Come back! I need you!

[TiggerBouncy]

I am stressed. I need a cruise to de-stress.

Please DCL. You can't abandon us. You just have to come back!

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I could use a cruise right now too...

 

[JM23457]

Meh. If they did come back now, the experience would barely resemble the DCL we know and love. All of the rules, restrictions & cutbacks wouldn't make it the stress-free, self-indulgent experience we all expect on a cruise. I'll wait until it goes back to normal.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I also could use a cruise right now. I hear wailing coming from the kitchen . . . "What's for dinner?"
Just get me on a ship and hand me a menu . . . FAST.

 

[MomOTwins]

I also could use a cruise right now. I hear wailing coming from the kitchen . . . "What's for dinner?"
Just get me on a ship and hand me a menu . . . FAST.

Haha, exactly. If I'm on a cruise, I no longer have to be working full-time remotely, trying to keep my school-age kids on schedule for remote learning while triage-ing all their tech issues, trying to set up my youngest (preschool age) with some form of entertainment other than TV in between work calls and school crises for the older kids, and preparing three meals a day.

Swab me, superglue a mask to my face, I don't care--just let me on one of those beautiful ships and take me to Castaway Cay PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bishoparc]

Swab me, superglue a mask to my face, I don't care--just let me on one of those beautiful ships and take me to Castaway Cay PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Sameeeeeee. I'd get on one tomorrow if I could! Those ships are my happy place.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Meh. If they did come back now, the experience would barely resemble the DCL we know and love. All of the rules, restrictions & cutbacks wouldn't make it the stress-free, self-indulgent experience we all expect on a cruise. I'll wait until it goes back to normal.

I am going to caulk this up to you just do not understand.

Swab me, superglue a mask to my face, I don't care-

I love that. Thank you for my new favorite phrase!

 

[squirk]

Meh. If they did come back now, the experience would barely resemble the DCL we know and love. All of the rules, restrictions & cutbacks wouldn't make it the stress-free, self-indulgent experience we all expect on a cruise. I'll wait until it goes back to normal.

I have to agree with this. I would love to cruise again in the near future (our Oct. Dream sailing was cancelled), but if the onboard experience is altered too much, I’d rather just wait until things are a little more back to normal.

Like, if you have to wear a mask on board AND you can’t serve yourself at Cabanas or Palo AND you can’t get off at port unless you’re part of a bubble excursion AND the soda stations/Eye Scream are not available AND what are they going to do with the kids’ clubs AND this AND that?

Mmm, I might hold off for a while. It’s like you’re surrounded with constant in-your-face reminders that things are not quite right.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I will lower my expectations and go if they did sail.
Viewing the ocean from a veranda doesn’t get old. That’s a reason we enjoy a TA.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I have to agree with this. I would love to cruise again in the near future (our Oct. Dream sailing was cancelled), but if the onboard experience is altered too much, I’d rather just wait until things are a little more back to normal.

That'll keep the ships open for the rest of us. We appreciate your sacrifice.

I mean, TBH I could not go until next summer anyway. I have 2 trips to WDW scheduled and that pretty much uses all my vacation time at work until maybe June or July next year. But once DCL announces they are open, I will feel better about buying a cruise, looking forward to it and planning for it.

 

[DCLDVC1]

Meh. If they did come back now, the experience would barely resemble the DCL we know and love. All of the rules, restrictions & cutbacks wouldn't make it the stress-free, self-indulgent experience we all expect on a cruise. I'll wait until it goes back to normal.

I have to agree with this. I would love to cruise again in the near future (our Oct. Dream sailing was cancelled), but if the onboard experience is altered too much, I’d rather just wait until things are a little more back to normal.

Like, if you have to wear a mask on board AND you can’t serve yourself at Cabanas or Palo AND you can’t get off at port unless you’re part of a bubble excursion AND the soda stations/Eye Scream are not available AND what are they going to do with the kids’ clubs AND this AND that?

Mmm, I might hold off for a while. It’s like you’re surrounded with constant in-your-face reminders that things are not quite right.

I agree, especially if DCL continues to charge DCL prices for a lesser experience. I think the experience would be a lot like cruising with a different company and constantly comparing it to DCL, only worse because you know how good it used to be.

 

[squirk]

I agree, especially if DCL continues to charge DCL prices for a lesser experience.

^ This. It's the same issue with the parks - charging 100% when you're getting a 70% park experience.

I recognize that the parks have to be profitable to stay open, but coming from the consumer's perspective? No thanks.

 

[brentm77]

^ This. It's the same issue with the parks - charging 100% when you're getting a 70% park experience.

I recognize that the parks have to be profitable to stay open, but coming from the consumer's perspective? No thanks.

At the parks, you have very low crowds right now. If I could work it logistically (daughter is in first semester of college), I would be there in a heartbeat and gladly pay full price.

Whether I would pay full fare at DCL would depend very much on what restrictions were in place. If it was masks indoors, except when seated and eating, people serving us at buffets, characters from a distance, but capacity was at 75%, I think I would still do it with a veranda. If those restrictions or more were in place, with a full ship, I would probably pass. Forced DCL excursions would be a pretty big deterrent for us too (unless they increased variety and availability). I would rather have a Castaway double-dip and sea days than forced DCL excursions. But the idea of just sitting on my veranda and watching the sea, dinning with family, and a stop at Castaway, would be so tempting after the year we have had.

 

[squirk]

At the parks, you have very low crowds right now. If I could work it logistically (daughter is in first semester of college), I would be there in a heartbeat and gladly pay full price.

Sure. For some die-hard folks, the low crowds take precedence over everything else, and that’s fine. No judgment from me.

But my guess is that there are plenty of people who will see: mandatory mask-wearing in the heat, no fireworks, no parades, no meet-and-greets, no playgrounds, no park-hopping, no walk-up dining, no “Festival of the Lion King” or “Finding Nemo,” etc. And then balk at paying a full-price park ticket with all of those restrictions and compromises in place.

I know Disney is doing what they can to make the park experience satisfactory for people, but again, from the consumer’s perspective, I wonder how many are just holding off until value is a little closer in line with price.

 

[Trera]

Meh. If they did come back now, the experience would barely resemble the DCL we know and love. All of the rules, restrictions & cutbacks wouldn't make it the stress-free, self-indulgent experience we all expect on a cruise. I'll wait until it goes back to normal.

that is what has kept us from going to Disney World and we live 30 min away.

 

[magicfan1985]

I have to agree with this. I would love to cruise again in the near future (our Oct. Dream sailing was cancelled), but if the onboard experience is altered too much, I’d rather just wait until things are a little more back to normal.

Like, if you have to wear a mask on board AND you can’t serve yourself at Cabanas or Palo AND you can’t get off at port unless you’re part of a bubble excursion AND the soda stations/Eye Scream are not available AND what are they going to do with the kids’ clubs AND this AND that?

Mmm, I might hold off for a while. It’s like you’re surrounded with constant in-your-face reminders that things are not quite right.

Just my opinion but as far as the kids club goes I think they'll do the same for what they do with the nursery. Have a certain amount of time allocated to you and prebook your hours online beforehand

 

[DCLDVC1]

Just my opinion but as far as the kids club goes I think they'll do the same for what they do with the nursery. Have a certain amount of time allocated to you and prebook your hours online beforehand

I hope not but I think you're correct. That's a deal breaker for me.

 

[disneygeek401]

Just my opinion but as far as the kids club goes I think they'll do the same for what they do with the nursery. Have a certain amount of time allocated to you and prebook your hours online beforehand

With a reduced capcity I hope that that would not be necessary. I am sure that would be a deal breaker for a lot of people.

After all, this is a cruise line tailored to families...

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Sure. For some die-hard folks, the low crowds take precedence over everything else, and that’s fine. No judgment from me.

But my guess is that there are plenty of people who will see: mandatory mask-wearing in the heat, no fireworks, no parades, no meet-and-greets, no playgrounds, no park-hopping, no walk-up dining, no “Festival of the Lion King” or “Finding Nemo,” etc. And then balk at paying a full-price park ticket with all of those restrictions and compromises in place.

I know Disney is doing what they can to make the park experience satisfactory for people, but again, from the consumer’s perspective, I wonder how many are just holding off until value is a little closer in line with price.

Well, you are both right, and wrong.

You are right that there are PLENTY of people who will not agree with those restrictions and at current prices will just wait until it eases up somewhat.

You are not entirely correct in your assumption that this number is enough to prevent them from operating (if that is your assumption). Take Hollywood Studios for example which has been filled to permitted capacity pretty much every weekend - even with the restrictions in place, and Disney is CONSTANTLY easing restrictions slowly where they can (every week or two we get an announcement about a restaurant or experience opening) meaning every week more and more are changing their minds. I think we are going to see these go up too as people see that there are no major reports of anyone getting COVID and as people are able to plan for their vacation (many people can't go at the drop of a hat and have to play 6 months out from when things open).

DCL will likely have very similar results.

 

[squirk]

You are not entirely correct in your assumption that this number is enough to prevent them from operating (if that is your assumption).

Not my assumption at all. My point was that “100% pricing for a 70% experience” is probably a factor in the low attendance, especially given how expensive park tickets are to begin with.

Not the only factor, not even the primary factor, but a considerable factor all the same.