Talk me into DCL

[kiford]

Especially those that have "participated" over a longer period of time - Disney has been "declining by degrees" meaning that the service provided today is a little (hardly noticeable) than last year, and the year before and the one before that, etc. So that over time you really notice that you are paying a lot more and receiving a reduced experience. That's why "they don't care" that the long time people drop away, because of all of the new people taking their "places" are very happy about their first (or second) trip to the parks or on the ships.

That may be some people's experience, but certainly not ours (just completed our 10th and have a placeholder for a future one). We may or may not be the norm but do we have friends who've cruised even more than us on DCL and are still quite happy and have placeholders for future ones as well. Are there some things that are inconsistent from one cruise to another - yes, sometimes. But not to the point that I'd say that there's a pattern of decline and that's probably true for any service industry. I'd say that, in my personal experience, they've generally improved over time as they've become a more seasoned cruise line. I haven't personally found the food quality to be declining and I'm seeing a lot more options than previously. But that's to personal tastes obviously.

According to everything I've read, and heard onboard during the Gold/Platinum event, numbers of repeat cruisers and numbers of repeat cruisers with a lot of cruises are a fairly high percentage of passengers and is remaining steady so I'm not sure that it's entirely true to say that a lot of long-time cruisers are dropping away. Yes, eventually they will probably reach that point and will then have to re-evaluate pricing and/or offerings but they're clearly not there yet. You also have to take into account that, because of the price and the fewer number of ships, they aren't under as much pressure as other cruise lines to keep the ships full, thus are under less pressure to reduce prices quickly. We'll see what happens when the new ships are launched. If they go to totally new places (fingers crossed!!), it may not impact occupancy rates.

 

[jrabbit]

@kiford - I actually mostly agree. We have two more DCL cruises booked for this year (one's pretty expensive) and two more for next year.

I will say that with the latest release of dates, there has not been the wailing and gnashing of teeth that there has been in years past. BUT there have been MANY "Disney has priced me out" threads with lots of agreement.

Unlike you I actually think that the food tastes better in the MDR's than in the past. But I just had a fantastic cruise on the Wonder in January and didn't have a bad (or even poor) meal.

I think that replacing the "Sleepy" "chocolates" with the Ghiradelli chocolates was a very good move (would have preferred dark chocolate). I remember when DCL stopped providing the chocolates a LONG time ago. There was a bit of an uproar here on the DIS. Then they came back with the Sleepy plastic chocolates.

DCL does do a good job of upkeep and upgrading the ships. But since 1999 there have been many things that added value that have faded away.

 

[Little c Travel]

The price also is not always that big of a difference between Disney and the other cruise lines. If you can avoid the summer months it helps big time. Our school district has a fall break and we are sailing on an Aft Extended Verandah on the Dream for just $450 more than a Junior Suite on the Majesty of the Seas. I have never sailed on Royal and honestly don't know much about the Majesty but I have a hard time believing that the ship and the rooms are as nice as the Dream. I could be wrong. However, an extra $450 to be on the Dream seemed like a no-brainer to me. So if you can be flexible on when you sail just a little it can go a long way.

 

[hanscarlet]

I used to not understand the complaining on itinerary release day.... booked Alaska today and now I get it...ugh

 

[Cackyschmackers]

No smoking, no crazy/ drunk partiers night and day, no casino, beyond clean, completely trust Disney with my kids, love the Disney touches, service, attentiveness, magic.... that is all.

 

[TheWog]

Castaway Cay used to be worth the price of admission. Is that still the case or no?

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

My wife and I did a four night cruise last December and we did two talks on the Disney Dream. The first one was a walking tour on the artwork and details on the ship. The CM giving the tour said when he is on land and people find out he works on DCL; they ask him what makes DCL worth the extra money he asks them, Why do you cruise? If it is strictly for getting from Point A to Point B and partying, don't cruise DCL. If you like attention to details, sail DCL. And my wife and I agree 100%. We also took an Alaska cruise last July on Celebrity. I must admit; when we walked into the atrium and the first thing I said was, This is it? And was very underwhelmed by the looks/theme of the entire ship. But I must also say that we were just as impressed with the staff and food on the Celebrity ship.

The second talk was The Building of the Dream. It was a slide and movie show on the building of the ship. And the similarities and differences of the four Disney ships. He mentioned that the newest/largest ship just launched cost $1.3 billion to build. The Disney Dream construction starting in 2009 and launched 2011 and just over half the tonnage of the largest ship out there cost $900 million. A lot of that went into the details.

We love DCL and have just booked a 10 night cruise in Europe for 2018. Cruise number eight on DCL!

 

[mevelandry]

Not gonna lie, after two DCL cruises, we have tried Carnival. We loved it.

We have booked one last cruise with DCL for April but we do feel robbed a little bit now that we have seen what we can get for 1/2 the price.

The price difference is not THAT bad for a 3-4 night cruise with DCL but I can't agree with the premium when you go on longer cruises.

 

[bcwife76]

If we have to 'talk you into it' then maybe DCL isn't for you and you've just answered your own question. A vacation is supposed to be about fun - it's not an obligation, it's an escape from 'real' life. You should never have to be 'talked into something fun' that doesn't sound relaxing to me!

We've only cruised DCL. Before our first Disney cruise in Fall 2015 my husband and I never had a desire to cruise. We are 'all inclusive people' preferring to go to Mexico (where our tastes have changed as well and we're paying more for better resorts). But we decided to mix it up and found that for us (our kids are both under 10) there is something for everyone. Today I booked our 4th cruise and in October, when the early 2019 dates are released, we will be booking our 5th cruise. To us the value (subjective term I know) is there and the WANT is there.

 

[mjr0483]

Sad to say Disney found our ceiling. After discussing last night with the family we have ruled out spending that kind of money on a cruise. We missed the window of a Disney cruise when the kids were younger and we could take them out for a week.

Instead we have opted to go back to Disneyland Grand Californian. Coming from New Jersey, we just love California.

 

[M<3'sMickey]

I'm about to sail on my 9th DCL cruise and this will be my husband's first on Disney. I've cruised on Celebrity and while the ship was nice, I just didn't like the atmosphere of it. Maybe part of it was I was in my mid-20s and a majority of the ship was 60+ years old. Idk. I didn't like going any time I wanted to eat dinner (I know that sounds weird) and I didn't like sitting with other people (we always request to sit as just our family on DCL). To me, it was just missing the magic that DCL has. Granted, I'm a huge Disney person, we're DVC members and go down at least twice a year, but I just feel, like others have said, Disney's attention to detail are what make the cruise. The crew on Celebrity were very nice, but I find the crew and cast members on DCL a little more willing to bend over backwards for you. I like having the same waiters every night and I really enjoy the food in the MDR. I like sitting at the family pool watching the Disney movies on the big screen. Yes, DCL is expensive. The 10 night Southern Caribbean cruise we're going on was $$$$, but fortunately I was able to tutor and work the after school program at my school to earn the extra to go on the cruise. To me, DCL is everything I want in a cruise line - fun, excitement, the magic of Disney, and service. Plus Castaway Cay is pretty sweet too!

That all being said, not one can talk you into it, especially not your wallet! If you are afraid you're constantly going to be looking for justification for the extra money the entire vacation, you're not going to enjoy your cruise. And the whole point of vacation is to relax and enjoy time with your family, not think!

 

[RedSox68]

For us personally, after 10 Disney cruises and 6 on other cruise lines, I can no longer justify Disney's prices! For what we've gotten on other lines, and savings thousands compared to Disney with same itineraries and stateroom categories, I can't say that spending another $4,500 is worth it just to get the Disney experience. With those savings you could go to the parks and get more bang for you buck.

Now granted, Disney's ships are like no other and I love their split bathrooms and rotational themed dining. Maybe in the future if you can find a good deal on a not so popular itinerary or off peak rates, you could give them a try.

 

[mjr0483]

I am sure it is an amazing cruise. But I am not about to tell Disney that it is ok to charge that much. I just won't support it. It's not the dollar amount for me, it is about what's fair. If others want to support that, then that is for them to decide.

My Carnival cruise was great. We LOVED Matt the cruise director. The food was good but not great. We did go up charge one night to steak (amazing) and one night to Italian (also great). And the pizza was great. And I am from NY/NJ. Oh and they had split bathrooms.

Royal the MDR we rotated with the same waiters and they were awesome. Also the MDR food was so good we didn't need to upgrade. The waiters would even Brign out apps and dinners we didn't order for our big party to try what we missed.

Also my DD is very active and the RC AOS had ifly, rock wall climbing, surfing, trapeze, bumber cars and roller skating. So to the root of it, double the cash, Disney you lost me.

 

[RedSox68]

I am sure it is an amazing cruise. But I am not about to tell Disney that it is ok to charge that much. I just won't support it. It's not the dollar amount for me, it is about what's fair. If others want to support that, then that is for them to decide.

My Carnival cruise was great. We LOVED Matt the cruise director. The food was good but not great. We did go up charge one night to steak (amazing) and one night to Italian (also great). And the pizza was great. And I am from NY/NJ. Oh and they had split bathrooms.

Royal the MDR we rotated with the same waiters and they were awesome. Also the MDR food was so good we didn't need to upgrade. The waiters would even Brign out apps and dinners we didn't order for our big party to try what we missed.

Also my DD is very active and the RC AOS had ifly, rock wall climbing, surfing, trapeze, bumber cars and roller skating. So to the root of it, double the cash, Disney you lost me.

Good points. I love Disney and wish I could only do Disney since they have expanded the European itineraries, but I can get the same bang for my buck on other lines. Plus we have had some amazing food on HAL and Princess and loved Carnival's buffet layout and offerings more than Disney's. It really is up to the individual, but so many other lines out there are offering more and more for families with smaller kids and teens and we feel that Disney on longer has the lock on that amenity. It is a shame though because they offer a great product, but it is insulting to faithful cruisers like us who feel we're being gouged anymore!

 

[RedSox68]

@kiford - I actually mostly agree. We have two more DCL cruises booked for this year (one's pretty expensive) and two more for next year.

I will say that with the latest release of dates, there has not been the wailing and gnashing of teeth that there has been in years past. BUT there have been MANY "Disney has priced me out" threads with lots of agreement.

Unlike you I actually think that the food tastes better in the MDR's than in the past. But I just had a fantastic cruise on the Wonder in January and didn't have a bad (or even poor) meal.

I think that replacing the "Sleepy" "chocolates" with the Ghiradelli chocolates was a very good move (would have preferred dark chocolate). I remember when DCL stopped providing the chocolates a LONG time ago. There was a bit of an uproar here on the DIS. Then they came back with the Sleepy plastic chocolates.

DCL does do a good job of upkeep and upgrading the ships. But since 1999 there have been many things that added value that have faded away.

Just had to comment on your Agent Carter avatar. Great photo. (wish they'd had more faith in that show - it was a big hit in our house). My husband met the actress and said she was a genuinely nice person.

 

[jrabbit]

Just had to comment on your Agent Carter avatar. Great photo. (wish they'd had more faith in that show - it was a big hit in our house). My husband met the actress and said she was a genuinely nice person.

Never have seen Dr. Who, but IF Hayley becomes the next Doctor, I'm IN!!

I loved her costumes in Agent Carter, The Hat, The Suits, The Attitude, etc. Classy Hot!!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

It is simply not worth it. Put the money difference in your 401k.

 

[cgolf]

No smoking, no crazy/ drunk partiers night and day, no casino, beyond clean, completely trust Disney with my kids, love the Disney touches, service, attentiveness, magic.... that is all.

After 12 DCL cruises in 8ish years we went to the dark side and tried RCCL. I take issue with some of your comments, DCL does allow smoking as do other lines, I will give you that the smoke from the Casino can sometimes be annoying on RCCL, but it wasn't always bad. On an 8 night RCCL cruise we saw the same amount of partiers as on a DCL cruise, but I get your point if you go on certain lines 3-4 day cruises, those may be heavier drinking. Freedom of the seas was a very clean ship, we were impressed, actually saw a person every night cleaning the handrails on the stairs, I don't feel that the DCL ships are any cleaner.

Also the service was on par with DCL and the staff was just as friendly. I was very nervous going on that cruise, and ended up being pleasantly surprised with RCCL, which was a similar feeling that I had before I went on our first DCL trip.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

After 12 DCL cruises in 8ish years we went to the dark side and tried RCCL. I take issue with some of your comments, DCL does allow smoking as do other lines, I will give you that the smoke from the Casino can sometimes be annoying on RCCL, but it wasn't always bad. On an 8 night RCCL cruise we saw the same amount of partiers as on a DCL cruise, but I get your point if you go on certain lines 3-4 day cruises, those may be heavier drinking. Freedom of the seas was a very clean ship, we were impressed, actually saw a person every night cleaning the handrails on the stairs, I don't feel that the DCL ships are any cleaner.

Also the service was on par with DCL and the staff was just as friendly. I was very nervous going on that cruise, and ended up being pleasantly surprised with RCCL, which was a similar feeling that I had before I went on our first DCL trip.

I'm not sure you can "take issue" with my opinion, since it's *my opinion* . .. but supplying helpful info is, well, helpful! The first cruise my husband and I ever did was on the 754 pax Regency CL (went under after 9/11; I believe Oceania has at least one of their ships ); we were beyond impressed. It took a LOT to get my husband on another cruise line with that as our measuring stick. When our kids age out of DCL, we'll be looking for advice on other cruise lines, but we literally cannot get my kids on a different line... we're going for different reasons right now than it sounds like you are. We'd be nervous as well.

And OP said, "Talk me into DCL"; my comments are valid.

 

[cgolf]

I'm not sure you can "take issue" with my opinion, since it's *my opinion* . .. but supplying helpful info is, well, helpful! The first cruise my husband and I ever did was on the 754 pax Regency CL (went under after 9/11; I believe Oceania has at least one of their ships ); we were beyond impressed. It took a LOT to get my husband on another cruise line with that as our measuring stick. When our kids age out of DCL, we'll be looking for advice on other cruise lines, but we literally cannot get my kids on a different line... we're going for different reasons right now than it sounds like you are. We'd be nervous as well.

And OP said, "Talk me into DCL"; my comments are valid.

The issue I took was painting all the other lines with the reputation of one Our college age daughter refused to go with us this year, but is likely going to next year once we told her about the ship and service. DCL is awesome, but at least for us so was RCCL.

To the OP the only plus I can say about DCL is that we are glad we cruised all 4 ships and got to experience the Disney touch. I felt that it was worth it for people to try at least once at the prices of a year or two ago. Based on our one trip on the Freedom of the Seas I don't think you will be blown away by the service or the amenities of the ship. Each lines had friendly service and the ships each have their pluses and minuses, not sure which brand of ship I like better.

Now if you love Disney characters and themeing then you will really like the DCL ships. The Disney production shows were also better too if you are into that kind of thing vs what we saw on the Freedom. For people that really love Disney the cruises while not a must should be right up there, at least once to get the experience. The issue I am having now is that in most cases when we priced out cruises, RCCLs trips could be done with airfare, hotel, and cruise for less then the cheapest DCL trip (cruise portion only). So if budget is an issue I would shy away from recommending DCL to someone, but if money is not an issue they are really an experience.