** The Official Priced Out Thread **

[cgolf]

I want to add our real world examples for moving on from DCL. I understand the supply and demand argument, so please don’t counter my example with that. One thing we have noticed though over the years, is that the product offered doesn’t match the experiences we had going back to our first cruises. There have definitely been cutbacks and changes that have been debated on this site.

We are thrifty in real life and always analyze closely what we spend on a cruise and try to thrifty onboard too.

In 2013 and 2014 we paid roughly 4400 for a Cat V concierge room on the Fantasy. In 2018 and 2019 an inside room on the Fantasy was roughly 3900 for a similar time and itinerary. There is no way we would pay that much for an inside room knowing what we got when we stayed in the Cat V room for not much more per night.

In 2016 we did a B2B on the Magic for 9 nights total. When we priced out a similar B2B for 2017, same timeframe but 6 nights instead of 9 and one less island, it was more expensive. This made zero sense to us to pay more for 6 nights than we did 9. The islands on the 6 night were included in the 9 night, so it wasn’t a special itinerary.

I get why newer cruisers and Disney fans cruise DCL. For us we just decided we weren’t going to pay more for less, that simple.

 

[darnheather]

I can't believe how high the TA is starting at for next year. Two weeks ago the military rate for this year's TA was $1800 for two people. I nearly booked it but I knew my spouse would go ballistic seeing as I was about to leave with the kids for the WBPC. Now I wish I had and just went by myself so he wouldn't complain about the kids being out of school. For that price I could justify it!

 

[Mrpd]

Very upset with the path DCL is taking. My first cruise with them was in 2015 and since then it is highly notorious that quality and price started running on opposite ways. Right off the top of my head, I can list a few offerings that DCL cut off in this interval:

- Changed the room service menu, drastically reducing the number of options.
- No longer accepts guests to send a box to the ship.
- Changed its alcohol policy, limiting even more the quantity guests are allowed to bring.
- Cut off the breakfast buffet on Enchanted Garden, the oasis of those who hate the Cabanas' madness.
- Switched over to pump bottles for H2O pruducts instead of individual amenities and not even a individual soap bar will be provided now.
- Stopped offering a printed version of the Navigator.
- Their website lost a lot of useful functionalities after they changed it, almost everything must be done by phone now and this is a real pain for international guests.

If I stop to think a little more about it, I'm pretty sure I'll remember more things. Unfortunately, I'm certain that others members can easily add a lot of more items to this list too. The icing on the cake? Take a sample of the condition my stateroom was on my last cruise.

To date, I've never sailed with another company but I started to look for another options and found that the gap between them and DCL isn't wide anymore. Highly doubt that my next cruise will be with DCL.

 

[KashasMom]

Have you checked out Cruise Critic's Roll Calls? They are very hit or miss. You may have 3 or 4 people talking to each other or 100 +. If you get lucky, you could end up with a terrific group to bond with pre-cruise. No, they don't do the FE thing, but they sometimes plan lots of other on board activities. The Roll Call for our Oct Eastern Med cruise has over 100 cruisers and we've been active for over a year now. There are multiple excursions planned in most ports together, get togethers on board and pre cruise in Rome planned, etc. Maybe you will get lucky and can find something like that for your cruise.

We've been lucky with the Cruise Critic Roll Calls. The one for our RC Baltic cruise was great (still good friends with some years later). We joined up for private excursions and had a blast. As far as FE, most of that action seems to have moved to that other site that we're not allowed to mention. (We have a decent group there for our NOV cruise.)

 

[braysmommy]

If I stop to think a little more about it, I'm pretty sure I'll remember more things. Unfortunately, I'm certain that others members can easily add a lot of more items to this list too. The icing on the cake? Take a sample of the condition my stateroom was on my last cruise.

No more dropping 2 items off at guest services to have characters sign. Now the lines take even longer for pictures since people have items they want signed as well.

 

[Birdie dog]

I can't believe how high the TA is starting at for next year. Two weeks ago the military rate for this year's TA was $1800 for two people. I nearly booked it but I knew my spouse would go ballistic seeing as I was about to leave with the kids for the WBPC. Now I wish I had and just went by myself so he wouldn't complain about the kids being out of school. For that price I could justify it!

I have no doubt that the same deals will be available for next year. I actually booked the trans-Atlantic for 2020 and will go after deals (including military). But, in the meantime, I have the room I want held.

 

[KashasMom]

No more dropping 2 items off at guest services to have characters sign. Now the lines take even longer for pictures since people have items they want signed as well.

Yes, I miss that! We have some great items that were singed. And sometimes the lines are ridiculous!! There should be a limit!

 

[darnheather]

I have no doubt that the same deals will be available for next year. I actually booked the trans-Atlantic for 2020 and will go after deals (including military). But, in the meantime, I have the room I want held.

Unfortunately, I have two cruises booked for September of next year with my daughter. I'm hoping to get one done before then but I think the TA is just going to continue to have to wait.

 

[KashasMom]

Very upset with the path DCL is taking. My first cruise with them was in 2015 and since then it is highly notorious that quality and price started running on opposite ways. Right off the top of my head, I can list a few offerings that DCL cut off in this interval:

- Changed the room service menu, drastically reducing the number of options.
- No longer accepts guests to send a box to the ship.
- Changed its alcohol policy, limiting even more the quantity guests are allowed to bring.
- Cut off the breakfast buffet on Enchanted Garden, the oasis of those who hate the Cabanas' madness.
- Switched over to pump bottles for H2O pruducts instead of individual amenities and not even a individual soap bar will be provided now.
- Stopped offering a printed version of the Navigator.
- Their website lost a lot of useful functionalities after they changed it, almost everything must be done by phone now and this is a real pain for international guests.

If I stop to think a little more about it, I'm pretty sure I'll remember more things. Unfortunately, I'm certain that others members can easily add a lot of more items to this list too. The icing on the cake? Take a sample of the condition my stateroom was on my last cruise.

To date, I've never sailed with another company but I started to look for another options and found that the gap between them and DCL isn't wide anymore. Highly doubt that my next cruise will be with DCL.

Yikes! Everyone here always talks so much about how tip top everything is and how Disney people are always doing maintenance around the ship. We were on the Magic one year and there was a lot of mold in the bathroom and the bedspread was almost threadbare, carpet in the atrium was pretty gross.

 

[darnheather]

Yes, I miss that! We have some great items that were singed. And sometimes the lines are ridiculous!! There should be a limit!

On my recent WBPC they did have limits on the Mickey and Friends photo mornings. One photo per stateroom and no signings.

 

[cgolf]

Yikes! Everyone here always talks so much about how tip top everything is and how Disney people are always doing maintenance around the ship. We were on the Magic one year and there was a lot of mold in the bathroom and the bedspread was almost threadbare, carpet in the atrium was pretty gross.

One thing I will defend is the Atrium carpet. When one of these threads popped up a while back about the carpet, I posted my pic from the 3rd cruise out of reimagination drydock and people tried to point out the dirty spots on that picture lol. I think it is just a cheaper grade carpet that depending on the direction it is vacuumed will look different color wise, especially from above. Also they potentially should have went with darker carpeting in such a high traffic area too, which would show stains less.

 

[KashasMom]

One thing I will defend is the Atrium carpet. When one of these threads popped up a while back about the carpet, I posted my pic from the 3rd cruise out of reimagination drydock and people tried to point out the dirty spots on that picture lol. I think it is just a cheaper grade carpet that depending on the direction it is vacuumed will look different color wise, especially from above. Also they potentially should have went with darker carpeting in such a high traffic area too, which would show stains less.

My daughter spent a lot of time sitting on it for various activities. It definitely WAS dirty.

 

[KashasMom]

On my recent WBPC they did have limits on the Mickey and Friends photo mornings. One photo per stateroom and no signings.

Oh yes! Forgot about that. Six people come for photos - with so many different combinations of people that it takes forever. Glad to see there were limits.

 

[cgolf]

My daughter spent a lot of time sitting on it for various activities. It definitely WAS dirty.

I wonder if they should just ditch the carpet in that area and go with a tile? With how much they use that space, they need something that is easier to maintain, because replacing it often isn't cost effective. Not sure how often they clean it with something like a steam cleaner?

 

[MickeyD]

Switched over to pump bottles for H2O pruducts instead of individual amenities and not even a individual soap bar will be provided now.

In defense of this: I just returned in Feb from a cruise on the Fantasy and we still had the individual products. On the FB group I was on people were posting pictures of the "haul" they brought home on these products and bragging about it. It was disgusting to me that they needed to have their room steward give them new product every day just so they could hoard it and bring it home! I am talking about 20-30 of each of the shampoo, conditioner, lotion and individual soap bars! I can see why DCL moved to a more cost-effective method. If people would stop abusing the system, maybe Disney wouldn't keep cutting back! That said, I have noticed a sharp decline in value for money on DCL over the years and it makes me sad that they keep raising their prices without raising their service. For one thing, they need to change up menus, shows, etc. We never went to a show this time because we have seen them numerous times. The food is just plain boring, and even the fireworks (and we had two shows of them) have gotten blase'.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

In defense of this: I just returned in Feb from a cruise on the Fantasy and we still had the individual products. On the FB group I was on people were posting pictures of the "haul" they brought home on these products and bragging about it. It was disgusting to me that they needed to have their room steward give them new product every day just so they could hoard it and bring it home! I am talking about 20-30 of each of the shampoo, conditioner, lotion and individual soap bars! I can see why DCL moved to a more cost-effective method. If people would stop abusing the system, maybe Disney wouldn't keep cutting back! That said, I have noticed a sharp decline in value for money on DCL over the years and it makes me sad that they keep raising their prices without raising their service. For one thing, they need to change up menus, shows, etc. We never went to a show this time because we have seen them numerous times. The food is just plain boring, and even the fireworks (and we had two shows of them) have gotten blase'.

It's also a sustainability issue. That is a LOT of plastic.

 

[Mrpd]

It's also a sustainability issue. That is a LOT of plastic.

The H2O+ products they sell still uses the same plastic bottle that harm the environment instead of using biodegradable ones so I don't buy this sustainability story.

'Due environment concerns, we no longer offer those ammenties for you; but you can easily go to our shopdisney website or Mickey's Mainsail and buy them'

It seems hypocritical to me.

 

[Mikamarii]

The H2O+ products they sell still uses the same plastic bottle that harm the environment instead of using biodegradable ones so I don't buy this sustainability story.

'Due environment concerns, we no longer offer those ammenties for you; but you can easily go to our shopdisney website or Mickey's Mainsail and buy them'

It seems hypocritical to me.

Regardless of the fact that it’s a cost saver for Disney is irellevent. A reduction in plastic is a reduction in plastic. Yes they sell the same bottles in the gift shop but guests aren’t buying 30+ bottles of it. Is it going to end our plastic pollution problem? Absolutely not. But it helps. It’s better than nothing. I don’t understand how people can be angry with this. Other than the fact that people can’t hoard bottles and take them home. The product is still the same. Guests still get to use the shampoo. Only difference is they don’t get a years supply of it for free.

I’m happy with these decisions to reduce waste. Not because Disney tells me to but because it is a reduction (I said reduction not elimination). I’m not a Disney apologist, I’m a realist. If it took financial incentive for them to make the change then whatever. The end result is the same.

 

[MickeyD]

Yes they sell the same bottles in the gift shop but guests aren’t buying 30+ bottles of it. Is it going to end our plastic pollution problem? Absolutely not. But it helps. It’s better than nothing. I don’t understand how people can be angry with this. Other than the fact that people can’t hoard bottles and take them home.

Exactly! This!

 

[AquaDame]

Sounds like this thread has run its course and is now very much off topic as its moved into maintenance, photo policies and recycling, so I am going to retire it.