-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Cruise expense
- Thread starter magicwand
- Start date
Around Easter is one of the most expensive times of the year to cruise on DCL.
rob0519
Well-Known Member
Nope, before Easter is really expensive. This year Easter was really late. We sailed on April 23rd.
disney4life2008
Well-Known Member
I would love to go on a Disney cruise. However the cruise line is beyond expensive for the price of a 4 night cruise I can go to Disney World for an entire week or I can go on a Carnival cruise for a week. However, it seems like Disney Cruise Line is the way to go but I've never in my budget to be able to do it. Maybe once I'm rich one day haha
I've seen the same just after Easter too. It depends on when spring breaks are.
I've been pricing DCL for over 10 years. I've seen DCL cruises be 2-3 times more expensive around Easter than the same cruise in late August or early September.
In defense of DCL, the quality of a DCL trip is well above and beyond that of a WDW trip. It is lightyears beyond Carnival quality. You get what you pay for.
AND if you don't need extremely far out notice then DCL last minute rates can be great.
disney4life2008
Well-Known Member
I am not too sure I agree. While I have went on several non-DCL cruises before I really only go for the destinations and the on-board food which Carnival does quite well. Disney World on the other hand I enjoy the parks, attractions, and food. Factor in that I travel solo so a DCL cruise is even more expensive (whereas carnival does not charge a 200% supplement on all cruises).
Having been on DCL and non-DCL, DCL excels all around. Ships are cleaner, food was better than Royal OR Carn, Entertainment all around was much much better, beds were more comfortable, fireworks at sea are unrivaled even to those at WDW, the all you can eat soft serve is the creamy style WDW used to have and beat the other two lines I have been on, and so much more. Just stating from experiences.
There are discounted rates for Disney cruises. They are usually offered after the pay in full date (i.e. 75 days before sail date). They are the so called "restricted rates" or IGT, OGT and VGT. Those are rates where you cannot pick your own stateroom, just a general category of inside (IGT) oceanview (OGT) or veranda (VGT). These rates are not offered on all cruises, but most months outside peak season will have them.
Also, cruise fares fluctuate a lot during the year. The most expensive times are Christmas, New Year, the two weeks around Easter and mid June to mid August. Other times of the year are cheaper. From my research it seems that fall is the cheapest (with September being the lowest), followed by January/February. Also, late April, early May can have some reasonable rates, too.
In general repositioning cruises have lower rates per night. Especially the transatlantic cruises are often very affordable if you book them when they come out. The 2015 Westbound Transatlantic had fares for well under 2000 $ for two adults for 12 nights in an inside cabin. Even the one-way transatlantic airfare that comes with it does not necessarily have to be a lot of money.
Also, cruise fares fluctuate a lot during the year. The most expensive times are Christmas, New Year, the two weeks around Easter and mid June to mid August. Other times of the year are cheaper. From my research it seems that fall is the cheapest (with September being the lowest), followed by January/February. Also, late April, early May can have some reasonable rates, too.
In general repositioning cruises have lower rates per night. Especially the transatlantic cruises are often very affordable if you book them when they come out. The 2015 Westbound Transatlantic had fares for well under 2000 $ for two adults for 12 nights in an inside cabin. Even the one-way transatlantic airfare that comes with it does not necessarily have to be a lot of money.
alissafalco
Well-Known Member
Carnival is garbage, I would never go on Carnival ever again even if it was totally free!
FlyTriPacer
Well-Known Member
When my wife and I took our first cruise (3-night of of P.C.) towards the end of September, 2011 (booked as soon as available), I priced 3 lines (Norwegian, Royal, and Disney) with all of the costs I found we might incur and Disney was only more expensive by ~$200. I opted for DCL and only rarely check the other lines anymore. Of course, we choose to sail after the kids are back in school and during hurricane season... Our next cruise is in September and is a 7-night on the Fantasy.
Again, your mileage may vary...
Again, your mileage may vary...
disney4life2008
Well-Known Member
LOL I just returned from carnival (over a canceled disney world vacation) and lets just say after the first night, I wish I had not got on the board, lost my money and just went to disney world. i wouldnt go as far to say it is garbage but i just realize that i am not a cruise person - period. I would rather put my money into land vacations with disney world being at the top of the list.
alissafalco
Well-Known Member
Yes, your money is better spent at Disney!
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
What really kills it for me is the schedule DLC has with its ships. Because my wife is a teacher, we have a limited time frame when we can take vacations. Couple that with family obligations, and the window is even smaller.
We live in New Jersey, so if we have to fly, that just adds even more to the expense (especially with air fare as insane as it is now). I would love to cruise out of NYC or Bayonne on DCL, but they are rarely in this area, and when they are it seems to be during times we cannot go.
That is one of the reasons we are going with Celebrity this time - sailing out of Bayonne to Bermuda - one week, in August. No airfare makes a big difference (and a lot less hassle)
-dave
We live in New Jersey, so if we have to fly, that just adds even more to the expense (especially with air fare as insane as it is now). I would love to cruise out of NYC or Bayonne on DCL, but they are rarely in this area, and when they are it seems to be during times we cannot go.
That is one of the reasons we are going with Celebrity this time - sailing out of Bayonne to Bermuda - one week, in August. No airfare makes a big difference (and a lot less hassle)
-dave
MaryJaneP
Well-Known Member
Dave, we concur. DCL seems to be locked into a situation where they only depart from a Fla port for virtually every cruise. That makes it much more difficult for those of us that need to pay as much or more to get to Fla. However, we think it may be related to their desire to sell concurrent Land+Sea packages that include a WDW part. Kinda hard to do that if ship is departing from Bayonne, NYC, Baltimore, Galveston, Norleans, or non-Fla, or non-CA ports.
wdwstateofmind
Well-Known Member
Move to Florida...