ABD or DCL for Summer 2021

[chloe77]

I cannot wait to travel again, I can't believe it will soon be a year since we took a big trip. I'm debating booking something for summer 2021, knowing that I'll be able to get a refund before a certain date. I'm wondering how things will shake out with the vaccines by then, and whether there will be a mad rush to book trips if things take a turn for the better, driving prices up and limiting availability.

If pricing is similar, would you book ABD Greece or a DCL Med Cruise? I've done both ABD and DCL before. Loved both and can't decide.

 

[sayhello]

Personal preference (having done both) I'd do the ABD Greece. My second favorite of my 11 ABDs (1st is Japan). Just a *wonderful* trip. I did the Med Cruise with the ABD add-on, and while I did really enjoy it, it just couldn't compare to the Greece ABD.

Full disclosure, cruising is not my favorite type of vacation, and I have no intentions of getting on a cruiseship petri dish until COVID-19 is a manageable memory like the flu.

Sayhello

 

[AquaDame]

I vote for ABD as well. We took a Norway Fjords cruise on DCL one year and it just wasn't enough time on land. You can take a DCL cruise (almost) anywhere....

 

[holden]

Personally, I don't see cruising happening in summer 2021.

 

[OKW Lover]

If pricing is similar, would you book ABD Greece or a DCL Med Cruise?

Difficult choice. Fortunately there are no wrong answers!

Personally, I'd go with the ABD since you get to see/learn/do much more in the actual country.

 

[Cousin Orville]

I haven’t done ABD Greece but I have done other European ABD’s and DCL Med trips. Both fantastic, but ABD tops everything.

 

[abdgeek]

Like @sayhello, I’ve done both the ABD Greece tour and the ABD DCL Med Cruise add on. Given the current state of affairs, I would recommend doing the ABD Greece tour whenever international tourist travel resumes for those of us in the United States. The Greece ABD is awesome and it is one of my favorite ones to date. The Med cruise was also, but I don’t think cruising will be back to “normal” until 2022 at the earliest. Also, reading articles for some of the ships that are cruising in Europe, guests are required to take the cruise excursions if they want to get off in the ports. While I always take the DCL excursions, one of the best things about being in the Med is that you may want to explore on your own. That may not be an option when the cruise lines develop their new protocols.

I think everyone has their fingers crossed that international travel will resume by summer 2021, me included. I have the ABD Danube River Cruise booked, but don’t think it will go. If it doesn’t, I think I’ll put off cruising for a couple of years until things calm down more.

 

[DVC Doc]

I’m booked on both a DCL Greek Isles cruise and an ABD Italy for this summer. Really not optimistic that either is going to happen. And even if it does, I’m concerned about how much will actually be open in the way of sightseeing and restaurants.

We’ll see what happens. I did just get vaccinated yesterday so the end is in sight!