How much more are you willing to pay for the Disney experience?

We've cruised extensively, but never on Disney. As my kids enter what I consider the "ideal age" for a Disney cruise, I've started pricing them out. I knew that there would be a price difference, but for the dates when we'd HAVE to cruise, the difference in price is almost double. For a family of 4 on a standard balcony stateroom, the Disney Fantasy for 7 nights prices out at around $7,000, while Oasis of the Seas, Norwegian Breakaway, Celebrity Reflection and Regal Princess are all pricing out at $3,500-$4,000.

A Disney cruise is definitely in our future, but we wonder what would be a justifiable premium to pay for the experience.

What are your thoughts? We don't want to wait until the kids get "too old".

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Could you compromise and get an oceanview instead of balcony? That's what we did.

I've learned you have to book Disney as soon as they release dates to the public. That's when they are cheapest and are more comparable to the other lines. Yes, its crazy to think of booking a cruise almost 2 years in advance, but that really is the best pricing. Think of what date you want and when they are releasing 2016 dates if that's when you want to go, book something.

If I were taking children on a cruise, I wouldn't even be looking at other lines, so the price could be five times more and it wouldn't matter.

I pay whatever premium to sail Disney since it is by far our favorite cruise line. Having said that, you will find great experiences on other lines as well.

Could you compromise and get an oceanview instead of balcony? That's what we did.

We looked at the Oceanview and the price was $6,300. For a difference of $700, the balcony seems like the way to go.

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I know people shudder at the thought of in inside stateroom, but having done one on the Fantasy (we wanted the magic porthole), it isn't a bad thing. Another way to save money.

It is impossible to compare "apples to apples" among cruise lines when you get into things like size of cabins, what is/is not included with cruise fare, etc. In general, DCL cabins are bigger than others. You have to upgrade on other lines to get the same space. DCL has free soda at the beverage station and in the dining room. Children programming (3-17) is available 9am-midnight at no additional charge. The only surcharge dining is adult only. With the exception of "tastings" and the sports simulators, there are very few activity charges.

Now, I do realize that the cruise fare difference will buy one hunk of soda cards or childcare, but the point is that there are things included on DCL that cost extra on other lines.

We tried another line for the price (we are long time DCL peeps). There were some lovely things about the other line, but the family over-ruled me. They only want DCL for the entertainment and the service.

For my group of 3 adults, my maximum per day basic cruise fare breaks down to:

For RCCL - $80 per day per person (assumes an inside cabin)

For Carnival - $110 per day per person (assumes an inside or oceanview cabin)

For Celebrity - $150 per day per person (assumes an oceanview or balcony but should include a drink package)

For DCL - less than $180 per day per person

Any more than those figures and I have to question if the cruise is a good value for us.

RCL isn't our favourite line (we don't zip line, rock climb, etc) but it's a nice getaway if it's cheap (basically it's a floating hotel and restaurant for us),

Carnival is one of my favourites because I love their beds, good food, good choices of entertainment (we're not really main show people - I prefer kareoke, comedy clubs, pianist or their bright and airy casinos).

Celebrity has good food, nice rooms, a great coffee bar and with the 123 go promotion, it makes a very all inclusive trip for us.

For DCL, I'm willing to spend more for my basic cruise fare because we really don't spend much (other than tips) onboard. I'd say from my "like" cruise line to DCL, I'd pay 50% more but anything over that, and I'd be questioning my choice.

I figure our "burn rate" on Disney to be roughly $700 per day for the 4 of us. So if I can do a 7 day in a balcony for around $5000 I consider that to be a decent price. That's maybe a 20% premium over what we would pay on other lines which seems about right to me for the Disney experience.

When we were booking our next cruise on the Magic I had two weeks that would work with the school schedule. It was about 7k to go during our preferred week in Feb, and roughly 5k to go during spring break in April. We choose April. ;) It's now gone up to about $5,800 so definitely less expensive the earlier you book as well.

I often look at mini-suite / junior suite prices on other lines to get a better comparison with cabins on Disney.

We usually go no lower then a Balcony on cruises. When first started, it was averaging around $200 pp per day. Since then (1992), it has been up and down in that range, but not much. That rule goes for most cruises.

If I do not have to salute when I step onto the ship from the brow, or sleep on a ship that starts with USS, I will try most lines at least once.

Prior to going on a disney cruise, I would have said no. book two cruise for the price of one. After going on a disney cruise this year, I say YES. Totally worth the extra price for the kids. So I would pay up to double for a cruise on a similar ship and destination.

Are you going over a school break or holiday? that amount seems very high I just booked the Fantasy for $3600 for 3 people, but a group of 4 ppl is coming also and their cruise was only $4600. This is the week after Thanksgiving, we looked even at Thanksgiving week it was a little higher but still not that high. Is there any possibility of being flexible with dates? I think Disney is worth it. I did 2 Carnival cruises the past 2 years (though none with my son) and though everything was great and had a great time, with kids Disney is the way to go. Their child programs far surpass any other lines, and characters even come to the kids center for some special events to play with the kids. And the kids wear a magic band that checks them in and out of the kids club but can also track their location if they happen to get lost. The rooms, the service, everything was amazing on the Disney Cruise (that was just over 2 weeks ago).

We have no children, but faced the same dilemma when booking our Disney cruise. For the price we spent on a family ocean view stateroom on the Disney Fantasy, we could have stayed in a suite on the Carnival Sunshine which sailed a nearly identical itinerary. But I wanted to try Disney, and it was a celebration cruise for me... the perfect time. I am so glad that I did, because of the 16 cruises I've taken on five different cruise lines, the Disney Fantasy has been my favorite.

I recently rated and reviewed the Disney Fantasy on my blog from three different perspectives in my traveling party. We rated the ship on factors such as entertainment, dining, service, etc., all while weighing in value for money. You can read the complete post here - http://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2014/06/DCL-fantasy-rating.html

I think my boyfriend's view (this was his third cruise, having also sailed the Norwegian Epic and Carnival Breeze all within one calendar year) is actually one of the most interesting, and I'd like to include an excerpt from his "conclusion" portion -

As far as value, I thought it was a little pricey. I think the Epic was a better deal for the money, but I feel that's expected with anything with the Disney name. It's going to be overpriced. But you're still getting a really good product. It's expensive, but I felt like I got my money's worth. I was a little worried about going on Disney because of the kid atmosphere and not having stuff to do, but it was surprisingly well-adapted for adults. I would go on another Disney cruise, even with the cost. Being a new cruiser, there are other ships that I would definitely want to try before I do another Disney cruise, but I would absolutely sail Disney again, even as an adult with no children. And it's definitely something that I would want to bring my kids on in the future. This was probably my favorite cruise I've been on when including itinerary and cruise ship. That being said, money plays a part. If I had to choose between going on an Epic cruise or this cruise with the same itinerary, I would probably choose the Epic because it's significantly cheaper, and I liked it just as much. It can't be that every time I go on another cruise, it's Disney... it's got to be like, "Yeah, I got a bonus!" or something like that - a celebration cruise.

One of the things that we did do to save a bit of money was "downgrade" from our typical balcony cabin to a family ocean view stateroom. I put downgrade in quotations because we all agreed that this was the BEST cabin we have ever had on a cruise ship (and that's comparing it to a grand suite on Royal Caribbean). We didn't miss having a balcony at all and loved our large window and window seat. The family ocean view is a great set-up with the split bath configuration and ample storage. But most of all, the rainfall shower was amazing.... best shower ever on a cruise ship, and perhaps ever on vacation. My sister even showered in the spa, and said that our cabin shower was better.

Are you going over a school break or holiday? that amount seems very high. I just booked the Fantasy for $3600 for 3 people, but a group of 4 ppl is coming also and their cruise was only $4600. This is the week after Thanksgiving.

Yes, it's Spring Break, and I know that this is why it's more expensive. We've cruised the week after Thanksgiving on other cruise lines because normally that's one of the cheapest weeks of the year. Unfortunately, that won't work this time. :(

I'm fully aware that I will get slaughtered with higher prices by going during Spring Break but, unless we can work some magic with our schedules, I'll just need to budget accordingly. :o

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I'm fully aware that I will get slaughtered with higher prices by going during Spring Break but, unless we can work some magic with our schedules, I'll just need to budget accordingly.

It sounds like you've got the right attitude and are taking things in stride. Do keep in mind that here on the Disney board you're probably going to get a very different answer as to what the premium is "worth". The people who spend time here tend to love the product and have paid whatever price premium it commanded in the past, so are generally going to give you the same advice.

You also have to realize that the reason a Disney cruise the week you want to sail is twice as expensive as every other line is because the market has dictated that Disney is worth twice as much. Every cruise line is going to charge as much as they can while still making sure they fill all their staterooms. Only you can decide if it's worth it to *you*, but others have apparently decided it is worth it to *them*.

Finally, as to the right age to take kids on a Disney cruise, that is also a personal decision. Disney is one of the few lines to have a nursery that will take care of infants if you wish. And they cater to kids of every age with clubs, activities, etc. targeted to them. So no age is too young, nor too old--it's really up to each family to decide for themselves.

If I were taking children on a cruise, I wouldn't even be looking at other lines, so the price could be five times more and it wouldn't matter.

Really? Other lines also have great amenities for families and kids. That said, we're on a Disney cruise next year because I'd like my kids to experience it at least once.

I'm a love DCL, but that being said I don't think that I could pay twice what I would get on another newer cruise ship. Some things that do let me be OK with paying more up front for DCL are the included soda package which we would add on if we were sailing another line, the ability to get juice all day, the ability to bring our own alcohol onboard, and the laundry facilities (which Princess & CCL offer, but RCI does not).

We are fortunate and are able to travel during off peak times and make use of last minute fares so that really helps. Our next cruise is only $500 more for Fantasy than for Oasis and $300 more for Allure. When it is less than $1,000 difference I will always pick DCL.

I have two DCL cruises booked both 12 nights both cost an arm and two legs my children are getting older they are no longer interested in Mickey and Co, DCL have year on year pushed up prices and I think there is a limit to what any one family will do, if you think you have seen all the shows before and done Palo and done Remy. So yes there is a Limit of no more, but we dipped into RCI and whilst the ship was nice the people in charge didn't have a clue.

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Funny to read this because I was watching "Wheel of Fortune" last night and it is DCL week and I whined that I wanted to go on Disney... (WAHHHH) I am taking Carnival this weekend because Disney doesn't offer solo rates (well, I guess they do, it's just pay 2x 1 person and that's the solo rate) so the price difference was extraordinary....

Now when DD was younger, I would rationalize about 150% more for Disney (which meant an oceanview vs a balcony on another line), and even that was only achievable with FL resident rates. However, from a value perspective, yes, it was worth it.

Whatever the limit might be for each of us, there are people who will pay whatever DCL charges. If they weren't filling ships, they'd lower prices. Yes, there are cruises that are not sufficiently filled and specials are available near the sailing date--a great advantage to those who can be flexible. DCL has had 15+ years to figure out how to get the highest priced bookings possible, and most of the time they do it!

I haven't noticed anything so tremendously amazing or different between DCL and RCCL that I would pay much of a difference between the two. Even my son, once he got used to the Royal program for kids, saw that they are different, but fairly equal in the scads of fun he has had on both.

I've never cruised DCL during peak times because of the price. I've only cruised in the off season. I could've pay DCL peak season prices. I'd choose another line during those times and try DCL for an off season cruise.

We just went on our first Carnival cruise after 3 DCL cruises and it was fantastic! I'm a convert. Love DCL but it's definitely not worth peak season pricing.

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On occasion I'm willing to pay substantially more for a Disney cruise. It depends on a variety of circumstances. I don't sail exclusively with DCL because they are expensive but mostly because I like variety and their fleet and destinations are limited. I don't have kids either so I don't want to always cruise with a lot of children.

This being said, DCL ranks as one of my top three cruise lines and I pretty much sail them all. I absolutely love the DCL experience and so far after every DCL cruise I've felt it was worth every penny.

That attention to detail which they call the "Disney Difference" … well it's blatantly apparent to me and it's sorely missed when I sail on more mainstream lines like Carnival, NCL, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. All those lines have their good points to be sure, but they don't offer the attention to detail and unique experience that only Disney excels at. Now if you're not a particular fan of Disney or you don't really notice or appreciate attention to detail, then by all means the extra $$ to sail on DCL would probably be wasted on you. Go on something like Carnival or NCL instead. Of course if you do love Disney and have a true appreciation of attention to detail then I think you will feel as I do, that the extra $$ to sail on DCL is money well spent!

Frankly I'm quite happy there are plenty of people like me that do appreciate what Disney offers (and are willing to pay more) which is not always easy to define. It's a mix of pixie dust and attention to detail on ships that are a hybrid of a classic liner with all the modern touches. It's knowing that every detail of the experience and surroundings was carefully thought out and no expense was spared. The fact that DCL is more expensive only makes it that much more special to me when I sail on them. I know I'm in for a treat, and sometimes the best things in life are worth paying for! If prices were bargain basement like Carnival the quality and detail that Disney is famous for simply would not exist. Lines like Carnival offer a good value for the money, but IMO they have nothing on Disney!

Good luck with your decision.

I love DCL but I couldn't believe that my service on Carnival was just as good or better in some areas. Believe me I was shocked. I saw really no difference.

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I love DCL but I couldn't believe that my service on Carnival was just as good or better in some areas. Believe me I was shocked. I saw really no difference.

 

 

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I have seen huge differences. I'm Platinum on Carnival and I've cruised with them many times over the years. Some of the experiences have been very good, and some downright dismal. Last year on the new BREEZE was not a great experience. Cutbacks everywhere especially the staff, poor entertainment, DJ's instead of live music, super crowded ship, lack of a/c, and the food & service in the main dining room were about as bad as you could get. Fast forward to last month and I sailed on CARNIVAL FREEDOM and the experience was quite good. That is the thing with Carnival, it's a bit of a crapshoot but I am sometimes willing to take my chances because it's so damn cheap. I also find the clientele in general to be quite different between Carnival and Disney. On Carnival I've seen many fights, lots of very drunk people, unruly teenagers, sex in hot tubs, beer bottles and glasses left everywhere, corridors littered with room service trays, seeing "f-you" etched into the glass in the elevator on INSPIRATION, and just really, really poor behavior. Sometimes it's like an episode from Jerry Springer. This is especially true on the short weekend cruises. I've never seen any of that on Disney and my experiences on Disney have always been consistently excellent in all regards. I also feel the hardware is so far superior on Disney it's not even funny. Quality, quality, quality in the way all the cabins and the entire ship is furnished and designed. Real tile in the dual bathrooms, logo towels, toiletries, instead of a plastic pre-fab bathroom, standard holiday inn issue towels, and some free sample size toiletries that were donated by sponsoring companies … and that is just the cabin bathrooms! LOL There is a major difference, but I do get that some people don't see it, appreciate it, or care about it. Those people are better off sailing on something like Carnival as why pay more for something you don't appreciate?