Yikes! Huge price jump in 2018!!

[Love2Cruz]

Can't blame you. Since we are now open to other options, we spoke about going with another cruise line for our family trip but we chose to keep the Wonder because we are too excited with the changes.

BTW...did we lose Ofinn? Haven't seen her post in a while...I always enjoyed chatting with her....she had a lot of great info.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Well, I went ahead and booked the Wonder for a Spring 2018 cruise, 3 nights. I can get a 7 night for the same category cabin on a Celebrity cruise for the same price...., plus a $300 OBC......what to do what to do. I haven't tried Celebrity yet as it puts off a kind of "older clientele" vibe...not like Holland...but more of a snooty, pretentious type, doesn't like kids type. I can be Totally wrong, but that's just the vibe I get.

If anyone has sailed Celebrity, any first hand knowledge would be appreciated.

I've sailed Celebrity and have another one of them coming up in February.

They have good food and a good selection in the MDR and a very good buffet (they have a pod kind of thing - pasta station, pizza station, sandwich station, salad station, hot food station, cheese station, etc.). And if you're into coffees or sweets, Café Al Bacio is not to be missed (it's my favourite thing about Celebrity). Their staterooms are set up well and have comfortable beds and good bedding. They have traditional evening entertainment (song and dance shows plus headliners). They also have a very good adult only pool area. The ship décor is generally understated and classy looking. They offer a glass of champagne or a mimosa upon boarding.

I do find them a little on the boring side generally (not too much excitement), and a stronger focus on the beverage packages (which leads to a higher focus on getting a drink and sitting somewhere - usually wherever there is live music gets packed).

We've done Bermuda with them twice (7 night cruises) and the Caribbean once (an 11 night cruise) and found those cruises not to be that much older of clientele. It was much more middle age, or newly empty nesters. A few kids on board, including several babies who were the apple of the crew's eye.

 

[mevelandry]

I've sailed Celebrity and have another one of them coming up in February.

They have good food and a good selection in the MDR and a very good buffet (they have a pod kind of thing - pasta station, pizza station, sandwich station, salad station, hot food station, cheese station, etc.). And if you're into coffees or sweets, Café Al Bacio is not to be missed (it's my favourite thing about Celebrity). Their staterooms are set up well and have comfortable beds and good bedding. They have traditional evening entertainment (song and dance shows plus headliners). They also have a very good adult only pool area. The ship décor is generally understated and classy looking. They offer a glass of champagne or a mimosa upon boarding.

I do find them a little on the boring side generally (not too much excitement), and a stronger focus on the beverage packages (which leads to a higher focus on getting a drink and sitting somewhere - usually wherever there is live music gets packed).

We've done Bermuda with them twice (7 night cruises) and the Caribbean once (an 11 night cruise) and found those cruises not to be that much older of clientele. It was much more middle age, or newly empty nesters. A few kids on board, including several babies who were the apple of the crew's eye.

Very interesting review. What about the excursions?

 

[steves100]

Carnival won awards from the "Porthole Cruise Magazine Awards" though. (Best Value for the money, Best cruise line for teens -- & Best private island for Half-Moon Cay: Holland and Carnival are owned by the same company and they both use the island--)

http://www.porthole.com/rca2016/

I've cruised with Carnival and enjoyed it a lot (so did a lot of people). Almost just as much as DCL... with or without awards.

If they think their island is better than CC PLEASE!!!

 

[steves100]

Well, I went ahead and booked the Wonder for a Spring 2018 cruise, 3 nights. I can get a 7 night for the same category cabin on a Celebrity cruise for the same price...., plus a $300 OBC......what to do what to do. I haven't tried Celebrity yet as it puts off a kind of "older clientele" vibe...not like Holland...but more of a snooty, pretentious type, doesn't like kids type. I can be Totally wrong, but that's just the vibe I get.

If anyone has sailed Celebrity, any first hand knowledge would be appreciated.

I would do Celebrity for that difference.... I have heard good things

 

[mevelandry]

If they think their island is better than CC PLEASE!!!

Just take a look at Half Moon Cay on Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attracti...Island_Half_Moon_Cay_Out_Islands_Bahamas.html

It looks just as good as Castaway Cay.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Very interesting review. What about the excursions?

We don't generally do cruise line excursions. My mother is a full time wheelchair user and true accessible excursions are slim pickings on all cruise lines.

 

[mevelandry]

We don't generally do cruise line excursions. My mother is a full time wheelchair user and true accessible excursions are slim pickings on all cruise lines.

I understand.

 

[steves100]

Just take a look at Half Moon Cay on Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attracti...Island_Half_Moon_Cay_Out_Islands_Bahamas.html

It looks just as good as Castaway Cay.

Tendering..... HA

 

[mevelandry]

Tendering..... HA

A lot of destinations needs tendering. That doesn't make them less heavenly.

 

[Love2Cruz]

Just take a look at Half Moon Cay on Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attracti...Island_Half_Moon_Cay_Out_Islands_Bahamas.html

It looks just as good as Castaway Cay.

None of the itineraries I'm booked on with CCL has that port stop...grrrr...they just recently started using it as it was once only a Holland America exclusive...but I guess Carnival Corp made the decision to let CCL call there. Hope to get there one day, I heard lots of good things about it. I think Gambee thought it was just as good as CC....I trust his reviews for the most part.

 

[steves100]

A lot of destinations needs tendering. That doesn't make them less heavenly.

No but it makes it a much bigger pain in the ***

 

[mevelandry]

None of the itineraries I'm booked on with CCL has that port stop...grrrr...they just recently started using it as it was once only a Holland America exclusive...but I guess Carnival Corp made the decision to let CCL call there. Hope to get there one day, I heard lots of good things about it. I think Gambee thought it was just as good as CC....I trust his reviews for the most part.

I trust Gambee too. He's the one who convinced me that the Victory was a good ship to sail on. He was right.

 

[RedSox68]

A lot of destinations needs tendering. That doesn't make them less heavenly.

I hate tendering -- I know it can't be helped in many ports, but it's never fun no matter how organized they try to be.

Love the pictures of Half Moon -- looks beautiful and more rugged than CC. What are those two story buildings -- are they cabanas? I don't see any shark nets -- or not sure how there could be any if the tender is running back and forth.

 

[PoopDeckPappy]

No but it makes it a much bigger pain in the ***

Tendering is a pain but if you're a suite guest you go to the front to the line. Makes it a lot better but the 10 minute lag it takes to board everyone else isn't fun.

 

[PoopDeckPappy]

Actually, as Disney is not a non-profit charity, since the demand is there, they ARE justified in raising prices as they see fit.

Cruises - and vacations for that matter - are nice to have, but traveling for fun is NOT a necessity. It is a choice we each make - and we make decisions for how we choose to spend our dollars as we see fit. And as you say, consumers are free to say no and go elsewhere.

When/If enough people say no and go elsewhere that it financially affects Disney, they will adjust accordingly.

And to add...their legal obligation is to maximize profits for their shareholders/investors.

 

[mevelandry]

I hate tendering -- I know it can't be helped in many ports, but it's never fun no matter how organized they try to be.

Love the pictures of Half Moon -- looks beautiful and more rugged than CC. What are those two story buildings -- are they cabanas? I don't see any shark nets -- or not sure how there could be any if the tender is running back and forth.

-If you try to leave the ship later, it is easier? (I tend to be more patient when I'm on vacation, though.)

-Yes, those are two stories cabanas. They look fantastic.

-Not sure about the shark nets. To be honest, we never go further then water to the knees in Serenity Bay (which is open water) so I guess that wouldn't make a difference for us.

 

[mevelandry]

And to add...their legal obligation is to maximize profits for their shareholders/investors.

I absolutely agree with that. But by "not justified" I meant that there is no added value who would make the clients think that the new rates are just "adjustments" due to a better offer.

I just don't see the DCL cruises as a "good value" anymore... We're still doing the 3 nights but I don't think we'll sail with them in the future unless they do more 3 or 4 nights cruises (less expensive) somewhere else than the Bahamas.

 

[MUN]

A lot of destinations needs tendering. That doesn't make them less heavenly.

Yes it does.

 

[mevelandry]

Yes it does.

I guess everybody is different. It doesn't matter to me (I'm resilient to chaos I guess) I find a certain charm in it.