What can DCL do to make their pricing "worth it"?

[DahliaRW]

I think those answers are based on liability reasons. I have yet to come across a restaurant or cruise line that will guarantee no cross contamination/safe dining.

Disney actually gave us the same answer you got from other cruise lines when I was dealing with their shore-side dining team prior to our WBPC cruise. (eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, so nothing too out there). On the actual ship we had quite a few cross contamination issues (that we caught prior to consumption) and know of 2 different families that ended up in medical due to anaphylactic reactions from cross contamination. We have NEVER had issues on HAL. EVER! So please be careful assuming that just because its Disney you are guaranteed to be safe. I know they have a wonderful reputation, but based on our experience and a few other's reviews recently, it seems like they are falling behind compared to their in park dining.

DCL told me on the Fantasy they had a separate prep area and there should be no cross contamination (though they were not liable if there was). I've never reacted on DCL, even on the Magic, nor at DL or WDW. The difference is that DCL said they had a separate area and could accommodate allergies while the other lines said it was up to me and they couldn't guarantee there would be allergy free offerings. On several cruise boards, DCL is usually mentioned as the best for handling allergies.

 

[phinz]

I still want the Dream to go to Key West

This will never happen. The people of Key West wisely voted to deny the widening and deepening of the channel leading into Key West, which is a good thing. It's already overrun by $5 TShirt shops that cater only to the cruise crowds. It doesn't need any bigger of a port load.

 

[squirk]

Well, yeah. And I know that. I do. And yet, I keep trying to have discussions about comparing actual experiences on other lines. What's the definition of insanity again?

That brings up a good point regarding the Disney brand. If you are new to cruising, who would you be more apt to trust with your vacation dollar - Disney or someone else?

I would bet that most families would go with Disney, even though it costs more. And if you go DCL and love it, won't you be inclined to stick with what you know works for your next cruise, even though it costs more, rather than take a chance on another line?

I mean, cruising in general isn't particularly cheap. Is the DCL price premium worth paying in exchange for (what you see as) a "sure thing"?

Whether you think it is or isn't, I wonder if that is Disney's strategy - to get their claws in you first so you never want to leave.

 

[WestFamily]

That brings up a good point regarding the Disney brand. If you are new to cruising, who would you be more apt to trust with your vacation dollar - Disney or someone else?

I would bet that most families would go with Disney, even though it costs more. And if you go DCL and love it, won't you be inclined to stick with what you know works, for your next cruise, even though it costs more, rather than take a chance on another line?

I mean, cruising in general isn't particularly cheap. Is the DCL price premium worth paying in exchange for (what you see as) a "sure thing"?

Hey! We fit this category. The answer is yes, we trusted our vacation dollar with Disney and now we are hooked. By hooked I mean we are already planning and saving for our 2017 vacation and I am 95% sure I will only be looking at Disney for pricing. I know it will be a little more when the bookings open up than this last years cruise, but I'm willing to save a little bit more. (Plus now I don't need to buy a big expensive carry on for all my booze. I kid, I kid. )

 

[jahber]

That brings up a good point regarding the Disney brand. If you are new to cruising, who would you be more apt to trust with your vacation dollar - Disney or someone else?

I would bet that most families would go with Disney, even though it costs more. And if you go DCL and love it, won't you be inclined to stick with what you know works, for your next cruise, even though it costs more, rather than take a chance on another line?

I mean, cruising in general isn't particularly cheap. Is the DCL price premium worth paying in exchange for (what you see as) a "sure thing"?

That's a really good point. That's true for lots of people. But it's not how WE vacation. We like to try new things. And I know for a fact there are lots of us here on this board. I would hate to only do one thing because it's what I trust and miss out on the whole rest of the world.

That said, I don't begrudge anyone for wanting a sure thing for their hard-earned money. Not at all! What I do begrudge is people who have only done one thing, one way saying it's the best way. They can't possibly know that. They can love it--that can be objectively true and no one can argue with that. But they can't say no one else can deliver a comparable (not identical, but comparable, just as good--maybe even better!) product until they've tried them all. Unless you sail solely for only Disney characters and decor, there are plenty of other ships that are comparable. People deserve to know tha t. Even on a Disney discussion board

 

[The Sasquatch]

Well, yeah. And I know that. I do. And yet, I keep trying to have discussions about comparing actual experiences on other lines. What's the definition of insanity again?

That definition may be trying to argue how much better other lines are than DCL in a "What can DCL do to make theor pricing "worth it" thread

I say that 100% joking!

 

[eskimoinparadise]

That definition may be trying to argue how much better other lines are than DCL in a "What can DCL do to make theor pricing "worth it" thread

I say that 100% joking!

Or blindly believing someone who swears that Disney's (insert whatever tweaks your fancy here) is much better than cruiseline (insert any other brand here) (insert the same whatever), and yet has not only never sailed on any other line, but in all probability has sailed on Disney a total somewhere betwen 0 and 1 time. When you go on a captive board, by definition you're asking the captives how they like the view from their cage.

Probably why I spend most of my time over on Cruise Critic - they're equal opportunity curmudgeons.

 

[squirk]

I don't know - there seems to be a decent number of people around here who are Disney fans and value what DCL offers, while still acknowledging that the pricing might be getting out of hand.

 

[mevelandry]

You don't have to be nasty - I was just asking. And seeing pics is not the same as being there. Enjoy your cruise - I hope it lives up to all of your preconceptions.

So true. I remember how I hated Pop Century based on pictures and videos... I visited while staying at Art of Animation (we were bored). I loved it.

 

[Ofinn]

Theres nothing dcl can do for me. I dont want to pay their prices. I have an obb I have changed probably 100 times. Nothing is what I want at the price I want. I finally settled on the TA because I liked the itinerary and the price, but I really dont want to wait a year to cruise again. I guess after 9 cruises Im getting fussy, and the 2016 prices just blow my mind. I just want a good price and good itinerary thats really all I care about.

 

[KashasMom]

Here's my wish list in no particular order....

Buffet option at dinner!
Change the age ranges in the kids clubs (gap too big).
Better food.
More/different itineraries.
Change the shows - less cheesy shows.
Dream offering 7 days cruises (not a fan of the Wonder/Magic, would like a change from Fantasy).
New ships...home port in NYC.
Discounts/lower prices would be great but I won't hold my breathe.

 

[pag23]

What I would like to see is a 15% discount for people traveling without children. A better choice in the wine lists, afternoon tea for free. So after 6 cruises and one coming up in September will have to think about traveling another cruise line.

 

[squirk]

What I would like to see is a 15% discount for people traveling without children. A better choice in the wine lists, afternoon tea for free. So after 6 cruises and one coming up in September will have to think about traveling another cruise line.

Interesting. Why the discount if traveling without children?

 

[eskimoinparadise]

That brings up a good point regarding the Disney brand. If you are new to cruising, who would you be more apt to trust with your vacation dollar - Disney or someone else?

I would bet that most families would go with Disney, even though it costs more. And if you go DCL and love it, won't you be inclined to stick with what you know works for your next cruise, even though it costs more, rather than take a chance on another line?

I mean, cruising in general isn't particularly cheap. Is the DCL price premium worth paying in exchange for (what you see as) a "sure thing"?

Whether you think it is or isn't, I wonder if that is Disney's strategy - to get their claws in you first so you never want to leave.

Not entirely sure this assumption holds water. New cruisers represent about 60% of pax on any given Disney cruise (at lest the ones we've been on from what the spiel is at the welcome back party). Funny thing is the percentages are about the same on the other 90+ ships that make up the mainstream cruise inventory. So the reality seems to be that the vast majority of first time cruisers choose someone other than disney.

 

[squirk]

Not entirely sure this assumption holds water. New cruisers represent about 60% of pax on any given Disney cruise (at lest the ones we've been on from what the spiel is at the welcome back party). Funny thing is the percentages are about the same on the other 90+ ships that make up the mainstream cruise inventory. So the reality seems to be that the vast majority of first time cruisers choose someone other than disney.

I'm not sure where the stats on the other ships come from, but I'll take them as a given.

I qualified my statement with "families", so I am not sure how many "first-time" cruisers in your stats are family households vs. couples and/or singletons. I have zero stats to support this, but I am guessing that DCL gets a higher-than-industry-average percentage of first-time cruising families. I could be totally wrong, I admit.

My larger point, however, is that Disney is a trusted brand that families might find is worth the premium if it has the best chance of delivering on what is promised. And if it does deliver, then people might be loathe to switch lines and risk fixing what ain't broke.

I'm not saying this is how people should or should not think. I just wonder if this is the DCL strategy.

 

[eskimoinparadise]

I'm not sure where the stats on the other ships come from, but I'll take them as a given.

I qualified my statement with "families", so I am not sure how many "first-time" cruisers in your stats are family households vs. couples and/or singletons. I have zero stats to support this, but I am guessing that DCL gets a higher-than-industry-average percentage of first-time cruising families. I could be totally wrong, I admit.

My larger point, however, is that Disney is a trusted brand that families might find is worth the premium if it has the best chance of delivering on what is promised. And if it does deliver, then people might be loathe to switch lines and risk fixing what ain't broke.

I'm not saying this is how people should or should not think. I just wonder if this is the DCL strategy.

Well, every other cruise line we've ever been on has kids clubs and a wide variety of kids activities on board, and they're getting them from somewhere. We sail about every two months, and we've never been on a ship where there weren't a ton of kids on board.

Your larger argument is only valid insofar as you limit its thesis to people who are already thoroughly indoctrinated into the Disney mythology. There's another thread on this board that refers to kool aid drinkers, and i believe Disney cultivtes an addiction that it relies on to saturate its offerings so that even when the wider world can see the erosion in its product, the addict sees nothing but sunlight and rainbows.

 

[squirk]

i believe Disney cultivtes an addiction that it relies on to saturate its offerings so that even when the wider world can see the erosion in its product, the addict sees nothing but sunlight and rainbows.

I think that's exactly my point. Hook them while they are new, unschooled, not yet savvy. Make them think they'd be crazy to go elsewhere.

 

[pag23]

Interesting. Why the discount if traveling without children?

Well I do think at least that % of cruise fare supports all the kids clubs, because some adult activities have a surcharge TASTING, SPAS, ETC.

 

[DahliaRW]

Well I do think at least that % of cruise fare supports all the kids clubs, because some adult activities have a surcharge TASTING, SPAS, ETC.

Or the kids (3rd and 4th passenger etc.) fare supports it... It's not like most kids actually eat that much, and their kids food offerings are definitely less expensive to make than the adult food offerings...

 

[buckeyemom16]

This is a very interesting discussion. For us, it's lower prices and better itineraries. We have been on CCL, RCCL, NCL & DCL about embark on my 9th cruise this NYE on NCL. Can't and won't even touch DCL with a 50ft pole that time of year. Don't remember the price difference but it was in the 10k range. This is sailing on NCL in a suite with four free perks (free dining, free drinks, OBC and paid tips).

Someone mentioned first time cruisers getting hooked and I would have to completely agree 100%. DCL was not our first cruise and we didn't have stars in our eyes. We expected more for the premium and it didn't live up. Know many other people including family members who "will only sail Disney". We just laugh because they're truly missing the boat (pun intended).

Since DCL we have had two amazing, memorable cruises on RCCL and CCL that makes DCL and it's pricing go further and further back in our minds. Our kids still remember our waiters names from RCCL and CCL. They were just that good with extra attention to our kids and fun they still remember. I expected this on DCL. Didn't get it and maybe we just had a bad team. But DCL hasn't enticed me enough to try again with their over-inflated prices and boring itineraries.