I get you. I’ve seriously considered making my Alaska summer 2022 solo cruise a family event (this was originally June 2020, then 2021–gee, I would have been there right now…). But, a big part of the idea was for me to check out cruising and see what it’s like before putting down $ for 5 whole people, given cruise prices. I’ve also considered bringing alone just one of the older kids.
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Mousematt, I get why you canceled one of your 2 cruises, and why it was DCL. DCL is really, really expensive, and you seem to have had exactly the same type of thought processes that I’ve had re: cruising in general. I got interested b/c I saw someone’s trip report about a DCL cruise on this forum (it was lizzeanne, actually), and then eventually saw all the different types of cruise offerings other than DCL. I am really awed by the huge ships of Royal Caribbean (and most of my friends who’ve cruised have been on those) and the elegance of Princess etc. I definitely think that saving and time off (time away from Calvin too) for a Disney vacation in the future makes sense, especially with the ever evolving regulations about international travel. To me, DCL is still on the short list of trips I'd like to do, but to justify the for it I want to first see what another, cheaper cruise is like to see if it’s a kind of trip we’ll love. I really hope that the cruise you’ve kept is wonderful. 
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The cruise I’ve kept has many pluses. But some minuses. I’m reading consistently poor reports of the free food (but great reports of the upcharge food) and poor reports of the shows.
So I had a sneaky look at the DCL cruise that matches my MSC dates. Some fun facts:
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The DCL cruise costs more (for the same class of cabin) and doesn’t include tips or drinks. The MSC cruise includes tips and (on my package) unlimited drinks of unlimited cost, i.e. Veuve Cliquot and Moët.
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The DCL cruise (which costs more) is three nights. The MSC cruise is seven.
So, yes, DCL is really, really expensive.
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This is exactly what I saw when I started researching cruise lines other than Disney. Although it hasn’t completely squashed my interest in DCL, it’s really weird to see that for my family of 5 a lot of the short DCL cruises are…let’s just say, a mind boggling amount of money…I really think if I like cruising the first cruise I’ll take with the family would be Royal Caribbean, on one of the big fancy ships. For myself alone I chose a Princess Alaska cruise. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the different cruise lines’ “personalities.” Princess seems too boring for my kids, whereas it seemed ideal for me–beautiful, fancy, but not too fancy. I know what you mean also about seeing consistent bad food reviews for a cruise line. I’ve read a ton of bad food reviews. I think that mixing it up and allowing yourself some upcharge restaurants just to check them out is good. My take on all that is that I know myself, and that I am pretty easy to please food wise, so I think I might easily be pleased with a meal that someone else would take the time to complain about online.
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I was completely not surprised at your decision to cancel the DCL cruise. Overall, you seem more excited for the other cruise and it seems to have better ROI potential overall…So, if you are looking for more random strangers on the internet to agree with you, consider me on the list.
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COVID — the gift that keeps on giving.
So the UK government changed the date for ending restrictions here from 21st June to 19th July. This means that during this period cruise ships are limited to 1,000 passengers. Expecting the end of restrictions, MSC had booked more than 1,000 passengers for cruises after 21st June. So now they are cancelling people’s cruises.
And that’s why I won’t believe my cruise is happening until I’m actually on the thing and it pulls away from the dock.
Meanwhile fireworks return to WDW. You bloody people have no idea of the misery we in the UK have suffered because of COVID.
Yet in the UK the current trend continues: infections are rising, deaths are not.
To be clear I am not affected — yet — because my cruise is at the end of August. But the UK government keeps changing the rules — always adversely — and has pulled the holiday rug from under people multiple times.
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I saw that announcement yesterday and I’m sorry that Disney fireworks feels like rubbing it in. It is good that deaths are not going up though, that means a lot of progress has been made on treatment.
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I’m so sorry everything is still all up in the air for you. That’s so deflating and frustrating. Is there a vaca you can take that is land-based in the UK that can’t get canceled? You had mentioned a local theme park previously, is that operating? Or that place where you and Calvin visited that was gorgeous? Something just to get out of your four walls.
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I have an emergency back-up vacation — four nights at a nearby hotel. It’s the one I stayed in at Christmas. And I could take day-trips from it to various places. I’d take Calvin with me.
I never expected that we would have two summers wrecked by this.
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I have no confidence my DLP trip in December will actually happen. In December.
DLP reopened yesterday. But UK people aren’t allowed into France. We were a few weeks ago. But then they changed the rules — and that is the consistent story of COVID for us. No certainty. Constant rule changes. Always for the worse.
And just think, DLP reopened yesterday. It closed at the beginning of the pandemic. Then opened again last summer just like WDW. Then it closed again. Now it’s open again. But for how long?
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Oh fuck my life my cruise has just been changed to the same itinerary as that one (mine’s a day longer) and it’s a grand cheaper, I was going to ring and ask if they’ve got wheelchair adapted cabins in the morning.
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Wish I could hug everyone. The UK has had some terrible luck and I cannot imagine how I would feel if they didn’t roll back restrictions here on schedule. We are just about to spend $4,000 on flights to Paris this week and I’m very terrified that the US will go Red or something in between now and August and we won’t be able to go.
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Jazz hands?!
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Hugs! I’m vaccinated!
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This is true, but it also means that older people are vaccinated and most of the cases are now among the younger population, who aren’t as severely affected and so the case fatality ratio is lower.
Thank you for correctly interpreting this emoji. 
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It even says hugs if you hover over it!
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I know it is hugs but I always think it’s horribly inappropriate when you’re responding to someone’s bad news.
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My apologies. I will edit it.
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Oh I didn’t mean here! I was thinking when someone announces a death on FB.
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Sorry I was just teasing! It’s clear you were being compassionate. I didn’t even realize other people saw jazz hands besides me.
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