DCL & ABD - Speculation from the Cruise Line Forum

[Bobo912]

I mentioned on another thread that there is a discussion taking place on the cruise line forum about the cancellation of all the August 2011 Med cruises and a lot of speculation about why. A week later and there are still no announcemnts. I'm following this because I am thinking about booking a 2011 cruise next month on the Wonder. Came across an interesting post this morning. If this is true it is definitely something I would be interested in. Poster is ResSox68.

Okay, Folks -- here's my toss in the ring of possibilities ~~

Disney is downsizing the cruises during those six weeks to 7-day, with very port intensive itineraries (no sea days), leaving from Barcelona and tied into promotions with Adventures by Disney.

If you wonder where I got this from -- lots of research on other sites, some articles, a friend on the west coast with some "connections", and theory.

 

[sayhello]

I mentioned on another thread that there is a discussion taking place on the cruise line forum about the cancellation of all the August 2011 Med cruises and a lot of speculation about why. A week later and there are still no announcemnts. I'm following this because I am thinking about booking a 2011 cruise next month on the Wonder. Came across an interesting post this morning. If this is true it is definitely something I would be interested in. Poster is ResSox68.

Huh! That *is* an interesting "theory". There has been some talk about tying the Alaska cruises with the Alaska ABD, so I guess it would make sense to do the same with the Mediterranean.

I must admit, the idea is a tempting one.

Sayhello

 

[HappyGrumpy]

Huh! That *is* an interesting "theory". There has been some talk about tying the Alaska cruises with the Alaska ABD, so I guess it would make sense to do the same with the Mediterranean.

I must admit, the idea is a tempting one.

Sayhello

I so agree! I have been back and forth on booking an Italy ABD v The Med Cruise and if there was a deal to do both.....That would be VERY tempting indeed!

 

[nunzia]

I'd mentioned the possibility of a conncetion with DCL and ABD awhile ago on another part of the DIS but I don't know where (or maybe it was on Mice Age ). I was at the Expo at the Cruiseline presentation and it sure seemed the way info was presented they were going to make some attempts to combine the two for some outings. They showed alot of excursions that they termed Adventures.

 

[WeLoveABD]

We did this on our own--Viva Italy with ABD (2007), then went to Barcelona and did the med cruise. The transfers inbetween were problematic, as was the airport to hotel transfer (Disney actually paid us for that later--very cool of them). We had a couple of days on our own in Barcelona, so it was all good. My only hesitation: it was a looooooong trip for the kids to combine all of that.

 

[Poppins2000]

Interesting...August is also the month that most Europeans go on vacation. Lots of businesses and such are closed and it's a madhouse. I learned from past experience, never will I again travel Europe in August, hahaha!

 

[Bobo912]

We did this on our own--Viva Italy with ABD (2007), then went to Barcelona and did the med cruise. The transfers inbetween were problematic, as was the airport to hotel transfer (Disney actually paid us for that later--very cool of them). We had a couple of days on our own in Barcelona, so it was all good. My only hesitation: it was a looooooong trip for the kids to combine all of that.

If the Med cruise portion of the trip is shortened to 7 days as the cruise line poster suggested, then the length of the trip might be more enjoyable for kids. And more mangagable from a vacation scheduling perspective for people who need to take time off from work. It will be interesting to see what they come up with (if there is any truth to this rumor). Just seems strange that they suspended booking for the August cruise and even cancelled or rescheduled people who were already booked, and still haven't released any information. We are talking about 2011 though and that is still a long way off.

 

[sayhello]

Interesting...August is also the month that most Europeans go on vacation. Lots of businesses and such are closed and it's a madhouse. I learned from past experience, never will I again travel Europe in August, hahaha!

Actually, you're right. I wasn't really thinking about the timeframe. That makes it a lot less attractive to me. No way I'd do that in August!

And I have to say, it's interesting how, when all the ABD cancellations were going on, people were saying "I'm signing up for a cruise, because they never cancel cruises!" I guess they do... (You would think, if they were really doing this "association" with ABD, that the folks who had those cruises already booked would be given first consideration to rebook to the "new cruise", rather than just being told their cruise was cancelled, and being forced to rebook for another time...)

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

Actually, you're right. I wasn't really thinking about the timeframe. That makes it a lot less attractive to me. No way I'd do that in August!

And I have to say, it's interesting how, when all the ABD cancellations were going on, people were saying "I'm signing up for a cruise, because they never cancel cruises!" I guess they do... (You would think, if they were really doing this "association" with ABD, that the folks who had those cruises already booked would be given first consideration to rebook to the "new cruise", rather than just being told their cruise was cancelled, and being forced to rebook for another time...)

Sayhello

I hope August is just a trial and they will offer other dates if they decide to go forward with it. Our school starts in the second week of August, so that wouldn't work for us. I can't decide what to do in 2010, I guess I don't need to be concerned about 2011 and beyond at this point.

 

[Bobo912]

I'd mentioned the possibility of a conncetion with DCL and ABD awhile ago on another part of the DIS but I don't know where (or maybe it was on Mice Age ). I was at the Expo at the Cruiseline presentation and it sure seemed the way info was presented they were going to make some attempts to combine the two for some outings. They showed alot of excursions that they termed Adventures.

I was just on the DCL website finishing up the online registration for our Dec cruise and noticed that all of the shore excursions are now called "Port Adventures". Don't see anything different other than the name change.

 

[glassslipper2004]

I love the idea of a combo European/med cruise and an ABD trip. But - they would really have to change the nature of the ABD trips, if everyone on the cruise was participating in ABD-like activities. Or maybe just some people do an ABD and then get on the ship with lots of others?

By the way, we did Viva Italia in mid-August and it was not a problem at all - it was hot, of course, but we didn't run into any closures that I remember. Probably Disney just made sure to schedule around any potential problems. We had a particularly lovely time in Rome, which surprised me a little since some people had warned that it was crowded and unpleasant. Venice, too, was amazing. And of course the middle time in Tuscany was amazing. Did I mention that the trip was amazing? I go on...

 

[Bobo912]

I love the idea of a combo European/med cruise and an ABD trip. But - they would really have to change the nature of the ABD trips, if everyone on the cruise was participating in ABD-like activities. Or maybe just some people do an ABD and then get on the ship with lots of others?

I was thinking the same thing. You can't have anything remotely like an ABD trip with that many people. It would make more sense just to offer the cruise and ABD as a package to anyone interested. But if that we're the case there would be no need to suspend booking or reschedule the people who had already booked as DCL has done. There must be some other reason.

 

[Bobo912]

Some more unofficial info from the cruise line forum below. Wonder how much this would cost.

Yes this is true and you will hear more about it in December. I attended a conference last week at WDW where one of the speakers was Karl Holtz who mentioned this will be something they are trialing to see how it works. What they are offering is shore excursions with an ABD guide and the guide will also be onboard the ship. This will be limited to a few sailings during the time they are doing the Med cruises. The excursions are supposed to be similar to what a day in a specific city when on an ABD tour will be like

The reason for this is to give the cruising guests a taste of what ABD offers hoping to drum up more interest in the ABD tours.
The reason for the 40 people max is because that is what the max out for each ABD adventure is. Mr Holtz didn't mention anything about the 40 max maybe it will be 40 max per guide per excursion or it could be an exclusive excursion where you have to fill out and fax in the request like they did for some of the excursions during the Panama Canal cruises in 2008

 

[sayhello]

Some more unofficial info from the cruise line forum below. Wonder how much this would cost.

OMG, is it just me, or does this have "disaster" written all over it? How many ABD Guides do they plan on having in the Mediterranean during the month of August? If they're re-working the cruise itinerary so extensively that they had to cancel & rebook those who'd already booked, then it sounds like they are planning on the ABD hook as being a draw for a different group of people. And how many of those 2,400 people are going to want to do an "ABD Adventure" excursion? If they only have 40 people per guide (or per 2 guides as you do for ABD) then you're talking, what? 100 guides? That doesn't sound very doable to me. And how upset would you be if you took a cruise specifically for the "ABD Adventures", and those excursions filled up? I'd be seriously pissed. At least on an ABD, I *know* they have room for me on all the activities... I guess I must just be missing something.

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

OMG, is it just me, or does this have "disaster" written all over it? How many ABD Guides do they plan on having in the Mediterranean during the month of August? If they're re-working the cruise itinerary so extensively that they had to cancel & rebook those who'd already booked, then it sounds like they are planning on the ABD hook as being a draw for a different group of people. And how many of those 2,400 people are going to want to do an "ABD Adventure" excursion? If they only have 40 people per guide (or per 2 guides as you do for ABD) then you're talking, what? 100 guides? That doesn't sound very doable to me. And how upset would you be if you took a cruise specifically for the "ABD Adventures", and those excursions filled up? I'd be seriously pissed. At least on an ABD, I *know* they have room for me on all the activities... I guess I must just be missing something.

Sayhello

I too am having a hard time imagining how they would pull this off and still have it even remotely resemble an ABD trip. I can see how it would be an advantage to Disney with the guest's accommodations on the ship and breakfast and maybe dinner on the ship as well, they would control the cost for rooms and most meals. I would prefer to see ABD/DCL offer a package where you take a cruise (a shorter one maybe) and then leave the ship and have an ABD trip in it's current form and they offer the package at a rate that is less than the cruise/land trip individually.

 

[sayhello]

I too am having a hard time imagining how they would pull this off and still have it even remotely resemble an ABD trip. I can see how it would be an advantage to Disney with the guest's accommodations on the ship and breakfast and maybe dinner on the ship as well, they would control of the cost for rooms and most meals. I would prefer to see ABD/DCL offer a package where you take a cruise (a shorter one maybe) and then leave the ship and have an ABD trip in it's current form and they offer the package at a rate that is less than the cruise/land trip individually.

Yes, the cost savings make sense, but the logistics of it just seem a bit overwhelming. Plus, how many of the ABD destinations are near ports? You'd have a lot of extra travel time to get to the places the current ABD's go to from the ship.

I'd rather see them combine the 2, also. It would be similar to what Princess and HAL offer in Alaska. They have "cruisetours" which are a land tour, combined with a cruise (although the land tours aren't available outside of a cruisetour). I think a Med cruise combined with an ABD would be a fabulous cruisetour. This other configuration isn't making much sense.

Sayhello

 

[WeLoveABD]

The one thing that makes sense is to utilize the guides in their "down" times--they can conduct great guided tours (maybe not of ports within current ABD tours), at the same time promoting ABD and selling the best part of ABD: the guides. Good for the guides--cruises, fill in during non-ABD times, good for Disney--highlights a very positive part of ABD--and great for those who take the tour!

 

[Bobo912]

The one thing that makes sense is to utilize the guides in their "down" times--they can conduct great guided tours (maybe not of ports within current ABD tours), at the same time promoting ABD and selling the best part of ABD: the guides. Good for the guides--cruises, fill in during non-ABD times, good for Disney--highlights a very positive part of ABD--and great for those who take the tour!

Exactly! I don't think this is a vacation alternative. I think this is just a marketing tool that showcase the fantastic guides hoping to drum up more business for ABD from the cruise crowd. I don't understand the suspension of bookings and the rescheduling of guests who were already booked for August 2011. Maybe that ocurrence and the plans with ABD really have no connection.

 

[glassslipper2004]

I agree with Bobo. It seems like a great way to introduce some more people to ABD, and to show them how really super a tour with a superb Disney guide can be. On the other hand... how much of our enjoyment of the guides and ABD isn't just the 3 hours we are walking with them through Rome (where the local guide really does most of the talking) but the fact that they get to know us and shepherd us through all of the transitions, to and from tours, hotels, dinners, etc., that a week long trip involves? Now, if you could sign up in advance for the cruise, knowing that you'd have the same Disney guide on tours of every port, that might be a nice ABD-type experience. Although how you would guarantee this for a group of 40 (or multiple groups of 40) while everyone else on the cruise got regular old tours, I'm not sure. Wonder if they would link it to having a more expensive cabin (like a first class passenger option, only if you book at x level or higher, you are eligible to sign up for these high class tours). It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

One more thought - since the cruises seem to be cheaper than the ABD tours (at least in the less expensive cabins) is this possibly a way to get an ABD type experience at a lesser cost? Disney would only offer that, I think, if they couldn't get enough ABD guests at the regular higher cost. They might get around that by making each Disney guide tour more expensive, and then it could balance out.

 

[Bobo912]

I so agree! I have been back and forth on booking an Italy ABD v The Med Cruise and if there was a deal to do both.....That would be VERY tempting indeed!

HappyGrumpy, the prices on May 5 & 15 2010 Med cruises have dropped to $999 for Cat 12 GTY. Sorry, I don't recall if you travel with children, but if not or if you don't have school issues this is a great deal. If DS wasn't in school I'd be all over this.