Poll: When Will Disney Set Sail Again

When will Disney resume sailing at least one of their ships with already scheduled cruises.

  • January 2021

    Votes: 14 4.6%
  • February 2021

    Votes: 23 7.6%
  • March 2021

    Votes: 48 15.8%
  • April 2021

    Votes: 45 14.9%
  • May 2021

    Votes: 36 11.9%
  • June 2021

    Votes: 26 8.6%
  • Later in 2021

    Votes: 87 28.7%
  • 2022

    Votes: 24 7.9%

  • Total voters
    303
  • Poll closed .
They are sailing back and forth to various docks, could those count as test sailings?

It is my understanding, which could be incorrect, that they have to submit their plans to the CDC and receive approval before any cruises can count as tests. They are also supposed to be testing as if it is a real cruise, which will require more staff as I'm guessing they'll have to use staff as stand-ins for guests for the various things that must be tested.
 
They are sailing back and forth to various docks, could those count as test sailings?
No. They are not doing anything on a submitted plan, do not have full staff or even more than a skeletal ops staff and people to support them (food n such). None of it is robust enough to demonstrate readiness for passenger operation as the CDC requirements are written.
 
It is my understanding, which could be incorrect, that they have to submit their plans to the CDC and receive approval before any cruises can count as tests. They are also supposed to be testing as if it is a real cruise, which will require more staff as I'm guessing they'll have to use staff as stand-ins for guests for the various things that must be tested.

How do we know that this is not happening? Is their plan submission to CDC public info?
 
They have to start testing those who are going to sail let’s assume that they applied for the renter to US waters As soon as they could they can’t enter for 28 days which is end of NOV early December my guess is that in the next week we start seeing crew quarantine in the Caribbean’s they then need two weeks there I’m thinking test sailings start the second week of December and this I the million dollar ? How many do they have to do if it’s one or 6 I believe they will start the 2nd week of January with only PC cruises and a month later expand to Miami
 


You are overly optimistic. That would put them among the first to sail and that is not Disney's way.

The requirements are pretty involved.

Under the new guidelines, cruise ship operators must build laboratories on board each vessel with enough capacity to test crew and passengers, as well as hire a team necessary to conduct such testing.

Going forward, cruise lines must test every crew member at least weekly and report the results to the CDC.

100% of passengers and crew must receive rapid-result testing at both embarkation and disembarkation; individuals will not be allowed to board the ship until they receive a negative test result, and those disembarking the ship will not be allowed to continue to their final destination until a negative test result is obtained. The line must have off ship quarantine space near port for passengers and crew who test positive.

To apply for a Conditional Sailing Certificate, the cruise line must conduct simulated voyages, put pre-cruise notifications in place, and make some operational changes onboard.

The ship must apply at least 30 days in advance to do the simulated voyage. The voyage has to include full check in, private island excursions, entertainment, dining. It has to be "real." Full staff.

Carnival and RCCL are further on a path to being able to do this, and neither think January is happening for them. DCL has big hurdles to get back into US waters, contract the testing capacity, book entertainment, and restaff.
 
How do we know that this is not happening? Is their plan submission to CDC public info?

We know, or can strongly infer at near guarantee levels, because it is not possible? The CDC just released the requirements. The requirements call for plans be submitted at least 2 months before the cruise line plans to begin test cruises. That is Jan at the earliest before they could begin IF they had their plans ready to rock, IF they submitted them and IF the CDC approves them almost instanteously. Being a government agency mired in bureaucracy , I highly doubt the CDC would move that fast.
 
And the test sailings and setups aren't a checklist where if they check the boxes they get approved. They check the boxes and then they may be asked to change something, or do another test float.

They file today, they are doing a test in 60 days. Then the test has to be reviewed by the CDC.
 


Where are we seeing that it has to be 60 days

In preparation for the resumption of passenger operations, cruise ship operators must have adequate health and safety protections for crew members while they build the onboard laboratory capacity needed to test crew and future passengers. By December 29, 2020 (60 days after the effective date of the Framework Order)





By December 29th I read that as they need to be ready by December 29th if they plan on resuming

now the 28 day waiting period is a different story

Acknowledgment of No Sail Order Response Plan Completeness and Accuracy; and (2) submission of the EDC form for the 28 days preceding the cruise ship’s expected arrival in U.S. waters.
 
Where are we seeing that it has to be 60 days

So I went back and reviewed the CDC guidelines. I appear to have goofed. The 60 day requirement is for a Conditional Sailing Certificate (see Footnote 18 in that section), which would be for a real cruise if I'm reading it right. The requirements for the test cruise(s) are onerous and would take time to put into effect. They cannot just say "We're sailing from Point A to Point B, that's our test".
 
So I went back and reviewed the CDC guidelines. I appear to have goofed. The 60 day requirement is for a Conditional Sailing Certificate (see Footnote 18 in that section), which would be for a real cruise if I'm reading it right. The requirements for the test cruise(s) are onerous and would take time to put into effect. They cannot just say "We're sailing from Point A to Point B, that's our test".
Yes. It has to be a "real cruise" to real ports in all respects save the paying passengers. Anything that would happen on a real sailing must happen - dining, fireworks, Palo or Remy, entertainment, character evens, bingo. Everything. And it has to go with all of the staff who would be involved in that everything.

It is unclear if a cruise to ports other than those covered in the test sailings would be approved for commercial okay, but my read is "probably not" due to the infrastructure requirement at each point of docking. I would expect each dock to be part of required process demonstration.
 
I’m guessing a few 3 day cruises out of PC and Miami 2 sea days and one at CC
 
Not sure if possible but I think it would be safer if there was only one ship at a port at a time. For example, a DCL ship and an RCL ship could not be in the same port on the same day. If they do that then that's another thing for cruise lines to have to work around on top of getting crew, applying for the conditional sailing, test sailings. It's going to be a while. I'd be surprised if it's by March tbh
 
. It's going to be a while. I'd be surprised if it's by March tbh

We're in a 2021 Europe cruise & the sailing's FB group is losing members , not adding. It's almost inactive.
And people know. They're worried. I'm worried.
Very unlikely we'll see any DCL sailings by march. Summer? 20/80 chances
 
We're in a 2021 Europe cruise & the sailing's FB group is losing members , not adding. It's almost inactive.
And people know. They're worried. I'm worried.
Very unlikely we'll see any DCL sailings by march. Summer? 20/80 chances

That's pretty much what happened to my Summer 2020 Magic Cruise group. At first there was a ton of activity (since this pandemic hadn't started yet), then more people dropping out than joining or planning excursions.
 
We're in a 2021 Europe cruise & the sailing's FB group is losing members , not adding. It's almost inactive.
And people know. They're worried. I'm worried.
Very unlikely we'll see any DCL sailings by march. Summer? 20/80 chances
We are on the 10 night Northern Europe cruise August 2021 and our FB group is quite active. Several people are positive our cruise will sail, I am one of the only ones voicing serious doubt we will be going :(
 
We are on the 10 night Northern Europe cruise August 2021 and our FB group is quite active. Several people are positive our cruise will sail, I am one of the only ones voicing serious doubt we will be going :(

I'm sure many more suspect but are trying to stay positive.... I have a trip booked for Nov 2021 and even though I am not sure we'll be able to go, I still am planning as if we can. I have a lot of time sitting at home now that the weather has turned to daydream... :rolleyes1
 
I'm sure many more suspect but are trying to stay positive.... I have a trip booked for Nov 2021 and even though I am not sure we'll be able to go, I still am planning as if we can. I have a lot of time sitting at home now that the weather has turned to daydream... :rolleyes1
I'm sure you're right and I try not to be the 'negative nelly' in our group :rotfl2: But so many people have already booked airfare and I'm like "you're not even allowed in the country yet!!!" lol I keep most of the 'negative' thoughts to myself because I really REALLY want this cruise to sail, but I'm also a realist....sigh.
 

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