Just off the Magic - a few thoughts on cost.

[Kwami]

I don’t get everyone bashing other cruise lines about upsells but giving Disney a pass.
We just for our first DCL cruise and within 10 minutes on the ship in Cabanas, no less than 4 different people were interrupting our lunch to sell us beer and water.

Yup. And if you go near the spa, then they'll try to sell you spa services or fitness classes. That all mostly stops after the first day, though. The one thing that still happens later, in my experience, is when the servers try to sell you special cups and straws at dinner.

 

[bbel]

I don’t get everyone bashing other cruise lines about upsells but giving Disney a pass.
We just for our first DCL cruise and within 10 minutes on the ship in Cabanas, no less than 4 different people were interrupting our lunch to sell us beer and water.

right! Disney upsell but are far more sneaky. From flashing ice cubes/straws/cups strategically placed near you table for extra $, bubbles wands at deck parties, want your small human to look like a princess that’s an extra $500, placing popcorn/candy/cans of soda outside the shows/movies, the spa, having to pay to register your small human at the club (yeah you get it back if you return the band - but another sneaky charge).

pretty much everything (other than soda) that you pay for on one line, you’ll pay for at Disney too. Plus, other lines have many more activities included in their price.
You can still get included drinks and food without having to pay extra, if you want something different, you can choose to pay for it, just like palo/remy…

 

[brentm77]

right! Disney upsell but are far more sneaky. From flashing ice cubes/straws/cups strategically placed near you table for extra $, bubbles wands at deck parties, want your small human to look like a princess that’s an extra $500, placing popcorn/candy/cans of soda outside the shows/movies, the spa, having to pay to register your small human at the club (yeah you get it back if you return the band - but another sneaky charge).

pretty much everything (other than soda) that you pay for on one line, you’ll pay for at Disney too. Plus, other lines have many more activities included in their price.
You can still get included drinks and food without having to pay extra, if you want something different, you can choose to pay for it, just like palo/remy…

Calling a deposit a sneaky charge, seems like a stretch, unless you didn't plan to return the band. But I hadn't really thought of the other items, because they seem so low-key to me. For me, it more of how pushy the selling is. If it is an option that I can ask for, or decline once with a simple no, and isn't sold through pushy tactics, then it doesn't bother me in the slightest. But, if I have to hear a sales pitch and then decline, or if my first "no" isn't accepted, that's not cool while I am trying to enjoy my vacation in a location I paid to relax at. I have never felt pushed on a Disney ship to buy anything - even the people selling water packages on the first day ask and immediately move on with a "no." But, I don't have recent experience on other lines to compare it to. It sounds like its a real mixed bag for different people.

 

[tinkerone]

Yup. And if you go near the spa, then they'll try to sell you spa services or fitness classes. That all mostly stops after the first day, though. The one thing that still happens later, in my experience, is when the servers try to sell you special cups and straws at dinner.

I hadn't even thought about the spa but you are right. They do flog it. I wouldn't say it stops after the first day because there are days when they set up a massage chair by the adult only pool and try and sell you on a full massage. This happens two to three days of every cruise we take. I can swear to this as we hang out in that area a lot.
Yes, DCL does upsell a lot more than people like to think.

 

[belle032]

This is why there are different cruise lines for different people!

I truly wasn't bothered by any upselling on the Carnival cruise we just got off of. It was a brand new ship with much of their specialty dining included, but we were never asked to buy a beverage package or get a reservation in the steakhouse, or whatever. If you ate in the dining room, a guy usually came buy asking if you wanted the "specialty shot of the day," but a simple "no thank you!" would have them immediately leaving the table. No questions asked. They also had some sales in the shops that were advertised in the Fun Times and you definitely knew they were going on if you walked by, but nothing was ever shoved in my face.

I 100% believe the hardest selling happens in the spa, no matter the cruise line. DH & I had a great couples massage on a previous cruise, but trying to get us to buy products at the end was a big turn off. It's made us hesitate to even try booking another spa treatment.

 

[MomOTwins]

I 100% believe the hardest selling happens in the spa, no matter the cruise line. DH & I had a great couples massage on a previous cruise, but trying to get us to buy products at the end was a big turn off. It's made us hesitate to even try booking another spa treatment.

Agree, but as the Spa is run but a 3rd party vendor so their interests are not always aligned with the cruise line. DCL wants you to return again and again and not go to another cruise line. The Spa knows that there isn’t another spa that guests can go to the next time they sail on DCL, so they have a bit of a captive market. It’s like on port adventures when they steer you to the gift shop and remind you about tipping every 10 mins—they can do a harder sell and get away with it, particularly if they the only game in town on a particular onshore activity.

 

[SnappySerape]

It never really is about cost. Each Cruise Line offers it's own experiences and that is subjective. I have only had first hand experiences on Princess and Disney and we currently do not have children and prefer Disney. I have looked at other cruise lines, especially since I work at a Shipyard in Tampa and work across from the cruise terminals with Carnival, Royal and Celebrity which maybe cost me too much time day dreaming about a cruise. So the most important thing to each of us is to find a few different lines that work for us. As much as I personally respect Sir Richard Branson, I don't ever see myself on the Scarlet Lady and Cunard is just right out, for us. And I am currently booked for Alaska on the Wonder and I am looking at a Disney Cruise in Europe for my 50th birthday in a few years, could I save money and do another line, yes, but that isn't the experience that I want. So you should only listen to your hart and family and pick what is important for you.

Have you looked into Viking Ocean? I've heard great things about it but haven't experienced it myself.

 

[dhutchin12]

right! Disney upsell but are far more sneaky. From flashing ice cubes/straws/cups strategically placed near you table for extra $, bubbles wands at deck parties, want your small human to look like a princess that’s an extra $500, placing popcorn/candy/cans of soda outside the shows/movies, the spa, having to pay to register your small human at the club (yeah you get it back if you return the band - but another sneaky charge).

pretty much everything (other than soda) that you pay for on one line, you’ll pay for at Disney too. Plus, other lines have many more activities included in their price.
You can still get included drinks and food without having to pay extra, if you want something different, you can choose to pay for it, just like palo/remy…

I don't understand why these things are "sneaky". They clearly tell you that you will receive your kids club band deposit back if you chose to drop it off at the end of the cruise. Some people might wish to keep the band as a souvenir. It's very easy to just walk by and hand it to them to turn it in.

Also, having items available, such as flashing cups or popcorn for sale is a normal thing to do with any business. It is up to a parent to properly allow or not allow what works for them.

We did not buy anything because my child "saw" it. This may be our parenting style; however, we are fully capable of saying no. Our child was also taught from early on that you don't get everything you see. All of us, including our child, have a fantastic time and have never whined about not receiving something.

I guess I just don't understand how, if this is an issue, a family could be happy attending any event as "items" are typically available for sale. That's the nature of business and normal.

 

[Drfate102]

Have you looked into Viking Ocean? I've heard great things about it but haven't experienced it myself.

I have actually. They have that nice built in cost for excursions at each port. They also have a lot of enrichment activities for each port that sound cool. For us that would be a few years off, I am looking at Europe for my 50th in two years.

 

[RAD]

I agree that Europe and Alaska are much different considerations. I can't see doing those on DCL either.

Totally agree with this. I was going to do a DCL British Isle cruise but ended up with Celebrity which is a 12 night cruise vs 7 on DCL. Looking at just the cruise fare, a Royal Suite, which is a 1BR suite, on the Celebrity Apex is $1,847.25 per night for 2 people. On DCL for a 1BR it was $2,412 per night, a 3A was $1,892 per night). I used per night since it was two different cruise lengths. Plus on Celebrity because we're in the Royal Suite we got a $800 on board credit, premium drink package, streaming WiFi package plus we can eat at any of the specialty restaurants include in that price.

 

[sssteele]

I think that you can perform all sorts of mathematical gymnastics to validate your decisions. If you like DCL cruises just be happy and go. There is no need to justify to anyone how you choose to spend your money. It seems clear that you believe RCCL provides an inferior product, but the good news for you is that you don't have to cruise with that line. Unless you are seeking validation, there should be no reason to denigrate them.

I happen to disagree with you and find little to no difference in quality between the two lines. Though I think Princess is far superior to both DCL and RCCL and I generally pay half as much for better cruises (using your math that equates to about 1.9x more on DCL.)

My wife and I loved DCL, and enjoyed many Caribbean cruises on Disney ships, but have cruised Princess exclusively for sometime. We can afford Disney cruises, but can't justify a 7 day DCL cruise for the same price as a 14 day Princess cruise (same cabin type and category.

 

[beckicnm]

I had the same experience on the Edge - well, I don't recall them walking around the Oceanview, but definitely outside.

And when I've been on RCCL they've been outside their buffet (I'm forgetting the name) every day at lunch too.

And don't get me started on the "sidewalk sale" on the pool deck or the "by the inch" table outside the buffet.

It wouldn't surprise me if that were more common on the Edge class ships, because they have more specialty restaurants. I prefer the M class ships, but I might try Edge class with a great itinerary that I can't get otherwise.

I hated the sale tables on RCCL. Ugh.

 

[SweetSpot]

I think it helps you were sailing the Magic during the restart. Because of covid the prices of cruises are down significantly. We live down the road from Port Canaveral but are cruising on the Magic out of Miami again in April, the second time since February. We know we will never see these prices again and can't get comparable prices on the DCL out of the Port Canaveral right now. Check prices later in the year for a true comparison of DCL vs other cruise lines. That said, after going on Carnival, RC and Norwegian we now only cruise DCL. After 28 cruises we feel the increased price is worth it, or was worth it when they actually had entertainment prior to covid.

Just got back off the Magic and on the flight home was thinking about how many people comment that a Disney Cruise costs so much more than the other lines. I did some quick calculations on overall cost thought some might be interested.

When you add up all the other additional costs - Flights, Hotel the night before, Transportation to the port, Port Excursions, Tips etc. - They become a significant portion of our costs.

If you add up the entire event, then in this case, compare Disney to Royal Caribbean, the Disney Cruise ends up being 1.3 times more expensive than the Royal. Not 2 or 2.5 that most people throw around. Granted, the difference can still be a fair chunk of change, but adding everything up and doing the comparison is worth the effort.

30% premium is totally worth it to us to get away from the 'Mall of the Sea' with way too many passengers and the getting the Hard Sell every time you even get close to where they are selling anything.

As always, your personal mileage will vary depending on what you prefer.

 

[bbjk6515]

I am a Platinum member on Disney and a Diamond member on Royal Caribbean. I feel that I am relatively objective, and enjoy both lines. I also have few financial constraints (other than the psychological restraint of not wanting to throw money out the window needlessly). I just checked prices for three ships on the same date in April of 2023 on similar Caribbean cruises -- the Disney Fantasy, Oasis of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas (RC's brand new ship). I priced for two adults and two kids ages 10 and 12. The results for an ocean view balcony/veranda: Oasis of the Seas-- $3172; Wonder of the Seas -- $6,912; Fantasy -- $9,566. The Junior Suite on the Wonder of the Seas is $8,642. Thus, you could add the ultimate dining package to your Wonder of the Seas cruise which allows the entire family to eat in all restaurants for about the same price as the Fantasy in an oceanview with veranda. You could sale on the Oasis for a third of the cost of the Fantasy. Both the Wonder of the Seas and the Fantasy dock in Port Canaveral (the Oasis is in Miami for this cruise).

The Oasis of the Seas is a great ship for teens. It has far more teen activities than the Fantasy, and goes to RC's private island that is far better for teens than Castaway Cay. The Oasis is similar to the Fantasy in terms of kids waterplay areas. The shows are better for kids on the Fantasy, but not for teens. The Fantasy is better for kids under 10, but I cannot really see it being better than the Oasis for older kids.

If you compare the Junior Suite with UDP on the Wonder with a standard cabin on the Fantasy, you are comparing apples to apples on price. But, unless you really, really love Disney, the Wonder of the Seas is a better option (unless you have small children).

Small kids: Wonder of the Seas is the winner. The Wonder, like the Fantasy, offers childcare for the 3 and under set. There is a great splash pad for kids in diapers. There is a playground for little ones. The only Disney advantage is characters, and I'm not sure the under 3 set cares.

3-10 year olds -- The Fantasy wins in my book for the 3-10 year old group, Disney wins simply because it has shows and characters that are a better fit for this age group. It also has the games and other activities that have a slight edge over the Wonder. Wonder of the Seas has a carousel and play structure, but if you have a kid that likes Disney, it wins.

Wonder by far for the 10+ crowd -- For families with older kids, there is no comparison; the Wonder of the Seas is the clear winner. First, you get a larger room. You get access to the Suite restaurant for dinner with no upcharge. With the UDP, you get access to a 8 specialty restaurants that offer an amazing range of dining experience. The pool area for older kids is better on the Wonder. The water slides are better on the Wonder. The Wonder has dry slides, rock-climbing walls, a flowrider (simulated surfing), ice skating, all kinds of sports activities, a great teen gathering place, and entertainment better suited for older kids. RC's private island is far superior to Castaway Cay, particularly if you buy waterpark tickets.

Having sailed on both lines on many different ships, once my kids got older, I could no longer justify to myself the higher price of Disney. I have never experienced more "upselling" on RC than Disney ships (but perhaps that is just me). The additional cost has always been about equal for us regardless of ship or cruise line. I will go back to Disney when my two grandkids are in the 4-10 age range for the reasons stated, but with younger or older kids, I would stick with RC.

 

[lilsonicfan]

We are going on a HAL cruise to Alaska from Vancouver in August, I compared the price to DCL and it was almost 3X more expensive on DCL for two inside rooms vs the 1 inside and 1 obstructed verandah we are in. In another thread I compared the 2023 Europe cruises; DCL comes out to at least twice as much. I imagine that in the Caribbean where ships are plentiful, DCL can maybe keep the pricing at least somewhat more competitive. With the exception of the Panama Canal (one can dream) and Transatlantic cruises, I think we are pretty much priced out of DCL, certainly for most of the itineraries I find interesting. My kids are getting a bit older now and to be honest they were never that into Disney anyway.

 

[DCLMP]

Just got back off the Magic and on the flight home was thinking about how many people comment that a Disney Cruise costs so much more than the other lines. I did some quick calculations on overall cost thought some might be interested.

When you add up all the other additional costs - Flights, Hotel the night before, Transportation to the port, Port Excursions, Tips etc. - They become a significant portion of our costs.

If you add up the entire event, then in this case, compare Disney to Royal Caribbean, the Disney Cruise ends up being 1.3 times more expensive than the Royal. Not 2 or 2.5 that most people throw around. Granted, the difference can still be a fair chunk of change, but adding everything up and doing the comparison is worth the effort.

30% premium is totally worth it to us to get away from the 'Mall of the Sea' with way too many passengers and the getting the Hard Sell every time you even get close to where they are selling anything.

As always, your personal mileage will vary depending on what you prefer.

I have to disagree with you. The upsell stuff is optional and there's really not much to do on the Magic. Don't get me wrong I like DCL{25 cruises} mostly because my kids like it so much, but there is no cost comparison in cost. Are you comparing apples to apples. The Magic is 25+ years old and the itinerary is Meh out of Miami. Maybe compare the Wish to the Odyssey or the Mardi Gras.

 

[DCLMP]

This is why there are different cruise lines for different people!

I truly wasn't bothered by any upselling on the Carnival cruise we just got off of. It was a brand new ship with much of their specialty dining included, but we were never asked to buy a beverage package or get a reservation in the steakhouse, or whatever. If you ate in the dining room, a guy usually came buy asking if you wanted the "specialty shot of the day," but a simple "no thank you!" would have them immediately leaving the table. No questions asked. They also had some sales in the shops that were advertised in the Fun Times and you definitely knew they were going on if you walked by, but nothing was ever shoved in my face.

I 100% believe the hardest selling happens in the spa, no matter the cruise line. DH & I had a great couples massage on a previous cruise, but trying to get us to buy products at the end was a big turn off. It's made us hesitate to even try booking another spa treatment.

I was never pressured to buy anything on Carnival or Royal. They may have asked, but there was no pressure. I've had people come around and ask me to buy wine packages, water packages, and souvenir cups on Disney too. I have never done a spa treatment, but that is good to know. I will probably never do one. There are activities on Royal that cost extra, but they are optional. Disney doesn't have ice skating and laser tag so it's not comparable.

 

[DCLMP]

I am a Platinum member on Disney and a Diamond member on Royal Caribbean. I feel that I am relatively objective, and enjoy both lines. I also have few financial constraints (other than the psychological restraint of not wanting to throw money out the window needlessly). I just checked prices for three ships on the same date in April of 2023 on similar Caribbean cruises -- the Disney Fantasy, Oasis of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas (RC's brand new ship). I priced for two adults and two kids ages 10 and 12. The results for an ocean view balcony/veranda: Oasis of the Seas-- $3172; Wonder of the Seas -- $6,912; Fantasy -- $9,566. The Junior Suite on the Wonder of the Seas is $8,642. Thus, you could add the ultimate dining package to your Wonder of the Seas cruise which allows the entire family to eat in all restaurants for about the same price as the Fantasy in an oceanview with veranda. You could sale on the Oasis for a third of the cost of the Fantasy. Both the Wonder of the Seas and the Fantasy dock in Port Canaveral (the Oasis is in Miami for this cruise).

The Oasis of the Seas is a great ship for teens. It has far more teen activities than the Fantasy, and goes to RC's private island that is far better for teens than Castaway Cay. The Oasis is similar to the Fantasy in terms of kids waterplay areas. The shows are better for kids on the Fantasy, but not for teens. The Fantasy is better for kids under 10, but I cannot really see it being better than the Oasis for older kids.

If you compare the Junior Suite with UDP on the Wonder with a standard cabin on the Fantasy, you are comparing apples to apples on price. But, unless you really, really love Disney, the Wonder of the Seas is a better option (unless you have small children).

Small kids: Wonder of the Seas is the winner. The Wonder, like the Fantasy, offers childcare for the 3 and under set. There is a great splash pad for kids in diapers. There is a playground for little ones. The only Disney advantage is characters, and I'm not sure the under 3 set cares.

3-10 year olds -- The Fantasy wins in my book for the 3-10 year old group, Disney wins simply because it has shows and characters that are a better fit for this age group. It also has the games and other activities that have a slight edge over the Wonder. Wonder of the Seas has a carousel and play structure, but if you have a kid that likes Disney, it wins.

Wonder by far for the 10+ crowd -- For families with older kids, there is no comparison; the Wonder of the Seas is the clear winner. First, you get a larger room. You get access to the Suite restaurant for dinner with no upcharge. With the UDP, you get access to a 8 specialty restaurants that offer an amazing range of dining experience. The pool area for older kids is better on the Wonder. The water slides are better on the Wonder. The Wonder has dry slides, rock-climbing walls, a flowrider (simulated surfing), ice skating, all kinds of sports activities, a great teen gathering place, and entertainment better suited for older kids. RC's private island is far superior to Castaway Cay, particularly if you buy waterpark tickets.

Having sailed on both lines on many different ships, once my kids got older, I could no longer justify to myself the higher price of Disney. I have never experienced more "upselling" on RC than Disney ships (but perhaps that is just me). The additional cost has always been about equal for us regardless of ship or cruise line. I will go back to Disney when my two grandkids are in the 4-10 age range for the reasons stated, but with younger or older kids, I would stick with RC.

Is that for Easter week? All those prices seem really high. I've found bigger price differences between Wonder of the Seas and Fantasy on different weeks. Did you compare the newest ships on each line the Wish and the Wonder?

 

[CarolynU]

I’ve reached a compromise in my head which I’m happy with.
When I cruise with the grandkids it’s Disney. When I cruise with friends and no kids it’s Princess.
Love DCL for the magical atmosphere and characters.
Prefer Princess for wider range of itineraries, MDR food and pool food ( not tepid thank goodness.)

 

[longboard55]

We pretty much hated cruises until we went on a Disney cruise. We will stick with Disney.