Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[rteetz]

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article246754076.html

Still a lot of hoops with cruising. Disney wouldn’t start until December at the earliest. They have canceled cruises into December so far. Then you have the prospect of where the cruises go?

 

[HokieRaven5]

Still a lot of hoops with cruising. Disney wouldn’t start until December at the earliest. They have canceled cruises into December so far. Then you have the prospect of where the cruises go?

In the Biiiig Blueeee Worrrrrllllddddd..

I'm sorry... I had to...

 

[andyman8]

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article246754076.html

It's worth noting the the CDC still has a "Strong Advisory" against passenger cruise travel. The lines must also "prove" that it can be done safely (which has not been particularly easy for overseas operators to "prove").

RCL has said they plan on doing passenger-less trial cruises to test out/rehearse new protocols before they slowly start general public sailings, so their restart timeline appears to not include general public cruises until early next year. I can't imagine DCL will want to be first out of the gate here.

There are also still hurdles with The Bahamas, which has tightened restrictions recently, and several other ports of call. Others are more to open to it, but The Bahamas is obviously a big one because of Castaway Cay.

Finally, and I say this as someone who loves cruising, has been willing to eat indoors with members of my household for some time now, was at WDW's reopening day, and has visited WDW/other theme parks many times since they reopened, you wouldn't catch me dead on a cruise anytime soon.

 

[Mit88]

Still a lot of hoops with cruising. Disney wouldn’t start until December at the earliest. They have canceled cruises into December so far. Then you have the prospect of where the cruises go?

Wasn’t it said that they’d only be able to dock at Castaway? I’ve never cruised (On DCL) but I would gather the lack of amenities for these cruises at first would be equal to what is being complained about with the parks

 

[rpb718]

Oh and it’s worth noting that the author of the DPB post is the VP of WDW entertainment, so her salary was reportedly just fully reinstated three months ago, as she tells us how to react to laying off 92% of WDW’s Equity performers. I’m not one to usually be this pessimistic but I just keep seeing posts and press releases by TDO/TWDC and find myself wondering “who’s approving these?”

Given the current state of WDW entertainment along with the number of directly related layoffs and the short term prospects for the future, if I was a VP of WDW entertainment I'd be sharpening up my resume now. I mean why spend so much for a VP with only a fraction of staff left.

 

[andyman8]

Wasn’t it said that they’d only be able to dock at Castaway? I’ve never cruised (On DCL) but I would gather the lack of amenities for these cruises at first would be equal to what is being complained about with the parks

Yep, and as much as WDW fans complain about cuts/limited offerings, the DCL fanbase seems to take those things far more seriously (which is somewhat understandable, given the significant price of those cruises). There was a huge uproar when DCL switched from paper Navigators (DCL's version of the Times Guides) to publishing them on their app.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

Wasn’t it said that they’d only be able to dock at Castaway? I’ve never cruised (On DCL) but I would gather the lack of amenities for these cruises at first would be equal to what is being complained about with the parks

IMO, the loss of amenities would be worse. First and foremost, youth activities and theater shows.
This is exciting that the industry can at least start to move again and get protocols in place (they were a little hamstrung by the no sail order), but I don’t have much hope for our 3/6/21 Fantasy Eastern right now. It might sail, but I’m not dropping that amount of cash for what will probably be less than a Carnival experience at first and until we have widespread vaccine distribution. We’re actually looking at Mexico all-inclusive as an alternative spring break backup plan.
This will also probably be the impetus for winding down generous OBB and FCC extensions by Disney.

 

[rpb718]

Yep, and as much as WDW fans complain about cuts/limited offerings, the DCL fanbase seems to take those things far more seriously (which is somewhat understandable, given the significant price of those cruises). There was a huge uproar when DCL switched from paper Navigators (DCL's version of the Times Guides) to publishing them on their app.

It's not just DCL, it's for all cruise lines fanbases. I remember outrage that one wasn't using tablecloths anymore in their free dining rooms. And another when they removed the making of towel animals. And when cruise lines removed straws, that was a good one.

 

[Sarahslay]

Had a friend notified that their Spice Road Table reservation for December has been canceled. I wonder if the location will close now that Disney has control of it.

Well, DH and I have one on Nov. 27 and haven't heard anything, maybe they are just opening certain days and canceling the rest? (or because it's a holiday week we got lucky)

 

[rteetz]

Well, DH and I have one on Nov. 27 and haven't heard anything, maybe they are just opening certain days and canceling the rest? (or because it's a holiday week we got lucky)

It’s anything after December 10th.

 

[Sarahslay]

It’s anything after December 10th.

Well I commented before I got to that post, just trying to catch up today and should have held my horses a little longer lol . It's one of my favorits, at least my husband gets to try it once before whatever Disney decides to do with it happens. I suspect they'll be getting new head chefs to rework menus and all that, but may wait on reopening, but it stinks to take another dining option away during what is usually a time of year when you need everything open.

 

[mattpeto]

I can't imaging jumping on a cruise line without a vaccine. Love cruising, but it's a giant petri dish. December seems like such a long shot.

Personally, I'm booked for August 2021, but I'm about 25% convinced it will actually happen.

 

[Sarahslay]

I can't imaging jumping on a cruise line without a vaccine. Love cruising, but it's a giant petri dish. December seems like such a long shot.

Personally, I'm booked for August 2021, but I'm about 25% convinced it will actually happen.

Same with us, we have two cruises booked (one for June 2021 and one for April 2022) and are fully ready to cancel if we need to.

 

[rteetz]

I can't imaging jumping on a cruise line without a vaccine. Love cruising, but it's a giant petri dish. December seems like such a long shot.

Personally, I'm booked for August 2021, but I'm about 25% convinced it will actually happen.

I wouldn’t be any more concerned getting on a cruise than going to a theme park if the same precautions are taken. My worry is not being able to get off the boat. We saw at the beginning some ships quarantined for long periods of time.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

It’s not the safety of cruising that would personally bother me. It’s the diminished experience for (especially DCL) pricing. I’d be more apt to keep a Carnival booking than a Disney one with proposed changes right now.
Also, personally for us in March, I wouldn’t want to be among the first back. Same reasons we’d let the Wish and her sisters sail a few months before we board. Let others work out the kinks (and I’m sure there are those itching to do just that).

 

[disneygirlsng]

I wouldn’t be any more concerned getting on a cruise than going to a theme park if the same precautions are taken. My worry is not being able to get off the boat. We saw at the beginning some ships quarantined for long periods of time.

Same. I'd get on a cruise right now if I could. That is if ports are open.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I wouldn’t be any more concerned getting on a cruise than going to a theme park if the same precautions are taken. My worry is not being able to get off the boat. We saw at the beginning some ships quarantined for long periods of time.

maybe just mental but a cruise seems like the last vacation I would want to take now - just being confined in an area that if something starts to spread you are stuck and it will spread really quick. And if the same restrictions are in place just wouldn't want to have to wear a mask wile lying out in the sun on a ship or anything like that

Maybe in actuality the safety level is the same, but just seems less appealing to me

 

[andyman8]

I wouldn’t be any more concerned getting on a cruise than going to a theme park if the same precautions are taken. My worry is not being able to get off the boat. We saw at the beginning some ships quarantined for long periods of time.

To an extent, I agree. With a theme park I like the option of being able to leave/remove myself at any time should I feel uncomfortable/unsafe. With a cruise ship, unless you come to that determination very quickly upon embarkation (which I likely wouldn't be able to), you're stuck in a sense. That's not to mention the difference between the price of a four day WDW ticket (you can always chill back at the hotel, go to DS, golf, etc...) and the price of a four-night DCL cruise.

I also feel more comfortable with theme parks being larger, open air environments as opposed to tighter corridors on largely indoor ships. Also, we haven't really seen an outbreak tied back to a theme park anywhere as far as I know, so that gives me a level of confidence that the health and safety measures are working. But some of the overseas cruise lines that have started up have not seen the same sweeping success, so that concerns me.

It's also not Disney I don't trust; it's other Guests that I have difficulty with. In a theme park, I've been able to distance myself from Guests not complying with the face covering requirement, and most of those encounters have been outdoors. When the environment is largely indoors (and especially if it's confined), it would personally bother me more to see a Guest not wearing a face covering.

I'm not one of those people who wants to/is rooting for cruising to die. Like I said, I absolutely love cruising and can't wait to go again, but I just don't want even more brand/reputational damage to an industry that has already sustained so much this year (that's not to minimize the financial damage by any means but that's just my opinion and the calculation behind it).

 

[rteetz]

To an extent, I agree. With a theme park I like the option of being able to leave/remove myself at any time should I feel uncomfortable/unsafe. With a cruise ship, unless you come to that determination very quickly upon embarkation (which I likely wouldn't be able to), you're stuck in a sense. That's not to mention the difference between the price of a four day WDW ticket (you can always chill back at the hotel, go to DS, golf, etc...) and the price of a four-night DCL cruise.

I also feel more comfortable with theme parks being larger, open air environments as opposed to tighter corridors on largely indoor ships. Also, we haven't really seen an outbreak tied back to a theme park anywhere as far as I know, so that gives me a level of confidence that the health and safety measures are working. But some of the overseas cruise lines that have started up have not seen the same sweeping success, so that concerns me.

It's also not Disney I don't trust; it's other Guests that I have difficulty with. In a theme park, I've been able to distance myself from Guests not complying with the face covering requirement, and most of those encounters have been outdoors. When the environment is largely indoors (and especially if it's confined), it would personally bother me more to see a Guest not wearing a face covering.

I'm not one of those people who wants to/is rooting for cruising to die. Like I said, I absolutely love cruising and can't wait to go again, but I just don't want even more brand/reputational damage to an industry that has already sustained so much this year (that's not to minimize the financial damage by any means but that's just my opinion and the calculation behind it).

I agree. For me I just don’t see the risk being much higher for myself. The issue like you pointed out would be getting out of an area I don’t want to be which is harder on a ship. I’m certainly not jumping to get on a cruise tomorrow but I’m not opposed to them starting safely either.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

To an extent, I agree. With a theme park I like the option of being able to leave/remove myself at any time should I feel uncomfortable/unsafe. With a cruise ship, unless you come to that determination very quickly upon embarkation (which I likely wouldn't be able to), you're stuck in a sense. That's not to mention the difference between the price of a four day WDW ticket (you can always chill back at the hotel, go to DS, golf, etc...) and the price of a four-night DCL cruise.

I also feel more comfortable with theme parks being larger, open air environments as opposed to tighter corridors on largely indoor ships. Also, we haven't really seen an outbreak tied back to a theme park anywhere as far as I know, so that gives me a level of confidence that the health and safety measures are working. But some of the overseas cruise lines that have started up have not seen the same sweeping success, so that concerns me.

It's also not Disney I don't trust; it's other Guests that I have difficulty with. In a theme park, I've been able to distance myself from Guests not complying with the face covering requirement, and most of those encounters have been outdoors. When the environment is largely indoors (and especially if it's confined), it would personally bother me more to see a Guest not wearing a face covering.

I'm not one of those people who wants to/is rooting for cruising to die. Like I said, I absolutely love cruising and can't wait to go again, but I just don't want even more brand/reputational damage to an industry that has already sustained so much this year (that's not to minimize the financial damage by any means but that's just my opinion and the calculation behind it).

For all of this, and reading between the lines on vaccine news as to how close we are, I wouldn’t be shocked to see DCL wait this out until widespread vaccine availability is a reality and they can inoculate their crew and make it mandatory for their passengers in whatever approved age group.
It’s been mentioned that DCL by and large is the stage shows, dining, Buena Vista Theater, and youth activities. If those can’t be “normal,” there’s no point in heading out, IMO. Masking and (especially) 6ft rules just aren’t conducive to the cruise model.

ETA: Your only real chance of “escape” is your cabin/balcony. That’s awesome when it’s a choice in normal times, but probably would suck if you got on a particularly non compliant sailing.