So I just hit Gold. Is it really that big of a difference over Silver?

[havaneselover]

I haven't found that to be the case. You can book on board. You can wait for restricted rates. There's all kinds of ways to book a cruise. Not all cruises go up in price. I'm planning on cruising DCL in Summer 2018. I haven't booked yet. I'll book onboard in May. I haven't seen any price jumps on any of the European cruises I'm interested in so I'm not too concerned about it. I guess I just don't feel the urgency others feel. Years ago I did, but DCL prices start out so high now. They don't move up that fast anymore. We also don't limit ourselves to DCL anymore. We also cruise Carnival, NCL and Royal. I have a cruise booked on Carnival this Fall if restricted rates start coming out on the Fantasy that are good I may switch to DCL, but I like Carnival so it's not a big deal to me.

My last three cruises have never been anywhere near as cheap as what I paid at or near opening day (Fantasy Easter 2013, Dream Easter week 2015, and Fantasy week before Labor Day 2015). So in my experience it's true that opening day prices are the lowest. Now some moved much faster and quicker than others but I wouldn't have done any of those without opening day pricing.

 

[Trera]

I guess it's a perk if you feel the need to book that far in advance. I really don't consider it a perk. I would like to see the higher OBC they got rid of come back, better stateroom gifts, free laundry, free drinks, free cabin upgrades etc. This is all stuff other cruise lines do.

I think everyone would like the perks to be better than they are but Disney is not in a position to have to make those concessions to attract passengers like other cruise lines. They offer very clean ships, first run Disney movies, rotational dining, castaway cay, characters throughout the cruise, nice adult only experiences, broadway caliber shows, concierge rooms if you want them, and great customer service.............and this all allows them to charge a higher price and give away less than other cruise lines.

That being said, we just have given into the fact that anything we get from a perk standpoint we will take............and if we don't get something, then we are good with not having it. Our kids love the Disney cruises and the smiles on their faces and memories we have together are all the perks I need. One day they will be too "cool" for Disney (my oldest probably already is) and we will do something different on our vacations but until then..............I will enjoy my free Palo, early activity bookings so I can get a cabana and early cruise boardings.

 

[NancyIL]

I haven't found that to be the case. You can book on board. You can wait for restricted rates. There's all kinds of ways to book a cruise. Not all cruises go up in price. I'm planning on cruising DCL in Summer 2018. I haven't booked yet. I'll book onboard in May. I haven't seen any price jumps on any of the European cruises I'm interested in so I'm not too concerned about it. I guess I just don't feel the urgency others feel. Years ago I did, but DCL prices start out so high now. They don't move up that fast anymore. We also don't limit ourselves to DCL anymore. We also cruise Carnival, NCL and Royal. I have a cruise booked on Carnival this Fall if restricted rates start coming out on the Fantasy that are good I may switch to DCL, but I like Carnival so it's not a big deal to me.

I would've booked on opening day and then reshopped the cruise onboard. Unless I am looking for a cruise a few months before it departs, I don't wait that long to book! I book far in advance, then watch for price drops. Those rarely happen on DCL, but then - I don't cruise that often on Disney.

 

[cruiser21]

I would've booked on opening day and then reshopped the cruise onboard. Unless I am looking for a cruise a few months before it departs, I don't wait that long to book! I book far in advance, then watch for price drops. Those rarely happen on DCL, but then - I don't cruise that often on Disney.

I just booked the 4 night Dream for May 2017 2 weeks ago. It's gone up 75.00pp since opening day. Not a big deal to me. I'm not the type person that plans vacations years in advance. I really never thought I would cruise on the Dream again, but were going to WDW, and I decided to throw in a cruise. I really have no idea what I want to do next Summer so booking and re- shopping is just a waste of time. I'm guessing that a there's a pretty good percentage of people that book on opening day that end of cancelling because they change their mind, life gets in the way, or they find better deals. I think psychologically it makes people feel good having a vacation booked even if they don't know if they're going to take it. At least that's the impression I get from visiting travel sites.

My last three cruises have never been anywhere near as cheap as what I paid at or near opening day (Fantasy Easter 2013, Dream Easter week 2015, and Fantasy week before Labor Day 2015). So in my experience it's true that opening day prices are the lowest. Now some moved much faster and quicker than others but I wouldn't have done any of those without opening day pricing.

I haven't noticed this, but I don't book school breaks. I would never pay Disney prices Easter week so opening day means nothing to me. I can see why it saves you money, but those cruises would never even be a consideration for me. There are very few DCL cruises that I think are a good price on opening day or any other day for that matter.

I think everyone would like the perks to be better than they are but Disney is not in a position to have to make those concessions to attract passengers like other cruise lines. They offer very clean ships, first run Disney movies, rotational dining, castaway cay, characters throughout the cruise, nice adult only experiences, broadway caliber shows, concierge rooms if you want them, and great customer service.............and this all allows them to charge a higher price and give away less than other cruise lines.

That being said, we just have given into the fact that anything we get from a perk standpoint we will take............and if we don't get something, then we are good with not having it. Our kids love the Disney cruises and the smiles on their faces and memories we have together are all the perks I need. One day they will be too "cool" for Disney (my oldest probably already is) and we will do something different on our vacations but until then..............I will enjoy my free Palo, early activity bookings so I can get a cabana and early cruise boardings.

I find the other cruise lines to offer many of those things. I don't find clean ships, smiling employees, and great customer service to be exclusive to DCL. What I think DCL does better then anyone is cater to kids and offer a unique experience for families. I think it's obvious DCL doesn't value their repeat cruisers, but like you said they really don't need to.

 

[havaneselover]

I just booked the 4 night Dream for May 2017 2 weeks ago. It's gone up 75.00pp since opening day. Not a big deal to me. I'm not the type person that plans vacations years in advance. I really never thought I would cruise on the Dream again, but were going to WDW, and I decided to throw in a cruise. I really have no idea what I want to do next Summer so booking and re- shopping is just a waste of time. I'm guessing that a there's a pretty good percentage of people that book on opening day that end of cancelling because they change their mind, life gets in the way, or they find better deals. I think psychologically it makes people feel good having a vacation booked even if they don't know if they're going to take it. At least that's the impression I get from visiting travel sites.


I haven't noticed this, but I don't book school breaks. I would never pay Disney prices Easter week so opening day means nothing to me. I can see why it saves you money, but those cruises would never even be a consideration for me. There are very few DCL cruises that I think are a good price on opening day or any other day for that matter.

I find the other cruise lines to offer many of those things. I don't find clean ships, smiling employees, and great customer service to be exclusive to DCL. What I think DCL does better then anyone is cater to kids and offer a unique experience for families. I think it's obvious DCL doesn't value their repeat cruisers, but like you said they really don't need to.

Prices were reasonable on these cruises. Fantasy Easter 2013 was $3k for cat 7A (2A). 4-day Dream Easter week was $2,200 for 2A1C (10A). Week before Labor Day was $3,600 for 2a1c on the Fantasy in an 8c. I try to stick to $500/day for three and can only cruise when kids are out of school. I've only been able to do that because of opening day pricing.

 

[cruiser21]

Prices were reasonable on these cruises. Fantasy Easter 2013 was $3k for cat 7A (2A). 4-day Dream Easter week was $2,200 for 2A1C (10A). Week before Labor Day was $3,600 for 2a1c on the Fantasy in an 8c. I try to stick to $500/day for three and can only cruise when kids are out of school. I've only been able to do that because of opening day pricing.

I miss the 2013 prices. Yes it was much better back then.

 

[NancyIL]

I just booked the 4 night Dream for May 2017 2 weeks ago. It's gone up 75.00pp since opening day. Not a big deal to me. I'm not the type person that plans vacations years in advance. I really never thought I would cruise on the Dream again, but were going to WDW, and I decided to throw in a cruise. I really have no idea what I want to do next Summer so booking and re- shopping is just a waste of time. I'm guessing that a there's a pretty good percentage of people that book on opening day that end of cancelling because they change their mind, life gets in the way, or they find better deals. I think psychologically it makes people feel good having a vacation booked even if they don't know if they're going to take it. At least that's the impression I get from visiting travel sites.

I'm the type of person who does plan trips far in advance. On the other hand, I have been known to do a lot of last-minute tweaking of those trip plans. I have booked and then cancelled many a cruise. However, when there is an itinerary that I love at a reasonable price (which usually excludes Disney!) - I generally keep it.

Some Disney cruises barely budge in price, like your 4-night Dream cruise after final payment. However, the last two Disney cruises I booked (May 2015 Transatlantic and April 2018 Panama Canal) have only gone up in price - and very soon after opening day.

 

[cyclenut]

Since this thread is about the benefits of Gold, the price comparisons should be when Gold can book compared to a day later when everyone else can book. The only difference there is choice of cabin and then it will only be if you really have your heart set on a specific cabin number or the cruise itself is insanely popular.

We booked the April 2018 WB Panama Canal on opening day (not gold) and we noticed that the number of verandah cabins was getting pretty sparse already. We were still able to get a cabin that we wanted. We paid 6700 for two deck 7 midship verandah. The prices have since gone up and the ship is sold out. There are occasional cabins opening up, but those who wanted that cruise and waited are now out of luck. That is still more than a year away so I am sure some will cancel, but it will take some luck to find the cabin you want at the right time and you'll still be paying more for it.

Even with this more popular cruise on board a smaller ship there wasn't much of a benefit for being Gold.

 

[cruiser21]

Since this thread is about the benefits of Gold, the price comparisons should be when Gold can book compared to a day later when everyone else can book. The only difference there is choice of cabin and then it will only be if you really have your heart set on a specific cabin number or the cruise itself is insanely popular.

We booked the April 2018 WB Panama Canal on opening day (not gold) and we noticed that the number of verandah cabins was getting pretty sparse already. We were still able to get a cabin that we wanted. We paid 6700 for two deck 7 midship verandah. The prices have since gone up and the ship is sold out. There are occasional cabins opening up, but those who wanted that cruise and waited are now out of luck. That is still more than a year away so I am sure some will cancel, but it will take some luck to find the cabin you want at the right time and you'll still be paying more for it.

Even with this more popular cruise on board a smaller ship there wasn't much of a benefit for being Gold.

Thats a pretty rare example. You have to pretty fussy about your cabin to see that as much of a perk.

 

[Mirthful]

I like the 10% gift shop discount.

Is the discount on anything in the shops or are there limitations? I buy a souvenir ornament on each cruise. I had my eye on an expensive watch on my last cruise, but thought I would wait until I'm gold (next cruise) to hopefully get the discount.

 

[Mirthful]

The biggest perk for Gold over silver is the 10% merchandise discount. However, with them introducing the 2017 Disney Visa perk (if you use your Disney visa to pay for your onboard charges, you receive a 10% discount -- with a number of restrictions). So even that may not be a big change going from silver to gold.

The Officer reception is okay. Sometimes you get a lot more families than officers so basically you are just going to have some finger foods (nothing remarkable as I remember) and cookies. Then pick up a free bottle of water and rice krispie treat on your way out.



Yes, silver has to pay ahead of times for shorter cruises (5 night or less from US port, PIF is 75 days, so silver would have to pay early to book activities and excursions).

Are the rice krispie treats wrapped for take away?

 

[kiford]

We take advantage of the 10% off in the shops. DH always looks for some shirts and packs slightly less in anticipation so it's a nice perk IMO (people at work always ask him if he owns any shirts that aren't Disney-related. Answer - not many). We also like the earlier booking window as we do book excursions, Palo/Remy dining and sometimes spa. Haven't taken advantage yet of earlier cruise booking windows but we may in the future.

We like the CC reception (well, I like the free drinks). It's nice to hear directly from someone who knows what's happening in the future instead of relying on the WDW-bus-driver-type information. We also did have our pictures taken with Minnie last time. Practically no line up.

Do the perks encourage me to cruise with DCL? No. But they're nice even if they could do better.

 

[Mirthful]

We take advantage of the 10% off in the shops. DH always looks for some shirts and packs slightly less in anticipation so it's a nice perk IMO (people at work always ask him if he owns any shirts that aren't Disney-related. Answer - not many). We also like the earlier booking window as we do book excursions, Palo/Remy dining and sometimes spa. Haven't taken advantage yet of earlier cruise booking windows but we may in the future.

We like the CC reception (well, I like the free drinks). It's nice to hear directly from someone who knows what's happening in the future instead of relying on the WDW-bus-driver-type information. We also did have our pictures taken with Minnie last time. Practically no line up.

Do the perks encourage me to cruise with DCL? No. But they're nice even if they could do better.

Thanks! What free drinks do they typically offer at the reception?

 

[Annabell]

I wish they could offer some sort of discount to gold members, maybe 5% or whatever.

I know there is the onboard booking discount but it is not always easy to plan another cruise within 2 years.
It's really a pity that they have changed the onboard booking validity to 2 years.

 

[kiford]

Thanks! What free drinks do they typically offer at the reception?

Basically champagne cocktails like Kir Royale, Tuxedos, Mimosas and non-alcoholic drinks too. Plus finger foods.

 

[Mirthful]

Basically champagne cocktails like Kir Royale, Tuxedos, Mimosas and non-alcoholic drinks too. Plus finger foods.

Thanks for the reply
Sounds good to me.

 

[cruiser21]

I wish they could offer some sort of discount to gold members, maybe 5% or whatever.

I know there is the onboard booking discount but it is not always easy to plan another cruise within 2 years.
It's really a pity that they have changed the onboard booking validity to 2 years.

They used to offer a larger OBB 300.00 or 350.00 I can't remember. As frequent cruiser I'd like to be able to book two cruises on board. Like you said 5% for platinum and Gold would be nice perk too.

 

[over50visits]

Oh yeah Sorry. It's just Platinum. It's funny because most of the cruises we've taken lately there's been no line Europe, Galveston , Vancouver, Miami etc. This will be our first time sailing out of PC as platinum so I may really appreciate the fast check in. It's been a while, but I remember how crowded PC is.

Don't get your hopes up for a fast check in...it's possible, but the concierge/platinum line usually has only 3 stations, and just a handful of families showing up at the same time can make that wait longer than the huge checkin area for first time/CC members. But, you will get the first boarding time, and that is a nice perk to many.

 

[squirk]

I think everyone would like the perks to be better than they are but Disney is not in a position to have to make those concessions to attract passengers like other cruise lines.

I guess the natural question in response to that is "Then why even bother offering the half-*** perks in the first place?"

 

[Trera]

I guess the natural question in response to that is "Then why even bother offering the half-*** perks in the first place?"

It just seems like they offer a few perks that don't really cost them that much to administer to keep the masses calling for frequent traveler perks happy.