One and Done?

[Cruising Engineer]

We were one-n-done for Norwegian and one-n-done for Celebrity. DCL we have completed #8, booked for #9 B2B #10 in Jan 2020, #11 B2B #12 in Sept 2020, and booking Oh-Dark-30 tomorrow for #13 Jan 2021. Not one-n-done for DCL.

 

[StarWarsMom2Boys]

We were planning on being one and done when we first cruised in 2016, but we loved it so much we ended up booking a placeholder. The 10% discount (and now expired OBC) is too good of a deal to pass up. Tack on discounted gift cards and the cruise just became much more affordable. We're going on our 3rd cruise next month (27 days, but who's counting?), and will put a placeholder down for Summer 2021.

Can you cancel a placeholder without fees if you change your mind?

 

[RysMomma]

When we decided as an extended family that we were going to take a cruise on the Dream, I was convicted I was one and done. I was never a good cruiser and the last time I went on one was about ten years prior (either the Magic or Wonder, can’t remember which one). I usually get sick and I’m happier at WDW. Well after we got off that one, I was convinced I wanted to go again on the Dream. So my little family of four had planned one for the summer my husband and I turned 40. Then we put down a placeholder and are now taking an extended family trip on the Fantasy for seven nights. I guess we are now addicted!

 

[Lisa F]

It's kind of one and done for me... It's a very expensive thing and I'm a single mom. It's actually two and done because I took the kid on the dream and now on SWDAS with rebook discount, but it took a lot of work saving for it. We'll be doing other stuff for a bit that is more affordable.

 

[Geomom]

Can you cancel a placeholder without fees if you change your mind?

Yes, you can cancel a placeholder without fees. Also, the $250 placeholder deposit will be automatically returned to you if you don't use it within 24 mths. If you turn it into an actual cruise, then you're subject to cancellation fees once you hit the pay in full date.

 

[starvenger]

We are headed on our FIRST ever Disney Cruise next week and I am just curious...are there many people out there that do one Disney Cruise and then no more? Everyone tells us we will be hooked, but we normally do WDW and I look forward to those trips every day until we are back there again. I am most excited to see how this trip compares in my head and heart!

So, if you were "one and done" - why?

I'm currently a one and done on DCL. I'll never say never but at this point they are simply too expensive for me. Not done with cruising though - I have Independence of the Seas in Jan and Symphony of the Seas in August, plus a trip to Austin next October (via my wife's firm) lined up. 2021 I've tentatively got Hawaii penciled in.

I doubt too many people that are one and done would be reading much less posting on a DCL board.

I think I might be one of the exceptions that prove the rule. The DIS is a great board with great people, and because there's a lot of crossover wrt destinations and excursions the DCL forum is a great resource. And why would I let go of a great resource?

I have read some comments on other boards from people who were one and done but I doubt you'll find many here. We've moved on to other lines that fit our needs better but like the Very Merrytime Cruises. We have an upcoming one in November but doubt I'll book a placeholder. Our vacations are planned until March 2021 and unless the new ships WOW us (or Disney offers some exciting itineraries), it's likely this may be our last Disney cruise.

We tend to have a rough 2 year plan that we're not married to. Generally a summer cruise and at least one more trip somewhere.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

We weren't one and done, but are likely six and done. Unless the new ships offer something remarkable, I'm having trouble finding the value for us in these vacations any longer. We've sailed the 4 ships out of 4 ports (PC, Miami, NYC and Vancouver), we've done Marvel Day at Sea, Star Wars Day at Sea and Halloween on the High Seas. We have a Castaway Cay Double Dip/Very Merrytime cruise booked for next November, which ticks all the boxes we have left for DCL. There are lots of other places we'd like to visit and other types of vacations we'd like to plan. I don't have enough vacation time or vacation dollars to repeat the same trip over and over. I know DS would like to sail the new ships, but if the itineraries are the same old, same old and the prices continue to climb as they have been, I'd rather use those dollars elsewhere.

 

[MomOTwins]

We have three small kids and Disney World and Disney Cruise has been a godsend for me. My parents will not do Disney vacation of any kind, so we have been guilt-tripped/dragged to various other "vacations" with them (usually nice resorts in some foreign country). I always come back exhausted and stressed from having to constantly deal with my kids being injured in not toddler-proofed areas, not eating because they are picky eaters, not having fun because all the activities are geared toward older kids and adults, and forcing me to leave every meal and place early when they have a meltdown. At Disney, everyone is safe and I can relax and just enjoy time with my happy kids instead of constantly battling with unhappy ones. And I am someone who never went to anything Disney when I was a kid so it is not just nostalgia for me--I did enjoy lots of other vacations pre-kids of all kinds.

Would I sail DCL regularly without kids or with older/more chill kids? Maybe, but probably not or quite a bit less often. DCL is expensive, the food is so-so, and the cruise amenities are okay not but really all that much nicer than another premium cruise line, and they don't change the shows and activities enough for it to be something I'd want to do every year as it would get repetitive. But for now, it works for us.

Disney World is something I could definitely see us doing well into their future just because there is so much more that I enjoy there than on DCL and it seems like they are always adding something new to the parks.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

We were 2 and done. I always look when new itineraries are released, but the prices are insane to me. We went on a 10 night Med cruise on NCL that was great in June 2019. It was half the cost of what Disney would've cost and I felt the ship was totally comparable to the Disney Magic and ports were better. The only difference was that the kids club aren't great on NCL and they are great on Disney; still not worth the rates they charge though.

 

[cruisehopeful]

It's been one and done for me several times now.

What I like to say now is, this will be the last one for a while...

 

[Toolulu22]

Chemist you think like my husband! He created a spreadsheet planning all of our major vacations for the next 15 years and I am not even exaggerating! Not that we have to stick to it, but we have our goals!

I want to NOT be so addicted to WDW, but for now while my girls are little we are still finding ourselves coming back. As they get older all of your locations are on our sheet, plus other countries.

Unless I just LOVE this cruise as much as WDW, I think we could possibly be one and done, unless we do a DCL to Alaska.

Ack- that is funny and I’m glad that I’m not the only one with a vacation planning spreadsheet.

 

[ambula603]

I have LOVED reading these responses! I do agree that I am polling a small Disney loving group, but I don't know anyone personally that has only done one so that's why I asked. I do know some people that have said they won't return to WDW because "it just wasn't for them." While that is certainly not my mentality, I can understand and appreciate Disney is not for everyone!

I will report back after our trip next week and let you all know where we stand!

 

[DCLDVC1]

I have a few friends who were one and done and there have been a lot of people in cruise groups I've been in who don't care to do another.

 

[Lisa F]

I have LOVED reading these responses! I do agree that I am polling a small Disney loving group, but I don't know anyone personally that has only done one so that's why I asked. I do know some people that have said they won't return to WDW because "it just wasn't for them." While that is certainly not my mentality, I can understand and appreciate Disney is not for everyone!

I will report back after our trip next week and let you all know where we stand!

the thing with going to WDW is there are a lot more flexible options in the budget. stay offsite, eat cheaper etc. But DCL there is not a huge spread from least to most, even an inside room is EXPENSIVE. It's an expensive endeavor and although you COULD go on the cheap on onboard expenses, it's kind of silly to do that once you have invested multiple thousands in a potentially once in a lifetime vacation. Once I've spent $5000 for the two of us on cruise and airfare I am not going to say "yeah $34 for a rainforest pass is too much" or "$40 for Palo is too much."

I think you have to decide what it is you like about cruising. If it's going to the caribbean there are less expensive ways to do that. I love the Disney ships and I'm not sure I'd go on another line, but I might depending on itinerary... probably not for the caribbean though unless it was dirt cheap. But there are a lot of vacations to take so I don't need to cruise every year or two. I may cruise again someday but there would have to be a lot of compelling things to cause me to forgo other opportunities for the more expensive one.

 

[ludari]

I've been on 8 Disney cruises and although I haven't been on a Disney Cruise for a few years because I've been sailing with/checking out other cruise lines but I'm definitely not done with DCL. I cannot wait to sail with them again which I'm hoping will be in 2021 since I already have an extended cruise planned for 2020. I did a rough calculation and I've spent more days on a Disney Cruise then I have at WDW.

 

[randumb0]

Ask me after the next price increase

 

[AquaDame]

Ack- that is funny and I’m glad that I’m not the only one with a vacation planning spreadsheet.

Definitely not. We have one as well since my husband's accrues over the year instead of coming all at once at the start as mine does. Our bucket list is on another tab with anything we have planned for certain marked.

I thought we might be one and done, but we booked a three night and that wasn't enough so we went for a longer cruise and really liked it. Now I'm 10 deep with number 11 in January... whoops.

 

[KennesawNemo]

We are about to go on our 2nd disney cruise. Last one was 2012 when DS was in K. This time it's mainly for DD who is in 1st grade. I think this is the best age to go for them to take in the most magic.

We put a placeholder on our last one, never used it. We are putting a placeholder this time, but it's highly unlikely for us to do another in two years. While it's not a one and done for us, we probably won't go on another one too soon unless we win the lottery, have a big promotion, or have a big inheritance from an uncle I don't yet know about. It's just too expensive for us and we like to diversify our travel destinations too.

We do have an Alaska cruise in mind, but we probably won't choose Disney. I think there are many better options out there.

We did an Carnival cruise couple years ago. I think there is a higher possibility for us to repeat that. The reason is as simple as that the budget is much easier to work out.

 

[o&smom]

Chemist you think like my husband! He created a spreadsheet planning all of our major vacations for the next 15 years and I am not even exaggerating! Not that we have to stick to it, but we have our goals!

I want to NOT be so addicted to WDW, but for now while my girls are little we are still finding ourselves coming back. As they get older all of your locations are on our sheet, plus other countries.

Unless I just LOVE this cruise as much as WDW, I think we could possibly be one and done, unless we do a DCL to Alaska.

And we thought we were bad by having our next four years of vacations planned out!!!

 

[belle032]

I wouldn't say it's a one and done for us, but we mainly cruise the Caribbean and for us, we can't justify the price. There are too many other options for the "normal" Caribbean/Bahamas cruise itineraries that offer more of what we're looking for at a price we are willing to pay. We wouldn't discount DCL for a more specialized itinerary (we just did the British Isles and had a great time!), but we probably won't cruise them anytime soon for our typical Caribbean cruise vacation.

WDW is not a one and done though! We're planning a fall 2020 trip!