Ask It Results: Disney Cruise without Castaway Cay?

They say that the best way to get over the withdrawal after coming back from a cruise is to write a blog post about a survey on cruises, right? Okay, I’m pretty sure no one actually says that, but at least writing about this gives me a chance to look at photos of Castaway Cay and daydream about my next Disney cruise. One of the key differences that Disney stresses about their cruises is time on the private island of Castaway Cay. Everyone knows that Disney cruises are more expensive than many other lines, and part of the value added is that special stop. For many people, saving money on a Disney cruise is highly desirable, but is it worth it to skip Castaway Cay if you got a discount? Last week, we asked you:

If you could book a Caribbean/Bahamas Disney cruise at a discount of 20-30% off, but that cruise did NOT include a stop at Castaway Cay, would you book that cruise?

Here’s your results:

Yes (525 votes, 51%)

As you can see, it was a fairly clean split.

For almost everyone, Castaway Cay is a highlight of the cruise. But a savings is a savings, and for some people a 20-30% discount might be the choice between going for a 4-night cruise instead of a 3-night cruise, or going on a cruise versus not going on a cruise. There are also people who aren’t big fans of beaches. For my family, we tend to spend a couple hours on the island and then the rest of the day on the ship. Having an extra sea day instead of Castaway Cay day wouldn’t be the end of the world for us, especially with lots of activities on board ship. For some people, it’s a decent tradeoff, especially when you know that certain times of year the weather can be less than ideal, and it is possible the ship may not be able to dock during high winds anyhow, or it may be rainy all day.

No (500 votes, 49%)

Castaway Cay, with its white sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, and crystal waters, is paradise defined. Most cruises stop at Castaway Cay on their last day because Disney knows it is probably one of the best experiences you will have during your cruise. As a result, it is difficult to go on a cruise knowing that you would skip it altogether. Even the offer of a discount may not be enough to get people to skip the favorite part of the itinerary. If you have the opportunity for a last-minute fare (like a Florida resident or Military rate), or are able to book early, you may be able to save that 20% compared to booking closer to the last minute–without giving up on Castaway Cay.

And there you have it–this week’s results. Next week’s Ask It is live on Twitter and here. In the meantime, what’s your favorite port to visit? For my family, we’ve enjoyed Aruba and Key West equally as much as Castaway Cay. Are there any other favorites that you have? Let us know in the comments.