One and Done?

[lilsonicfan]

We have now done 2 and I'm honestly not sure whether we will eke out another in the future. I love the DCL product so much. The service is excellent, I personally enjoy the characters (wish my kids did) and everything is very solid and safe and enjoyable. But the price has risen to insane levels with the possible exception of transatlantic and PC cruises (and those are rising as well). I'm at that point where I feel guilt over taking kids out of school (my oldest is in gr. 5 this year) so the TA/PC cruises aren't really ideal even though they would be my first choice.

So we are looking elsewhere.

I should add that as a family of 5, although the more interesting itineraries really appeal to me, they are just way too much on DCL.

 

[o&smom]

We thought our first Disney Cruise in 2010 was a once in a lifetime vacation. We did a 10 day Med with our just turned 7 DS and our 3 month old DD. We LOVED it, but it just seemed like such a luxury. (Even though it was only $999 per person for my husband and I!) Disney had just announced starting Alaska cruises the next year, and we thought that maybe some day we would do that. We did not book a placeholder(which was much different then). Disney sent us a bounce back offer for 10% off a cruise, and my husband booked for Alaska the following summer. I was so mad at myself for not taking advantage of that $200 onboard credit! Ha! We have enjoyed our time exploring 5 continents with Disney cruise line, and sharing such special time with our kids. Our son will graduate in 2021, and he wants to cruise Disney as his graduation present. Enjoy your cruise. It may be your one and done, but it may not be. Either way you and your family wins by just spending time together on whatever vacations you enjoy together.

 

[sethschroeder]

We thought our first Disney Cruise in 2010 was a once in a lifetime vacation. We did a 10 day Med with our just turned 7 DS and our 3 month old DD. We LOVED it, but it just seemed like such a luxury. (Even though it was only $999 per person for my husband and I!) Disney had just announced starting Alaska cruises the next year, and we thought that maybe some day we would do that. We did not book a placeholder(which was much different then). Disney sent us a bounce back offer for 10% off a cruise, and my husband booked for Alaska the following summer. I was so mad at myself for not taking advantage of that $200 onboard credit! Ha! We have enjoyed our time exploring 5 continents with Disney cruise line, and sharing such special time with our kids. Our son will graduate in 2021, and he wants to cruise Disney as his graduation present. Enjoy your cruise. It may be your one and done, but it may not be. Either way you and your family wins by just spending time together on whatever vacations you enjoy together.

Sorry but Disney has gone to 5 continents? New around here and see them only going to North America and Europe. Would be cool to see an around the world itenary with separate segments that could be booked.

 

[SuperDry]

I seem to remember the statistic being that fleetwide, the DCL average is 39% repeat cruisers, which means that on average, 61% of the passengers are first-time cruisers. Considering that DCL has been in operation 20 years and thus accumulating a great many previous passengers and still on average 61% on board are first-timers, that means that the vast majority of passengers sail only once.

 

[3monkeys4me]

Sorry but Disney has gone to 5 continents? New around here and see them only going to North America and Europe. Would be cool to see an around the world itenary with separate segments that could be booked.

I don't think so. I am fairly certain the PC cruises stop in south America, at least sometimes, so 3 continents but that's all I know about.

 

[bcwife76]

After our first cruise it was one-and-done for my dh but I wanted to give it another shot (our first cruise had some good moments but also some less than great ones too but I wasn't ready to write DCL off).
We are taking our 8th cruise this Saturday with 2 more booked for 2020 Having said all that I think we won't be taking as many in the future as dh really doesn't like repeating itineraries (except Alaska) and there are some he flat out refuses to do (British Isles, anywhere in the Med, for example). But yes this was a long winded way of saying it was potentially one and done for us, but now we're on the road to Platinum

 

[FebruaryFilly]

I don't think so. I am fairly certain the PC cruises stop in south America, at least sometimes, so 3 continents but that's all I know about.

Yeah, Cartegena, Colombia would add South America on the PC trips. I've seen a write up of Magic's Western Mediterranean included a stop in Tunisia so that would be Africa. Just not sure of the 5th. Maybe something else via a Mediterranean stop that would be Asia? Something on the Turkish coast?

Edit-Op yep, her siggie includes "Disney Magic 12-Day E Med Cruise with Greece & Turkey June 2013" so Turkey=Asia. That's 5 continents!

 

[3monkeys4me]

Yeah, Cartegena, Colombia would add South America on the PC trips. I've seen a write up of Magic's Western Mediterranean included a stop in Tunisia so that would be Africa. Just not sure of the 5th. Maybe something else via a Mediterranean stop that would be Asia? Something on the Turkish coast?

Edit-Op yep, her siggie includes "Disney Magic 12-Day E Med Cruise with Greece & Turkey June 2013" so Turkey=Asia. That's 5 continents!

Thanks! We've been to most of those places while we lived in Italy so I don't pay too much attention to the Mediterranean itineraries.

 

[monkeydawn]

I could be one and done. I didnt feel that the service for an adult only party justified the upcharge for us for future cruises with just my huband and me. Id be open to going on another Disney Cruise with kids in the party or if the price were closer to other lines.

 

[JARNJ3]

I seem to remember the statistic being that fleetwide, the DCL average is 39% repeat cruisers, which means that on average, 61% of the passengers are first-time cruisers. Considering that DCL has been in operation 20 years and thus accumulating a great many previous passengers and still on average 61% on board are first-timers, that means that the vast majority of passengers sail only once.

Wow! Sure seems like there is a "cult" <- said in tongue-in-cheek of Disney cruisers!

We were way in the minority on our recent cruise in the Med this past summer - seemed like most folks were repeaters.

 

[QueenIsabella]

We're a one-and-done DCL family. We went in 2003, haven't been back. Mostly it's the cost, some of it is that it's not our vacation style, and some of it is that we're not total Disney fanatics.

We are going on our second cruise next year, which is why I scope out this board every now and then. My (childless) sister and her DH wanted to travel with my family, now that my kids are old enough to be more independent (youngest will be 14 next year). For a bunch of reasons, she and I settled on cruise--we're doing a Baltic Sea cruise on RCCL's "Brilliance of the Seas". DCL didn't even blip the radar.

To put this in perspective a bit--my kids have outgrown WDW--our last family trip was 2014. They're just not interested. We did do Universal in April, but generally, they don't want theme parks. For better or worse, they love international travel. If we stay in the US, they want to go to a place where I can rent a large condo--we value our space. Even on our upcoming cruise, we're renting 3 cabins (2 people each).

Now, if my gang really enjoys the cruise, we might consider another one. Personally, I'd love to do Alaska, but not likely on DCL--it would be on a smaller ship that can go into Glacier Bay. Or another European type cruise (again, not likely on DCL).

 

[o&smom]

Sorry but Disney has gone to 5 continents? New around here and see them only going to North America and Europe. Would be cool to see an around the world itenary with separate segments that could be booked.

You can see in my signature the cruises we have taken. Unfortunately DCL has stopped going to Tunisia (Africa) and Kusadasi, Turkey (Asia). Multiple stops in North America and Europe, and Cartagena on the Panama Canal Cruise checks South America. I keep praying that someday in the far future Disney does take on the World Cruise agenda, but I do not think I would be able to afford it.

 

[Skywalker]

One and done here. We have cruised before, and after. Just not on Disney. Not at all worth it.

 

[mmouse37]

For me, I thought I would be one and done. When my wife booked our first DCL cruise, I was not looking forward to going at all. I had visions in my head of thousands of screaming kids running everywhere. Now I am so grateful my wife booked that first cruise. In a few weeks we'll be on our 10th Disney Cruise with 2 more coming up. I got hooked bad. This may sound silly but I look back at my pre-DCL life and wonder how I could have been going through life unaware of Disney Cruise. Just don't make the classic rookie mistake of not booking a placeholder while you're onboard. Please let us know how it went when you get back.

I feel your pain....I am mean joy at cruising DCL lol. At the end of the month I will doing by 44th DCL. We got hooked when we did the Maiden Voyage of the Magic back in 1998. We were die hard WDW fans and I always wanted to do a cruise but when we sailed on the Magic we all realized we could get our Disney fix in a much more relaxing way. We still hit the parks for rides and such but for overall enjoyment we prefer the cruise!!

MJ

 

[mousefan73]

I seem to remember the statistic being that fleetwide, the DCL average is 39% repeat cruisers, which means that on average, 61% of the passengers are first-time cruisers. Considering that DCL has been in operation 20 years and thus accumulating a great many previous passengers and still on average 61% on board are first-timers, that means that the vast majority of passengers sail only once.

I can see that.. for many reasons.
1. Cost most probably think paying once for their little ones to have the charadter / Disney experience is enought. Especially if the can only afford larger vacations every few years. By then their kids most likely have outgrown princesses and characters. So they think why pay the extra when other cruise lines offer the same product and many cases much more ( my teens love Oasis class ships over DCL) .
2, Not everyone is a crazy disney fan. Here on these boards, most of us are... I appreciate the classic disney pricness mosiacs walls in the lobby. Most cruisers wouldnt glance at it once.
3. Lack of itineraries/dates.. I am finding that in trying to come up with ideas for our next vacation, DCL sail dates/ ininaries are just not fitting. Once you look at other lines, wow the world opens up.

My feeling is cost. DCL has costed about 3000 more than other lines for the sailings we did.. That is a huuuge difference.

 

[belle032]

Wow! Sure seems like there is a "cult" <- said in tongue-in-cheek of Disney cruisers!

We were way in the minority on our recent cruise in the Med this past summer - seemed like most folks were repeaters.

I'm thinking it was the European itinerary. We just got off the British Isles cruise and it was the same way. I think about of 2000 guests, close to 75% were repeat DCL cruisers.

 

[MrsDuck]

My husband would like to be one and done... but he's married to me. And I am decidedly not one and done! I love it!

 

[Mom24Princesses]

When we went on our first Disney Cruise we thought it would be our only mostly due to costs. We were two school teachers with four daughters two were teens at the time and looking towards college.

But before the last night I began planning how we could return. Costs of DCL is the only reason we haven’t done it more.

 

[caitcance]

My husband is one and done. Part of it is he declared himself "not a cruise person"- he is very high energy and loves the outdoors so I think he just felt a little trapped being on a ship. The other part is that it was not relaxing for us at all. Our four kids were constantly pulling us in different directions wanting to do different things, there was very little relaxation and yes the pools are super crowded. That said, my two daughters and I are planning to do a girls only cruise next year and leave Dad and the boys home! We three ARE cruise people

 

[Garyjames220]

My husband is one and done. Part of it is he declared himself "not a cruise person"- he is very high energy and loves the outdoors so I think he just felt a little trapped being on a ship. The other part is that it was not relaxing for us at all. Our four kids were constantly pulling us in different directions wanting to do different things, there was very little relaxation and yes the pools are super crowded. That said, my two daughters and I are planning to do a girls only cruise next year and leave Dad and the boys home! We three ARE cruise people

you might need to book another cruise now and do one just for the boys to make it fair