Disney Cruise Prices

[holula]

I think when you sail on DCL makes a huge difference. We tend to book VGT a few months out for the less busy travel times and it works extremely well.

Totally agree on this. If you are sailing over peak times for DCL (like spring break/Christmas/summer) then it can be a lot cheaper on other lines. Off season for DCL, comparable. I did an NCL cruise over New Years in 2019, we got two rooms and it was $2k cheaper than one verandah on Disney.

IMO Disney cruises are different and appeal to certain people. If I had to pay full price I never would have reached the platinum level as quickly as I did. I've tried RCCL and Princess a few times and had mostly good cruises but I still prefer Disney. I agree that it's not worth the obvious higher cost for some people but for those that sail DCL regularly, the so called Disney magic comes a higher price and they're ok with paying it.

100%, I sail Disney because I love Disney. I’ll do other lines for a good itinerary (like anywhere in Europe) but otherwise it’s Disney.

I disagree. Disney has more on their ship for us to do which is included in the cruise price, so once we pay for our cruise our on board expenses are low. When we sail NCL it’s the opposite.

I am exactly the opposite with NCL, I spend way more on Disney because of the shops. If it has Mickey’s face on it, sign me up.

 

[pjacobi]

Because Disney has free soda.

Really? Free soda is the top of your list? I can think of hundreds of things to do on a cruise other than to drink unlimited soda.

To each his/her own!


-Paul

 

[Kevin O'Brien]

I have compared Disney cruise prices to three other major cruise lines , for the same itineraries, and Disney is by far the most expensive. I am not seeing the value with Disney’s pricing, as food quality has gone down hill, itineraries are mostly the same, and the adult areas are lacking on the new ship the Wish. DCL used to be the best bang for your buck when compared to a WDW trip, but now I am not so sure. It will be a long while before we sail Disney Cruiseline again.

If you book early it's usually cheaper and you get to select stateroom 2024 Disney cruise line sailings have been released and they all at starting prices in a few months time prices will more likely to be increased. If you book the last minute they offer the same price as it is now for 2024 but it will be restricted guaranteed staterooms which means you have to pay in full and you don't get to select stateroom but if you want select stateroom the last minute it will cost a lot than it is now for 2024. The earlier you book the cheaper it works out.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

As a gold member I have been on enough DCL cruises ships to compare DCL to other cruiselines. In a club balcony suite sailing to Alaska, with all free at sea promotions, gratuities, one night pre-cruise hotel stay and transfers through NCL, we are still saving almost $4000 for this cruise. Oh, also sailing into Glacier Bay. Believe me, I ran the numbers.

Glacier Bay was important to us, too, as well as a one-way itinerary, so we chose a Princess cruise for Alaska. I do think Disney offers a fantastic Alaska product, and if we cruise Alaska again, it will probably be with DCL to experience all the special Disney touches we didn't experience on Princess. But we had a nice time and it was a bit of a savings. (FYI, we booked a Mini Suite on Princess to get the same style stateroom as DCL, but very much missed the split bathrooms.)

Excellent comparison. We are sailing the Encore for our Alaskan cruise.
As far as Glacier Bay goes, it is a FULL DAY there. Not a cruise by thing. Disney can not get into Glacier Bay. Should be lowering their price for that.

DCL's Alaska pricing is based on supply and demand. Glacier Bay might not be important to some people, so the idea that Disney should apologetically lower their prices when people are willing to pay more is not within the realm of possibility. If there were less interest in Disney because people want Glacier Bay, then the prices will reflect that.

 

[Kwami]

They are bigger than the regular verandas.

They are not. NCL says that they're 246 sq ft, which is smaller than almost all of the verandahs on Disney's ships. In any case, they're just verandah/balcony rooms. They're not suites, no matter what NCL calls them.

 

[NEGeekymama]

Really? Free soda is the top of your list? I can think of hundreds of things to do on a cruise other than to drink unlimited soda.

To each his/her own!


-Paul

The list wasn't in any particular order.

But free soda is a big perk. As is the fact that Disney doesn't have a traditional drink package, nor do they really push the alcohol sales. No casino/massive area to smoke is really nice too.

 

[NEGeekymama]

Our week long NCL cruise in July in a 2 room Haven suite was $2400 cheaper than a week long Fantasy cruise in a veranda view. If I compared to concierge it would have been several more thousands of dollars cheaper but I refuse to pay concierge on Disney. Same dates. Both Eastern Caribbean. And this included the upgraded wifi, prepaid gratuities, and beverage package gratuities and a giant room with a butler. It was 2400 cheaper total.

Now the kids club on Disney is by far and away better. And we like Casataway Cay better than Great Stirrup Cay. But honestly my 9 year old said she had just as much if not more fun on the NCL cruise due to the 5 water slides, ropes course, and being in the Haven. We are doing DCL in March because we got a good price with the Disney Plus deal, but it’s harder for me to justify the cost.

And which of the constant promos was NCL running for that deal? Because I just priced out the identical itinerary to our 7 day on the Fantasy coming up in February, and it's $14,000 for the 2 room Haven suite.

 

[Mango7100]

And which of the constant promos was NCL running for that deal? Because I just priced out the identical itinerary to our 7 day on the Fantasy coming up in February, and it's $14,000 for the 2 room Haven suite.

I have no idea. I just know what we paid when we booked and what the prices were this summer when we were shopping around. Also had briefly looked and compared prices to Alaska June 2023 with similar results. You can choose to believe me or not.

 

[CaseyCruiser]

I love Disney Cruise Line so for me it's worth the money

 

[bcwife76]

I love Disney Cruise Line so for me it's worth the money

At the end of the day this is what it boils down to. Why do other people care how you spend your money? Spend it on DCL, spend it on NCL, spend it wherever. Just because something is 'cheaper' and apparently 'better' ....well...that's in the eye of the beholder. Posts like this never sway people one way or another. Pretty sure we are all aware of how much other cruise lines cost.

 

[Cheburashka]

The newer ship the “Encore”. 3998 passengers.

No, sorry, I meant how many passengers in your party.

 

[Cheburashka]

I get some of your differences, but some are not unique to Disney. We have cruises on 5 different lines, and while we enjoy DCL they aren’t some unicorn with so many specialty features no one else has.

1. Castaway Cay—we love it but most lines have a private island. So that’s not unique. Castaway Cay is different in not as developed feeling, but it’s till ocean, beach, and food.
2. The NCL ship we were on had a full walkable promenade with 4 outdoor bars and outdoor restaurant seatings for 4 restaurants (this isn’t counting the pool bars and food areas). So a promenade is not unique to Disney.
3. no casino—agree.
4. Adult only areas onboard and on the island. Literally every cruise line has these. Not unique to Disney.
5. Disney entertainment—agree and that’s the ace in the hole for them.
6. Fireworks—agree
7. Decorations—haven’t been on other lines over the holidays. Saw plenty of decorated doors on other cruise lines. On NCL people hide rubber ducks around the ship for people to find. So not unique to DCL
8. Spacious staterooms—again not unique to Disney. Every line has them.
9. Aqua Duck—while the other lines don’t have the Aqua duck they have plenty of other water slides that DCL doesn’t have. We had 5 on our last cruise. Royal has tons of different ones. Most of the newer ships on other lines have more than 2 slides which is what the dream/ fantasy has.

We enjoy DCL but I also have been on other lines enough for us to know that DCL isnt head and shoulders above everyone except for the kids club for our family. So we are open to other lines depending on what we feel like. Especially for the price. But everyone is different and enjoys different stuff.

1. We like Castaway Cay because of the way it's developed. We don't want a water park island. We love CC's blend of peaceful beach, nature, plus Pelican Plunge and a long bike trail.

2. We don't want a promenade with bars and restaurants on it. We like the old fashioned quiet promenade that is just a promenade. Very peaceful.

3. We agree

4. Every cruise line has a separate adult beach on their private island? Good to know.

5 - 6. We agree

7. I'll believe that other ships' Halloween and Christmas decorations match Disney's quality of decorations when I see them. No one does holiday decorations like Disney.

8. The same category staterooms are not as big on other mass market lines as on DCL, and the bathrooms are less spacious. I've checked the square footage.

9. We like the Aqua Duck specifically because it's a water coaster, not just a slide. I like that there are only a couple of slides because it keeps the overall pool deck atmosphere low-key & not like a water park.

Disney does offer something very beautiful and unique, that you can't get anywhere else. We value it and are sticking with it as long as the Fab Four ships are available to sail.

There are other deals and great cruises out there and I hope people enjoy them. But there's no need to pretend that DCL doesn't also offer a special product that's worthwhile for many cruisers.

 

[Mango7100]

1. We like Castaway Cay because of the way it's developed. We don't want a water park island. We love CC's blend of peaceful beach, nature, plus Pelican Plunge and a long bike trail.

2. We don't want a promenade with bars and restaurants on it. We like the old fashioned quiet promenade that is just a promenade. Very peaceful.

3. We agree

4. Every cruise line has a separate adult beach on their private island? Good to know.

5 - 6. We agree

7. I'll believe that other ships' Halloween and Christmas decorations match Disney's quality of decorations when I see them. No one does holiday decorations like Disney.

8. The same category staterooms are not as big on other mass market lines as on DCL, and the bathrooms are less spacious. I've checked the square footage.

9. We like the Aqua Duck specifically because it's a water coaster, not just a slide. I like that there are only a couple of slides because it keeps the overall pool deck atmosphere low-key & not like a water park.

Disney does offer something very beautiful and unique, that you can't get anywhere else. We value it and are sticking with it as long as the Fab Four ships are available to sail.

There are other deals and great cruises out there and I hope people enjoy them. But there's no need to pretend that DCL doesn't also offer a special product that's worthwhile for many cruisers.

And this reply highlights that cruising is specific to individual tastes. You like Castaway Cay better because of certain reasons. You like an old fashioned promenade and not one with bars. You don’t want a bunch of water slides. And for other people those are negatives.

I am not saying DCL is bad, obviously I don’t think that or we wouldn’t have another cruise booked on them. I’m not saying it’s not unique and has a market. But on the flip side, there no need to pretend that other cruises dont offer a special product either that is worthwhile for cruisers. It seems on these threads if someone dares mentions that DCL is expensive and they went on a cruise that’s cheaper and had a good time, then some replies are to the effect that obviously the cheaper cruise is inferior because it’s not DCL. All Im saying is people may want to check out other lines and try them. I thought we were DCL only until we found a cheaper option, tried it, and realized that for us DCL is not the only option. And maybe other families would be surprised if they try another line if they feel like it. At the end of the day people should go and spend their money where they like.

 

[Cheburashka]

And this reply highlights that cruising is specific to individual tastes. You like Castaway Cay better because of certain reasons. You like an old fashioned promenade and not one with bars. You don’t want a bunch of water slides. And for other people those are negatives.

I am not saying DCL is bad, obviously I don’t think that or we wouldn’t have another cruise booked on them. I’m not saying it’s not unique and has a market. But on the flip side, there no need to pretend that other cruises dont offer a special product either that is worthwhile for cruisers. It seems on these threads if someone dares mentions that DCL is expensive and they went on a cruise that’s cheaper and had a good time, then some replies are to the effect that obviously the cheaper cruise is inferior because it’s not DCL. All Im saying is people may want to check out other lines and try them. I thought we were DCL only until we found a cheaper option, tried it, and realized that for us DCL is not the only option. And maybe other families would be surprised if they try another line if they feel like it. At the end of the day people should go and spend their money where they like.

Yes, I said they're apples and oranges, which they are. But some people like apples and not oranges, and some people like oranges and not apples. They are different offerings that can work for different people. I know people who I couldn't pay to take a Disney cruise. To each his own. Merry cruising!

 

[Chemist]

We are sailing Princess Club Class Mini-suite to Alaska this summer. It was literally half the price of a veranda on DCL for the same week. (Its the closest apples to apples comparison.). It also includes Glacier Bay, which is a must for us. (It also includes drink packages and tips.)

I know we will miss the Disney shows and maybe some of the "magic." But I know there are other things we will like better about Princess.

I just couldn't justify paying another $7,000 for Disney. That amount of money would cover a LOT of excursions!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We are sailing Princess Club Class Mini-suite to Alaska this summer. It was literally half the price of a veranda on DCL for the same week. (Its the closest apples to apples comparison.). It also includes Glacier Bay, which is a must for us. (It also includes drink packages and tips.)

I know we will miss the Disney shows and maybe some of the "magic." But I know there are other things we will like better about Princess.

I just couldn't justify paying another $7,000 for Disney. That amount of money would cover a LOT of excursions!

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.

 

[Glenn3484]

I’ve noticed all cruise lines prices have gone up. We sail on the fantasy in a few weeks and on royals wonder of the seas for spring break. We like Disney because we are all big Disney freaks, the ships are cleaner, better kids clubs by far, and the food was better. But we like Royal too and can’t wait to sail on the wonder.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I think the moral of the story here is magic is expensive. I do love me some NCL and although some may have qualms about Free at Sea, I love that all those extras are prepaid upfront as part of the package. I could fully come off an NCL cruise without spending anything extra, which was NOT the case when I sailed Royal last year or DCL.

 

[Pens Fan]

I think the moral of the story here is magic is expensive. I do love me some NCL and although some may have qualms about Free at Sea, I love that all those extras are prepaid upfront as part of the package. I could fully come off an NCL cruise without spending anything extra, which was NOT the case when I sailed Royal last year or DCL.

I agree!! I just laugh at this point when people try to throw shade at other cruise lines for their up-charges. Granted, we have only sailed on NCL and DCL (multiple times on each) so I can't speak to other lines, But our bill on NCL is always a tiny fraction of what it is on DCL. On NCL everything is paid upfront and we leave with just a tiny bill. Our DCL bills have been a lot. . The whole nickel and dime narrative that DCL fans want to play vs others lines is not reality.

 

[Kwami]

The whole nickel and dime narrative that DCL fans want to play vs others lines is not reality.

Oh, please. The "free" stuff isn't free. They charge absolutely absurd "gratuities" for the "free" open bar and "free" specialty dining. Other specialty dining costs extra, just like on DCL. The laundry isn't self service, so that costs more. The WiFi costs more. If you don't get the "free" open bar, then soft drinks aren't free. Many of the excursions cost more. Access to the adults-only sundeck isn't free. And that's just NCL! At least they don't charge for towels like some other lines do...