How have the passenger numbers been lately?

[jasonriv]

My guess is that they are already staffed for numbers higher than what they expect. The reason is that the crew will have to be vaccinated and given that there are a lot of non-US workers, it will be difficult to get them onboard. It won’t be easy for them to crew up or crew down within a 1-2 month period.

We were on the Fantasy mid-November with 1220 crew and 1500 guests so they are pretty much fully staffed.

Jason

 

[MomOTwins]

I was simply responding to a post that made it sound like a walk on easy street for the quarantined CMs, particularly because they are asymptomatic, and suggesting the situation is worse for the guests. I pointed out it's undesirable on both sides of the situation.

I was trying to say the same thing. Responding to the comment that it is “not okay” for Disney to be shutting down Vibe/Edge. It’s one thing to be disappointed, but to imply Disney is wrong to give CMs sick time or quarantine others to prevent further spread, just so people can get a perfect vacation, is missing perspective.

 

[kathi]

I’m on the Fantasy. My teen has spent most of the cruise so far watching movies in our cabin. Another guest was told Vibe and Edge may not open at all this week. Someone in my cruise group just said their Club Reservation was cancelled for tomorrow morning. I’m sympathetic toward crew possibly being sick, but this was a really expensive cruise. We could have watched movies at home.

 

[MomOTwins]

I’m on the Fantasy. My teen has spent most of the cruise so far watching movies in our cabin. Another guest was told Vibe and Edge may not open at all this week. Someone in my cruise group just said their Club Reservation was cancelled for tomorrow morning. I’m sympathetic toward crew possibly being sick, but this was a really expensive cruise. We could have watched movies at home.

If cruising now, I do think you have to be prepared to roll with it. We have kids who normally cannot be persuaded to leave the Oceaneer’s Club on DCL, and when we discovered we could not book additional sessions beyond their daily 1.5 hours, we ended up doing a lot we hadn’t done before—family activities, game shows, bingo, mini golf, riding the aquaduck. There is a lot to do on the ship beyond just movies, even if it is not your kids’ first choice.

 

[closetmickey]

I’m on the Fantasy. My teen has spent most of the cruise so far watching movies in our cabin. Another guest was told Vibe and Edge may not open at all this week. Someone in my cruise group just said their Club Reservation was cancelled for tomorrow morning. I’m sympathetic toward crew possibly being sick, but this was a really expensive cruise. We could have watched movies at home.

I’m sorry. That would be very disappointing to us too…

 

[BruinEd03]

I’m on the Fantasy. My teen has spent most of the cruise so far watching movies in our cabin. Another guest was told Vibe and Edge may not open at all this week. Someone in my cruise group just said their Club Reservation was cancelled for tomorrow morning. I’m sympathetic toward crew possibly being sick, but this was a really expensive cruise. We could have watched movies at home.

Has your teen done everything else that the ship has to offer? We were on the 12th cruise, and I felt there were a lot of options that we couldn't get to them all. Lots of drawing classes, arts & craft classes, game shows, trivia, character meet & greets, surprise character interactions, story time, mini golf, pool time, laying out on deck with podcasts, shuffleboard, etc. If your teen hasn't tried an activity, it might be beneficial to see if your teen will try something new.

One disadvantage is that you were already on the ship on the previous sailing, so understandably your teen may have already done those activities in the first leg of the b2b.

 

[squirk]

I understand there’s no entitlement to youth-club access on your cruise, and in this day and age, everyone sailing should be cognizant that COVID protocols may require unexpected changes to your cruise experience, and accept that risk.

But still, those clubs are something that DCL heavily promotes as one of the reasons DCL costs more than other cruise lines. If I was sailing with a tween/teen, and DCL yanked Edge/Vibe at the last minute - i.e., when we’re already on the ship, long past time where I could cancel - I think I’d have to pull a Karen and ask to speak to a manager.

Not that Disney is at fault for shutting down the clubs due to COVID/staffing issues, so no anger or outrage. But c’mon - fair is fair. You’re charging me, in part, for one of your big “lures” to sail DCL and pay the upcharge, and you’re not delivering it.

I’m not talking, like, a cash refund of the kid’s fare or anything crazy, but I’d like to think DCL would do something to even the scales a little bit, even if they aren’t required to.

 

[MomOTwins]

I understand there’s no entitlement to youth-club access on your cruise, and in this day and age, everyone sailing should be cognizant that COVID protocols may require unexpected changes to your cruise experience, and accept that risk.

But still, those clubs are something that DCL heavily promotes as one of the reasons DCL costs more than other cruise lines. If I was sailing with a tween/teen, and DCL yanked Edge/Vibe at the last minute - i.e., when we’re already on the ship, long past time where I could cancel - I think I’d have to pull a Karen and ask to speak to a manager.

Not that Disney is at fault for shutting down the clubs due to COVID/staffing issues, so no anger or outrage. But c’mon - fair is fair. You’re charging me, in part, for one of your big “lures” to sail DCL and pay the upcharge, and you’re not delivering it.

I’m not talking, like, a cash refund of the kid’s fare or anything crazy, but I’d like to think DCL would do something to even the scales a little bit, even if they aren’t required to.

How is it any different from missing a port? Castaway Cay is heavily promoted too and is missed several times due to unsafe docking conditions? And everyone with a key west or GC cruise had to deal with itinerary changes due to local cruise bans and Covid restrictions, respectively. Or what about how the fact that excursions aren’t guaranteed since vendors are pulling out due to to covid (someone recently posted they had booked a bahamas cruise specifically to try pearl island for example, and Atlantis hasn’t been available either). And, of course, parents eith babies have been making do without the nursery since the restart. If Disney gave you compensation for no teen club, they’d have to give it to everyone these days. Instead they are going for full disclosure—the website and emails are all super clear that experiences are subject to change including because of Covid—and letting people decide if they are still willing to cruise knowing it might not be the same as it was before.

I can see how some might decide the downsides of sailing now are not for them and not sail. I for example have decided to take a year break from disney world because I’m not happy with some of the changes there. But I wouldn’t agree it is not “fair” for disney to cancel thing or that you should get money back because you’re paying for a teen club, when according to the cruise contract you are not paying for any particular experience and when Disney is offers plenty of alternative (and very entertaining) onboard activities.

 

[kathi]

My point was only that there is very little for teens and tweens to do, activities fill to capacity quickly and then the kids just roam around which is not ideal for anyone.

 

[squirk]

How is it any different from missing a port? Castaway Cay is heavily promoted too and is missed several times due to unsafe docking conditions? And everyone with a key west or GC cruise had to deal with itinerary changes due to local cruise bans and Covid restrictions, respectively. Or what about how the fact that excursions aren’t guaranteed since vendors are pulling out due to to covid (someone recently posted they had booked a bahamas cruise specifically to try pearl island for example, and Atlantis hasn’t been available either). And, of course, parents eith babies have been making do without the nursery since the restart. If Disney gave you compensation for no teen club, they’d have to give it to everyone these days. Instead they are going for full disclosure—the website and emails are all super clear that experiences are subject to change including because of Covid—and letting people decide if they are still willing to cruise knowing it might not be the same as it was before.

I can see how some might decide the downsides of sailing now are not for them and not sail. I for example have decided to take a year break from disney world because I’m not happy with some of the changes there. But I wouldn’t agree it is not “fair” for disney to cancel thing or that you should get money back because you’re paying for a teen club, when according to the cruise contract you are not paying for any particular experience and when Disney is offers plenty of alternative (and very entertaining) onboard activities.

They refund port fees. They also refund fuel costs when you skip a port. You get your money back on cancelled excursions.

And the nursery limitations were well-known before people booked, or while they were within their cancellation windows. If people didn’t like it, they could have backed out.

I said right off the bat that people need to know they are assuming risk when sailing in the middle of a pandemic. And as I said - twice - I recognize that DCL isn’t contractually obligated to do anything.

But Disney does this kind of thing all the time - making things “right” even when they don’t have to. It’s another one of the things they tout that justifies their price premium.

And I recognize the slippery slope in giving refunds for every little thing that goes wrong/missing. But again, the clubs are front-and-center in the advertising campaigns as a lure for families with tweens/teens to still sail DCL vs. RCCL with their surfing simulators and skydiving tunnels.

“It’s OK to bring the whole family because even your kids who’ve outgrown Pixar and Princesses, but are too young to enjoy the adult areas, still have an area of the ship that will interest them!”

When that goes missing for the whole cruise, it’s a different level of “missing value” than, say, it being too windy for mini-golf or the banana soft-serve machine breaking down.

I’m just saying - some OBC, maybe?

 

[JosephWDW]

Which ship?

Fantasy

 

[kathi]

We just got back from Remy brunch and our daughter is sitting in our room watching TV. She tried to hang out with some kids but she said 1/2 of them were not wearing masks or not wearing properly. This cruise is pretty terrible for her.

 

[masseyhouse]

We just got back from Remy brunch and our daughter is sitting in our room watching TV. She tried to hang out with some kids but she said 1/2 of them were not wearing masks or not wearing properly. This cruise is pretty terrible for her.

Someone in another thread stated that Palo and Remy on the Fantasy were closed this week. Guess that was wrong.

 

[mousefan73]

What I don’t get about the whole team clubs being closed because CMs are quarantined Is how they can’t find any other staff, or move people about to cover. I mean we’re talking about the teen clubs - you just need one or two people there to check kids in. Other than that they can be on their own. I get not having planned group activity, but at least open up the facilities to have them meet up and hang out. Heck Couldn’t even the cruise director jump in for an afternoon or evening and play door bouncer and “babysit” the teens? It doesn’t make sense. Doesn’t five also have the outdoor area for the teens? I mean they could just opened it up for them like any other area of the ship.

 

[lanejudy]

What I don’t get about the whole team clubs being closed because CMs are quarantined Is how they can’t find any other staff, or move people about to cover.

I believe the Youth CMs are specifically trained and -- probably more important -- have specific background clearance for working with children. They can't just grab any CM to cover a position working with kids. Even teens qualify as children in this sense because it's a liability issue.

 

[disEAR]

Anyone have recent passenger counts? I came to this thread to determine the the passenger counts on recent cruises, only to find a quibble over available youth services.

Maybe make a separate thread if you want to talk about that topic instead of hijacking this one?

 

[Kimly]

Everyone here is prepared for that- we all live on the same planet and have all been coping with extreme changes to our way of life since early 2020. A person should still be able to commiserate about unfortunate changes that will disappoint their family, and receive sympathy for those issues, without hearing "it could be worse", "others have it worse", "don't complain". That kind of response is unkind on a vacation message board, where fellow travelers are coming together for information and mutual support during an especially challenging time for travel.

And yet here you are doing the same thing attempting to shame people for their feelings/opinions.

 

[Princess Merida]

I believe the Youth CMs are specifically trained and -- probably more important -- have specific background clearance for working with children. They can't just grab any CM to cover a position working with kids. Even teens qualify as children in this sense because it's a liability issue.

I get the specifically trained, but I hope all crew members on a Disney cruise have specific background checks to be cleared for working with children. Kids run around these ships unattended all the time and these CMs all live on them for months at a time. It would be very irresponsible of Disney to not have cleared all of their staff with the same background checks.

 

[tvguy]

Anyone have recent passenger counts? I came to this thread to determine the the passenger counts on recent cruises, only to find a quibble over available youth services.

Maybe make a separate thread if you want to talk about that topic instead of hijacking this one?

They are called "threads" because they weave all over like a thread in fabric. The replies determine the course, not the original post. It isn't hijacking, it is the nature of any discussion, online, or in person.

 

[Cheburashka]

And yet here you are doing the same thing attempting to shame people for their feelings/opinions.

Nope. I was responding to a poster who cut off another poster's comment about her trip with just such a remark. There is no need to shut down people who express feelings about their trips. There is also no need to get personal and argumentative on Disboards.