Disney Cruise Prices

[NEGeekymama]

I really appreciate your researching and providing the info obtained since I AM NOT computer savvy. :0).

I would be interested in reading your comparison as to how MSC would stack using their current offers --- TIA

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise-deals/holiday-and-new-years-sale?&wiz_campaign=USA-EN-SEM-Brand-US_Drive_Market_Core_Exact&wiz_medium=SEM&wiz_source=Google&wiz_term=msc cruises&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8auJkYGT_AIVXoFaBR1mFA_7EAAYASAAEgIFgPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Sure! I just need to know how many people, the length of cruise, and the destinations you're wanting to compare.

 

[NEGeekymama]

I really appreciate your researching and providing the info obtained since I AM NOT computer savvy. :0).

I would be interested in reading your comparison as to how MSC would stack using their current offers --- TIA

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise-deals/holiday-and-new-years-sale?&wiz_campaign=USA-EN-SEM-Brand-US_Drive_Market_Core_Exact&wiz_medium=SEM&wiz_source=Google&wiz_term=msc cruises&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8auJkYGT_AIVXoFaBR1mFA_7EAAYASAAEgIFgPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Sure! I just need to know how many people, type of room, the length of cruise, and the destinations you're wanting to compare.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Okay then.

For July 29, 2023 on the Fantasy a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with (extended) balcony is $6,618.76 for one adult and one child. For two adults and one child it's $8.476.90.

For July 23, 2023 The Haven Forward-Facing Penthouse with Balcony is $7,886.74 for a party of two. For a party of three, it would be $9,035.81. And this is including the "2nd guest free" promo. So you can add about $7k to each for the non-sale total.

So in this case, Disney is the cheapest.

As for the rooms themselves, the Haven Forward-Facing Penthouse with Balcony does have separate living & sleeping areas, but by no means is it a massive difference vs. the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom on Disney. For NCL, the room is approx. 451sq ft with a 32sq ft balcony (though cruisedeckplans.com puts it at 387sq ft and 33sq ft). On Disney, the room is listed at 299sq ft including the balcony, however, when you look at cruisedeckplans.com the room is listed as 256sq ft, and as this particular one is a 4E balcony, it's at least twice the size of the listed 43sq ft.

Honestly? This took very little time. Never underestimate the motivation and skill of someone who recently finished Grad School.

And why did I go to the trouble of taking maybe 10 minutes to price-compare? Because, and call me crazy, I like having accurate information out there. Comparing NCL's sales of "2nd guest free" or "3rd and 4th guest free" or what have you to Disney's non-sale price is neither fair nor accurate.

I feel like you're trying to make a point but instead proving everyone else's.

You're literally comparing a concierge class room with butler and the elevated amenities, larger stateroom, all-inclusive essentially with all the extras... to a balcony on DCL without any of that and showing the pricing is comparable.

Are you... trying to push people to the non-Disney cruise lines? Because if so, I think it's working. lol

 

[John VN]

Sure! I just need to know how many people, the length of cruise, and the destinations you're wanting to compare.

Thanks, was just wondering how the pricing would compare to the ones you mention in Post #75. Not meaning to impose especially at this time so no problem if you would rather not and Happy Holidays

 

[NEGeekymama]

I feel like you're trying to make a point but instead proving everyone else's.

You're literally comparing a concierge class room with butler and the elevated amenities, larger stateroom, all-inclusive essentially with all the extras... to a balcony on DCL without any of that and showing the pricing is comparable.

Are you... trying to push people to the non-Disney cruise lines? Because if so, I think it's working. lol

It's only "comparable" because NCL runs sales all the time.

The non-sale price for that room would be in the $14,000 range.

 

[NEGeekymama]

Thanks, was just wondering how the pricing would compare to the ones you mention in Post #75. Not meaning to impose especially at this time so no problem if you would rather not and Happy Holidays

Right off the bat I can see that on MSC the "free drinks and wifi" rate is higher than the non-freebie rate. The current sale of up to 40% off and kids sail free looks pretty legit, though. I can't find any blackout dates for the kids sail free, unlike RCCL which has a ton of blackout dates.

 

[John VN]

Right off the bat I can see that on MSC the "free drinks and wifi" rate is higher than the non-freebie rate. The current sale of up to 40% off and kids sail free looks pretty legit, though. I can't find any blackout dates for the kids sail free, unlike RCCL which has a ton of blackout dates.

I never went into a search mode to verify but just thought that the *Low Ball Rate* was a discounted Regular Rack Rate and now the Regular Rack Rate has the FREE Stuff. A long time ago I also seem to recall the MSC Age for KIDS is 16yo.

 

[Marthasor]

Okay then.

For July 29, 2023 on the Fantasy a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with (extended) balcony is $6,618.76 for one adult and one child. For two adults and one child it's $8.476.90.

For July 23, 2023 The Haven Forward-Facing Penthouse with Balcony is $7,886.74 for a party of two. For a party of three, it would be $9,035.81. And this is including the "2nd guest free" promo. So you can add about $7k to each for the non-sale total.

So in this case, Disney is the cheapest.

As for the rooms themselves, the Haven Forward-Facing Penthouse with Balcony does have separate living & sleeping areas, but by no means is it a massive difference vs. the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom on Disney. For NCL, the room is approx. 451sq ft with a 32sq ft balcony (though cruisedeckplans.com puts it at 387sq ft and 33sq ft). On Disney, the room is listed at 299sq ft including the balcony, however, when you look at cruisedeckplans.com the room is listed as 256sq ft, and as this particular one is a 4E balcony, it's at least twice the size of the listed 43sq ft.

Honestly? This took very little time. Never underestimate the motivation and skill of someone who recently finished Grad School.

And why did I go to the trouble of taking maybe 10 minutes to price-compare? Because, and call me crazy, I like having accurate information out there. Comparing NCL's sales of "2nd guest free" or "3rd and 4th guest free" or what have you to Disney's non-sale price is neither fair nor accurate.

It is a massive difference and your comparison isn’t accurate. You are comparing a concierge-class stateroom (NCL Haven) with a non-concierge DCL stateroom. If you want apples to apples, you need to price out a standard verandah room on NCL to compare with the DCL room or a 1-bedroom on DCL to compare with the Haven room. I’ve sailed NCL Haven several times - it has zero comparison to a standard stateroom on DCL.

 

[Marthasor]

Okay then.

For July 29, 2023 on the Fantasy a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with (extended) balcony is $6,618.76 for one adult and one child. For two adults and one child it's $8.476.90.

For July 23, 2023 The Haven Forward-Facing Penthouse with Balcony is $7,886.74 for a party of two. For a party of three, it would be $9,035.81. And this is including the "2nd guest free" promo. So you can add about $7k to each for the non-sale total.

So in this case, Disney is the cheapest.

As for the rooms themselves, the Haven Forward-Facing Penthouse with Balcony does have separate living & sleeping areas, but by no means is it a massive difference vs. the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom on Disney. For NCL, the room is approx. 451sq ft with a 32sq ft balcony (though cruisedeckplans.com puts it at 387sq ft and 33sq ft). On Disney, the room is listed at 299sq ft including the balcony, however, when you look at cruisedeckplans.com the room is listed as 256sq ft, and as this particular one is a 4E balcony, it's at least twice the size of the listed 43sq ft.

Honestly? This took very little time. Never underestimate the motivation and skill of someone who recently finished Grad School.

And why did I go to the trouble of taking maybe 10 minutes to price-compare? Because, and call me crazy, I like having accurate information out there. Comparing NCL's sales of "2nd guest free" or "3rd and 4th guest free" or what have you to Disney's non-sale price is neither fair nor accurate.

It is a massive difference and your comparison isn’t accurate. You are comparing a concierge-class stateroom (NCL Haven) with a non-concierge DCL stateroom. If you want apples to apples, you need to price out a standard verandah room on NCL to compare with the DCL room or a 1-bedroom on DCL to compare with the Haven room. I’ve sailed NCL Haven several times - it has zero comparison to a standard stateroom on DCL.

 

[gscott8075]

I can book a Viking River Cruise on the Rhine in June with airfare for less than my upcoming New Year's cruise on the Fantasy will cost. The stateroom is smaller on Viking, but beer/wine with meals and seven excursions are included. The Disney cruise (our 12th but first one in seven years) fit into what we wanted to do - and that's why we chose it over the Viking (of which we have done one and it was just incredible)

They aren't comparable experiences at all - much like many of the comparisons above.

I think this thread has gone sideways and several folks are not being cordial. It is pretty discouraging.

 

[nancipants]

Well said. And this is the point. It’s about how expensive DCL has gotten compared to other cruise lines for basically the same accommodations and itinerary.

There is another point, though: some people are willing to pay a premium because they want to sail with Disney specifically. I know that other cruise lines are cheaper, but I’m not interested in them right now.

 

[NEGeekymama]

It is a massive difference and your comparison isn’t accurate. You are comparing a concierge-class stateroom (NCL Haven) with a non-concierge DCL stateroom. If you want apples to apples, you need to price out a standard verandah room on NCL to compare with the DCL room or a 1-bedroom on DCL to compare with the Haven room. I’ve sailed NCL Haven several times - it has zero comparison to a standard stateroom on DCL.

The comparison was done that way because the original comment stated that they stayed in the Haven and then compared it to a family verandah. I was simply going off of the information that they provided.

A family balcony on NCL for a party of four sailing July 30, 2023 for 7 nights is $5,847.88 after the "2nd guest free" promo has been applied. In which case, the original fare is $9,993.88 for the most accurate comparison to Disney.

A family balcony on DCL for a party of four sailing July 29, 2023 for 7 nights is $10,407.28.

So in this very specific scenario (date and itinerary), NCL is cheaper than DCL by $413.40. Note that I'm not comparing the NCL sale price, because, again, that's not fair nor accurate given the fact that NCL almost always has a sale going.

Also of note is that on NCL fare you're paying 29% in port fees/taxes/gratuities, vs. ~5% on Disney.

But ultimately, who really wants to sale to the Caribbean in July? Just thinking about that makes me sweaty.

So let's look at a more reasonable time to travel to warm climates.

A family of four (two adults, two kids) can sale on a 7 Night Halloween on the High Seas Western Caribbean departing October 7, 2023 in a Category 4E family balcony for $7,062.44.

A party of four can sale on a 7 Night Caribbean on NCL departing October 28, 2023 in a Family Balcony (which FYI is smaller than the DCL family room) for $5,238.96 after the "2nd guest free" promo. The original fare would be $8,854.96.

 

[happycamper47]

There is another point, though: some people are willing to pay a premium because they want to sail with Disney specifically. I know that other cruise lines are cheaper, but I’m not interested in them right now.

To us the level of service is worth the extra money. My wife, who has a walking disability, does not get the same level of service on the other cruise lines that she gets on DCL. The minute we hit Cabana's or even at the quick serve stations someone is right there to take her plate, get her drink etc. They've even offered to go get her ice cream.

 

[NEGeekymama]

Well said. And this is the point. It’s about how expensive DCL has gotten compared to other cruise lines for basically the same accommodations and itinerary.

DCL is hardly the only cruise line out their to raise their prices. Or change significantly. We sailed on RCCL back in 2008 and got upgraded from an ocean view to a balcony for free without even asking. Now you have to bid to get an upgrade.

 

[NEGeekymama]

To us the level of service is worth the extra money. My wife, who has a walking disability, does not get the same level of service on the other cruise lines that she gets on DCL. The minute we hit Cabana's or even at the quick serve stations someone is right there to take her plate, get her drink etc. They've even offered to go get her ice cream.

Exactly this.

When we sailed in 2015, our 2 year old was pretty fussy and cranky at dinner time. Our server (Kevin!) went out of his way each night to distract her, and sometimes even fed her.

Out of the 3 Carnival cruises we've done with the kids, I can remember only one server that was at that level. Some barely even interacted with the kids.

 

[NEGeekymama]

There is another point, though: some people are willing to pay a premium because they want to sail with Disney specifically. I know that other cruise lines are cheaper, but I’m not interested in them right now.

That's basically where we're at.

We did three Carnival cruises after our Disney in 2015, and the last one in March has definitely turned us off Carnival for a long while now.

 

[Pens Fan]

It's only "comparable" because NCL runs sales all the time.

The non-sale price for that room would be in the $14,000 range.

Except, no one actually pays $14,000 for that cruise. No one. Yes, NCL runs "sales" all of the time. They aren't really sales. They are just marketing gimmicks designed to make lesser informed customers think they are getting a deal. The "sale" price you see, is the actual price. No one is paying full price! They have offered the 3rd and 4th person free deal for years. The 2nd person free is new, but guess what? It replaced their 50% off "sale". Math is fun .

Honestly, you lost me when you tried to compare a DCL basic verandah to the Haven as if it was somehow an equivalent product. Anyone trying to do a fair, unbiased comparison would look at DCL's Concierge pricing - not a basic verandah. But to keep harping about NCL's "full price" cost - which isn't even real? I give up.

Bottom line is everyone should book whatever is right for their family. Sometimes we go with NCL, sometimes we go with DCL. We might try other lines at some point. Variety is good!

 

[dreamer17555]

Okay so anyone who is excellent at finding deals find me one that would make me not book the Feb 27th 5 night dream VGT for $2165? Would need to be 5-7 nights, two people (one adult, one turning 16 on 2/27) sail over the 27th and have sodas included (I don’t drink a ton of alcohol) in a verandah stateroom the same size or larger than DCL.

 

[Marthasor]

The comparison was done that way because the original comment stated that they stayed in the Haven and then compared it to a family verandah. I was simply going off of the information that they provided.

A family balcony on NCL for a party of four sailing July 30, 2023 for 7 nights is $5,847.88 after the "2nd guest free" promo has been applied. In which case, the original fare is $9,993.88 for the most accurate comparison to Disney.

A family balcony on DCL for a party of four sailing July 29, 2023 for 7 nights is $10,407.28.

So in this very specific scenario (date and itinerary), NCL is cheaper than DCL by $413.40. Note that I'm not comparing the NCL sale price, because, again, that's not fair nor accurate given the fact that NCL almost always has a sale going.

Also of note is that on NCL fare you're paying 29% in port fees/taxes/gratuities, vs. ~5% on Disney.

But ultimately, who really wants to sale to the Caribbean in July? Just thinking about that makes me sweaty.

So let's look at a more reasonable time to travel to warm climates.

A family of four (two adults, two kids) can sale on a 7 Night Halloween on the High Seas Western Caribbean departing October 7, 2023 in a Category 4E family balcony for $7,062.44.

A party of four can sale on a 7 Night Caribbean on NCL departing October 28, 2023 in a Family Balcony (which FYI is smaller than the DCL family room) for $5,238.96 after the "2nd guest free" promo. The original fare would be $8,854.96.

That doesn’t make any sense. You yourself stated NCL runs sales all the time, which is true. Many cruise lines use this gimmick to make people think they are getting a deal. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve repriced a cruise after a new “deal” has been released only to find it’s the same rate I’ve already booked, packaged under a new promo. No one is paying “full fare” on a NCL cruise. You really think a potential guest is going to look at your numbers and not realize they would save thousands of actual dollars by booking NCL over DCL for comparable cruises? A true comparison is comparing actual cost with actual cost, not theoreticals.

 

[auntlynne]

Okay so anyone who is excellent at finding deals find me one that would make me not book the Feb 27th 5 night dream VGT for $2165? Would need to be 5-7 nights, two people (one adult, one turning 16 on 2/27) sail over the 27th and have sodas included (I don’t drink a ton of alcohol) in a verandah stateroom the same size or larger than DCL.

This one doesn’t have soda included - you would have to add on. I think you could get that for the < $300 difference. (They do serve Coke, but often from a Freestyle machine). Two more cruise days, but also 2 more days‘ gratuities.

Same embarkation city as Dream - and also a Western Caribbean.

I don’t know If I would be convinced to book this over the Dream, as I am a Disney > Royal experience fan. But it is a nice deal and has two extra ports. Lots of activities in the Oasis.

I only checked Royal so far. I sailed the Allure of the Seas, this one’s sister. Lots of people love these ships.