cyclenut

We tried to drink the DCL Kool-Aid once 2 years ago. We are DVC members and have gone to WDW over 20 times and also tried out Disneyland. the price was OK at the time, but twice what I would have spent on a similar Carnival cruise. We hated it (even my kids). Way too crowded, way too noisy, small cabins, food was mediocre, no adult activities, crew was not friendly at all and often could not find anybody to ask a question of, etc. The best part of the cruise were the shows (excellent) and Castaway Cay. If we could find a Castaway Cay double dip that was reasonable in price I would do that again, but that is asking for a miracle I believe. We can honestly say we tried it, but didn't like it. For the prices they are charging now compared to even 2 years ago is outrageous.

We used to live just 15 minutes from Disneyland. We'd go 20 times a year so needless to say, we are huge Disney fans. We had a similar first time experience on the Disney Wonder for our Alaska cruise and really thought we wouldn't sail Disney again, although we thought most of the food was pretty good. We tried Disney again on the same ship and it was far more impressive. Our best Disney experience came sailing on the Fantasy. Wow what a beautiful ship.

The one thing that surprises me with your post is the comment about the cast members not being all that friendly. That's one of the things that has ALWAYS been there for us. Every time. I can't imagine what was going on with your particular sailing that caused the crew to be less than stellar for you.

As for crowds, I have to say that might be difficult for us to relate to. Being from Southern California we're kinda used to crowds and when it comes to Disney, anything between Thanksgiving and New Years is going to have the heaviest crowds. I don't think a crowded ship would phase us.

I was chatting with our neighbors about this the other day. They've sailed Carnival a few times and Royal once but have not yet sailed Disney. The wife said that there is no way she could get her husband to sail Disney because there was no casino and he liked his BlackJack. The husband chimes in and says he'd like to do a Disney cruise and didn't care about the casino much. I LOL'd.

It made me wonder how many families would fall into this situation. Wife wants to go but won't book because she doesn't think hubby would want to (maybe it's casino, maybe something else), but she doesn't ask.

I completely agree that Disney does it better. That's why I continue to sail on Disney, but it won't be exclusive. If the price were more attractive or even if they had more interesting places to sail, I'll definitely cruise Disney.

The great thing about a vacation is you can spend your time how it suits you. Some, like a PP, want to completely escape the "real world" while others love enjoy a slice of the real world integrated with their vacation. Disney gets that and has found a way to accommodate each on board.

I wanted to point out that this is an international crowd on board the ship, which sometimes means a big futbol matchup will be on instead of your big football matchup. There is not a large venue sports bar that has the capability of showing a lot of different games at once. With college football with a fan base spread across many different teams and competing with international sports, you might want to plan for some early intervention, despite how big the game may be by the time it rolls around. By intervention I mean talking to the bartender early on and doing what you can to gather a group and stake out a claim. Be proactive and you'll have a better chance of being rewarded.

Since I started the thread I think I'll take a stab at answering some of the critics of my complaints. I'll start first by saying that value is absolutely subjective. That's the whole point of discussing value vs. talking strictly about price. However, value starts with price. When I see such a large price gap, I start to look at the extras that Disney offers and consider whether those extras provide enough value to offset the price difference. I believe a lot of people find greater value in meeting the characters than I do and there are several that see negative value in the lack of a casino. Each cruiser is going to attribute a different value than the other.

So what's the point of having a pricing thread at all then if everyone looks at value differently? The point is to have that discussion of value. What is it that drives so many people to the Disney ships? How much value is the Disney brand?

Another element of price is most certainly the demand, hence my comment at the end that I hope when more capacity is added, price will normalize. I think that demonstrates my understanding of basic microeconomics. :D

I found the banter about capacity to be interesting as well. I've noticed crowding to be more subjective than you'd think. I don't mind crowds too much, having spent many a Christmas holiday at Disneyland. I know many others who differ with me. A ship that is near capacity may seem crowded to one person and just busy to another. I will have to say though that if a ship is near capacity it is defiantly going to feel a bit crowded at times. I don't care what line it is. The notion of crowding is an important factor is determining relative value.

Perhaps a more productive discussion can be had on the topic of what makes a Disney cruise worth it for you? What are those things that give you enough perceived value that you are willing to pay the price?

Here are some of my top items.

1) Disney and everything that brand stands for. This can be so hard to quantify but for me it holds a special place and set of memories that really can't be found anywhere else. I've spent memorable moments in Disneyland growing up and raising a family in Orange County, CA.

2) Ports and Destinations. It really doesn't matter how much I love Disney or what it offers if the Ports and Destinations are not convenient and exciting.

3) Shipboard experience. Very important since you'll spend a lot of time there. Because Disney caters to families and they know Mom and Dad need their time too, they do an outstanding job of providing adult only areas. They pay more attention to that than most and it shows. I lump everything from staterooms to entertainment in this category. For what it's worth, I put Royal Caribbean higher on the list in the entertainment category with Disney a close second.

4) Price. Is this cruise within the price range that I consider reasonable, in terms of total cost per person. What I mean here is total cost not value. There is a limit for me and for most people where you just can't spend that kind of cash.

5) Schedule. Can I find the right itinerary at a time when I can get the time off work (for those with kids, off school) and when the weather will be acceptable? Can I coordinate schedules? There are times when I think I would have rather sailed with Disney but the schedule just didn't line up. Other lines that have far more ships can offer many more choices.

Yes, price is a factor. It will always be a factor. I love the Disney experience but I'm lamenting the fact that the continued rising price for the cruise is pushing me away more and more often. Because I understand basic microeconomics, I know there is a price that is too high. I've also seen what happens when that price is reached and people start to find alternatives. Sometimes it means that the product ends up disappearing. You can't deliver on the promise at a heavy discount and once you've lost the loyalty, getting it back is expensive. I don't know where that price point is for Disney but it sure feels like we're getting close.

OK, I know I started this but as you note, I still have a DCL cruise booked. This is just for my wife and I. I have been sold on the Disney vacation experience and find that to be worth it, but only on occasion.

Our cruise on the Freedom of the Seas to the Western Caribbean was pretty amazing. Then I sailed on the Fantasy and it was magical. I had the Fantasy booked and cancelled that cruise in favor of the Freedom after a mediocre experience on the Wonder in Alaska. I don't regret doing that but I am so glad I went back and eventually sailed on the Fantasy.

Here is the thing with me though. I've been on the Wonder twice. The second time was a deal that was just too good to pass up. This time it is because we've moved to Texas and wanted to try a sailing out of Galveston where we're not paying airfare to boot. I like to try different things so three times on the Wonder is an exception. Bonus that the Wonder is coming out of dry dock with several changes before we sail.

Disney has two new ships coming out. I sure hope that once they get the capacity they'll see demand drop enough to let the pricing catch up.

I really love cruising with Disney and I try and talk family, friends and coworkers into giving Disney a shot. The common message I hear is that they just can't see the value given the price of other lines.

You'll note from my signature that I've sailed Royal twice, Carnival twice and Disney three times and I have a Carnival and Disney cruise coming up. I'm not loyal to one line and while that seems like a lot of cruising, I know many of you on these boards are far more avid than that.

My upcoming Carnival came in at $1,500 for two, including port fees and taxes. Plus there is an onboard credit. This is for a deck 10 midship balcony cabin. I was called and offered an upgrade to a suite for $500 and I jumped at it. So now I'm paying $2,000 for a suite! That includes priority benefits. This is aboard the Breeze, a ship built in 2012 and sailing out of Galveston.

My upcoming Disney is on the Wonder and it clocks in at $3,000 for two, including port fees and taxes. This is a deck 7 aft white wall balcony (6A). This was an board booking with the ordinary benefits of on board bookings.

Both are 7 day sailings and neither are during any peak period. One is Caribbean and the other is Bahamian. A coworker just returned from a Carnival cruise with her two small children and they had a blast. She priced a Disney cruise at my urging and she was able to do the entire vacation for less than the cruise fare alone.

I guess if you don't know what you're missing, you don't miss it.

I know Disney does things different and you have to pay for the additional touches like more staff on the ship, shorter lines, rotational dining and the characters. The price difference in my case (comparing two balcony rooms) is more than $50 per day per person. That adds up in a hurry. The price difference during peak season is even higher.

Just venting I guess. I'm obviously willing to continue to pay the Disney premium on occasion but I really wish the price was lower and I'd sail them more often.

I think of must haves in two categories as well.

First group are about making your vacation worry free.

1) Passport. Lots of debate here because it isn't technically required, but you asked and my opinion you really must have passports. It's just easier and less worry.

2) A good plan for getting to and onto the ship. That generally means flying into the port (or nearby) the day before, having a hotel booked and understanding how you are getting to the ship. Have a plan B (at least in your head) but don't get too carried away with it. Just know that you have options so that if something does go wrong, you've already thought about it and you don't have to panic.

3) A vacation state of mind. Too many enter into a Disney vacation, reading about all the pixie dust and great experiences and set an expectation that they are going to have all of those things happen for them. Just relax and take things as they come and you'll have that experience. Expecting it (demanding it from cast members) will not get you there. Magic only happens when you let it.

From a what you take with you perspective

1) Cameras. I take two. My digital SLR and a waterproof digital camera. I use my phone for pictures too. If I'm spending a day on the beach or in the water, I leave my digital SLR in the cabin safe. If I'm doing sightseeing, I take it with me. Bring plenty of storage for lots of pictures.

2) Sunscreen and mosquito repellant. Don't bring the huge family size. We bring smaller tubes. Pump sprays are nice but they don't travel well. Some say you need Sea Safe as well for sea lice. I haven't experienced a problem with that yet.

3) Something to entertain. We prefer eReaders to books but a few traditional books aren't a bad choice. We also bring a few decks of cards. That's a must have for us.

The first time our family sailed out of Vancouver was to Alaska. We booked the entire vacation through DCL and they flew us in same day of the cruise. It had me a bit worried but I checked and there were numerous flight alternatives that would get us there same day if there were issues with our initial flight. We were up very early and took a shuttle to the airport, flew to Portland, OR and then on to Vancouver BC. This was from Orange County, CA so entirely west coast.

The second time we were taking a southbound Pacific Coast from Vancouver. We were visiting with family in WA beforehand so we were already in WA but still decided we wanted to see Seattle and flew in a day early. We took the train the morning of the cruise and arrived in plenty of time.

As for the stay in Port Canaveral. We booked a Hampton Inn in Cape Canaveral that had a snooze and cruise package. It was excellent. We flew in the day before and took their shuttle (van pulling a trailer) from the airport to the Hotel. There is a nice walking path right down to the beach. The next morning we took a large bus to the port. They gave us a number and boarding time the night before so we knew when to go down for their breakfast (included) and then board the bus (motor coach). Most everyone there uses Mears transportation. The difference is that you are on a bus with cruisers from several cruise lines. When we left the ship we boarded a shuttle back to the Hotel where we put our bags in storage and went down to the beach. They then took us to our flight that was much later in the day. Really great experience.

The next time we did all Disney including Disney transportation, staying on property and even visiting the parks for a day before the cruise. I think the first was much more relaxing, very efficient and stress free. The Hotel took care of everything for one price. No rental car needed. No huge crowds. No expensive meals. Clean comfortable room.

I clearly remember getting soda at the Freestyle machine outside the windjammer. No need to change clothes. I also don't remember having any problems getting food from the windjammer to the pool area. Throw on a cover up and get what you want. While I like poolside options, I also like the idea of having a much wider variety of food to choose from.

Johnny Rockets is a 50s diner burger joint that is pretty good. Cover charge includes all food, drink and shakes you want, so not a bad deal really and they are good burgers. Haven't had Guy's (sailing on Breeze in Sept) so can't compare to them, but they are not the typical theme park dry burger made from frozen meat. Good stuff.

I beg to differ about Sorrentos. I found them to be much better than the frozen pizza you described. It may have changed since our voyage, but when we sailed it was a nice late night treat.

The Freedom is my second favorite ship I've ever sailed on (Disney Fantasy is my favorite). She is beautiful. Very elegant. The Promenade is wonderful. It can get a bit like a shopping mall at certain times of the day, but it can also be like a nice stroll down an elegant walkway.

The shows are excellent and to me, live music makes it that much better. We did the backstage tour and were really amazed at how they put them together.

While food is subjective, I know what shoe leather tastes like and I can't say I've every had to eat a shoe leather steak on ANY cruise line MDR. I really have no idea where that comparison could have come from. The MDR food is about the same as you get anywhere. Typical banquet quality dinner but with more options.

Someone mentioned the electronic message boards. Those were awesome. Talk about getting around the ship easy. Great addition I've not seen on any other ship.

I really want to sail on a Royal ship. To me a cruise is just as much about the ship as it is the ports. I was spoiled sailing on the Breeze last, so I really want to try a Freedom or Oasis class ship. However my husband cares more abut the ports, he really doesn't care about the ship amenities. We like western itineraries, Cozumel is our favorite port, but right now we'd rather visit Belize and Roatan on Carnival rather than Labedee and Falmouth on Royal. So when I price out a 7 day western in October on the Glory in a regular balcony, it's a hard sell for me to convince DH we should pay $1100 more for the four of us on an Oasis balcony or $1700 more on a Freedom balcony (really?). We have a certain week we are looking at, heck I might even consider an eastern itinerary if I can find something educational to do, but no luck there and we still prefer Carnival's eastern to Royal's. I looked heavily at Royal when planning our last trip on the Breeze - again, no luck with ports or prices on Royal. I am very interested in sailing Royal, but i'm going to need to find an itinerary DH likes enough to go on one of the "malls at sea" he calls the Oasis class ships, lol.

That is a pretty large price gap. I really haven't see Freedom of the Seas be that much higher before. You must have picked a popular sailing that is nearly sold out. I know the Freedom is a very beautiful ship. My wife and I sailed her for our 25th wedding anniversary to the Western side and it has to be my second favorite cruise of all time. A very close second behind the Disney Fantasy Eastern route that happened to be blessed by outstanding weather.

My first sailing on a larger and newer Carnival ship is this September out of Galvaston but honestly the Royal pricing was only a bit more. Not the numbers you are talking about. That's for just two of us, but I don't think $1700 more for the Freedom for a party of four is what I've seen either.

The hardest part of shopping is comparing same to same. Each line sets up their cabin categories differently and not all balcony cabins are the same. It's possible you've found a higher priced class on the Royal ships without realizing it.

I found this thread interesting. I spend most of my time on the Disney forum where there is always a thread or two about why Disney costs so much more than Royal. Here on the Carnival forum I'm seeing this thread comparing Carnival to Royal. Is Royal the new benchmark or something?

I'm sailing the Breeze in September. Whenever I price out a cruise I always check Carnival pricing and I do find it a bit lower but when I compare itineraries, ship (including age) and cabins I often find sailing Royal or even Disney to be the better "value" for us. That's because I value some of the things that these other sailings offer. I'm sailing the Breeze in September because I checked out the price for other sailings and this Carnival sailing offers the best value this time.

The thing I find frustrating about Carnival pricing is that you have to get to the hold your cruise state on their web site before you can really know the price of the cruise. Carnival always looks cheaper when I start to look but it isn't always cheaper by the time I select the sail dates, cabin category, cabin location, etc. Then when you add the intangibles that allow you to asses value (not just price), shopping for a cruise can be very time consuming. That's why a lot of people just stick with a particular cruise line and stack up the loyalty points.

I really feel bad for this lady and her family. I am not here to speculate on what may have happened, but I am personally struggling to understand how she could have simply fallen overboard.

I'm also not sure why there is so much confusion on this thread about Man Overboard systems. I found this interesting article from last year about the state of the industry with respect to MOB systems.

http://www.ship-technology.com/features/featuresound-the-alarm-should-man-overboard-detection-tech-be-fitted-on-cruise-ships-4583685/

I have sailed Disney a few times and I am aware they have MOB systems on their ships. It seems that in this case nobody knew the lady was missing until several hours later. Successful rescue requires nearly immediate notification someone has entered the water. Understanding that an MOB system can generate false positives, they will never be improved if they don't start getting more widespread use. That's how technology evolves.

I'm not worried about me falling overboard but I do like to spend my money with a cruise line that is innovative and at least makes a good attempt at improving such a horrific situation. Maybe if there were more of an outcry from passengers the cruise lines would start doing something. All these new ships ... Do any except the Disney ships have MOB systems?

Try as they might, not even Disney's reach extends to the union dock workers.

When discussing what Disney is targeting for the market, let's consider one important factor. Disney doesn't think of themselves as being in the cruise line business. They think of themselves as being in the entertainment business. Cruising is just another vehicle for the vacation and entertainment experience.

Disney is not targeting any cruise line or particular price point. They are looking for how to create the best possible experience without pricing themselves completely out of the vacation entertainment market. They just so happen to be doing so on a ship. That's why they introduced so many firsts for the cruise industry, they don't really consider themselves part of the cruise industry so they are unencumbered by the notions of what was done before them. Operationally, there are a lot of things they do consider, but they don't compare well to any line from a guest experience standpoint.

What makes me a fan of Disney is not the characters. They come with the Disney brand. Disney isn't about luxury, it is about removing as much frictions from your vacation to give you the best experience possible. That's really the Disney difference and that's why it is fair to compare the price of cruising with Disney to the price of a WDW vacation, a trip to Disneyland Resort in CA or even the package you get with DVC membership. Let's not forget what Disney does with Adventures by Disney as well.

If the point is to go cruising, then I'm not recommending DCL as a first choice. They do an excellent job with the ships. If you want a Disney vacation experience (remember, I'm not really even talking about the characters), then you have several choices, including DCL. If you are looking for is a cruise experience, then choose another line. I'm not saying DCL does a bad job of cruising, it's just that you can get a lot more value from another line if you are really looking for a cruise.

I see you have already made your decision and I would agree that you made the right call. We've done Disney to Alaska. It was our first Disney cruise experience and we had very high expectations. That was really the problem. The cruise was really great, but not as great as the price suggested it should be or as the people we talked to thought it would be.

We've sailed Disney since then with more realistic expectations and better pricing. We've cancelled sailings where the price didn't make sense and found others with Disney that did make sense.

The last few Disney cruise have been adults only and off season. If the price isn't right, we won't do Disney.

I should also add that we are HUGE ... HUGE ... Disney fans. I see absolutely no reason to sail Disney AT ALL if you are not a fan of Disney already. I should say that I am not a fan because I love the characters. I just love their brand of entertainment. Total escape and the belief that you are somewhere else totally. Not just because you went somewhere else, but the complete illusion that you have of being in another place ... Another time. They do this with resorts, cruise ships and theme parks. I enjoy that, but not for every vacation.

We used to live 15 minutes from Disneyland and went frequently. My kids have and one still does work in the parks. People I know well work there now. Some in the parks, some in entertainment and some for the Disney corporation in various roles (including IT for example). Huge fan of Disney. Still don't pay their prices.

We don't know the entire story but I'm guessing this lady had come to the end of her rope. She was obviously very anxious and exhausted and was frustrated at being told different things every time she asked.

I just flew from LA to Dallas last night. I arrived at the gate in plenty of time. The flight leaving that gate before mine was delayed. I could see it said 6:00 departure and mine said 6:20 departure. I knew they were going to have to change gates. The plane coming in can't just sit on the taxiway if there is another gate they can go to. Sure enough, last minute gate change. We are already late by this point. Problem is, the gate agents kept saying, right up until the minute before the gate change that there wasn't going to be a gate change. When I left my seat to go to the new gate, there were no available seats at the new gate. No big deal for me, but there were families with small children. Had they made the decision earlier and told everyone, there would have been time to migrate over to the new gate and find somewhere to sit. Nope. Next problem, they halted boarding just after it began because the pilot was upset with something the maintenance crew told him. I don't expect to know everything about the work they do on a plane, but we stood in the jetway for nearly 30 minutes while the figured it out. They didn't tell us anything. Nothing at all.

We finally take off and we are now about 45 minutes behind schedule, putting us in Dallas at midnight. We get to baggage claim and they announce that the last car rental shuttle for the night is now leaving. People were standing at the carousel that had not even moved yet trying to figure out what to do. Leave to go rent the car and come back? No accommodation whatsoever. I just needed to get to my car in the parking lot so I was good, but really?

No excuse for this lady who lost it, but there needs to be some serious improvements in treating passengers with more respect. Communication is the key. Tell people what is going on. These people KNOW that if you get in late to Dallas Love Field, you are going to have a problem getting a rental car. They should SAY SOMETHING or DO SOMETHING that helps you make an informed decision. People get mad and start yelling when they don't know what is going on. Airlines expect them to just sit or stand and wait like good little minions until they are told what to do.

My situation was not stressful for me because I was not waiting to board a cruise ship, I did not have young kids with me, I was not in an unfamiliar place and I travel by air a lot so I can generally figure out for myself what is going on. Others were not so fortunate.

I know right now you feel a bit cheated if you don't get a character breakfast but I can honestly say, they are not a good experience. Disney obviously wants to do them so is trying to make adjustments but they are in no way comparable to what you get in the parks. It is basically a photo op and not good breakfast food either. You are not missing anything, which is what a lot of guests figured out and why they stopped coming.

You would do much better just finding the characters on the deck for pictures.

We did this cruise a few years ago but at the time they stopped in San Francisco for a couple of days. They were doing some sort of renovation on the fly in San Fran so docking their for a couple of days was part of that plan. No Vicoria on that one though. They started doing Victoria when they sailed out of Seattle so they could meet the foreign port requirement. I'm not sure why they don't stop in San Fran anymore.

In any case, a repo cruise is really nice. It is different for the crew so they seem to be in an upbeat mood.

One caution is that the Pacific Ocean is more unpredictable and we've seen rough seas as compared to any of the other cruises we've been on and we've done two different Pacific Coast cruises. Be preapred for a bit mor ship motion than you may be used to.

A couple of tips that I'm surprised haven't been shared yet.

When you have late seating, the main show is always before dinner, at roughly the same time as early dining. Early dining means you eat first and then go to the show. I know a lot of people with kids prefer to see the show over a fancy meal, so late dining isn't always bad if they need to be in bed by 9pm. It means they will get to enjoy the show without falling asleep.

Remember too that Cabanas serves dinner. It's really the same dinner they serve in the main dining rooms and it is table service just like the main dining rooms. It is almost never crowded and they can accommodate your allergies. They almost never seat you with another group. We've tried it and found it to be a nice experience. If you get late dining and just don't want to eat that late, you can always go to Cabanas. I would suggest trying to get to the MDR for your Animator's Palate night(s), but that is really optional as well.

When you arrive in the dining room if you tell them you are in a hurry and want to place your entire order right away or just want the entree and desert, they can usually have you out quickly. If you do the full course the way they lay it out, it takes about 2 hours. If you are going to do that though, I would suggest just going to Cabanas.

If you are coming from the West Coast, remember the time change. I have seen parents frustrated at their kids who were not hungry for dinner during early seating but we're trying to find food at 9pm. Remember that kids don't really adjust that quickly to time zone changes. 9pm on the ship (assuming you are sailing out of the east coast where most sailings occur) is really 6pm to them. Let dining may not be the problem you think it is.

I have heard about certain kids things that you might miss if you book late seating and I have complained to Disney before about some of the adult club areas filling up quickly, leaving no seating for late dining. That can happen, but if you have something you want to go to, make sure to tell them to speed it up.

I've never sailed Princess. Thanks for your review! I'm curious on the entertainment item. Have you ever sailed Royal Caribbean? I actually found their Broadway style shows to be better than DCL, at least on the Freedom of the Seas. You are correct that you can tell by the venue whether or not the line takes shows seriously. The thing that really tips the scale in Royal's favor for me is the live band for the shows. I don't know why it bugs me so much but that Disney shows are to a soundtrack just doesn't sit well. I've noticed that at times they are using background vocals from the track as well. It's a fairly standard practice but is only really possible if you are already using a musical track.

Don't get me wrong, I do like Disney's shows, but I'm not sure I would agree that they are the only ones at sea that do these shows well.

I think you will have a great time if you decide to try DCL for the family. You didn't mention the age of your kids. All ages tend to really love DCL, but pre-teen seems to love them the most. A few things I've observed over my past sailings.

1) The larger ships (Dream and Fantasy) have a lot more to do for adults and kids alike. It isn't just bigger for more passengers. The smaller ships have more charm. They really feel like that classic ocean liner. There is still plenty to do, but not as many places to go or things to do in the evenings.

2) How much you enjoy the cruise depends in part on how much you enjoy Disney. The cruise ships are more of the classy side to Disney, but it is definitely Disney.

3) The rotational dining concept ensures your family stays entertained, even during dinner time. No other cruise line has even attempted to replicate this experience. It makes dinner something to look forward to, and not just for the food.

4) There are a lot of little Disney touches everywhere you go that help make it smooth sailing for families. The way they gather for excursions on the ship, the laundry facilities on board and the way they welcome you to the ship.

5) The staterooms are geared toward families. They have bathtubs instead of just showers, there are plenty of Deluxe staterooms that have a split bathroom and the beds are set up for your luggage to slide underneath.

Those are just a few of the touches that make DCL different, in a good way. Your mileage may vary. Not everyone loves Disney or the Disney brand, but if you do, a Disney cruise really is a must do.

I'll add to the discussion here. We did DCL on Alaska and it was our first DCL cruise. It was a great vacation but DCL didn't live up to the hype, but Alaska did not disappoint. We really tried to love DCL but there were just too many misses. To DCL credit, that was their maiden year to Alaska and they have changed some things to make it more passenger friendly and appropriate for Alaska, but other lines have ships that are built better for the colder weather. More indoor and covered areas, etc. I've never sailed Princess, but I've heard that their Alaska land and sea vacations are outstanding. Check them out.

One recommendation that I can't repeat often enough is to get a balcony cabin, no matter which line you are sailing on. It is a MUST for Alaska. Almost no matter where you are on the cruise there is something to see. You are never far from land or wildlife. We enjoyed being out on the balcony and not fighting crowds up on deck during glacier day. If you are doing Tracy Arm, it is an out and back so whatever you missed on one side of the ship on the way in, you will catch when you come back out. Pay the money and get the balcony.

Disney is worth a "little" more for us, but not a LOT more. We have and will sail DCL again and will also sail other lines. There is a lot to like on Disney but there are also things that we like better on RCCL and we'll also consider Carnival again (even though we do feel it is a step down).

The most important thing is what experience you are after and what are you willing to pay for that. As many have already stated, only YOU can answer that for your situation.

We are looking a Christmas trip to WDW for 8 people. That is 3 hotel rooms on land and 3 cabins on DCL (not because of sheer numbers, but because of the makeup of the group). It is going to cost us about $15k for this vacation, including meals, airfare, etc. Booking a Disney cruise instead would be even more, when you consider onboard expenses, shore excursions, etc. Booking a cruise on another line would come in under that cost. Looking at price alone, we should skip WDW and do a cruise. Not going to happen. We're going to WDW!

What I am really saying is that the way Disney has set up their cruise experience, it is about the overall entertainment value. They don't compare themselves with other cruise lines. They compare themselves with other vacation experiences. Simply comparing Disney on price alone, without first deciding what you want out of your vacation, is going to miss the point entirely.

We prefer late dining but we don't have young kids. While it is true that all aboard time in the same for everyone, when you have early seating you may feel you need to get back early to get ready for dinner and the rest of the evening. With late seating you can board later, go to the show and then go back to your stateroom to change for dinner. The end result is more time to enjoy the port.

In our case, we are on the west coast and typically eat at about 7pm. That means an 9pm main course service is still an hour earlier than we would normally eat.

There are a couple of additional considerations that seem to make early seating a better choice for Disney.

1) Having dinner followed by a show is a more natural order of events. Think "dinner and a movie". Sure, you can do it in any order, but it seems strange to have dinner and then ... no show. You can go to the clubs, but even those are somewhat of a problem. We found the seats already full with early seating diners by the time we got there ... straight away from dinner.

2) On pirate night they have food and snacks. You can certainly get to pirate night with late seating, but you are NOT going to want to eat much of anything. With early seating, you just might be ready for a late evening snack.

Because I was curious, I looked up the new Panama Canal specifications. It looks like both the Dream and Fantasy could technically fit through the canal, but they appear to be too tall to fit under the Bridge of the Americas. Vessel height is listed at 217 feet for the Dream and the clearance under the bridge is listed as 201 feet.

I'm guessing that has been covered before, but I was speculating that Disney was waiting on confirmation of the opening date of the new locks before announcing the Itinerary, so they could put the Wonder into refurbishment and still keep the Alaska cruise schedule, perhaps using the Dream instead of the Magic.

Apparently not.