Why are Disney cruises still so expensive?

[jimmymc]

Because Disney only has 5 ships, there is always plenty of demand, so they don't really have to offer discounts.

 

[Henlady]

We have sailed 15 times with DCL 3 times each on Wonder, Fantasy, Magic, 4 times on the Dream and twice on the Wish. We have the Dream book for May 2024. We decided to cruise in late October/early November of this year. Checked prices and DCL was ridiculous. Checked Royal Caribbean and booked a 4 night out if Port Canaveral, same itinerary as Wish, same 4 nights, only difference is private island. We will get the soda package but don’t participate in the other “for charge” items. That said, RC is $2,255 cheaper. We weren’t that thrilled with the Wish so it was a no brainer.

 

[OpieDoodle]

a $$$ comparison ???

DCL WISH 6/3-6/7 2024 Verandah $4,616 --- Concierge $7,800
MSC Seashore 6/4 - 6/8 2024 Yacht Club all inclusive --- $3,658

I've never been on MSC but IMO an extra $1,000 isn't really all that much all things considered. Plus then for me I'd be using a place holder for 10% off plus using my Target redcard to get another 5% off bringing it down by almost $700.
So now you're at $256.60 difference between the two. [I am not aware of MSC having the same deal with Target]

Didn't include rewards and deals you get for booking through travel agents since often those are similar in monetary value for either cruise line whether it be OBC, drink packages, etc.

Regardless tho, I'd pay an extra $1000 for Disney. I like the entertainment better, I like what they have to offer the kids better, etc. My post was more referring to when you look at most cruise lines website for price they're showing you just then nightly rate not including taxes, port fees, soda, etc. Various ones break out various things. When you click through you get nickel and dimed until you're at a much higher rate where its not as giant of a difference.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Disney is a luxury cruise line:

It's a premium line but no not a luxury line.

 

[OpieDoodle]

It's a premium line but no not a luxury line.

I more meant luxury compared to cruise lines like Carnival for example. Generally when having this discussion you find the comparison is with Carnival pricing. What I meant by luxury and the actual luxury line clearly doesn't align, I'm updating my post, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Because Disney only has 5 ships, there is always plenty of demand, so they don't really have to offer discounts.

Eh Seabourn only has 6 ships along with another being built but 1 being sold next year so back to 6. They offer discounts and OBC deals. Depends on the itinerary, season and how sold out a particular cruise is but they offer them.

DCL does offer discounts, I frequently get offers in my e-mail or actual snail mail marketing but it's truly not really the best of deals overall regardless.

 

[Kwami]

Eh Seabourn only has 6 ships along with another being built but 1 being sold next year so back to 6. They offer discounts and OBC deals. Depends on the itinerary, season and how sold out a particular cruise is but they offer them.

DCL does offer discounts, I frequently get offers in my e-mail or actual snail mail marketing but it's truly not really the best of deals overall regardless.

I don't know, my DCL emails often feature 20-30% discounts. That's pretty good.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't know, my DCL emails often feature 20-30% discounts. That's pretty good.

Percentage of the discount is meaningless. I say that as a generality. Seabourn for instance has been running a Sail Away event with up to $4,000 per cabin OBC (that's usually the Penthouse or Owner's Suite) with anywhere between 15-25% off of normal cruises (not all qualify) and up to 35% off Expedition cruises. But you're still going to spend $$$$$ even when accounting for that.

Sure Disney offers discounts just like I said, but the topic of today in this thread, was why is DCL still so expensive. When you factor in those discounts it still is quite pricey. In relevance to my comment about the number of ships and offering discounts is that other cruises lines can have small fleets and still offer discounts. The "don't have to" with relations to smaller fleet doesn't seem to pan out.

But it is true that brand recognition with Disney is very high. They are the only one on the market that can carry that high nostalgic factor and with a more singular focus on children that they can push out whatever price point they want and they'll still get a decent amount of those partaking in them.

 

[John VN]

I've never been on MSC but IMO an extra $1,000 isn't really all that much all things considered. Plus then for me I'd be using a place holder for 10% off plus using my Target redcard to get another 5% off bringing it down by almost $700.
So now you're at $256.60 difference between the two. [I am not aware of MSC having the same deal with Target]

Didn't include rewards and deals you get for booking through travel agents since often those are similar in monetary value for either cruise line whether it be OBC, drink packages, etc.

Regardless tho, I'd pay an extra $1000 for Disney. I like the entertainment better, I like what they have to offer the kids better, etc. My post was more referring to when you look at most cruise lines website for price they're showing you just then nightly rate not including taxes, port fees, soda, etc. Various ones break out various things. When you click through you get nickel and dimed until you're at a much higher rate where its not as giant of a difference.

The quoted MSC price is for YACHT CLUB that is actually a cruising level ABOVE DCL Concierge. It is almost $1,000 LESS than a DCL Verandah and $4,142 LESS than DCL Concierge

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/msc-yacht-club

 

[mlayton14]

Bottom line they charge what people are willing to pay. People aren’t willing to pay that for Royal , NCL, etc generally speaking

I pay because we love the Disney atmosphere and general clientele , pretty much everything is family friendly

 

[lanejudy]

I don't see that; but I rent DVC points for my resorts and usually get great deals. I last stayed in a one bedroom villa at Kidani village with a savannah view. We had a party of 5 and stayed for 8 nights and did it for $2,600.

When was the last time you priced a WDW vacation? That $2600 must have been quite a while ago. A 6-day base ticket costs $595 for August 2023, which is about the lowest prices of the year; if you buy discounted tickets from UT that comes down to $576 each. Either way, multiplied by 5 people and you've blown that entire budget just with tickets. Renting points for a week in a savannah view studio at AKL will cost in the realm of $2600 at that time; $5K for a 1-bedroom. So your parks vacation just doubled or tripled in cost without food or transportation to get there. Food prices at WDW have skyrocketed.

 

[Lilsia]

Oh, but it isn't. I don't stereotype all Europeans and they shouldn't be doing that to us, either. This old idea that Americans are bad with money, don't take risks, don't adventure, and don't travel anywhere uncomfortable is absolute nonsense.

I agree. People tend to forget how diverse America is. It drives me nuts that people in other parts of the world see TV shows and think that is how all Americans are. You see a small group of people and think that all 300+ Million people are all the same? That is like saying every person in Europe is all exactly the same, regardless of what Country they are from.

 

[WEDcryoHEAD]

I guess the locution of my original query was somewhat puzzling. More succinctly, I was trying to interpolate why Dis cruises were more immoderately priced in comparison to their competition.

I will postulate that is is merely because they are Disney Cruises.

 

[Lilsia]

The quoted MSC price is for YACHT CLUB that is actually a cruising level ABOVE DCL Concierge. It is almost $1,000 LESS than a DCL Verandah and $4,142 LESS than DCL Concierge

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/msc-yacht-club

And yet I would wonder why they are selling it so cheap. You would think that if it was such a great product at an amazing price, that it would sell out instantly, almost like Disney concierge rooms do. If MSC was comparable to Disney, but selling at such a low price, why doesn't it sell out quickly like Disney does? From what I have seen MSC suffers from very poor food quality and service. Maybe that is why they have to price their rooms so low.

 

[Kwami]

I guess the locution of my original query was somewhat puzzling. More succinctly, I was trying to interpolate why Dis cruises were more immoderately priced in comparison to their competition.

I will postulate that is is merely because they are Disney Cruises.

Yes. They cost more because they're Disney cruises and because there's enough demand for Disney to get away with charging higher prices. Until that changes, Disney cruises will continue to cost more.

 

[WEDcryoHEAD]

When was the last time you priced a WDW vacation? That $2600 must have been quite a while ago. A 6-day base ticket costs $595 for August 2023, which is about the lowest prices of the year; if you buy discounted tickets from UT that comes down to $576 each. Either way, multiplied by 5 people and you've blown that entire budget just with tickets. Renting points for a week in a savannah view studio at AKL will cost in the realm of $2600 at that time; $5K for a 1-bedroom. So your parks vacation just doubled or tripled in cost without food or transportation to get there. Food prices at WDW have skyrocketed.

I beg your pardon I wasn't clear. The $2,600 was just for the lodgings at Kidani. We did have to pay $1,086, per person, for 6 one day passes. My children paid for their own passes and we split sit down meals. So in paying for the Suite at Kidani, tickets for myself and my wife, food and souvenirs. I think i was out about $6,500. We just went Sept. 22. In comparison, I am seeing like 10,000 - 11,000 for my family of 5 for a Dis cruise when selecting the accommodations we would require, during the time frame during which we will be Journeying.

 

[Mango7100]

I've never been on MSC but IMO an extra $1,000 isn't really all that much all things considered. Plus then for me I'd be using a place holder for 10% off plus using my Target redcard to get another 5% off bringing it down by almost $700.
So now you're at $256.60 difference between the two. [I am not aware of MSC having the same deal with Target]

Didn't include rewards and deals you get for booking through travel agents since often those are similar in monetary value for either cruise line whether it be OBC, drink packages, etc.

Regardless tho, I'd pay an extra $1000 for Disney. I like the entertainment better, I like what they have to offer the kids better, etc. My post was more referring to when you look at most cruise lines website for price they're showing you just then nightly rate not including taxes, port fees, soda, etc. Various ones break out various things. When you click through you get nickel and dimed until you're at a much higher rate where its not as giant of a difference.

You would have to compare a concierge on Disney to Yacht Club for the closest equivalent. Comparing a Yacht Club room to a deluxe verandah on DCL isn’t accurate. Yacht club also includes all beverages (liquor, premium coffees, sodas, etc), wi fi, and gratuities. Not to mention butler, private restaurant, etc

It’s totally fine to pay the extra for a Disney cruise because you want to or it has different aspects that you value more. We are going to book a Wish cruise even though we can go cheaper on another line because we want try it before DD10 is out of kids club range. But sometimes people use some really fuzzy math to convince themselves Disney isn’t pricier for a lot of iterinaries compared to other cruise lines…

 

[Mango7100]

And yet I would wonder why they are selling it so cheap. You would think that if it was such a great product at an amazing price, that it would sell out instantly, almost like Disney concierge rooms do. If MSC was comparable to Disney, but selling at such a low price, why doesn't it sell out quickly like Disney does? From what I have seen MSC suffers from very poor food quality and service. Maybe that is why they have to price their rooms so low.

I think they are trying to carve out some market share in North America. They attract a European clientele more and are trying now to entice Americans. While I have heard mixed reviews about MSC if in regular rooms, I have heard nothing but positive for Yacht Club in other cruise groups

 

[lanejudy]

I beg your pardon I wasn't clear. The $2,600 was just for the lodgings at Kidani. We did have to pay $1,086 for 6 one day passes. My children paid for their own passes and we split sit down meals. So in paying for the Suite at Kidani, tickets for myself and my wife, food and souvenirs. I think i was out about $6,500. We just went Sept. 22. In comparison, I am seeing like 10,000 - 11,000 for my family of 5 for a Dis cruise when selecting the accommodations we would require, during the time frame during which we will be Journeying.

OK, but that doesn't exactly make an apples-to-apples comparison with a cruise. The cost of 8 nights lodging, a 1-day theme park ticket and split costs on meals should not be compared to a 7-night all-inclusive cruise which is 7 nights lodging, 8 days of activities/entertainment and all meals. To be an accurate comparison, you need to include the full cost of tickets and meals for all guests - which I'm sure would bring that parks vacation up to near the $10K mark. You can still split the costs, especially if your kids are adults, but the "full cost" is the total for all.

Yes, there are many different ways to vacation and different price points. But you have to accurately compare the same (or at least close) components.

 

[princesscinderella]

As a family of 5 most times DCL is equivalent or cheaper because all the other lines require me to get two rooms and pay full fare for 4 guests, vs 2 at full fare on DCL and three others at a much lower cost. I have only sailed on NCL besides DCL and while still a great time we always wished it was DCL. I hate cigarette smoke and having to walk through a casino to get around the ship.