How come DCL isn't selling out?

[Memorymakerfor4]

We just got back from a DCL Alaska trip and it was amazing. Yes, it was expensive, but we pay for everything we can with discounted gift cards to help offset the cost. That makes a difference and also helps with cash flow, as these were paid for incrementally over the last few months instead of paying for everything all at once.

Vancouver is pricey but wonderful. We took an excursion up to Whistler with a couple of other stops along the sea to Sky highway. It was great.

We love DCL and plan to continue to sail with them if the itinerary and price makes sense. But those are very personal decisions.

We paid our deposit with discounted cards from Costco. I'm hoping they come out with another deal like that again, it was amazing.

 

[Husker Mike]

I checked my upcoming cruise in a couple of weeks, and while I wasn't able to see how many interior rooms were left, there were only five verandah rooms left. One standard, one concierge room and three one-bedroom concierge rooms. That's pretty close to sold out in my book.

 

[DCLMP]

We paid our deposit with discounted cards from Costco. I'm hoping they come out with another deal like that again, it was amazing.

I just applied for a new chase card that’s 10% back at grocery stores for the next year. They sell Disney gift cards at Kroger plus the fuel points so that’s a good deal.

 

[Mango7100]

I just applied for a new chase card that’s 10% back at grocery stores for the next year. They sell Disney gift cards at Kroger plus the fuel points so that’s a good deal.

Especially when they have 4x fuel points. We have filled up both cars for less than $1 total numerous times during that deal after buying gift cards for places we already shop.

 

[auntlynne]

This thread is so timely! I am actively considering a DCL cruise for the first time in 10 years. Part of the reason is that four of my kids have graduated, I will only be traveling with DH and 2 DD's. But the other reason is DCL has some IGT/OGT/VGTs that are in my stratosphere. That said, we love Carnival (Blue Iguana and Guys!) and like NCL and RCCL, and some of the new ships have SO much to offer. I am worried that DCL will not have enough to keep us entertained on sea days.

I don’t feel that onboard Disney now v 10 years ago is all that different. The daily activity schedule is dependent on the Cruise Director and Activities staff, but I have only had one cruise that was an outlier (and in a negative way - Transatlantic with a severe lack of offerings).

Do you / your family utilize activities like Go-Karts, Rock Climbing Walls, Surfrider, Zipline, carousel, aqua shows, ice skating, bowling, karaoke, contests by the pool, balloon drops, atrium parties, nightly comics, casino, multiple specialty dining venues, extended buffet options (including dinner), drinks package, Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Turks, Bimini, Grand Bahama…

…Things not found on DCL.

Go over to Disney Cruise Line Blog and look for Personal Navigators. (It’s easier to view one that does not have the screen shots of the app.). I have linked one set below:

These are from a 5-night Double Dip (2 stops at Castaway Cay):

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp...-5N-Day-1-Port-Canaveral-Florida-20230708.pdf

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp...-Fantasy-5N-Day-2-Nassau-Bahamas-20230709.pdf

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp...rs-Fantasy-5N-Day-3-Castaway-Cay-20230710.pdf

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp...rs-Fantasy-5N-Day-4-Castaway-Cay-20230711.pdf

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/wp...vigators-Fantasy-5N-Day-5-At-Sea-20230712.pdf

 

[peder]

One interesting thing on cost, is that the Concierge cabins on the Wish and Treasure (I haven't checked the other ships) are selling really really well. If anything, those prices could still be higher on average.

 

[dreamer17555]

One interesting thing on cost, is that the Concierge cabins on the Wish and Treasure (I haven't checked the other ships) are selling really really well. If anything, those prices could still be higher on average.

That is interesting. I am generally someone who enjoys club level and concierge types of service but I cannot for the life of me justify it on DCL. I understand the Wish class ships have the extra sundeck but with more guests it makes it harder to grab things like a cabana even paying for concierge. I don't understand how the limited perks are worth it but clearly to many they are. I would rather sail more often but that is just me.

 

[Cfabar1]

That is interesting. I am generally someone who enjoys club level and concierge types of service but I cannot for the life of me justify it on DCL. I understand the Wish class ships have the extra sundeck but with more guests it makes it harder to grab things like a cabana even paying for concierge. I don't understand how the limited perks are worth it but clearly to many they are. I would rather sail more often but that is just me.

I completely agree.... Not in the world of Disney, we are usually concierge/club level people....

Their premiums are quite difficult for me to justify... My economic circumstance would have to change substantially to not even bat an eye at the cost premium... I truly wonder who is booking these... maybe "once in a lifetime trips"?

My understanding is historically the cost difference was not so severe as it is now... I'd gladly pay more, but not the premiums they are charging, especially on rooms that are essentially the identical room with a nicer blanket....

 

[DCLMP]

$900 for two people is a screaming good deal. We pay $900 each.

I’m guessing your not near a hub

 

[peder]

I completely agree.... Not in the world of Disney, we are usually concierge/club level people....

Their premiums are quite difficult for me to justify... My economic circumstance would have to change substantially to not even bat an eye at the cost premium... I truly wonder who is booking these... maybe "once in a lifetime trips"?

My understanding is historically the cost difference was not so severe as it is now... I'd gladly pay more, but not the premiums they are charging, especially on rooms that are essentially the identical room with a nicer blanket....

I've said this before, but the 1-bedrooms on the Wish are really nice, especially as an alternative to 2 connecting veranda rooms for a family of 4 or 5. For average families looking for a splurge, I think it's partially a matter of finding pockets of value within Concierge/Club offerings so that it's not totally absurd.

That said, I'm hoping that after the launch of Triton ship #3 Disney starts to exhaust their demand for the Concierge level and we can do a 1-bedroom again.

 

[whatlevelisthis]

Hoping that this weakening of demand means DCL will step up their game or cut back on prices. For a while now it feels like DCL has been coasting while also charging a heck of a lot.

I had a good time on my Mediterranean DCL cruise in 2022, but it was only a little bit better than the experience you get on Royal Caribbean or another line and yet DCL charges 2-2.5x as much. DCL simply doesn't deliver enough value for what they charge, and that's disappointing. By contrast a WDW resort hotel is more expensive than a non-Disney hotel but definitely delivers a differentiated experience.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

That is interesting. I am generally someone who enjoys club level and concierge types of service but I cannot for the life of me justify it on DCL. I understand the Wish class ships have the extra sundeck but with more guests it makes it harder to grab things like a cabana even paying for concierge. I don't understand how the limited perks are worth it but clearly to many they are. I would rather sail more often but that is just me.

I completely agree when your flex is canned soda we need to get some perspective here. DCL in itself is a premium product that I am more than happy to shell out the cash for but when I looked into concierge I couldn’t ever justify the cost even as a lavish splurge! I’ll never forget on the wonder the concierge guest came down (we could tell due to the Evian water bottle) and she said it was boring up there.

 

[MillauFr]

I’m guessing your not near a hub

SeaTac.

 

[momof2n2]

How old are your kids that are traveling?

Girls 11 & 14

Things not found on DCL.

Yeah - we do. They loved the wave runner and rock wall and waterslide on RCCL VOTS last year. We kept missing the ice skating. My older ones loved NCL Getaway ropes course. We all love mini golf.

We do love movie theaters and PM productions which will be better on DCL. And I like rotational dining. I think we may be fine on a 4/5 night. Seven would be too long I’m sure.

 

[DCLMP]

SeaTac.

That's a hub for Alaska airlines, but I'm guessing they don't have a lot of flights to MCO. If you live at hub for Delta, AA, or UA that offers non stop flights to MCO the flights are cheaper. I would think Southwest would have some crappy flights for a low price.

 

[DCLMP]

Girls 11 & 14

Yeah - we do. They loved the wave runner and rock wall and waterslide on RCCL VOTS last year. We kept missing the ice skating. My older ones loved NCL Getaway ropes course. We all love mini golf.

We do love movie theaters and PM productions which will be better on DCL. And I like rotational dining. I think we may be fine on a 4/5 night. Seven would be too long I’m sure.

Do they like the teen clubs? My kids loved those. They have activities all day long. I don't really need to be entertained. I just need to not be at work. If my kids were\are happy then I'm happy.

My youngest is 19 and still cruises with us. He had a great time in all the teen clubs and still likes meeting people in the 18-20 society. He goes to all the late night adult shows with his friends.....the shows after multiple cruises I've never stayed up to watch.

I think it depends on the kids. My kids always wanted to hang out with other kids. So DCL has been a good fit for us in that regard. We have cruised Royal and Carnival and they liked that too.

You know your kids best and what they like, but don't forget to consider what you like because kids are pretty adaptable and hopefully appreciative of whatever you decide to do.

 

[houseofduck]

.

Accidentally hit post!

 

[MillauFr]

That's a hub for Alaska airlines, but I'm guessing they don't have a lot of flights to MCO. If you live at hub for Delta, AA, or UA that offers non stop flights to MCO the flights are cheaper. I would think Southwest would have some crappy flights for a low price.

Delta and Alaska have a hub in Seattle. Delta has a couple of non-stops into Orlando. Alaska has 3 to 4 depending on the time of the year. I'm shocked it is so many. More than even the Bay area. Still they will stick it to us and charge top dollar because they know people will pay it.

 

[Minniemoo15]

We did our first DCL in 2023 and loved it. I occasionally check to book another - same time, length, destination and it is more than double what we paid. Now we did get a great price on our 2023 cruise because we booked a year ahead when Covid was still iffy, but I cannot for the life of me justify what they are charging now at full price. We just will do a different vacation instead.

 

[DisneyLover83]

We are yearly WDW visitors, sometimes more than once a year. Just went on the Wish over Memorial Day weekend. I booked a year in advance and the total cost for 3 days + 1 night before at the Hyatt with round trip Disney transport was almost 1.5k more than the 3 nights we spent post cruise at the Yacht Club. I'm including park tickets and food in that calculation.

I booked a placeholder and we do plan to try the Treasure in 2026 but the cost is a prohibiting factor. My salary increases are barely keeping up with inflation. My daughters private school tuition increases have been percentage wise larger than my annual increases at work. Vacation budgets get eaten away first.