Disney cruise -vs- standard cruise!

[draybook]

We're pretty set on taking a cruise this year instead of hitting the Orlando park scene, but we're weighing whether it should be a regular cruise or a Disney cruise. Right not we're looking at a Western Caribbean cruise on a standard cruise line out of New Orleans. However, we would REALLY like to try that Halloween cruise that Disney is offering. The only problem with that is that the Halloween cruise is only on the 3 or 4 night trips but we want to do 7 nights. I would say we could use the extra days to do a couple of parks but I'm not sure how the family feels about that right now.

So, for those of you that have done a regular cruise and Disney cruise, what are your opinions?

 

[Disneyfalcon]

There are 7 night Halloween cruises too!
Disney Fantasy: Sept. 20 – Oct. 25, 2014

 

[DVCOwner]

We went on the seven night Halloween Disney cruise once and it was great. We dressed up for Halloween, Pirate Night, and Formal Night. We had a great time doing each. Not to be outdone my my granddaughter always dressing up, we got my grandson (who was 5 years old at the time) a little tuxedo to wear to Formal Night. He loved showing off and it was great him walking around the ship in his tuxedo carry his "blankie".

 

[Master Yoda]

If by "regular cruise" you mean a different cruise line it will depend greatly on what other cruise line you are looking at.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

"Regular" as in on another cruise line? Sailing out of New Orleans I think you're down to Carnival or Royal Caribbean, right? Trying to think off the top of my head if I know of any others that go out of NOLA. Hmmm. I've sailed on DCL 7x's. We recently completed our first non-Disney cruise on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale. It's the biggest cruise ship in the world and, as of right now, Royal's latest/greatest vessel. For solid Disney fans that look to their annual Disney fix, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend anything not Disney because no matter how awesome the alternative is, it will never be Disney. It can never have the "magic" we Disney-philes crack-out on. Our Allure cruise was absolutely enjoyable, every bit as much so as a Disney cruise but we didn't necessarily have to choose it over Disney. We didn't have any feeling of losing anything. Does that make sense? I think if we hadn't had any Disney fixes last year maybe the Allure cruise would've felt not-sufficient. I prob'ly sound insane right now. LOL!

I know sailing out of a port near home is super convenient. Trust me, I KNOW! One of our Disney cruises we took out of Galveston which is about a 20 minute drive from home. That was NICE.

As far as cost, we didn't find what everyone else does when it comes to sailing another cruise line over Disney and finding crazy huge savings. I know how to find the discounts with Disney. We don't typically sail at the expensive peak times. The $$ wasn't a huge difference for us.

I can't speak about other cruise lines or even other ships. I've been on the latest/greatest Royal is sailing right now. That's all. The ship was beautiful. The upkeep of the finishes was excellent. The shows were fabulous. The food was....a great selection...looooots of options both free and upcharge...but maybe a step below what we've had on DCL in overall quality. The ship has some really amazing features that Disney doesn't have. Size definitely is not a pro when it comes to ship design, tho. That's our opinion. I fully intend to sail Royal again on a smaller vessel to see how it all compares. Curious. The ports are definitely what you make of them. Our St. Maarten day was the best of the cruise for every one of us. My boys hated the teen club on the ship and both swear Royal doesn't hold a candle to DCL. I think, in all fairness, a lot of their unhappiness with the trip was because of stuff/drama with cousins who were also sailing with our extended family. Hubby & I had a fabulous time. The prepaid alcohol package was fuuuuuuuuun. (<---there goes the inner-lush) I WILL be writing a complete report and posting it here for contrast purposes. Should be interesting.

If you think of other questions to ask, ask away.

 

[draybook]

My main concern is cost. We're trying to scale back next year, as my wife will be graduating in February so we're gonna be tight until she starts working. From the small samples I saw during my lunch break, the Disney cruise was roughly $2700 for the 4 night cruise while a standard cruise on NCL or Royal was roughly the same price for 7 nights.

I'm assuming that the 7 nighter on DCL will be around $4000 for the Halloween cruise but I'm trying to justify the cost. I'll look again, not sure why it only showed 3 $ 4 night cruises for me.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

My main concern is cost. We're trying to scale back next year, as my wife will be graduating in February so we're gonna be tight until she starts working. From the small samples I saw during my lunch break, the Disney cruise was roughly $2700 for the 4 night cruise while a standard cruise on NCL or Royal was roughly the same price for 7 nights.

I'm assuming that the 7 nighter on DCL will be around $4000 for the Halloween cruise but I'm trying to justify the cost. I'll look again, not sure why it only showed 3 $ 4 night cruises for me.

Cool. I couldn't tell ya about NCL. Not sailed with them. Yet. I'd love to. The Haven experience is callin' my name! That's my oldest son's vote for a Panama Canal crossing in 2015. That boy has some expensive taste, I tell ya. He better work hard in school!

Which ship is it on Royal? Honestly, I had a great time on our Royal cruise. I would love to sail them out of NOLA so I can experience sailing down river (since they no longer use MRGO). Something to consider with Royal over Disney. If you like to drink something other than water, lemonade, and tea you'll have to pay additional for that. If you don't want to pay by the soda (usually $2+ each) you can purchase a beverage package from the variety of different packages offered. In fact, right before our recent cruise they had some big changes with the beverage packages. Last I knew their website did not have the updated info yet. I can send you some info if you need it. I think for the boys we paid like $38 for each to have sodas for a 7-night cruise. DH & I went with an all-inclusive premium alcohol package that included bottled water, soda, and unlimited cocktails for like $385 each. Trust me, we got our quarter's worth on our packages. The other big difference I found with Royal was that if you pre-book any upcharge dining, excursions, anything at all that comes at an additional cost you have to pay for it at the time of booking. If you cancel prior to sailing they refund you. If you cancel during the cruise the refund goes to your shipboard account as a stateroom credit. It's my understanding if you don't use the onboard credits up on your cruise then they apply as an onboard credit on your next Royal sailing. That bugged me. I would rather have my shipboard credits from refunds be put back in my pocket. KWIM?

If you're really considering the Disney cruises I highly recommend letting a Disney travel specialist help you find the best possible options for you. They'll also keep an eye out for any discounts for you. Doesn't cost a thing to consult with them. Even if you don't end up going, you'll be enlightened for the experience and have a good point of contact for any future plans. Right?

 

[Gabe1]

My main concern is cost. We're trying to scale back next year, as my wife will be graduating in February so we're gonna be tight until she starts working. From the small samples I saw during my lunch break, the Disney cruise was roughly $2700 for the 4 night cruise while a standard cruise on NCL or Royal was roughly the same price for 7 nights.

I'm assuming that the 7 nighter on DCL will be around $4000 for the Halloween cruise but I'm trying to justify the cost. I'll look again, not sure why it only showed 3 $ 4 night cruises for me.

This may give you an idea. My DS went on an 8 night cruise this summer. Even with his CM discount it was cheaper for him to sail on Carnival. He went on their new ship for 25% less than the Disney cruise would have been for after his CM discount.

So the win was he saved a chunk of money, went for longer than he would have on Disney. And he got a break from Disney. The one thing to keep in mind, I believe it is Disney that lets each passenger bring one bottle of liquor aboard. Carnival did not allow that at all. So that can add up if passengers indulge.

And congrat's to your wife. Well done!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

The one thing to keep in mind, I believe it is Disney that lets each passenger bring one bottle of liquor aboard. Carnival did not allow that at all. So that can add up if passengers indulge.

Royal Caribbean allows 2 bottles of wine per stateroom. You cannot bring bottled water, sodas, hard liquor, or beer. Disney allows anything you want to bring as long as you carry it onboard. They do not want anyone puting beverages in checked bags because if they leak it will soak into other guests' luggage as well. We always carry on plenty of liquor. My brother has carried on a case of beer and a bottle of liquor. On the girls cruise many girls carried multiple bottles of all sorts of things including wine & liquor. Oh! We also picked up a case of water in Key West (while in port) once and brought that back on the ship with us.

One of Carnival's newer ships sails from Galveston. The Carnival Magic. I've priced it a few times but the price isn't much less than we've paid for DCL. Either I'm really good at finding the Disney discounts, Carnival doesn't run as many deep specials here in Texas, or both. I don't think I'd sail on one of Carnival's smaller/older vessels. Confidence and all....

 

[EOD K9]

@draybook While I know you wanted people to chime in on comparison cruises, I'm going to interject on my two experiences with DCL. The wife and I were curious about a cruise and DCL in general. We traveled this previous February and had an absolute blast. It was five days/four nights. We did one day on property on either side of the trip. We went and did a three nighter in August. That was waaaay to short, but still worth it. After experiencing DCL, I'd much rather sail than go to a park. While I'll want to enjoy the parks, the atmosphere on the ship, to me, seems much more relaxed. Everyone on the ship is there together, experiencing the same thing. You aren't worried about fastpassing or my magic plussing something. You may want to try a land/sea package. Just my two cents.

 

[Disneymom201]

My husband & I have sailed NCL & RCCL each twice, although several years ago. We've (DSs 14, 10 & 1) have been to WDW every year for the past 8 years. This past fall we decided to try something different and sailed on The Dream...4 night Halloween Cruise. We did then stay off property after to hit MNSSHP & 2 days @ the parks. Words cannot express the pure joy of the 4 nights on The Dream. My older DSs continuously ask if/when we can go back. They have each said that they would rather cruise then go back to the parks...which really surprised me. Finances are a definite factor for our family and I'd definitely choose a 4 day Disney cruise over a 7 day alternate. As Sweetpee_1993 said you'll still get your "fix." I remember reading one of your posts from your most recent trip & you were a bit disappointed in Disney. Maybe trying one of their cruises will "rekindle" your relationship with them??? Honest...you will not regret going DCL!!!! Good luck & will look out for your decision

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

While I can't chime in on other cruise lines, I can give my opinion on DCL. We sailed on the girls cruise in September and LOVED every minute of it. As someone who has not been impressed by WDW lately... everything from the CMS, how they are running FP+ and just the overall additions to the parks over the last 2-3 years, I went onto the cruise expecting the same unenthusiastic CMs we've run into at the parks and resorts over the years, not so up to par food and staterooms and common areas showing wear and tear. I was PLEASANTLY surprised to find none of that to be true.

My sister and I were comparing cruising versus going back to the parks in February. Pricing a stay at WDW at a value resort was definitely cheaper than a cruise by about $150-200 a person. But the service you receive from your stateroom host on the cruise is that of deluxe quality. You get a turn down service every night, chocolates on your pillows, they are friendly and know your name. We had some champagne in our room and every day our host brought new champagne glasses and put the bottles in fresh buckets of ice for us. CMs on the ship said hello every time you passed one. I can't count the amount of times I have passed CMs at Disney who look at us, scowl on their faces and just keep walking without even a hello. The wait staff on board the ship is also leaps and bounds above the servers at WDW. You get the same servers every night at dinner so they get to know what you like (what kind of drink you like with dinner, etc..) and they are just so friendly and want to make sure yu have the absolute best dining experience possible. It definitely is all deluxe service. Can you compare a 4 WDW vacation in a value resort to a 4 night cruise money-wise? Sure, but I feel like you're not getting the same experience at all. I feel like a better comparison would be pricing out a 4 night cruise versus a 4 night stay at a deluxe resort with a signature dinner every night. Because to me, this is the equivalent of what you receive on the cruise. Not everyone will agree with me I'm sure because everyone values things differently. You defintely do get what you pay for on a Disney cruise though, there is no doubt about that.

 

[GoochDSA]

My main concern is cost. We're trying to scale back next year, as my wife will be graduating in February so we're gonna be tight until she starts working. From the small samples I saw during my lunch break, the Disney cruise was roughly $2700 for the 4 night cruise while a standard cruise on NCL or Royal was roughly the same price for 7 nights.

I'm assuming that the 7 nighter on DCL will be around $4000 for the Halloween cruise but I'm trying to justify the cost. I'll look again, not sure why it only showed 3 $ 4 night cruises for me.

My wife and I just booked out first DCL cruise for September (7-Nights on the Fantasy out of PC). While researching our options, we found that the DCL cruise we booked worked out to be cheaper than a RCCL cruise leaving the following day, same length, same ports (Labadee instead of CC, naturally). Once I added in the extras for RCCL (i.e. soda package, casino money) DCL just seemed like a better deal. The one thing I will note is that the prices we compared was a Junior Suite on RCCL (which is what we usually book) vs. an Oceanview stateroom with Veranda on DCL (both cabin types have the same square footage).

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

My wife and I just booked out first DCL cruise for September (7-Nights on the Fantasy out of PC). While researching our options, we found that the DCL cruise we booked worked out to be cheaper than a RCCL cruise leaving the following day, same length, same ports (Labadee instead of CC, naturally). Once I added in the extras for RCCL (i.e. soda package, casino money) DCL just seemed like a better deal. The one thing I will note is that the prices we compared was a Junior Suite on RCCL (which is what we usually book) vs. an Oceanview stateroom with Veranda on DCL (both cabin types have the same square footage).

We noticed this as well when looking at RCCL. We got excited to see that RCCL was cheaper than Disney, but then we looked at the sq ft of the room and knew that size would not due. By the time we priced out an equal sized room, it was almost the same. Factoring in gambling money, soda money, etc... it would have been almost identically priced.