Other Cruise Lines... not as cheap as I was expecting?

[bumbershoot]

I have not found a cruise on RCL that has not saved me thousands of dollars when compared to a DCL cruise the same week, for the same duration on a similar itinerary, for the same amount of people in the same room type.

Same.

Even the random time I chose the other day to walk through the booking experiences resulted in a charge of $2150 for Disney (plus $216 tips for the two of us) and $621 for Royal (plus about $81 in tips).

Though I actually should redo that search comparison if price is important because I realized the next day that one was before (or maybe during) thanksgiving and the other was after. Thanksgiving isn't important to me (we're vegetarian and the whole thing is a lie anyway) so I didn't think about it.

 

[LullabeeDisney]

I've found the same, OP. Maybe because we're only a family of 3? IDK.

My mom was telling me we should cruise another line so she can go with us (which, it'd be a cold day in hell before I'd share a tiny cruise room with her. Love her. Not enough space in a cruise ship, even the Royal suites would be too small). Like carnival.

Except she's paying $800-900? for her cruise. Add in booze, any of the things she wants to do, or special eats, and she's not far from what we're paying for Disney. granted, ours is a level up from her room (because secret porthole), so if we moved down a room, it'd legitimately be a $200 or less price difference. Because we don't cruise without unlimited soda - we're not booze drinkers so there's zero need for it, and we prefer soda. That adds $$.

 

[hanscarlet]

I will say this though, I had a friend that needed a 5 person room on RCL, she didn't care if it had a balcony or not.... dude I was BLOWN AWAY at the cost, it was like less than $2k for a 5 night but the kicker is there are very few 5 person rooms and they book fast and the one was huge, like 650 sq ft, there was only one left at the time I made the price inquiry... can you imagine on going and getting a 650 sq ft room for under $2k? I know this is rare and seems people who are experienced RCCL cruisers are prob knowledgeable about these kind of deals (and that's why they book up) but I was surprised.

 

[TheHannas]

Here is our experience, looking into 2018 June prices. We wanted to do Disney for 7 days out of Port Canaveral. After i seen the price I started to look at Royal specifically on the Oasis. I was able to book 2 rooms, board walk balcony for cheaper than our 1 inside Disney! So we chose to bring along my in laws as a Christmas present (since they do not get to travel much) and booked the Royal cruise. We have saled Disney twice and never Royal so that also played a part. Looking forward to the Oasis. Will we sale Disney again? Absolutely! My wife and i want to do a cruise just us two on the Fantasy for 2019. Looking forward to it!

 

[LSUfan4444]

Maybe because we're only a family of 3? IDK.

I don't think thats it...we're a family of 3 and see the opposite.

Add in booze, any of the things she wants to do, or special eats, and she's not far from what we're paying for Disney.

Add in booze, any of the things you want to do and special eats and it brings up the cost of DCL as well.


Yes, soda being included on DCL is an expense you don't have on other lines but DCL isn't like $20 per day more expense, we're talking hundreds of dollars per day.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Here is our experience, looking into 2018 June prices. We wanted to do Disney for 7 days out of Port Canaveral. After i seen the price I looked at Royal on the Oasis. I was able to book 2 rooms, board walk balcony for cheaper than our inside Disney!

Last month we sailed The Dream (4 night to Bahamas) and for 3 of us the total was $2800 for an inside stateroom. Next May (same week as this year) on the Allure we booked 7 nights to St Maarten, Labadee and San Juan with an ocean balcony and the cost was $3200. If I sail that same week in 2018 on the Dream a 4 night cruise for a verandah is $1000 more (for 3 less nights)


Allure

Dream

Now, if I book a 7 night cruise to the Caribbean (westerm, not eastern) the same week I have RCl booked a ocean view balcony room with DCL is $3000 more.

Same week, same type of room, similar (Caribbean itinerary), same guests and DCL is $3k more for a family of 3.

 

[LullabeeDisney]

I don't think thats it...we're a family of 3 and see the opposite.
Add in booze, any of the things you want to do and special eats and it brings up the cost of DCL as well.
Yes, soda being included on DCL is an expense you don't have on other lines but DCL isn't like $20 per day more expense, we're talking hundreds of dollars per day.

I guess I haven't been looking long enough or around enough. Lol. I was basing off what my mother and her friend have told me of their costs for their multiple carnival cruises. I can understand 100% why someone wouldn't want to pay disney cruise prices. Just like I understand some folks don't want to do disney parks (myself included).

For my family? It's worth it. But with a limited verbal autistic kid, it's really our only option for Disney anything.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Oh I agree, DCL is great...no arguments here. But I think the differences are easier seen when comparing as close to the same cruises as possible. Once you get to other more "unique" itineraries Disney also becomes alot more competitive price wise as well. In 2019 we're going to do a river cruise and it will likely be with DCL since our daughter is too young for Viking.

 

[Dug720]

Oh I agree, DCL is great...no arguments here. But I think the differences are easier seen when comparing as close to the same cruises as possible. Once you get to other more "unique" itineraries Disney also becomes alot more competitive price wise as well. In 2019 we're going to do a river cruise and it will likely be with DCL since our daughter is too young for Viking.

When did DCL announce river cruises?

 

[LSUfan4444]

When did DCL announce river cruises?

Nothing for when we want in 2019 has been announced yet. The ABD Rhine River Cruises being offered in 2018 look very appealing but we will have to see what is offered in 2019 and where we have to make sacrifices.

 

[Dug720]

Nothing for when we want in 2019 has been announced yet. The ABD Rhine River Cruises being offered in 2018 look very appealing but we will have to see what is offered in 2019 and where we have to make sacrifices.

Ah. I looked at ABD once...but that DEFINITELY is not the way to go for a solo traveler. Wowza.

 

[hanscarlet]

I guess I haven't been looking long enough or around enough. Lol. I was basing off what my mother and her friend have told me of their costs for their multiple carnival cruises. I can understand 100% why someone wouldn't want to pay disney cruise prices. Just like I understand some folks don't want to do disney parks (myself included).

For my family? It's worth it. But with a limited verbal autistic kid, it's really our only option for Disney anything.

Our daughter's autism is a huge motivating reason for us to cruise DCL as well.... I like that her younger sister can be in the club with her.... however it would seem that the other cruise lines are getting pretty good at handling autism and supposedly the staff to kid ratio is better on the other lines... but yes my DD doesn't really care for WDW but gets her disney magic via the DCL

 

[SteveMP]

Nothing for when we want in 2019 has been announced yet. The ABD Rhine River Cruises being offered in 2018 look very appealing but we will have to see what is offered in 2019 and where we have to make sacrifices.

I've always wanted to do a river cruise. Took a train from Frankfurt and did the 3 hour Rhine cruise on KD for $13, was a blast! Would be great to see more of it in amore relaxed fashion.

 

[Pens Fan]

Ah. I looked at ABD once...but that DEFINITELY is not the way to go for a solo traveler. Wowza.

We were looking at those, and were pricing out what it would cost to give our (adult) son his own cabin. I found out something really interesting. Ama Waterways only charges a 50% single supplement vs the 100% on Disney. As I'm sure you know, Disney is using Ama's boats for their cruises. You can even sail on the exact same ships that Disney uses for a lot less. The kicker is you give up the Disney excursions and guides.

The Ama rep I talked to even admitted that the on shore experience is completely different on the ABD sailings. In the end, we decided a non ABD river cruise would probably bore our 19 year old, so chances are our next trip to Europe will be land based. Cheaper and more immersive.

 

[Pens Fan]

I found the opposite to be true. For the three of us unless I catch a 3rd person free on one of the other lines then DCL is a better deal for the 3rd person.

Curious, which cruise lines are you comparing to? I haven't found this to be the case at all, though I'm mostly looking at NCL these days and their cost for a 3rd person is pretty low. We only paid $599 for our son (in a suite) for our upcoming Alaska cruise. We could also add him to our Fall 2018 cruise if he weren't going to be in school for $399 (and that's for 10 nights, also in a suite!!) I've certainly never gotten that kind of pricing on Disney, and that's sailing in verandahs rather than the suites we have booked on NCL.

 

[KashasMom]

Last month we sailed The Dream (4 night to Bahamas) and for 3 of us the total was $2800 for an inside stateroom. Next May (same week as this year) on the Allure we booked 7 nights to St Maarten, Labadee and San Juan with an ocean balcony and the cost was $3200. If I sail that same week in 2018 on the Dream a 4 night cruise for a verandah is $1000 more (for 3 less nights)


Allure

Keep checking...if prices go down, they'll apply the new price for you (up to paid in full). My daughter and I sailed the Allure this past President's Day Week in a ocean view balcony for LESS than $2,000. Thought that was a steal and the Allure is fantastic! Enjoy!

 

[LullabeeDisney]

Our daughter's autism is a huge motivating reason for us to cruise DCL as well.... I like that her younger sister can be in the club with her.... however it would seem that the other cruise lines are getting pretty good at handling autism and supposedly the staff to kid ratio is better on the other lines... but yes my DD doesn't really care for WDW but gets her disney magic via the DCL

Yeah, I think if we ever cruise any other line it'd be RCCL. But that's cause they have super teamed up with Autism on the Seas and that tells me that they're more than wiling to work and train their employees to know how to handle people with ASD. Smaller adult/kid ratios are good but don't do much if it's someone who isn't in the know of how to handle non verbal/limited verbal ASD kids.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Ah. I looked at ABD once...but that DEFINITELY is not the way to go for a solo traveler. Wowza.

Not to stray too far from the thread topic, but Tauck Bridges river cruises (and perhaps the regular Tauck river cruises as well) have rooms for solos and no single supplement.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I've found RCL to be huge levels cheaper than DCL for two passengers cruising in Europe. Most of the time in the Caribbean, it's not that much less. DCL does crank the prices way up in peak summer, particularly for the Fantasy, its newest ship. Even where RCL has cabins supposedly for single occupancy, it's not half price (although it's not double price either) so an inside on DCL can be comparable for a solo on some itineraries, especially on the Magic or Wonder.

There are other additions in cost on the RCL ships...depending on the size of the ship, there is far more extra cost specialty dining than is available on DCL, and any drinks other than tap water, regular coffee, tea and sometimes lemonade will cost you.

 

[Sanchez]

I am not sure what comparisons some of you are making but can only assume that they are for 3/4 day cruises where the differences in dollars are not astronomical. I randomly chose a weekend in January 2018 (non-peak) for a seven day Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral/Fort Lauderdale. Comparable ships with ocean view verandah. All prices are for two adults and include taxes and fees. Princess (departs Sunday, January 14) and RCL (Sunday, January 14) are western itineraries and DCL (Saturday, January 13) is eastern.

Regal Princess: $2,266
RCL Allure: $2,044.38 (Plus $100 on-board credit)
DCL Fantasy: $4,064

This is fairly representative of the differences I regularly find for Caribbean cruises (except that DCL is much higher for peak-time) cruises.