Quantum OTS : What cruising might look like in 2021

[BadPinkTink]

It makes me happy to see so many people saddened and disturbed who are considering cancelling if this is what DCL will be like. It means that that DCL wont have any problems reaching the limited capacity numbers and MY cruise experience will be a lot better with far less people. With all the Platinum, Gold and Silver cruisers horrified that it wont be the Disney cruise experience they know and love, it means far less self entitled people on board. All the know it alls who think they are better than first timers because they have been on 4 cruises a year every year since 1998. It could also mean that there may be a possibility that I get an upgrade due to DCL rearranging life boat allocations and places. I say bring it on DCL I can't wait to be on The Disney Magic

 

[mevelandry]

It makes me happy to see so many people saddened and disturbed who are considering cancelling if this is what DCL will be like. It means that that DCL wont have any problems reaching the limited capacity numbers and MY cruise experience will be a lot better with far less people. With all the Platinum, Gold and Silver cruisers horrified that it wont be the Disney cruise experience they know and love, it means far less self entitled people on board. All the know it alls who think they are better than first timers because they have been on 4 cruises a year every year since 1998. It could also mean that there may be a possibility that I get an upgrade due to DCL rearranging life boat allocations and places. I say bring it on DCL I can't wait to be on The Disney Magic

No comment on « status« except that we all become silver as soon as we put one foot on one of the ships...It’s really nothing special.

I believe you might be right about the possibility of upgrade... However, I’d be surprised if Disney offered them for free as they never did.

That being said, I agree with you, if there are less guests, it usually means better service.

I would LOVE to be on a ship with so little guests. No wait anywhere... Not having to run to find a lounger near the pool... Less stressed crew members.

 

[mevelandry]

Good luck with that, look at Disney as is not many. And for us on DCL the pool is where we spend the least amount of time. All the activities around the ship nope won't be happening.

Ok. Your choice. (I was just trying to underline the « glass half full » situation)

 

[jlwhitney]

I found it sad, too. It looked like a very lonely cruise!

I could see that since for many its enjoying meeting other people. There are many that have made lifelong friends from cruises.

This just is too much planning for the type of cruise experience we like to have as a family.
But I am behind being overall cleaner and less self serve!

I understand the need to vacation and cruise, we've had many sailings cancelled and many WDW/DLR trips postponed...But at this point..What's a little bit longer till things are a *little* more normal? At least, that's how we're looking at it! We have a sailing booked for Sept '21 that I swore was in the safe zone and now I'm looking at different itineraries for early 2022 for when this one gets chopped.

Many are still vacationing, they are just choosing other experiences which has been kinda fun. For us its got us to do things we keep saying we will do and then don't get to.

Actually for us reducing self serve going forward would be a negative. I don't like having to have someone else get me everything.

It makes me happy to see so many people saddened and disturbed who are considering cancelling if this is what DCL will be like. It means that that DCL wont have any problems reaching the limited capacity numbers and MY cruise experience will be a lot better with far less people. With all the Platinum, Gold and Silver cruisers horrified that it wont be the Disney cruise experience they know and love, it means far less self entitled people on board. All the know it alls who think they are better than first timers because they have been on 4 cruises a year every year since 1998. It could also mean that there may be a possibility that I get an upgrade due to DCL rearranging life boat allocations and places. I say bring it on DCL I can't wait to be on The Disney Magic

There aren't going to be free upgrades. DCL knows how to handle lifeboats as is and they simply will be selling less in each category if they are doing reduced capacity. Verandahs will be more popular then ever so it won't be an issue. This is all assuming they begin cruises before restrictions are dropped or greatly loosen.

But seriously drop the attitude that regular cruises are entitled. For many its simply a lot of money to have a reduced experience. You are welcome to enjoy your trip if it actually happens.

 

[belle032]

I'm not sure why there seems to be so much negativity over this. This is just a video showing the potential reality of a cruise in the very near future. Obviously it isn't going to look exactly the same as pre-COVID, but nothing has been set in stone yet. If you don't want to sail under whatever conditions the cruise line implements, then don't. If you are OK with it, then have a wonderful cruise.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I think it will be very personal to what it is that people like about cruising. Will any of this detract from the way I cruise? - Yes, I think it will, but maybe not. I tend to keep moving around the ship (I don't think I've ever lounged by the pool) and I just happen across stuff that I decide to participate in. I know from wearing a mask outdoors for several hours while walking and talking, that I get really overheated and thirsty. That doesn't sound fun on a cruise, but if I were the type who enjoyed a pool lounger, wearing a mask probably wouldn't make any difference.

 

[mevelandry]

I think it will be very personal to what it is that people like about cruising. Will any of this detract from the way I cruise? - Yes, I think it will, but maybe not. I tend to keep moving around the ship (I don't think I've ever lounged by the pool) and I just happen across stuff that I decide to participate in. I know from wearing a mask outdoors for several hours while walking and talking, that I get really overheated and thirsty. That doesn't sound fun on a cruise, but if I were the type who enjoyed a pool lounger, wearing a mask probably wouldn't make any difference.

Those who will choose to sail in 2021 (when or if sailings start in 2021, of course), are expecting a different experience than in the previous years.

On some cruises, we chose inside/porthole cabins and put more budget on other stuff (better hotel, more expensive excursions, cabanas, specialty dining, etc.) ... As of now, as long as the pandemic is not over, we are going to book verandah cabins so we can spend a little less time in public spaces and most likely do a little bit more in-room dining and take out. We are also focussing on booking cabanas and excursions involving more privacy in order to separate ourselves from the crowd a little bit more than the usual.

I think it will be different but enjoyable nonetheless.

 

[bbel]

Ok. Your choice. (I was just trying to underline the « glass half full » situation)

You know there's always some on here that will automatically negative simply because its not DCL.
If DCL were to put out the exact video it would be glass half full and there would be comments like 'disney are putting in the best precautions' 'disney always put safety first'


For me as crew I'm more than happy with this. If I can get back to work and minimise the risk of quarantine then its great.
For me as a cruiser I chose to see it as a positive as I said earlier

 

[jane01jp]

If DCL were to put out the exact video it would be glass half full and there would be comments like 'disney are putting in the best precautions' 'disney always put safety first'

Disney has a very loyal following, and these boards kind of self-select people with a keen interest in Disney.

I once read that Harley Davidson measures its brand loyalty by what percentage of its riders have Harley-themed tattoos.

 

[brentm77]

It makes me happy to see so many people saddened and disturbed who are considering cancelling if this is what DCL will be like. It means that that DCL wont have any problems reaching the limited capacity numbers and MY cruise experience will be a lot better with far less people. With all the Platinum, Gold and Silver cruisers horrified that it wont be the Disney cruise experience they know and love, it means far less self entitled people on board. All the know it alls who think they are better than first timers because they have been on 4 cruises a year every year since 1998. It could also mean that there may be a possibility that I get an upgrade due to DCL rearranging life boat allocations and places. I say bring it on DCL I can't wait to be on The Disney Magic

It won't result in any less people on board. Disney will fill whatever capacity it has set, one way or another. There is lot's of pent up vacation demand and plenty of people willing to cruise with heavy alternations.

I think it is odd that you equate wanting a normal cruise experience with "self-entitled people." It's pretty much the opposite of the type of people my wife and I are. We are easy-going, almost never complain, are extremely nice when interacting with employees servicing us at any business, never request anything out of the ordinary, etc. When we went to WDW, we followed the rules to a T. But, I don't see any relation to being self-entitled and knowing what we want out of a cruise experience and whether we would rather wait until we can have a more normal experience. Particularly when there are fantastic other vacation options we can enjoy.

It's like having a favorite very-expensive restaurant that is temporarily serving a limited menu with lower-quality items at the same price. It's not self-entitled to say I will wait to visit until it returns to the normal menu. It's self-awareness that I don't want to taint my favorite restaurant experience and a wise use of my money.

 

[otten]

Be careful what you wish for with eliminating self serve for good. We were on the WBPC when that happened and there were often lines at stations. This was a cruise that was far from full and I can easily imagine that a full sailing (once that is a thing again) might have some big back ups at the stations.

 

[gotomu212]

They get really positive feedback, even when they had to go back early because of the suspected covid case.

This is the real elephant in the room- what’s the procedure if theres a presumed positive on the ship? If it’s the current process where everyone is confined to cabins and you return home early, where maybe you have a potential quarantine before headed home...that will be the nail in the coffin so to speak even for people who are comfortable taking their own risk getting sick or are vaccinated. I can’t risk that kind of time and trip disruption (even if the cruise is refunded) when any other domestic trip doesn’t tie me to the fate of 3,000 other people at my hotel.

 

[pumpkinqueen93]

None of this is a deal breaker for me. What is a deal breaker for me would be not being able to see the characters at all. I'll be okay with a socially distant photo. Another deal breaker would be if they didn't have the shows. Also yeah it's the big question of what happens if there is a case on board? I would like to know what that plan of action is (specifically for DCL) before going forward.

 

[DisneYE]

This is the real elephant in the room- what’s the procedure if theres a presumed positive on the ship? If it’s the current process where everyone is confined to cabins and you return home early, where maybe you have a potential quarantine before headed home...that will be the nail in the coffin so to speak even for people who are comfortable taking their own risk getting sick or are vaccinated. I can’t risk that kind of time and trip disruption (even if the cruise is refunded) when any other domestic trip doesn’t tie me to the fate of 3,000 other people at my hotel.

Thanks for raising this issue. Not enough attention is being paid to it.
It's how I've felt since the pandemic began.
I:e, even if they ask for a vaccine passport before embarking, what will happen if there is 1 case on the ship? (vaccines are effective 95%, even at 99% you could still have infections, plus kids don't get vaccinated yet)
Do they stop the ship in the middle of the ocean, go back to port & send everyone home? What if its on the 2nd day out of a 14-night cruise? Can you imagine?
So, even if cruises ship with only-vaccinated passengers in 2022, what are the protocols if 10 ppl catch the virus onboard? - - No one has answered this yet, much less the cruise lines.

 

[otten]

Thanks for raising this issue. Not enough attention is being paid to it.
It's how I've felt since the pandemic began.
I:e, even if they ask for a vaccine passport before embarking, what will happen if there is 1 case on the ship? (vaccines are effective 95%, even at 99% you could still have infections, plus kids don't get vaccinated yet)
Do they stop the ship in the middle of the ocean, go back to port & send everyone home? What if its on the 2nd day out of a 14-night cruise? Can you imagine?
So, even if cruises ship with only-vaccinated passengers in 2022, what are the protocols if 10 ppl catch the virus onboard? - - No one has answered this yet, much less the cruise lines.

Yea and let me tell you something, being on a cruise where you are always wondering if this will be the day you are told everyone is confined to their staterooms is not the best vacation experience.

As I have said before, we made the most of the situation on the WBPC and we had a good time but I would be lying if I said that I didn't get worried every time we heard the little chime that comes before announcements.

 

[Intr3pid]

We spent a week at a resort in Riviera Maya just a few weeks ago. Pretty much the same experience as in the video. We loved our time down there. Everyone at the resort seemed to be having an amazing time too.

If you don't like what's in the video, you will have to cozy up to vacationing in your local parks for a LONG time to come. If that's you, more power to you.

For us, we will be on the first ship we can find after our vaccine shot - and especially if they ask everyone to wear masks and exercise social distancing on board.

 

[cmph]

Extra cleaning and fewer people work for my family. We don't travel to socialize with others, although I know that others don't feel the same. None of this bothers me, really.

But this seems just... unsustainable. They must have more employees to do all of that extra cleaning, and that is with fewer paying customers. Something has to give. Either they are going to jack up prices, or the cleaning procedures and elevated staff numbers are going to dwindle closer to normal pretty quickly, especially once customer numbers are higher on the ship. Ex: once more people are in the casino, are they really going to tell people ready to part with their money to hang on while they clean chairs, tables, chips, etc.? Or are they going to let it slide once, twice until things are pretty much back to normal?

 

[DisneYE]

Yea and let me tell you something, being on a cruise where you are always wondering if this will be the day you are told everyone is confined to their staterooms is not the best vacation experience.

As I have said before, we made the most of the situation on the WBPC and we had a good time but I would be lying if I said that I didn't get worried every time we heard the little chime that comes before announcements.

Yes, agreed on that scenario being a horrible vacation experience.
So is that going to be the protocol? That when one case is discovered onboard the ship goes back to port?
That's not good.. and it could spell the end of the cruise line industry.
How many ppl will be ok with having their cruise cut short on the second day at sea of a 14 night (7 or any other) ?
How is that sustainable? - I wouldn't go on a cruise ever again if that's going to be the norm.
My suggestion: designate quarantine SR's, put those with symptoms there and have them disembark on the next port, have everyone sign a contract to that end. they just can't end a cruise if one or 10 cases are discovered. It's going to kill cruises.

 

[jane01jp]

Yes, agreed on that scenario being a horrible vacation experience.
So is that going to be the protocol? That when one case is discovered onboard the ship goes back to port?
That's not good.. and it could spell the end of the cruise line industry.
How many ppl will be ok with having their cruise cut short on the second day at sea of a 14 night (7 or any other) ?
How is that sustainable? - I wouldn't go on a cruise ever again if that's going to be the norm.
My suggestion: designate quarantine SR's, put those with symptoms there and have them disembark on the next port, have everyone sign a contract to that end. they just can't end a cruise if one or 10 cases are discovered. It's going to kill cruises.

You bring up a good point. It is going to be very difficult to get everyone to agree to the same plan. That would include passengers, governments of ports where infected people might be dropped off, etc.

This is an allegory for life outside of the cruise industry. That's why I predict massive civil strife the longer this goes on. Things are likely to boil over.

 

[otten]

Yes, agreed on that scenario being a horrible vacation experience.
So is that going to be the protocol? That when one case is discovered onboard the ship goes back to port?
That's not good.. and it could spell the end of the cruise line industry.
How many ppl will be ok with having their cruise cut short on the second day at sea of a 14 night (7 or any other) ?
How is that sustainable? - I wouldn't go on a cruise ever again if that's going to be the norm.
My suggestion: designate quarantine SR's, put those with symptoms there and have them disembark on the next port, have everyone sign a contract to that end. they just can't end a cruise if one or 10 cases are discovered. It's going to kill cruises.

Or worse, will ships with cases once again be left floating at sea with nowhere to port?