2021 cruise watch thread~!

[o&smom]

Cool!
Yeah, I'm also LF to our PC cruise in what.. 21 days..wow its almost here.
But since I don't like the Wonder as much as the Fantasy I'm not 100% stoked, so many sea days on a smaller, almost full ship make me a bit anxious. My fav part of cruising is the ports. Is why I LOVED the 11-night SC... so many POC's, all of them absolutely magical... I was getting a bit tired of cruising DCL but that sailing changed my mind and I'm just dreaming of doing it again... I'll be stalking the DCL website (and here) more intensely starting next week.. hope they bring that itinerary back!

Have fun on that upcoming cruise!

Our son’s favorite ship is the Fantasy. We are waiting for the release of what will be his graduation cruise for summer 2021. He does not turn 18 until July 13 so he will get one last cruise as a kid. We thought he should enjoy his favorite ship with the coolest teen club. Even though the staterooms are all sold out for the most part on the PC cruise, it is not a full ship. Most of the rooms only have 2 adults vs. a family of 4. Hopefully, it will not feel too crowded for you. I am always amazed that even on sea days I can walk through areas of the ship and not see any other people. Our cruise last summer was great and we loved all of the ports, but I just kept thinking how excited I was for the relaxation of our next cruise this Spring. Have a WONDERful cruise!

 

[DisneYE]

Our son’s favorite ship is the Fantasy. We are waiting for the release of what will be his graduation cruise for summer 2021. He does not turn 18 until July 13 so he will get one last cruise as a kid. We thought he should enjoy his favorite ship with the coolest teen club. Even though the staterooms are all sold out for the most part on the PC cruise, it is not a full ship. Most of the rooms only have 2 adults vs. a family of 4. Hopefully, it will not feel too crowded for you. I am always amazed that even on sea days I can walk through areas of the ship and not see any other people. Our cruise last summer was great and we loved all of the ports, but I just kept thinking how excited I was for the relaxation of our next cruise this Spring. Have a WONDERful cruise!

Hopefully you're right, that the ship won't feel as full.. I really dislike crowds, I spend a lot of time reading in the verandah so if its too crowded I'm still gonna be happy.
Hope you get to book the cruise you want for your boy in 2021
Same to you, have a WonderFul cruise as well.

 

[Beachmom0317]

hi everyone, this will be our first Disney Cruise. We are Disney vacation club members and love WDW and usually go to our home resort, the Wilderness Lodge/Copper Creek the first week of December since I love Christmas! We decided for 2021, our next trip, to split our time between WDW and do a 3 night Merrytime Cruise to the Bahamas! I had no idea I had to book ahead so far in advance, but I’ll be ready (in May/June it looks like?) to put our deposit down when December 2021 comes out!

 

[ahain]

Hopefully you're right, that the ship won't feel as full.. I really dislike crowds, I spend a lot of time reading in the verandah so if its too crowded I'm still gonna be happy.
Hope you get to book the cruise you want for your boy in 2021
Same to you, have a WonderFul cruise as well.

On both of our PC cruises, the ship felt noticeably less crowded. It was not unusual to walk on the deck early am or after dinner and feel almost like you had the ship to yourselves. It was awesome.

 

[miss0033]

hi everyone, this will be our first Disney Cruise. We are Disney vacation club members and love WDW and usually go to our home resort, the Wilderness Lodge/Copper Creek the first week of December since I love Christmas! We decided for 2021, our next trip, to split our time between WDW and do a 3 night Merrytime Cruise to the Bahamas! I had no idea I had to book ahead so far in advance, but I’ll be ready (in May/June it looks like?) to put our deposit down when December 2021 comes out!

If you have the ability, I highly recommend at least a 4-night. The first day, your room is ready at 1:30, you unpack, start to figure out where things are on the ship, leave port around 4:00pm or thereabouts, see a show and have dinner. Every cruise we have been on, the first night show is an advertisement more or less for what to expect the rest of the cruise.

The 2nd day/night, you'll have completely open. Then the last night always feels rushed to us -- they really push you to complete the survey, get your bags packed and outside of the stateroom by 10:00, etc. And the next morning you are up early and get kicked off the boat before 10am.

As a first time cruiser it might be a little overwhelming, and you might not feel like you got the chance to relax.

Most everyone on here will say longer is better. Our first cruise together was a 4-night, and we agreed it was too short, we cannot imagine a 3-night. It'd be one thing if we lived close and could drive and do it more often, and maybe thats your case. But we have to fly, so flight cost is roughly the same whether its 3-nights or 7-nights. The cruise cost, per night, is typically a little cheaper the longer you go (but not always). We've got to get a hotel the night before whether its a 3-night or a 7-night. So for us, the bang for our buck starts at 5-nights.

I urge you to consider a 4-night. Either way though, enjoy your cruise!

 

[lovingeire]

If you have the ability, I highly recommend at least a 4-night. The first day, your room is ready at 1:30, you unpack, start to figure out where things are on the ship, leave port around 4:00pm or thereabouts, see a show and have dinner. Every cruise we have been on, the first night show is an advertisement more or less for what to expect the rest of the cruise.

The 2nd day/night, you'll have completely open. Then the last night always feels rushed to us -- they really push you to complete the survey, get your bags packed and outside of the stateroom by 10:00, etc. And the next morning you are up early and get kicked off the boat before 10am.

As a first time cruiser it might be a little overwhelming, and you might not feel like you got the chance to relax.

Most everyone on here will say longer is better. Our first cruise together was a 4-night, and we agreed it was too short, we cannot imagine a 3-night. It'd be one thing if we lived close and could drive and do it more often, and maybe thats your case. But we have to fly, so flight cost is roughly the same whether its 3-nights or 7-nights. The cruise cost, per night, is typically a little cheaper the longer you go (but not always). We've got to get a hotel the night before whether its a 3-night or a 7-night. So for us, the bang for our buck starts at 5-nights.

I urge you to consider a 4-night. Either way though, enjoy your cruise!

I did a 3 night for my first cruise. While i enjoyed it our whole group wished we had longer. There just wasn't enough time to enjoy the ship or amenities on that 3 night. My family's first cruise was on a 7 night and it was heaven. I recently did a 5 night too and that was a decent chunk of time. I'd do at least a 4 night too. Then you at least have the extra day to explore the ship.

 

[Beachmom0317]

Wow thank you so much for the advice! I wonder if we’d be better off skipping WDW and just doing a longer cruise instead then. I am definitely open to the idea! We do have to fly- we live in New England.

 

[SusannaBanana]

Which means we should see itineraries on Thurs or Fri of next week if Disney follows what they have been for the past few releases!

Oh boy!! Can't wait to book summer 2021.

 

[KristenCH]

What itinerary is everyone hoping to book when the summer itineraries are released? We want to book the eastbound transatlantic! Did it in 2017 and loved it so much!

 

[travelmomof3]

Still (not so) patiently waiting for those 2021 cruise releases

 

[travelmomof3]

What itinerary is everyone hoping to book when the summer itineraries are released? We want to book the eastbound transatlantic! Did it in 2017 and loved it so much!

I'm really interested in Greece and would love if it included Croatia! I'm also interested in a Baltic cruise, although my family isn't as interested. Plus we'e been to Denmark and Sweden so would prefer a cruise with new countries.

 

[Pens Fan]

I'm really interested in Greece and would love if it included Croatia! I'm also interested in a Baltic cruise, although my family isn't as interested. Plus we'e been to Denmark and Sweden so would prefer a cruise with new countries.

Croatia is beautiful. I could be wrong about this, but I seem to recall that DCL has sailed to Dubrovnik before so fingers crossed. We loved that port so much when we sailed there last fall on NCL. Greece is fantastic - it really is. However our cruise included ports in Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro, and while all of the ports were fantastic the two countries I see us wanting to return to are Italy and Croatia. So special.

 

[Kirsty_Lou]

We did a long cruise with DCL a few years back that was standard med itinerary but also included and overnight at Venice and Dubrovnik. Was an amazing cruise that I'd love to do again!

 

[olewnikpe]

What itinerary is everyone hoping to book when the summer itineraries are released? We want to book the eastbound transatlantic! Did it in 2017 and loved it so much!

Eastbound Transatlantic for us too. Have never done it, but we're really looking forward to it.

 

[gilsan]

Croatia is beautiful. I could be wrong about this, but I seem to recall that DCL has sailed to Dubrovnik before so fingers crossed. We loved that port so much when we sailed there last fall on NCL. Greece is fantastic - it really is. However our cruise included ports in Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro, and while all of the ports were fantastic the two countries I see us wanting to return to are Italy and Croatia. So special.

At least one of the Greek Isles cruises this year includes Dubrovnik, odds are good for next year. Although Dubrovnik is trying to limit the number of tourist it receives because of overcrowding,

 

[Pens Fan]

Although Dubrovnik is trying to limit the number of tourist it receives because of overcrowding,

I've read that as well. It's true of a lot of the ports we visited. We were in Dubrovnik on Oct 30, so not the height of the tourist season, and yet you still felt the crowds inside the walls of the old city. It's such a beautiful place, though. I'd love to go back, but I don't think I'd want to go in the summer. Our cruise was 2 weeks long, and the entire trip was 3 weeks and we visited so many wonderful places. Yet, everywhere we went we were told the exact same thing by our various guides and people we met. They all said we were fortunate to be there in the fall, as summers were brutal due to the crowds.

I really hope that once DCL has the 3 new ships sailing, they will remain in Europe for a longer time into the fall season, or go over earlier in the spring. We were on an ABD trip in January, and one of our adventure guides had worked some of the ABD add ons for the European cruises. We were chatting at lunch one day about rumors of itineraries for the new ships, and she mentioned that they were hearing that DCL would keep a ship in Europe for a longer time in the future. I hope that's the case!

 

[gilsan]

I've read that as well. It's true of a lot of the ports we visited. We were in Dubrovnik on Oct 30, so not the height of the tourist season, and yet you still felt the crowds inside the walls of the old city. It's such a beautiful place, though. I'd love to go back, but I don't think I'd want to go in the summer. Our cruise was 2 weeks long, and the entire trip was 3 weeks and we visited so many wonderful places. Yet, everywhere we went we were told the exact same thing by our various guides and people we met. They all said we were fortunate to be there in the fall, as summers were brutal due to the crowds.

I really hope that once DCL has the 3 new ships sailing, they will remain in Europe for a longer time into the fall season, or go over earlier in the spring. We were on an ABD trip in January, and one of our adventure guides had worked some of the ABD add ons for the European cruises. We were chatting at lunch one day about rumors of itineraries for the new ships, and she mentioned that they were hearing that DCL would keep a ship in Europe for a longer time in the future. I hope that's the case!

I hope that is true. I had originally booked the Greek Isle cruise for June, but after reading about the crowds and heat we cancelled. I would rather go sometime in October or early spring March thru May. I will keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Pens Fan]

I hope that is true. I had originally booked the Greek Isle cruise for June, but after reading about the crowds and heat we cancelled. I would rather go sometime in October or early spring March thru May. I will keep my fingers crossed.

We were there at the end of Oct / beginning of Nov and it was wonderful. There were still crowds in places (Main tourist areas in Rome, Oia on Santorini, St. Mark's in Venice - though nothing like some of the pictures I've seen in the summer), but some places were practically deserted. Even in Venice if you walked 5 minutes from St. Mark's square you were practically alone. We overnighted in Venice on Halloween and I will never forget watching the kids trick or treating in all of the little neighborhoods. There were no tourists in sight, just our little group (we were on a food tour through the Jewish ghetto). In Disney speak, it was "magical"! The first half of the trip was perfect weather - 70's and 80's. By the end it was getting colder, but nothing a few extra layers couldn't handle.

 

[MHTorringjan]

I'm really interested in Greece and would love if it included Croatia! I'm also interested in a Baltic cruise, although my family isn't as interested. Plus we'e been to Denmark and Sweden so would prefer a cruise with new countries.

I can speak for the Baltic cruises, my wife and I went a couple of years ago and had a wonderful time. Yes, we did Stockholm, so maybethat one’s not so new for you, but Russia was absolutely amazing (long stop so we did two excursions, riverboat cruise and the exclusive evening in the Hermitage with Symphony concert) and our favorite stop was Tallinn. A great change of pace and really allowed us to see something we hadn't seen before.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

I hope I'm wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if DCL delays this release based on some of the recent bad publicity surrounding cruise ships with the coronavirus.