Is Disney really worth the extra $$$$ About This Page:

[MillbrookMom]

Dh and I have been married for almost 12 years and have wanted to cruise since forever, but with children we've never been able to get away. So the only family "vacation" that we've been on has been to Disney World in 2004 and we loved it and would like to go back again some day. We were actually thinking of going this year, but have decided to wait till the boys are old enough to enjoy some more of the "thrill" type rides.

Anyway, so we figured we'd go on a cruise instead and of course Disney was our first thought, from watching the Disney planning video. We would likely wait till Dec. of 2007 to go for weather reasons (dh's holidays this year are in October).

Anyway.....I figured I should at least look at other cruise lines as well and have found that a lot of them seem really great too. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess.......and would each be about $1000 cheaper for the 4 of us than Disney is.

So.....at the time of cruising my boys will be 9 and 11. Is it really worth the extra $$ to do the Disney cruise? or would we be just as happy on a less expensive cruise?

I'm having such a hard time deciding since I can find so much info on Disney, but not as much on the others. PLEASE........can somebody help???

[Lumieregirl]

i've never been on another cruise line, so I can't compare but i have friends who have and they say the quality of service is much better and Disney handles the flow of people better - boarding, disboarding, meals, etc.

I'm not sure you'll notice any difference in the weather in teh Caribean between Oct & Dec.

[wwaaww]

I've been on NCL and RCCL.

I didn't care much for RCCL.

I thought NCL was very nice. I have relatives by marriage who have worked NCL and it is a very nice line. Things might have changed, but when I cruised with them (twice) it was mostly adults with adult activities - not a lot for the younger set. This has most likely changed since more families are cruising.

I was on both lines before I became a parent.

Disney outdoes them both.

The number of things for children (my daughter turns 6 tomorrow)is a real plus. The things they have on offer are not just 'baby' / Princess things, either. This is important. Disney understands their audience and has really done a fine job in catering to the various age groups. They have movies, shows, theme nights and general family entertainment. Most ships do, but, considering how Disney got it's start - this is a match made in heaven.

From my standpoint (I'm a single parent), I thought they had better cabins (certainly larger) and I didn't feel cramped. There was a huge window, light woods which brightened the room, a wonderful layout (the shower room with sink next to the room with toilet and sink is a SMART move)and nice decorations. These staterooms were light and airy enough that I wouldn't have minded spending more time in the room. Our stateroom had a lot of ambiance - and, believe me, I don't put my money into verandas or suites. That really impressed me (the size of the closets with lots of wooden hangers, the in-room safe and the various hooks and drawers was good, too). And, let's not forget the laundry rooms on ship with multiple machines and ironing board. Smart move for anyone traveling - especially those with kids.

I loved the whole check in area. I think I only waited in line about 15 minutes - they move people through quickly! Next time I go, I'll be able to use the Castaway Club line which is probably even shorter!

The staff seemed nicer and more genuine on Disney than RCCL. I thouht the staff on NCL was very nice, but, I met them on a different capacity since I was traveling as the relative of the cruise director.

The food was delicious. I liked that they catered to a variety of appetities. On Disney I did miss the nightly cold fruit soups I loved on NCL and RCCL but there were some very nice options, including that stunning Mickey Bar, which didn't make me leave the dinner table feeling I'd missed out.

Disney is known for family entertainment. You are traveling with your family. If you have the option, I would go with the company that is catering to family entertainment. I'd do Disney.

We're going again October 2007. In my opinion they have set a very high standard. Until my daughter says she's tired of it, we'll continue to do Disney.

Good luck deciding.

[Dave Marx]

That question is always a tough one. Sometimes it's just one little thing that makes the difference to a person. Is that "one little thing" worth $1000 to you, or is it something that would neither make nor break your vacation? Sometimes its a much bigger thing, like whether the line provides real activities and "play" space for tweens and teens - there are many lines where the kids have no place they want to call their own, so they take over some of the ship's main public spaces, not unlike a shopping mall on a saturday afternoon.

Look closely at the cost of "extras" when getting your quotes. Some lines, for example, don't tell you what the port fees add to a cruise in the initial quotation (generally around $200/person for a one-week vacation). Some lines include that fee (Disney among them), other lines omit it until after you've made a firm reservation. Charges for soft drinks are a nickel-and-dime issue that can add-up to real dollars over the course of a trip (some charge all adults for soft drinks at dinner and provide no free beverages outside the dining room), and the presence of a casino can be more than just nickels (Disney is about the only line without casinos - factor in your typical losses if you are a player).

After all that, Disney probably will still come up as more expensive, but maybe not by as much as you've calculated.

For general discussions of DCL pros and cons, try this current discussion.