Why is Disney so high priced?

 

I don't drink soda, but other people in my party do and they can get it for free on DCL. Other lines would force our entire party to buy a soda package if only one person wanted it.

 

Not necessarily.Since you cited Princess, we can take that example. Princess currently allows whomever wants a package to purchase one and those who don't do not have to. Celebrity used to have this feature also (it has been a couple years since we cruised them, so the policy may have changed.) Carnival does require every person of the correct age in the cabin to buy the same package. Honestly, I'd be angry if I had to buy a soda package to get one for my daughter. I haven't had a carbonated beverage since 2002 for medical reasons. I'd be really unhappy if I had to buy it so she could get it.

On the other hand, Princess has a soda only package for $5 per day and a "soda and more" that includes premium hot chocolate, mocktails, smoothies, etc for $8 per day (includes tip). Not really too shabby. On Celebrity, a plain soda package was $8 something per day but as above, the soda was in cans. You could get a can and take it to your cabin or to an excursion. On my next cruise, Princess is costing me a couple thousand less than the cheapest VGT booking on the Magic for 7 nights. $56 for a soda and more package seems like a very small trade off.

We have only booked a balcony on Princess, in part because we can get a balcony on Princess cheaper than an inside on DCL. The stated size of the balcony cabin is almost identical to a balcony cabin on the Wonder or Magic. OK, we don't have a split bath...but the split bath is not really 2 bathrooms. It is 2 sinks, one toilet, one tub/shower. Nice for a large family, but not needed for 2 people. DCL does have tubs, which normal cabins on most ships do not...but they are WAY too small for me to even think about a bath! We had an inside on Celebrity that was VERY small. Cheap, but tiny. Still, it had better storage than DCL's cabins.

Not necessarily.Since you cited Princess' date=' we can take that example. Princess currently allows whomever wants a package to purchase one and those who don't do not have to. Celebrity used to have this feature also (it has been a couple years since we cruised them, so the policy may have changed.) Carnival does require every person of the correct age in the cabin to buy the same package. Honestly, I'd be angry if I had to buy a soda package to get one for my daughter. I haven't had a carbonated beverage since 2002 for medical reasons. I'd be really unhappy if I had to buy it so she could get it.

 

On the other hand, Princess has a soda only package for $5 per day and a "soda and more" that includes premium hot chocolate, mocktails, smoothies, etc for $8 per day (includes tip). Not really too shabby. On Celebrity, a plain soda package was $8 something per day but as above, the soda was in cans. You could get a can and take it to your cabin or to an excursion. On my next cruise, Princess is costing me a couple thousand less than the cheapest VGT booking on the Magic for 7 nights. $56 for a soda and more package seems like a very small trade off.

 

We have only booked a balcony on Princess, in part because we can get a balcony on Princess cheaper than an inside on DCL. The stated size of the balcony cabin is almost identical to a balcony cabin on the Wonder or Magic. OK, we don't have a split bath...but the split bath is not really 2 bathrooms. It is 2 sinks, one toilet, one tub/shower. Nice for a large family, but not needed for 2 people. DCL does have tubs, which normal cabins on most ships do not...but they are WAY too small for me to even think about a bath! We had an inside on Celebrity that was VERY small. Cheap, but tiny. Still, it had better storage than DCL's cabins.[/quote']

 

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Carnival all allow soda packages to be bought individually and do not require everyone in the cabin to purchase the soda package.

 

On Royal and Celebrity, individuals can purchase alcohol packages (not everyone in the cabin); Carnival requires all adults over 21 to purchase the alcohol package if one person in the cabin requires it.

 

For us, due to our circumstances, we book accessible cabins. Each room tends to be different (ship to ship, cruise line to cruise line, and even category to category have very different configurations and placements) and the roll in shower doesn't come with a split bath for us. We've had good luck on many lines with cabins of sufficient size and set up to meet our needs well.

 

And I agree with an earlier comment - I wish the beds on DCL still split apart. I'm sure the queen sized bed works great for families with parents and kids but for us, it's better to have them split apart.

NCL doesn't require everyone in the cabin to buy the soda, adult beverage or specialty dining package either once on board. If you try to purchase it online before the cruise the computer requires you to purchase for everyone in the cabin.

Disney does an amazing job with their shows and I still love them. But NCL has done a fantastic job with the addition of Broadway shows on their newer ships. We've seen Legally Blonde on the Getaway, Rock of Ages on the Breakaway and After Midnight and Million Dollar Quartet on the Escape. Each one was excellent with a great casts.

And people pay their price! Look at WDW prices also - gone galactic!

Why is Disney so high priced? For a 7 nt cruise.. in a 5C regular balcony room.. so not the greatest.. it is over 5k..to Fl/Bahamas..

I am going on a RCL Anthem Suite.. for just over 5k.. for 10 nights Caribbean!

We are just back from our 1st Disney cruise & I wondered the same thing & couldn't wait to get onboard & see what wonderful things were to come with that double price. There are things that were great, but also much disappointment & for us, the extra didn't seem worth it. Our stateroom a premium ocean view with huge porthole window was so big & much larger than any other ship we've been on in the past. Also bigger shower with small tub. The entertainment is great, I mean it's Disney! Pirate night was so much fun, we dressed up, awesome show on pool deck topped off with fireworks. Service was about the same as all other lines we've cruised, I only saw our cabin steward the night before we got off ship. We were extremely disappointed in the food, probably the worst food we've ever had on a ship, so for that extra $$$ we were hopeful for good meals. Enchanted Garden dinner was awful! Royal Palace & Animator's Palate was just ok. They do have a seafood section in the Cabana's buffet for lunch that had peel & eat shrimp, crab claws/legs so that was a plus. The best meal we had the entire time was the bbq lunch on Castaway Cay, grilled Cajun chicken was very good. We had a great cruise, but for us we did not see any value in paying all that extra money. Been there done that, back to a reasonably priced line.

I just booked for summer of 2016 on the Fantasy and truly am asking myself again, WHY am I paying so much? This is for a very special birthday for my youngest son and I think it will be the last time we cruise Disney because I just can't justify it for every cruise-not when you can go out on Oasis or Allure for 1/2 the price. This time for me its because of the Disney "magic" -the fireworks, Animators dinner, private island (no other line comes close to being as nice as Disney's), and all the little extras that make it Disney. I do LOVE the Fantasy though and it has set the standard for me as far as how I compare other cruises.

I just booked for summer of 2016 on the Fantasy and truly am asking myself again, WHY am I paying so much? This is for a very special birthday for my youngest son and I think it will be the last time we cruise Disney because I just can't justify it for every cruise-not when you can go out on Oasis or Allure for 1/2 the price. This time for me its because of the Disney "magic" -the fireworks, Animators dinner, private island (no other line comes close to being as nice as Disney's), and all the little extras that make it Disney. I do LOVE the Fantasy though and it has set the standard for me as far as how I compare other cruises.

Same here. Ultimately, we ended up booking because after thinking about it, this is probably the last big Disney cruise for quite some time. Maybe forever. In several years anyways, our kids likely will have outgrown Disney. They don't seem particularly hard core Disney right now. I'm easily the biggest Disney fan in the family. However, the special touches that only Disney has is what wins DW over as well. We can rock climb, ice skate, surf, etc at home. Doing it on a ship is cool at first, but really not a deal breaker. For one last hurrah, Disney has stuff that's simply unique and we know we'll have a relaxing good time. For a vacation, that peace of mind is pretty priceless. Like their parks, they really are a cut above (although Universal has been making improvements, they're not quite there yet), and we know that it comes as a premium that we'll have to pay.

I personally think besides all the reasons cited before that they may be trying to control who gets onboard their ships. By charging what they do, even for their short Bahamas cruises, they essentially ensure they don't get any drunk college kids running amuck on their ships. Just a thought

At least with respect to my family, I was willing to pay the additional cost to sail with Disney because my daughter was in the sweet spot for what DCL offered to us (kids clubs, shows, etc.).

I knew that there would come an end-date where those things that set DCL apart would no longer be worth the additional cost. For us, that came after our cruise last year, when my tweenaged daughter decided that the clubs did not interest her and that she would rather spend her days on deck with us reading books and listening to her ipod.

That being the case, there is no reason for me to continue paying twice as much for an oceanview cabin, as I am for a mini-suite/large balcony room (with unlimited adult drinks) on NCL next year, in order to cruise on virtually the same itinerary. We'll miss Castaway Key (we get Nassau instead - ugh), but am happy with what I'm seeing from NCL so far (although I'm open to the possibility that we'll board the ship and say, "Gee, we miss Disney").

From another perspective - we sail using our DVC points. We've kinda grown tired of the parks for a while, so this is a way to use our points doing something we really enjoy. I can sail for a $95 booking fee, parking, gratuities, travel expenses and spending money. I must admit, if I was paying cash for everything, I wouldn't go with DCL. However, as others have said, DCL does it right.

I guess you can tell by my signature I mostly sail Cunard & occasionally Disney.:rolleyes: I am spoiled by Cunard's ship design (classic liner), interiors, attention to detail and service, and by the beautiful public spaces and lounges, & enrichment program.

 

 

 

The main reason I am willing to pay for and occasionally sail Disney is the classic liner look (that's a big reason), beautiful interiors and supreme service. Both lines seem to understand flawless attention to detail. Disney ships are an extension of their parks and I love those too. The Disney shows are better than Cunard though no one can beat Cunard's on board speakers/enrichment programs. The lone complaint in regards to Disney was that I had to eat in the specialty restaurants on Disney to find a decent meal.

 

 

 

The price point for Cunard, as well as Oceania or SilverSea and Disney are very similar. So it is not more costly than some other very nice lines though it certainly is a great deal more costly than mass market lines. Disney may charge more because they offer characters, Disney style entertainment, sodas, no gambling, superb kids programs, but each person has their own reason for paying, and you have to decide if it is worth it to you - no one can say whether it is justified in your mind except for you. For me it's worth it, because it's one of the rare lines which offers something different from the mass market; I just don't personally like big box ships, but I know many people love them. There's a line out there for everyone. Although if you have to ask how they justify it, then maybe Disney won't be for you. I have never thought twice that I am not getting a product equal to what I paid.

Food quality really important? Maybe it's time to try Oceania.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-7/articles.cfm?ID=1944&et_cid=2560386&et_rid=109005508&et_referrer=Boards

From another perspective - we sail using our DVC points. We've kinda grown tired of the parks for a while, so this is a way to use our points doing something we really enjoy. I can sail for a $95 booking fee, parking, gratuities, travel expenses and spending money. I must admit, if I was paying cash for everything, I wouldn't go with DCL. However, as others have said, DCL does it right.

Did they charge you the $95 processing fee recently? I just booked a Transatlantic on the Magic using points and they didn't ask me for a credit card...I didn't realize it until you mentioned the fee. Just wondering

hhalliv, I booked the first of August of this year and was charged the $95. It would be nice if they did away with that. Have a wonderful time on your Transatlantic. We want to take the Panama Canal cruise one day.

Not necessarily.Since you cited Princess' date=' we can take that example. Princess currently allows whomever wants a package to purchase one and those who don't do not have to. Celebrity used to have this feature also (it has been a couple years since we cruised them, so the policy may have changed.) Carnival does require every person of the correct age in the cabin to buy the same package. Honestly, I'd be angry if I had to buy a soda package to get one for my daughter. I haven't had a carbonated beverage since 2002 for medical reasons. I'd be really unhappy if I had to buy it so she could get it.

 

On the other hand, Princess has a soda only package for $5 per day and a "soda and more" that includes premium hot chocolate, mocktails, smoothies, etc for $8 per day (includes tip). Not really too shabby. On Celebrity, a plain soda package was $8 something per day but as above, the soda was in cans. You could get a can and take it to your cabin or to an excursion. On my next cruise, Princess is costing me a couple thousand less than the cheapest VGT booking on the Magic for 7 nights. $56 for a soda and more package seems like a very small trade off.

 

We have only booked a balcony on Princess, in part because we can get a balcony on Princess cheaper than an inside on DCL. The stated size of the balcony cabin is almost identical to a balcony cabin on the Wonder or Magic. OK, we don't have a split bath...but the split bath is not really 2 bathrooms. It is 2 sinks, one toilet, one tub/shower. Nice for a large family, but not needed for 2 people. DCL does have tubs, which normal cabins on most ships do not...but they are WAY too small for me to even think about a bath! We had an inside on Celebrity that was VERY small. Cheap, but tiny. Still, it had better storage than DCL's cabins.[/quote']

 

Also Carnival and Norwegian let whomever wants to buy it get the soda card and doesn't force everyone in the cabin to get it.

 

When we ladt cruised Princess they no longer had the $5 only soda package and the $8 package but just had the higher end one which they charged about $7 a day for.

 

Bill

We booked Allure for that very same reason (plus we're Canadian and we can book Royal in Cad, which makes a difference). Disney is just so much more and Royal has tons to do for them too. Disney is great, but it's not the only great cruise out there. In my opinion, Disney World is worth the extra cost since no amusement park can create that magic, but I don't feel the same about their cruise.

We booked Allure for that very same reason (plus we're Canadian and we can book Royal in Cad, which makes a difference). Disney is just so much more and Royal has tons to do for them too. Disney is great, but it's not the only great cruise out there. In my opinion, Disney World is worth the extra cost since no amusement park can create that magic, but I don't feel the same about their cruise.

I think this post sums it up.

From what I've read and not experienced, in years gone by, the service on other mass market lines was just OK, and the offerings of kid entertainment also just OK. Family entertainment in the main show lounges or theaters were mainly aimed at the adults.

DCL entered the market with a more family friendly attitude to cruising, with more offerings, and a product more suited to family cruising, especially with little ones.

The other lines stepped things up and became on par with DCL in terms of service, and the bar was raised.

But DCL has not had something so unique that they can have a complete control and exclusivity over, except the Characters for a while now.

The Magic portholes, upstaged by RCI with virtual balconies.

The Magic bands, upstaged and rolled out by RCI to allow adults as well as kids to use them for shipboard services.

The AquaDunk slide, is also on other ships.

Other ships have family activities that appeal to not just the kids and the tweens, but the teens as well.

After the success of the Dream and Fantasy, why they are still dragging their heals in building new ships is beyond me.

Either the operating costs of the 4 ships are so high that they need to charge that premium just to make it profitable enough to do so, or they are so backlogged with design challenges to create new ship/s, or are they just riding the wave of maximum pricing until they can no longer afford to justify that price anymore when many other lines offer a similar option at a price that is much less and they have exhausted the market?

They have alienated a large proportion of their previous cruisers with so many changes to policies and restricted opening hours or pools and reduced entertainment late at night. That and many uncharge options.

I wonder if the person in charge of the helm of DCL does know what they are doing or are they spinning the wheel and hoping for the best outcome?

ex techie

I think this post sums it up.

 

From what I've read and not experienced, in years gone by, the service on other mass market lines was just OK, and the offerings of kid entertainment also just OK. Family entertainment in the main show lounges or theaters were mainly aimed at the adults.

DCL entered the market with a more family friendly attitude to cruising, with more offerings, and a product more suited to family cruising, especially with little ones.

 

The other lines stepped things up and became on par with DCL in terms of service, and the bar was raised.

 

But DCL has not had something so unique that they can have a complete control and exclusivity over, except the Characters for a while now.

 

The Magic portholes, upstaged by RCI with virtual balconies.

The Magic bands, upstaged and rolled out by RCI to allow adults as well as kids to use them for shipboard services.

The AquaDunk slide, is also on other ships.

Other ships have family activities that appeal to not just the kids and the tweens, but the teens as well.

 

After the success of the Dream and Fantasy, why they are still dragging their heals in building new ships is beyond me.

Either the operating costs of the 4 ships are so high that they need to charge that premium just to make it profitable enough to do so, or they are so backlogged with design challenges to create new ship/s, or are they just riding the wave of maximum pricing until they can no longer afford to justify that price anymore when many other lines offer a similar option at a price that is much less and they have exhausted the market?

They have alienated a large proportion of their previous cruisers with so many changes to policies and restricted opening hours or pools and reduced entertainment late at night. That and many uncharge options.

 

I wonder if the person in charge of the helm of DCL does know what they are doing or are they spinning the wheel and hoping for the best outcome?

 

ex techie

Also, Royal has DreamWorks characters (Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon). This includes parades, shows, meet and greets, and a character breakfast (small fee). And I forget which line, but one of them has Dr Seuss. So although some kids just love Disney, others do have charcters as well. My DS will be close to 11 when we cruise so I'm pretty sure he'll prefer the older characters of DreamWorks over Mickey Mouse (and certainly over princess)

Royal was missing waterslides, but that is changing as they will be on Harmony of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas...and others to come over the years. And I think one on Harmony may even be a huge dry slide.

Now Disney is Disney and that in itself will sell. And yes, their cruises are great. One thing I find is that Disney caters to kids....all shows are kid-centered. Some may disagree, but DH and I didn't find much to do on Disney Magic when our kids were occupied. Whereas other ships such as Royal are family centered. Shows for everyone (Broadway shows, Aqua shows on some, ice shows etc) and constant activities during the day for kids (kids club), adults, and family as a whole...and that is what we love about it.

As posted, we chose Allure as the extra $1500 for a similar cruise/room/itinerary was not worth it to us. But some just want that Disney experience. And we've done it once and now are choosing Royal.

Also, Royal has DreamWorks characters (Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon). This includes parades, shows, meet and greets, and a character breakfast (small fee). And I forget which line, but one of them has Dr Seuss. So although some kids just love Disney, others do have charcters as well. My DS will be close to 11 when we cruise so I'm pretty sure he'll prefer the older characters of DreamWorks over Mickey Mouse (and certainly over princess)

 

Royal was missing waterslides, but that is changing as they will be on Harmony of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas...and others to come over the years. And I think one on Harmony may even be a huge dry slide.

 

Now Disney is Disney and that in itself will sell. And yes, their cruises are great. One thing I find is that Disney caters to kids....all shows are kid-centered. Some may disagree, but DH and I didn't find much to do on Disney Magic when our kids were occupied. Whereas other ships such as Royal are family centered. Shows for everyone (Broadway shows, Aqua shows on some, ice shows etc) and constant activities during the day for kids (kids club), adults, and family as a whole...and that is what we love about it.

 

As posted, we chose Allure as the extra $1500 for a similar cruise/room/itinerary was not worth it to us. But some just want that Disney experience. And we've done it once and now are choosing Royal.

I make you right!

The exclusivity of Characters is a selling point to families, but there is an age limit unless your family are big Disney fans.

And then there have been a sequence of shows that have been flops or only appeal to some of the audience, and are being replaced and have been updated consistently to try to improve them, like Villains and Toy Story.

And other shows, like Dreams and Golden Mickeys, that have run for over a decade. Yes they have had updates to some of the Characters to try to make them more relevant and current, but how many times can you watch the same show without being bored?

I doubt the adult nightlife will ever be amazing on a DCL cruise due to the number of families aboard, but it does seem like the adult late night entertainment has been scaled back so much now from when I was aboard, that it really is 10pm and bedtime, or sit in the bar listening to the DJ rather than the house band and dancing with the Cruise Staff on a theme night.

I hope you have a fantastic time on the Allure! She is a mega ship!

ex techie

I make you right!

 

The exclusivity of Characters is a selling point to families, but there is an age limit unless your family are big Disney fans.

And then there have been a sequence of shows that have been flops or only appeal to some of the audience, and are being replaced and have been updated consistently to try to improve them, like Villains and Toy Story.

And other shows, like Dreams and Golden Mickeys, that have run for over a decade. Yes they have had updates to some of the Characters to try to make them more relevant and current, but how many times can you watch the same show without being bored?

 

I doubt the adult nightlife will ever be amazing on a DCL cruise due to the number of families aboard, but it does seem like the adult late night entertainment has been scaled back so much now from when I was aboard, that it really is 10pm and bedtime, or sit in the bar listening to the DJ rather than the house band and dancing with the Cruise Staff on a theme night.

 

I hope you have a fantastic time on the Allure! She is a mega ship!

 

ex techie

Actually when I commented DH and I were bored when our kids were in the club/nursery, this was during the day. So even then, we didn't find as much adult events that interested us. But that was just us...

At nights, we all enjoyed the shows and then headed back to our stateroom. Shows were top notch, but if they don't change them, then I can see someone who is a repeat cruiser getting bored.

Thanks for the wishes. Looking forward to it.

Deleted...wrong thread.

Tried DCL a year ago for our family. Just not our cup of tea for the price. Too crowded, nothing for the teens/adults to do.

Now we are booked on a 14 day on Carnival for the 4 of us. Lots for all of us to do, different ports, a huge extended balcony stateroom and all for $2,000 less than a 7 day in an oceanview to the same old tired ports on DCL. Sorry, I can afford DCL if I wanted, but I am out for value for my money and DCL just doesn't give us the value, IMO.

As far as the Disney parks go, we have always gone to WDW and thought it was the greatest. Just got back from our first ever trip to Disneyland in California, which beats out WDW by miles. Too many things shut down at WDW now, losing Osborne Lights this year, no hordes of Brazilian tour groups at Disneyland, etc. Again, just my opinion, but it seems that the planners of Florida Disney including DCL are dropping the ball.

Food quality really important? Maybe it's time to try Oceania.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-7/articles.cfm?ID=1944&et_cid=2560386&et_rid=109005508&et_referrer=Boards

Thank you for the link. I have been debating this & pricing them out. I have been getting tons of Oceania marketing for the past 6 months even though we are pretty far below the age demographic. Full color catalogues, the whole works. We don't have children, we cruise Disney as adults and enjoy it but - meals & wine/drink quality & selection are important. I found Palo a great alternative to MDR food and will be trying Remy for the 1st time next week also. I was thinking I would do only 1 MDR meal. Just have to pick which one. The Disney wine & beer selections & many of the signature restaurants in the parks/resorts are great - hope the ships catch up. The ships though for Cunard & Disney are so beautiful inside & out I'm afraid to break out of my rut and try something new!

I've cruised exactly twice - once on Oceania with dh only, once with DCL and the whole family. I'd say they are very similar for adults. Good food, good service. The night life is not crazy, but good if you are happy with piano bars and karaoke. Dh liked Oceania's casino.

I'd happily cruise either again, especially w/o kids. I don't think that DCL was so much better to justify the cost though, so assuming all things being equal, I'd choose Oceania.

And FWIW, we met a great group of people on our Oceania cruise thru our cruise meet here, who we still keep in touch with.

Here's an analogy that might explain the difference. I thought of this as I just opened a box of generic store-brand raisin bran for my kid. It started with the box itself - nothing exciting about it - the colors were drab. It was utilitarian - it did its purpose and that's it. When I went to open the top tabs for the first time, the glue had been thoughtlessly applied, such that the tabs didn't pull apart easily. In fact, the last quarter of the tab ripped as I was sliding my finger under it - now I had two interlocking tabs that no longer would aid in closing the box.

Next, the seam of the bag was difficult to pull apart. The raisins? Dry and lifeless - they would take a bit longer to rehydrate with the milk. Several clumps of bran flakes stuck together - I'd have to chop those up with my spoon. Not a big deal, but a sign once again that I wasn't getting "the real deal".

Now how about that box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran ? Colorful box, exciting sunny character on the front, a sturdy well-crafted box top that closes every time, sealing in the flavor. A bag that opens effortlessly, almost unzipping itself. Perfect, broad bran flakes, perfectly plump raisins and TWO scoops guaranteed! Tastes like "the real deal".

Now what's the practical difference between the two? Not much... REALLY close taste... really close presentation. I'd say on a 100 point scale, an 80 (generic) vs. 95 (near-perfection for the name brand). Worth the price difference? You only live once! ;-)

Here's an analogy that might explain the difference. I thought of this as I just opened a box of generic store-brand raisin bran for my kid. It started with the box itself - nothing exciting about it - the colors were drab. It was utilitarian - it did its purpose and that's it. When I went to open the top tabs for the first time, the glue had been thoughtlessly applied, such that the tabs didn't pull apart easily. In fact, the last quarter of the tab ripped as I was sliding my finger under it - now I had two interlocking tabs that no longer would aid in closing the box.

 

Next, the seam of the bag was difficult to pull apart. The raisins? Dry and lifeless - they would take a bit longer to rehydrate with the milk. Several clumps of bran flakes stuck together - I'd have to chop those up with my spoon. Not a big deal, but a sign once again that I wasn't getting "the real deal".

 

Now how about that box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran ? Colorful box, exciting sunny character on the front, a sturdy well-crafted box top that closes every time, sealing in the flavor. A bag that opens effortlessly, almost unzipping itself. Perfect, broad bran flakes, perfectly plump raisins and TWO scoops guaranteed! Tastes like "the real deal".

 

Now what's the practical difference between the two? Not much... REALLY close taste... really close presentation. I'd say on a 100 point scale, an 80 (generic) vs. 95 (near-perfection for the name brand). Worth the price difference? You only live once! ;-)

Great Post! YOLO!

Honestly, I can't do a fair comparison as we've only sailed Disney. BUT the service on our cruises was excellent, the ships were excellent. We have another Disney cruise scheduled in two months. It is priceless when a waiter will get to know your family and help cheer up your kid when they are upset for one reason or another at dinner. One of our servers entertained our kids with magic tricks, another was an expert at napkin art and made us numerous things throughout the week. They were not only extremely pleasant, I felt like they got to know our preferences. My kids would look for them at breakfast and lunch, etc. And as adults we enjoyed talking to them and felt they were part of our overall cruise experience. They really make the cruise.

Also my kids LOVE the Animation Magic show in Animator's palate on the Fantasy. Its fantastic. And no reserving shows, plenty of room for both dinner times to get a seat every night. .

Is it worth so much more than other brands... I'm not sure. I looked up the Disney cruise prices for 2017 and ended up booking a 2 bedroom family suite on the Oasis for essentially the same price as two connecting veranda rooms on the Fantasy for the same week. So with three Disney cruises under our belt we did want to try something new. BUT I'm still hesitant about it. I work a lot of hours and am willing to pay more to ensure a great vacation. Will the service be lacking? Will it feel impersonal? Will we regret it? I won't know until we try another brand... in 14 months.

Now the question, will I go ahead and book on board to save 10% on our next Disney cruise? Probably...