Disney Cruise? Any tips or advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:April is Spring break next year. It's not this year. We booked 7 nights on the Fantasy next January for $5k - with verandah. We decided pulling the kids from school (K and 3rd next year) was the only way Disney would ever be in our budget.

It's cheaper to go in January than April because the weather is iffier. I was just reading reviews and blogs by people who said they had kind of crappy time at Castaway Cay because the temp was in the low 60s and it wasn't really warm enough to swim. That's kind of the whole point of the place. The whole idea of a cruise to the Bahamas in winter or spring is very dependent on warm weather.

Anyway to the PP, yes Disney cruises are expensive. I was just looking at a 7 night cruise to Alaska in July - $15k for 5 people in a room with a verandah and that is the basic price before excursions, flights, and the hotel you probably need to stay in before and after. All in, it would probably be close to $20k for one week. We might end up doing it because #YOLO and #youcan'ttakeitwithyou but I'm not going to kid myself that it is not very expensive.

Whoa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:April is Spring break next year. It's not this year. We booked 7 nights on the Fantasy next January for $5k - with verandah. We decided pulling the kids from school (K and 3rd next year) was the only way Disney would ever be in our budget.

It's cheaper to go in January than April because the weather is iffier. I was just reading reviews and blogs by people who said they had kind of crappy time at Castaway Cay because the temp was in the low 60s and it wasn't really warm enough to swim. That's kind of the whole point of the place. The whole idea of a cruise to the Bahamas in winter or spring is very dependent on warm weather.

Anyway to the PP, yes Disney cruises are expensive. I was just looking at a 7 night cruise to Alaska in July - $15k for 5 people in a room with a verandah and that is the basic price before excursions, flights, and the hotel you probably need to stay in before and after. All in, it would probably be close to $20k for one week. We might end up doing it because #YOLO and #youcan'ttakeitwithyou but I'm not going to kid myself that it is not very expensive.

Whoa.

A 7 night Alaskan cruise will be expensive on any cruise line. You're paying more for the verandah. And you have five people. That's roughly $400pp per day and includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, room service (free on disney), nonalcoholic drinks (free on disney), lodging, and a broadway style show every night (plus any other free on board activities--movies, kids activities, child care, animation lessons, etc.).

Going anywhere with 5 people for a week is expensive. At least everything is included on a disney cruise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:April is Spring break next year. It's not this year. We booked 7 nights on the Fantasy next January for $5k - with verandah. We decided pulling the kids from school (K and 3rd next year) was the only way Disney would ever be in our budget.

It's cheaper to go in January than April because the weather is iffier. I was just reading reviews and blogs by people who said they had kind of crappy time at Castaway Cay because the temp was in the low 60s and it wasn't really warm enough to swim. That's kind of the whole point of the place. The whole idea of a cruise to the Bahamas in winter or spring is very dependent on warm weather.

Anyway to the PP, yes Disney cruises are expensive. I was just looking at a 7 night cruise to Alaska in July - $15k for 5 people in a room with a verandah and that is the basic price before excursions, flights, and the hotel you probably need to stay in before and after. All in, it would probably be close to $20k for one week. We might end up doing it because #YOLO and #youcan'ttakeitwithyou but I'm not going to kid myself that it is not very expensive.

Whoa.

A 7 night Alaskan cruise will be expensive on any cruise line. You're paying more for the verandah. And you have five people. That's roughly $400pp per day and includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, room service (free on disney), nonalcoholic drinks (free on disney), lodging, and a broadway style show every night (plus any other free on board activities--movies, kids activities, child care, animation lessons, etc.).

Going anywhere with 5 people for a week is expensive. At least everything is included on a disney cruise.

Of course. But $20k for one week? It's expensive, even for 5 people.

And we do need the room with the verandah. Not because we need the actual verandah, we don't, but because we need the space for beds for 5 people. The smaller inner rooms don't even pop up on the screen if you filter for 5 people. But to be honest I don't think I'd be crazy abotu spending a week in a room with no windows to the outside. I think that could be really creepy especially on a boat.

[Anonymous]

To give you an idea, we are going to Beaches Turks and Caicos in April and expecting to spend around $10k for 5 people. Disney adds an extra premium. They do do things well and have high service standards so I'll give them that.

[Anonymous]

Beaches is a resort, not a cruise ship...so there's a premium for that. And you don't have broadway style shows at Beaches.

I bet if you priced out a 7 day Alaskan cruise for 5 on RC or celebrity the cost would only be $1 or 2k less. But if you are cruising with young kids, you are better off going with disney.

[Anonymous]

I love Disney cruises, but the only time I've paid 20k is for a 9 night Mediterranean cruise, and that was in 2014 for TWO verandah cabins. The key to booking reasonable deals on Disney is to book when dates are released. And I get that some people like the shows, but they are nothing close to Broadway shows. I may factor some value into the fact that the entertainment is kid-friendly, but not for the quality of the shows themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Disney cruises, but the only time I've paid 20k is for a 9 night Mediterranean cruise, and that was in 2014 for TWO verandah cabins. The key to booking reasonable deals on Disney is to book when dates are released. And I get that some people like the shows, but they are nothing close to Broadway shows. I may factor some value into the fact that the entertainment is kid-friendly, but not for the quality of the shows themselves.

Well, it's on a boat so the theater is limited, but the shows are broadway-style...especially in comparison to what you get on other lines (which is rarely kid-friendly).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a warm weather resort you recommend?

Dying to go to Hawks Cay in the keys.

Save your money. Hawks Cay was not good.

Really? How so?

The "beach" is a man made lagoon which smells funny and looks dirty. Food is mediocre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To give you an idea, we are going to Beaches Turks and Caicos in April and expecting to spend around $10k for 5 people. Disney adds an extra premium. They do do things well and have high service standards so I'll give them that.

7 night Disney cruise for 5 for spring break verandah next year is $8k. Is your $10k with airfare?

[Anonymous]

I just priced a Disney cruise for next spring break for 4 for 7 days. It was less than 7k for ocean view but more for a veranda.

We think it's a lot but are still considering because it seems all spring break vacations we've looked into are pretty pricey. Not sure we'd save that much elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just priced a Disney cruise for next spring break for 4 for 7 days. It was less than 7k for ocean view but more for a veranda.

We think it's a lot but are still considering because it seems all spring break vacations we've looked into are pretty pricey. Not sure we'd save that much elsewhere.

That's a good price for Disney. I'm the one paying $5k for 7 nights in the Fantasy next January for verandah. You will have better weather and won't have to pull your kids out like I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To give you an idea, we are going to Beaches Turks and Caicos in April and expecting to spend around $10k for 5 people. Disney adds an extra premium. They do do things well and have high service standards so I'll give them that.

7 night Disney cruise for 5 for spring break verandah next year is $8k. Is your $10k with airfare?

Yes including airfare.

[Anonymous]

Has the PP that keeps touting "Broadway" shows been anywhere other than Disney Cruises? It's strange to fixate on this and insist it's similar to Broadway. Don't most cruises have "shows."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has the PP that keeps touting "Broadway" shows been anywhere other than Disney Cruises? It's strange to fixate on this and insist it's similar to Broadway. Don't most cruises have "shows."

that person is just parroting what the disney marketing materials say.