DCL Europe Summer 2022 approaching - what are you doing?

[closetmickey]

If they remove the embarkation day testing on those long European cruises, we are cancelling. There is no way we are getting on such a long cruise with a bunch that tested negative 72 hours ago and then decided to go commando in those 72 hours.

Short cruises, sure - but our 11-nighter to Iceland, no way. Either (A) that, or (B) the virus spread will have to come down drastically, or (C) they replace on-board quarantine with Paxlovid or something similar.

It’s so interesting to hear the opposite point of view. From where are you flying for your Iceland cruise?
And a side note….that cruise is the best ever!! Enjoy

 

[newfamilyman]

We are on the European cruise with the overnight in St. Petersburg. Any thoughts on what will happen if Russia invades Ukraine? I wonder what will be a substitute port, assuming the cruise takes place as scheduled.

 

[Intr3pid]

It’s so interesting to hear the opposite point of view. From where are you flying for your Iceland cruise?
And a side note….that cruise is the best ever!! Enjoy

Our third attempt at it! Flying from the east coast, but well before the start of the cruise. Spending a couple of weeks in Europe first - the cruise will be the reward for an active trip in Germany and central Europe.

 

[DisneYE]

Our third attempt at it! Flying from the east coast, but well before the start of the cruise. Spending a couple of weeks in Europe first - the cruise will be the reward for an active trip in Germany and central Europe.

See, this scenario is different. You're in Europe already so if you test + its not such a big deal bc you've been there for weeks.
Is what we're doing as well, unless things get real bad on Covid or geopolitical issues... we'd have already been in Europe 2-3 weeks (visiting family in France) before going to Rome to board the ship.. if we're denied oh well.
But what about all those ppl in the US/Canada that are flying just to go on the ship.. and then they get denied boarding? how many ppl are going to roll the dice and play it that risky? I think those Europe sailings are going to be at 50% capacity, if that.

 

[Snowwhyt]

We are on the European cruise with the overnight in St. Petersburg. Any thoughts on what will happen if Russia invades Ukraine? I wonder what will be a substitute port, assuming the cruise takes place as scheduled.

I believe your cruise will take place during your scheduled time. But just as when the drug cartels in Mexico had started to come after vacationing tourists, ports were changed to safer ports until it was sorted out between the government and the cartels. I think Disney would avoid that kind of bad press like crazy.

 

[PirateFrank]

Also, while the various countries are removing restrictions, I don't see the cruise lines removing the restrictions. Particularly, the masks indoors and the test to board, I see these remaining for DCL summer season, even if the various countries that DCL will port at are not requiring them.

This is the line in the sand for me. Especially the test to board. The potential for an asymptomatic ruining of a very expensive cruise is not a risk I want to shoulder….

That being said, I agree with most comments here. I think the pandemic is grinding to a halt. I just do not see certain countries letting go of their restrictions quickly, and, unfortunately, I do not see DCL dropping its mitigation efforts until next year.

 

[Intr3pid]

See, this scenario is different. You're in Europe already so if you test + its not such a big deal bc you've been there for weeks.
Is what we're doing as well, unless things get real bad on Covid or geopolitical issues... we'd have already been in Europe 2-3 weeks (visiting family in France) before going to Rome to board the ship.. if we're denied oh well.
But what about all those ppl in the US/Canada that are flying just to go on the ship.. and then they get denied boarding? how many ppl are going to roll the dice and play it that risky? I think those Europe sailings are going to be at 50% capacity, if that.

If you fly to your cruise and test positive at the port, Disney is doing you (and everyone else) a big service by letting you know about it and keeping you off the ship. Ask yourself. Would you test positive at the port and turn to a plan B, or would you develop symptoms two days later and be consigned to a deck 2 quarantine for the rest of your 11-night cruise?

As I have said before, for anyone feeling they are prone to contracting the virus while traveling, this round is not for you. You have to sit it out. Right now, international travel requires discipline and care. You have to be disciplined and careful enough to stay in and maintain your bubble. And this goes for land vacations too. If we contract the virus while, say, in Germany, we will still have to burn 5 to 10 days of our vacation time in isolation.

But if you are disciplined and careful, there are big rewards. 50% occupancy you say? We it on our last cruise. One of the first thing we will miss if/when travel returns to the pre-COVID levels! The prices have also been an absolute steal. While the current DCL *GT prices you can see for yourself, our MSC Yacht Club room over the holiday cruise was cheaper. I'm expecting similar discounts to show up shortly for the summer 2022 travel season too!

 

[closetmickey]

If you fly to your cruise and test positive at the port, Disney is doing you (and everyone else) a big service by letting you know about it and keeping you off the ship. Ask yourself. Would you test positive at the port and turn to a plan B, or would you develop symptoms two days later and be consigned to a deck 2 quarantine for the rest of your 11-night cruise?

As I have said before, for anyone feeling they are prone to contracting the virus while traveling, this round is not for you. You have to sit it out. Right now, international travel requires discipline and care. You have to be disciplined and careful enough to stay in and maintain your bubble. And this goes for land vacations too. If we contract the virus while, say, in Germany, we will still have to burn 5 to 10 days of our vacation time in isolation.

But if you are disciplined and careful, there are big rewards. 50% occupancy you say? We it on our last cruise. One of the first thing we will miss if/when travel returns to the pre-COVID levels! The prices have also been an absolute steal. While the current DCL *GT prices you can see for yourself, our MSC Yacht Club room over the holiday cruise was cheaper. I'm expecting similar discounts to show up shortly for the summer 2022 travel season too!

Let’s be honest though…plenty of people have contracted covid while being “disciplined and careful” And again… Covid doesn’t scare me personally, but losing out on an expensive vacation does.

 

[PirateFrank]

If you fly to your cruise and test positive at the port, Disney is doing you (and everyone else) a big service by letting you know about it and keeping you off the ship. Ask yourself. Would you test positive at the port and turn to a plan B, or would you develop symptoms two days later and be consigned to a deck 2 quarantine for the rest of your 11-night cruise?

While I understand your point, this is a strangely positive spin on it. If you fly to your cruise, test positive at the port, there's a whole lot of financial loss. You're not getting reimbursed on your airfare, you have to scramble to find new flights home, you may be stuck in a quarantine hotel - and when you finally get home, you've expended a great deal of wasted vacation time (if you work) and will have to wait a year or more before you accrue enough time to try the trip again again.

So I dont necessarily view testing positive at the port...a favor on the part of Disney. It's a tremendous inconvenience that results in a whole ton of financial loss. Yes, Im sure it beats being screwed out of my verandah room and forced to quarantine with a port hole...but the fact of the matter is that, neither option is one that is at all preferential.

 

[Intr3pid]

Let’s be honest though…plenty of people have contracted covid while being “disciplined and careful” And again… Covid doesn’t scare me personally, but losing out on an expensive vacation does.

I agree. - no trip right now can guarantee an escape from the virus, but that argument is a bit like saying 'I'm a safe driver but I''m not going to drive because there will be an accident'. If you can't be disciplined and careful or you don't have a plan B, the solution is simple. Sit this round out.

If it's $$$ you are referring to, Carnival and RCL are running their cruises with no testing at the port. So, there are choices. Several of their ships, however, are carrying infected guests quarantined on their vacations. And a lot of them picked up the virus from other passengers who were negative 72 hours earlier but, for one reason or the other, turned up positive on board.

While I understand your point, this is a strangely positive spin on it. If you fly to your cruise, test positive at the port, there's a whole lot of financial loss. You're not getting reimbursed on your airfare, you have to scramble to find new flights home, you may be stuck in a quarantine hotel - and when you finally get home, you've expended a great deal of wasted vacation time (if you work) and will have to wait a year or more before you accrue enough time to try the trip again again.

So I dont necessarily view testing positive at the port...a favor on the part of Disney. It's a tremendous inconvenience that results in a whole ton of financial loss. Yes, Im sure it beats being screwed out of my verandah room and forced to quarantine with a port hole...but the fact of the matter is that, neither option is one that at all preferential.

Inconvenient for you, yes, but safe for everyone else. But your argument does comes across as a selfish spin on not wanting to do your testing at the port. If you are infected, you still want to get on the ship, infect others, put lives in danger, just so that you aren't inconvenienced?

 

[PirateFrank]

Inconvenient for you, yes, but safe for everyone else. But your argument does comes across as a selfish spin on not wanting to do your testing at the port. If you are infected, you still want to get on the ship, infect others, put lives in danger, just so that you aren't inconvenienced?

I did not say that! DO NOT make assumptions on my motives or put words in my mouth by suggesting I do not want to take the test. Please do better before attacking someone based on faulty assumption!

I clearly said that "testing positive" wasn't a desirable result. NOT the act of testing itself. Let's be clear, Im not sure there's a person here that would *want* a positive test at the port. Does it mean that person is going to try board anyway? no. A positive test result means lost airfare, wasted food/lodging costs, quarantine housing in a foreign country, lost vacation time. You chose to highlight my word inconvenient to make an accusation on my motives but conveniently ignored my phrase "financial loss" - which clearly illustrates I'm rationalizing the cost and potentially significant drawbacks of an International cruise right now. nothing more. nothing less.

The decision to cruise or not cruise is the question here! What I said was a perfectly normal rationalization of the potential pitfalls.

 

[DCLMP]

Let’s be honest though…plenty of people have contracted covid while being “disciplined and careful” And again… Covid doesn’t scare me personally, but losing out on an expensive vacation does.

I wouldn’t want to spend a vacation being “disciplined and careful or living in a bubble” I’m not even sure what that entails. I personally think this will be over by Summer and we’ll be moving on to the next crisis. It’s to early to make a descision IMHO.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

At this point, we’re planning to cruise on the Magic out of Dover in September. We’ve got insurance that includes coverage for travel disruption and medical expenses including Covid, so that will reduce the financial burden should we be affected in some way. One specific change for our travel this year has been purchasing fully refundable air fares rather than going with the less expensive options that might not refund or only give a credit in the event we have to change or cancel flight plans.

 

[Intr3pid]

I did not say that! DO NOT make assumptions on my motives or put words in my mouth by suggesting I do not want to take the test. Please do better before attacking someone based on faulty assumption!

I clearly said that "testing positive" wasn't a desirable result. NOT the act of testing itself. Let's be clear, Im not sure there's a person here that would *want* a positive test at the port. Does it mean that person is going to try board anyway? no. A positive test result means lost airfare, wasted food/lodging costs, quarantine housing in a foreign country, lost vacation time. You chose to highlight my word inconvenient to make an accusation on my motives but conveniently ignored my phrase "financial loss" - which clearly illustrates I'm rationalizing the cost and potentially significant drawbacks of an International cruise right now. nothing more. nothing less.

The decision to cruise or not cruise is the question here! What I said was a perfectly normal rationalization of the potential pitfalls.

I'm sorry but my assessment of your argument stands. You continue to argue your "financial loss" or inconvenience because of the testing at the port when that testing is for the safety of everyone on board.

If you feel you should be entitled to some compensation for your loss, by all means, make that argument. You will have my support. As it is, port testing is the one good thing Disney has done to make cruising a bit less risky for the rest of us.

I wouldn’t want to spend a vacation being “disciplined and careful or living in a bubble” I’m not even sure what that entails. I personally think this will be over by Summer.

Lost count of how many times I have heard that on this board, but, to the point, disciplined and careful to maintain your bubble = being able to travel internationally today. The equation is just that simple.

 

[DCLMP]

I'm sorry but my assessment of your argument stands. You continue to argue your "financial loss" or inconvenience because of the testing at the port when that testing is for the safety of everyone on board.

If you feel you should be entitled to some compensation for your loss, by all means, make that argument. You will have my support. As it is, port testing is the one good thing Disney has done to make cruising a bit less risky for the rest of us.

Lost count of how many times I have heard that on this board, but, to the point, disciplined and careful to maintain your bubble = being able to travel internationally today. The equation is just that simple.

You can maintain your "bubble" if that's what you want to do. I'd rather stay in the US and be carefree. If things change by Summer I'll venture beyond our borders.

 

[Snowwhyt]

You can maintain your "bubble" if that's what you want to do. I'd rather stay in the US and be carefree. If things change by Summer I'll venture beyond our borders.

Since Nuro is rather serious, well know and somewhat handled Illness frequently found on ships. I’m thinking adding Covid to that problem can’t help the sickbay numbers. Also have your normal sea sick that take up time and space too. Hospital's have space issues now, I think definition of a cruise ship is “Luxury in a really really tiny space, where you make new friends to avoid the awkwardness of lack of personal space” So, you know, just to keep that “floating Petri dish” label from gaining even more popularity… maybe they add that to our cost and call it the safe vacation of the present and future.
But I absolutely see some short term cruises going “test-free”. Also see more sea and then land, packages to skirt the extended exposure in a small space.
I’m thinking you can get a cruise bubble or bubble-free in the coming years.

 

[Intr3pid]

You can maintain your "bubble" if that's what you want to do. I'd rather stay in the US and be carefree. If things change by Summer I'll venture beyond our borders.

And that is the solution to most folks sweating it in this thread. As I noted above, if you aren't comfortable with the virus or the care needed to travel internationally, this isn't your time. Stick with the parks and US resorts.

 

[DCLMP]

And that is the solution to most folks sweating it in this thread. As I noted above, if you aren't comfortable with the virus or the care needed to travel internationally, this isn't your time. Stick with the parks and US resorts.

I’m very comfortable with the virus, but there are things certain countries and states are doing that make me not want to spend my money there. I may travel abroad this year, but it will be somewhere with no restrictions or mandates. My guess is that won’t be a cruise.

 

[emilymad]

Just canceled our cruise today and booked a Europe land vacation. Testing before boarding was too stressful financially when there are lots of great other vacation options.

 

[DCLMP]

Just canceled our cruise today and booked a Europe land vacation. Testing before boarding was too stressful financially when there are lots of great other vacation options.

Where are you going?