Summer 2023 release date?

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm pro mask tbh. I like not getting 8 million colds a year. I am probably a masker for life at this point.

with you on 2 and 3 though

Yeah I wasn't taking a stand against masks per se (FWIW I've been pretty neutral on them for myself and my older kids, but I think having the mandatory age as low as 2 is kind of nuts). I just think, as a matter of public sentiment, people are going to be turned off by going on a vacation that's less "free" than what they're used to in real life.

 

[DCLMP]

I am not smart enough to predict what happens to the economy next year. I was merely pointing out that DCL only has 5 ships to fill and there are plenty of cruisers willing to fork over pretty much whatever DCL charges in a typical year. DCL has been charging a premium for many of its cruises and usually don't have trouble filling most of them.

LAX

I just switched my European cruise from DCL to Royal and saved thousands of dollars. If you look at availability on the Magic this Summer there's plenty of it. Is it the money, fear, or a combination of the two? I don't know. Maybe they'll offer some great discounts and get some bodies on the ships that is a possibility. In the past, Disney had no trouble filling ships, but this isn't 2019. A lot has happened in the last two years and nothing good is predicted for the future.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Is it the money, fear, or a combination of the two?

I think it's the exact opposite of fear. Would-be cruisers aren't afraid of COVID anymore (or never were in the first place). They're sick of mandatory mitigation measures. They've moved on from COVID in their daily lives and they don't want to go on a vacation that's more restrictive than their homes, schools, and workplaces.

 

[DCLMP]

There's pent up travel demand in general but people aren't eager to cruise. I think to get there, the industry needs to 1) ditch masks entirely, 2) stop testing vaccinated passengers, 3) stop treating four year olds like lepers.

There is pent-up demand, but people's disposable income is decreasing due to inflation. I wonder how much longer cruise lines like Carnival and Royal can keep their prices low and still make a profit. Disney should be fine they were way overpriced, to begin with.

 

[DCLMP]

I think it's the exact opposite of fear. Would-be cruisers aren't afraid of COVID anymore (or never were in the first place). They're sick of mandatory mitigation measures. They've moved on from COVID in their daily lives and they don't want to go on a vacation that's more restrictive than their homes, schools, and workplaces.

No, I don't think people are afraid of covid. I was thinking specifically of Europe because that's what I'm planning. There's a lot going on in the world right now which could cause some people to think twice about leaving the country.

 

[superdeluxe]

Do we have any idea when summer 2023 will be released? Are there any advantages in booking really early?

 

[Flossbolna]

Do we have any idea when summer 2023 will be released? Are there any advantages in booking really early?

One would guess that summer dates should be released any time now since this is about the time when they were released in previous years. But no one knows. The advantage of booking early would be to lock in a lower price. DCL raises prices as the ship fills up.

 

[n2mm]

I am waiting for the release, but as long as their system is trashed and the phone waits times are 7+ hours, I just don’t see it happening. I got an email from my TA yesterday that dcl is now reporting a problem with luggage tags going to the wrong address or not going out at all. Just another glitch in their upgraded system.

 

[AgentMama]

One might wonder why they don't roll their upgrades out in a test environment before they implement it with their entire system and create gigantic messes every time they make a change.

I thought for sure they would have been released already...here's to continued waiting!

 

[HeatherLassell]

Do we have any idea when summer 2023 will be released? Are there any advantages in booking really early?

Yup it's usually the cheapest a cruise will be. The price increases over time.

 

[shoes99]

We are waiting for Hawaii in 2023 also.

We gave up on Hawaii. My TA found us a cabin on the now sold out Wish
sailing 8/1/2022. Inaugural prices but we are happy to be part of WDW Radio group cruise on the Wish.

 

[n2mm]

Yup it's usually the cheapest a cruise will be. The price increases over time.

plus add a placeholder discount to it to make it even better. Plus some onboard credit from our TA to sweeten the deal.

 

[HeatherLassell]

plus add a placeholder discount to it to make it even better. Plus some onboard credit from our TA to sweeten the deal.

Agreed!

 

[bobbiwoz]

We want to use our 50% off deal from Inaugural Wish cruise to EBTA 2023. We would love to have those dates!🛳

 

[PoohBears#1fan]

Every time I get an alert on this thread I get all excited thinking there's been an update I've missed!

 

[Lee Matthews]

Im shocked at how long they are taking on this

 

[bobbiwoz]

Im shocked at how long they are taking on this

You’re not kidding!

 

[anricat]

Im shocked at how long they are taking on this

I would be, except that they know they can't drop itineraries with their IT situation as it is.

 

[Jim94]

Well why not? Some cruise lines announce itineraries first and then after 2 weeks the booking starts.

 

[AquaDame]

We gave up on Hawaii. My TA found us a cabin on the now sold out Wish
sailing 8/1/2022. Inaugural prices but we are happy to be part of WDW Radio group cruise on the Wish.

My very first cruise was their group sailing in 2011; it was really fun!

If the hold times for folks over the last couple of weeks are any indication a release right now would be a serious insult to anyone who can't book online.