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Category: Disney Cruise Lines
As a follow-up to my post the other day about Disney Cruise Line lifting their mass mandate, it looks like most other cruise lines have also lifted their mask mandates.
Of course, this could also change anytime so make sure to check the policy for your particular cruise line at the time when you’re cruising.
I found this article from Cruise Critic that has a good summary of the requirements for most of the cruise lines out there. Credit goes to them.
Disney Cruise Line has changed their masking policy. Effective March 11, 2022, guests will no longer have to wear masks in all indoor locations. Below is the exact text from DCL’s Health and Wellness page.
For sailings originating from the US beginning March 11, 2022, face coverings will be optional in most indoor locations throughout our ships. Guests ages 2 and up, including those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, will still be required to wear face coverings in the Walt Disney Theatre. Guests under 5 years of age who are currently ineligible to be vaccinated will be required to wear face coverings in Youth Activity spaces and in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique; and, while not required, we continue to strongly recommend these Guests wear a face covering in all other indoor locations.
As always, read the full Know Before You Go pages for DCL before you book and as you lead up to your cruise. Things can change anytime.
Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about cruising or if you’d like me to help book your next cruise. My recaps from our recent cruise in Dec 2021 are in the Trip Recap section.
Disney Cruise Line has suddenly surprised us with new sailings from San Diego, California for the Disney Wonder between Fall 2022 to Spring 2023!
There are several 3, 4, and 5 night Baja, and 7 night Mexican Riviera sailings. Port stops include Catalina Island, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.
Bookings begin tomorrow (didn’t give us much warning, huh?), Feb 16, 2022, for Platinum Castaway Club members, and continue the 17th and 18th for Gold and Silver/DVC/Adventure Insiders members, respectively. Bookings for the general public begin February 22nd.
For details on the new sailings, check out the following Disney Cruise Line article. They have paused all updates and bookings for all San Diego cruises on the Disney Cruise Line site until they open on the 16th.
You would like to chat about Disney cruises or would like me to help you book your future cruise on these new sailings or any other sailings, feel free to contact me. We sailed on the Wonder on an Alaskan cruise several years ago and it was amazing!
Did you catch the Disney Wish float out a few days ago?
Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish, hit the water for the first time as it floated out of the hall where it was constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. This is our first look at the entire ship! It’s gorgeous! So majestic! This major construction milestone was celebrated in true Disney style with fireworks, musical fanfare and a special appearance by Captain Minnie Mouse.
You can watch the float out live stream videos here:
No, unfortunately, this doesn’t mean the ship is ready to sail. It sounds like there’s still testing and interior work that needs to be done. DCL just announced a few weeks ago that the inaugural sailings will be delayed 6 weeks, pushed out til mid July 2022. Check out my blog post on the delay if you want more details.
It’s still exciting to know that the ship construction has reached a major milestone and we are finally able to see it in real life, as opposed to just the artist renderings. It is so beautiful! I can’t wait to see the inside. We will hopefully be sailing on it soon! Crossing fingers!
Let me know if you want me to help you plan your sailings on the Wish or any other cruise.
Sad news. Disney Cruise Lines just announced that the inaugural sailings of the Disney Wish will have to be postponed due to delays at the shipyard caused by the pandemic. If you had a cruise booked that got affected, you will be getting an email from Disney Cruise Lines with more details. Here is a snippet of their announcement.
Disney Cruise Line has no other choice than to delay the maiden voyage by a few weeks, which will regrettably affect sailings through mid-July. Guests who were booked on the original maiden voyage will be automatically shifted to a new sail date of July 14 at a 50 percent discount. If they are unable to move to the new sail date, they will have the option of either a 50 percent discount on a future cruise departing by December 31, 2023, with any originally paid funds converted to a Future Cruise Credit, or a full refund.
Guests who were originally booked on the other affected sailings will have the option of either a 50 percent discount on a future cruise departing by December 31, 2023, with any originally paid funds converted to a Future Cruise Credit, or a full refund.
We have temporarily paused the sale of all Disney Wish sailings while we process these changes. As a result, all affected sailings will no longer be visible online or in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. On February 8, Disney Wish sales will resume and new sailings may be booked online.
You can read the full announcement here:
So, that’s a big bummer! We had a sailing booked for June, so I guess we’ll be doing July now. Crossing fingers it won’t get delayed more.
We love the Disney cruises and just did one on the Fantasy this past December. You can read all about it in my Dec 2021 Trip Recap.
If you’re interested in booking a sailing on Disney’s new ship, which looks amazing, feel free to contact me. I’ll be glad to help.
Disney Cruise Line is offering 50% off deposits for new bookings made by March 11, 2022 for select sailings through May 31, 2023.
This offer is valid on any new reservation for select Disney cruises departing between June 18, 2022 and May 31, 2023 that does not require final payment at time of booking. Remaining balance will be due at time of final payment. This offer excludes Disney Wish sailings through September 30, 2022.
For more specifics, check the DCL article here.
And of course, know the current policies and changes due to Covid on their Know Before You Go page.
We just did a 7 night Western Caribbean Christmas cruise on the Disney Fantasy and we had a great time! We supposedly sailed at about 50% capacity so it was great! No lines or crowds anywhere. They couldn’t do the big deck and atrium parties but there were still plenty of activities, the shows were Broadway quality still, the dining was always delicious, the ship was kept immaculately clean as usual, and the crew members were fantastic as usual. Everyone who was eligible had to be vaccinated and everyone was tested before boarding, masks had to be worn indoors, and many other changes to activities n dining were made for social distancing and reduced contact, but everything was fine. It was no big deal. We totally felt safer there than at the parks or anywhere else. We loved roaming the gorgeous ship with so few people around and always being able to sit and watch the waves go by. We’ve sailed DCL several times before and it was slightly different, but still magical and great! We would absolutely sail Disney cruises again, even during these times, and especially during these times. My trip reports are coming soon, but I’ve started to post pics on my Instagram, so follow me there.
If you have any questions about cruises or would like me to help book yours, feel free to contact me.
Disney Cruise Line just extended their temporary 60 day final payment and cancellation policy through Sept 30, 2022. This means that you have until 60 days before the sail date to really decide if you can do the cruise and pay the balance. Previously, you had to decide 90+ days beforehand. Now, you don’t have to pay the balance until 60 days out. As long as you cancel before the 60 day mark, you will get your deposit refunded without penalty fees.
Note, if you are a Castaway Cay member, you can book cruise activities like specialty dining and port adventures sooner than 60 days, but you have to be paid in full before you can book them. So, if you are interested in some of the more popular activities that can fill up quick, you will want to pay your balance by your Castaway level’s booking date anyway. You can still cancel and get a full refund up until the 60 day mark.
As of now, everyone, regardless of Castaway level, will do their cruise checkin, where you enter your passport info and pick your port arrival time, etc, at 30 days beforehand, starting at midnight Eastern time zone. Then, at 15 days before sailing, you will do the SafePassage registration to upload your vaccine card for everyone old enough to be vaccinated or request a test for the younger ones.
If you have a cruise booked through Sept 30, 2022, you should’ve gotten an email with the extension information. Here’s what it said.
For sailings through September 30, 2022, we are temporarily extending final payment until 60 days prior to sailing for Guests booked in unrestricted stateroom categories. This means that those Guests who have not yet reached their final payment due date can wait until up to 60 days prior to sailing to pay for their cruise vacation. Onboard cruise activities can be scheduled within your Castaway Club booking window once final payment is received.
In addition, we are temporarily relaxing our cruise cancellation fee schedule for sailings through September 30, 2022, as described below.
Cruises 1 to 5 Nights (Excluding Suites and Concierge Staterooms)*
Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date Fee Amount
60 days or more No fee
59-45 days Deposit per Guest
44-30 days 50% of vacation price per Guest
29-15 days 75% of vacation price per Guest
14 days or less 100% of vacation price per Guest
Cruises 6 Nights or More (Excluding Suites and Concierge Staterooms)
Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date Fee Amount
60 days or more No fee
59-56 days Deposit per Guest
55-30 days 50% of vacation price per Guest
29-15 days 75% of vacation price per Guest
14 days or less 100% of vacation price per Guest
Suites and Concierge Staterooms
Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date Fee Amount
60 days or more Deposit per Guest
59-56 days 50% of vacation price per Guest
55-30 days 75% of vacation price per Guest
29 days or less 100% of vacation price per Guest
Categories with Restrictions
Reservations for Inside, Outside or Verandah Categories with Restrictions remain nonrefundable and nontransferable.
For more specifics, check the latest policies from Disney’s official site.
(Nov 17, 2021) Today, Disney Cruise Lines updated their requirements for sailing. Now, to match the new CDC vaccine eligibility, everyone (U.S. and International guests) 5 years old and older have to be fully vaccinated before they are able to sail, no exemptions, for any sailings on January 13, 2022 or after. All of the other requirements for testing and such remain the same.
There are plenty of other requirements, so make sure to read their information page carefully before you even book and several times along the way as it gets closer to your cruise since things can change anytime. I won’t even repeat them here since they can change by the time you read this. Always make sure to read from the source, Disney’s official website below.
If you have an upcoming cruise for Jan 13-May 28, 2022, you should’ve gotten an email today with more details. Note the cancellation policy also.
If you have any questions or just want to chat about Disney cruises, feel free to email me below.
Surprise!
Disney Cruise Lines suddenly announced the new sailings for Jan-May 2023 this morning! They include sailings for all ships, including the upcoming Wish!
Bookings for certain affinity groups and Castaway Club members start in 2 days, this Thursday, Oct 14th, with a new group opening each day until the general booking window on Thursday Oct 21st! Ahhh! Not much time to plan.
It’s generally going to be cheapest to book as soon as you’re able, since prices tend to increase as inventory decreases, and certain sailings and room categories tend to sell out fast. Unless you’re booking Concierge level or with any of the non- refundable “guarantee” rooms, you can cancel and get your full deposit back up to a certain number of days before the sail date. It’ll say when in the fine print when you book, it’s different for each sailing. So, if you’re thinking about it, you might want to just grab one for now and then finish thinking.
Also, who knows what things will be like by 2023, but be aware of the current requirements and changes for the cruise line.
If you would like to see the itineraries, check out the official Disney site listing below. Once your booking window opens at 8am that morning, log in (well, make sure your group number is associated with your DCL account beforehand) and the booking buttons will be activated for you. Before you’re eligible to book, they’ll all say “Coming Soon”.
We’ve been on several DCL sailings so far, and we love them! If you would like to chat about cruising or would like me to help you book these, feel free to contact me.
UPDATE: DCL is no longer requiring testing or proof of vaccinations before sailing.
UPDATE: As of Sept 13, 2021, Disney is requiring all travelers on every ship to do a rapid test at the port before embarkation, regardless of vaccination status, courtesy of Disney. The text below has been updated to reflect the latest information.
Last week, the Bahamian government announced that all eligible guests need to be vaccinated in order to visit any Bahamian island, including the private islands owned by cruise lines. Cruise lines are not allowed to port at any Bahamian islands unless all guests 12 and older are vaccinated on the ship. This is in effect through November 1, 2021 currently, but there’s no guarantee that they won’t extend it after that.
So, it comes as no surprise that Disney Cruise Lines announced this morning that all guests 12 and older are now required to be fully vaccinated before they will be allowed to board any sailing with a stop at the Bahamas, which includes the Disney private island Castaway Cay. Any guests younger than 12 will be required to have a negative PCR test still. I’m sure other cruise lines will follow suit soon, if they haven’t required vaccinations already.
If you have an affected Disney cruise booked between September 3, 2021 and November 1, 2021, Disney is allowing you to cancel or reschedule the trip without any penalty fees before September 3, 2021 if this effects your ability to sail. Make sure to do it before the 3rd or the usual fees will apply.
Disney cruise changes and cancellations need to be called in, they cannot be made within the app yourself. If you used a travel agency to book your cruise, you have to go through them, so let them know ASAP so they can be on the long phone lines with Disney for you.
As always, read the information directly from Disney for exact specifics, including how to provide your proof of vaccination or specifics on the testing process. If your sailing was affected, you should have gotten an email from Disney as well. This is currently affecting sailings on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ships in the upcoming months.
Disney has not stated if the vaccination policy will stay in effect beyond Nov 1, 2021, regardless if the Bahamas extends their requirement. If you have a cruise booked beyond that date, you may still want to start preparing now, if necessary, since it will take several weeks to get both doses of the vaccinations in order to be considered fully vaccinated.
As always, feel free to contact me if you need any help with your cruise information and bookings.
Adventures By Anne 