Expensive

[Gingee]

I haven't taken a Disney cruise before the I have checked the prices and they seem really expensive versus the other cruise lines like Royal and Carnival. How do you justify booking with them or are there some hidden pluses? Not sure if I am making sense but hope I am.

[Lollipop's Mom]

We have not cruised Disney, but after cruising Carnival, and reading the differences, I know that DCL is worth the extra $$ for us.

I used to think the same thing as you, but after being on Carnival and not really enjoying the atmosphere, I know we are DCL people and can't wait to try it! From what I have read the entertainment is far better, kids programs can't even compare (our carnival one sucked- all they did was play video games), the food sounds better (and more kid friendly), the 3 different dining rooms,bigger cabins,etc...etc...etc....

I like the fact they have more 'family' type things like the little gameshows and workshops and stuff - this is a vacation and I want to spend quality time with my daughter, and on Carnival there seemed nothing to do. No sail away party, the deck by the pool was dead by 7pm - not what I pictured a cruise to be like at all!

Another thing we looked forward to was the nightly shows, and the shows SUCKED to say the least. My daughter who was 10 at the time could have danced better than their fun ship dancers! It was pathetic. We got up and left every night part way through. Just couldn't sit through it.

[firefly333]

Disney charges less for children than other cruise lines which charge full fare for children. Iv read that Disney only charges taxes and port charges for babies and on other cruise lines you pay a full adult fare. Also most cruises on Disney the children's rates are lower than other cruise lines it looks like to me.

 

They still run a bit more, but not as much more as first glance.

 

Iv also read some Florida posters saying they got as much as 50% off last minute on Disney. Other cruiselines give resident specials to more states, but a lesser discount.

 

......now if only Disney would move the ship and go out of Texas Id be totally happy with the price lol.

 

Also, Disney offers 10% off bookings on board (except for cat 12). I have not seen many other of the cheaper cruiselines that do that).

[CP3o]

If you book early the prices are better and same with offseason. Try to "save" your balcony experience for another line and try to get one of the partially obstructed OV rooms at inside price. At least this is how we are getting around some of the costs, have only gone in hurricane season!

 

You can get a quad OV for Sept 1, 2007 7 night eastern sailing for $3625.

[Smyley]

One thing about Disney is that no matter the price, you always feel you get your money's worth. They are well organized and we find the cruise to be our favorite. We are going again to the Med this summer.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Disney charges less for children than other cruise lines which charge full fare for children. Iv read that Disney only charges taxes and port charges for babies and on other cruise lines you pay a full adult fare. Also most cruises on Disney the children's rates are lower than other cruise lines it looks like to me.

 

They still run a bit more, but not as much more as first glance.

 

Iv also read some Florida posters saying they got as much as 50% off last minute on Disney. Other cruiselines give resident specials to more states, but a lesser discount.

 

......now if only Disney would move the ship and go out of Texas Id be totally happy with the price lol.

 

Also, Disney offers 10% off bookings on board (except for cat 12). I have not seen many other of the cheaper cruiselines that do that).

 

How does one go about getting childrens rates on DCL?

 

The only way kids pay full fare on other lines is if they are not a 3rd or 4th pax in the cabin.

 

Bill

[CP3o]

How does one go about getting childrens rates on DCL?

 

The only way kids pay full fare on other lines is if they are not a 3rd or 4th pax in the cabin.

 

Bill

 

www.disneycruiseline.com

 

Step thru the website reservations system doing a mock booking to get prices. You only get child prices for 3rd and 4th child in same room. You can't book a connecting room and get child prices, first two in room are adult price, no matter what.

 

This is stepping thru late Sept 7 night eastern with cheapest Cat 12 (which they allow you to book for 4 but only sleep 3 so its an automatic upgrade to Cat 11 - which isn't much of on upgrade but, fyi.)

 

$2,596.00 Government Taxes & Fees:$203.24Stateroom One Total:$2,799.24

Stateroom One

BreakdownGuest 1 (Adult):$849.81Guest 2 (Adult):$849.81Guest 3 (Child):$549.81Guest 4 (Child):$549.81

Total Price:$2,799.24Final Payment (due July 18, 2007):$2,799.24

[eh2zed]

I haven't taken a Disney cruise before the I have checked the prices and they seem really expensive versus the other cruise lines like Royal and Carnival. How do you justify booking with them or are there some hidden pluses? Not sure if I am making sense but hope I am.

 

Disney is very popular and with only 2 ships for the time being doesn't have to discount much. However, if you sail in the low season they have had some great deals on certain sailings.

We had a good experience with our grand kids. Food is excellent, shows are maybe the best and the entire experience is Disney from the moment you enter the cruise terminal.

They are the only line that is allowed to set off fireworks at sea. Quite the experience. Kids had a blast. It is a family line and 40% are children.

I must admit though that after 7 days I was Disneyed out. They pour on the Tinkerbell pixie dust real thick all day long.

[crazy4themouse]

First thing to remember is, you get what you pay for. Comparing Disney to Carnival is like comparing a Lexus to a Kia. They might both be dependable cars, but they're just flat-out not in the same class.

 

Second, most other cruiselines nickel-and-dime you to death! For example, on Princess, the kids' club was only open at certain times, and then closed for good at 10pm unless you wanted to pay $5/hour extra. Sodas cost money too.

 

But the biggest difference is in something that is hard to define. There is a certain... well, magic, aboard the Disney ships that just doesn't exist anywhere else. The Cast Members go above and beyond to make you feel like you are the first and only person to ever set foot on their ship. It's worth every penny, and then some.

 

-gina-

 

 

[mom x4,grandma x4]

We have taken 14 crusies with DCL and just got back last week off the Carnival Glory, so I can give an honest opinion about the differences.

 

On Carnival the check in was more complicated and took twice as long as DCL. Not allowed to take a family photo in the the terminal before boarding, disney you can take all the photos you want.

 

Once across the gang plank there was no one to direct us where to go, people just standing around. we looked down the walkway and saw an open door and headed in there. No one greeted us or even smiled. Give me your card, snap a photo and you are on your own. we were in a crowded lobby with people drinking at a bar on our left, others sitting on our right so we moved through the crowd to the other side of the lobby and waited until we could find a CM to tell us where to go for lunch.

very confusing!

 

On Disney your name is announced as you board, your welcomed by several CM's and one will walk along with you and tall you all about your dining options and where to go and will gladly answer any questions you may have. Around the corner they will be more CM's greeting you and there to help you.

 

On arnival tweens 12 to 14 club didnt open until 2 pm until 11 pm, teens were the same so kids had tons of time with nothing to do so they naturally filled the pools. No adult only pool or hot tubs on board.

 

Disney clubs open by 10 at the latest accept for the teens which opens at noon and sometimes is open until 2:00 am, depending on activities.

 

On disney the counselors willl greet and meet the kids, carnival they sat off to the side and chatted among themselves and played music for 30 minutes at a time for dancing. structured events had to have 10 people or they would cancel them even if less could of easily done the activity.

 

Disney always has their events reguardless of amount of kids and the Cm's try to get to know all the kids.

The pools are larger on disney and they enforce an adults only pool and 2 hot tubs.

 

Carnival is salt water pools, very hard on skin and eyes

Disney is not salt water pools.

 

On Carnival, when purchasing products out of 8 purchases we were greeted once and thanked once. 7 times they just looked at us,no smile on Carnival and took our items and money then turned away to talk with other CM's.

 

Disney we are greeted immediatly, thanked asked if we needed any help, how was our trip etc...

 

In the halls in Carnival dozens of CM's go past and only 3 said hello the entire cruise.

 

Disney everyone says hello, even the maintenance people. and they sound sincere!!

 

No movie theater on carnival.

Theater with new releases on Disney.

 

outer decks on Carnival are all cut up with tiered seating so no real deck space for parties, all the seats were in the sun.

Disney has shaded seats as well as sunny seats and room to walk all the way around 2 of the 3 decks the 3rd deck is 97% of the way around ok.

 

Outer decks on Carnival dont go all the way around without going up and down stiars all over the deck areas. A real pain!!

On Carnival:

We saw CM's smoking while on duty in guest areas

Cm's cussing in front of guests

A chef yelling at a CM for forgetting to stock something in front of the guests

dirty uniforms on CM's

tongue studs, men with earrings on, spiked hair cuts.

 

If any of these things happened on Disney they would of been fired on the spot.!!!!

 

We missed first nights dinner due to late luggage which was ok but second night I had to ask where our table was. Big restaurants on carnival. 3 entrances to lower level alone.

center door had the desk,nobody was around. After a few minutes I found a waiter to ask to find our table, he said I dont know, i think ti'its over there and pointed to the right and left us there, so I walked over to the right side of the restaurant, I found someone there and explained again what we needed and said i havnt a clue lady, I think it's over there and he pointed to the left and then turned his back and walked away.

 

So we went back out of the restaurant and headed to the left side where I found the 3rd waiter and asked him for our table. he said it's over there by the wall. I said there are about 25 empty tables along that wall, which one is it, none have numbers on them. He just glared at me, so I glared back and finally he walked us 2/3 of the way to our table. he pointed down the isle and said it;s the one by the man standing in the isle, so we walked to it alone.

 

On Disney you ware greeted every evening and taken to your table,even if you know the way. Tables are numbered and your wait staff knows you by name and is very curteous. There is always someone to help you as you enter any of the restaurants.

 

On Carnival is you want pop with dinner you must order it from the bar server who comes to the table. that was fine but she only asked Jerry of he wanted a drink. he ordered a beer and never even looked at the 5 of us?? We were sure she was just busy and would ask us when she brought his beer so we waited patiently but when she returned she never even looked at us, she just left.

 

I know we could of said something but we were in disbelief at how RUDE everyone had been so we thought we would just see what happned each night. it was the same thing every night, she never asked anyone but him if they wanted a drink. So we had water to drink.

I know we could of spoke up but by this time it was the principal of them doing their job.

 

On disney the drink server will approach everyone , each and every night even if you decline a drink the night before and is doing it with a smile.

 

I could go on for pages of the differences. Bascially Disney will pamper you to death the entire cruise, they will greet you with a smile and a cheery hello everytime. We have never been snubbed or had to listen to CM's on Disney cuss or smoke in guest areas etc..

 

Disney may cost more but the entire atmosphere makes you feel like you are not a guest, you are at home while on board the ship.

 

On Carnival you dont even exist.

I will be posting a trip report here soon with more details than this. It is called Disney verses carnival by mom x4,grandma x4

 

If you really want to know what your paying the extra $$ for, read my report.

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[metrowon]

Gingee, it's hard to explain how Disney really treats you, while on-board. From the airport transfers, to your final minute when you return, to the airport, it's totally Disney customer service, and Fun. Their ships are run like their parks. And if you've done any Disney Park, just compare it to any other park you've been too. If your going to be a little dissapointed spending $2,500, on another line, than maybe $500, or $600 more is a small price to pay to cruise wuth Disney. Disney rates are very good dutring Sept/Oct. Metrowon

[toodycat]

Disney is more expensive, but remember that every cast member has been trained to make it their first priority for you to have a "magical" experience. Believe me, you will! Disney's attention to detail is outstanding. The ships are beautifully designed and the Disney themes are integrated in a way that is always classic and attractive. The food is good, the pools are clean and there are three of them, catering to different groups. The service is excellent, the number of activities for all ages is amazing and who else has the outrageous pirate party? On formal nights, it is always a treat to see little girls in their princess costumes. One actually curtseyed for us. The one time we actually had a complaint to share with Disney guest services---we felt the room service dinner menu was little difficult to feed a child from---they apologized profusely, had an executive member of the crew call and listen to our feedback for about 30 minutes, told us they had been planning on changing the menu anyway and were anxious to hear what we would include and sent a gorgeous fruit platter to our stateroom.

 

Go for it. It is SO worth it.

[deborahjo]

I have sailed both cruise lines so I think I can say objectively that yes Disney has better customer service but I do not want to sail with a ship full of kids. I really enjoyed my Carnival cruise on the Paradise and will be enjoying the Liberty in October. I think it is your choice. Money does matter though to alot of people.

[lagbunch8]

First thing to remember is, you get what you pay for. Comparing Disney to Carnival is like comparing a Lexus to a Kia. They might both be dependable cars, but they're just flat-out not in the same class.

 

Second, most other cruiselines nickel-and-dime you to death! For example, on Princess, the kids' club was only open at certain times, and then closed for good at 10pm unless you wanted to pay $5/hour extra. Sodas cost money too.

 

But the biggest difference is in something that is hard to define. There is a certain... well, magic, aboard the Disney ships that just doesn't exist anywhere else. The Cast Members go above and beyond to make you feel like you are the first and only person to ever set foot on their ship. It's worth every penny, and then some.

 

-gina-

 

 

 

I agree. Disney cost more because it is better. I would not take my children on a Carnival cruise. I will probably not book myself on any more Carnival cruises after the ones I already have booked. lol. It was a price factor plain and simple.

 

RCCL is also nice. I will be paying the extra dollars and booking with them for now on. When my kids are older we may try RCCL for them. I just wish the shows were better. I could save $2000 by doing the Mariner over the Magic next May but, we would have nothing to do at night. The Disney shows were fantastic. RCCL has good food and service but, Disney was better. The pool area is nicer on RCCL but, we have a pool at home. I don't cruise for that. My kids like the Mickey slide--that's all I care about. And when DH and I want adult only time-Disney inforces the adult only areas.

 

Mary

[MississippiMom]

I've been struggling for months now over whether or not we should spend the money to cruise on Disney. I know that I want to cruise with the family. For this mommy, cruising is the BEST family vacation option, because I feel like I actually get some time to relax. I worry that DCL will be a bit too overwhelming for me, because of too many children, but I keep reading about the adult-only areas that will be available, and I am intrigued. Our girls are almost past the age of the whole "princess" dress-up thing, and I really want them to have the memories of being dressed up, while on the ship, meeting the princesses. When I read threads like these, I feel like it will definitely be worth the extra money to try DCL.

[wernew2cruising]

I am wondering if part of the cost difference is because Disney does not have casinos. That has to be a huge money making venture for all the other lines and Disney may be getting some of the lost revenue by charging a little more for their cruises. Add in a soda card the other lines charge you for, but you get free with Disney. And for the size of their ship, they don't have as many passengers and still use as much fuel etc. All these things add up. Just a few thoughts!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

martha,

If you stay away from the Mickey pool you will not be over run with kids.

The adult area is at the opposite end of the ship.

 

we go as adults only, no kids all the time and love it.

 

we also like to watch the kids having fun, but when we are ready for some quiet time we know that it is easy to find.

 

We love to be pampered by Disney.

If this is your first cruise you wont be able to appreciate how much better Disney treats you unless you do a different line after going on Disney. You will be amazed at the difference on how your treated.

 

It is worth the extra $$$.

 

Read the Disney verses Carnival thread on this site, at the end of it is a comparrison for several areas between the two ships. That may help your decision some. I wrote it.

 

mom x4, grandma x4

[Host Mick]

...

 

But the biggest difference is in something that is hard to define. There is a certain... well, magic, aboard the Disney ships that just doesn't exist anywhere else. The Cast Members go above and beyond to make you feel like you are the first and only person to ever set foot on their ship. It's worth every penny, and then some.

 

-gina-

 

I agree.

After reading literally thousands of posts asking and answering whether or not Disney is "worth it" I've pretty much given up answering the question because I always want to answer YES...and ...NO.

If you want to crunch the numbers, compare square footages, days at sea, shop travel agents, search for special deals, local discounts, stateroom credits and work in the costs of childcare and free soda, you'll always be able to find a better deal than Disney. So NO, it's not worth it.

However, in my and many others' cases there's a huge non-tangible benefit to Disney Cruises that doesn't have a place on a spreadsheet. I've spent throughout my life hundreds of days in Disney parks and resorts around the World. I know what Disney does best and I like it. I'm comfortable with their level of quality on-stage (you Disney fans know what I'm talking about) and in the level of quality in their customer service from the first reservation phone call to the last check-out. I enjoy every minute of my trips to Disney resorts and ships so I'm more than willing to pay extra to perpetuate that enjoyment. I've been on other cruise lines and I've been to a lot of other theme and amusement parks but I always end up comparing them to Disney parks, usually unfavorably.

For me, it's not about dollars and perks and buffets, it's about the "pixie dust"; that feeling that I get when I walk under the railroad tracks first thing in the morning into town square at Disneyland or The Magic Kingdom or into the lobby of the Magic and feel like I'm home with friends. I'm not going to get that on a Carnival ship or at Paramount's Great America, so YES, it's worth it.

 

Can you tell that in 4 hours I'm leaving for ten days at Saratoga Springs at WDW?

[dahuffy]

I have sailed both cruise lines so I think I can say objectively that yes Disney has better customer service but I do not want to sail with a ship full of kids. I really enjoyed my Carnival cruise on the Paradise and will be enjoying the Liberty in October. I think it is your choice. Money does matter though to alot of people.

 

We are a childless couple and we choose to sail Disney. I love the adult pool because you don't have to deal with a bunch of kids splashing around. We won't do Carnival because of the big party atmosphere. We're both ex-bartenders and we don't enjoy being around a bunch loud, drunk young people. Non smokers(after 20+ yrs) and don't want to be around the smell. Disney has none of this....thankfully. If we want to gamble,we can go to an Indian Casino or Vegas,that isn't what I want to do on a cruise.

 

We are booked on the 15 day Eastbound Repostioning Cruise for next year and I can hardly wait for those sea days :)

[metrowon]

I am wondering if part of the cost difference is because Disney does not have casinos. That has to be a huge money making venture for all the other lines and Disney may be getting some of the lost revenue by charging a little more for their cruises. Add in a soda card the other lines charge you for, but you get free with Disney. And for the size of their ship, they don't have as many passengers and still use as much fuel etc. All these things add up. Just a few thoughts!

The cost differance is just Disney, top to bottom. And in that price are way to many factors, and insults towards other lines, who charge less. Just an example, see which other cruise lines are painting their hull while in a port. Wait and see how many other cruiser's, from other ship's ask you about your Disney cruise, when your walking down a port pier. DCL, is only more exspensive than some other line's, and they are less exspensive than other lines. Actually, some person's prefer NOT having a Casino on-board. Fewer angry, and upset loosers, drinking to forget about their losses. Metrowon

[Atomica]

Disney's more expensive because it is a different product, and with only two ships, there's more than enough people that want to fill them.

 

We compensated for this by booking our cruise over a year in advance, so we could get the cabin we wanted at the rate we wanted. It's now gone up over $600 since we booked it in January.

 

Could we have gotten a cheaper Caribbean cruise? Sure - way cheaper. But we booked Disney because we wanted Disney. "You get what you pay for."

[nu2cruises]

In my opinion it was worth every penny! We booked 16 months out and got a good price. We recently sailed Princess just to try another line and compare, and we all felt that Disney was just better. That being said, we are Disney vacation club members and really like Disney anyway. Princess was nice, we all had a great time, (I agree that there really isn't a bad cruise), but we had a hard time in the evening with the kids program and our dinner time and not being able to find many family activities. My DD 12 will be 13 on the next cruise and is disappointed she has to move up to the teen club because she liked all the crafts in the Oceaneer Lab. However, Disney has added Ocean Quest for the 10-14 set and I think that will turn out to be a great addition. She had a lot of fun there. All in all, I guess we are just Disney people and will have to budget a little more carefully to have more money for the mouse!:) My husband and I enjoyed quite a bit of adult only time and that was very nice. We can't wait for our Disney Panama Canal cruise next summer. I just wish I could afford another one in the spring too! (I don't want much, do I)! Have fun with whatever decision you make. There are people that have all different opinions, we just really enjoy Disney, Tinkerbell, and all of the Magic!:D

[Muushka]

For another perspective, here goes.

 

Disney got my husband on a cruise ship. For that I am forever grateful. We are kid-less and had a wonderful time on both Magic and Wonder. Last year we tried Celebrity. We loved it. I can no longer justify the money it costs to cruise on DCL. But we have some great memories!

 

I would advise anyone to bite the bullet and try DCL at least once. It is a wonderful experience.

[RAFWriter]

We have cruised on Disney, Royal Caribbean and Princess and found that the service we receive on Disney is by far the best. And I'm not even including the children's activities. We are Florida residents and try to take advantage of the Florida resident rates whenever possible.

[livvysmom]

I have been watching this thread and trying to decide if I was going to jump in with my opinion or not. So I have decided I am going to.

 

Here is my background. I am a single mom with a 4 yr. old girl I adopted as a baby internationally. I am a teacher with a hefty adoption loan that will take me forever to pay back to the bank. I found out I have a brain tumor that has caused problems that I have MRI's for and then I had back surgery at the end of Jan. and had a rough recovery when I decided to book a 4 day cruise on the Wonder. We so needed this trip. My surgeon reluctantly let me travel on this trip. I have never traveled alone with my daughter. So there is the setup for my story.

 

We fly in the day before and my daugther was awesome through the change of planes but dragging the carryons through the airports I thought I was going to die by the time we hit Orlando. I let DCL make all the arrangements and we stayed at the Hyatt. When we hit the carousel to get our luggage I was in tears because I could hardly walk. A porter asked me if I was ok. She helped me to the Hyatt and then a bell boy was a savior and got us to our room. I was done. He said he would personally come the next morning and get my luggage downstairs for the bus. That started our DCL trip of a lifetime. That night I couldn't sleep because I was in so much pain. The next day we hit a hiccup because there was a suspicious bag and we got stuck for an hour, but once we got to the ship it was such a relief. Everyone bent over backwards. My daughter was treated like a princess and so was I. As everyone else mentions, the shows and everything else is awesome. For me, it is their service. My daughter dressed as Cinderella and the real Cinderella taught her how to curtsey and twirl. I cried. How do you put a price tag on that? We saw Peter Pan in a hallway and he stopped and talked to her when she was dressed as Cinderella and I got it on video. And for me as an adult, I was just as mesmerized by Mickey, Minnie and Cinderella. I don't have very good family memories when I went as a child so this was a dream for me. It was like seeing them for the first time too.

 

Then, I found out how great their "customer service" really is. My daughter had an accident outside the place where you pick up your bags from CC. I was trying to clean it up and I am crying. People were stepping around it. I felt like a fool. Then I hear a voice. I look up and it is cruise director Brent. He is telling me they will have it cleaned up. I babble that it is my kid's pee and I will get it cleaned up. So I carry her (not good on the back)to the room and a few min. later I hear a knock on the door. I open it up and there he stands with my camcorder, all the shutters pictures I had bought earlier and a new set of mickey ears she was wearing and had dropped in her mess. I wanted to crawl in a hole. Then he asked if I was ok. I told him that I was really sick this year and I really wanted this trip perfect for her and I felt like I wasn't holding up my end with how I was feeling. So he sets her up in the kid's club the last day. The next day they call us and say Belle is waiting for her. I have never seen her flip out of her swimsuit so fast. She stayed for 2 hours and I hit the adult end of the ship and had a drink for brunch! THen I was paged.:( I went there and they talked her into staying. I was sitting out and Brent walked by and said he checked on my daughter in the kid's club and she was doing great. I mean how is that? That night we got back to our room and he had sent a photo album saying he hoped we enjoyed our trip and wanted us to save our memories. Then I remembered mentioning that to him when he stopped by on the deck to say he saw my daughter. I told him I spent my day walking around the ship taking pictures and how I took almost a 1000. So that is what sets DCL apart.... customer service. I have read on other boards that this cruise director has done those kinds of things for others also. My money is VERY tight but I never know what my health may bring so I want to enjoy my time with my daughter and DCL sure gave us wonderful memories that we talk about all the time and we are booked for next summer. For me, life is short so enjoy every moment. Just know with DCL once you get there they take care of everything. Once my bags hit the Hyatt I didn't have to really worry with them again until I set them out to go home again.

 

Sorry this was so incredibly long.