How will Disney get booked sailings down to 50%, or 70%?

[Roughians_satchel]

I'm guessing the cruise ships will have to continue to run at reduced capacity even AFTER they jump through the CDC hoops, and after the vaccine is widely distributed to prevent outbreaks. Do we have any guess as to how Disney is going to bump paid passengers? If they limited the ship to only balcony room occupancy, would that get them down to 50%? We have a larger family and usually book two inside rooms but I went ahead and booked balcony's for spring 2022, just incase.

 

[BadPinkTink]

The same way they manage in WDW.

Organic cancellations and rescheduling once the official new procedures and protocols are announced. Just like with WDW there will be huge numbers of people who will not be able to or want to comply with the new procedures

Depending on the new procedures, they could do like they did with WDW, upgrade at no extra cost or give incentives to move from 2021 cruises to to 2022 cruises.

DCL will have huge amounts of data from WDW and how they are operating the resorts and DVC.

 

[andyman8]

I think, whenever DCL announces dates for its return to sail (which I still believe is a quite a ways away), you can expect to probably see them also pause new bookings for a period like WDW did (so if you want to be one of the first to be back on DCL, best to have something in 2021 on the books with them). I’m not sure if they’re already capping sailings or letting them fill, but I have a feeling that, much like WDW’s reopening, the “pent up demand” on Boards like these will not be shared by the rest of the general public, so I’m not sure how difficult the situation will be for them. I think it’s also basically a guarantee at this point that itineraries upon restart of sailing won’t happen as currently-planned (date changes, port changes, etc...). Even though DCL reserves the right to make those changes, they could very well just cancel those sailings and grant those with canceled reservations priority access to rebook. It’s quite possible DCL does for their initial restart period what WDW did for ADRs and FPs during their initial reopening.

 

[DCLDVC1]

I think, whenever DCL announces dates for its return to sail (which I still believe is a quite a ways away), you can expect to probably see them also pause new bookings for a period like WDW did (so if you want to be one of the first to be back on DCL, best to have something in 2021 on the books with them). I’m not sure if they’re already capping sailings or letting them fill, but I have a feeling that, much like WDW’s reopening, the “pent up demand” on Boards like these will not be shared by the rest of the general public, so I’m not sure how difficult the situation will be for them. I think it’s also basically a guarantee at this point that itineraries upon restart of sailing won’t happen as currently-planned (date changes, port changes, etc...). Even though DCL reserves the right to make those changes, they could very well just cancel those sailings and grant those with canceled reservations priority access to rebook. It’s quite possible DCL does for their initial restart period what WDW did for ADRs and FPs during their initial reopening.

I agree with this. I also think a lot of previous cruisers will cancel once they learn of the changes that need to be made to sail (masks required, no shows, kids club changes, etc).

 

[aliceinvunderland]

I was able to book a spring break 2021 cruise last month, so they are still allowing booking. FWIW, I did book a verandah stateroom, but I’m wondering if we will get bumped or canceled first because we booked later than most. I definitely booked with the understanding that there is a good chance we won’t be able to sail and I am fully prepared to reschedule for a later date if that becomes necessary.

 

[Quellman]

Just for giggles:

Classic Ships: 875 total, 491 no verandah. 56%
Dream Ships: 1251 total, 349 no verandah. 27%

 

[FigmentSpark]

The ships will feel very empty if they're only 50% full. Just saying.

 

[KashasMom]

The ships will feel very empty if they're only 50% full. Just saying.

That would be great!!

 

[mousefan73]

That would be great!!

I wouldnt say that too fast. We did a mini vacation this summer at a resort that was half empty. We went in feeling oh that’s gonna be so cool will have the place to ourselves. Which we kind of did and you know what it was the weirdest feeling and it was not good. I kind of felt like I was in some apocalypse movie.

Worse was breakfast. It was a huge banquet hall and they were may be only five tables. You could hear The other tables open their sugar packets

 

[_auroraborealis_]

And if they are not allowed to have the kids clubs, it will feel weird in other ways. You will learn how many kids were locked up in there...

 

[JrdnSpritzer]

We're starting with a 4-night (we've done the same cruise before) before jumping to a 7-night in 2022.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I wouldnt say that too fast. We did a mini vacation this summer at a resort that was half empty. We went in feeling oh that’s gonna be so cool will have the place to ourselves. Which we kind of did and you know what it was the weirdest feeling and it was not good. I kind of felt like I was in some apocalypse movie.

Worse was breakfast. It was a huge banquet hall and they were may be only five tables. You could hear The other tables open their sugar packets

It's true! As much as I hate crowded spaces and places, there is something about the "energy". Bunch of people, all excited, vacation. Food shopping/empty store=happiness. Venue where there should be a lot of people enjoying vacation=kind of creepy and unsettling ~ as much as I would think I would like the place to myself.

 

[dclpluto]

Very very easy for them. Lots of people are scared. Than you have some that can’t go being that they are not from USA or whatever. Don’t have the time or want to quarantine.

 

[tvguy]

Well, to get head count down in the parks they raised prices. I suspect that is how they will handle it on the ships

 

[lanejudy]

Well, to get head count down in the parks they raised prices.

Not particularly. Many folks already had their tickets, and once ticket sales resumed the prices weren’t necessarily increased. True there were no resort discounts available when first re-opened, but many received a complimentary upgrade from closed resorts. I don’t think increasing prices was a particular strategy in the parks, though many didn’t feel the reduced experience was worth full cost.

Raising fares could be an option for DCL, but they aren’t going to increase fares for those already booked so I don’t see that as a way to get some folks to cancel/reschedule.

 

[tvguy]

Not particularly. Many folks already had their tickets, and once ticket sales resumed the prices weren’t necessarily increased. True there were no resort discounts available when first re-opened, but many received a complimentary upgrade from closed resorts. I don’t think increasing prices was a particular strategy in the parks, though many didn’t feel the reduced experience was worth full cost.

Raising fares could be an option for DCL, but they aren’t going to increase fares for those already booked so I don’t see that as a way to get some folks to cancel/reschedule.

I haven't paid attention since the pandemic but admission price increases have been standard at Disneyland to try and thin crowds for at least the past decade. They discovered cutting crowds prompted people to spend more, so they were money ahead.

 

[KashasMom]

I wouldnt say that too fast. We did a mini vacation this summer at a resort that was half empty. We went in feeling oh that’s gonna be so cool will have the place to ourselves. Which we kind of did and you know what it was the weirdest feeling and it was not good. I kind of felt like I was in some apocalypse movie.

Worse was breakfast. It was a huge banquet hall and they were may be only five tables. You could hear The other tables open their sugar packets

Can you imagine how great empty pools and no lines for Aquaduck would be? Not to mention how great the theater would be half full and without a bunch of people saving seats! And buffets where you could actually get a table for your whole family and dining rooms without people so close to you, you feel like you're eating WITH them. Yeah, sounds awful to me. I'll take a cruise at 50% any day!!

 

[gotomu212]

Can you imagine how great empty pools and no lines for Aquaduck would be? Not to mention how great the theater would be half full and without a bunch of people saving seats! And buffets where you could actually get a table for your whole family and dining rooms without people so close to you, you feel like you're eating WITH them. Yeah, sounds awful to me. I'll take a cruise at 50% any day!!

That would be awesome, but I think you have to temper that with what activities won’t be offered or will have very reduced capacity that actually make the things open feel busier or have longer waits. You see this at WDW without the shows capturing a big audience, more people are in rude lines. As a PP said if kids clubs are reduced by a lot those kids will have to go elsewhere. If shore excursions are only through DCL, the whole meet and be led off the ship is going to take longer and have more people to organize.

We had friends go to a major sporting event that has way lower capacity and they thought AWESOME no lines for food or bathrooms- except with lower crowds they kept half the food and bathrooms closed and the open ones had lines even longer because with safety protocols things move slower. They said from an experience perspective it was a worse than normal season experience.

 

[lanejudy]

I haven't paid attention since the pandemic but admission price increases have been standard at Disneyland to try and thin crowds for at least the past decade. They discovered cutting crowds prompted people to spend more, so they were money ahead.

DL hasn't opened post-pandemic. WDW does have date-based pricing which may in a way impact crowds during "normal" times, but again not particularly impactful as a post-pandemic capacity control. When WDW re-opened back in July, I think the capacity may have been at <25%. Limited resorts were open, park hours were limited, some dining remained closed and other activities were limited. Some folks couldn't wait to return, while others felt the restrictions and limited offerings were not "worth" the regular price tag. I don't believe prices otherwise were used as a direct method to limit crowds.

For DCL to use pricing as a way to further limit capacity, they would need to probably cancel all reservations and re-price the current cruises. Their current recovery offer of 125% OBC would actually work against them in that regard - there are so many FCCs out there right now, that raising prices could have a negative effect.

 

[KashasMom]

That would be awesome, but I think you have to temper that with what activities won’t be offered or will have very reduced capacity that actually make the things open feel busier or have longer waits. You see this at WDW without the shows capturing a big audience, more people are in rude lines. As a PP said if kids clubs are reduced by a lot those kids will have to go elsewhere. If shore excursions are only through DCL, the whole meet and be led off the ship is going to take longer and have more people to organize.

We had friends go to a major sporting event that has way lower capacity and they thought AWESOME no lines for food or bathrooms- except with lower crowds they kept half the food and bathrooms closed and the open ones had lines even longer because with safety protocols things move slower. They said from an experience perspective it was a worse than normal season experience.

Totally understand. However, for how we cruise (don't use kids clubs, no "activities" other than shows, etc.), we'd be fine. Of course if it's only DCL excursions, that's a deal breaker for us so we wouldn't even be ON the cruise. In any case, by the time we cruise, hopefully they'll be back/close to full capacity.