PCalabrese

It'll be interesting to see what the 2016 pricing does. Much like at the parks they continue to increase the prices. People complain but hey, they still go in droves. The place has never been more packed despite the increase. It's smart of them to do based on the demand for the cruises. I bet the ships still fill up. If booking ever dropped than they would decrease the price accordingly till they find the sweet spot. Id be doing the exact same thing.

I recanted and admitted not everything is included. You pointed out the biggest thing I noticed which was the lack of nickel and diming. We place a value on not having tables all over the place everyday selling "stuff". It just makes the cruise feel a bit more upscale and elegant. Oh and the beauty of the ship. That's a wow factor in and of itself.

Ok ok. Not everything is included. We don't purchase photo packages so that's not an added cost. We don't use room service often, when we do it's for a quick breakfast. Instead of trying to cruise every year it's more like every 2 years now. Also we do the brunch at Palo, not the dinner and we feel we get value from that brunch. It's much like everyone else has said and you alluded to. It's the extra touches that make it worth the extra effort to save but to everyone that's different. I easily admit there are times that I'm like let's just go on RCI so we can go sooner" but DW says " no, I'm sticking to my plan!be patient". It's not easy but when vacation time arrives we go "Aaahh that's why we made the sacrifices we did".

Also, there are ways to save. Buying gift cards at Target at discounted prices and using the Red Card, using ebates to "buy cash". DW just showed me how, by July when the cruise is paid she will have saved $500 on the $4k cruise!! That's big savings. We don't go concierge or anything, that is definitely out of our league.

Oh, all the household finances are just fine FYI :)

I was a skeptic about the value. Note the word "was". We love Disneyland and are AP holders. That being said we've had great cruises on Carnival and RCI. Then we boarded the Fantasy. Wow was the word we used. The attention to detail, the cleanliness. The ship is amazing. Ok, the added cost. With Disney the first thing we noticed was no nickel and diming. No tables set up in the atrium hawking goods like "gold by the foot". Nowhere on the ship will you find flea market type setups trying to sell whatever junk they can.

Moving on.. You can bring your own beer/liquor onboard and the captains gala on the 2nd night serves real drinks for 2 hours not junkie champagne. Soda is included, the movie theater onboard plus every Disney movie ever on demand in your stateroom for no charge. The food quality was noticeable and the service is excellent. They really do add that extra touch. Should I go back to the ship and how amazing and beautiful it is? The Aquaduck with no up charge. Crab for lunch. It's all in the details. Sure you might spend more up front but you do get your money's worth and you won't find yourself charging your key card all day. The drinks are cheaper as well.

Anyways, if you're on the fence, yes it takes a bit more savings upfront but once your onboard you'll see and feel the value of your effort. Everything is run so well that if you're worried about kids running wild it's just not happening. Adults and kids have their own areas and Disney does such a great job at giving you the experience that you want. Oh and Mickey Ice Cream Bars are included too, unlimited!! The burgers are great poolside, the pretzels, ice cream.. All included. Ok I'm going on too much :)