I don't get why Disney doesn't offer longer cruises...

[Dive Bar Casanova]

We just booked a 13 night Transatlantic on the Fantasy.

 

[tvguy]

It's a bit more complicated than that... First, port tenders can sure be done... but not a guest favorite and with DCL being so big on safety, that boat transfer does add a risk element, as well as slows down debarkation/embarkation (and ultimately also probably adds to cost). Sure, they do it at Grand Cayman, Cabo and a few European ports... but I can't recall how many times I have been on DCL and we had to skip Grand Cayman as the see was just a little bit too rough for a port tender. Moreover, for ports that are not generally tender ports, if the docks are full, execursion service providers may be at or near capacity.. and I have had change of itineraries before with DCL, especially on Southern Caribbeans, when it looks like things might be a tad too busy in port

Like I said, on Disney we tendered in St. Maarten as did almost all the ships there that day. Alaska and Hawaii there were no tender ports, but every Caribbean cruise I have taken had a tender port. It's just part of cruising. My next cruise is on Princess and our stop in Newport will be a tender port.

 

[schepp]

People are also forgetting that Spring 2026 is not finalized yet with one more new ship coming online. Destiny's schedule should be released sometime this fall based on the release of the Treasure's schedule. Disney has committed to more Bahama port calls so more CC/LC may be coming.

 

[yowcruiser]

Like I said, on Disney we tendered in St. Maarten as did almost all the ships there that day. Alaska and Hawaii there were no tender ports, but every Caribbean cruise I have taken had a tender port. It's just part of cruising. My next cruise is on Princess and our stop in Newport will be a tender port.

Whereas I never tendered in St.Maarten on DCL as they can currently dock 6 ships in port... and it has been like that since at least 2019... and with 6 ships in port... St.Marteen is not the most fun destination... it is also looking like this port is now out of favor with DCL, only having one scheduled stop in the next 18 months. As I stated, sure cruise line can tender but given its core demographic, this is not something that DCL seem be as keen in pursuing... They do it for Grand Cayman, they do it for Cabo (on the very few cruises heading there), they do it for Santorini (for the very few cruises heading there)... and maybe a few more special destinations

 

[LAS2AMS]

This topic comes up fairly often. Sans unique itineraries, longer cruises generally have lower per date rates than shorter cruises. So DCL is maximizing revenues and profits by scheduling shorter cruises.

 

[tvguy]

Whereas I never tendered in St.Maarten on DCL as they can currently dock 6 ships in port... and it has been like that since at least 2019... and with 6 ships in port... St.Marteen is not the most fun destination... it is also looking like this port is now out of favor with DCL, only having one scheduled stop in the next 18 months. As I stated, sure cruise line can tender but given its core demographic, this is not something that DCL seem be as keen in pursuing... They do it for Grand Cayman, they do it for Cabo (on the very few cruises heading there), they do it for Santorini (for the very few cruises heading there)... and maybe a few more special destinations

Wow, we did the America's Cup 12 Metre Excursion in St. Maarteen, one of the best excursions we have ever done. I will have to dig out my video of all the ships anchored in St. Maarten, including the QE2. It was the last ship to depart and all the leaving ships did a horn exchange with the grand lady as they departed.

 

[SeanSD]

I know they have those July ones, they do them every year, but I don’t want to sail in July. Which is why I want one when kids are back in school.

In 2026 they have scheduled the PC cruise to be over Easter so I suspect there will be more kids than normal on that cruise. With the repo cruises the dates are much less flexible than doing a one off southern though.

Panama Canal scheduled for 2026? I didn’t see that on DCL cruise schedule. Or was that figured by seeing a ship being repositioned from Pacific to Atlantic or vice versa?

 

[yowcruiser]

Wow, we did the America's Cup 12 Metre Excursion in St. Maarteen, one of the best excursions we have ever done. I will have to dig out my video of all the ships anchored in St. Maarten, including the QE2. It was the last ship to depart and all the leaving ships did a horn exchange with the grand lady as they departed.

That would have been impressive... and I enjoyed St.Maarteen on the 2 occasions I was there (2019 and 2020)

 

[ljhayes]

Panama Canal scheduled for 2026? I didn’t see that on DCL cruise schedule. Or was that figured by seeing a ship being repositioned from Pacific to Atlantic or vice versa?

 

[o&smom]

Panama Canal scheduled for 2026? I didn’t see that on DCL cruise schedule. Or was that figured by seeing a ship being repositioned from Pacific to Atlantic or vice versa?

You may not have seen it because it sold out so quickly.

 

[auntlynne]

Just some trivia (but maybe not trivial to those who dislike or cannot use tenders):

Grand Cayman and Cabo are tender only ports for cruise ships.

Alaska will have tenders when number of ships exceed the available berths.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Panama Canal scheduled for 2026? I didn’t see that on DCL cruise schedule. Or was that figured by seeing a ship being repositioned from Pacific to Atlantic or vice versa?

Keep on top of it, announced at the last second, ya may never see it coming.
All of the sudden,,, an email rolls in and there it is.

Book quick, it fills up fast.
You'll be sailing with DCL fanatics. The most stubborn, smaller DCL ship aficionados and the nicest, friendliest and most appreciative people you will ever encounter. They savor every second on the ship.

You're a welcome part of the congregation.

Priced just like all the other cruise lines from our comparisons.

If you click on the emails link it offers it and maybe because you are a past DCL guest. Dunno but:
If you simply google DCL and go to the website it may not be available.
We've experienced this several times.

Always first clear your DCL cookies when booking a DCL cruise online. DCL is demand and interest pricing and visitors simply browsing - jukes the prices up from our experiences. Read that: From our experiences.

 

[peder]

Folks will pull out a handful of longer sailings as evidence that DCL is committed to long sailings, but high-level strategically it looks like DCL as a whole is shifting more toward shorter sailings--at least if you include the Adventure and Triton #4 in your analysis. The goal seems to be to get folks to stay on the ship, to view the ship as the destination, and if the passengers never get off the ship, all the better from Disney's perspective.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Folks will pull out a handful of longer sailings as evidence that DCL is committed to long sailings, but high-level strategically it looks like DCL as a whole is shifting more toward shorter sailings--at least if you include the Adventure and Triton #4 in your analysis. The goal seems to be to get folks to stay on the ship, to view the ship as the destination, and if the passengers never get off the ship, all the better from Disney's perspective.

Good point. A few Diz cruises we didn't get off the ship. In some ports few others did either and those may have been mostly crew.

 

[o&smom]

Folks will pull out a handful of longer sailings as evidence that DCL is committed to long sailings, but high-level strategically it looks like DCL as a whole is shifting more toward shorter sailings--at least if you include the Adventure and Triton #4 in your analysis. The goal seems to be to get folks to stay on the ship, to view the ship as the destination, and if the passengers never get off the ship, all the better from Disney's perspective.

Yes, we were so sad to see the 7 nights on the Fantasy go away. That was going to be our back up in 2025.

 

[TheRichFam]

And also did a 11 night Med B2B with a 14 night WBTA for 24 nights onboard.

Ok, so we've been posting on again/off again on this forum since 2013ish. I have read SO MANY of your posts and comments through the years, but THIS one. THIS comment has officially made you my hero.

Twenty. Four. Nights.

My God, that would be heaven.

 

[auntlynne]

Ok, so we've been posting on again/off again on this forum since 2013ish. I have read SO MANY of your posts and comments through the years, but THIS one. THIS comment has officially made you my hero.

Twenty. Four. Nights.

My God, that would be heaven.

I did the 14-N EBTA + 11N Med combo and had 25 nights. @PrincessShmoo What did you do to lose a night? Party?

Actually, I think we had an overnight in Barcelona. Could have been spent off the ship?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok, so we've been posting on again/off again on this forum since 2013ish. I have read SO MANY of your posts and comments through the years, but THIS one. THIS comment has officially made you my hero.

Twenty. Four. Nights.

My God, that would be heaven.

We've done other long cruises, on other lines - 28 night Hawaii/Tahiti and 21 night Panama Canal, both on HAL. Also have a 35 day Boston/Rotterdam B2B upcoming

I did the 14-N EBTA + 11N Med combo and had 25 nights. @PrincessShmoo What did you do to lose a night? Party?

Actually, I think we had an overnight in Barcelona. Could have been spent off the ship?

What year? Ours was actually a 10 night Med B2B with 14 night WBTA, in 2010.

 

[auntlynne]

We've done other long cruises, on other lines - 28 night Hawaii/Tahiti and 21 night Panama Canal, both on HAL. Also have a 35 day Boston/Rotterdam B2B upcoming

What year? Ours was actually a 10 night Med B2B with 14 night WBTA, in 2010.

I took the ship TO Europe that year, 2010. We did the first Med on arrival. So I guess they had different cruises that Summer.

But I have not done those exotics and long voyages you have.

 

[NurseDave]

Panama Canal scheduled for 2026? I didn’t see that on DCL cruise schedule. Or was that figured by seeing a ship being repositioned from Pacific to Atlantic or vice versa?

It was sold out even before becoming available to the general public.