Would you pay these prices? Help!

[Ray LeBlanc]

BTW - trying to remember but I do believe we cruised on...probably the Magic...where we had an inside that didn't have a split bathroom. Would that be correct/possible?

Yes, the 'regular' inside cabins don't have the split bath. Thanks for understanding; you are exactly right, it's great that there are so many choices!

I want to thank you for pointing this out. It may not apply to everyone, but it is useful information. Likewise, a lot of times the difference is cost between lines is very time or itinerary dependent. I have seen plenty of itineraries/rooms where the DCL difference is 2-fold or more, and others where the difference is quite small. Ultimately, each person needs to look at the room size, dates, and destination that works for them and then compare prices and features between the lines. It would be a disservice if people simply heard the message that "DCL is twice the cost" without first figuring out what the difference is for the trip they are interested in.

So personally, I really appreciate you sharing your experiences and giving us all something to consider in our own situation.

Thank you; that's really all I was trying to say. It's not a foregone conclusion that DCL is double the price. Sometimes it may be, but it truly depends. Especially when you're talking about a family of 5 (as the OP was).

Won't you only need room for a crib for one more year at most?

Maybe, maybe not. I really can't remember when my son switched to a toddler bed, I'm sure it's in his baby book somewhere... Even then, it's the sleeping situation that DietCokeMommy discusses below that's a big factor for several years after the crib.

I have a 4 year old and 1 year old, and the problem for me with other cruise lines is of course the space, but also the layout and the bed situation. Other cruise lines seem to either expect 2 kids to share a pullout sofa, or they have pullman beds that open directly over the main bed. To me, both of these are pretty much nightmare situations. When you have an infant or a small child (3 and under) used to sleeping by themselves in a crib, asking them to sleep in a bed with no rails, with their sibling, is a recipe for disaster. Another huge benefit to the disney rooms are the curtain dividers. It is wonderful to be able to close the divider, put a sound machine on their side, and DH and I could freely move around the room, or one of us could leave, and not disturb the kids. Once the kids were asleep, with the layout of the room I even managed to sneak out on the verandah most nights.

While our kids are little we will continue cruising with Disney. I prefer to actually sleep at night. Without kids over my head, and without them falling out of bed or waking each other up with kicking or crawling.

Thank you for sharing this detailed information. I suppose I was thinking this without saying it. Do 'regular' cruise line arrangements work for some families? Sure, but for the reasons you list, I'm not that interested in trying it until our kids are quite a bit older. Then several other options could work, such as two rooms on a different line... but for now, it's hard to match. For the right price, I suppose I'd try it, but I haven't found that price yet :/

Aside from the rooms themselves, the daily/nightly entertainment of character meet/greets everywhere and a family-friendly hour-long show in the theater is probably the biggest factor with our kids. What would we do during those evening hours on the other lines? Is that Disney experience worth the cost difference? It depends on what the cost difference is, which can vary greatly (as Anchors Away stated above), but is not always 'double'... thanks again for the understanding and validation.

One last example... next March we are sailing on Fantasy deluxe OV (241 square feet) for $6,700... comparable room size on Harmony was $5,100... that's not double the price, and with what will be a 5-year old and a 14-month old, we decided it was worth the extra $1,600. If you don't, that's ok! No hard feelings!

NOTE: I would welcome anybody who can find a weeklong Caribbean cruise interior/oceanview cabin of about 240 square feet (or even a little less) with adequate sleeping arrangements for 2 adults, a 5 year-old, and a 1 year-old (i.e. individual beds or space for a crib) for under $4,000, let alone $3,350 (half) departing on March 16 or 17, 2019. If you can, you may change my mind!

 

[KashasMom]

Same here. We live in a "shoebox house" so a small/smaller cabin doesn't make or break a cruise. Agreed, it's just DH and I. But I don't think having kids with us would change that.

My daughter would be thrilled to sleep in the bunk that comes out of the wall. Room size just does not matter to us either.

 

[keaster]

Yes, the 'regular' inside cabins don't have the split bath. Thanks for understanding; you are exactly right, it's great that there are so many choices!



Thank you; that's really all I was trying to say. It's not a foregone conclusion that DCL is double the price. Sometimes it may be, but it truly depends. Especially when you're talking about a family of 5 (as the OP was).



Maybe, maybe not. I really can't remember when my son switched to a toddler bed, I'm sure it's in his baby book somewhere... Even then, it's the sleeping situation that DietCokeMommy discusses below that's a big factor for several years after the crib.



Thank you for sharing this detailed information. I suppose I was thinking this without saying it. Do 'regular' cruise line arrangements work for some families? Sure, but for the reasons you list, I'm not that interested in trying it until our kids are quite a bit older. Then several other options could work, such as two rooms on a different line... but for now, it's hard to match. For the right price, I suppose I'd try it, but I haven't found that price yet :/

Aside from the rooms themselves, the daily/nightly entertainment of character meet/greets everywhere and a family-friendly hour-long show in the theater is probably the biggest factor with our kids. What would we do during those evening hours on the other lines? Is that Disney experience worth the cost difference? It depends on what the cost difference is, which can vary greatly (as Anchors Away stated above), but is not always 'double'... thanks again for the understanding and validation.

One last example... next March we are sailing on Fantasy deluxe OV (241 square feet) for $6,700... comparable room size on Harmony was $5,100... that's not double the price, and with what will be a 5-year old and a 14-month old, we decided it was worth the extra $1,600. If you don't, that's ok! No hard feelings!

NOTE: I would welcome anybody who can find a weeklong Caribbean cruise interior/oceanview cabin of about 240 square feet (or even a little less) with adequate sleeping arrangements for 2 adults, a 5 year-old, and a 1 year-old (i.e. individual beds or space for a crib) for under $4,000, let alone $3,350 (half) departing on March 16 or 17, 2019. If you can, you may change my mind!

Okay, this stateroom is 246 sq. ft. With your family make up its $3250 + $50 onboard credit:

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/g...19-03-16&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&shipCode=RH

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

Okay, this stateroom is 246 sq. ft. With your family make up its $3250 + $50 onboard credit:

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/g...19-03-16&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&shipCode=RH

$3,430 with refundable deposit... and it's on Rhapsody of the Seas. I should have qualified my statement by saying it should be on a comparable ship. I would expect Rhapsody to be significantly cheaper. Try Freedom class or up.

 

[FigmentSpark]

$3,430 with refundable deposit... and it's on Rhapsody of the Seas. I should have qualified my statement by saying it should be on a comparable ship. I would expect Rhapsody to be significantly cheaper. Try Freedom class or up.

And it was the last room available on that ship and had a non-refunable deposit. So, that's an exception, not a rule.

 

[keaster]

Again this one has the non-refundable deposit (not sure how you change to refundable?). This is on Liberty of the seas (which is freedom class) Room is 336 sq. ft. $3,905.

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/g...19-03-17&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&shipCode=LB

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

Again this one has the non-refundable deposit (not sure how you change to refundable?). This is on Liberty of the seas (which is freedom class) Room is 336 sq. ft. $3,905.

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/g...19-03-17&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&shipCode=LB

Sometimes it gives you the option, sometimes it doesn't... Royal has messed with this lately. Kind of a pain, I don't blame you.

So figure an extra few hundred bucks probably for refundable. Fair enough, but still low 4,000's, a far cry from 'half price'. And that's my experience. To make the 'half price' claim work, usually it's an inferior ship or a special situation. The options are few and far between. Try any of the Oasis class ships, and it's worse. Or NCL's newer ships.

I would also ask what my 5 years and under kids and us have to do on these other ships for family friendly evening entertainment.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I will mention that if you have a Costco membership and book any of these cruises through their travel site, you will get something. With DCL, it's cash back in the form of a Costco gift card. I noticed Carnival cruises were also giving the cash back card. Some of the other lines will give other things, like OBC or other extra perks. It's worth researching. I saved quite a lot on our last cruise.

 

[jenf22]

Again this one has the non-refundable deposit (not sure how you change to refundable?). This is on Liberty of the seas (which is freedom class) Room is 336 sq. ft. $3,905.

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/g...19-03-17&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&shipCode=LB

I've read you can change it to refundable once you're on the page where you put in the guest info. I think it's ~$500 more. The people on the Royal boards are pretty ticked they've changed the website.

I would think you could get a room the size you're looking for on NCL or Royal if/when they do Kids Sail Free for that time frame. I'm pretty sure NCL will offer it because we've cruised during that time in March, not sure about Royal. They've got KSF for our cruise in October on Allure, but I don't see it for March. It really helps a lot with the rate. Right now with the prices you're seeing, I'd probably do what you're doing and stick with Disney.

You could get a suite on MSC Seaside out of Miami on March 16th for $2946. I wish I knew more about MSC. Their prices are crazy!

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

I've read you can change it to refundable once you're on the page where you put in the guest info. I think it's ~$500 more.

I would think you could get a room the size you're looking for on NCL or Royal if/when they do Kids Sail Free for that time frame. I'm pretty sure NCL will offer it because we've cruised during that time in March, not sure about Royal. They've got KSF for our cruise in October on Allure, but I don't see it for March. It really helps a lot with the rate. Right now with the prices you're seeing, I'd probably do what you're doing and stick with Disney.

You could get a suite on MSC Seaside out of Miami on March 16th for $2946. I wish I knew more about MSC. Their prices are crazy!

Very true... KSF ends the week before we can go (our spring break). As I mentioned earlier today, that WOULD make a difference. Without that, it's much more comparable.

I'm with you on MSC, too. Would like to try it, pricing looks too good to be true!

One other note, we would want a nursery on any ship, too... Harmony has it, not sure about Liberty. Also, a dedicated splash area for those with swim diapers. Again, I know it's on Harmony, not sure about other Royal/NCL ships. Of course, DCL has both.

 

[cadien]

I have a 4 year old and 1 year old, and the problem for me with other cruise lines is of course the space, but also the layout and the bed situation. Other cruise lines seem to either expect 2 kids to share a pullout sofa, or they have pullman beds that open directly over the main bed. To me, both of these are pretty much nightmare situations. When you have an infant or a small child (3 and under) used to sleeping by themselves in a crib, asking them to sleep in a bed with no rails, with their sibling, is a recipe for disaster. Another huge benefit to the disney rooms are the curtain dividers. It is wonderful to be able to close the divider, put a sound machine on their side, and DH and I could freely move around the room, or one of us could leave, and not disturb the kids. Once the kids were asleep, with the layout of the room I even managed to sneak out on the verandah most nights.

While our kids are little we will continue cruising with Disney. I prefer to actually sleep at night. Without kids over my head, and without them falling out of bed or waking each other up with kicking or crawling.

For new cruisers, it's worth pointing out that some Disney cabins for 4 do give you the sofas and pull-down bunk beds.

 

[cadien]

One other note, we would want a nursery on any ship, too... Harmony has it, not sure about Liberty. Also, a dedicated splash area for those with swim diapers. Again, I know it's on Harmony, not sure about other Royal/NCL ships. Of course, DCL has both.

I know the Epic was going to be NCL's first ship with a nursery. I have no idea whether the Bliss (the one after the Epic) also has it.

 

[jenf22]

I'm with you on MSC, too. Would like to try it, pricing looks too good to be true!

I really want to do a British Isles cruise next summer and NCL just released their prices - $8300 for a 10-night cruise (2A, 1C)! Last year we did a 10-night Med on the SAME SHIP and it was $3300. I could do a suite on MSC for $5000 or a regular balcony for $3000. But that ship has some seriously bad reviews. The price definitely looks too good to be true.

You guys will have a nice, relaxing time on Disney. Travelling with an infant, I'd probably want to stick with something "known". We're trying to see as much of the world as we can so we're a little more daring when it comes to ship choices. On that Med last year we didn't go to a single show. We were so tired from 8 full port days, we all read in the room or sat on the balcony when we weren't go-go-go. So I totally get people cruise for different reasons.

To address another poster above - we've cruised on NCL and Princess that have also had the curtain dividers. It's not just a DCL thing.

 

[cruiser21]

Yes, the 'regular' inside cabins don't have the split bath. Thanks for understanding; you are exactly right, it's great that there are so many choices!



Thank you; that's really all I was trying to say. It's not a foregone conclusion that DCL is double the price. Sometimes it may be, but it truly depends. Especially when you're talking about a family of 5 (as the OP was).



Maybe, maybe not. I really can't remember when my son switched to a toddler bed, I'm sure it's in his baby book somewhere... Even then, it's the sleeping situation that DietCokeMommy discusses below that's a big factor for several years after the crib.



Thank you for sharing this detailed information. I suppose I was thinking this without saying it. Do 'regular' cruise line arrangements work for some families? Sure, but for the reasons you list, I'm not that interested in trying it until our kids are quite a bit older. Then several other options could work, such as two rooms on a different line... but for now, it's hard to match. For the right price, I suppose I'd try it, but I haven't found that price yet :/

Aside from the rooms themselves, the daily/nightly entertainment of character meet/greets everywhere and a family-friendly hour-long show in the theater is probably the biggest factor with our kids. What would we do during those evening hours on the other lines? Is that Disney experience worth the cost difference? It depends on what the cost difference is, which can vary greatly (as Anchors Away stated above), but is not always 'double'... thanks again for the understanding and validation.

One last example... next March we are sailing on Fantasy deluxe OV (241 square feet) for $6,700... comparable room size on Harmony was $5,100... that's not double the price, and with what will be a 5-year old and a 14-month old, we decided it was worth the extra $1,600. If you don't, that's ok! No hard feelings!

NOTE: I would welcome anybody who can find a weeklong Caribbean cruise interior/oceanview cabin of about 240 square feet (or even a little less) with adequate sleeping arrangements for 2 adults, a 5 year-old, and a 1 year-old (i.e. individual beds or space for a crib) for under $4,000, let alone $3,350 (half) departing on March 16 or 17, 2019. If you can, you may change my mind!

Why does it have to be half the price of Disney? Is saving 3 or 4 k not enough. The carnival Horuson 8 day cruise in March is 4500. Family harbor ocean view deluxe room 240 sq ft split bath. One shower and one tub. You also have access to your own lounge with breakfast and snacks all day. Better itinerary and brand new ship. I'm guessing Dcl is over 7k. 3k is a lot of money to me ..maybe not to you. I could find other examples, but from what I gather if it's not at least half the cost of DCll the saving isn't worth it?

 

[cadien]

I think the point was how frequently many people say Disney is at least twice the cost. He's just saying that's an exaggeration, not actually looking for a different line.

 

[cruiser21]

I think the point was how frequently many people say Disney is at least twice the cost. He's just saying that's an exaggeration, not actually looking for a different line.

I can tell you that the DCL is almost 3 times the cost of NCL Getaway in the Baltic next Summer. 8000 vs 22000. Disney is two days longer, but 2 days and a couple extra square feet does not equal 14k.

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

I can tell you that the DCL is almost 3 times the cost of NCL Getaway in the Baltic next Summer. 8000 vs 22000. Disney is two days longer, but 2 days and a couple extra square feet does not equal 14k.

I agree, it doesn't! You seem to like cherry picking certain examples. I've never considered a 2-week Baltic cruise! But you have, and I'm with you on your analysis.

But on a 7-day Caribbean cruise, I don't think I can do much better for my family than $6,700 for the room I outlined above. jenf22 seems to agree.

Could I save $1,500-$2,000 on a different ship? Sure, but I've evaluated what's important to me, and decided that the Fantasy is the best fit and worth that extra cost. I'm not sure what's so hard to accept about that.

And yes, my main problem is the 'half price' thing is thrown around like it's a fact. If you think the Rhapsody of the Seas is equal to the Disney Fantasy, then maybe it is a fact. But as other have also said, it really depends, and you need to price everything out and do some detailed research. I don't think the comparisons thrown around on boards are always apples to apples.

I don't believe Carnival is in the same class as Disney, I'm sorry. If you do, and you feel the value is there, then more power to you. No problem!

Again, as I've said, no hard feelings with those who disagree with my decisions! We can all do what we want with our vacation dollars. But the 'half price' thing is wrong almost all of the time, especially for families of 4-5 (unless you can get a KSF).

 

[Ray LeBlanc]

I really want to do a British Isles cruise next summer and NCL just released their prices - $8300 for a 10-night cruise (2A, 1C)! Last year we did a 10-night Med on the SAME SHIP and it was $3300. I could do a suite on MSC for $5000 or a regular balcony for $3000. But that ship has some seriously bad reviews. The price definitely looks too good to be true.

You guys will have a nice, relaxing time on Disney. Travelling with an infant, I'd probably want to stick with something "known". We're trying to see as much of the world as we can so we're a little more daring when it comes to ship choices. On that Med last year we didn't go to a single show. We were so tired from 8 full port days, we all read in the room or sat on the balcony when we weren't go-go-go. So I totally get people cruise for different reasons.

To address another poster above - we've cruised on NCL and Princess that have also had the curtain dividers. It's not just a DCL thing.

Thank you, I appreciate it! I look forward to trying some other lines and focus more on ports when the kids are a little older!

 

[KashasMom]

Sometimes it gives you the option, sometimes it doesn't... Royal has messed with this lately. Kind of a pain, I don't blame you.

So figure an extra few hundred bucks probably for refundable. Fair enough, but still low 4,000's, a far cry from 'half price'. And that's my experience. To make the 'half price' claim work, usually it's an inferior ship or a special situation. The options are few and far between. Try any of the Oasis class ships, and it's worse. Or NCL's newer ships.

I would also ask what my 5 years and under kids and us have to do on these other ships for family friendly evening entertainment.

July 21st 2019 - Allure of the Seas Western Carb. 2A, 1C, Oceanview Balcony $3,985
July 20th 2019 - Fantasy Western Carib. 2A, 1C Oceanview Balcony $8,011

Less than half the price - peak summer prices - totally worth it for 60 sq feet less. (https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/g...19-07-21&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&shipCode=AL and https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/...AH;entityType=stateroom-type;destination=dcl/)

My daughter (8) loves the shows on the Oasis class ships...2 different ice skating shows and 2 different aqua/diving shows. She loves the musicals too (and has on cruises since she was 6) and the parade with characters, chocolate breakfast with characters, etc. Personally I only like the DCL shows from movies (Aladdin, BATB, Tangled, etc.). I don't like Believe, Wishes, etc. (won't even bother going to see them anymore) and can't imagine those keeping the interest of a 5 and under.

 

[KashasMom]

I think the point was how frequently many people say Disney is at least twice the cost. He's just saying that's an exaggeration, not actually looking for a different line.

But it's NOT an exaggeration. There are as many times DCL is twice the cost as there are where it's not. Nobody has to be "right". We can go back and forth all day with examples proving the point one way or the other.