Chapek: "Maybe by this fall-Limited Operations of Our (Disney) Cruise Ships"

[cgolf]

A difference in touring styles, Americans tend to use ship excursions, UK / Europeans tend to do DIY

I guess, our reasoning is due to the lesson learned in my initial response above. On other boards I am on and even here, having to do ships excursions was a nonstarter for many cruising post pandemic, so I am thinking it really isn't an Americans vs UK / Europeans thing. Maybe a new cruiser vs veteran cruiser thing. And DCL has lots of new cruisers

 

[brentm77]

I guess, our reasoning is due to the lesson learned in my initial response above. On other boards I am on and even here, having to do ships excursions was a nonstarter for many cruising post pandemic, so I am thinking it really isn't an Americans vs UK / Europeans thing. Maybe a new cruiser vs veteran cruiser thing. And DCL has lots of new cruisers

I think this is right. When we started cruising, it was DCL excursions only - mostly out of fear of missing the ship after reading horror stories. But, the second cruise we did some stuff on our own. For our canceled Italy/Greece cruise, we only had one Disney excursion booked out of the 4-5 stops, and that was only to be the first group off the ship in a crowded port. There is a wide-range of comfort levels, but I don't necessarily agree it's an American thing.

 

[Calantha]

Agree with cgolf and brentm77. It isn't an American thing - I think it is an "experience with traveling" thing...and many Americans don't have the same level of experience as those in Europe...I can go 100 miles in Europe and be in the next country...but 100 miles in the US and I'm still in my state! (A slight exaggeration I know). But I've been all over the world on my own - and only one cruise - and I'll plan all my own excursions thank you (unless it is some place you can't go without Disney taking you...like the glacier).

 

[auntlynne]

Agree with cgolf and brentm77. It isn't an American thing - I think it is an "experience with traveling" thing...and many Americans don't have the same level of experience as those in Europe...I can go 100 miles in Europe and be in the next country...but 100 miles in the US and I'm still in my state! (A slight exaggeration I know). But I've been all over the world on my own - and only one cruise - and I'll plan all my own excursions thank you (unless it is some place you can't go without Disney taking you...like the glacier).

I like your choice of words; there are a lot of Americans who don't have the experience of international travel. We have to go a long way to get out of our own country; states bordering Canada barely have an "international experience" when going north.

When you dock in a foreign country and have to be back on the ship by sundown, there's some comfort in having a citizen leading you in case of emergency. Most of us wouldn't think to call 999 for help; we'd probably attempt 911. And then we couldn't communicate our emergency in the local language in most cases. We're on vacation and don't need to deal with this. So, yes, we do need hand holding. Why not?

And yet I did on-your-own for most of the ports on the 11-night Med. Took the local trains to Pompeii, Pisa, Nice, Rome. The scheduled return train in Rome apparently wasn't leaving as scheduled, and had many of us cruisers onboard. En masse, we made a decision to find a different train and got back to the port safely and on time; only to find the port buses (required) stopped running before our return time (that wasn't a known complication to the cruise line on its first visit). Somehow, everyone got back onboard; I don't know how the old folks made it the mile to the ship. A ship-sponsored tour probably would have had transported all the way to the ship (they were loading right there in the morning).

And for many, the cruise they take may be the only time they get to experience a new place.

I don't fault her her view of Americans. We do things for some valid reasons. And it's not all of us that do any one thing. There are Americans fortunate enough to be seasoned travelers. And we are seen by the world as a nation of naive, loud, smiling, tennis-shoed goofballs, expecting great things.

 

[auntlynne]

Thanks. There were some great comments here, that really got me thinking, even if I have a tendency to dig into my position and be a bit obnoxious.

17? Wow, that is impressive. It's my favorite vacation by far. Does it ever lose its charm? I personally took one, loved it so much, but then my wife got sick for about four years and we couldn't go back. Never thought I would, and I was devastated. But she recovered and we finally went back in 2019. Had DCL Greece booked in 2020 and DCL Caribbean this week. So, I am back to waiting! I am a pro at it now. The universe likes to just give me a taste and then take it away.

Hopefully Disney was being ultra conservative, and if things really improve they will slip in some limited cruising this summer and full cruising in the fall. But who knows - his comments sure weren't encouraging.

Does it ever lose its charm? Yes, at times. I also did RCL, Princess, and a Carnival cruise. Loved Princess to Alaska; loved the first visit to AK on DCL. Hate the price difference. I would take Disney any day for the beauty of the ship; lack of smoke and casino; Disney trivia and stage shows. Haven't found great food on any line. Almost sailed Celebrity to Alaska but opted for a Disney cruise from San Juan (neither cruised, anyway).

And would be willing to never sail again; so I guess the charm is gone. There are enough National Parks I haven't visited that could fill my vacation wish list, along with returns to Hawaii and Hilton Head.

Like your wife, I was sick for four years; I went on my dream vacation (Bermuda) just after diagnosis (Sep 2015) and then no travels other than to the doctor until Dec 2019, with a "let's see how I do" vacation to St Thomas. I managed to get out of the airline seat (and low toilet) and down the mobile stairway at the airport. Each little achievement was a delight. The next month, I drove myself 12 hours to Orlando and visited WDW for a day visit (in a 7 night stay). Hawaii to shut it down as COVID rolled in, WDW in Sept and Nov 2020; now just waiting for May to return to WDW after the Spring breakers leave. Let's hope you guys have as positive a travel future as I have managed. We bumped our Nov 2020 DCL cruise to Nov 2021; I'm expecting it to be moved to something in 2022. My sister says we will cruise the new ships after they have each been out a while, so DCL is still in our future.

 

[DisneyConvert]

Another thread ruined

 

[Cheburashka]

Ok but...does this mean we should book a couple of summer cruises and bring in that sweet, sweet 125% FCC?

Plenty of people do it...

 

[AquaDame]

As an administrator closed the similarly political thread earlier today for being political I think we better put this one to bed also.