Anyone else given up on the possibility of cruising

[Masonmj84]

until at least 2022.

My guess is that DCL will be one of the last cruise lines to resume passenger operations (unlike most other cruise lines, DCL represents a relatively small percentage of it's parent company's overall revenue, so they can afford to err on the side of being relatively more conservative). Along those lines, I don't expect any DCL cruises until sometime in 2021 at the earliest.

However, even if DCL resumes passenger operations in 2021, I expect a lot of restrictions until Covid 19 is more or less in the rear view mirror. For example, I expect face masks will be required (for both crew and passengers) in any public areas on cruise ships well into 2021 and perhaps into 2022.

Accordingly, until (and unless) we reach a "new normal" in cruising that does not require restrictions such as face masks, I won't be cruising. This includes a scenario where face masks are only required for crew and not passengers.

And it's not that I'm anti face mask in general. It's just that there's absolutely no way I'm forking over thousands of dollars and precious vacation time to feel like I'm on a hospital ship.

 

[lunaland]

We cancelled 2 cruises this year, not because we didn't think they would sail but because we aren't willing to have a lesser experience if they do sail. Have one booked for May 2021, and want to book more for 2021/2022 but are waiting for them to resume sailing to see what it will look like before we decide.

 

[mekay1012]

I thought they were starting back up soon? My travel agent posted that they were offering 25% off new bookings. I briefly thought about it, but there are too many unknowns and it also said that payment was due in full at time of booking and there were no refunds.

 

[Geomom]

I thought they were starting back up soon? My travel agent posted that they were offering 25% off new bookings. I briefly thought about it, but there are too many unknowns and it also said that payment was due in full at time of booking and there were no refunds.

It is doubtful that they're starting back up soon. DCL is still trying to repatriate crew. Dream/Fantasy were cancelled through the 7/27 cruise. I expect August cruises to get cancelled at some point. Wonder has cancelled all Alaska sailings and is now on this side of the Panama canal...so likely all the cruises until the Galveston ones will be cancelled. Magic is cancelled until mid-October when she's cruising from NYC. Who knows how long the actual cancellations will actually go through.

 

[braycon]

I'd like to see some details (any details) on what the Disney cruising experience will actually look like before I bail on the possibility until 2022. Heck, we're still holding out irrational hope for fall 2020. Now, whether we actually go or not is a completely different discussion, but it depends a lot on what Disney does with the experience. We are probably more tolerant than most, but not infinitely so.

In short, it's too early (for us) to be ruling out the next year-and-a-half. We won't throw in the towel without more details. At some point they will provide us all with additional details, right? Right? Right!?!?!

 

[brentm77]

Not at all. I am growing increasingly optimistic for an effective vaccine being approved by the end of the year and available in the early part of the new year. I am also hopeful that one of the many promising pharmaceutical treatments breaks through. Furthermore, I am hopeful that the virus runs its course and mostly peters out by region over the next several months, as some scientists are predicting and as we are seeing in many areas of the world. For whatever reason, death rates are certainly falling in many areas, even areas where infection rates are still increasing. I am seeing more and more to be optimistic about in the next 3-6 month time frame.

Regardless of whether any of the above happens, I have zero doubt that we are, and will, learn to return to normal, where we accept the risk of the virus and go on with life. Check out video from Paris and other parts of Europe. Many cities are already doing that and life looks more or less normal. I am seeing it in Utah too. We are close to operating pre-pandemic, despite rising cases. Humanity is/will decide to move on, despite the very sad loss of life when we do. Sure, if you are in a high-risk group, it may not be an option for you. But even there, I know people who have accepted the risk and want to live life to the fullest now. We plan to cruise next March and June, so long as Disney is sailing, and I think that is almost a certainty now.

 

[DCLDVC1]

I just gave up on 2020 this morning and cancelled my November cruise. I don't have any plans to reschedule.

 

[Ghostikins]

Our party canceled our September 2020 cruise this past weekend. It was going to be my first cruise (concierge too) but we all decided to err on the side of caution. Two of us are immune-compromised and we don't like the thought of being on a ship without access to our medication if the ship were to become quarantined. We do not plan on scheduling a new cruise at this time, but we'll see what it's like next year or year after. I'm super-duper bummed as we had booked this cruise last spring, and we had just gotten our confirmation of all the bookings we wanted.

 

[T & R]

My guess is that DCL will be one of the last cruise lines to resume passenger operations (unlike most other cruise lines, DCL represents a relatively small percentage of it's parent company's overall revenue, so they can afford to err on the side of being relatively more conservative).

Although Disney can park their ships longer than most cruise lines due to their other sources of revenue, at what point does it become detrimental to the company? The other cruise lines will start back up and if DCL just sits idle because they can, it will destroy the loyalty they have built up. Many of us have our hopes and money tied up in future DCL cruises. If they just park their ships because they don't need to start up because cruising is such a small part of their company's overall revenue, then you get tens or hundreds of thousands of DCL cruisers who get their cruises cancelled and their hopes and dreams shattered. Not only do you get paid and booked DCL cruisers who will be let down, you then get to watch those formerly paid and booked DCL cruisers go to other cruise lines because they have no other choice.

My family and I are platinum DCL cruisers and have never cruised with another cruise line. I do not even consider another cruise line because I truly believe DCL is the best. If DCL cancels our upcoming cruise while the other cruise lines resume cruising, we will have no choice but to try other cruise lines. I would like to stay with DCL but if they refuse to cruise while the other cruise lines operate, what can you do? So if I were DCL, why would I want to just sit and watch hundreds of thousands of loyal DCL cruisers go try other brands and risk the fact that a percentage might actually enjoy certain aspects of the other brands and start spending their money elsewhere? Plus, DCL waiting until the last minute to cancel cruises that they have known for months were not going out, that just leaves a bad taste.

We are all well aware of COVID and are all aware of the risks involved. Let us sign a waiver that we wont sue and let's get on with cruising. You can get on a 3 day Greyhound bus from NYC to LA, so why can we not get on a 3 day DCL out of PC? If there are those that want to wait for a vaccine, then they don't have to book a cruise until next year, next decade, next century or whenever the hypothetical vaccine comes into existence. We cannot pause the world waiting on vaccines that may or may not ever come.

 

[Pooh93]

Not giving up at all. We are scheduled in November. If it sails, we are on it. Air tickets purchased. If it doesn't sail, then Disney made the best decision they could with the information they have been given to work with. At that point, we will go with Plan B, move the cruise and do a different trip for now.

 

[Weedy]

Many of the places Disney sails to are not even open. The Bahamas are still on lockdown no one is allowed to enter by plane or boat/ship.
https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-...hamas/the-bahamas-travel-alerts-must-read-now
Canada also has restrictions for cruise ships
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

 

[nancipants]

As much as I miss cruising, and as sad as I am that my family cruise (which would have been my baby's first cruise) in August was cancelled, I'm not in a rush to get back on a ship. I don't want to be on one of the first cruises out, and it'll highly depend on what restrictions are put in place. While I fully understand and encourage the need for masks, social distancing, etc., it's a lot easier to do at a theme park than on a cruise ship. Plus, with all the cancellations, I'm assuming there isn't even much availability left on 2021 cruises. I'm hoping they push the FCC deadline date through the end of Summer 2022 and we can possibly rebook our Alaska cruise then. If not, we'll do Winter 2021-2022, with the possibility of a shorter cruise beforehand.

 

[brentm77]

Many of the places Disney sails to are not even open. The Bahamas are still on lockdown no one is allowed to enter by plane or boat/ship.
https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-...hamas/the-bahamas-travel-alerts-must-read-now
Canada also has restrictions for cruise ships
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Bahamas is gearing up to international tourism beginning July 1. They said the date may change, but they are trying to open back up. They are in a pickle, since cases have been very low there, but they will have economic devastation if they don't open back up soon.

 

[ndog3rdtothefirst]

We have Marvel and Star Wars so why not the all new everyone wears masks all the time on 'Doc McStuffin's Day(s) at Sea Cruise'.

 

[Chemist]

I'm not in a rush.

While I fully understand the need for masks, I HATE wearing them and avoid situations where they are required.
That means that I'm not going to the mall (not that its open) or the movies (not open either), or Disneyland anytime soon.

Thankfully we are an outdoorsy family, so we can find ways to have fun that don't require masks. (We spent Saturday kayaking in a beautiful nature preserve. Masks required to check-in and meet up with the guides. Masks off once we were in the boats.)

I'm fine with that.

I hope to make it to Alaska in 2022.
(Our July 2020 cruise was cancelled.)

 

[ksueboo]

I thought they were starting back up soon? My travel agent posted that they were offering 25% off new bookings. I briefly thought about it, but there are too many unknowns and it also said that payment was due in full at time of booking and there were no refunds.

I also thought this was a good sign for August cruises. I really didn’t think the August cruises were happening but don’t these 25% off discounts come straight from Disney?

 

[LunaMini]

Our party canceled our September 2020 cruise this past weekend. It was going to be my first cruise (concierge too) but we all decided to err on the side of caution. Two of us are immune-compromised and we don't like the thought of being on a ship without access to our medication if the ship were to become quarantined. We do not plan on scheduling a new cruise at this time, but we'll see what it's like next year or year after. I'm super-duper bummed as we had booked this cruise last spring, and we had just gotten our confirmation of all the bookings we wanted.

hope you don’t mind me asking but did you lose a percentage of your booking money? We’re booked concierge in September too & was under the impression we would be out of pocket if we cancelled

 

[ursookrazie]

I'm getting married on the Wonder in March of 2021 and I do worry about the changes that will take place in response to the virus. It's still a good 9 months away so I'm hoping there's a lot of progress with the vaccine. I have some guests that are refusing to go unless there is a vaccine out. For now, it's still a go for some of us, but we'll see how news progress as we get closer. I haven't started a Plan B, probably would postpone cruise but still do a ceremony on land with same guests the day of.

 

[holden]

I think we will stay off of ships for a long time. We were supposed to do a concierge level DCL cruise in July. I'm glad DCL canceled it because now I don't want to be on a ship with the virus still around. Maybe we will cruise again after a vaccine has been sufficiently tested and proven.

 

[T & R]

I also thought this was a good sign for August cruises. I really didn’t think the August cruises were happening but don’t these 25% off discounts come straight from Disney?

I also think it's a good sign that the cruise could happen because it would be straight up cold blooded to be selling families discounted cruises if they know right now there is zero chance of the cruises going out. I would hope Disney is a better company than that.