Will guest experience suffer on the first sailings?

[dvcgirl67]

This person is asking about themselves. They said that they went a month after WDW opened and had the worst experience ever at Disney due to the restrictions and closures. They will suffer plenty on the first cruises.

Totally agree...if the OP wasn't happy with WDW when they initially opened with restrictions in place and certain experiences missing/limited.... then cruising will not be an enjoyable experience as they restart. Also, I think the Delta variant may really throw a wrench into cruising over the next six months or so. It's 20% of cases here in the U.S. now and will soon be the dominant strain. This will especially apply to any cruise line that allows unvaccinated passengers on board.

I saw a report on CNBC this morning about RCL. They are requiring unvaccinated passengers to have travel insurance and alerting them that they may not be allowed in certain common areas...etc. I'm guessing this most applies to cruises departing from Florida because they won't allow cruise lines to refuse unvaccinated passengers. I think this is RCL's way to really encourage passengers to get those vaccines....because if they don't, they're going to have to carry travel insurance, and also may not have the same experience as passengers who are vaccinated.

Still though, with all of those precautions in place. This Delta variant is so transmissible that it will definitely get onto those ships.

 

[mmouse37]

OP...if your wife has never been on a Disney Cruise before she might not know what she may be missing. For people who have never cruised they don't know the things that were and now might not happen.

We had a cruise booked for this Fall which recently got cancelled. I had been on the fence about cancelling it myself and then Disney cancelled so the decision was made for me. I wasn't in any way afraid to cruise but I did not really want to wear a mask onboard at all. We are fully vaccinated and have no problem cruising with folks who are not. We have cruised enough that I could live without some things that used to be but in the end I am glad we were cancelled. Makes me more excited for our DCL Hawaiian cruise and Wish MV next year.

If you are worried about the experience, cancel and book for next year when hopefully things are back to a more normal experience.

We went to WDW with our grandkids in March and had a really good time...was it the same as previous trips, nope but we had a good time. It made me sad that the kids were so used to wearing masks at school that it didn't bother them. That may sound weird but I hated not seeing their smiling faces!

MJ

 

[mevelandry]

We have our Disney Dream cruise scheduled for September 10, Since i heard that all cruises are now canceled through at least the beginning of August it seems that our cruise will be one of the first to sail, I am beginning to feel that we might get a less than satisfying experience if the restrictions become too tiresome on the first sailings.

I remember that we took a vacation to Disney World about a month after it re-opened and we had the worst experience we have ever had on any of our Disney vacations. Masks were required everywhere even to take photo's, All of the shows and parades were cancelled including the fireworks shows, Many of the restaurants were closed, Constant reminders from the Cast Members to keep social distancing and masks on or you would be escorted off the premises, These things constantly took us out of the Disney feel and experience.

I just want to know your opinions on this, We are paying full price and it is not cheap so we expect to also get the full experience just like we did in our Disney Magic cruise in 2016.


Thank you guys!

I've been following many groups and vloggers sailing on Adventure of the Seas from Nassau and most of them seemed to be pretty unbothered with most of the changes and restrictions... And just seem happy and grateful to be there.

I think it really depends on your expectations and how you deal with "changes".

Based on your displeasure with WDW, I would probably recommend to postpone to 2022 as I am 100% certain there will be some sort of health measures and restrictions.

 

[DMMarla07860]

OP...if your wife has never been on a Disney Cruise before she might not know what she may be missing. For people who have never cruised they don't know the things that were and now might not happen.

We had a cruise booked for this Fall which recently got cancelled. I had been on the fence about cancelling it myself and then Disney cancelled so the decision was made for me. I wasn't in any way afraid to cruise but I did not really want to wear a mask onboard at all. We are fully vaccinated and have no problem cruising with folks who are not. We have cruised enough that I could live without some things that used to be but in the end I am glad we were cancelled. Makes me more excited for our DCL Hawaiian cruise and Wish MV next year.

If you are worried about the experience, cancel and book for next year when hopefully things are back to a more normal experience.

We went to WDW with our grandkids in March and had a really good time...was it the same as previous trips, nope but we had a good time. It made me sad that the kids were so used to wearing masks at school that it didn't bother them. That may sound weird but I hated not seeing their smiling faces!

MJ

I felt the same when my cruise was cancelled for October 2021. I'm not nervous even with Lupus, but it makes me look forward to more my trip to WDW and Back-2-Back on Wish in August 2022

 

[Quellman]

no one mentioned that the service is probably going to suffer as well. The crew will all be"new" in terms of the times they last worked or new completely. Serving teams, cooks, room attendants. All of them are going to be a "bit rusty" as they get (re)acclimated to the ship and the flow of their work. FOlks who have been doing it for a few months are going to be way more efficient than those who are new. So yes, absolutely, Even without mask mandates, pool time scheduling, and other reservations, your experience is likely going to be diminished.

 

[Freeman867]

We have our Disney Dream cruise scheduled for September 10, Since i heard that all cruises are now canceled through at least the beginning of August it seems that our cruise will be one of the first to sail, I am beginning to feel that we might get a less than satisfying experience if the restrictions become too tiresome on the first sailings.

I remember that we took a vacation to Disney World about a month after it re-opened and we had the worst experience we have ever had on any of our Disney vacations. Masks were required everywhere even to take photo's, All of the shows and parades were cancelled including the fireworks shows, Many of the restaurants were closed, Constant reminders from the Cast Members to keep social distancing and masks on or you would be escorted off the premises, These things constantly took us out of the Disney feel and experience.

I just want to know your opinions on this, We are paying full price and it is not cheap so we expect to also get the full experience just like we did in our Disney Magic cruise in 2016.


Thank you guys!

If you're going to be disappointed in the possibility of wearing masks and not receiving a full experience or what you feel you paid for, I'd postpone to a later date past Summer 2022 or you'll likely be a grump the entire cruise, which is no way to be.

 

[bbel]

On the other hand, I imagine the crew will come back with a lot of enthusiasm. I'm a teacher & when we got sent back to school to teach in person in September for the first time in 6 months, we were very enthusiastic about being back and so were the kids. Even with all the crazy restrictions (much more severe than anything that will occur on vacation), it was a positive atmosphere because everyone was pleased and relieved just to be there together. I could imagine the crew also being very enthusiastic about getting back to work and being able to interact with guests again, and that the guests would also be very happy to be there after a long spell of no cruising, so again, likely a special atmosphere for the first season of cruising in that sense.

Didn't say they wouldn't and don't doubt it.
But as an ex crew member on 2 lines, I've done dry docks, and taken brand new ships out - so just being realistic too

 

[tri-ingTheBigSky]

As others have said, if you didn't enjoy WDW's initial reopening period, the cruise experience may be too much to bear at this point. We went to WDW and UOR in July last year and had an amazing time. Different, yes. Don't hope to ever do it again. But it was worth it, IMO, due to a number of personal factors.

Cruises, though, are generally more social than theme park trips. Even if you just enjoy a book on the lido or promenade, and take in a show or two, the very nature of a floating resort will require more strict measures than a 40sq mi land resort complex.

Plus, a point I haven't seen mentioned here. Assuming you're an American poster, most places have largely returned to "normal," or close to it. Even NYC baseball teams have largely abandoned their vaccine verification system from reports I've read elsewhere. Hotel breakfast bars out here in the Rockies are starting to come back to self-serve as we go to swim meets. If that's your experience, going on to a restricted ship at full price might be a very tough sell. For those reasons, we decided to put off our November cruise (originally May 2020) for a big Northern Europe 20th anniversary cruise next summer. I'm of the opinion that your wife's first experience should be as normal as possible. Or at least let the crew work off the rust. Maybe postpone to a Very Merrytime if you can and hope those are able to sail close to normal.

 

[squirk]

Remember that we are still paying pre-pandemic prices which we all know is not cheap compared to other cruise lines, And the reason we are paying these prices is for things like the Shows, Fireworks and the excellent Customer Service.

This right here. As much as I want to get back on a Disney ship, I will not pay regular Disney prices if too many of the things that make DCL worth the upcharge are missing.

@denny33142 - I am in the same boat as you. I went to WDW for a week this past February, and while I enjoyed being there, it was the first time I ever questioned whether I was getting enough value for the price I was paying.

I don’t fault Disney one bit for doing the best they can with the health and safety protocols. And I appreciate that Parks & Resorts have had a very rough time (to put it mildly) since last Spring, financially speaking.

But coming at it from the perspective of the customer/consumer - removing all these things from the guest experience and still charging full price? That’s kind of a bridge too far for me.

At this point, I personally would not sail DCL until I knew enough “stuff” was brought back that I felt the price-to-value ratio was a little more balanced than what I experienced in the parks in Feb.

 

[sugliac]

I think that customer service will be better. Reports from those on the first cruises (Royal Caribbean Adventure, Celebrity Millenium and Edge) keep talking about how happy these crew members are to be back, getting an income/tips, and interacting with guests. I agree with a lot of the drawbacks other posters have mentioned, but this may be a more intangible factor that can bolster the experience.

 

[serene56]

we are supposed to DREAM on August 29 I moved it to next year same time. VERY pricy for what I would be getting. I can take a regular cruise for less for the same experience. No meet and greets. Nassau has really cut back with excursions some stuff not even opened. I can be patient as long as I get what I paid for

 

[serene56]

I think that customer service will be better. Reports from those on the first cruises (Royal Caribbean Adventure, Celebrity Millenium and Edge) keep talking about how happy these crew members are to be back, getting an income/tips, and interacting with guests. I agree with a lot of the drawbacks other posters have mentioned, but this may be a more intangible factor that can bolster the experience.

to be fair-- these cruises are sailing with like 500 people Very few kids even fewer Karens--LOL

 

[sugliac]

to be fair-- these cruises are sailing with like 500 people Very few kids even fewer Karens--LOL

That's true, Celebrity is a completely different experience compared to Disney cruise.

 

[hrhdhd]

to be fair-- these cruises are sailing with like 500 people Very few kids even fewer Karens--LOL

Right now, there are more than 1,100 passengers on Edge, and as an Elite on Celebrity, I'll tell you there are plenty of complainers/whiners/PITAs.

 

[sugliac]

Right now, there are more than 1,100 passengers on Edge, and as an Elite on Celebrity, I'll tell you there are plenty of complainers/whiners/PITAs.

With some of the status levels on all different cruise lines each one has its issues. If looking at ultra lux like RSSC, Silversea, or even now that Ritz Carlton is coming out with their "Yacht Collection" (which has an entry point of $10k for 2 people on a 5 night cruise), people paying that much expect *perfection*

 

[Cruise]

I imagine the experience will be vastly different from previous cruises. With the unknowns of the regulations they will have in place for US sailings, we can look to the regulations for UK sailings as a potential right now. I know the experience won't be the same, but it doesn't mean it will be bad.

I think my biggest concern is that they won't make those guidelines known before final payment is due. I'm fine making a decision if it's "worth it" to me or not to sail, but in order to do that, guests need to have all the information before the decision is made. I think it's completely unfair to have us make an nonrefundable final payment and then AFTER that tell us that they won't be providing XYZ cruise experiences.

I also realize it's a fluid situation and some things might change after those announcements are made which require changing the previously stated requirements. But, if that's the case, then I think guests should have an additional 7 days after those revised requirements to get a complete refund, including deposits, even if it's after the "paid in full" date. I know it's probably all "legally" covered in the cruise contract we agree to that they can make these changes, but this is more of a customer service issue and realizing that DCL does charge more for their product and that alienating customers is never a good idea.

 

[Husker Mike]

I think the expectation for most folks should be the best possible environment under the circumstances. If you want it to be like it was 18 months ago, you might have to wait another 18 months. Your comparison probably needs to be more like against what things have been like the last few months. Are you having fun staying home? What would your alternative vacation plans be?

 

[tvguy]

I'm not sure "suffer" is the best word, it will be different. But I think it depends on what you like to do. If the things you look forward to on a cruise are suspended, it could impact your enjoyment. We never used the kids clubs, spa, or pools on our Disney cruise. Well our then 12 year old daughter did go to one event......music trivia........and was very disappointed how little the Castmember running it knew about music.
Or my mom who did something like six cruises to Mexico, and never stepped foot on Mexican soil. She was the queen of the off season bargain cruise. $299 for seven days inside cabin. For her three restaurant meals a day for $42 was worth it!

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

We are still expecting to sail on August 9th on the Dream. I’ll be sure to post after.

 

[CamColt]

We are still expecting to sail on August 9th on the Dream. I’ll be sure to post after.

Let's hope we can come back with some great trip reports!

As a side note, I just started an August 9th Cruise Meet thread if you would like to pop over there. Hopefully more of our fellow cruisers will join in and we can chat.