Disney Treasure vs. Star of the Seas
My wife and I are celebrating our 10-year anniversary next year and want to make it special. The plan is a Walt Disney World trip with our toddler when school lets out (late May / early June), paired with a 7-night cruise.
Here’s where I’m stuck:
Disney Treasure (June 5–12) — ~$8,000 for an inside stateroom
Star of the Seas — ~$5,800 for an ocean view balcony
We’re big Disney fans and have heard amazing things about DCL, but that’s a $2,200 premium and a downgrade in room category. The balcony would be really nice with a napping toddler onboard.
Our priority is a stress-free, relaxing trip that feels like a true anniversary celebration.
For those who’ve sailed one or both, is the Disney Cruise experience worth the price bump, even with a worse room?
Would love to hear honest takes from both sides before we book.
SupporterStar is AMAZING. I just can’t see the Treasure being worth the extra costs for a lesser room.
I will admit, I have not been in Treasure yet. I’ve been on Wish three times so same class, different wall paper.
I’m sure Treasure is beautiful.
Here is what I love about Star:
Tons of included food options- my favorites are Park Cafe, El Loco Fresh, Aquadome Market, and Pearl Cafe- but there are tons I didn’t even mention
Central Park and Surfside- just really fun areas on the ship as well as the promenade.
Plenty of adults only spaces- not only is there the adults only area on the back with hot tubs, lounges, pool, bars, but Swim & Tonic which is our favorite bar is also adults only.
The water slides are so fun.
They have really amped up the kid offerings.
The shows are amazing- The Aqua Show and Ice Show are so fun, but Back to the Future is mind blowing.
It’s so much more affordable leaving you money for excursions and extras.
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Star is AMAZING. I just can’t see the Treasure being worth the extra costs for a lesser room. I will admit, I have not been in Treasure yet. I’ve been…
Thanks for the input! We just sailed Symphony of the Seas back in March and loved it, and we’ve heard great things about Star too. On paper, Star of the Seas makes more sense than the Treasure, but people often mention intangibles that make DCL worth the extra cost, so it’s really helpful to hear from someone who’s sailed both RC and DCL.
While we haven't done those ships, we did the Disney Wish and Utopia of the Seas back to back two weekends in a row last year.
Despite being a Disney die hard, I preferred Utopia/Royal's overall product. Royal's wider variety of dining options/times and wider variety of activities and entertainment offerings on board really won us over.
I would 100% go with Star. Ignoring the ship's features entirely, having a balcony versus inside stateroom when you have a napping child is not even a comparison. Take the balcony and save the $2200!
Note that neither ship will feel entirely stress free or relaxed. You would be cruising on two mega ships with a ton of people - so go at your own pace but be prepared for lots of people. Utopia flowed MUCH better than the Wish though, and I have heard Star is even better improvement over Utopia in terms of crowd flow. If the budget allows, you might want to look at The Key, which is a Royal Caribbean add on and allows for expedited boarding/debarkation, a relaxed embarkation day sit down lunch, reserved seating at the shows, and a few other perks. You add this on in your cruise planner once the cruise is booked.