Is Disney that much more luxurious than NCL?

[fshagan]

After reading the comment about pricing I asked my travel agent; she had no idea where that poster came up with her idea. As for priced by cabin not number of guests, she said, unless there are a kids cruise free promo, no, they do not price per cabin.

 

 

When you book a Disney Cruise the price quoted on the website is for 2 people in the cabin class, and includes taxes, not the per person price for two people before taxes. Here's an example:

 

 

 

In contrast, here is an Alaskan cruise and how it is listed during booking on NCL (this matches most other sites). The home page for the cruise, where Disney shows $3,278 ... the full price for two people including port taxes ... is just $929 on NCL. That looks like it is more than $2,000 higher. But as you do a mock booking, and get several clicks in to your cabin selection, you see the full price ... this image is a composite of two different screens, separated by another screen or two as you click through selecting things:

 

 

The price comparison is $3,278.86 ... the price you saw on the first page of the Disney site, to the $2,452.30 price you eventually get to after clicking and selecting on NCL. That's still a $826.36 difference, but it's not the $2,349 price difference people will often quote when they don't know that Disney gives the full price of the lowest priced cabin that's actually available.

 

And yeah, Disney is worth an extra $59 per person per day.

[jenf22]

The price comparison is $3,278.86 ... the price you saw on the first page of the Disney site, to the $2,452.30 price you eventually get to after clicking and selecting on NCL. That's still a $826.36 difference, but it's not the $2,349 price difference people will often quote when they don't know that Disney gives the full price of the lowest priced cabin that's actually available.

 

And yeah, Disney is worth an extra $59 per person per day.

 

 

I was pretty sure that was what you meant early on. But for us, every single cruise we've priced, it is a HUGE difference between NCL and DCL. Our Norwegian fjords cruise was $3100 on NCL in a mini-suite with UBP and UDP (2 adults, 1 child). The DCL cruise at the same time on opening day (or at least opening week) was over $7000 in a regular balcony room. We're doing a Princess cruise this October out of New York and the Magic will be there at the same time. The Magic is ~$4000 more than the Princess cruise (granted, it is 2 days longer too).

 

 

Disney got us hooked on cruising. We had a 5-year old (he's 9 now) and we just assumed we HAD to cruise Disney. We never even looked at other lines. Our first 3 cruises were DCL and we LOVED them. We loved the ship, the itineraries, and just the whole feel of being onboard. But to tell the truth, we didn't like the servers on DCL. They are too much. They're in your face all the time. Our first cruise they asked us every night, repeatedly, if everything was "excellent". The second cruise (Alaska) was half empty and the servers were so bored they were over all the time. I've read on here that people love that when their child asks for olives one night, they get a little bowl of olives every night without asking. I don't want that. But some people love that. We prefer to have meal time to ourselves. Keep the drinks full and the food comin' :) That's all we want.

 

 

When we started looking around at other lines it was like a whole new world opened up. I couldn't believe the places other lines went! And we could do 2 cruises a year for the price of 1 on Disney. We're off to the Med in 2 weeks and I'm beyond thrilled I can give that experience to my child (and me - I've never been either). I've asked him, many times, if it bothers him that it's not Disney. He understands we get more vacation by not doing Disney. He's fine with it.

 

I look all the time at DCL's prices. I would do Disney again in a heartbeat if the price and itinerary were right. But for now our vacation dollar is being spent on new places and time together. I always said if I won a million dollars, I was booking the Roy Suite on a DCL ship. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I'd rather do the Haven on an NCL ship :)

[fshagan]

I look all the time at DCL's prices. I would do Disney again in a heartbeat if the price and itinerary were right. But for now our vacation dollar is being spent on new places and time together. I always said if I won a million dollars, I was booking the Roy Suite on a DCL ship. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I'd rather do the Haven on an NCL ship :)

 

 

Most of the time, DCL is quite a bit higher than NCL or Carnival. It is "positioned" in marketing terms as a step above those lines. For us, most of the time, we are looking at price and itinerary just like you. We've been looking at British Isles cruises and they are expensive on Princess and Celebrity. Not sure why, but it might be the different tax structure (cruise lines don't pay corporate income tax on ship-based operations in the US, so they have an advantage here, but do pay tax in Britain). Some have said the casinos have limited operating hours when in British waters, but I'm not sure if that's true either.

 

When we saw that Disney had released an itinerary that was England, Ireland and Scotland (the exact itinerary we wanted) and just 7 days instead of 11 or 12, and the cost was about the same as other cruises with that itinerary, we jumped on it. We did the same on a Pacific Coastal cruise a couple of years back ... the cost was within 10% of the cost of other lines. We will pay a premium for DCL based on our cruising style and preferences. Maybe 20% more.

 

People who haven't cruised Disney and just look at the first page see the "sky high" prices that are "thousands more" but I don't think they always dig in and look at the breakdown. For us, a strict price comparison works: we don't drink much, don't gamble, don't smoke, and don't need wild nightlife with a pool area with loud music. We often decline the promos on NCL tha have a gratuity because the gratuity is more than we would spend on the item they are giving away "NCL free".

 

We have also found a difference in the fellow passengers. On our last three NCL cruises we have had to be careful to avoid stepping in vomit at least once, usually by an elevator. Really, people, if you can't handle your alcohol, don't take the UBP.

[JVilleGal]

obviously

you cruise upscale lines, which makes a difference in how you view cruises. You mention the entertainment, for families it is a great experience, but the lack of adult activities for adults is very limited. I agree from what I have heard the restaurant experience is great but I have also heard the food isn't superiour to other lines particularly. I have heard this from both our TA and clients I had when I was a TA for 12 years.

 

 

For my daughter and her young family this was a cruise of a lifetime. I would not consider sailing DCL if not for the Grandkids. If you can afford to sail Disney and have children especially under the age of 12 this is a trip that will make everyone happy. Even the Grandparents footing the bill.

 

While I love ALL things Disney I would not consider DCL for an adult only cruise. I love my grandchildren and know what I'm getting myself into by boarding a DCL ship not a chance in Hades would I surround myself with that many children for the heck of it.

 

It's only my opinion but DCL is a family cruise.

 

 

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[megansdad1]

On my Disney cruise, my daughter got ill on the final night. We stayed in out cabin that night. When our waiter found out she was not feeling good, he had the maitre d call the room to check in on us. They then allowed us to order off the MDR menu and it was delivered to our room. This was our 1st Disney cruise and we were not in any special room. Totally blown away. It felt personal, like they cared.

 

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[Talex831]

 

The price comparison is $3,278.86 ... the price you saw on the first page of the Disney site, to the $2,452.30 price you eventually get to after clicking and selecting on NCL. That's still a $826.36 difference, but it's not the $2,349 price difference people will often quote when they don't know that Disney gives the full price of the lowest priced cabin that's actually available.

 

And yeah, Disney is worth an extra $59 per person per day.

 

 

 

If you're content to book the lowest room on the ship. DCL comparison to other lines balcony to balcony cabins or suite to suite is a much bigger discrepancy.

 

No one is saying DCL isn't amazing, but when you could cruise for two weeks on another line vs one week on DCL--IMHO it's not worth it.

 

 

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[Demonyte]

No one is saying DCL isn't amazing...

 

 

I am. :D

 

It was a good cruise, perhaps great even, but nothing I'd describe "amazing" when comparing to NCL or Celebrity.

 

I understand that "all things Disney" are worth it for some people, but when one looks past the decorations, I just couldn't see the "luxury" many people in this thread are raving about.

 

For example we had the pushiest waiter of any of our cruises (he even went from table to table instructing guests on how to fill out the comment card delivered to cabins to his benefit) and while they maybe tried to keep the ship tidier, I still saw trash on outside decks, dirty dishes in hallways, grumpy room attendants etc etc - just like on all other ships we've been to. Movies on TV/pool deck screen, few snack kiosks and free room service with ice cream does not make the experience "luxury" IMO.

 

Yes, Disney does some things better when comparing only the hotel operations (meaning entertainment aside) - but definitely not "almost double the price" better. (My comparison was to other 4-5 night cruises from Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Port Canaveral around the same date.)

[Tapi]

And yeah, Disney is worth an extra $59 per person per day.

 

 

In our case, Disney will be approximately $150 more per person per day, or a total of $4,000. I'm setting my expectations THAT high for our upcoming Fantasy cruise.

 

Disney better be as amazing and worthy as you and other Disney fans say it is.

 

 

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[JVilleGal]

In our case, Disney will be approximately $150 more per person per day, or a total of $4,000. I'm setting my expectations THAT high for our upcoming Fantasy cruise.

 

Disney better be as amazing and worthy as you and other Disney fans say it is.

 

 

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If you have kids (youngish) it will be worth every dime...

 

 

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[fshagan]

In our case, Disney will be approximately $150 more per person per day, or a total of $4,000. I'm setting my expectations THAT high for our upcoming Fantasy cruise.

 

Disney better be as amazing and worthy as you and other Disney fans say it is.

 

 

I would cancel now if you can. You are responsible for your own expectations, and I predict you will be disappointed. Horribly disappointed.You're spending a lot of money, evidently just to prove us wrong, and there's little satisfaction in that. From the very first day, you are likely to look at the atrium and say "this isn't worth $4,000". Your entire cruise will be that way. "Big deal, we eat in a different restaurant every night with the same wait staff. That isn't worth $4,000." Or, "Mickey shaped ice cream; big deal, that isn't worth $4,000." Do you think telling us we're wrong is worth the price of another cruise?

 

You are spending almost three times the amount I cited as "worth it" to me. And I have been on the line numerous times. I wouldn't pay $150 per day extra for Disney.

[Mom2B&Z]

If you have kids (youngish) it will be worth every dime...

 

 

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Not necessarily. Read back and you'll see multiple posts, mine included, describing how DCL is nice, but not worth the extra to everyone. My boys were between 5-9 yrs when we sailed and they definitely prefer NCL.

Not everyone is impressed by the mouse and pixie dust.

 

 

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[Tapi]

I would cancel now if you can. You are responsible for your own expectations, and I predict you will be disappointed. Horribly disappointed.You're spending a lot of money, evidently just to prove us wrong, and there's little satisfaction in that.

 

 

I've been known to do some silly things in my lifetime, but believe me, spending that kind of money and setting unrealistic expectations just to prove you wrong won't be one of them.[emoji6]

 

Every time that I cruise, I adjust my expectations accordingly. I read maaaany reviews, weed out the overly positive and overly negative ones, watch videos, read professional overviews, ask for opinions from friends who've sailed as well as from travel professional friends and colleagues. And usually my expectations are met because I set them realistically.

 

When we sailed on the Allure of the Seas during her inaugural season I set the expectations very high. Not only were they met, but we had a fantastic time. When we did a budget minded weekend cruise on the aging Holiday out of Mobile, I set the expectations at a much lower level and had an equally fantastic time as well. I've continued to adjust expectations every time that I sail on a new cruise line, most recently on Holland America, Princess and MSC. And I continue to enjoy my cruises knowing what to expect.

 

This will be cruise #29, but I'll admit that with Disney, the process has been a bit harder. I haven't been able to weed out overly negative reviews because there aren't many. Most reviews seem to fall in the overly positive category so those have been even harder to weed out. Opinions from those who've sailed on Disney are overwhelmingly positive. Our travel agent told us that once we do Disney, nothing will ever compare and it will be hard to sail on any other cruise line. Comments like "the best service you'll ever experience", "the best food", "the best entertainment", "the best shows", "the best kids program", "the best staterooms", etc all seem to justify the price that we will be paying for this cruise. I believe that it's only fair that, with this type of feedback, that I set realistically high expectations.

 

I'm already going on this cruise knowing that I won't place a lot of emphasis on things like Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream. That will not play in my level of satisfaction. I will not consider my money well spent based on that, but on whether the quality of the product (service, food, entertainment, staterooms, cleanliness and activities) truly live up to the hype. As I've done every time that I sail on a new cruise line, I will be going with an open mind and avoid making comparisons. That has seemed to work in the past and I'm hopeful that it will work again this time.

 

My children are 5 and 7 (my son will turn 8 during the cruise) so I know that they will have an absolutely fantastic time regardless of expectations. That alone justifies spending the money on this cruise. There are several things that I want my children to experience at least once in their life, and taking a Disney cruise is one of them. They are the reason why I'm spending this kind of money on this cruise, not to have a reason to come back here after the cruise and complain about it. [emoji3]

 

 

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[gidgetgoes]

i think you'll have a good time. your kids are a good age for it. it's certainly not crap. i'd rather do more, get more, go longer, etc. than do DCL again. but it's a good experience if you can afford it. i think my point is it can't be that much better, not for us, anyway. have a great cruise!

 

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[JVilleGal]

i think you'll have a good time. your kids are a good age for it. it's certainly not crap. i'd rather do more, get more, go longer, etc. than do DCL again. but it's a good experience if you can afford it. i think my point is it can't be that much better, not for us, anyway. have a great cruise!

 

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If the kids are Happy then it follows that Mom & Dad should be very Happy!

 

 

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[Rileyz]

Disney is better is almost every way. The only thing I don't like is the set dinner times. I feel like I have to sail in the Haven to get a comparable experience to Disney. I've never seen a ship being cleaned so much as I do when on Disney and their staffing to guest ratio seems to be much better. I like NCL but one of the reasons I sail them so much is the NYC ships, it's a 3-4 hour drive for me.

[gidgetgoes]

Disney is better is almost every way. The only thing I don't like is the set dinner times. I feel like I have to sail in the Haven to get a comparable experience to Disney. I've never seen a ship being cleaned so much as I do when on Disney and their staffing to guest ratio seems to be much better. I like NCL but one of the reasons I sail them so much is the NYC ships, it's a 3-4 hour drive for me.

We sailed on the Fantasy, and we are to sail on the Gem. from what i have read of the staff to guest ratio, it looks like it's better on the Gem? can anyone confirm?

 

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[Talex831]

We feel the same on DCL and the cost. We went on two other cruise lines last year. Than we recently did a last minute VGT on Disney Wonder and got wrapped in the Disney magic again :-) We were like oh yeah - Disney leaves you in the feeling of bliss :-) I realize not everyone feels like that but we were like oh I love this feeling of everything being such right.

 

Our kids started cruising with Disney at the age of 4 and 6 and now are 11 and 13 and they love it. It feels like a second home. They love the kid club counselors. They make ton of friends with other kids in the clubs and now have the freedom to wonder the ship which I would let them do on another cruise line.

 

We are going to try other cruise lines but knowing they will just be different than Disney.

 

 

 

We sailed DCL exclusively and when we first decided to try another line, we said to ourselves from the beginning, this is not Disney, don't expect Disney. We didn't, and we were not at all disappointed. No, it wasn't Disney, but it was very nice.

 

 

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[Regguy]

If you're content to book the lowest room on the ship. DCL comparison to other lines balcony to balcony cabins or suite to suite is a much bigger discrepancy.

 

 

That Alaska example above is pretty misleading. I don't mean to say the poster was intending to be so! I just mean that it's really not that indicative of the spread between Disney and NCL in terms of similar itineraries. Most itineraries will be much more pronounced.

 

To get the comparison down to only about 30 to 40 percent, you have to look at inside cabins on a balcony-demand cruise, you have to pick the last 7-day cruise of the summer Alaska season (after schools are back in), and you can only look for 2 people.

 

That same cruise for July is upwards of $5,000 for inside and $8,000 for verandah. If you add two children to the room, Disney goes up into $8,000 range in July for an inside and $12,000 to $14,000 for a balcony. (NCL is about $6500 for a July 7 day for a family of four in a balcony cabin for an Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver.) Even if you just look at that shoulder season, September cruise that was posted above, adding a third or fourth passenger makes a massive difference compared to NCL. The third and fourth passengers on disney are an extra $1,000 to $1,200 each depending on cabin and age. On NCL, they are $349 each.

 

Bottom line, to say there is only a $59 difference per person per day you really need to cherry pick very carefully.

[gidgetgoes]

we sailed on a star wars Fantasy 7 day cruise in late January 2016, for two adults and one child it was $4700 just to get on the boat. we paid over $1k more at the end for excursions, alcohol, specially dining, incidentals, etc. we paid $3k 2017 dollars for the same room type on NCL for TEN days, with alcohol and specialty dining included. we enjoyed the Fantasy! but c'mon. that's crazy money except for the most fortunate among us.

 

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[fshagan]

That Alaska example above is pretty misleading. I don't mean to say the poster was intending to be so! I just mean that it's really not that indicative of the spread between Disney and NCL in terms of similar itineraries. Most itineraries will be much more pronounced.

 

 

It's interesting because I picked that completely at random. I was comparing the lowest priced (well, advertised) inside cabin on both Disney and NCL for the closest itinerary ... a 7 day Alaskan cruise in September of this year.

 

The purpose was only to show that DCL doesn't play the "per person, plus taxes, plus gratuities on your free perks" game that all the other lines do, and they quote what is actually available. When you first specify the number in your party and the cabin category DCL shows you the total price of an available cabin for all in your party, including the port taxes, in the very first screen. In that quick, random sample of two very similar cruises, when you got three screens in you found that all the "from" cabins on NCL at $929 were sold out, and you could only choose one that was $80 per person higher. Another screen finally gets you to the total price breakdown for the cabin and all in your party.

 

To get to the fair price comparison you have to go through that process on every cruise line to compare the price to Disney. Disney is almost always higher than RCL, NCL, CCL and often higher than Celebrity. I'm not disputing that. But to get to that price on RCL, NCL, CCL and Celebrity, to make a fair comparison, you have to do a mock booking and get three or four screens in because, well, you can't just multiply the "from" price on those lines x2 to get to a price comparison.

 

I have, on occasion, checked prices quoted for DCL and found the people made this mistake. On that Alaskan cruise I cited I would seriously consider DCL at $59 more per person per day because I like DCL more. But that's entirely up to the consumer doing the comparison, They just need to know HOW to compare prices between DCL and the other line they are considering.

[fshagan]

This will be cruise #29, but I'll admit that with Disney, the process has been a bit harder. I haven't been able to weed out overly negative reviews because there aren't many. Most reviews seem to fall in the overly positive category so those have been even harder to weed out. Opinions from those who've sailed on Disney are overwhelmingly positive. Our travel agent told us that once we do Disney, nothing will ever compare and it will be hard to sail on any other cruise line. Comments like "the best service you'll ever experience", "the best food", "the best entertainment", "the best shows", "the best kids program", "the best staterooms", etc all seem to justify the price that we will be paying for this cruise. I believe that it's only fair that, with this type of feedback, that I set realistically high expectations.

 

 

My opinion is that this is just a silly statement from your TA. Maybe it's just sales puffery, or she or he really loves Disney. There's a reason that the word "fan" is from the same root word as "fanatic", and the Disney fans are examples of a blending of the two words. I'm a fan of Disney, but I'm also a fan of NCL. I suspect I'll be a fan of Celebrity after our first X cruise this fall (like you, I read a lot about the cruise line before I take a cruise on them).

 

Service is good on Disney, but we have had comparable service on NCL. The dining rooms are better managed on Disney but I think that's because of set dining times and not because of a difference in effort by the staff (it's just easier to get everyone served when you have all the entrees coming out at the same time). The entertainment is very good on Disney, but it is all-Disney all the time (which delights the fanatics but can get tiresome for regular fans). Because of variety, I actually would give NCL the edge in entertainment.

 

I'm a Disney fan, and really like it when we sail Disney. But a $150 more per person per day? No way.

[melinda0222]

Don't know if you are still interested, but I posted a comparison of NCL, Disney, and RCL from a Moms perspective. I was on all 3 within a short time period. Check my name.

[gidgetgoes]

My opinion is that this is just a silly statement from your TA. Maybe it's just sales puffery, or she or he really loves Disney. There's a reason that the word "fan" is from the same root word as "fanatic", and the Disney fans are examples of a blending of the two words. I'm a fan of Disney, but I'm also a fan of NCL. I suspect I'll be a fan of Celebrity after our first X cruise this fall (like you, I read a lot about the cruise line before I take a cruise on them).

 

Service is good on Disney, but we have had comparable service on NCL. The dining rooms are better managed on Disney but I think that's because of set dining times and not because of a difference in effort by the staff (it's just easier to get everyone served when you have all the entrees coming out at the same time). The entertainment is very good on Disney, but it is all-Disney all the time (which delights the fanatics but can get tiresome for regular fans). Because of variety, I actually would give NCL the edge in entertainment.

 

I'm a Disney fan, and really like it when we sail Disney. But a $150 more per person per day? No way.

this ^^^.

 

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