The Dream is Coming Back!

Earlier today, on the Disney Cruise Line website, it was announced that Disney cruises from Florida will finally resume!  The Magic at Sea cruises recently started in the UK, but those cruises are only available to UK residents and they don't stop anywhere.  The cruises that'll leave from Florida are much closer to normal cruises, as they're available to anyone and will visit ports of call like Castaway Cay.  

The Dream will be the first DCL ship to resume cruises from the US.  It'll be doing 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral, like what it was doing before cruises were shut down.  However, all of its August itineraries and a few early September itineraries have been changed.  Previously, the Dream was scheduled to do standard Bahamian cruises with stops at Castaway Cay and Nassau (the 4-night has a day at sea as well).  Now, instead of stopping at Nassau, it'll spend two days at Castaway Cay!  This is an improvement.  On both 3-night and 4-night cruises, the days at Castaway Cay are consecutive.  Disney probably made this change to have more control over health and safety measures.  Disney can control what happens on Castaway Cay, but not at any other port.  If I was booked on one of those cruises, I'd be happy, since Castaway Cay is a lot more fun than Nassau.

Since the Dream wouldn't have to go anywhere between days at Castaway Cay, I'm guessing it'll just spend the night docked at Castaway Cay.  It would be awesome if guests were allowed to stay on the island until later in the evening.  Cookies and Cookies Too could serve dinner!  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this is going to happen, as the aboard time on Castaway Cay is 4:45 PM on both days.  Maybe pirates come out at 4:46 and capture anyone who doesn't get back on the ship in time.

Later in September, the Dream has stops at Nassau scheduled, but those stops could change.  If you're interested in those cruises, check the DCL website for the latest information.

The Dream is cool, but what about the other ships?  The next cruise on the Fantasy is scheduled for early September and the next cruise on the Wonder is scheduled for late September.  The Magic won't be doing any cruises from the US until November.  Disney has only released specific information about resuming cruises on the Dream, so information about the other ships will probably come later.

As I'm sure you know, cruises this August won't be the same as cruises before the shutdown.  There will be restrictions, but these cruises have less restrictions than the Magic at Sea cruises.  Some of the restrictions are similar to those found on the Magic at Sea cruises.  Here's an informational video about some of what'll be different on the Dream in August:

The video does a better job explaining than I can, so I won't waste time restating what the video already explained.  It goes over most of what guests need to know, but it doesn't mention some notable changes.  Thankfully, the DCL website has more information.  Just so you know, this information is about the Dream only.  This gives a pretty good idea of what to expect on the other ships, but specific details about them will be released later.  Here's a big list of what I thought was important.

• Guests can use the DCL Navigator app to talk with crew members from Guest Services, Port Adventures, and dining teams.  If it works well, it'll be very helpful.
• Using the DCL Navigator app, guests can schedule an appointment to meet with a crew member in person.  This makes me think that the Guest Services and Port Adventures desks will have significantly less crew members at them to help guests.
• Face coverings will be required inside, but not outside.  It's funny, in the past, guest were only allowed to wear masks when getting their picture taken.  Times have changed.
• Deck parties won't be happening.
• Fireworks will happen on two different nights, but guests will be assigned a fireworks show they can attend before their cruise starts.  Unfortunately, they're not pirate themed.  The fireworks will happen during a more generic "Disney Ever After" show.  This might cause a mutiny.
• Up-close character experiences won't be happening, but they'll still interact with guests from a distance.
• Less people will be allowed in the Walt Disney Theatre at a time.  There will only be one Broadway-style show in the Walt Disney Theatre per cruise.  It'll be shown many times during the cruise, so everyone who wants to see it gets a chance.
• Guests will need to book sessions for their children in the Oceaneer Club and Lab before their cruise online or on the DCL Navigator app.  Each child can only have one session per day, which is unfortunate for kids that love the Club and Lab.  If a child does not have any sessions in the Oceaneer Club and Lab, they can be booked through Guest Services if there's availability.
• Edge and Vibe will be open, and no reservations are necessary.  
• Kids at youth clubs will likely be told to wash their hands more.  We were already encouraged to do this frequently, but it looks like that'll happen more now.
• The 'it's a small world nursery!' will be closed.
• The minimum age to use the Senses Fitness Center has been lowered to 14.  Guests under 18 need to have an adult or guardian with them to use the Fitness Center.
• Some Senses treatments and features won't be available.
• Pools and water slides will be open.  Unlike the Magic at Sea cruises, guests won't have to wait in a virtual line to go to the pools, which is nice.  Capacity will be limited in the pools, but that's a good thing, since the pools are often too crowded to have fun.
• Guests can't play shuffleboard, ping pong, or basketball.  However, the website says nothing about mini golf or the sports simulators.  This is because Disney copied this section of text from the Magic at Sea information page.  The Magic doesn't have a mini golf course or sports simulators, so how could they be temporarily unavailable?  I'm pretty sure these two features will be unavailable.  They should temporarily rename Goofy's Sports Deck to Goofy's ______ Deck.  Also, did DCL forget that foosball exists?  If the other Sports Deck activities aren't available, foosball probably isn't available.
• All food and drinks will be served by crew members, so guests can no longer serve themselves.  I don't think this will be a huge problem, but I probably wouldn't be able to make custom drink combinations or unrealistically tall ice cream cones.
• Menus won't be given to guests at meals, so they'll have to use the DCL Navigator app to view the menus.  Alternatively, guests can ask to get a paper menu.
• Hanging bags on stateroom doors to collect gifts from other guests (fish extenders) isn't allowed.
• A new contactless payment system will be used.
• Payment history and receipts will be visible in the DCL Navigator app.
• When getting off the ship at Castaway Cay, guests will use the DCL Navigator app to join the virtual queue.  However, when less people are debarking the ship, the virtual queue won't be in use.
• All Port Adventures are still happening, just at a lower capacity.
• The Castaway Cay trams will still be running, but enhanced cleaning measures will be in use.  Also, to promote physical distancing, less people will be allowed on a tram at a time thanks to modified seating.  Face coverings are required when riding on trams.  To avoid this, walk.
• Disney says that hammocks on Castaway Cay are temporarily suspended.  But aren't hammocks always suspended?
• The line for Pelican Plunge will now be on land.
• The Party Patrol exists.  The Party Patrol consists of characters that ride beach vehicles around the island.  This seems like the kind of thing that'll be a permanent feature.  Can I join?
• Scuttle's Cove, the youth club for ages 3-12 on Castaway Cay, won't be operating.  It would probably be challenging to implement the Oceaneer Club and Lab reservation system to Scuttle's Cove.
• Teen Hideout (essentially Vibe on Castaway Cay) will be open, and no reservations are necessary.  Also, In Da Shade will be open.  Both of these will have reduced capacity, but they'll offer "recreational activities, including basketball, foosball, table tennis and pool".  This doesn't make sense.  Why are basketball and ping pong/table tennis allowed on Castaway Cay but not on the ship?  Maybe it has something to do with Disney copying the text from the Magic at Sea page.  If it's allowed at Castaway Cay, it's probably allowed on the ship.  We'll see what happens.

To me, these restrictions and new practices probably won't ruin the cruise experience.  Sure, some things are a lot different than they were (it'll probably take me a while to get used to not getting my own food and drinks), but they could be worse.  The reservations required at the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab seem very annoying, but they won't affect my family.  We're glad that Vibe and Edge don't require reservations.  Also, I'm really happy there won't be a virtual queue to go to the pools like on the Magic at Sea cruises.  

You may have noticed that I mentioned the DCL Navigator app a lot.  DCL is relying on the app more than they ever have in the past.  This is convenient for people with smartphones, since it's all available in one place.  But, there are some people that don't have smartphones who would be inconvenienced by the convenience.  Also, there's the other problem of the app not working.  My family has had many problems with the app malfunctioning, often due to a bad connection on the ship.  With more features that utilize the app and more people using the app, there's more that could go wrong.  Hopefully DCL anticipated the potential problems and upgraded the Wi-Fi technology on their fleet and Castaway Cay.  

As more cruises happen and the pandemic situation improves, many of these restrictions will probably be removed.  I don't think they'll be completely gone by January 2022, when my family is planning to go on the Magic, but I'm thinking there will be less of them by then.  The Dream's first cruise since the March 2020 shutdown will begin pretty soon, on August 9th.  The resumption of cruises on the Dream is an exciting next step toward cruises resuming fleetwide!  We'll get there, eventually.

Non-Gimmicky Restaurants are Important!

Like the four existing Disney Cruise Line ships, the Wish will have three rotational restaurants.  However, the Wish's three restaurants are all completely new.  There's Worlds of Marvel, a "Cinematic Dining Adventure".  I haven't seen most of the Marvel movies, but this restaurant looks interesting.  Also, it has small cupcakes that grow big?

I have no idea how that's going to work, but it looks cool.  Also, being able to interact with Marvel characters without waiting in a line to see them will be fun.  

The Wish will also have Arendelle:  A Frozen Dining Adventure.  There will be a large stage in the middle of this restaurant, where a new story, set after Frozen II, will take place right in front of the diners.  Since it's happening live, guests will probably be able to interact with the characters and impact on the story, so it may be different every time.  This restaurant seems to be taking the live performances featured in Tiana's Place on the Wonder and Rapunzel's Royal Table on the Magic to the next level.  If the story is something everyone can enjoy, this restaurant will be a lot of fun to eat at.

The Wish's other rotational restaurant is 1923, a restaurant with a cool 1920s theme.  From what we've seen of it, I think it's my favorite of the Wish's rotational restaurants.  Unlike the other two restaurants, it's pretty straightforward.  Here, there's no live show to watch or super heroes to help.  Without an innovative special dining experience, the fun at this restaurant is your family or travel party at your table.  

Disney wants families to spend time together on their ships.  The word "family" (or "families") was used thirteen times in this video, so its obvious that Disney designs their ships with families in mind.

So, two of the three rotational restaurants on the Wish will have a major gimmick.  Sure, participating in them probably won't be forced, but from what I've seen, they're the focuses of the restaurant.  During dinner at these two restaurants, guests will be encouraged to pay attention to what's going on in the restaurant, instead of paying attention to their families.

I'm not sure how I feel about this.  When I'm on a Disney cruise, I rarely see my family members.  I spend the days going all over the ship and having fun, mostly without them.  Dinner is often the one time of day that we all spend together on a cruise.  It's really fun to talk what we did that day, how much ice cream we ate, and what we're planning to do next.  At 1923, we'd have the entire meal to catch up and discuss what we did that day, since there's nothing to distract us.  My fear for Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle is that we won't be able to talk very much because of what's going on in the restaurant.  Sure, 1923 is less flashy and exciting than the other two restaurants, but this simplicity is actually beneficial for families!

Of course, Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle aren't the first DCL restaurants to have a feature that you wouldn't find at a normal restaurant.  On the four current ships, Animator's Palate has a variety of special features.  For example, there's the Animation Magic show, where guests draw characters that dance to Disney music on large screens on the walls later in the dinner.  I enjoy this show, and, since it's pretty short, it doesn't take much time away from our family conversations.  Same with Crush the sea turtle.  He swims around and talks to guests for a while, but he's a considerate turtle and gives families plenty of time to talk.

This is what the Wish's two restaurants need to do.  Disney is not going to change the rotational restaurants before the Wish launches (though they could change them in a future dry dock renovation), so let's think about how Arendelle and Worlds of Marvel could work.  They'll have their gimmicks and special experiences, but they can't take up too much time of the meal.  Family conversations are important! Wow, I sound like a parent. Even if 1923 is the only rotational restaurant where uninterrupted family conversations can happen, the other two restaurants must give families plenty of time together.

Disney hasn't said too much about the special experiences at Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle, and I doubt we'll know how much time these experiences will take up until the Wish launches.  

I don't think the other two future DCL ships will have the exact same rotational restaurants as the Wish, but Disney needs to include a non-gimmicky restaurant.  Sure, it would be more attractive to potential customers if every restaurant had a special experience, but it would weaken one of the most important parts of a family vacation:  Family!

Disney Cruises Are Back!

In March of 2020, Disney Cruise Line and many other cruise lines suspended the operations of their entire fleets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Initially, I thought this suspension would only last a few weeks, but here we are in July 2021, and that Disney Cruise Line Operational Update is still at the top of the DCL website.  While some cruise lines have resumed limited operations, Disney's four ships haven't had any guests on them in over a year.  However, that changed today!  

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The first Disney Magic at Sea cruise started today, July 15th.  As you may know, these cruises depart from the United Kingdom, and only residents of the United Kingdom are able to go on them.  Also, they don't visit any ports of call.  The Magic is the only DCL ship doing these cruises (if all the ships were doing them, the cruises would be called Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy at Sea), so the three other ships haven't resumed cruises yet.  Although they're not regular cruises, the Magic at Sea cruises are a good starting point for Disney cruises to resume across the fleet.

It's great to finally have cruises going again.  However, after these Magic at Sea cruises are over, the Magic will stop cruising again.  It's like DCL is taking a step forward but then taking a step back.  Cruises on the other DCL ships would've been happening at the same time as those canceled cruises on the Magic, so it doesn't make a ton of sense.  Sure, the cruises after the Magic at Sea cruises were normal cruises that would've visited places, but the other cruises scheduled to happen then are normal as well.  Many of these canceled cruises would've departed from New York City, so maybe the reason that they were canceled was to completely avoid NYC and just resume cruises from Miami.  Does Disney have a problem with big apples?

I'm really excited for cruises to resume fleetwide, and today was a major step toward that happening.  As of now, the closest non-Magic at Sea cruise is scheduled for early August on the Dream.  I don't think it'll get canceled.  It's already mid-July, and if it was going to get canceled, I think Disney would've done it by now.  We'll see what happens, DCL could do what they did in March 2020 again.  

 

Until that cruise happens (if it doesn't get canceled), let's celebrate the Magic at Sea!

That's Not Cabanas...and Donald Duck Has a Cantina?

Earlier today, Disney Cruise Line updated the Wish's website with information about the Wish's non-rotational dining options, like the poolside restaurants.  All of the restaurants announced follow the standard set by the previously-announced restaurants:  They're unlike any of the existing DCL restaurants.  Disney didn't reveal much about them, but let's take a look at what we do know!

First, we'll talk about the largest of the restaurants that were announced today:  Cabanas Marceline Market.  Contrary to what the name suggests, this is a restaurant, not a shop.  It's named after Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri.  According to its description, Marceline Market will have ten separate food stations, all based on different Disney movies.  Disney didn't say which movies will be featured, but in their rendering of the restaurant, there's art on the wall that gives it away.  Take a look at this screenshot:

I was surprised at how high the quality of the image is.  If this image is correct, there will be food stations themed after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Ratatouille, Beauty and the Beast, Zootopia, Tangled, Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, and Pinocchio.  Judging by this image, there will also be a food station that has something to do with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

I think each food station will have food related to its theme.  For example, the Zootopia station might have a focus on salads and vegetables, while the Ratatouille station may feature French food.  Do you think the food from the Ratatouille station will be as fancy as food from Remy (named after the rat from Ratatouille) on the Dream and Fantasy?  In addition to the ten food stations, there will be a "café-style beverage bar".  I hope there's more than one, because Marceline Market is probably going to be pretty big.

I think it's good that Marceline Market won't only focus on one movie, and the distinct stations will make it easier to find the food that you want.  Also, telling others where you got food will be very easy:

"Hey, that looks good, where'd you get it?"
"It's from Beauty and the Beast."

The Marceline Market description says that guests will enjoy "a walk-around experience for breakfast and lunch, and table service at dinnertime."  Is a walk-around experience a buffet?  It might be, but maybe Marceline Market won't be a buffet.  The pandemic may have influenced the design of the Wish, so maybe guests won't be able to serve themselves food.  Instead, crew members might be serving food.  As long as it's flexible and works efficiently, I'll be okay with it.  Also, the restaurant's table service dinner is like what's been done at Cabanas for dinner.  Guests will be able to eat inside or outside, like at Cabanas.

Marceline Market is very different from DCL's existing casual restaurant, Cabanas.  I've always enjoyed the tropical theming of Cabanas, since it fits perfectly with the atmosphere of a cruise.  I was surprised that Disney chose not to put Cabanas on the Wish and instead try something new.  They had renovated the buffet restaurants on the Magic and Wonder into Cabanas to keep them in line with the Dream and Fantasy, and I thought that they would want to keep the branding the same across the fleet, like what they've been doing with other things like the Walt Disney Theatre and the youth clubs.  It seems unlikely, but maybe the four Cabanas restaurants will be updated into Marceline Markets in the future.  

Before hearing about Marceline Market, I didn't know about the city of Marceline.  According to Wikipedia, it had a population of 2,233 people in 2010.  The Wish will be able to hold 4,000 passengers, so Marceline Market will likely serve more people in a day than the entire population of the city.

I'm looking forward to getting more information about Marceline Market, like what food it'll serve and how getting food at breakfast and lunch will function.

I'm also looking forward to the other type of casual restaurant, the poolside quick service restaurants!  Together, the Wish's poolside restaurants are known as the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods.  Included in this festival are Daisy's Pizza Pies, Goofy's Grill, and Sweet Minnie's Ice Cream, three restaurants that are similar to what we've seen on the existing DCL ships, just with different theming and, possibly, different menus.  In addition to these, two other restaurants, Mickey's Smokestack Barbecue and Donald's Cantina, will be part of the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods.  This is exciting!   Other than Cookies and Cookies Too on Castaway Cay, we've never had a DCL barbecue restaurant.  Also, Donald's Cantina will be the first DCL Mexican restaurant.  The Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods will have more variety than those on the current DCL ships, which helps to solve an inconvenience that I never considered.  On the current ships, if you're on the pool deck and want to eat something that's not at one of the outdoor restaurants, you'd have to go into Cabanas which has air conditioning and is cold.  But on the Wish, with its additional two restaurants, there'll be more outdoor food options and less of a chance that guests won't want anything from them.  

Unfortunately, there isn't a rendering of the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods on the Wish's website.  However, since all five restaurants are grouped under the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods name, I think they'll all be close to each other, similar to Flo's Café on the Dream and Fantasy.  I'm hoping that the Festival of Foods flows better than Flo's so that it doesn't get too crowded.  

Unlike Marceline Market, the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods will have a tropical boardwalk theme, which will work well, since it's right by the pools.  Also, since the Wish's family pools are all named after characters from the Mickey Mouse universe, the restaurants will fit in perfectly.

I'm glad Disney finally announced more of the Wish's guest areas.  I'm looking forward to learning more about Marceline Market and the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods.  Specifically, I want to know the menus for each of the restaurants.  What foods will Donald's Cantina and Mickey's Smokestack Barbecue serve?  Will I be able to order a whole pizza at Daisy's Pizza Pies?  Could guests order combination foods, like a barbecue chicken pizza or a hot dog in a tortilla?  Will Sweet Minnie's Ice Cream have blueberry ice cream?  Will there be a soft drink station near the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods?  I can't wait for that next delicious announcement!

Will the Senses Fitness Center Allow Teenagers on Future Cruises?

Update 7/23/21: Today, DCL announced that cruises from the US will resume in August, starting with the Dream. On the website with information about these cruises, Disney announced that teenagers (ages 14-17) will be able to use the Fitness Center, as long as they're with a parent or guardian!

The United Kingdom's Magic at Sea cruises are scheduled to begin next week.  There will be many new health and safety practices in place, and I think they're pretty restrictive.  The DCL website has information about these policies, and even if you aren't going on a Magic at Sea cruise, it's worth checking out.  It's hard for me to imagine how some of the restrictions will work, like having to wait in a virtual line to go to the pools.  At least the pools aren't virtual.

One of the changes that surprised me the most was that teenagers (aged 14-17) will be allowed to use the Fitness Center as long as they're with an adult or guardian.  This is new for the Magic at Sea cruises, and I think it's in place to give teens more to do on the restricted cruises.  Vibe will be open, but its activities will be limited.  So, to stop teens from getting bored, they get to exercise!  Fun...  All guests will need to make a reservation to use the Fitness Center, and they can only use it for 45 minutes per day.  That time limit seems short, but it's good for people who want to exercise but don't like doing it.

Allowing teenagers into the Fitness Center is a positive change.  Before this change, exercise options for teenagers were limited.  We could use the promenade for running or walking, the pools (when they weren't crowded), or the sports deck for a variety of activities.  But now, a much larger selection of exercise activities are available for 45 minutes a day.  I probably wouldn't spend any time at the Fitness Center, but I'm sure many of my peers would.  I don't even need the Fitness Center, I get enough exercise going up and down the stairs.

After this summer's Magic at Sea cruises are over, will teenagers still be allowed to use the Fitness Center?  I think so.  They'll have to be accompanied by an adult, so it's not like a group of teenagers could go around the Fitness Center and bother adults or damage the exercise equipment.  Also, teenagers are already allowed to receive Senses Spa treatments in the Chill Spa, so teens in the Senses area isn't an entirely new thing.  If allowing supervised teenagers into the Fitness Center works well this summer, I'm guessing the change will spread across the fleet when cruises that go places return.  Of course, Disney may want to keep the Fitness Center an adults-exclusive space, but for all the teenagers that would like to use the Fitness Center, I hope this is not the case.

While writing this post, I realized that I have no photos of the Fitness Center.  That makes sense, as I've never been able to go.  If DCL allows teens there on my next cruise, maybe I'll let my phone's camera get exercise and take some pictures!

Taking a Look at the Newly-Announced Fall 2022 Itineraries

Disney's fall 2022 cruise itineraries were announced recently.  This announcement includes cruises from late September to December.  Also, it features both Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime cruises.  Unlike the summer 2022 itinerary announcement, this one includes cruises on the Wish.  However, those Wish cruises aren't too exciting.  Like I've done in the past, I'll be going through the itineraries by ship in the order that they entered (or will enter) the fleet.

The Magic is the oldest DCL ship, so we'll look at its new itineraries first.  Before this announcement, Disney had released what the Magic would be doing up until September 18th, 2022.  On that day, it'll be finishing a 7-Night British Isles cruise from Dover and starting its annual westbound transatlantic cruise.  This is a 12-night cruise that leaves from Dover and ends in New York City, with stops in Le Havre, France; Plymouth, England; Vigo, Spain; and King's Wharf, Bermuda.  It also has seven days at sea.  After this cruise, the Magic will go on two 5-night Bermuda cruises.  Both of these spend two days in King's Wharf, Bermuda  and spend two days at sea.  They're also Halloween on the High Seas cruises.  Next, on October 10th, the Magic will start a 6-night Halloween on the High Seas Canada and New England cruise.  This cruise visits Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada; and Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada.  Two days of this cruise will be spent at sea.  If the pandemic hadn't happened, the Magic would've done a cruise to these same three ports in October 2021.  However, this canceled cruise was known as a 6-night Canada cruise, while its 2022 version is called a 6-night Canada and New England cruise.  Although it's minor, this is a good change.  The cruise goes to Maine, which isn't in Canada, but in New England.  The new name gives a better overview of where the cruise goes, without requiring people to view the ports that it visits.  Good job, Disney!  After that Canada and New England cruise, the Magic will do three more 5-night Halloween on the High Seas Bermuda cruises just like the ones I mentioned previously.  Following those, on October 31st, a 7-night Halloween on the High Seas Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean cruise will begin.  This is a repositioning cruise that goes from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico.  This cruise has stops at King's Wharf, Bermuda; St. John's, Antigua; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.  It also has three days at sea.  This cruise is similar to one my family was planning to go on this year, but that got canceled.  That cruise was a shorter 5-night Bermuda cruise that would've spent a day in Bermuda and a day in Tortola, along with two days at sea, before ending in San Juan.  Like the Canada and New England cruise's name change, this cruise has a new name.  In the past, cruises like this were called Bermuda cruises from New York ending in San Juan, but now it's a Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean cruise.  Again, the name was probably changed for clarification.  After that, starting on November 7th, is a 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise from San Juan!  I've gone on two Southern Caribbean cruises on the Wonder, and they were both great, so I'm happy DCL is doing another one of these cruises.  This is a nice itinerary:  It goes to St. John's, Antigua; Castries, St. Lucia; Oranjestad, Aruba; and Kralendijk, Bonaire.  Also, this cruise has two days at sea.  My family and I probably aren't going on this cruise, but I'm glad to see that it exists.  Following that nice cruise is a 6-night Caribbean cruise from San Juan to Galveston, Texas starting on November 20th.  This cruise stops at St. Thomas, USVI and Falmouth, Jamaica.  Three days of this cruise will be spent at sea.  From Galveston, the Magic will do a 5-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise that stops at Progreso and Cozumel in Mexico, along with two days at sea.  Finally, after that cruise, the Magic will do two identical 7-night Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston.  These two cruises will visit Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Falmouth, Jamaica.  Also, they'll both spend three days at sea.  These cruises are just like the 7-night Western Caribbean cruises on the Fantasy, although these have an extra day at sea instead of a day at Castaway Cay.  Castaway Cay is my favorite part of the Fantasy's Western Caribbean cruises, so I would prefer the Fantasy's Western Caribbean cruises over these.  

Wow, the Magic will be busy in fall 2022.  It'll start the season in Europe and end up in Texas.  Thanks to this announcement, we know what the Magic will be doing until December 9th, 2022.

During summer 2022, the Wonder will be in Alaska.  In September, it'll be finishing its Alaska season with two 7-night Alaskan cruises from Vancouver. Both of these cruises will visit four ports in Alaska:  Dawes Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.  They'll also have two days at sea.  After these two cruises, on September 19th, the Wonder will start a 4-night Pacific Coast cruise that'll start in Vancouver and end in San Diego, California.  This cruise isn't incredibly interesting, as it will only visit Victoria, British Columbia.  After a day there, the Wonder will spend two days at sea sailing to San Diego. Next, on September 23rd, the Wonder will go on a 5-night Halloween on the High Seas Baja cruise.  This cruise will visit Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, two Mexican ports of call. Two days of this cruise will be spent at sea.  After that cruise is a similar 4-night Halloween on the High Seas Baja cruise.  This cruise is a night shorter than the previous one, so this one only visits Cabo San Lucas and spends two days at sea.  After that will be a 7-night Halloween on the High Seas Mexican Riviera cruise, starting on October 2nd.  This cruise will stop at three Mexican ports of call:  Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta.  It'll also have three days at sea.  Next is a 3-night Baja cruise that sails to Ensenada and spends a day at sea.

For some reason, Disney doesn't have any more of the Wonder's fall 2022 itineraries on their website.  All of the other ships have is listed into November and December, but not the Wonder.  On the DCL website, if you choose to view cruises on the Wonder when September, October, November, and December are selected, this happens:

This means that only September and some October cruises are currently available on the Wonder.  It doesn't happen for any of the other ships.  This could indicate that the Wonder will be going into dry dock for some renovations at that time.  But would that take over two months to complete?  Also, cruises in November and December are often more expensive than others thanks to holidays like Christmas and New Year's Day.  Why would Disney choose to miss out on that profitable time of year?  While a dry dock could happen, it seems unlikely.  Disney will probably announce the rest of the Wonder's itineraries soon.

While we wait for that to happen, let's look at the remaining three ships' itineraries.  For most of September, the Dream will alternate between 3-night Bahamian cruises and 4-night Bahamian cruises from Miami, with some of these being Halloween on the High Seas cruises.  On September 26th, it'll change things up with a 5-night Halloween on the High Seas Bahamian cruise with two stops at Castaway Cay.  As the name suggestions, this cruise stops at Castaway Cay twice.  It'll also stop at Nassau once and spend one day at sea.  After that is a 5-night Halloween on the High Seas Western Caribbean cruise that goes to George Town, Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay.  It'll spend two days at sea.  Next is a Halloween on the High Seas 4-night Bahamian cruise.  After that is a different version of the 5-night Western Caribbean cruise.  This version goes to Castaway Cay and Cozumel, Mexico.  It still has two days at sea, and it's also a Halloween on the High Seas cruise.  After this, on October 15th, the Dream will go on another one of the 5-night Western Caribbean (Grand Cayman) cruises, followed by a 4-night Bahamian cruise.  Next, the Dream will do another 5-night Halloween on the High Seas Western Caribbean (Cozumel) cruise that starts on October 24th.  After that is the Dream's last Halloween on the High Seas cruise of 2022, a 5-night Halloween on the High Seas Western Caribbean (Grand Cayman) cruise.  Next is a normal 4-night Bahamian cruise followed by a normal 5-night Western Caribbean (Cozumel) cruise that ends on November 12th.

Then it gets weird.  There's a gap between November 12th and the 17th.  You may remember last year's fall 2021 itinerary announcement.  There was a similar gap in the Fantasy's fall 2021 cruises because of a special Turner Classic Movies chartered cruise.  Well, that TCM cruise on the Fantasy has been rescheduled, and it's now a 5-night Western Caribbean (Grand Cayman) cruise on the Dream.  That special cruise will happen from November 12th to November 17th, but it can only be booked through the TCM website, which is why there's the gap on the DCL website.

After that TCM cruise, on November 17th, the Dream will start a 4-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise.  After that cruise will be a 5-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise with two stops at Castaway Cay.  This is just like the one it'll be doing in September, but instead of scary, this cruise will be merry.  The Dream will finish November with a 5-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean (Grand Cayman) cruise that ends on December 1st.  December will start with a 4-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise followed by a 5-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean (Cozumel) cruise.  After those, on the 10th, a 5-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean (Grand Cayman) cruise will start.  Next will be another 4-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise.  On the 19th, another 5-night Very Merrytime Bahamian cruise with two stops at Castaway Cay will begin, just like the previous one.  After that will be a 5-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean (Grand Cayman) cruise.  Finally, the Dream will finish 2022 with a normal 4-night Bahamian cruise that ends on January 2nd, 2023.

I noticed that the Dream will be going on quite a few 5-night cruises in fall 2022.  This is probably because Disney will have another ship doing shorter 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises that we'll get to soon.  But before that, let's look at the Disney Fantasy.

I said we'd look at the Fantasy, not its itineraries.  Now that that's out of the way, let's look at the Fantasy's fall 2022 itineraries.  Throughout September, the Fantasy will alternate between 7-night Western Caribbean cruises and 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruises, with most of them being Halloween on the High Seas cruises.  The Fantasy's Western Caribbean cruises visit Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Castaway Cay.  These itineraries spend two days at sea.  The Fantasy's Eastern Caribbean cruises visit Tortola, BVI; St. Thomas, USVI; and Castaway Cay.   These cruises spend three days at sea.  This is the most common version of 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruises.  However, a different Eastern Caribbean itinerary will start on September 24th.  This cruise will visit Philipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Castaway Cay.  Like the regular Eastern Caribbean cruises, this one will spend three days at sea.  Following that cruise will be four 7-night Halloween on the High Seas cruises.  Like in September, the Fantasy will alternate between the two itineraries (Eastern and Western).  The Fantasy will end October with an unusual 8-night Halloween on the High Seas Eastern Caribbean cruise.  This cruise will visit Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. John's, Antigua; St. Thomas, USVI; and Castaway Cay.  In addition to these ports, this cruise will spend three days at sea.  When that cruise ends, on November 6th (a Sunday) a 6-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise will start.  This itinerary is just like the Fantasy's normal Western Caribbean cruises, but since it's a day shorter than those, this itinerary skips the stop in Falmouth, Jamaica.  The purpose of this 6-night cruise is to get the Fantasy back on its normal Saturday to Saturday cruise schedule that the 8-night cruise before it will disrupt.  The rest of the Fantasy's November is simple:  A 7-night Very Merrytime Eastern Caribbean cruise, followed by a 7-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise, followed by another 7-night Very Merrytime Eastern Caribbean cruise.  Only two cruises have been announced on the Fantasy in December 2022.  There's one 7-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise that starts on December 3rd, as well as one 7-night Very Merrytime Eastern Caribbean cruise.  The rest of the Fantasy's 2022 cruises will likely be announced soon, maybe with the other ships' remaining cruises.  

In fall 2022, the Wish will be going on its first Halloween on the High Seas cruises and its first Very Merrytime cruises.  But other than that fact, the Wish's fall 2022 itineraries aren't very interesting.  From September to the end of 2022, it'll be alternating between 3-night Bahamian cruises and 4-night Bahamian cruises, both from Port Canaveral.  The most interesting cruise the Wish will be doing is a 3-night Bahamian cruise from November 4th to November 7th that only goes to Castaway Cay.  Like the Dream, Disney has announced what the Wish will be doing through the end of the year.

That's it for the fall 2022 itineraries that have been announced so far.  It's strange how DCL has announced cruises through the end of 2022 for the Dream and the Wish but not for the other ships.  Wouldn't it make more sense to have cruises available on all of the ships up until a similar date?  Maybe Goofy was in charge of releasing these itineraries.  I'm planning on writing about the remaining 2022 itineraries shortly after they are announced.  The fall 2022 itineraries are available to book now, so you want more information about any of them or want to book one, visit the DCL website.

What Even is an Attraction at Sea?

During April's Once Upon a Disney Wish presentation, DCL announced that the Wish will have a large water slide called the AquaMouse.  From what they've shown of it, it looks like a very fun ride.  Parts of it appear to be similar to its predecessor, the AquaDuck on the Dream and Fantasy, but it's different enough to get me excited for it.

I can't wait to ride the AquaMouse, but something I didn't understand about the AquaMouse was how it was referred to in the presentation.  The people in the presentation called the AquaMouse "the first-ever Disney attraction at sea".  

It's called the same thing in a Disney Parks Blog post about the slide.  But wait, isn't the AquaDuck, which has been around for over a decade, an attraction?  Did everyone working for Disney forget about the AquaMouse's older counterpart?  Or is the AquaDuck not attractive enough to be an attraction?  What makes a ride an attraction?

Let's start our search at the page for the AquaDuck on the DCL website.  The word 'attraction' is never used on this page, but it does say that the AquaDuck is the first-ever water coaster at sea.  The AquaDuck is very popular, and it attracts crowds every day it's operational.  Since it attracts so many people, wouldn't you call it an attraction?  I guess Disney doesn't.  If we use this logic, the DCL ships have a lot of attractions.  The theatres, the pools, the Magic's AquaDunk, the smaller water slides, the youth clubs, and the sports decks are among what I consider to be attractions.  However, to keep this post straightforward, I'll be keeping my focus on the AquaDuck.

If the AquaDuck isn't an attraction, what is?  Let's take a look at the list of attractions on the Disney World website.  This list includes every ride and experience at Disney World.  In addition to the attractions at the four main Disney World parks, this list includes water slides, like those at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.  One of the water slides at Typhoon Lagoon, the Crush 'N' Gusher, is a raft water slide that looks a lot like the AquaDuck.  This slide is even classfied as a water coaster, just like the AquaDuck!  If the AquaDuck was at Disney World, it would surely be on this list.  But since it isn't, it's not classfied as an attraction.

So why is the AquaMouse "the first-ever Disney attraction at sea" when it clearly isn't?  I think it's for marketing.  The AquaMouse is not the first-ever water coaster at sea (that was the AquaDuck), but it is still a water coaster.  In order to get the media and potential new customers excited, Disney needed a way to make the AquaMouse sound completely new when they have something like it on the Dream-class ships.  So, the AquaMouse is an attraction at sea, while the AquaDuck isn't one.  It's good for companies to hype up something new, but calling the AquaMouse something that it's not is confusing and misleading.

Plus, there are so many other first-evers that the AquaMouse could've been called.  Riders will watch a Mickey Mouse cartoon, Scuba Scramble, on the ride up, and the AquaMouse is the first ever water coaster at sea to do that.  Disney should've just called the AquaMouse the 'first-ever water coaster at sea that has had a Mickey Mouse cartoon created exclusively for it'.  It's also the 'first-ever Port Misadventures excursion'.  We can't forget that it's also the 'first-ever DCL water coaster that doesn't require riders to walk up 70 steps'.  There were so many missed opportunities!  Disney could have at least called the AquaMouse the 'first-ever Disney attraction at sea that isn't really the first ever Disney attraction at sea, but we're saying that it is for marketing purposes'.  As long as it's true, anything would be better than 'the first-ever Disney attraction at sea.'

The Wish's Other Funnel!

At the beginning of this year, the YouTube channel Ems -Dollart Media uploaded a video of one of the Wish's funnels.  At the time, I didn't know which funnel it was, but we've learned a lot about the Wish since then.  A video of the Wish's other funnel was posted by the same channel a few days ago.  It looks similar to the funnel in the previous video, but there are some interesting differences.

Can you tell which funnel this is?  It's the Forward funnel!  The round holes on the sides of the funnel were a dead giveaway.  The one farther from the camera is slightly higher than the one closer to it.  These holes are for the AquaMouse.  Riders will enter the funnel through the hole that's higher up and exit it through the hole that's lower.  This is like the AquaDuck on the Dream and Fantasy.  There weren't any round holes like these on the other funnel because when the AquaMouse reaches that funnel, it'll be lower to the deck.  I think it'll go around the back of the funnel, like what the AquaDuck does.

The bars on the back of the funnel stop just below the AquaMouse holes.  This is because Funnel Vision will go there.  A while ago, I was hoping that the Wish would have two Funnel Visions, but the official pool deck layout is much different from mine, so having two wouldn't make sense.

This funnel appears to be more complete than the Aft funnel was in the video from January.  This funnel has a top section that the other funnel was missing.  This could be because the Forward funnels on each DCL ship are decorative.  They don't provide any function for the engine, they just make the ships look cooler.  However, the Aft funnel is where the ship's exhaust is released.  Maybe after the unfinished Aft funnel was installed, the machinery that is housed in the funnel was put in it, then it was finished.

The concierge Wish Tower Suite will be inside this funnel, but it's not there yet.  The room doesn't exactly look luxurious or worth the high price yet.  Putting a huge room in the funnel is a pretty cool idea that's never been done on a DCL ship before, but I'd have preferred a guest area that everyone on the ship can enjoy.  Instead of something that thousands of guests could visit per cruise, there's something that only eight guests can visit.  Well, at least not having a public area in the funnel takes care of the two elevator lobby problem.

In addition to a look at the Forward funnel, the video gives a glimpse at what I think is the Wish.  It's visible in the background on the right side at some times during the video, like at 1:49.  It's not close to completion (although its maiden voyage is in less than a year), but part of what's probably the AquaMouse is visible.  It's that long white thing above the pool deck.  That section of the slide is near the end of it, after it goes through the funnel.  I think one of riders' favorite improvements of the AquaMouse over the AquaDuck will be not having to go up 70 stairs each time they want to ride it, as the ride just starts on Deck 13.

The Wish will start sailing in less than a year, and there's still a lot that needs to be announced.  Construction video updates like this one don't really announce anything, but it's been fun to see what has been announced take shape.  Be sure to keep your eye out for the next Wish announcement!

Comparing Dream and Wish Cruise Prices

The Disney Wish is going to enter the DCL fleet in June of next year, and I'm excited.  It will introduce a lot, and there's still so much that hasn't been announced yet!  However, one of the most important Wish features has already been announced:  The itineraries (and their prices).  In its first summer, the Wish will be doing 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral. Both of these itineraries visit Nassau and Castaway Cay.  This is like what the Dream has done for its entire time in service.  Because of the Wish, the Dream will be moving from Port Canaveral to Miami in summer 2022.  After going to Miami, it will do some unusual 5-night cruises before returning to its usual 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises.  

At that point, there will be two DCL ships doing 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises.  The coolest part is that the cruise schedule between the ships is aligned later in the summer.  For example, on the day the Dream starts a 3-night cruise, the Wish will start one too.  The only differences in the itineraries are the home port (Port Canaveral vs Miami) and the order of the ports that the ships visit.  

With pretty much the exact same itineraries happening on the exact same dates, you would expect the prices to be similar.  As great as that would be, we can't forget that we're comparing cruises on a brand new ship and a ship that's over a decade old.  Disney is charging more for Wish cruises than Dream cruises, but how much more?  Let's do some math to find out!

To determine this, let's compare a 3-night Bahamian cruise on the Dream with the same cruise on the Wish.  I'll be comparing the two cruises that start on September 2nd and end on September 5th.  Also, the prices I'm looking at are for two adults and one child.

We'll begin with looking at inside staterooms, specifically standard inside staterooms.  The standard inside staterooms I'm looking at on both ships are room 9087.  That's convenient.  Both 9087s are on Deck 9, Midship, and they're both in category 11A.  While the rooms are pretty much the same, the prices sure aren't.  For all of the images in this post, the cruise on the Dream is on the top and the cruise on the Wish is on the bottom.

For two adults and one child in a category 11A standard inside staterooms, the cruise on the Dream costs $735.69 less than the same cruise on the Wish.  The Wish price is about 28% more than the Dream price.

Next, let's look at oceanview staterooms on those same two cruises.  The deluxe oceanview staterooms I'm looking at on both ships are room 2552.  They're both in category 09B and both on Deck 2, Midship.

For two adults and one child in a category 09B deluxe oceanview stateroom, the cruise on the Dream costs $816.69 less than the same cruise on the Wish.  For this room, the Wish price is about 31% more than the Dream price.

Both the Dream and the Wish feature larger deluxe family oceanview staterooms in addition to the smaller deluxe oceanview staterooms, so let's see how the price differs between these staterooms.

For two adults and one child in a category 08B deluxe family oceanview stateroom, the cruise on the Dream costs $897.69 less than the same cruise on the Wish.  The Wish costs about 33% more!

Staterooms with verandahs are the most expensive non-concierge staterooms, so there'll likely be a big difference between verandah room prices on the Dream and comparable rooms on the Wish.  Let's look at room 10020 on both ships.  Both of these rooms are category 05A deluxe oceanview staterooms with verandahs, and they are on Deck 10, Forward.

For two adults and one child in a category 05A deluxe oceanview stateroom with verandah, the cruise on the Dream costs $906.69 less than the same cruise on the Wish.  The Wish price is around 32% more than the Dream price.  This price difference is just below $10 more than the difference observed in the deluxe family oceanview staterooms, but it's not a small difference.

There was a noticeable difference between the normal deluxe oceanview staterooms and the deluxe family oceanview staterooms, so I think there'll be a similar difference between the normal deluxe oceanview staterooms with verandahs and the deluxe family oceanview staterooms with verandahs.  Let's find out.  For this type of room, I've chosen to look at room 6094 on both ships.  Both versions of 6094 are in category 04C and are on Deck 6, Midship.

For two adults and one child in a category 04C deluxe family oceanview stateroom, the cruise on the Dream costs $897.69 less than the same cruise on the Wish.  The Wish price is about 30% more than the Dream price.  This is surprising, since this price difference is less than that of deluxe oceanview staterooms with verandahs.

I would go over the price differences of concierge rooms, but there are zero concierge rooms available on any of the announced Wish cruises!  This is crazy, since the Wish has more concierge rooms than any other DCL ship.  Also, the Wish is introducing new types of concierge rooms, like that really nice Wish Tower Suite, so I'd be limited in the amount of room prices I'd compare.  Plus, if you're booking a concierge room on the Wish, you probably aren't too concerned with prices.

Making this post was very interesting.  I initially thought that if the price of a room was higher, then the room's price difference between the Dream and the Wish would be higher as well.  However, the deluxe family oceanview staterooms with verandahs proved this wrong.  So, as prices get higher, the price difference across ships is not necessarily higher as well.

If you don't care about any of the Wish's exciting new features or if you're just going on a cruise for Nassau and Castaway Cay, you'd be much better off going on the Dream.  You'd save a lot of money while still having a similar experience.  Even with everything new that the Wish is introducing, the Dream is still a great option for short cruises, especially because of the lower price!

Update: All Disney Magic Cruises are Canceled Until November 8th, All Disney Wonder Cruises are Canceled Until September 24th, All Disney Dream Cruises are Canceled until August 9th, and All Disney Fantasy Cruises are Canceled Until September 4th

The best part about these suspension extensions is that they give me something to blog about.  Earlier today, June 8th, on their website, Disney canceled more cruises on all four DCL ships in order to finalize their health and safety measures.  This announcement only impacts cruises leaving from the United States, so the UK Magic at Sea cruises that are scheduled for this summer are unaffected.

With this announcement, the Dream will be the first of Disney's ships to resume cruises, with Dream cruises scheduled to resume on August 9th.  The Fantasy will resume cruises next, on September 4th.  Next will be the Wonder on September 24th.  Finally, cruises on the Magic will resume on November 8th.

While I wasn't too surprised that more cruises on the Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy got canceled, I was not expecting the cancelation of more Magic cruises.  This was mainly because my family was booked on the 5-night repositioning Bermuda cruise from October 30th to November 4th.  I'm disappointed, but I think I know why it and the cruise following it got canceled.  The repositioning cruise starting on October 30th was planned to go from New York City to San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The cruise after it, another repositioning cruise, was planned to go from San Juan to Miami.  Both of these cruises would've started in one place and ended somewhere else.  This would've involved two separate groups of port workers handling guests' luggage, which would increase the amount of people that crew and guests came into contact with.  This was probably a health and safety concern for DCL, so they canceled those cruises.  The October Magic cruise was our second planned cruise to be canceled due to the pandemic, and I'm really hoping it doesn't happen to any more we decide to book.

This announcement was pretty negative, but DCL did announce a bit of positive news.  There will be a simulation cruise on the Dream on June 29th.  This cruise is likely happening to test how DCL's safety restrictions will be implemented and how well they will work.  Guests can't go on this cruise, but it's a step in the right direction to resume cruises.  This summer's Magic at Sea cruises will also likely provide DCL with useful information about which restrictions work well and which don't.

As with each of the previous suspensions, guests that were booked on any of these canceled cruises can either receive a full refund or a 125% future cruise credit (if they've paid the entire price of their cruise).  I don't think anybody wants this suspension to get extended again, but if DCL believes that it is necessary, then they'll extend it.  The DCL website always has the latest information, so be sure to check there for more information.