How many experiences removed before Disney wouldn’t cruise ( in your opinion)?

[4077]

Like many... wondering if we hang on past our pay in full date with the option of either being cancelled by Disney for a bonus credit, or going on our August cruise if Disney sends it. But I got to wondering... how much of an adjusted experience would Disney still send a cruise out with. Extreme example: If all kids/teens clubs, all pools and water slides, all shows and all clubs/bars were closed, would Disney still say we’re sending out the cruise.. thanks for your money... enjoy your room...? Now, I personally don’t think they could take away almost everything that is great about a Disney cruise aimed (primarily) at families and have people saying how great it is to be sailing again. So that is my question (looking for opinions out of curiosity).
1) How much of a reduced/adjusted experience is too much change for Disney to decide to start cruises again?

2) How much of a change it what is offered on board is too much of a reduction for you to think it is worth going?

obviously this question is only valid for those who are willing to take a cruise upon resumption. If your answer is there is no way I would go this year, or before a vaccine is available, or something else of the like, then there is no need to answer.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Like many... wondering if we hang on past our pay in full date with the option of either being cancelled by Disney for a bonus credit, or going on our August cruise if Disney sends it. But I got to wondering... how much of an adjusted experience would Disney still send a cruise out with. Extreme example: If all kids/teens clubs, all pools and water slides, all shows and all clubs/bars were closed, would Disney still say we’re sending out the cruise.. thanks for your money... enjoy your room...? Now, I personally don’t think they could take away almost everything that is great about a Disney cruise aimed (primarily) at families and have people saying how great it is to be sailing again. So that is my question (looking for opinions out of curiosity).
1) How much of a reduced/adjusted experience is too much change for Disney to decide to start cruises again?

2) How much of a change it what is offered on board is too much of a reduction for you to think it is worth going?

obviously this question is only valid for those who are willing to take a cruise upon resumption. If your answer is there is no way I would go this year, or before a vaccine is available, or something else of the like, then there is no need to answer.

Two things to keep in mind:
1. Social distancing as we know it is impossible on a cruise. It's too small amspace with too many people, even if the ship sailed half full. So it's not going to be the same way onboard that it is at your local grocery store.
2. Cruises mostly take place at sea, not in the U.S., so they aren't bound by as many legal restrictions as a place like Disney World, for exmaple.

I know that doesn't answer your question per se but I think it's useful to keep those facts in mind as we consider this.

 

[BAIC03]

I think if we lose entertainment and the Kids Club then DCL loses its edge. As a draw with a family, the pool may be closed but if parents and families have to stay together the entire time and do all things together in a small space, then this is the Navy, not DCL. My 2 cents.

 

[xavier2001]

I can say if I have to wear a mask I won’t cruise. I wear masks 8-12 hours a day at work now and no way will I do so on vacation. So we won’t cruise until there is enough of a need not to. Really other than no buffet self service, I’m not willing to pay the Disney premium for a reduced experience.

 

[Chemist]

I can say if I have to wear a mask I won’t cruise. I wear masks 8-12 hours a day at work now and no way will I do so on vacation. So we won’t cruise until there is enough of a need not to. Really other than no buffet self service, I’m not willing to pay the Disney premium for a reduced experience.

same.

i don’t need to cruise. I hate masks. I love shoes.
I will do other vacations instead of a cruise lacking shows/characters/pools/parties...

 

[o&smom]

I think Disney wants to get back to cruising ASAP, but I do not think they will cruise with too many drastic changes in place. People have certain expectations of what a Disney Cruise entails. I think no self serve is totally acceptable. I think no kids clubs or pools would be an issue. People will expect to be on vacation, and will be very unhappy if it does not feel like a vacation. I think maybe they will not have as many open house hours in the kids clubs, and instead have times through out the day where they clean them. I think people will be accepting of changes made to nightly show times. People have discussed adding another each night/day.

With the fact that even opening again continues to get pushed back my husband and I have been wondering what our cruise may look like even next April. We are doing concierge for probably our one and only time to celebrate DS’s graduation. (And thanks to our discount we got on the WBPC cruise.) We had to miss our planned five days at DL after the cruise since the parks were closed. We have reservations to be at DL the end of Sept. for Ooggie Boogie’s Halloween party that probably won’t happen. After the announcement today that masks will be mandatory at WDW when it opens more than likely means the same for DL. We are more than likely going to cancel due to both of these factors. We are planning time at both WDW and Universal before the cruise next April, but will be watching how things continue to unfold, and we will hold off on booking and reserving too many things until we feel comfortable putting more money into a vacation that will just not be near to what we expected. I know, first world problems, but it is a lot of changes to plan around and figure out what are the deal breakers.

 

[BartmanLA]

Ultimately, DCL is going to return to operations when they feel they can do it with the least amount of risk to the crew and guests, and that those guests can return to a experience that will be as close to what many of us remember and have kept us booking cruises year after year. We just DON'T KNOW what those changes if any will be, DCL will release that information when they're ready and able. One thing we have to keep in mind, the environment of a cruise ship is very different than any other type of leisure entertainment, the proximity of the guests, crew and spaces on the ships just doesn't allow for the recommended social distancing currently being pushed by the health experts. Additionally, since the ships travel internationally, keeping itineraries that will take them to countries/ports that will be open to cruisers is another factor they'll have to take under consideration. All the supposition and speculation about what will or won't change on the ships is going to remain a hot topic of conversation, but it does illustrate hopefully to DCL that they still have many many people that want to step back aboard and take part in the Disney experience.

 

[4077]

Took the plunge and paid in full today (our PIF date for August 8 Fantasy). Figure the following are possibilities.

A) Disney cancels cruise and gives 125% to future booking (we made ressie for same cruise next year).

B) Disney cancels but no longer gives that much of a cancellation compensation, but at minimum you get your money 100% refunded.

C) Disney sails the cruise, but with so many reductions in what you can do that I would call and cancel and request full refund because of the totally changed experience (Does Disney HAVE to give you 100% back after pay in full... no, of course not... and it is quite clear in their policies about how much is refunded beyond certain dates... HOWEVER... MY opinion is that Disney would not refuse a full refund for later cancellations at this time based on the current situation even though they are well within their right not to refund 100%).

D) The cruise goes with only minimal modifications while keeping (somehow) kids clubs, pools/slides, and shows relatively easily accessible. I think we can all live with served to us buffets. We would likely go in this case.

My GUT feeling (which may be completely wrong) is that I don’t know how Disney will be able to sail in August AND keep the experience at some sort of level that meets expectations of A DCL cruise. However, maybe they will somehow be able to surprise us. I booked next August as back up, I can easily fill this week this year with another sort of vacation, and I (in my opinion) think I can get at least a 100% refund on my cruise price at any point before departure under current circumstances... we’ll see....

 

[MomOTwins]

I keep thinking of the restrictions they could put in place, and I don't think any would be a dealbreaker for me. I'd still be happy to cruise just so long as we could sit on our verandah and visit Castaway Cay. I think for me, it'd have to be no Castaway Cay, no Pirate Night, no MDRs, no shows, no kid's club, and no aquaduck before I'd declare the cruise officially a flop, and even then I might still be happy if they gave us some kind of especially nice incentive for putting up with the changes (e.g., extra nice discount on a future cruise).

We are willing to be guinea pigs on our August cruise so long as they are willing to let us sail, with pretty much any restrictions. Beats sitting at home today for sure... ugh this quarantine is the worst.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I read somewhere that cruises may start again with only shorter sailings. That makes sense to me. Get people use to sailing again. My next cruise is a TA and I have to say I'm a bit nervous taking a cruise across the ocean with a possible killer virus. A 3/4 day cruise to the Bahamas/CC would be a much easier sell. If something happens, I'm close to the US to get medical help. I'd even take a 7 day that was Key West/Bahamas/CC.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Two things to keep in mind:
1. Social distancing as we know it is impossible on a cruise. It's too small amspace with too many people, even if the ship sailed half full. So it's not going to be the same way onboard that it is at your local grocery store.
2. Cruises mostly take place at sea, not in the U.S., so they aren't bound by as many legal restrictions as a place like Disney World, for exmaple.

I know that doesn't answer your question per se but I think it's useful to keep those facts in mind as we consider this.

If ships ever want to dock anywhere, they have to abide by the rules of the countries accepting their ships. If they want to dock in the US, they absolutely have to comply with US gov't orders: https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...otice-of-modification-and-extension-and-other

 

[holden]

We are supposed to cruise in late July and I'm hoping it's canceled.

As far as future cruises, I could do without buffets (or any self-serve food, like an ice cream machine). I'm not a fan of them anyway. However, that's pretty much the only thing I'd want to compromise on. Until it's safe to cruise with mostly everything in place, I'll take a different vacation.

 

[4077]

I could do without buffets (or any self-serve food, like an ice cream machine).

I can be fine without the “self-serve” aspect, but still want the served to you buffet, ice cream, etc... I am confident enough in my adulthood to say “3 donuts and 3 Mickey waffles on my plate please... yes, I would like whipped cream on them.”

 

[gotomu212]

We sail DCL a lot, and I already struggle with the difference in cost versus value of DCL. I justify a lot of that with the extra Disney touches. For me the big things that would make me chose not to cruise (or to stick with another line for cost savings) is if the character interactions are stopped, and if the Broadway shows stopped. I’d be okay with them showing them 2 nights in a row and dropping the variety acts from WDW theater as long as the 3 main shows a cruise are kept. Those are two things I can’t get on other lines (disney themed broadway at least).

It would also be a dealbreaker for us if the clubs weren’t open the same amount for secured programming or if you had to make reservations for it to limit the capacity.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

Cruises will be the last travel vacations to return.

It will be when there appears to be no more C19. I did not say when there is none.

But it will be fall or later. Sadly!
When social distancing has been dropped - LIFEBOATS!

 

[DIS_MIKE]

I can be fine without the “self-serve” aspect, but still want the served to you buffet, ice cream, etc... I am confident enough in my adulthood to say “3 donuts and 3 Mickey waffles on my plate please... yes, I would like whipped cream on them.”

After I read this...I started thinking about Cousin Eddie at the buffet in Vegas Vacation. "Don't get cheap on me"

With my August cruise fast approaching there is a chance it will go but we still don't know at this point along with the changes. I would not want to cruise if the pools were all closed and I had to wear a mask. Disney may be aggressive and say that the cruise is sailing so either abide by these new rules and sail with us or take a credit but we cannot refund you.

My area in PA just closed all of the pools for the summer. I cannot imagine how families will deal with that as it's such a major activity for children out of school. With DCL shutting down the entire pool area and the kid clubs I just don't see the big draw for families at this time. I would be deeply saddened if I could not swim on the cruise but I guess for 4 days I can suck it up and enjoy my time at sea with a good book and hopefully we get a day in at CC.

 

[Jennx36]

We just booked a cruise for my DD's spring break next year, and I am already starting to reconsider. We have sailed with DCL twice in the past and had really great experiences. However, it is difficult to determine if the cost of the cruise will be worth the value if certain experiences are taken away. Character meet and greets, pools, kids clubs, and shows are the main reasons I am excited to take the cruise. If those activities go away, what's the point of paying a premium to sit on a ship while it does a circle through the Bahamas? We've been to all of the ports before and could easily go there again and spend way more time for far less money. I am hopeful that Disney and other cruise lines recognize this and will not offer cruises at the same price point unless the experiences we are used to can be achieved safely but with minimal moderations so as not to take away from the magic. As mentioned previously, these are first world problems. I am confident that we will figure out a way to exist with each other safely again whether due to a treatment that improves survival odds, a vaccine that prevents infections or both.

 

[aggiedog]

I read somewhere that cruises may start again with only shorter sailings.

The cynic in me says that's so that there's less time for anyone to develop an illness that would present on the ship. Get everyone off and home before that happens. The average incubation time is 5 days before symptoms appear.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

After I read this...I started thinking about Cousin Eddie at the buffet in Vegas Vacation. "Don't get cheap on me"

With my August cruise fast approaching there is a chance it will go but we still don't know at this point along with the changes. I would not want to cruise if the pools were all closed and I had to wear a mask. Disney may be aggressive and say that the cruise is sailing so either abide by these new rules and sail with us or take a credit but we cannot refund you.

My area in PA just closed all of the pools for the summer. I cannot imagine how families will deal with that as it's such a major activity for children out of school. With DCL shutting down the entire pool area and the kid clubs I just don't see the big draw for families at this time. I would be deeply saddened if I could not swim on the cruise but I guess for 4 days I can suck it up and enjoy my time at sea with a good book and hopefully we get a day in at CC.

1 - In Georgia they have not closed pools for the summer YET. They are waiting a few more weeks to decide which could be a scramble to get them ready to open and staffed.
(All the numbers in Georgia actually improved as the Governor predicted but no press for that.)

2 - After 6 cruises I have not swam while on board. ( I spend my summers by the pool and I go to a beach at every port.)

We were on one winter cruise with cool rainy weather and without the pools and pool decks the inside got really crowded.

 

[bbel]

My take from the kids clubs side of things:
I doubt they would, but I think it would be a good idea if the followed other cruise lines and did more of a session structure. I know a lot of people dont like that, but at royal, once the session ends, we thoroughly sanitise the kids clubs, dishwash all toys used if they can be, lysol'd if they can't, which means the clubs get a decent clean 3x a day. At Disney it's just once at the end of the day, along with the toys that are out from open to close, someone does walk round with a heavily diluted rag of bleach twice a day, but you cant wipe it near the kids.

As well as actually sticking to their ratios or lowering them, again, using royal as an example if a kid sneezes or coughs or picks their bum we can escort them to the bathroom right away and make them wash their hands (most rooms have a sink in the room so we can help them if they need it), but at Disney, because you're not allowed to move from your area, you can send them and hope they get there, but most of the time you never know. We also see if a toy gets the same treatment and can throw a toy in the soiled toy bin ready to be cleaned.


I also like that kids have to take their shoes off, but dont think that would work too well on Disney's floors.