IS it worth 3x the money?

[Dakota731]

We are considering our first Disney Cruise and when doing the math I’m finding for the same ports and days, it will cost over three times as much to do a Disney Cruise than another cruise line! Is there that much of a difference to justify the cost?

 

[KashasMom]

It might help to see what you are comparing? Which ships? What itinerary? Do you have children (what ages)?

Personally 3x is tough to swallow. We did a Scandinavian/Russia cruise on RCI that was just about 1/3 of a similar Disney cruise but the RCI cruise was longer and had a much better itinerary. Didn't regret our choice for a minute!

Our best Disney cruises have been Very Merrytime cruises before my daughter hit 6-7. She never goes to the kids' clubs so that isn't a selling point for us.

 

[jlemieu1]

Well ... In my opinion Yes. With that I go during the part of the year that is off peak and there is not the 3x different in price.
I use other options to get other value which get close to 12% value back on my cruise.
In my case I'm blessed, even if it was 3x more I would still Disney for the level of service I have got on my 7 cruises.

 

[hubbard53]

There's ONE thing that allows me to justify the cost - my son's entertainment and safety. It allows me peace of mind while my wife and I enjoy the adult offerings.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

If you really want to try DCL, there may be some ways to get it closer in price. Different itineraries, different times of the year (off peak), wait to book on the first day they are released, book through Costco and get an 8% refund from them (in the form of Costco credit), etc.

But at the end of the day, if the cruise you have your heart set on is 3X more on DCL, my guess is that you will not find the difference worth it. Mostly because it is the price you are focused on (which is fine). Most of the advantages to DCL can't be given a monetary value, and those that can are maybe 20% better, or 50% better, not 200% better.

Its rather like comparing WDW to a Six Flags theme park. Six flags is a great Amusement park with Roller Coasters and kids areas and shows and activities, but is it no Disney World. It also costs half as much per day, or less. Personally, I like them both, depending on my mood or my budget. Six Flags is a nice trip. WDW is an Amazing trip, but at a VERY high Premium. Some people would only go to one or the other. DCL is rather like that also.

At the end of the day, you have to do what you feel comfortable with, but if you are focused on the price tag, I suspect you will spend much of the cruise thinking of the dollars, and not the magic. If you think that is the case, try the other line. If on the other hand, the DCL price is something you can handle for a vacation, then go and have fun and never mind what that other line costs. You can always try them some other time.

Best of luck!

 

[VTNuke]

I agree DCL can be worth it. I also think DCL is not for everyone. It's not going to make everyone happy and there's a lot involved in what's going to make you happy. I've been on a few other cruise lines and it will be hard for me to not want to go on DCL when compared to most of the other cruise lines. Even if it's considerably more expensive. 3x's may mean you need to be more flexible on what you are trying to do. If you want an Easter week cruise, you may be paying way more than you would if you picked a non-holiday week. It's all about finding the right cruise for the right price for you.

Whichever you choose, just be comfortable with it. This is often the hard part. Some people will book an inside cabin and spend a lot that room, but they aren't going to get the concierge level of service, and they may get upset about that. They may have been able to spend the same amount on a RCI cruise and gotten a balcony room, but maybe the level of service wouldn't be the exact same. You have to pick and choose what you really want in the trip.

 

[mevelandry]

We are considering our first Disney Cruise and when doing the math I’m finding for the same ports and days, it will cost over three times as much to do a Disney Cruise than another cruise line! Is there that much of a difference to justify the cost?

For us, it doesn't justify the cost (anymore) as we find that other cruise lines have more to offer when it comes to the cruising part, and WDW has more to offer when it comes to the Disney part.

DCL is a great product. Just (in my opinion) a little too expensive for what it is and as I mentionned above, wefind that we get more bang for our bucks (as a childfree family), on other cruise lines, at least when it comes to the cruising part.

That being said, all kids are different and I strongly believe some children can have just as much fun somewhere else and that they will be just as safe. (Not implying that you can't afford it. Just want to mention that there's nothing wrong with being more comfortable with a more affordable option).

BUT, if you think there is a possibly that you might not enjoy cruising, a DCL cruise could be a wonderful way to introduce cruising to your family and convince resistant family members. That's what DCL was for us. We thought "Hey, if we hate cruising, at least we know we'll enjoy the Disney side of the trip". Then, we fell in love with cruising.

 

[lilsonicfan]

It's really hard to quantify the value of DCL. Without knowing the cruise you are considering (length, itinerary, ship, dates) it's even more difficult. DCL also does tiered pricing, so cruises are generally cheaper the earlier you book.

In a general sense I would not pay 3x more to cruise the same itinerary on DCL as on another line in a comparable stateroom.

 

[cadien]

We would not pay three times as much. We've only done cruises with less of a gap.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It depends on the make-up of your family and what other cruise lines/ships you are considering.

 

[cadien]

Although I guess if we were talking a total of $500 vs a total of $1500, that would be worth it to us.

 

[bcwife76]

Without knowing the itinerary/date you are looking at, we can't really say that it's 'worth it' one way or another. I can say when we've sailed we've never paid 3x for Disney what another cruise line would charge for the same/comparable dates/itinerary/room size, and that includes Alaska.

 

[DCSWO]

Are the rooms comparable? Split bath on the other cruise line? Soda included? Comparable kids clubs / food / shows / customer service / etc.

Ultimately, only you can side if it is worth it to you. Good luck!

 

[mmmears]

Yes. And no. Honestly it depends on what you are comparing it to, what you are looking for out of the vacation, etc. Nobody can tell you you'll hate another line, nor can they tell you that you will love it. Things like this are really personal.

 

[starvenger]

I agree with everyone here. From a pure price perspective, during peak times, it’s not worth it. Off peak pricing is closer to what other cruise lines have, but many people can’t or won’t do those times.

Now is the cruise itself worth it? That is subjective, and you won’t truly know until you try it. For me, I thought it was a very good cruise, but at the end of the day determined that it wasn’t my thing. But if I could find an agreeable price for a Disney Cruise, I would definitely consider sailing with them again.

 

[Sunshine2U]

We are considering our first Disney Cruise and when doing the math I’m finding for the same ports and days, it will cost over three times as much to do a Disney Cruise than another cruise line! Is there that much of a difference to justify the cost?

It looks like you're a Disney fan just based on number of posts and longevity. For a huge fan it may be worth one 4-day cruise to get the experience of cruising DCL. DH and I cruise other lines except when we are taking children - on the next cruise it will be nephew (9) and grandson (5), along with a few millennials. We took our nephew on a Disney cruise in the past and he's not a huge Disney fan so if it were just him we would switch to a less expensive line. This is grandson's first cruise and I wouldn't consider anything different for a 5 yo. But that's me.

I do not think I could bring myself to pay the premium to sail DCL in Europe. There are too many other good options out there. We pay the Disney premium sailing out of PC or MIA - those are ports we can reach by long car trip and that helps us to save. The cost is never 3x greater than a comparable cruise for the times we cruise.

 

[Quellman]

It looks like you're a Disney fan just based on number of posts and longevity. For a huge fan it may be worth one 4-day cruise to get the experience of cruising DCL. DH and I cruise other lines except when we are taking children - on the next cruise it will be nephew (9) and grandson (5), along with a few millennials. We took our nephew on a Disney cruise in the past and he's not a huge Disney fan so if it were just him we would switch to a less expensive line. This is grandson's first cruise and I wouldn't consider anything different for a 5 yo. But that's me.

I do not think I could bring myself to pay the premium to sail DCL in Europe. There are too many other good options out there. We pay the Disney premium sailing out of PC or MIA - those are ports we can reach by long car trip and that helps us to save. The cost is never 3x greater than a comparable cruise for the times we cruise.

Agree, I wouldn't pay the Alaska premium, because it just isn't in our budget. Maybe if I made a pile of money more, but until then... If an itinerary is particularly port intensive the ship plays a secondary role in my opinion. For a trip with a lot of days on the boat, Disney looks better and better.

 

[aboveH20]

We chose Princess for our Panama Canal cruise (just my husband and me) due to cost. It was bittersweet to wake up in port one morning docked next to a Disney ship.

At our stage in life (retired) we love Disney enough that we enjoy occasional Disney cruises, but you're right, for the price difference we're not exclusive Disney cruisers.

 

[CinderellaDream]

We did a western Caribbean 7 day with Royal Caribbean two years ago and did basically the same itinerary on the Fantasy last month. For us, with two kids who weren't completely enamored with the kids club, we decided that we enjoyed the RC cruise just as much as the Disney cruise and the cost was about 1/3 less. Did I love the Disney cruise? Absolutely! Do I still dream about another day at Castaway Cay? Of course! But for the money, we will probably not return to DCL unless I find a deal that I just can't pass up.

 

[UNDDisney]

Agree with other posters it's obviously a personal decision...one our family is currently mulling over as well. We love DCL and know it's going to be a great vacation. Our kids are young (2, 6 and 10) and DCL really matches our needs right now. We just did Dream double dip (Castaway two times) in June and it was totally awesome. A true vacation - which is hard to accomplish with 3 young kids!

I grew up cruising RCI with my family (as a teen and older) and DH and I have been on several RCI cruises together (pre-kids). I have probably cruised RCI 10+ times and loved them all. So, I am not only loyal to DCL.

That said, we are having a hard time giving RCI a try with our young family. At this time, we have decided it is "worth it" to us because we know what we are getting and that everyone will love it. Could our whole family love RCI too? Of course. But, are we willing to still pay a lot to find out? That's what we are trying to decide! However, we fully plan to try other lines (most likely RCI) when our youngest is 5-6 years old.

Note: Since we are a family of 5 (with little kids) we comfortably fit in one cabin on DCL. For RCI, we have to get 2 cabins, or some sort of suite. If you are a family of 4, I can see how the cost differential between DCL and another line could be greater.

Good luck with your decision!