DCL Summer 2017 Megathread - Itineraries are out!

[clten]

Do you have a TA? Give him/her your preferences before you leave so you can book at opening day prices then adjust rooms, etc as needed. Talk to your TA to get some ideas of what itineraries may be available. They usually have some inkling.

If you do this, you lose any onboard booking incentives. Best to take a little time out of vacation and go to the onboard booking desk. As Trera said, they do open the bookings to Gold/Platinum the same day they would be available on land. We were onboard when they announced the fall 2016 itineraries (although I didn't think they were great about communicating what was going on to everyone onboard) and we waited until afternoon the day bookings opened and were able to get ours booked on the Gold/Platinum day, with very little wait and get our onboard incentives.

 

[meryll83]

Any post Easter news?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

So the poster going around all the 2017 threads saying it is released in March, was wrong?

 

[KristiMc]

So the poster going around all the 2017 threads saying it is released in March, was wrong?

I think anyone that said March was saying "possibly" March based on past years.

 

[Snevetif]

It's for all itineraries

This will be our first time cruising with DCL and if only gold and platinum book on day 1 will the price increase on day 2 when it's open to the public? I'm waiting for the next set of dates to open and didn't know I couldn't book on day 1. I want the best rate and don't want to wait for mto discounts because they seem to be pretty close to sailing date.

 

[Flossbolna]

If you do this, you lose any onboard booking incentives. Best to take a little time out of vacation and go to the onboard booking desk. As Trera said, they do open the bookings to Gold/Platinum the same day they would be available on land. We were onboard when they announced the fall 2016 itineraries (although I didn't think they were great about communicating what was going on to everyone onboard) and we waited until afternoon the day bookings opened and were able to get ours booked on the Gold/Platinum day, with very little wait and get our onboard incentives.

One possibility to have the TA book would be to book a placeholder on your first cruise day and have your TA assigned to the placeholder (only works if you are using the TA already for the cruise you are on). The TA will immediately get the notification via email that your placeholder has been booked. Then, on the day the new bookings are released, the TA can change the placeholder into a real cruise. Of course the whole process should be pre-arranged with your TA.

 

[Flossbolna]

This will be our first time cruising with DCL and if only gold and platinum book on day 1 will the price increase on day 2 when it's open to the public? I'm waiting for the next set of dates to open and didn't know I couldn't book on day 1. I want the best rate and don't want to wait for mto discounts because they seem to be pretty close to sailing date.

It really depends on which cruise you are looking for. The special itineraries (like the first cruise to Iceland in 2015) and popular dates might see a price increase on day 1. A more standard 4-night Dream cruise in May most likely would not.

 

[Ware Bears]

DISNEY FANTASY, I can remember booking our August 2013 Alaska cruise in January 2012 *sigh*

 

[Ofinn]

So the poster going around all the 2017 threads saying it is released in March, was wrong?

Even DCL was telling people the end of the month. I think most people expected it based on last year. They haven't even sold this year's European cruises so maybe they're not in a hurry to release next years. Let's hope they're rethinking what they're going to charge.

 

[Snevetif]

It really depends on which cruise you are looking for. The special itineraries (like the first cruise to Iceland in 2015) and popular dates might see a price increase on day 1. A more standard 4-night Dream cruise in May most likely would not.

Thanks for replying. I want to book a 7 day Eastern or Western Caribbean cruise in June or July. So that's peak time. Hmmm.

 

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for replying. I want to book a 7 day Eastern or Western Caribbean cruise in June or July. So that's peak time. Hmmm.

I was more thinking Christmas or Easter as peak times.

You can check on www.cruisefish.net when prices went up for the weeks that you were thinking of. Go to finder, pick DCL, then Fantasy and then the itinerary and date. If you hover over a price with your mouse (even if it is already light grey and crossed out because the category is no longer available currently), you will see the pice history. You can also click on the price and it will show you a graph for the price history.

I just checked to random weeks in June and August and both had the first price increase in October. Of course, cruisefish, which is a third party, gets its information from the website, so any price increases on that first day will not be visible. But if you see the lowest price around for several months, you can bet that this is indeed the very first increase. Also, those increases are usually small steps, 50$ per person. So, it is not as if a cruise would double in price during the first day normally. This is really only the case for very special cruises.

 

[SilenceDoGood]

Monday, April 4, 2016 all of the 12 night specialty cruises in Europe will have passed their 120 PIF date. The last one being August 1, 2016, Barcelona 12 night cruise.

I expect them to open next week, but have no insider information, just assuming that is what they are waiting for.
As the d c l blog site has said, they Magic has shown up on multiple 2017 port calendars in Europe, and the Wonder has been seen on West Coast port calendars. I don't think there will be too many surprises. They just don't want everyone on the harder to fill longer cruises moving them all to 2017.

That said, i'm anxiously waiting myself to book a 7 night Mediterranean cruise for next August.

I believe you've got something here! It makes sense from a business point of view. However, it's very frustrating to be waiting and waiting for DCL itineraries when other cruise lines have already released theirs. Makes it quite difficult to determine future cruising plans. Rant over.

 

[Snevetif]

I was more thinking Christmas or Easter as peak times.

You can check on www.cruisefish.net when prices went up for the weeks that you were thinking of. Go to finder, pick DCL, then Fantasy and then the itinerary and date. If you hover over a price with your mouse (even if it is already light grey and crossed out because the category is no longer available currently), you will see the pice history. You can also click on the price and it will show you a graph for the price history.

I just checked to random weeks in June and August and both had the first price increase in October. Of course, cruisefish, which is a third party, gets its information from the website, so any price increases on that first day will not be visible. But if you see the lowest price around for several months, you can bet that this is indeed the very first increase. Also, those increases are usually small steps, 50$ per person. So, it is not as if a cruise would double in price during the first day normally. This is really only the case for very special cruises.

Thanks so much for the website! I feel a bit better.

 

[Flossbolna]

Thanks so much for the website! I feel a bit better.

I am happy that the info was helpful! I remember the aprehension of not being able to book on day 1 very well! But I think there is not a lot to worry about for you!

 

[time4dis]

Monday, April 4, 2016 all of the 12 night specialty cruises in Europe will have passed their 120 PIF date. The last one being August 1, 2016, Barcelona 12 night cruise.

I expect them to open next week, but have no insider information, just assuming that is what they are waiting for.
As the d c l blog site has said, they Magic has shown up on multiple 2017 port calendars in Europe, and the Wonder has been seen on West Coast port calendars. I don't think there will be too many surprises. They just don't want everyone on the harder to fill longer cruises moving them all to 2017.

That said, i'm anxiously waiting myself to book a 7 night Mediterranean cruise for next August.

Solid analysis. get out of here with that logic and reason. I just want vacation.

 

[RedSox68]

My TA is with a great travel company and on opening day, they take all of us waitlisted and they all pitch in to get us booked. I usually have my booking within the first two hours of opening day! I gave up waiting on hold for hours -- sometimes being disconnected -- long ago!

 

[RedSox68]

It really depends on which cruise you are looking for. The special itineraries (like the first cruise to Iceland in 2015) and popular dates might see a price increase on day 1. A more standard 4-night Dream cruise in May most likely would not.

I agree. I've seen pricing for specialty cruises jump in just the first hour or so! It's crazy -- and the only cruise line I know of that has price reaction like that!

 

[SonyaShay]

Thanks for replying. I want to book a 7 day Eastern or Western Caribbean cruise in June or July. So that's peak time. Hmmm.

Booked our June 2015 Western on the Fantasy opening day in March 2014 but did not see a price increase on it for well over 6 months. Our only concern is booking ASAP so we can get the exact room we want since we are 2 rooms traveling together.

 

[RedSox68]

Still one more week in March -- I think it's going to be this week! (hope springs eternal)

 

[Flossbolna]

I am wondering if we are going to have an opening day pricing thread again? Would that be something that the moderators would organize?