DCL Europe Summer 2022 approaching - what are you doing?

[DisneYE]

We're 6 months away from the start of Magic cruises in Europe.
PIF dates are 3 months away. I'm quite hopeful the season will go ahead as scheduled but with Omicron and Europe still struggling with cases and the virus in general, I'm worried about how things will play out.
I definitely see excursions in Europe SEVERELY downgraded (bubbles or no excursions, due to current restrictions in some countries)

I'll likely PIF by March but I need to start looking into buying plane tickets as well and I'm anxious.
I get that Disney will refund if they cancel but still, shelling out 5-figure$ for the cruise+flights+hotels is a lot when you're dealing with so many unknowns...I'm worried about pre-embarkation tests, worried about not having 'plan B's' for "what if" scenarios, etc.

Those sailing in the Summer - What do you plan on doing? How do you see things developing for the Summer season?

 

[DietCokeMommy]

We're booked on the 9 night caribbean summer 2022, and I've been on the fence about keeping it. If we had a European one booked I'd definitely be leaning towards canceling. My issue with the cruises this summer is that they're likely to be a much reduced experience at the same price. We're celebrating our 10 year anniversary so I really want to keep it an hope for the best. But I worry about changes to the itinerary and dealing with too many sea days and not enough time available in the kids club. Europe is different, but I'd have similar concerns about paying for the vacation I had in my head and not getting that experience.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I'm booked on the September 2022 Norwegian Fjords. I am paid in full since as I had a 2020 and a 2021 cruise cancelled. I have my flights from Ireland to London booked as they are my original booking from my cancelled 2020 cruise which I have been rebooking every 6 months at no extra cost.

After Christmas I will book the hotels in Dover and in London. The hotels are usually just reservations, so are easy to cancel with no charge.

In May, once we know for definite that the summer season will be going ahead and my cruise will be as scheduled, I will book my train journeys from London to Dover before the cruise and back to London after the cruise.

I am planning on doing DIY in the ports, so I will wait until July to book things. By that stage we will know if we can do DIY or if we have to do DCL excursions. If we have to do DCL excursions I will just stay on the ship on port days.

I used to live in London, so I'm not bothered about doing tourist stuff after the cruise. I have planned 2 days in London after the cruise to meet up with friends before I go back to Ireland.

 

[HiStitch626]

We booked the Norway/Iceland cruise on opening day last spring when it really did look like things would get better. Canceled two weeks ago.

 

[bcwife76]

We booked the Norway/Iceland cruise on opening day last spring when it really did look like things would get better. Canceled two weeks ago.

We booked that one on opening day as well and cancelled several weeks ago Moved our $$ to an Alaskan cruise (which will be our 3rd) as I'm confident that will happen. On a whim we booked a northern Europe cruise on NCL for the end of August but I'm seriously considering cancelling that too now

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

It's not with DCL, but we have a cruise booked to Norway. We're not very worried and plan to PIF in March.
One thing that's great in Norway is that you can do the ports on your own comfortably (if no unvaccinated children are coming along). This doesn't work with all ports in Europe of course, but it's worth checking out.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We have 2 rooms on the 12 night Med & I'm already planning on moving it. It's been PIF since last spring (when we were booked on the 11 night Med).

 

[DisneYE]

We have 2 rooms on the 12 night Med & I'm already planning on moving it. It's been PIF since last spring (when we were booked on the 11 night Med).

We're on the same itinerary.
What's prompting you to move it? What are you doing instead?

 

[DisneYE]

We booked the Norway/Iceland cruise on opening day last spring when it really did look like things would get better. Canceled two weeks ago.

Yikes. What prompted you to cancel?

 

[lorimay]

We are booked on the 12 night Med. as well. We already have our flight home from Barcelona (credit from 2020).
We are holding off purchasing our tickets to Rome until January/February.
We will pay off in March.
Haven't booked anything for our 5 nights in Rome Prior to the cruise just yet.

 

[Geomom]

We're on the 8 nt Greek isles cruise from Rome. We only have the refundable pre cruise hotel booked at this point. PIF is early February. We'll make the final decision in January whether to stay or switch to a US cruise. I keep hoping things will improve by then...unfortunately, probably leaning towards switching. Really don't want to deal with Covid tests before flights each way for 4 people when we're all fully vaxxed and should have boosters by then. I understand the reasoning behind it though. Sigh...was really hoping when we booked in March 2021 that all this would be behind us by now!

 

[emilymad]

We will most likely cancel. We are scheduled on a Northern Europe to countries that keep going in and out of lock down. Between that and now needing to figure out a single day Covid test to come home it doesn’t seem very relaxing. Considering switching to an Alaska sailing out of Seattle. The DCL out of Vancouver also seems unnecessarily stressful with needing at least 3 tests.

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

We will most likely cancel. We are scheduled on a Northern Europe to countries that keep going in and out of lock down. Between that and now needing to figure out a single day Covid test to come home it doesn’t seem very relaxing. Considering switching to an Alaska sailing out of Seattle. The DCL out of Vancouver also seems unnecessarily stressful with needing at least 3 tests.

We went to Northern Europe this summer (2021) and a quick Google search brought us to a nearby local testing site for our flight back. We received the results via email within the hour and the cost about $50. Just sharing that it wasn't as much of a hassle as many expect.

 

[mama&me]

Mom and I are booked on the EBTA. We booked it on opening day. Our pre and post cruise hotels are reserved with hotel points and our flights back are booked with airline points. So if necessary I think I can cancel those and get the points back. But I really hope things improve by then and we get to go. I know if we do get to go the experience will not be the same but we are not getting any younger and I don’t want to take the chance of postponing and risking something else popping up and we don’t get the chance to do this together.
So for now, we are still hanging in there.

 

[Intr3pid]

We on the Iceland 11-nighter and very much looking forward to sailing. It will be our third attempt at sailing this itinerary.

Summer 2022 should be one of the best times to visit Europe. By then, boosters will be in the arms and more treatment options at hand - yet restrictions still in place for general travel. We are expecting lower crowds, lower prices, easier upgrades., etc.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We're on the same itinerary.
What's prompting you to move it? What are you doing instead?

Honestly, we're moving because all of our booked cruises are showing up in '22. Our eldest will be a freshman at University in '23 and his spring break won't line up with his sisters' so it's easier to move the med cruise to summer of '23. We're still going to Rome for a week in summer of '22 along with a 3 night in January and a 7 night western in March. Just not enough vacation days for my wife...

 

[emilymad]

We went to Northern Europe this summer (2021) and a quick Google search brought us to a nearby local testing site for our flight back. We received the results via email within the hour and the cost about $50. Just sharing that it wasn't as much of a hassle as many expect.

Our booked cruise is out of England. We had planned on spending a week there before hand so that is 3 pre-cruise tests and now maybe another one was added today. So that is 5 tests if my math is correct. A lot can change of course but also lots of places to travel.

 

[DCSWO]

We rebooked our ’21 Norway cruise to ‘22. 9 months away. I’m not going to worry about what covid may look like that far out. Already purchased air and reserved London hotels. If the cruise cancels again, my backup plan is spending time in London, then driving the north coast 500 in Scotland. Covid is never going away, it’s time to get on with life.

 

[MomOTwins]

No chance of Europe for us this year. I know someone who is currently stuck in South Africa and can't get home. Who knows where the next variant will be.

We are booked on a DCL alaska cruise. I am QUITE nervous about it. It is towards the end of the season though, so I feel pretty good about the odds I will know what the protocol will be before I have to PIF (I hope).

 

[ladyofthetramp]

3rd try-Italy/Greece itinerary. 99% sure we will cancel. Beginning to wonder if we will ever get to go.