Coronavirus and DCL Megathread - Suspension of Departures for the fleet until early November. Booking only available from early December.

In the past cruise lines have regularly instituted occasional protocols such as no self-service to avoid disease when such has rarely been put in place at land-based locations.

I agree. Policies on the ship are not always consistent with the policies at the theme parks.
 
Why? Anybody can clearly see that cruising is an entirely different animal than themeparks. A reasonable person would not have the expectation that the two would have consistent policies at all. The policies are night and day even from the very start just getting in the door.
Perhaps, but Covid 19 (whether you believe it’s a problem or not, or whether you think it’s to big a deal being made or not, whether you agree with the precautions or not), has the same precautions recommended... big one being masks, hand washing,etc...granted they change the recommendations all the time, but no one says “you should wear masks if you can’t keep social distancing, however don’t worry about wearing masks if you can’t keep social distancing as long as you are on a cruise ship at sea.”
Also, I did not say everything would be the same across all those operations, but big ones that are visible and easily implemented in every situation (ie: masks) I believe will be. Parks, ships.... all will have the same social distancing issues to deal with even at reduced capacity. Like it or not, agree with the need or not, I think masks will be there awhile. Everyone keeps saying “I’m waiting until next year when we don’t need them” or “waiting until a vaccine”. That would be nice, but I wouldn’t be making plans counting on any of that...not saying don’t makes plans, just saying don’t count on mask free and vaccine out there...
 
I did not say everything would be the same across all those operations

Really? "Disney is going to have to keep something that resembles consistency throughout it's system". I guess we can interpret that differently.

Also, businesses normally do not create rules they cannot enforce. On land if people do not wear masks, you can escort them off the property. At sea, what if one, five , tens, or more do not wear masks? Do you make them "walk the plank"? As any officer knows there is a mutinous aspect to rules that just don't translate from land to sea. I suspect that the polices will not be consistent "throughout it's system" as you put it. Also, on land, you're at the park for the day and at sea you're there for days or even weeks. It's not reasonable to muzzle someone for up to a week or more, thus the policies will not be consistent like I stated. Cruising is just a different thing than theme parks and Disney cannot have "consistent policies throughout it's system". For personal reasons I hope soon we get the chance to find out.
 
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Really? "Disney is going to have to keep something that resembles consistency throughout it's system". I guess we can interpret that differently.

Also, businesses normally do not create rules they cannot enforce. On land if people do not wear masks, you can escort them off the property. At sea, what if one, five , tens, or more do not wear masks? Do you make them "walk the plank"? As any officer knows there is a mutinous aspect to rules that just don't translate from land to sea. I suspect that the polices will not be consistent "throughout it's system" as you put it. Also, on land, you're at the park for the day and at sea you're there for days or even weeks. It's not reasonable to muzzle someone for up to a week or more, thus the policies will not be consistent like I stated. Cruising is just a different thing than theme parks and Disney cannot have "consistent policies throughout it's system". For personal reasons I hope soon we get the chance to find out.
Resembling consistency is not all things exactly the same....

I suppose we could spend endless hours debating the individual interpretation of words and phrases put together in sentences. No one will really know until we know. Everyone wearing masks would be something resembling consistency across various operations. On other point, being restricted to your room for failing to wear mask in public areas if that becomes a requirement.
 


The talk of a mandatory requirement to wear a mask on board concerns me. Even Norwegian and Royal Caribbean who announced their re-start dates and re-start polices made no mention of mandatory masks. The reason masks concern me is the following:

I would like DCL to start up as soon as possible and to not just start up, but to be successful. The market for the Disney theme parks is many, many times greater than the market for DCL cruising. The market for DCL cruising is even smaller now because even that market has shrunk due to people's anxiety and concerns over cruising. To me, DCL is going to rely heavily on their hard core/die hard/loyal/Castaway Club cruisers at the beginning of re-cruising. If you are coming on this board and posting on this board, then you are clearly a more dedicated DCL person than the average Joe Bananahead. I have seen many of the dedicated DCL cruisers post on this board that the mandatory requirement to wear a mask is a deal breaker for them. So my concern is that Disney may be able to get away with the requirement to wear masks at the parks because of the tens or hundreds of times more market the parks have versus that of DCL. But if even the hardcore DCL cruisers are saying they wont cruise if there is a mask requirement, I foresee a real issue for getting started back up. I got to say that I really don't blame people because making someone wear a mask at the themepark for the day is not the same as being required to wear one for a week on a Eastern Caribbean with 3+ days at sea or even worse on a Transatlantic or Panama Canal.

Now you're going to get people say that "if you don't want to wear a mask, then don't book the cruise". The problem with that is, OK, DCL's loyal cruisers that DCL is going to rely on to get started back up are not going to book a cruise, so that leaves us without success and the inability for DCL to get back to normal. People want to book a DCL cruise, not the hollow, limp along, just getting by cruise on a DCL ship. The mask requirement for theme parks does not translate well no matter how scientific or well intentioned you make it sound. For example, DCL has many bars and nightclubs on their ships, how many bars are there at Disneyland? The mask thing may be healthy and safer (even though it doesn't protect the virus getting in your eyes) but it is just a different thing on a ship, just is.
 
The talk of a mandatory requirement to wear a mask on board concerns me. Even Norwegian and Royal Caribbean who announced their re-start dates and re-start polices made no mention of mandatory masks. The reason masks concern me is the following:

I would like DCL to start up as soon as possible and to not just start up, but to be successful. The market for the Disney theme parks is many, many times greater than the market for DCL cruising. The market for DCL cruising is even smaller now because even that market has shrunk due to people's anxiety and concerns over cruising. To me, DCL is going to rely heavily on their hard core/die hard/loyal/Castaway Club cruisers at the beginning of re-cruising. If you are coming on this board and posting on this board, then you are clearly a more dedicated DCL person than the average Joe Bananahead. I have seen many of the dedicated DCL cruisers post on this board that the mandatory requirement to wear a mask is a deal breaker for them. So my concern is that Disney may be able to get away with the requirement to wear masks at the parks because of the tens or hundreds of times more market the parks have versus that of DCL. But if even the hardcore DCL cruisers are saying they wont cruise if there is a mask requirement, I foresee a real issue for getting started back up. I got to say that I really don't blame people because making someone wear a mask at the themepark for the day is not the same as being required to wear one for a week on a Eastern Caribbean with 3+ days at sea or even worse on a Transatlantic or Panama Canal.

Now you're going to get people say that "if you don't want to wear a mask, then don't book the cruise". The problem with that is, OK, DCL's loyal cruisers that DCL is going to rely on to get started back up are not going to book a cruise, so that leaves us without success and the inability for DCL to get back to normal. People want to book a DCL cruise, not the hollow, limp along, just getting by cruise on a DCL ship. The mask requirement for theme parks does not translate well no matter how scientific or well intentioned you make it sound. For example, DCL has many bars and nightclubs on their ships, how many bars are there at Disneyland? The mask thing may be healthy and safer (even though it doesn't protect the virus getting in your eyes) but it is just a different thing on a ship, just is.
I hear what your saying, and I wish I wouldn’t have to wear a mask on cruise. However, no matter how many ways you explain that cruising and theme parks are different (and once again, I don’t WANT to wear a mask), I don’t see (unfortunately) how Disney could ever explain that masks in the theme parks are for everyone’s safety (especially cast members) but then turn around and say there are not the same safety concerns for guests or cast on a ship. I get it what you are saying about many loyal DCL’s probably saying mask=no cruise for them, but that may just be how it has to be for now... how will Disney ever explain that safety in crowds is an issue in the parks, but not on a cruise ship? I don’t know that they could.
 
So gotta ask...why are they still putting out FL and MTO and other discounts? I follow these and am tempted to book a Halloween one and a Merry one (we've got a good bit of FCC from our canceled Med cruise...should be on it right now...trying not to dwell on that!). I'm really of the line of thinking that cruises will not resume till October, maybe later. Florida has seen it's number of new positive covid tests increase the last couple of days. (Over 1,300 for the last three days, unfortunately.) Also, what about all the crew that has been repatriated? And the entertainment crew? I don't know how that works...I read someone said they train in Canada, or is that just a specific ship?

Anyway, I've been following the resort side too, and that's a hot mess. We're going to try to go with our military tickets (gave up the APs to go to Europe and DLP, ouch) and SOG. I would love to see things "back to normal" or even the ability to do something other than get groceries. We've essentially been in our house since March 13. But why continuing to offer incentives to book? Just to hold the down payment or PIF money? Is it even wise to think about booking? (Such a loaded question!)
 


DCL needs to announce their policies in time for people to cancel. I will not cruise if masks are required anywhere onboard. They can easily have us sign a form saying that we will assume all risks of getting sick. However, If masks are truly needed onboard then I would argue that cruising should not be done. Masks will not prevent the virus in a closed environment like a ship. They might help in the parks, where people briefly come into contact with others in passing, but not on a ship where repeated contact is more likely.
 
I’m wondering when cruises are even going to be able to get up and running. When Disney releases 2021 packages, I am seriously considering booking a backup WDW trip just in case. Although I’d rather go on the cruise. I don’t want to pay DCL prices for a severely limited experience
 
DCL needs to announce their policies in time for people to cancel. I will not cruise if masks are required anywhere onboard. They can easily have us sign a form saying that we will assume all risks of getting sick. However, If masks are truly needed onboard then I would argue that cruising should not be done. Masks will not prevent the virus in a closed environment like a ship. They might help in the parks, where people briefly come into contact with others in passing, but not on a ship where repeated contact is more likely.

Unfortunately you need to remember that YOU wearing a mask is not intended to protect YOU, it's intended to protect others. So when you agree to wear a mask on board you agree to try and protect others, it's not about your risk of getting sick so you can't sign off to not wear a mask that will protect others.

But I completely agree that wearing a mask on a cruise is unreasonable and I'd like to know if my Nov cruise will be sailing, and with what restrictions! I have been holding out to wait for DCL to cancel the cruise so I can get the 150% back since we're paid in full!! I seriously don;t see sailings till 2021, and maybe not till there's a vaccine!!
 
Are people saying they won't wear a mask because they think it is uncomfortable, ineffective or both?
 
Are people saying they won't wear a mask because they think it is uncomfortable, ineffective or both?
Probably a bit of both. I’m not sure how effective they would be in a cruise setting where people would be using the pools and eating in the dining room without their masks. It’s the same air being circulated around in the cruise ship. Same with being in their rooms. But masks are definitely uncomfortable too.

If masks were required all the time on the cruise ship, I wouldn’t go. I’m not going to pay $6800 for a Disney cruise for 3 people with a bunch of restrictions. That’s a lot of money. I could pay half that and go on a different line.
 
Unfortunately you need to remember that YOU wearing a mask is not intended to protect YOU, it's intended to protect others. So when you agree to wear a mask on board you agree to try and protect others, it's not about your risk of getting sick so you can't sign off to not wear a mask that will protect others.

But I completely agree that wearing a mask on a cruise is unreasonable and I'd like to know if my Nov cruise will be sailing, and with what restrictions! I have been holding out to wait for DCL to cancel the cruise so I can get the 150% back since we're paid in full!! I seriously don;t see sailings till 2021, and maybe not till there's a vaccine!!

125% if Disney cancels, not 150%.
 
125% if Disney cancels, not 150%.

I was told 125% for the Magic and Wonder and 150% for the Fantasy and Dream!! But as I always say, Everything is subject to change without prior written notice!!!
 
I was told 125% for the Magic and Wonder and 150% for the Fantasy and Dream!! But as I always say, Everything is subject to change without prior written notice!!!
My May sailing on the fantasy was cancelled and we received 125% credit for our 2 cabins. We used it to book the same cruise for May, 2021.
 
Anyone else here on a Magic sailing in October of this year? We're on the Oct 17 out of NYC to Canada. Obviously Canada isn't happening but wondering if they may switch it to Bermuda. It's only a 5 night so that's about the only other international port they can hit.

I'm not sure if switching to Bermuda is possible, but Disney has had to alter cruises out of New York City in the past, so that may be something they’re looking at. There was a Bahamian cruise several years ago that shifted to a Canadian cruise due to hurricane Matthew. So, perhaps they can shift a Canadian cruise to Bermuda one. I agree about the distances. I’m not sure they could do Nassau or CC and back in five nights.
 

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