NEWS 5/17: Late 2019 itineraries released - link in post #1 (2020 watch thread will start soon)

[Flossbolna]

Update 5/17: last of 2019 released today: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/featured/2019-castaway-club-member-advance-booking/

Update 5/8/2018: Castaway Club members will be able to book early via online booking: http://disneycruiselineblog.com/201...rs-launching-with-the-next-itinerary-release/

UPDATE 3/20/2018: A new 2020 thread will start when the last batch of 2019 cruises has been released.

UPDATE 3/1/2018:

Summer was just announced. Link: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/featured/2019-castaway-club-member-advance-booking/

This is the place where we can keep an eye out for the releases of the 2019 Disney Cruise Line itineraries.

It is difficulty to predict, when new itineraries will be released. Over the last few years, DCL seems to have adopted a pattern to release the new cruises in three batches:

• "Winter": first cruise in the new year up to April/May (not including spring Panama Canal and Transatlantic)
• "Summer": about May to August/September (not including fall Panama Canal and Transatlantic).
• "Fall": September until the end of the year (ending with the last cruise starting in the old year).

The booking schedule has changed as of May 2017 and will go as follows

Day 1: Platinum Booking (only by phone)
Day 2: Gold Booking (only by phone)
Day 3: Silver Booking (only by phone)
Day 4: General public can book, cruises will be available over the internet

As was seen with the Fall 2018 release, which was the first one to follow the new schedule, the release date for information on the new itineraries was on a Thursday with booking starting for Platinum Booking on the following Monday.

On the booking days for Castaway Club members only booking via phone is available, no online booking. Online booking opens sometime in the morning of the general public booking day, usually a little before the phone lines open.

We usually had a thread going on the former booking day for Gold and Platinum Castaway Club members where those who have gotten info on prices when calling DCL can post their information for others to get an idea of what prices they have to expect. I hope we will continue this tradition, especially since there now will be three days of booking access only via phone with no ability to quickly check prices online.

Of course it is always possible that DCL changes it up! There have been different ways of releasing cruises (by ships, no early booking benefit for Gold and Platinum Castaway Club members, no announcement etc.).

But, looking at historic evidence from the 2015 through 2017 releases my guess (and that is all that it is!!!) would be the following:

Fall 2019: anytime between May 10, 2018 and May 17, 2018
Winter 2020: anytime between September 28, 2018 and November 9, 2018
Summer 2020: anytime between February 15, 2019 and April 5, 2019

 

[Flossbolna]

historic announcement days:

Summer 2019 - March 1, 2018
Winter 2019 - October 26, 2018
Fall 2018 - May 11, 2017
Summer 2018 - February 21, 2017
Winter 2018 - October 25, 2016
Fall 2017 - May 24, 2016
Summer 2017 - April 12, 2016
Winter 2017 - October 6, 2015
Fall 2016 - May 18, 2015
Summer 2016 - March 24, 2015
Winter 2016 - October 28, 2014
Fall 2015 - May 19, 2014
Summer 2015 - March 25, 2014
Winter 2015 - November 12, 2013

One note: release dates used to be on a Tuesday, but when the booking days changed in May 2017, they moved to Thursdays.

These are the easy years, before that things were released in different batches and I still need to verify things better, but this is what I have so far:

revised itineraries Dream, Magic, Wonder (they had originally scheduled the ships very differently) for October to December 2014 - June 18, 2013
Dream/Fantasy September to December 2014, Magic/Wonder May to December 2014 - February 12, 2013
Dream/Fantasy January to August 2014, Magic/Wonder January to April 2014 - December 4, 2012
Magic/Wonder all 2013 - June 26, 2012



rumors, port sightings and such:

 

[Flossbolna]

historic announcement days:

Fall 2018 - May 11, 2017
Summer 2018 - February 21, 2017
Winter 2018 - October 25, 2016
Fall 2017 - May 24, 2016
Summer 2017 - April 12, 2016
Winter 2017 - October 6, 2015
Fall 2016 - May 18, 2015
Summer 2016 - March 24, 2015
Winter 2016 - October 28, 2014
Fall 2015 - May 19, 2014
Summer 2015 - March 25, 2014
Winter 2015 - November 12, 2013

These are the easy years, before that things were released in different batches and I still need to verify things better, but this is what I have so far:

revised itineraries Dream, Magic, Wonder (they had originally scheduled the ships very differently) for October to December 2014 - June 18, 2013
Dream/Fantasy September to December 2014, Magic/Wonder May to December 2014 - February 12, 2013
Dream/Fantasy January to August 2014, Magic/Wonder January to April 2014 - December 4, 2012
Magic/Wonder all 2013 - June 26, 2012

 

[MeliMel702]

I'm keeping an eye on this thread. I'm also looking forward to booking a cruise for 2019

 

[JWG]

Sub

 

[kappaman14]

It's going to be tough to wait until Oct/Nov to see the Jan/Feb 2019 schedule. I'm hoping there is a 7-night Southern Caribbean out of San Juan in that window (preferably on the Wonder, since that's the one ship we haven't seen). Fingers crossed!

 

[Flossbolna]

I edited the first post to reflect the new booking schedule as announced at the beginning of May.

 

[Raptor83]

I edited the first post to reflect the new booking schedule as announced at the beginning of May.

Thanks for all your work on this! I see the OP notes Panama Canal cruises are not included in those release dates; are they usually released in the following group/season or are they released entirely on their own? We are thinking about do a PC cruise late 2018 or early 2019.

 

[Mama_MeBow]

I would LOVE to make my Gold Status be my husband and I taking a SOLO trip somewhere...following and THANKS so much for this wonderful info @Flossbolna

 

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for all your work on this! I see the OP notes Panama Canal cruises are not included in those release dates; are they usually released in the following group/season or are they released entirely on their own? We are thinking about do a PC cruise late 2018 or early 2019.

Spring PC cruise will be released with the summer dates, fall PC cruise with the fall dates.

I will edit the first post to make this clearer. Thanks for pointing out that it was a bit confusing!

 

[Derry Wade]

It's going to be tough to wait until Oct/Nov to see the Jan/Feb 2019 schedule. I'm hoping there is a 7-night Southern Caribbean out of San Juan in that window (preferably on the Wonder, since that's the one ship we haven't seen). Fingers crossed!

Potentially interested in this as well ...

 

[lovingeire]

We're planning on June 2019 for my parents 50th anniversary!

 

[rescuetink]

Were planning on November 2018 and still waiting for those schedules to be released!!

 

[LINDATHEPOOH]

This is the place where we can keep an eye out for the releases of the 2019 Disney Cruise Line itineraries.

It is difficulty to predict, when new itineraries will be released. Over the last few years, DCL seems to have adopted a pattern to release the new cruises in three batches:

• "Winter": first cruise in the new year up to April/May (not including spring Panama Canal and Transatlantic)
• "Summer": about May to August/September (not including fall Panama Canal and Transatlantic).
• "Fall": September until the end of the year (ending with the last cruise starting in the old year).

The booking schedule has changed as of May 2017 and will go as follows

Day 1: Platinum Booking
Day 2: Gold Booking
Day 3: Silver Booking
Day 4: General public can book, cruises will be available over the internet

My guess would be that they will now release new itinerary information on Mondays and then start with booking for Platinums on Tuesday. Any other schedule would push booking for some into the weekend and Disney never seems to start any booking during a weekend. The other possibility would be for itineraries being announced on a Friday and booking starting on Monday for Platinum. But I think that this will be the less likely schedule.

On the booking days for Castaway Club members only booking via phone is available, no online booking. Online booking opens sometime in the morning of the general public booking day, usually a little before the phone lines open.

We usually had a thread going on the former booking day for Gold and Platinum Castaway Club members where those who have gotten info on prices when calling DCL can post their information for others to get an idea of what prices they have to expect. I hope we will continue this tradition, especially since there now will be three days of booking access only via phone with no ability to quickly check prices online.

Of course it is always possible that DCL changes it up! There have been different ways of releasing cruises (by ships, no early booking benefit for Gold and Platinum Castaway Club members, no announcement etc.).

But, looking at historic evidence from the 2015 through 2017 releases my guess (and that is all that it is!!!) would be the following:

Fall 2018: anytime between May 15, 2017 and May 23, 2017
Winter 2019: anytime between October 2, 2017 and November 14, 2017
Summer 2019: anytime between Fenruary 19, 2018 and April 10, 2018
Fall 2018: anytime between May 14, 2018 and May 22, 2018

My problem is that even though my husband and I are gold, we have never gotten any advance notice of any cruises by email or regular mail which makes it a mad scramble to make a decision when I see the announcements on this website! (Sorry for looooong sentence!) Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Flossbolna]

My problem is that even though my husband and I are gold, we have never gotten any advance notice of any cruises by email or regular mail which makes it a mad scramble to make a decision when I see the announcements on this website! (Sorry for looooong sentence!) Anyone else have this problem?

I never get emails either. However, I have a travel agent and she emails me. But it is a mad scramble for everyone since Disney only releases info on itineraries before booking begins. Now you will have a little more time as gold since you will have a two day warning as you have to wait until after platinum booking day. You might even get some pricing info from the platinums before it is time for you to book.

 

[JWG]

My problem is that even though my husband and I are gold, we have never gotten any advance notice of any cruises by email or regular mail which makes it a mad scramble to make a decision when I see the announcements on this website! (Sorry for looooong sentence!) Anyone else have this problem?

As I've mentioned in the Castaway Club benefits thread, we also never get the right e-mails (including itinerary releases). It's annoying because I get a LOT of wrong e-mails meant for others.

 

[LullabeeDisney]

Following, just in case they decide to pull out of Galveston after this year (I mean, the SO wouldn't be too mad... we could do the Star Wars at sea one) lol.

 

[RedSox68]

Thank you so much for starting this thread -- it's a great idea. Now we can all anxiously wait together LOL. I'm hoping for a 10-day or more southern Caribbean cruise.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Right now I'm debating waiting for a Jan or Feb '19 3 night Bahamas cruise versus the Sept '18 cruise I plan in booking once I hit my second trimester in a few weeks. Historically speaking what do you guys think will be cheaper? Booking Sept a few months after it came out or booking Jan/ Feb on Silver booking day? We are extremely flexible with dates

 

[AquaDame]

How many days would the September one be...? A 3-night should be cheaper overall but if you look at it on a per day basis it can seem more expensive. On cruisefish.net the current prices for January are only $30 or so cheaper looking at 11Cs on it and a September date and that doesn't even take into account any *GT rates that might come out for either one.