update: Cancelled DCL - Paying more than I ever thought I would - Easter 2017

[Joel0917]

tht'at more than i paid for a concierge room for 2014. by like $2000.. Crazy prices. that's why we got RCI..april 15...7 days. room with oversize verandah for $4200.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

So

A Florida resident discount came out and my Mom, me and my DD14 went on the Fantasy for February vacation. We had early dining because my Mom needs it to not get acid reflux.
It was overly noisy and crowded on the Fantasy for the early seating. Pretty good cruise otherwise!


But today I cancelled the great cabin with the fantastic balcony HA #5552 on Disney Fantasy for April 2017. Instead I booked Celebrity Equinox 10 day cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale for two connecting balcony cabins. Celebrity has showers rather than tubs so Grandma can stay in a regular cabin. She can't raise her legs over the tub edge anymore so needs shower w a seat or stool.

DD14 pointed out that my niece would overheat in the shared Disney cabin as Grandma needs 74 degree minimum and niece is used to an unheated bedroom.

Also 10 day is better than 7.

Also 2 bathrooms are better than 1.

Also I like the ports on Celebrity cruise better.

Also we are planning to eat at the upcharge restaurants every night and it will still be $2 k cheaper.

Also Disney will have too many kids at early dinner on a Holiday cruise while hopefully it will mean enough kids on the Celebrity cruise for DD and niece to pal around with.

And since cost for the Celebrity cruise is less than the Disney cruise my Mom could increase the days of the trip without paying an increase in trip insurance. Her trip insurance at 86 is $420, mine is $144 and the girls are free.

 

[RedSox68]

Sounds like you made a good decision -- getting more bang for your buck. Let us know how you like the itinerary and the ship.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

We know the ship and itinerary from a past cruise February 2015.

Last year me , my mom and DD13 did a 10 day cruise on the Equinox over February vacation on the Equinox. The itinerary included Dominica instead of overnight stop at St. Thomas. Also St. Kitts, St. Maarten and Barbados. 10 days was so great! There was a Noro outbreak on the sailing but we didn't get it. They removed all the books from the library-(a thousand books I think, all hard cover!) and a bunch of things from the cabins.

I don't know why Dominica was removed. It suffered badly from Tropical Storm Erica in August 2015 with 10 inches of rain in a few hour. But other cruise ships still go there including the Celebrity Summit. Our excursion was to http://www.boiscotlette.com/ and we enjoyed it very very much.

My Mom was super prejudiced in favor of Disney. The Equinox is lovely, elegant but Mom noticed two dings in our inside stateroom. She sniffed and said "that wouldn't happen on Disney".
There was far worse wear on our just past February 2016 veranda cabin on the Fantasy.

Even though early dining was totally full on the Equinox it didn't seem as noisy and crowded as the Fantasy MDR.

Unfortunately the Equinox MDR food just did not seem as wonderful as on the Celebrity Silhouette the year before (3/2014) or even the Disney Fantasy MDR. It seemed as if they had replaced the butter with a spread for example. We tried the upcharge restaurant Murano and it was delicious and had real butter on the table. Also the Celebrity upcharge restaurant let DD13 eat there as opposed to Disney (see post #962 in DCL confessions). So our plan is to eat all or most dinners on the Equinox in an upcharge restaurant.

There were not enough children on the Equinox February 2015 sailing as it was the less common February vacation and a 10 day cruise. The majority of the 100 kids onboard were under 10. There was one girl DDs age but they were both too shy to pair up. Since the Equinox 4/2017 is a Holiday cruise I think there will be enough kids. Also DNiece16 is coming with us. DD15 said her best cruise ever was on a 5 day Carnival because her cousin helped her make a group of friends who talked and talked and talked. DH stays at home with the dogs. His choice.

DD age adjusted to past or future as needed.

 

[KalamityJane]

If you can jump forward a week and go on the Panama Canal cruise leaving Apr 23, you will get 14 nights for a similar price We have 5 people, 2 sideways insides for 9064 (and then another 525 back in Costco Cash so closer to 85something).

 

[soniam]

@Wish I lived in Fl

I think you will like it. My in-laws love Celebrity. My boss just got off the Equinox for a European cruise and loved it. We booked an anniversary cruise for April 2018 on Celebrity Summit to S Caribbean out of San Juan. We are doing a W Caribbean on DCL Fantasy in summer 2017 with DS. We got a sky suite on Celebrity for less than the price for DH and I on DCL in a deluxe verandah. It seems like a great value. Hope you have a great cruise.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Seeing the longer trips make me envious. Straight jacketed by school schedules for a couple more years. Thanks for the good wishes!

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

I upgraded our two cabins today to the "Go Best" promotion: Premium beverage package, unlimited internet, 150 OBC pp, 135 prepaid grats pp.
Each veranda cabin of two people $3350 total for both for a ten day cruise. This will be my mom's first cruise with free drinks!

 

[niccikatie]

As I was reading through this and saw you were sailing on Celebrity, I was hoping the update was that you were able to take advantage of today's sale! We got a $300 price drop on our 1A hump verandah our Go Best total to $2900 for 2A on a spring break 7 night on the Silhouette.

Congrats!

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Thanks. Congrats to you too! Our first Celebrity cruise was on Silhouette for a wedding anniversary cruise with a veranda 2D and free drinks. It was great!
I am keeping free drinks a boarding surprise for my Mom.

 

[zebsterama]

Be thankful you aren't Canadian and have to add another 30% to that price. ... Adding 30% to our price is scary......

30%? You Canadian's are crazy ... oh wait .... that mean I'm .... never-mind ... GO JAYS!!

 

[bcwife76]

30%? You Canadian's are crazy ... oh wait .... that mean I'm .... never-mind ... GO JAYS!!

Crazy - yes. Jays fan? No thanks