Rainforest Room Passes: multiple single day vs length of cruise (Dream & Fantasy) About This Page:

[Starwind]

Alright fellow Passporters, I am reaching out to you because I reached out to DCL via email and the response I got back did not in any way, shape or form answer my questions. Yes, I am sending them another email, but I am hoping with your collective wisdom I may get an answer here faster and perhaps more accurate :-)

Last fall we (sister and I) sailed on the Fantasy and purchased the on-board length-of-cruise couples Rainforest Room Pass. We loved the Room, most especially the heated chairs. I spent a LOT of time on those heated chairs. To be honest, I think I only used the showers of the Room maybe twice (once to try them, the second time because I thought I should since we had the pass...). And the hot tubs two or three times. It was all about the chairs :-) Did I mention the chairs ?? I even fell asleep on one once. I found it great for cuddling down with my tablet and reading. The sunsets were pretty spectacular, too (and nicely sheltered from the wind). We used it at least once a day, every day.

Ok, enough about my love for the heated chairs.

My real reason for coming to you.

I got home and I did some math. And I realized that it LOOKS LIKE a person would do a lot better $-wise by just buying enough pre-purchase single day passes to cover off each day than to buy the on board length of cruise pass. And we are not talking a few dollars. I was a little miffed.

This December we are doing a B2B on the Disney Dream: 3 night followed by a 4 night. So I ran the math again. The Rainforest Room (RR) pass numbers come from a September 2015 Navigator (via the DisneyCruiseLineBlog site's Personal Navigator repository: Personal Navigators Thank You!!).

Here goes:

According to recent Navigators, the price of the "Rainforest Deluxe cruise Pass" for the 3 night Dream is: couples $102 and singles $69. For the 4 night the price is couples $144 singles $101.

To before-the-cruise-pre-purchase single day RR passes:

$16 x 3 days = $48 and * 2 people = $96
this is still less than the $102 couples price for the onboard pass, and quite a difference from the singles $69 price.
(savings of multiple single days:: $6 from couples; $21 from single)

$16 x 4 days = $64 and * 2 people = $128
this is an even bigger amount less than the couples $144 pass and even greater for the singles $101 price.
(savings of multiple single days: $16 from couples; $37 from single)

(notes:
- yes, there is something like 18% gratuity on both types of passes; I am ignoring it to make the math simpler; it actually makes the price difference even greater;

- 3 night cruise gets 3 day passes since the last day (leaving day) the RR is closed to departing guests as we eat breakfast and get politely kicked off the ship; likewise 4 night = 4 day passes )


It appears on the surface that just buying each person 3 and 4 RR single day passes is a cost savings over the "cruise pass".

You would save even more if you were a party of 2 where one person wanted every day and the other only some days and you purchased single day passses accordingly (if my math is correct and confirmed by you guys, we may do this as my sister grumbled something about not wanting the heater chairs... I mean the RR each day... I must have heard her wrong though!!).


Passporters:

What am I not understanding ?

What is the difference(s) between the pre-purchased single day passes and the onboard cruise pass, other than the considerable cost savings of buying single day passes ?

If we purchase multiple single day passes are we guaranteed to be able to use them on the days we want to (i.e. every day) ?? I know with the RR cruise pass you are guaranteed to be able to use the RR whenever you want that the RR is open (unless at a given specific moment they were to hit their legal safe occupancy capacity of course, then you can come back later).

Are there other options ?

The RR cruise pass is a "deluxe" pass. What does "Deluxe" mean ? Is there is anon-deluxe and presumably less expensive cruise pass ? If so, what is the difference ?


Thanks for your help in clarifying this mystery and hopefully helping us save some $.

SW