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Well, if the cruises are leaving from different locations, then I think adding hotel/airfare is completely fair. For example, it is a more expensive hassle to get my family from Omaha to NYC than to Orlando. In addition to taxes/fees, I think it's fair to add the cost to make a cruise...

Go back and re-read my words with an open mind, and you might be surprised. I'm not going to re-litigate all of the reasons the cruise fell short for us, but here were the biggies: - Poor quality food - Smoking directly adjacent to a large portion of the pool decks. - Restrictive kids clubs...

The review police strikes again! This is why I rarely post anymore. People insinuate that my opinions are invalid because of 'x', 'y', and 'z.' So I just don't bother. To call my "justifications" ridiculous, is (ahem) ridiculous. For the 27th time, it's about a whole lot more than soda. If...

Thank goodness the review police is here to keep us in check! After years of hearing "you have to try another cruise line," I did. And my conclusion was I'd rather pay $3k more to be on the Fantasy. So I wrote a post detailing my experience. Based on the overwhelming positive response, it...

The 8% withdrawal rate is one of those things I disagree with. He assumes 10-12% returns, so using that as a basis, his math is still correct. But I don't believe those returns are a wise assumption. Sure, bucket the debts. But even in your very extreme example, depending on how much your...

Sure. But for the vast majority of people, money isn't a math problem. So it's better to take a behavioral approach, full stop. This is where the snowball wins every time. Except for extraordinary circumstances, if you run the numbers on a true snowball (paying off lowest balance, then rolling...

It's called the debt snowball, and it is not preposterous. It harnesses human behavior/psychology, which is far from perfect. The snowball allows you to rack up little wins along the way, which keeps momentum going. You might end up paying a little more in interest, but your chance of actually...

I appreciate the details, and can identify with a lot of your commentary. The problem is the opportunity cost of a single cruise is pretty large for us. It's not like a restaurant we can just try to see if we like (not trying to be facetious, even though it probably sounds that way). We live in...

This is another thing I forgot to mention. Often LOUD music on the pool deck. Your description of DCL is exactly what we like about it, too. And I appreciate your comments about different vacations/styles/cruises clicking for folks. Could not agree more! As I've said, I can't get my parents to...

True, their deposits are refundable. But the pricing games endure. "Pick 2 free", or "get all 4 free". But they aren't free, you have to add a bunch of taxes/gratuities/whatever to get the "free" drinks or dining package. And you can't get the package for just one person, it must be for all. I...

Yes, Johnny Rockets is a great example of the upselling. Mediocre burger for $15 per person! Thankfully, no CATS for us!!! Yes, I mentioned this in a follow-up post. Still doesn't change the fact that the cup/Freestyle machines weren't easy to use. As the kids get older, maybe we'll give one...

If you disagree with me, please keep this in mind from my initial post: "I know PLENTY of others enjoy Royal, and I'm not saying that any of you are wrong! I'm just saying that for my family, DCL is the only answer for the foreseeable future." We enjoy Universal quite a bit. But I don't think...

I tried to take care and say that we really gave Royal a fair shot. I guess I can't really convince anybody of that, but we really wanted to try one. Maybe a Freedom class ship would suit us better? I don't know. At the same time, I think highlighting the differences between DCL and Royal is...

Once we figured out to add salt & pepper to just about everything, it wasn't as bad. But still seriously lacking. Yes, there was an ice show. It was very good! The ice show and Aqua show were impressive. We are just a Disney family, and prefer to feel some magic every now and again. This is...

We are 3-time Disney cruisers (Dream ’17, Fantasy ’19 & ’23), who just returned from 7 nights on Oasis of the Seas on Sunday. Wife and I are mid-30’s, two kids are 9 & 6. We had been wanting to try a different cruise line for a while, and my parents are big Royal fans. So we decided to give this...

OP here. We booked the 7-night Western on the Treasure a couple days ago, and I'm happy to report that I've slept well the last couple of nights :) The excitement of a full week on a brand new ship beats the other options handily. We had been thinking an 8B Family Oceanview, as we really...

Appreciate this, and we have come to realize that and agree. It took some thinking & talking, but it's a major 'purchase' so that is understandable. The eye-popping price gave us a bit of pause for sure as well. At some point, though, you're right; commit and just enjoy it! With it being over a...

Thank you so much for these comments, they helped us a lot. The main draw would be to explore & enjoy the ship. On our three previous cruises, we've actually only ever gotten off at Castaway (somewhat due to itineraries, but also the kids' ages on the first couple). We don't have any desire to...

Anybody know the source / validity of this list? I've noticed a couple errors related to whether or not a room has an upper berth. That same list is linked here : https://disneycruisefamilytravelblog.com/2023/09/13/disney-treasure-stateroom-themes-list-by-deck/ There's one theme that we would...

Really appreciate this. I am here asking for others' opinions, but more about what to do in my situation than what they prefer. But ultimately I need to decide for myself. I think I'm hung up on the exact dilemma you present: The Dream CC/LP makes a lot of sense, but anything less than 7 nights...