Will there be another DCL WBPC? (or EBPC)

[DisneYE]

On our recent WBPC there was a lot of chatter that it would be DCL's last. Including some CM's
Despite me thinking at the beginning it was too long, I now consider it to be our best cruise ever, maybe our best vacation ever.
And I already miss it... a lot. I would insta-book another one if DCL does that itinerary again.
But I heard on the ship that it costs ~$500k to cross the canal.. someone here posted it was more like $800K (!)
So I can understand why they'd be hesitant to retain that sailing on a regular basis.

What do you think?
Will DCL do Panama Canal cruises again?

I really hope so. I can't fathom not being able to ever go on that cruise again.

 

[gismo1554]

I really am not sure. I was gutted to have to cancel the EBPC in November as the US boarders opened too late for me to sail.

 

[mab2012]

We were on the 2020 WBPC and really hoped to do it again sometime under normal conditions, so I also hope the PC crossings are not gone for good.

I suppose it will depend on how west-coast bookings go?

I know this won't be popular with west-coasters, but I feel like they will struggle to fill west-coast sailings year round. There's just not that many places to go that can be done inside 7 days during the cooler months. And most families can't wait swing vacations longer than a week.

But DCL knows better than I do what they can profitability sell, so I guess we'll see. It looks like they will focus mostly on short cruises to Cabo in the winter. Maybe there's a big local demand for that?

 

[Trera]

I thought it was tied to the fact that they were going to send the Wonder to the west coast and leave it there year round now that the Wish is coming to the east coast?

 

[TRTRguy]

Probably not in the foreseeable future with the Wonder now staying on the west coast.

 

[JWelch62]

We were on the 2020 WBPC and really hoped to do it again sometime under normal conditions, so I also hope the PC crossings are not gone for good.

I suppose it will depend on how west-coast bookings go?

I know this won't be popular with west-coasters, but I feel like they will struggle to fill west-coast sailings year round. There's just not that many places to go that can be done inside 7 days during the cooler months. And most families can't wait swing vacations longer than a week.

But DCL knows better than I do what they can profitability sell, so I guess we'll see. It looks like they will focus mostly on short cruises to Cabo in the winter. Maybe there's a big local demand for that?

We live just north of San Diego. For us the itinerary options (Catalina, Cabo, Ensenada, Mazatlan, PV) aren't terribly attractive as we have done these all before. I do think there will be a reasonable demand for these cruises from folks not from the SoCal area who are looking for something different, but I don't think it will ever approach the level of demand that the Caribbean gets. I can see these cruises as being part of a family Disney trip that includes Disneyland.

 

[happycamper47]

It is a long cruise, especially once you leave the canal on the West coast, but not much they can do to change that. If there were additional ports available it would even be longer if they made more stops. Personally I enjoy the days at sea (Navy does that to you i guess) as does my wife.

We even heard in November when going EB that this years WB would probably be the last, for a few years anyway. What I see as odd is there are no additional Hawaii cruises on DCL in the near future, of course that could change if we ever get back to a "post covid" normal

I don't think the Canal fees would be a reason to not cross since the fares could be adjusted to compensate. The WONDER is committed to the new canal because of it being extended in 2016 and the MAGIC can't do the old canal anymore because of the water slide hanging over the side. That may also restrict it from the new canal for safety reasons. It could get too close to the sidewalls, since ships have been known to brush against them.

We too hope they return since it was our favorite, as is Alaska. Only time will tell.

 

[Geomom]

Yes...in 10 years when they have all 3 new ships and decide to have 2 ships in Alaska/West coast in the summer.

 

[Pens Fan]

Just looking at what some of the other larger cruise lines do, I'd say yes. They will continue, but maybe not on the typical Spring / Fall schedule we've seen in the past. We've been sailing on NCL a lot, so I'm pretty familiar with their offerings. Even though they have enough ships to dedicate to both coastline all year long, they don't keep them in place for all that long. They are constantly moving the ships around. I assume this is so they can offer different ships to different parts of the country. Someone that sails mostly out of one port would want to try different ships. So they are still moving ships back and forth through the canal even if they have ships on both coasts 12 months out of the year.

I have also seen them do back to back PC cruises. One goes the WB route, then the next sailing goes EB. I even recall seeing one round trip PC cruise they offered that started out WB, and then turned around somewhere after they crossed the canal and came back EB - all in one cruise. As long as there is a demand for Panama Canal cruises, I suspect Disney will find a way to make them happen.

 

[happycamper47]

Just looking at what some of the other larger cruise lines do, I'd say yes.

I think that is because other CL's have more ships to move around and they do a wider range of itineraries with each individual ship. I hope you're right though.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

hey will continue, but maybe not on the typical Spring / Fall schedule we've seen in the past.

I'd agree with this. If DCL can get the schedules for ports and the canal passage, I can see them doing back-and-forth for spring break period. Less so the fall sailings they used to do, unless they want to have an extra ship out of Galveston, San Juan or NO part of winter.

 

[GPaLarry]

Our first DCL cruise was on the Magic (yes, Magic) on an EBPC in 2008. Heard that it cost DCL around $450,000 to transit the canal each way...no discount for doing it twice, apparently. It was awesome and got us hooked on the water mouse for 9 more cruises...three additional ones coming up this year...holdovers, reschedules, etc. In any case, our first cruise stopped at CC on their way to Port Canaveral. The itinerary has since changed.

 

[Freeman867]

I just don't see how a prolonged docking of a ship on San Diego is sustainable. The ports just aren't that exciting compared to the Caribbean.

 

[Doingitagain]

I just don't see how a prolonged docking of a ship on San Diego is sustainable. The ports just aren't that exciting compared to the Caribbean.

Agree. And too cold! I bet they do Galveston for part of the winter.

 

[Intr3pid]

What I see as odd is there are no additional Hawaii cruises on DCL in the near future, of course that could change if we ever get back to a "post covid" normal

I think that may be because they didn't release Wonder's next season early enough. Just not enough time to market big itineraries for next spring - and possibly to prevent folks from jumping ship, so to speak, from this year's. If Wonder stays on the west coast in fall 2023 onwards, we might see them again.

 

[GPaLarry]

I just don't see how a prolonged docking of a ship on San Diego is sustainable. The ports just aren't that exciting compared to the Caribbean.

DCL might change from San Diego to LA, where Disneyland is close.

 

[iannovich]

I wouldn't judge the sustainability of the Wonder staying on the West Coast by the current itineraries. There are ways for them to mix it up. The Hawaii cruises are popular enough to sell out day 1 (at least pre-covid), so I wouldn't be surprised to see them throw a few back and forth to Hawaii cruises in there. If they did a round trip to Hawaii and back from San Diego, they could stop in Ensenada to fulfill the port requirement. That's what they did in 2012, round trip out of LA (I think it was 2012).

They also have to options to hit Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco (more than just once per year).

We had speculated that the Wonder might go to Australia, and that could still happen. I kind of had this idea that that's where the gap in itineraries was supposed to be filled, but then Australia was being stubborn about cruising so they finally said, "forget it, throw some more Baja cruises in there, we can't wait any longer."

 

[holula]

I'd agree with this. If DCL can get the schedules for ports and the canal passage, I can see them doing back-and-forth for spring break period. Less so the fall sailings they used to do, unless they want to have an extra ship out of Galveston, San Juan or NO part of winter.

I’d love them to do EBPC right before Christmas and then WBPC over Christmas new year. Or EBPC over Xmas and the return right after it.

 

[Intr3pid]

I’d love them to do EBPC right before Christmas and then WBPC over Christmas new year. Or EBPC over Xmas and the return right after it.

The opportunity cost may be too high, I'm afraid.

A Disney verandah for a family of four in the holiday season goes for about $1.5K-$2K per night. For a 14-night sailing, that would be about $25K per family.

I know the big European sailings can get even more expensive - but that's the Europe premium. Easier for Disney to run shorter cruises out of the US to make that $2K/night and get people to spend at the parks too.

 

[tvguy]

Agree. And too cold! I bet they do Galveston for part of the winter.

Well, I don't think of San Diego and Mexico as cold. And having cruised the Caribbean during a huge freeze, that region can be darn cold. We did Vancouver, to Victoria, to San Francisco to Santa Barbara to Los Angeles in October 2019 on Celebrity and it was amazing. The Canadian ports did require jackets, but it was 73 degrees in San Francisco, and 85 in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
I think as far as cruises on Disney, I think the shorter cruises are more profitable for them given their passenger preferences.