Should I go on this cruise that you can't go on?

Walt Disney World
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OK. So things have got complicated. Decisions need to be made. New plans constructed.

This is going to be one of my “thinking aloud” threads.

I can cling on to the hope that my August WDW trip will go ahead, or I can abandon it.

If I cling on to it, any DCL cruise is a back-up (I can’t / don’t want to afford to do both). Which means the timing of it has to make sense in the context of it being a back-up. For example, it cannot take place before the August trip.

If I abandon it, any DCL cruise then becomes the new summer vacation. Which would give me much more flexibility as to when I take it. This means more choice as to date, and to departure location. Which has implications for cost.

DLP is presumably out of the picture as a back-up. The prime minster was suggesting that all foreign holidays may be off. Not merely ones to the US. If I can’t go to the US, I probably can’t go to France, either.

Rescheduling the WDW trip yet again feels like a huge step and it’s not technically necessary now. Both WDW, UOR and Virgin Atlantic have favourable cancellation or change terms.

My initial instinct is to book a DCL cruise, but for July rather than for August. This will be cheaper, and more convenient because of the departure port. There is also an element of wanting to strike while the iron’s hot. Though July is still two months away, so the iron isn’t super hot. But it’s hotter than an iron in August. I have in mind last summer’s trip to DLP. I just went for it. Which was just as well, because DLP had to close for a second time. A closure that remains in place. I have zero regrets about taking that trip and I had a great time.

What if I take the earlier DCL cruise but then an August WDW trip becomes possible? I could do both, but that’s more money than I’m supposed to be spending. Or I could be disciplined and reschedule the August trip to next year.

What if I book the later DCL cruise? If WDW becomes possible, I cancel the cruise. If it doesn’t, I take the cruise. But it costs more and there’s the risk — isn’t there? — that the cruise doesn’t happen, either, because things are locked down again.

If I book the earlier cruise in the expectation that the WDW trip doesn’t happen this year, do I book a four night one? After all, it’s supposed to be replacing a full vacation. Or do I book a three night one, spend a night or two in the port city, and maybe do another mini-vacation later in the summer?

My heart is currently saying: Book a three-night DCL cruise for July. Top and tail it with time spent in the port — which would be Liverpool, where I’ve never been. See what happens after that, well, after that.

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463

This is what I would do. You are in the middle of a once-in-a-generation natural disaster and personal trauma. You need something that is a surety that is reasonable and within your budget.

If the U.S., U.K., and Disney get their act together and let you come to Disney World this summer, you can make the determination closer to that time if it is worth the financial burden to go forward with that trip, but at least all your eggs won’t be in one basket. If it doesn’t happen, you can reschedule for next year or whenever makes sense for you.

Just my two cents.

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For which I’m very grateful. You’ve made some helpful points I hadn’t thought of.

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I have just been reading our numbers locally and though they are still low, they’ve almost doubled in a week. The article depressed me so much, I can’t see any travel going ahead. I think what you had planned for London sounds better than anything you could do in and around Liverpool. How do you feel about a week in London?

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I’m trying to think, “What do I really want? What do I really like doing?”

I want to try a cruise. I kept going hot and cold on it, but that was almost entirely because of cost. At this point I’m thinking, f@ck the cost. A DCL cruise will be an adventure. It’s new, it’s exciting. Yet it’s also familiar, because it’s Disney.

I’ve never been to Liverpool. It the weather’s nice, I’m happy to just walk around. Presumably there are museums and galleries to go to. Remember, my normal life is very restricted because I typically won’t do anything I can’t do with my dog: no restaurants, no museums, no galleries, no theatre, no cinema, etc.

The DCL plus London plan would end up being very expensive. Well, the way I’d do it. And I’m not sure how excited about the add-ons I am. My recent Blackpool / Alton Towers trip reminded me that I’m not so much an adrenaline junkie, I’m more a theming / immersion junkie. My highlight of the non-Disney parks I’ve been to in the last twelve months was the gardens at Alton Towers: beautiful, quiet, tranquil.

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That makes sense, you’ve obviously thought it all through. My worry is just that even the DCL cruises won’t go ahead. But I suppose if things are that bad none of us will be going anywhere anyway so alternate plans would be worthless.

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Remind me again, you’ve had your first shot so that isn’t an issue with getting both in time for a July cruise?

In this case I say go with your heart. Book a July 3 night cruise.

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I believe he said he has his second shot scheduled for later this month.

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Deduct the cost of the DLP trip from your DCL trip. Yes, it is a lot of money. Disney always is. Go on the July cruise!

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Haven’t read the rest of this thread yet but eff that person. (I mean, I get where the concern is coming from but also, people love to solo Disney…)

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You could have saved yourself a whole day of headache if you just listened to me yesterday…

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After an epic bout of faffing and research and changes, I have booked (but only held: I haven’t paid anything yet) a lovely veranda room on a three-night July cruise from Liverpool. I have three days to think about it.

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By the way, the change of date saved £500 (i.e. $700) and I got a better room.

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I’d go on the cruise and see Liverpool. If you put off the WDW trip until later then you’ll get all the 50th anniversary stuff, the fireworks and entertainment, more restaurants, and maybe even more resorts will be open. And, of course, we still don’t even know when international travelers will be able to come to the US again, though I assume it will be sooner rather than later. It still may be 6 months or something like that, though.

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So here are my thoughts after sleeping on it.

Take the Liverpool cruise in July. It will be new and exciting. If it’s cancelled because of COVID, then everything is.

Reschedule my August WDW trip to early December. The later I leave it, the better the trip is likely to be. New attractions opened. 50th in full swing. Maybe no masks at all. Fireworks and parades back. FPP back. And, financially, it makes sense if I’m doing the cruise. This would be a split stay. Something like six nights at Pop, two nights at UOR. It will have been two years since my last trip.

Reschedule my December DLP trip to April, for my birthday. This makes more sense, too. Right now, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is covered in scaffolding. And, you know, COVID. And they’re doing all kinds of building at Walt Disney Studios. April is nearly a year away. Things have got to be better all round by then, surely?

Maybe try to sneak in a quick DLP trip in early September.

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477

Hmm. Well. There have been some — brace yourselves, I know this is unexpected — changes to the changes of plan.

But, first: I have paid the deposit on the July cruise.

I’m all in. I’ve booked parking at the terminal. A hotel room for the night before. I’ve arranged childcare. It’s happening. I’m committed.

WDW is back to August. Two main reasons. First, when I looked into changing my flights to December, the prices were significantly higher. As was CSR. Second, I’m meeting some friends in Florida in August and they were really disappointed by the planned delay and talked me out of it.

August is my preferred time. I’m now leaving it to fate. If I’m allowed to go, and quarantine on my return is reasonable, I’ll go. If not, I won’t. Disney, UOR and Virgin will let me reschedule at pretty short notice.

This does mean I may well end up doing DCL and WDW this summer. Which is naughty. But, you know what? F#@k it. It’s been a sh%t year. I’ll sell a kidney. You don’t need two, right?

The only remaining issue for now is whether I book an emergency back-up DLP trip for the first week in September before my work schedule ramps up. A three night cruise doesn’t seem like much of a summer vacation if that’s all I’m doing. If WDW doesn’t work out, I want something else before the summer is over. Back to the website …

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I thought your revamped plans sounded great but what do I know? :joy:

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Thanks. So did I!

And it may still end up that way. But for now I’m leaving things as they were.

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:100:.
All of this. I am so hopeful that you get to do both the cruise and the August trip. I only know you through the forums, but I am seriously pulling for you to make it to WDW this August.

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Agree! Time for a year of fun.

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