Would you pay these prices? Help!

[aggiedog]

So what did you think of MSC / its amenities / kids/youth club / concierge?? Which ship?

We were on Splendida, (Marseille, Genoa, Civitivecchia, Palermo, Cagliari, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia.) It was a port intensive cruise and we were off the ship the full amount possible, so the actual shipboard amenities were not that important to us. That said, the YC is awesome. Really, the best part was the lounge, which was large, an oasis of quiet, great staff, and endless drinks and snacks. The pool was also nice, but with limited shade. The food in the YC dining was ok, though European in length - very drawn out after long days. The rest of the ship was sometimes very crowded, sometimes not. I think that varies daily as each port is an embarkation/disembarkation point. The variety of non-YC pools was nice. My kids don't do the clubs, so can't comment. Our verandah staterooms were very nice, and the walk in closets great. We saw a couple shows, some good, some just ok. I missed the main hallways of the Magic/Wonder. On Splendida, all the areas just meld into each other, so you have to walk THRU one bar/lounge/etc to get to the next, with just a few exceptions. The casino was easy to avoid, and I only saw it once, during embarkation.

I would easily do the YC again, but I don't think I'd do non-YC.

 

[MomOTwins]

If you do the exercise with two cabins (which you can easily have side by side if not connecting), it will be much much cheaper.

We'll definitely keep that in mind for when they are older, but they still are too little to make it work.

 

[ngl]

I think you have received some great advice thus far and as you can see, what makes a vacation "worth it" to one family does not translate to all. When we went on our first Disney cruise in 2009 the market had just crashed and travel was hit hard. The prices were so reasonable that we booked Concierge. Problem is once we went that way we can not go back to non-concierge as we watch the prices go up! And prices have dramatically gone up in my opinion.

Of course a Disney cruise for us is a once every 2-3 years vacation so we plan it out. But my main point of advice is just like airfare, the prices will be based on demand. During school break times prices will always be at a premium. Summer is one of those times.

If you are not tied to a traditional school calendar schedule I agree that going off-peak is the way to do it. Had friends who just returned from theirs (daughter is 3 so no school calendar to worry about) and they paid a fraction for what we did at Tgiving (and that is not as bad as Easter or Christmas weeks!)

Good luck!

 

[Elizakapeka]

Mom of twins here too! we are a family of 5 and booked oceanview , we did a June 2017- 4 day double dip Bahamas and it was $6500 and we are booked oceanview for another 4 night Bahamas (non double dip) for $5100 after our placeholder. maybe this helps you put it in perspective. lots of saving involved, and yes everyone has a different opinion of value.

 

[mevelandry]

We'll definitely keep that in mind for when they are older, but they still are too little to make it work.

Some people do 1 parent in each cabin but I can understand why some prefer not doing that.

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

Based on a lot of these I researched Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian cruise line, but I am either missing something, or looking at the wrong cruises (3-4 nights Bahamas), but I think the price savings everyone keeps talking about is only really available for families of 4 or less. The only room for 5 people I could find for less ($3,400) was an interior room on NCL that was roughly half the size of a DCL family room, which I just don't think we would enjoy. All the suites were more expensive than Disney. Oh well.

Have to back you up on this. We are a family of 4, and to get comparable space on the other lines you frequently end up spending just as much. Or maybe a little less. But to get us in a room on RCCL that accommodates my son and a crib for my daughter, we need a junior suite. We are better off on Disney, which is built for families from top to bottom. Disney's standard rooms are larger to accommodate families, and the split bath with tub is super valuable. DCL is pricey, but if you actually compare apples to apples with the other lines it often isn't so insane.

When our kids are older I'm sure RCCL/NCL may work better. But for the next 5-7 years, there really isnti a choice to be made.

 

[cruiser21]

Have to back you up on this. We are a family of 4, and to get comparable space on the other lines you frequently end up spending just as much. Or maybe a little less. But to get us in a room on RCCL that accommodates my son and a crib for my daughter, we need a junior suite. We are better off on Disney, which is built for families from top to bottom. Disney's standard rooms are larger to accommodate families, and the split bath with tub is super valuable. DCL is pricey, but if you actually compare apples to apples with the other lines it often isn't so insane.

When our kids are older I'm sure RCCL/NCL may work better. But for the next 5-7 years, there really isnti a choice to be made.

I'm sorry, but I totally disagree. I can book a verandah on Carnival or NCL for half the price of DCL. I would love to see you actually post comparisons. You don't need a suite on another line to compare to a verandah on DCL. A verandah room on Carnvival is larger and NCl it's about the same. I can tell you multiple people on these boards and on Cruise Critic will agree with me. I love DCL as much as any DCL fan, but no way, no how do I try to convince myself by looking at square footage down to millimeter that I'm not paying a steep premium to cruise on DCL.

To prove my point I priced out 2 ships.
Carnival Horizon 8 day cruise June 1 2019 4 people verandah same size room and brand new ship. 4535
DCL Fantasy June 1 2019 4 people verandah 8,556
I guarantee you if I priced out NCl and Royal on their new ships I'd get the same results.

If you can actually show me where DCL is the same price as another generic family cruise line I'd love to see your proof.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I agree with cruiser21. Here is my example:

DCL 7 day W. Mediterranean - May 25, 2019
Barcelona, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Villefranche, Barcelona
2A 1C in an Oceanview - $5,361
2A 1C in a Verandah (264 sq ft incl balcony) - $6,518
2A 1C in Concierge Verandah Cat V - $12,070

NCL 7 day W. Mediterranean - May 26, 2019
Barcelona, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cannes, Palma Majorca, Barcelona
2A 1C in a Balcony (ship doesn't have oceanview) 203-230 sq ft with 37-79 sq ft balcony - with free unlim open bar - $3,488
2A 1C in a 2BR Haven (concierge) villa, 504 sq ft - free open bar, free specialty dining, free wifi, 3/4 guests sail free - $9,685

It's not that the DCL prices aren't worth it for some of us, many of us probably, in some circumstances. But I totally disagree that the pricing is comparable.

 

[Shanti]

So I get that Disney uses flexible pricing to fill ships, but the pricing is SO flexible, I can't tell if I'm seeing a fair price given the time of year or a total ripoff. We sailed our first 3-night cruise at in April, booked last-minute, for $3,200 for a family of 5. As we are 5, we can only book the "family sized" rooms, so I recognize that means we pay more, and I thought the amount we paid was fair.

Now, though, I now really want a "do-over" cruise (my husband got sick the first night and was quarantined pretty much the whole time, so this would essentially be his first cruise, plus we cancelled a lot of plans because of it). But now that it is summer season, I am having trouble finding anything at anywhere near that price point--everything is around $5,000 or more. Since I see similar prices for summer next year, can I assume that the prices just are not going to go down closer to the date and I should book now and suck it up, or is it worth holding out to see if there is any last minute reduction? We are not eligible for OGT/VGT rates because of our family size, but are happy to do GTY if there are savings.

Unless you're a Florida resident or military, you won't find any discounts beyond GT rates. GTY rates on DCL are often actually a little more expensive than just selecting a cabin of the same category, and regular specific-cabin rates won't dip as time goes by, if that's what you're wondering. So yes, it's really going to be as expensive as it looks.

For the Bahamas/Caribbean, I personally would not pay those inflated prices for a summer cruise where it's going to be hot & possibly rainy. Europe & Alaska are more worth the price imo. In winter, an escape to the warm Bahamas/Caribbean is worth paying for in my book: I love Christmas vacation cruises.

Whether something is worth it to you is all about what you want and can afford. And that equation is different for everyone, hence all the different opinions on this thread. We love Disney and aren't interested in cruising with anyone else right now. Our vacation time is precious and we will spend it doing what we want, which could be a Disney cruise, a Disney theme park vacation, a national or state park, or something else. Right now, when we want to cruise, we cruise on DCL. It's worth it for us.

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

I'm sorry, but I totally disagree. I can book a verandah on Carnival or NCL for half the price of DCL. I would love to see you actually post comparisons. You don't need a suite on another line to compare to a verandah on DCL. A verandah room on Carnvival is larger and NCl it's about the same. I can tell you multiple people on these boards and on Cruise Critic will agree with me. I love DCL as much as any DCL fan, but no way, no how do I try to convince myself by looking at square footage down to millimeter that I'm not paying a steep premium to cruise on DCL.

To prove my point I priced out 2 ships.
Carnival Horizon 8 day cruise June 1 2019 4 people verandah same size room and brand new ship. 4535
DCL Fantasy June 1 2019 4 people verandah 8,556
I guarantee you if I priced out NCl and Royal on their new ships I'd get the same results.

If you can actually show me where DCL is the same price as another generic family cruise line I'd love to see your proof.

I've done more than my share of cruise research, and that is what I've found anecdotally. I know you'll find many that agree with you on there boards, but I always roll my eyes at these declarations because in my experience the huge pricing differences are often for vastly different room types/sizes. Once you get to a 240-square foot room with a split bath, a lot of the difference vanishes. Maybe not all of it, but the ''two cruises for the price of Disney argument doesn't hold up."

Using your dates, here are a couple examples:

RCCL Harmony 6/2/19, Oceanview balcony: $5,287 (nonrefundable deposit)... probably $5,700 with refundable. BUT, that's for a 182 square foot room, compared to Disney's 241. If you don't think that extra space is worth including in your analysis for a family of four, then we disagree on principle. It's not millimeters, it's almost 60 square feet. Disney's room is 33% larger.

And remember, Royal's room will not accommodate a crib if four people are staying in it. If that's the case, you have to bump up. To get a 271 square foot room on the same ship, it's $7,738 (again, nonrefundable... probably more like $8,500 with refundable). A Junior Suite costs even more ($8,927 non-ref.). NOTE: I realize 271 is greater than 241... but it's a diminishing marginal return beyond a certain point... 241 feels a whole lot larger than 182... 271 would feel larger than 241, but that extra space isn't as important at that point.

If you get Kids Sail Free, then RCCL would be materially cheaper. But that solely depends on your dates.

NCL Breakaway 6/2/19, Oceanview balcony: $5,012.32 (includes specialty dining & open bar). 207 square foot room, so closer to Disney's than Royal's. to get a 239 square-foot Mini-Suite, it's $5,272.32. I'm not sure if that's necessary with a crib; a regular balcony may be fine.

Above, Royal does not come close. If you need space for a crib, you're paying the same as Disney prices, if not more. Norwegian actually looks like a very good deal. I'd strongly consider that Breakaway cruise for $3,000 savings. However, neither Royal nor Norwegian comes with a split bath or a tub. Is that worth $3,000? Probably not to me. Bt when you factor in the rest of how DCL is basically built for small children, I might talk myself into it. More likely I'd shoot for a less busy time and not pay the summer premium.

Can you cruise for less? Of course, DCL charges a premium. But not "always", and the examples that cite enormous savings on other lines usually are doing so without comparing apples to apples... it's not always a slam dunk. It certainly is not with Royal above. Maybe it is with Carnival, but I don't think Carnival to Disney is an apples to apples comparison, either.

I was simply giving the OP a contrarian thought to the often-repeated lines about Disney's prices... when you break everything down, I think there's a good reason for a lot of the price differences. Maybe it doesn't make up for all of the price differences, but it makes up for a lot.

I'm not here to get into an argument; I'm simply giving the OP my opinion that she isn't necessarily "missing something" when pricing other cruise lines. That's what these boards are for. The vast majority of the feedback here has been very helpful and spot on... I'm just telling her that I've had the exact same experience when pricing things out. When I compare apples to apples for my family of 4, DCL is not double the price, and sometimes it's awfully close (as in the Royal example above).

 

[cadien]

I do think it's important for families to try multiple lines in order to determine whether those factors matter to them. Having done both NCL and Disney, with a child, we now know that a split bath isn't worth even $100 to us. Nor is a tub. The square footage really doesn't matter either, although that ended up in Disney's favor. For other families, with different ages or more than one child, that might be more important. But for people who are really concerned about affordability, and maybe putting the cruise on a credit card and crossing their fingers, I would never say that a split bath and 200 square feet is always worth a couple extra thousand.

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

I do think it's important for families to try multiple lines in order to determine whether those factors matter to them. Having done both NCL and Disney, with a child, we now know that a split bath isn't worth even $100 to us. Nor is a tub. The square footage really doesn't matter either, although that ended up in Disney's favor. For other families, with different ages or more than one child, that might be more important. But for people who are really concerned about affordability, and maybe putting the cruise on a credit card and crossing their fingers, I would never say that a split bath and 200 square feet is always worth a couple extra thousand.

I agree! Everybody has to decide what's important to them and act accordingly within their budget. I wish we could get by on other lines, but with a 4-year old and an infant, we're several years away from that. That's just us, though. My major point is that it's not *always* cheaper, especially when comparing rooms of a similar size (as in my Harmony example above), and I feel the OP's pain in pricing cruises for 4-5 people.

 

[jenf22]

I've done more than my share of cruise research, and that is what I've found anecdotally. I know you'll find many that agree with you on there boards, but I always roll my eyes at these declarations because in my experience the huge pricing differences are often for vastly different room types/sizes. Once you get to a 240-square foot room with a split bath, a lot of the difference vanishes. Maybe not all of it, but the ''two cruises for the price of Disney argument doesn't hold up."

...

However, neither Royal nor Norwegian comes with a split bath or a tub. Is that worth $3,000? Probably not to me. Bt when you factor in the rest of how DCL is basically built for small children, I might talk myself into it. More likely I'd shoot for a less busy time and not pay the summer premium.

I don't want to argue but we've done the "two cruises for the price of Disney" multiple times. Our Norway cruise on NCL in a mini-suite was $3500 less than DCL for the same time/itinerary. Our Southern Caribbean cruise in a 2 bedroom concierge suite on RCCL was $1500 less than our balcony room on DCL for the same time/itinerary. Our NY cruise on Princess in a mini-suite was $2000 less than on DCL. We're paying $2300 for our 7-night Caribbean in a balcony room on RCCL Allure in October. Looking at DCL, the price is $5400. I *always* price DCL when we're looking at cruises and I would sail them in a heartbeat if it was comparable or even a little more. So I'm sorry you have to "roll your eyes" at us. In *our* experience, we can sail twice as much because we don't sail DCL.

We sailed Disney when our son was little, and I will give you that DCL has bigger rooms and will accommodate a crib much better. Now that he's in school, and will be in middle school later this year, we tend to travel during spring break, summer, or fall break. During those times DCL is more than we're willing to pay. The rooms may be smaller and harder to hold 4 on the other lines, but for the 3 of us we don't miss the space. Sometimes I miss the divider curtain, but again some mini-suites have that too (I don't think the *away ships do though). Sounds like DCL is right for your family now but you may find that will change.

If you get a mini-suite on NCL they can have a tub. Not a split bath like on DCL, but you can find a room with a tub if you look for one. Since you're a family of 4 you may find 2 balcony rooms (with 2 FULL bathrooms) on another line will be remarkably cheaper than DCL.

I have no problem with people choosing DCL over another line. I would too if I had limited vacation time or an unlimited budget (and they were going where I wanted to go!). What drives me crazy is the unwillingness to even consider another line might be good too.

 

[cruiser21]

I've done more than my share of cruise research, and that is what I've found anecdotally. I know you'll find many that agree with you on there boards, but I always roll my eyes at these declarations because in my experience the huge pricing differences are often for vastly different room types/sizes. Once you get to a 240-square foot room with a split bath, a lot of the difference vanishes. Maybe not all of it, but the ''two cruises for the price of Disney argument doesn't hold up."

Using your dates, here are a couple examples:

RCCL Harmony 6/2/19, Oceanview balcony: $5,287 (nonrefundable deposit)... probably $5,700 with refundable. BUT, that's for a 182 square foot room, compared to Disney's 241. If you don't think that extra space is worth including in your analysis for a family of four, then we disagree on principle. It's not millimeters, it's almost 60 square feet. Disney's room is 33% larger.

And remember, Royal's room will not accommodate a crib if four people are staying in it. If that's the case, you have to bump up. To get a 271 square foot room on the same ship, it's $7,738 (again, nonrefundable... probably more like $8,500 with refundable). A Junior Suite costs even more ($8,927 non-ref.). NOTE: I realize 271 is greater than 241... but it's a diminishing marginal return beyond a certain point... 241 feels a whole lot larger than 182... 271 would feel larger than 241, but that extra space isn't as important at that point.

If you get Kids Sail Free, then RCCL would be materially cheaper. But that solely depends on your dates.

NCL Breakaway 6/2/19, Oceanview balcony: $5,012.32 (includes specialty dining & open bar). 207 square foot room, so closer to Disney's than Royal's. to get a 239 square-foot Mini-Suite, it's $5,272.32. I'm not sure if that's necessary with a crib; a regular balcony may be fine.

Above, Royal does not come close. If you need space for a crib, you're paying the same as Disney prices, if not more. Norwegian actually looks like a very good deal. I'd strongly consider that Breakaway cruise for $3,000 savings. However, neither Royal nor Norwegian comes with a split bath or a tub. Is that worth $3,000? Probably not to me. Bt when you factor in the rest of how DCL is basically built for small children, I might talk myself into it. More likely I'd shoot for a less busy time and not pay the summer premium.

Can you cruise for less? Of course, DCL charges a premium. But not "always", and the examples that cite enormous savings on other lines usually are doing so without comparing apples to apples... it's not always a slam dunk. It certainly is not with Royal above. Maybe it is with Carnival, but I don't think Carnival to Disney is an apples to apples comparison, either.

I was simply giving the OP a contrarian thought to the often-repeated lines about Disney's prices... when you break everything down, I think there's a good reason for a lot of the price differences. Maybe it doesn't make up for all of the price differences, but it makes up for a lot.

I'm not here to get into an argument; I'm simply giving the OP my opinion that she isn't necessarily "missing something" when pricing other cruise lines. That's what these boards are for. The vast majority of the feedback here has been very helpful and spot on... I'm just telling her that I've had the exact same experience when pricing things out. When I compare apples to apples for my family of 4, DCL is not double the price, and sometimes it's awfully close (as in the Royal example above).

So you're willing to pay more then 3k for a few extra square feet? We're a family of four and I wouldn't do that. How roomy a stateroom is has more to do with how it's laid out then the actual square footage. The cheapest verandah on DCL that week for a family of four is 8497 and that's for a restricted view. Everything you've priced out is well under 6k that's a pretty significant price difference. The 240 square feet on DCL includes the balcony so keep that in mind. On Harmony and Symphony the room is 182 sq feet and the balcony is 50ft so technically it's only 8 square feet smaller

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

Apparently there's only one line of thinking that's acceptable on these boards. I'm sorry for letting the OP know that I've had similar experiences when pricing cruises, I was out of line.

Cruiser21, I assumed you did Family Verandah when you priced the DCL. If not, then that definitely changes the calculus.

I'm glad your pricing has worked out, jenf22. I agree with pretty much your entire post, and even say in a previous post that as our children get older we will likely find other lines to work well/better for us. Right now, DCL fits best. I also heartily agree that summer is not the time to sail DCL... Way too expensive. The pricing gap shrinks a whole lot at other times of the year.

trvlgrlmq, that's about the rudest post I've ever seen on the DIS boards. "Cult", "precious family vacation"... Come on. Be decent.

Like I said, just trying to share my experience, but if nobody cares or will just shout me down, that's fine. I won't participate.

Truly not trying to argue, not sure why others have to come after me. Go back to my original post, and I just wanted to let the OP know they aren't alone. But I guess I'm not allowed to do that.

 

[cruiser21]

Apparently there's only one line of thinking that's acceptable on these boards. I'm sorry for letting the OP know that I've had similar experiences when pricing cruises, I was out of line.

Cruiser21, I assumed you did Family Verandah when you priced the DCL. If not, then that definitely changes the calculus.

I'm glad your pricing has worked out, jenf22. I agree with pretty much your entire post, and even say in a previous post that as our children get older we will likely find other lines to work well/better for us. Right now, DCL fits best. I also heartily agree that summer is not the time to sail DCL... Way too expensive. The pricing gap shrinks a whole lot at other times of the year.

trvlgrlmq, that's about the rudest post I've ever seen on the DIS boards. "Cult", "precious family vacation"... Come on. Be decent.

Like I said, just trying to share my experience, but if nobody cares or will just shout me down, that's fine. I won't participate.

Truly not trying to argue, not sure why others have to come after me. Go back to my original post, and I just wanted to let the OP know they aren't alone. But I guess I'm not allowed to do that.

I don't think anyone was trying to shout you down. I was just pointing your calculations on square footage was wrong because DCL square footage includes the balcony and others don't. If square footage is important too you. Carnivals newer ships have larger rooms then DCL. They also have family rooms with split bathrooms and family suites that will price out much lower then DCL.

 

[mevelandry]

I've done more than my share of cruise research, and that is what I've found anecdotally. I know you'll find many that agree with you on there boards, but I always roll my eyes at these declarations because in my experience the huge pricing differences are often for vastly different room types/sizes. Once you get to a 240-square foot room with a split bath, a lot of the difference vanishes. Maybe not all of it, but the ''two cruises for the price of Disney argument doesn't hold up."

Using your dates, here are a couple examples:

RCCL Harmony 6/2/19, Oceanview balcony: $5,287 (nonrefundable deposit)... probably $5,700 with refundable. BUT, that's for a 182 square foot room, compared to Disney's 241. If you don't think that extra space is worth including in your analysis for a family of four, then we disagree on principle. It's not millimeters, it's almost 60 square feet. Disney's room is 33% larger.

And remember, Royal's room will not accommodate a crib if four people are staying in it. If that's the case, you have to bump up. To get a 271 square foot room on the same ship, it's $7,738 (again, nonrefundable... probably more like $8,500 with refundable). A Junior Suite costs even more ($8,927 non-ref.). NOTE: I realize 271 is greater than 241... but it's a diminishing marginal return beyond a certain point... 241 feels a whole lot larger than 182... 271 would feel larger than 241, but that extra space isn't as important at that point.

If you get Kids Sail Free, then RCCL would be materially cheaper. But that solely depends on your dates.

NCL Breakaway 6/2/19, Oceanview balcony: $5,012.32 (includes specialty dining & open bar). 207 square foot room, so closer to Disney's than Royal's. to get a 239 square-foot Mini-Suite, it's $5,272.32. I'm not sure if that's necessary with a crib; a regular balcony may be fine.

Above, Royal does not come close. If you need space for a crib, you're paying the same as Disney prices, if not more. Norwegian actually looks like a very good deal. I'd strongly consider that Breakaway cruise for $3,000 savings. However, neither Royal nor Norwegian comes with a split bath or a tub. Is that worth $3,000? Probably not to me. Bt when you factor in the rest of how DCL is basically built for small children, I might talk myself into it. More likely I'd shoot for a less busy time and not pay the summer premium.

Can you cruise for less? Of course, DCL charges a premium. But not "always", and the examples that cite enormous savings on other lines usually are doing so without comparing apples to apples... it's not always a slam dunk. It certainly is not with Royal above. Maybe it is with Carnival, but I don't think Carnival to Disney is an apples to apples comparison, either.

I was simply giving the OP a contrarian thought to the often-repeated lines about Disney's prices... when you break everything down, I think there's a good reason for a lot of the price differences. Maybe it doesn't make up for all of the price differences, but it makes up for a lot.

I'm not here to get into an argument; I'm simply giving the OP my opinion that she isn't necessarily "missing something" when pricing other cruise lines. That's what these boards are for. The vast majority of the feedback here has been very helpful and spot on... I'm just telling her that I've had the exact same experience when pricing things out. When I compare apples to apples for my family of 4, DCL is not double the price, and sometimes it's awfully close (as in the Royal example above).

Does RCCL and NCL include the size of the balcony in their sizing? Because DCL does.

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

I don't think anyone was trying to shout you down. I was just pointing your calculations on square footage was wrong because DCL square footage includes the balcony and others don't. If square footage is important too you. Carnivals newer ships have larger rooms then DCL. They also have family rooms with split bathrooms and family suites that will price out much lower then DCL.

Does RCCL and NCL include the size of the balcony in their sizing? Because DCL does.

The RCCL room was 182 cabin, plus balcony (50 or so?).

Disney has several levels... It sounds like you were talking about 'regular' balconies, not 'family' ones. The family ones are 240 in the cabin, plus 50ish on the balcony. But the regular ones are closer to Royal's (although you still can fit a crib in Disney's regular cabin, where you can't on Royal). So if you have to bump up to a room where a crib fits on Royal, the price gets a little high.

 

[cruiser21]

Does RCCL and NCL include the size of the balcony in their sizing? Because DCL does.

We must of posted at the same time. Royals does not include the balcony, but I believe NCL does. I remember NCL balcony rooms being smaller then DCL, but it wasn't enough to make a difference.

 

[cruiser21]

The RCCL room was 182 cabin, plus balcony (50 or so?).

Disney has several levels... It sounds like you were talking about 'regular' balconies, not 'family' ones. The family ones are 240 in the cabin, plus 50ish on the balcony. But the regular ones are closer to Royal's (although you still can fit a crib in Disney's regular cabin, where you can't on Royal). So if you have to bump up to a room where a crib fits on Royal, the price gets a little high.

Most families don't need cribs and I assume you won't in the near future. Maybe at this point in time square footage is really important to you, but down the road it may not be. I think for most families of four with kids that sleep in beds it's not a significant difference. Of all the reasons to spend thousands more on a DCL cruise I think room size would be at the bottom of the list.