DCL Has Their Protocol Out!!!

[sethschroeder]

For future reference archive on August 4, 2021

 

[sethschroeder]

Update to "Before You Leave":
Removal of "full"
Insertion of "Please note that travel insurance and cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, including airlines, are not refundable"

Left (yesterday) Right (today)

 

[BadPinkTink]

Update to "Before You Leave":
Removal of "full"
Insertion of "Please note that travel insurance and cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, including airlines, are not refundable"

Left (yesterday) Right (today)
View attachment 594943

I feel so sorry for the marketing person whose job it is to update copy on the website, knowing people are literally watching every word they type and save.

 

[KVH]

I feel so sorry for the marketing person whose job it is to update copy on the website, knowing people are literally watching every word they type and save.

Nah. Disney technically has the MarTec stack needed to make content maintenance like that no big deal. Now whether they have the appropriate talent or competency to leverage the tools is another story.

 

[atricks]

Before today, Royal Caribbean had testing required for sailings 5 nights or longer, they just switched it to all US sailings today. 3 days before departure. Ala if you left on a Saturday, a test taken on Wed, Thur, or Friday is fine.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Before today, Royal Caribbean had testing required for sailings 5 nights or longer, they just switched it to all US sailings today. 3 days before departure. Ala if you left on a Saturday, a test taken on Wed, Thur, or Friday is fine.

Is this for all passengers or only for unvaccinated?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

So if all US citizens are required to show a negative covid test to return to the US from another country, do cruise passengers not need to do this? Is this only for those coming into the US by airplane? We could just exit the ship and go to the airport? I find this hard to believe. I can't find anything that mentions the process of going through customs post cruise. Then again, it's past my bedtime and I'm sleep deprived.

I have a chance to sail a 3nt DD on Aug 27. We're both vaccinated and content to sit out on our balcony and watch the ocean go past us. I would rather wait and see how things go before I book and of course I'd read everything carefully before I do but I'm wondering, if we need to test before debarkation, we'd need to get tested our first day of the cruise in order to get results by day 3.

 

[Sykes]

So if all US citizens are required to show a negative covid test to return to the US from another country, do cruise passengers not need to do this? Is this only for those coming into the US by airplane? We could just exit the ship and go to the airport? I find this hard to believe.

A COVID test to enter the US is only required when arriving by air. When I got off my cruise on July 3rd it was just standard customs just like it has always been (and remarkably quick at that since they used facial recognition). Vaccinated passengers were not tested at any point before or during the cruise. Of course, all of this may change--many cruise lines are now requiring pre-embarkation testing for vaccinated passengers.

 

[atricks]

Is this for all passengers or only for unvaccinated?

All

 

[jrapps]

Has Disney officially said that the Dream will be sailing with a reduced capacity, and what that capacity is (at least for Aug/Sept)?

With all the masking changing and increase in Covid cases across Royal and Carnival, it appears that capacity is playing a role. Carnival is having many more positive cases per cruise, and are sailing around 70% capacity. Royal is having far less, and are sailing at around 35% capacity but looking to ramp up.

 

[sethschroeder]

Has Disney officially said that the Dream will be sailing with a reduced capacity, and what that capacity is (at least for Aug/Sept)?

With all the masking changing and increase in Covid cases across Royal and Carnival, it appears that capacity is playing a role. Carnival is having many more positive cases per cruise, and are sailing around 70% capacity. Royal is having far less, and are sailing at around 35% capacity but looking to ramp up.

Not sure they stated a % or not but I think rumor was 50% or less (but it was likely a complete guess)

"Physical Distancing

We’re reducing Guest capacity aboard our ships and adjusting experiences to promote physical distancing. This includes limiting capacity and implementing physical distancing measures in our terminals and areas of our ships such as upper decks, dining rooms, food and beverage locations, lounges, theaters, walkways, elevators, pools, queues and other common spaces.

Signage throughout the ship reminds Guests and Crew to practice physical distancing. Physical barriers have also been installed in areas where physical distancing may be difficult to maintain, like at check-in and Guest Services.

Close-up interactions with Disney Characters have been paused, and youth activities are experienced in small group settings."

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/why-cruise-disney/experience-updates/us/

 

[jrapps]

Not sure they stated a % or not but I think rumor was 50% or less (but it was likely a complete guess)

"Physical Distancing

We’re reducing Guest capacity aboard our ships and adjusting experiences to promote physical distancing. This includes limiting capacity and implementing physical distancing measures in our terminals and areas of our ships such as upper decks, dining rooms, food and beverage locations, lounges, theaters, walkways, elevators, pools, queues and other common spaces.

Signage throughout the ship reminds Guests and Crew to practice physical distancing. Physical barriers have also been installed in areas where physical distancing may be difficult to maintain, like at check-in and Guest Services.

Close-up interactions with Disney Characters have been paused, and youth activities are experienced in small group settings."

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/why-cruise-disney/experience-updates/us/

Thanks. I am dismayed that DCL has not chosen to publish a specific percentage. Other lines are very open about this. All we have here is conjecture.

 

[easy1234]

Thanks. I am dismayed that DCL has not chosen to publish a specific percentage. Other lines are very open about this. All we have here is conjecture.

Based on what I saw when I look at my cruise in Sept, all categories are open to book except inside staterooms. On the Dream, there are 1250 total staterooms, and 150 of them are inside staterooms. There is lots of availability in the oceanview stateroom categories, so Im guessing they would run a pretty full cruise if they could. Only areas which seem to have limited availability are concierge and the deluxe oceanview with verandah category, which are most likely sold out as they are the most profitable room categories for Disney. Wouldnt surprise me if Disney was running at 75%-85% capacity assuming they could actually fill the rooms

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks. I am dismayed that DCL has not chosen to publish a specific percentage. Other lines are very open about this. All we have here is conjecture.

They did for WDW. One would think they’d be happy to share this info for their potential passengers. I think I’m going to email that question.

 

[sethschroeder]

Based on what I saw when I look at my cruise in Sept, all categories are open to book except inside staterooms. On the Dream, there are 1250 total staterooms, and 150 of them are inside staterooms. There is lots of availability in the oceanview stateroom categories, so Im guessing they would run a pretty full cruise if they could. Only areas which seem to have limited availability are concierge and the deluxe oceanview with verandah category, which are most likely sold out as they are the most profitable room categories for Disney. Wouldnt surprise me if Disney was running at 75%-85% capacity assuming they could actually fill the rooms

I will say thought cruises have disappeared at times and then when they come back have lots of open rooms. I think Disney does have a number but instead of limiting which rooms you can book they will just limit the total passengers.

Additionally Disney has moved people closer to sail date to different rooms. I saw someone moved from the 5th deck to the 6th deck on Dream on a cruise that is 2 weeks out.

Disney's goal is likely to get to X% full, not have any other bookings, and then move guests around to create spacing if needed closer to sail date.

I am just guessing though on all of this. I would just be shocked if Disney ran or wanted to run these ships at 75% capacity. It also would be very apparent once the Dream sails and there are reports of how the dining room is.

 

[lanejudy]

all categories are open to book except inside staterooms

It’s possible the inside staterooms are taken up to allow social-distancing by crew, not filled with passengers. Plus # of staterooms is misleading because there could be 1-2 passengers in a room or 4-5.

They did for WDW.

WDW gave an initial 35% capacity figure but never clarified - % of what? - max capacity, average seasonal attendance, etc. They haven’t really given anything specific.

 

[easy1234]

Plus # of staterooms is misleading because there could be 1-2 passengers in a room or 4-5.

True but this is Disney, not Princess. Based on my many many sailings, while there are definitely some double occupancy staterooms, the vast majority are families

 

[sethschroeder]

True but this is Disney, not Princess. Based on my many many sailings, while there are definitely some double occupancy staterooms, the vast majority are families

There are things pushing away families as well like no nursery, limited capacity in kids club, limit of 1 booking for kids club, and soon back in school time. Heck I know schools starting next week in Illinois which shocked me. Plus some schools in the country requiring a quarantine period I think upon returning from travel which also limits families taking trips.

 

[easy1234]

There are things pushing away families as well like no nursery, limited capacity in kids club, limit of 1 booking for kids club, and soon back in school time. Heck I know schools starting next week in Illinois which shocked me. Plus some schools in the country requiring a quarantine period I think upon returning from travel which also limits families taking trips.

Your not wrong, but we always take our trips during school season (9 & 7 y.o.) and back to school has never been a deterrence from what we have seen. We will have to see what it looks like, just from what I am seeing it looks like Disney would fill their boats almost to the brim if they could (which they are a business so it makes sense).

 

[lanejudy]

True but this is Disney, not Princess. Based on my many many sailings, while there are definitely some double occupancy staterooms, the vast majority are families

Right, which means # of staterooms open is a bit of a red herring when talking about capacity. Even in “normal” (pre-covid) times, there could be empty staterooms on a full ship. While someone may have a choice of 6 staterooms when booking does not mean DCL will take 6 more reservations for all those rooms.