Why is Disney Cruise Line so much more $ than others?

[jenfriend]

We LOVE Disney World, would love to go to Disneyland sometime, and am considering our first cruise for June 2009 or over the holidays 2009. Why is DCL so much more (2 times) any other cruise line? Is it worth it? Are 3 or 4 nights long enough?

[ElenitaB]

I won't go into the cost issue because that's such a subjective topic, but I can tell you that 3 nights is just NOT enough time! By the time you've finally learned your way around the ship, settled down and relaxed, it's time to go home! :( Not fair!

[Sunshine1010]

I've always wondered this too.

I mean, I know they are geared towards Disney, and the children's programs are so awesome, but I can go on a Carnival cruise for 5 days at 219.00 per person. Sometimes 189.00. For Disney.....oh my gosh....I'd spend a small fortune.

Don't get me wrong...I play on doing it someday, but I have wondered what the extra costs are for .....

Make sense?

[jenfriend]

I expect Disney to be more than average. We LOVE the Disney style vacation. We pay extra to stay onsite at WDW. We understand what we're getting for the extra though - extra magic hours, excellent themed resorts, SERVICE, great transportation, peace of mind, and the Magical Express. I'm not questioning the cost of DCL, just what is it that I'm purchasing. We feel compelled to consider it even though it's so much more expensive so I guess we're halfway there already. Just wondering what the costs cover. Is there anything "special-er"?

Do you purchase the Disney transportation from airport to port or do you arrange your own transportation?

[JerseyDad]

.....basic economics makes the DCL more expensive. The state-rooms are larger than those on most of the other cruiseline ships...therefore...there are less of them. I would make an educated guess that it very likely costs the various cruiselines "around" the same to operate a liner per mile traveled (for basics like...fuel...port fees....crew salary...food...etc)...but if there are less people on board per trip...the per guest $$ goes up.

Also...DCL ships do not have casinos on board to help offset operating costs.

That said....I can with all confidence say that the "magical" feeling that you get while staying on-site at WDW...is carried over into the experience of the cruise on DCL. We did our first cruise on the Disney Wonder this past November 4th thru 8th...and I had a fantastic time...and I have a gut feeling that...even though I'm favorably biased towards anything Disney...that any other cruise that I'd take, would seem to pale by comparrison.

[DisneyDudet]

.....basic economics makes the DCL more expensive. The state-rooms are larger than those on most of the other cruiseline ships...therefore...there are less of them. I would make an educated guess that it very likely costs the various cruiselines "around" the same to operate a liner per mile traveled (for basics like...fuel...port fees....crew salary...food...etc)...but if there are less people on board per trip...the per guest $$ goes up.

Also...DCL ships do not have casinos on board to help offset operating costs.

That said....I can with all confidence say that the "magical" feeling that you get while staying on-site at WDW...is carried over into the experience of the cruise on DCL. We did our first cruise on the Disney Wonder this past November 4th thru 8th...and I had a fantastic time...and I have a gut feeling that...even though I'm favorably biased towards anything Disney...that any other cruise that I'd take, would seem to pale by comparrison.

Very good reasoning. We are planning my third Disney cruise for this summer. This was my dad's idea. He now has fallen in love with Disney cruises. They've been on other cruise lines, and it seems that he won't even consider them anymore, and he is about the money.

You don't get anything special over the other cruise lines, but I do think that the service that Disney provides on board is enough to warrant the other costs. Your servers go to all the restaurants with you, they learn what you want and what you don't like. They learn your names. You feel special when you go to dinner. The other CMs are CLEANING all the time. The floors on the elevators. The buttons on the elevators. Banisters and siderails. Windows. EVERYTHING.

We just put down our deposit on my third Disney cruise, and my parents second just a few min ago, so its bitten us!! We don't want to cruise any other way. I'm the youngest at 24, but the family oriented activities are amazing. There is so much to do on the ship that you can't find the time to do it all! My parents said on their other cruise line cruises that there were long stretches of nothing to do. Now, if that is what you want on a cruise, then go for the other lines, but if you want to do a lot of fun stuff, DCL is it. It was cool in Jan, so we weren't sunning as much, but there were so many things to do that we weren't bored!

I could go on and on, but I think that if anyone is considering a Disney Cruise to take one, if money permits, to see for themselves.

And a 3 day is NOT long enough!! Heck, a 7 isn't long enough! We are going on the Double Dip in June. That is two stops in Castaway Cay, which is another HUGE reason to go on a Disney cruise! I'll save that for another post!

[mdearmas]

my wife and I are going on our second DCL vacation in August. I can say that the food is amazing. and the staterooms are more spacious than those on another cruise line. You also get that feeling of disney magic from the time you arrive at port canaveral.

:goofy:

[Mackflava99]

I have yet to take a disney Cruise, but I do have parents who work for a cruise agency-
They say that they rarely have a customer who doesnt like the Disney cruises and repeat customers are very common.
They cost more because of the crew size vs. the passenger size. the ratio is important. They also have things better organized and more passenger friendly.
I have been on numerous cruise lines and even then there is dramatic differences between those lines too- I love NCL, but my brother just took his family on a disney cruise and they liked it alot better that NCL. And he is a tough customer. So I guess it must be very special.
Yes, the lack of casino was a drawback, but not something that would prohibit any of us from going.
We do plan on going next year if things work out.

[DisneyDudet]

I have yet to take a disney Cruise, but I do have parents who work for a cruise agency-
They say that they rarely have a customer who doesnt like the Disney cruises and repeat customers are very common.
They cost more because of the crew size vs. the passenger size. the ratio is important. They also have things better organized and more passenger friendly.
I have been on numerous cruise lines and even then there is dramatic differences between those lines too- I love NCL, but my brother just took his family on a disney cruise and they liked it alot better that NCL. And he is a tough customer. So I guess it must be very special.
Yes, the lack of casino was a drawback, but not something that would prohibit any of us from going.
We do plan on going next year if things work out.

On the specials about the DCL, discussing the ships, they said they took a poll before designing the ships, and casinos were not what the people wanted, so they didn't add any. Just a little tidbit about why they don't have them!

[Trakar]

I am currently booking my second cruise. If you have children, the magic is worth the extra money. At port, while waiting to board, characters show up for pictures. The crew announces your name and you enter the ship to a round of applause. The wait staff know your children and what they like to eat/drink. The personal attention is unbelievable! The kids can't wait to go to Oceaneer Club/Lab after dinner for the evening so you and your spouse can enjoy the evening alone! Bartenders create special drinks just for the kids...and remember what it was the next time they see them! Characters roam the halls and visit the kids in
Oceaneers Club/Lab. You see them by the pool.
Towels in the shape of animals on your bed every night. Pools and shows that aren't packed. I have no qualms about letting my 5 and 7 yr olds run around without me being right next to them. Staff everywhere to redirect the stray child, or find the parents by taking the lost child to Oceaneer Club. I guess the bottom line is the personal attention from everyone on staff and the feeling that I can't wait to go back. It was the greatest vacation of my life...and I've many great vacations! Get a bucket of beer/soda/water by the pool. What you don't drink, put in your refrigerator. The bartender will reice a new bucket for you the next day to put the remaining back into. I could go on and on. Maybe other cruiselines treat their passengers this way, but I will never know. I will never cruise anyone else.