Alaska this summer

[_auroraborealis_]

With the most recent set of cancellations, Disney canceled all July US departures except for the Disney Wonder, where they only canceled through the July 12th departure. They've left the July 19th and later Alaska itineraries on the schedule (although they're not currently for sale for people that haven't already booked). I think it's still a long shot, but to me that's a sign that they hope to be able to sail form Alaska this summer.

Nah, they are doing more currency float.

The math just does not make sense to do half a season in AK, the San Diego season, and two empty PC transits. The PC transits alone are over a million dollars in empty expense.

 

[otten]

With the most recent set of cancellations, Disney canceled all July US departures except for the Disney Wonder, where they only canceled through the July 12th departure. They've left the July 19th and later Alaska itineraries on the schedule (although they're not currently for sale for people that haven't already booked). I think it's still a long shot, but to me that's a sign that they hope to be able to sail form Alaska this summer.

If the cruises are off the website they're headed for cancellation. People booked will start getting their emails within a couple of weeks.

DCL hopes to be able to sail in the fall. They've said that themselves.

 

[HiStitch626]

They will never make it there and back in 7 days if they sail from that far south. As per the CDC, no cruise over 7 nights (unless they change that before November 1st). The furthest north they could get would probably be Ketchikan.

Good point. Maybe an option for the future if Canada stays closed but the length of cruise is allowed to increase?

 

[CM Dad]

Mainly for the reason you mention. It would be uneconomical for DCL to transit the Panama Canal 2x without paying passengers.

It's possible that it would be only 1 transit without paying passengers. My wife and I are booked on the EBPC in November and it has not been cancelled yet. The CDC restriction on cruises longer than 7 days expires before that cruise.

Having said that, I don't expect that cruise to actually happen, and haven't booked any flights, and won't until I see that DCL has decided to do any of the west coast cruises this year.

 

[JWelch62]

It's possible that it would be only 1 transit without paying passengers. My wife and I are booked on the EBPC in November and it has not been cancelled yet. The CDC restriction on cruises longer than 7 days expires before that cruise.

Having said that, I don't expect that cruise to actually happen, and haven't booked any flights, and won't until I see that DCL has decided to do any of the west coast cruises this year.

That's a good point. Your cruise is still visible on the DCL website so perhaps that is their rationale.

 

[BruinEd03]

Nah, they are doing more currency float.

The math just does not make sense to do half a season in AK, the San Diego season, and two empty PC transits. The PC transits alone are over a million dollars in empty expense.

Couldn’t they just raise the prices on the cruises and make up the fees? The Alaska sailings generally command a pretty hefty premium. It would also prevent them from having to provide FCC.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Couldn’t they just raise the prices on the cruises and make up the fees? The Alaska sailings generally command a pretty hefty premium. It would also prevent them from having to provide FCC.

No, because they were booked two years ago. Any sailing for this summer isn't being booked today.

 

[Sykes]

Nah, they are doing more currency float.

The math just does not make sense to do half a season in AK, the San Diego season, and two empty PC transits. The PC transits alone are over a million dollars in empty expense.

Currency float alone doesn't explain it, otherwise they would have done the same for the Dream and Fantasy. Plus, the returns on unearned cruise revenue are incredibly low because cruise lines must hold all customer funds (plus a 10% buffer) in a way that is essentially risk-free. It's something, but pretty trivial when comparing canceling Wonder voyages through July 12th like they did vs. through the end of July. My guess is that they want to keep them on the calendar to keep the pressure on Congress to pass the PVSA exemption.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Currency float alone doesn't explain it, otherwise they would have done the same for the Dream and Fantasy. Plus, the returns on unearned cruise revenue are incredibly low because cruise lines must hold at least 110% of all customer funds in a way that is essentially risk-free. A fair number of passengers will elect to keep FCC too. My guess is that they want to keep them on the calendar to keep the pressure on Congress to pass the PVSA exemption.

Potentially, but as a long play and precedent, rather than to "save 2021!"

I still don't see them deadheading the PC twice for such a limited season, with the very real itinerary and excursion issues. It would be 9 cruises if they sailed July 19, and that already seems improbable.

Sure, there's potentially the Baja season, but that also is a series of sailings that pricing escalates very slowly past opening day and often has CA resident discounts.

With my math on the cost of transiting PC twice and getting to Seattle non-revenue to start, they may very well lose less money with the Wonder idle.

 

[Sykes]

I'm 100% with you that an Alaska season is quite unlikely--there's just so many barriers to getting it up and running--but it does seem like the Wonder cancellations were deliberately different for some unclear reason. It'll be interesting to watch to see how that progresses.

(I'm booked on a September Baja and am not getting my hopes up personally. There are fewer barriers to a Baja, but without an Alaska season there's no chance they'd bring the ship over.)

 

[JWelch62]

Potentially, but as a long play and precedent, rather than to "save 2021!"

I still don't see them deadheading the PC twice for such a limited season, with the very real itinerary and excursion issues. It would be 9 cruises if they sailed July 19, and that already seems improbable.

Sure, there's potentially the Baja season, but that also is a series of sailings that pricing escalates very slowly past opening day and often has CA resident discounts.

With my math on the cost of transiting PC twice and getting to Seattle non-revenue to start, they may very well lose less money with the Wonder idle.

It was pointed out above that the EBPC is still live and available to book. It sails after the CDC order expires, so it can sail for more than 7N. But, we shall see.

 

[bcwife76]

Governor Inslee released a list of things that will open up in Washington State on June 30th.

Cruise ships was not on the list. It only allows ships carrying up to 250 passengers.

Until he changes his position, there will be no Alaska Cruises from Seattle.

 

[Girl of the South]

An article in a Canadian newspaper seems to imply that there may be a summer season after all, depending on the House of Representatives passing this bill. The article link is at the bottom of this post. From Thursday May 13th, 2021.


"Alaska-bound cruise ships will again be docking in B.C waters once federal travel restrictions are lifted, according to the government of B.C, but U.S. cruise ships will be bypassing B.C. until then.

In an effort to save Alaska's summer cruise season, the U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday which, if also approved by the House of Representatives, allows Alaska-bound ships to travel directly between the State of Washington and Alaska.

Before the pandemic and under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, Alaska-bound ships would have to spend a day in Vancouver or Victoria, bringing in significant tourism revenue to B.C.'s economy.

The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act was introduced as a way to sidestep Canadian restrictions against cruise ship travel between the two states for the upcoming summer season."

Cruise Ships may bypass BC this summer

 

[tvguy]

An article in a Canadian newspaper seems to imply that there may be a summer season after all, depending on the House of Representatives passing this bill. The article link is at the bottom of this post. From Thursday May 13th, 2021.


"Alaska-bound cruise ships will again be docking in B.C waters once federal travel restrictions are lifted, according to the government of B.C, but U.S. cruise ships will be bypassing B.C. until then.

In an effort to save Alaska's summer cruise season, the U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday which, if also approved by the House of Representatives, allows Alaska-bound ships to travel directly between the State of Washington and Alaska.

Before the pandemic and under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, Alaska-bound ships would have to spend a day in Vancouver or Victoria, bringing in significant tourism revenue to B.C.'s economy.

The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act was introduced as a way to sidestep Canadian restrictions against cruise ship travel between the two states for the upcoming summer season."

Cruise Ships may bypass BC this summer

Yes, that is the topic here. The question is, will the House of Representatives pass the bill with enough time left for the cruise lines, ports etc to staff up and resume operations this Alaskan season. The bill took 2 1/2 months to work it's way through the Senate, if it takes 2 1/2 months to make it through the House and a week for the President to sign it that will be into August. Will it be worth it for the few weeks left in the Alaskan season? I say no.

 

[Girl of the South]

Oh gosh, sorry. Just trying to be helpful. I'll go back to my inside cabin on Deck 1 and just lurk. . . . .

 

[ahain]

It's possible that it would be only 1 transit without paying passengers. My wife and I are booked on the EBPC in November and it has not been cancelled yet. The CDC restriction on cruises longer than 7 days expires before that cruise.

Having said that, I don't expect that cruise to actually happen, and haven't booked any flights, and won't until I see that DCL has decided to do any of the west coast cruises this year.

We are also booked on the November EBPC and are hopeful it will happen, even if they need to figure out how to split it into two 7n cruises Back to back.. If the bill gets passed, couldn't DCL throw together a last minute WBPC cruise to get the ship to the west coast? Maybe without any port ships (or only 1 to meet PVSA) - just sailing straight through to keep it at 7 days? I'd book that in a heartbeat, (even on short notice) so I'd bet that others would as well.

 

[HiStitch626]

We are also booked on the November EBPC and are hopeful it will happen, even if they need to figure out how to split it into two 7n cruises Back to back.. If the bill gets passed, couldn't DCL throw together a last minute WBPC cruise to get the ship to the west coast? Maybe without any port ships (or only 1 to meet PVSA) - just sailing straight through to keep it at 7 days? I'd book that in a heartbeat, (even on short notice) so I'd bet that others would as well.

I wonder if it’s possible for the Wonder to get a new date. It seems to me that the canal is scheduled very carefully, so I don’t know how difficult it would be for DCL to schedule a new date for her to transit the canal, since she missed her original date.

 

[Stinkerbe11]

I just want Disney to officially cancel so I can buy my kid a car with the refund.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I wonder if it’s possible for the Wonder to get a new date. It seems to me that the canal is scheduled very carefully, so I don’t know how difficult it would be for DCL to schedule a new date for her to transit the canal, since she missed her original date.

It wouldn't be hard for DCL to transit off schedule. It would be harder to get a prime viewing time slot. If DCL were willing to transit overnight or something, reschedule is not so hard. The thing about PC schedules is wanting to go by during prime hours between breakfast and dinner.

I think the likelihood of it being a last minute planned revenue sailing are dreadful, though.

 

[CM Dad]

We are also booked on the November EBPC and are hopeful it will happen, even if they need to figure out how to split it into two 7n cruises Back to back.. If the bill gets passed, couldn't DCL throw together a last minute WBPC cruise to get the ship to the west coast? Maybe without any port ships (or only 1 to meet PVSA) - just sailing straight through to keep it at 7 days? I'd book that in a heartbeat, (even on short notice) so I'd bet that others would as well.

It would also require DCL to change the departure port for the Alaskan cruises from Vancouver. I don't know if there is availability, or how hard it is to set up new supply lines