The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[mickEblu]

Have you ever done a Disney cruise (or any other cruise)? You might want to take the kids on one down to Mexico for 3-4 days. The food on a Disney cruise has been the best so far. However the service has been better on Royal Caribbean and there is more to do on a Carnival cruise. Disney has less shipboard activities that you just show up for creating long lines.

Ive done many Carnival Cruises, most of them in the late 90s / early 2000's to Mexico and my family and I thought they were great back then. Did one 7 day Disney Cruise to the Caribbean in Spring 2023. Although we had a great time I'm not in a rush to do one again at their usual prices. We got a great deal on our cruise. Definitely not flying to Florida to do another one any time soon. I'd consider a Disney cruise to Mexico since it's convenient but I think they re too expensive. They charge what the competitors charge for a 7 day cruise. Just don't think it's worth it to go back to the Mexican Riviera which I've been to 5 times.

 

[Phroobar]

Ive done many Carnival Cruises, most of them in the late 90s / early 2000's to Mexico and my family and I thought they were great back then. Did one 7 day Disney Cruise to the Caribbean in Spring 2023. Although we had a great time I'm not in a rush to do one again at their usual prices. We got a great deal on our cruise. Definitely not flying to Florida to do another one any time soon. I'd consider a Disney cruise to Mexico since it's convenient but I think they re too expensive. They charge what the competitors charge for a 7 day cruise. Just don't think it's worth it to go back to the Mexican Riviera which I've been to 5 times.

There is the Disney 4 day cruise to Ensenada that leaves out of San Diego. We did that one for Halloween. They had a special Costco deal $650 per person with parking/tips included. I just did a Royal Caribbean out of Port of LA to the same place for $450 per person with parking/tips included. So if you look at as a hotel room with free food, entertainment and goes somewhere for 4 days, it is cheap. The optional shore excursions and the alcohol is where things get expensive.

You just got to watch the prices and book early. $112 room and meals is a steal.

 

[mickEblu]

There is the Disney 4 day cruise to Ensenada that leaves out of San Diego. We did that one for Halloween. They had a special Costco deal $650 per person with parking/tips included. I just did a Royal Caribbean out of Port of LA to the same place for $450 per person with parking/tips included. So if you look at as a hotel room with free food, entertainment and goes somewhere for 4 days, it is cheap. The optional shore excursions and the alcohol is where things get expensive.

You just got to watch the prices and book early. $112 room and meals is a steal.

Oh that’s a great deal! Every time I look at Disney’s site I think the 3-4 day Mexico cruises for the 4 of us for an ocean view (porthole) room are like 5k+. I’ll have to check Costco from time to time.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Really enjoying Dream Productions (Inside Out series) on Disney+ I feel like it could lend itself well to a good filler show at Hollywood Studios or taking over Magic Eye at Epcot.

 

[mickEblu]

Interesting. Our Magic Keys just became eligible for renewal and they allow you to upgrade (or downgrade) to any tier even though they are not available to the general public at the moment. Pretty sure this isn’t how it used to be?

 

[Phroobar]

Oh that’s a great deal! Every time I look at Disney’s site I think the 3-4 day Mexico cruises for the 4 of us for an ocean view (porthole) room are like 5k+. I’ll have to check Costco from time to time.

Disney's site never has discounts. Book early with travel agents or Costco is better.

 

[mickEblu]

Disney's site never has discounts. Book early with travel agents or Costco is better.

I booked our 7 day Carribean Disney cruise for the 4 of us on some Disney + deal on Disneys site for like $4,400 with a Verandah room. I hear what you re saying though. I’m sure that’s super rare.

 

[AJFireman]

Interesting. Our Magic Keys just became eligible for renewal and they allow you to upgrade (or downgrade) to any tier even though they are not available to the general public at the moment. Pretty sure this isn’t how it used to be?

Yes it has been that way since MK's have been introduced.

 

[mickEblu]

Yes it has been that way since MK's have been introduced.

Are you sure? Im pretty sure at some point recently you could only renew into your key tier if the others weren't currently available.

 

[AJFireman]

Here is a planDisney response from Aug 2022. I know they are not official official but they did explain you could upgrade or downgrade your pass.

https://plandisney.disney.go.com/question/upgrade-magic-key-pass-514493/

 

[truecoat]

There is the Disney 4 day cruise to Ensenada that leaves out of San Diego. We did that one for Halloween. They had a special Costco deal $650 per person with parking/tips included. I just did a Royal Caribbean out of Port of LA to the same place for $450 per person with parking/tips included. So if you look at as a hotel room with free food, entertainment and goes somewhere for 4 days, it is cheap. The optional shore excursions and the alcohol is where things get expensive.

You just got to watch the prices and book early. $112 room and meals is a steal.

The wife and I are doing a week on an MSC cruise in February. $588 per person, drinks and wifi included but not tips.

 

[Phroobar]

The wife and I are doing a week on an MSC cruise in February. $588 per person, drinks and wifi included but not tips.

That's a pretty good deal considering wifi and drinks are rarely included. Tips are always added afterwards per person/per day. I always see people getting on the boat with cases of soda. I feel sorry for those people that are at the bar at 7am. Is life really that depressing that they need to be drunk the entire vacation?

 

[truecoat]

That's a pretty good deal considering wifi and drinks are rarely included. Tips are always added afterwards per person/per day. I always see people getting on the boat with cases of soda. I feel sorry for those people that are at the bar at 7am. Is life really that depressing that they need to be drunk the entire vacation?

I don't even drink but my wife enjoys a cocktail from time to time.

My mom told me about a friend who went on a cruise with her parents. They were heavy drinkers and I guess when they needed to settle up, they had a $1700 bill waiting for the 3 of them.

 

[Phroobar]

I don't even drink but my wife enjoys a cocktail from time to time.

My mom told me about a friend who went on a cruise with her parents. They were heavy drinkers and I guess when they needed to settle up, they had a $1700 bill waiting for the 3 of them.

I've seen cruises that have an all you can drink alcohol plan. My family doesn't drink so its weird hearing stories like that. I guess that is why they call any of the Mexico cruises the Booze Cruise. I found Carnival and Disney were aggressive on pushing alcohol on the ship. They would ask multiple times within ten minutes. Royal Caribbean would ask once and then never see them again.