Regular vs Member Only Cruise?

[kbender23]

Has anyone been on both of these? Can anyone tell me what is different or what Disney does extra for a member's only cruise? (other than all the visitors are DVC members)

 

[smjj]

Been on 2 member's cruises and 3 regular cruises. The difference to me is the constant sales pitches on the member's cruises. The food sure if not any better or different. On our first member's cruises, each day they would leave a nice gift in your cabin. On the last one we took the gifts were much cheaper and looked like stuff they would hand out anywhere. They have special "guest" on the member's cruises but to us, not that special. If you just learn to ignore all the hype and sales attempts you will have a good time. We did enjoy talking to fellow DVC members but really on the regular cruises we would always run in to fellow DVC members too...smjj

 

[erionm]

Been on 2 member's cruises and 3 regular cruises. The difference to me is the constant sales pitches on the member's cruises.

When did you last sail on a Member Cruise? On the 2014 MC, the sales pitch was toned down dramatically (almost nonexistent), the additional guests were much better, and the gifts were an improvement.

 

[disneynutz]

Been on 2 member's cruises and 3 regular cruises. The difference to me is the constant sales pitches on the member's cruises. The food sure if not any better or different. On our first member's cruises, each day they would leave a nice gift in your cabin. On the last one we took the gifts were much cheaper and looked like stuff they would hand out anywhere. They have special "guest" on the member's cruises but to us, not that special. If you just learn to ignore all the hype and sales attempts you will have a good time. We did enjoy talking to fellow DVC members but really on the regular cruises we would always run in to fellow DVC members too...smjj

Do you feel that the additional cost is worth it on a DVC Members cruise?

Bill

 

[smjj]

Great, might look into it again. I guess feedback does work, thanks...smjj

 

[smjj]

Do you feel that the additional cost is worth it on a DVC Members cruise?

Bill

No it is expensive on points but gave it a shot anyway. The two we did were prior to us now taking extended family to Disney and had points to spare...smjj

 

[clayfolks]

We, too, did the 2011 member cruise and were very disappointed in the swag and the speakers. BUT, we made some great friends with whom we now travel! We had our own "Minnie member cruise" a few years ago and are actually meeting four of them for lunch at Sanaa this Saturday. Quite a few more of us are getting together for Food & Wine in October. So, was it worth the extra price? Probably, because of the wonderful friends we made. Would I do a member cruise again? NO. It felt like a rip off and left a very bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Tozzie]

2014 mwas the first member cruise I was on , besides meeting family that we didn't know were n the cruise 9 awesoem bump into the first day) the gifts were nice, we hd lobster tials one night that is ont on the refulae 4 night ctruise and 2 castaway key's days and skiping nassau was awesome. The only real issue and it eally isn't an issue is everyone got the same gifts and i took my siste and her kids so they eally didn't need 3 scrabble games, they should give different games to the people in the same cabin. Thank goodness my sister was driving to bring the stuff home i may be in the minority but I liked it so much we are all going again this tyear

 

[smjj]

We, too, did the 2011 member cruise and were very disappointed in the swag and the speakers. BUT, we made some great friends with whom we now travel! We had our own "Minnie member cruise" a few years ago and are actually meeting four of them for lunch at Sanaa this Saturday. Quite a few more of us are getting together for Food & Wine in October. So, was it worth the extra price? Probably, because of the wonderful friends we made. Would I do a member cruise again? NO. It felt like a rip off and left a very bad taste in my mouth.

Funny we probably passed each other on the ship several times. We did have a good time but this members cruise was our last unless they improve on them and from what you said maybe they are....smjj

 

[Barbydoll8]

We've done both. I didn't see any difference in food (3 day cruises) or service. The stuff was nice and the extra events they had were cool. I really liked that everyone, I mean everyone on the ship had drank the kool-aid. Yes we've met other DVC members at WDW and on other DCL cruises but everyone on the ship on a members cruise has at least one common denominator. Would I do it again? Probably but for the extra $$ I wouldn't do it every year and I definitely wouldn't use points to sail on one but that's just me. I was on the Jan 2013 cruise and I didn't feel the sales part was that pushy or over done. The DVC staff was great and we saw some of those people in WDW after the cruise and they recognized us.

 

[ldo]

we have been on 2 DCL and 1 DVc members cruise. The Aug 2014 members cruise was excellent. Food--same except lobster on a 4 night cruise. 2 day CC was a bonus. But, what stood out were the excellent "enrichment" events. We had the Phineas and Ferb (?) creators doing a hour long discussion about a new movie, a creator of Big6 talking for 1.5 hours about creating Big6, some clips (months prior to its release), things that were edited out, and also how the creative process works at Disney studios. It was great for my 13 yr old to see those aspects of a movie (and different jobs that all play a part in making an animated movie). The man who is the voice of Goofy was the MC for beach games. We did reminiscing with the creator of many of DL's major rides with slide show of DL in the 70s. We had 2 broadway leads sing one night and the female sang Frozen songs (with a hint of a new Disney musical coming). Those tickets would have been 100+ per person alone.
So, the basic cruise is the same, but the extras were pretty awesome, IMHO. Low sales pitch--actually more sales pitch for ABD, but still low key.

 

[smjj]

Well, it looks like DVC has finally taken to heart the many complaints they were getting from past members cruises. Lobsters huh, sounds good, never had that on any of ours. Might need to look into it again but not on points, still far to much using points...smjj