What's your best guess on when DCL will sail again?

[hogie1]

Hey Everyone!

I have a DCL cruise scheduled for the first week of April. At this point my guess is it's 50/50 at best that it sails and I booked Poly as a backup.

What's your opinion on when DCL will sail again?

We rebooked our cancelled trip from last April to April 2021, so I reached out to my travel agent to get her thoughts, and she was like "we haven't heard anything about any more cruises being cancelled". I didn't say it but I'm like "Really, do you not take into account what info can be surmised online?" There's enough info between the CDC requirements, discussions in the forums and the calendar itself to figure out and make a decent estimate on whether or not March, April, and May cruises will be cancelled. If we get cancelled again we will more than likely forgo rebooking and travel on dry land.

 

[RamblingMad]

I'm guessing next year. A lot of the crew aren't from the US, so Disney will have a hiring problem until those nations catch up on the vaccination front.

 

[bunnm09]

DCL just posted the new commercial with the masks on twitter and instagram this afternoon. Not saying it means they are about to start sailing but I bet we hear of a potential start date soon if they are starting to ramp up advertising again

 

[tvguy]

I'm guessing next year. A lot of the crew aren't from the US, so Disney will have a hiring problem until those nations catch up on the vaccination front.

Good point Look at the situation in the U.S. Over 14 million doses waiting to be given, some doses about to expire, but only just over 4 million vaccines given. If we can't get people in to get the shot, how are the less industrialized nations going to do that?
Throw in that Disney hasn't even scheduled test cruises yet, and those require 60 days advance notice, the earliest Disney could go a test cruise is March 5th IF they filed their plan today. How many successful test cruises are they going to have to do before they attempt a real cruise? How many ports no matter how well the test cruises go are going to say no to allow the ships to dock.
Just way too many moving pieces at this point. Next year may be a very realistic estimate. They may be losing money, but if they don't get it right, they may be in a bigger pickle.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

March is already basically a no, since we are at least 60 days from the required test sailings.

 

[Joe Brig]

Might be sooner then we think, DCL has started to advertise and are hiring lifeguards for Castaway Cay:
https://jobs.disneycareers.com/job/bahamas/beach-lifeguard-castaway-cay/391/15431272

 

[leannak]

So I just saw an article that said it is unlikely children will be able to get the vaccine even by the start of the next school year. That dampened my enthusiasm a bit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-children-covid-vaccine-parents.html

 

[Clojel]

My guess is we see the other major cruise lines start to resume late second quarter/early third. If the other cruise lines survive their launch without a major outbreak, I’d expect DCL to follow suit about a quarter later. DCL can survive not sailing longer than the other cruise lines bc they’re a relatively small part of WDWs massive bottom line but eventually they’ll need to get back out there or risk going extinct. Search this board and you’ll find countless posts on “DCL or royal?”, “DCL or carnival?” It’s already hotly debated if DCL is worth the premiums they charge....if the analysis becomes sail with “X” cruise line NOW or DCL next year...the scales definitely tip OUT of DCLs favor.

 

[Ila Sikorski]

Might be sooner then we think, DCL has started to advertise and are hiring lifeguards for Castaway Cay:
https://jobs.disneycareers.com/job/bahamas/beach-lifeguard-castaway-cay/391/15431272

Maybe wishful thinking but this and the recent ads/commercials we're starting to see again and I think DCL is on its way to some sort of movement.

 

[belle032]

I know it's not DCL, but Carnival just cancelled through March 2021, so I wonder if others will follow suit. I kind of expected/hoped that sailings would resume in some capacity around the typical spring break time, but now I'm thinking summer?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

A line like Carnival will get up and running before DCL will.

One of those corporations is dependent on cruise revenue.

 

[soniam]

Sort of hoping/not hoping for July. We have our 3rd attempt at taking a cruise booked for then. However, if things aren't significantly better, I don't think we would choose to go. We will be one of the last adult groups to get the vaccine. Our son won't be 16 until 2022, assuming he could even get that vaccine.

 

[Capang]

I honestly don't believe that any of the cruise lines will sail again until the pandemic is under control. When that happens is a combination of vaccine availability and people's behavior.

Cruises are sailing in Europe and Asia. Not all, but some certainly are.

I'm guessing next year. A lot of the crew aren't from the US, so Disney will have a hiring problem until those nations catch up on the vaccination front.

DCL CMs are being called back as we speak.

 

[RamblingMad]

DCL CMs are being called back as we speak.

From what countries? Cruise ships usually employ foreign workers to keep wages down.

 

[Cheburashka]

Maybe wishful thinking but this and the recent ads/commercials we're starting to see again and I think DCL is on its way to some sort of movement.

I see those ads mainly as a way of Disney reminding potential future customers that DCL exists. I don't see them cruising at all until fall at the earliest. It's likely that Carnival, Royal, etc., will start some time this summer, with a cautious DCL watching and waiting.

 

[Theactualdisneyprincess]

If DCL cancels on you for a second time and you are PIF, how does the 125% credit work? We are on a more expensive voyage this time around and already received the 125% from our first booked cruise that was canceled.

 

[Cheburashka]

If DCL cancels on you for a second time and you are PIF, how does the 125% credit work? We are on a more expensive voyage this time around and already received the 125% from our first booked cruise that was canceled.

You don't get an additional 25% bonus, but you can keep that prior 25% bonus for a new booking through May 31, 2022. Or you could request a refund and get all of your out-of-pocket costs refunded.

 

[revdon64]

While it's not on DCL, we just moved our June/July 2021 Alaska cruise to August 2022. We have little faith that Alaskan cruises will sail anytime soon. That said, it does depend on where your cruise is out of and headed to.

 

[Cheburashka]

While it's not on DCL, we just moved our June/July 2021 Alaska cruise to August 2022. We have little faith that Alaskan cruises will sail anytime soon. That said, it does depend on where your cruise is out of and headed to.

How did you do that? I thought that August 2022 was not yet released.

 

[Capang]

From what countries? Cruise ships usually employ foreign workers to keep wages down.

Pete discussed it this week. Colombia? I can't rememberbthebsoecific country but it wasn't the US. We don't have travel bans here, anyone can travel to the US.