second, did you take into consideration for pricing that your Fantasy is in October (lower rates) versus summer? At least when I booked in January, summer Fantasy rates were very high and I wound up with the last week in August where I saw a 33% price cut from the prior weeks sailings ....

Thanks. DH works for a bank. Their policy is that if you have more than 2 weeks of vacation for the year that 2 weeks must be taken consecutively. It has to do with auditing. They may not catch you stealing the first week you are gone, but will the second. We always take the two in October for our anniversary.

I thought about the summer rate hike after I posted. We don't ever go away in the summer, since we don't have kids, so never really a consideration for me. It is fair for this, but, when I pointed out how much our other cruises were to DH, he couldn't believe it. Seasonal rates or not, it is still a huge difference between one week on the Magic and 2 on the Fantasy. For a little on $100 a day, I will take an extra week on the ship.

 

[MagicMe]

Well, I booked an 11B, 2A for 7/8 5-Day Canada and it priced out at $950 per person plus the port taxes, fees, etc.

I thought for fun that I would check out the 5-day Dream and for an 11B, 2A it priced out at $1190 per person plus the port taxes, fees, etc.

Both are leaving July 8, 2012.

That's a savings of $240 per person and I don't have to purchase airfare (which this year is costing me about $250 r/t per person).

Bottom line, I saved almost $1K by taking this 5-Day Canada trip!!

 

[sabrecmc]

Well, I booked an 11B, 2A for 7/8 5-Day Canada and it priced out at $950 per person plus the port taxes, fees, etc.

I thought for fun that I would check out the 5-day Dream and for an 11B, 2A it priced out at $1190 per person plus the port taxes, fees, etc.

Both are leaving July 8, 2012.

That's a savings of $240 per person and I don't have to purchase airfare (which this year is costing me about $250 r/t per person).

Bottom line, I saved almost $1K by taking this 5-Day Canada trip!!

Hey, you do math like I do!

 

[Grammy4Lizzy]

I have cruised Celebrity and Carnival. I won't choose them again. So please if that is your prefrence, stay away from DCL so there are more rooms available for those of us that love DCL.

 

[doberlady]

I priced out a Disney carribean cruise leaving from PC the same week I booked out of NY. NY was $1300 more.

If I add in airfare, hotel night before, meals, transfers to port hotel I think I am at least breaking even.

NY has a crummy itinerary but the convenience is going to outway. I love the Magic.

I can't wait to make NY Yankees/Disney door magnets!

 

[wdhinn89]

8 night on June 30th 2A2C cat 5c $8400. Absolutely crazy!!!!!!

 

[JKSWonder]

I'm currently booked on the 8/25 Fantasy Eastern. 3 Adults, 2 children ages, 11 and 6, in a Cat. 4C.

I thought it might be cool to save on airfare, and take the 8/25 out of New York, even if it meant going to Nassau again instead of St. Thomas and St. Martin.

My current reservation is $7,272.72 total for the 4C, including trip insurance and ground transfers. That included an onboard booking discount of 10%.

I checked and if I booked that same cruise now, in a 4B
(4C sold out, but 4B is only a few bucks higher), with no discount, insurance or transfers, the total is $7181.80.

The 8/25 from New York in a 4B (4C sold out) with the same people is $9,311.80 with no travel insurance (and obviously, no ground transfers).

Yes, you get an extra day on the New York cruise and parkhoppers to WDW for 3 adults and 2 kids. But to me, even factoring in the airfare I have to pay, the increase in price to my current reservation of over $2,000.00 did not seem worth it, especially considering that if I knocked the vacation insurance and ground transfers off my current reservation to make a fair comparison, my current cruise cost is $6,436.35. The difference in price then becomes over $2800.00. Although, I suppose my OBB would be applied to a transferred reservation also, but that would save only about $800.00. Still, $2,000 more. And, keep in mind, I still have to buy vacation insurance for the new cruise and pay to park my car somewhere in NYC for a week. Or pay for car service to and from the port.

At best, I would break even. Given I'm not saving anything (and may even end up paying a bit more), I'd rather go to St. Thomas and St. Martin. And see the new ship.

So, I'm keeping my Fantasy cruise.

 

[S.S.Oceanlover]

NYC 2 day in June for insdie cabin for 2 adults $950. Are you kidding me? That's more than we spend for a week in WDW for a room. This is why we always end up on RCCL. I can't justify DCL's prices.

5 Day Canada inside $1500 in June

8 Day Bahamas inside $2500 in June

Anyone finding better pricing? For the 5 day price we could fly to FL from NJ and be on the brand new RCCL ship for 7 days in the Eastern or Western Carib in a balcony room. I LOVE disney, but that's just nuts.

You can get a balcony and air for $950 pp on RCI in June 2012?

Where is that deal at?

Bill

 

[mpetersen]

today we were quoted 940 for 2 adults on the 2 night cruise (inside state room)- kinda absurd when our 4 night april dream cruise with a verandah was around 1300

I expected the NYC DCL sailing to be pricey but not THIS expensive. We'll take another weekend get away instead

 

[LaneOT]

8 night on June 30th 2A2C cat 5c $8400. Absolutely crazy!!!!!!

Yep....I priced out August 25 for 2A2C...cat 6C $9200... ridiculous! 2300 per adult alone!!!

 

[bigbootee]

Yep....I priced out August 25 for 2A2C...cat 6C $9200... ridiculous! 2300 per adult alone!!!

We were on the Fantasy 8/25 Eastern in a Cat T - 2A 2C - Total $11,849.00 (no transfers/insurance)

The cat t for the 8/25 YNC cruise is $11,510.24 . Tha's for 1 more day, and no airfare.

 

[mrsmarilyn]

I agree, they are higher. ANd I am not sure what I am going to do, I am pricing other lines for the same time period, and am getting baclony cabins for cheaper. But the other lines nickel and dime you to death. It seems like you pay for this ice cream place and that place and that one and soda..etc... etc... It seems none ending of gimme gimme more money. Where as on DCL other then booze, adult restaurants and and some boxed nosh food at the movies, everything is included.

Also from what I was seeing on NCL and RCCL that the cabins that sleep 4, there are no bunk type beds. SO you have the queen/twins or sleeping on a convertible sofa (ICK ICK ICK).

One of the reasons Disney cruises are premium priced is because you don't have the "Casino Donation Fund" other lines have. Those places conjure up a huge chunk of change for the cruise line. And yes, the other is they don't nickle and dime you to death. We did NCL last year and were nickeld and dimed all over the place, I was beyond irritated by it all.