Disney Wish cruise ship delayed and reservations suspended
Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish, has been delayed from its Summer 2022 launch date. This article will share details about the Wish’s postponement, impacted departure dates, discounts and what’s next. what to do if you are impacted, as well as our feedback on it and why it is happening.
Let’s start with the key dates: The Disney Wish was previously scheduled to make its maiden voyage on June 9, 2022, followed by a 3-4 night cruise season in Nassau, Bahamas, and Disney Cruise Line’s private island, Castaway Cay, of Port Canaveral, Florida.
Bookings opened to the general public last year on May 27, and the opening season booked up incredibly quickly. In fact, we weren’t even able to book the maiden voyage, although Castaway Club members are entitled to make reservations ahead of the general public. Unlike most other Disney Cruise Line sailings in recent months, the new Disney Wish sold or was selling like hot cakes despite the higher prices.
Unfortunately, Disney Cruise Line has been forced to delay the maiden voyage of the Disney Wish by approximately 6 weeks, which will impact the first 12 sailings, until mid-July 2022. This is due to construction challenges company partners at the Meyer Werft. shipyard.
Passengers who had booked on the original maiden voyage will be automatically transferred to a new sailing date of July 14, 2022 with a 50% discount. If those sailing on the maiden voyage are unable to switch to the new July 14 itinerary, they will have the option of a 50% discount on a future cruise departing by December 31, 2023, funds originally paid being converted to a future cruise. credit or a full refund.
Guests originally booked on the other affected cruises will have the option of either receiving a 50% discount on a future cruise departing by December 31, 2023, with funds originally paid converted into a future cruise credit, or of a full refund. However, these guests not will be automatically re-booked, meaning they will have to find (and compete with each other) availability on other sailings, many of which are already quite limited or sold out.
All the crossings concerned are as follows:
- June 9, 2022,
- June 14, 2022 (Disney Vacation Club Members Cruise)
- June 17, 2022
- June 20, 2022
- June 24, 2022
- June 27, 2022
- July 1, 2022
- July 4, 2022
- July 8, 2022
- July 11, 2022
- July 15, 2022
- July 18, 2022
Disney Vacation Club sailing will automatically move to July 19, 2022. The regular Disney Wish sailing schedule resumes July 22, 2022.
Additionally, Disney Cruise Line has temporarily suspended the sale of all Disney Wish sailings while these changes are processed. 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 crossings can be booked online. The Disney Cruise Line Contact Center will also be available to help you book new Disney Wish cruises beginning February 8, 2022.
Below is a revised list of Disney Wish itineraries for 2022-2023 that will be bookable when reservations resume:
Comment-wise, this is a pretty big blow to the biggest budget project of the year in Disney’s Parks & Resorts division (or whatever they call it now).
There’s far less reader interest in Disney Cruise Line compared to Walt Disney World – for those who haven’t been following things closely, wish has been a bright spot, with plenty of excitement for what looks like a spectacular new boat.
We have booked on one of the affected crossings, and we 100% prefer it to be done correctly rather than on time. The delay is disappointing, but it’s absolutely the right course of action rather than trying to rush things.
This happened with one of the redesigned ships several years ago, and paying guests were understandably upset. The same people who are annoyed by this delay would almost certainly complain if they boarded a ship that was unfinished or in poor condition.
Even setting aside the realities of the current environment — when delays occur on everything from building new homes to the video games I wanted to play last year — this sort of thing happens sometimes. Obviously, this is going to be a bummer for a lot of people, and we’re not trying to suggest anyone be “happy” about it. Just not angry or unreasonable.
Unlike some Walt Disney World projects whose deadlines were intentionally extended, work on Disney Wish progressed as quickly as possible. In short, we accept and understand this delay – and the 50% discount as customer recovery is many appreciated. Dealing with the call center will likely be a hassle, but so far Disney Cruise Line seems to be handling this appropriately.
Beyond that, we take this delay literally. Meyer Werft, the shipbuilder behind several Disney Cruise Line ships, has already had to delay its schedules, so this wouldn’t be unprecedented. On top of that, problems arose around the world with Omicron causing work stoppages and delays due to illness-related staffing shortages.
We’re not suggesting that’s what happened with Disney Wish – we have no idea. It could be a delay in building a completely disease-free garden variety from Omicron or stricter work rules. (UPDATE: Disney Cruise Line has confirmed that this is *exactly* what happened.)
What we are what suggests is that it’s almost certainly a bona fide construction delay, not Disney Cruise Line using construction as an excuse to push back the maiden voyage. To our knowledge, Disney Wish bookings for the opening season have been incredibly strong, so there’s no reason for the company to voluntarily postpone. This delay will be a big financial blow that will be detrimental, not beneficial, to Disney.
Interestingly, earlier today, Schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten announced that the Disney Wish is scheduled to be undocked at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany this weekend. Therefore, the undocking schedule is unofficial, depends on various factors, and is subject to delays.
On a tangentially related note, part of the reason I’m okay with the delay might be because I’m not exactly keen on setting sail with DCL at this point. I shared this in a post last week, but I’m in wait and see mode, wanting a bigger return to normal. (It has nothing to do with safety. On the contrary, as a vaccinated and strengthened person, I am totally comfortable doing anything now.)
To each their own, but from my point of view, there are too many hurdles to overcome, compromises on the onboard experience and the potential risk of being denied boarding by mistake. I realize that many of these policies are beyond Disney’s control, but the “why” of the rules is less important to me than their existence. I felt that about the recent deeply discounted itineraries on classic ships, and I feel it even more about setting sail on the Disney Wish, which is going to cost us exponentially more money.
For what it’s worth, Sarah vehemently disagrees with my take on hoops and trade-offs. She got a good rate on a cruise and did it with some girlfriends instead of me, and said the ship was pretty much empty – they had a great time. (It’s definitely worth looking at the fares if you don’t mind the rules or the risks — or if you’re a Floridian — and want to take advantage of less crowded crossings and lower prices.)
That said, I’m also really, really excited for the Disney Wish. It’s actually a bit difficult to reconcile my general indifference towards cruising at the moment with my infatuation with this new ship. Everything Disney has revealed about this new ship (except the pricing) makes me more excited about the upcoming ship.
The Disney Wish looks amazing, like the next generation of cruisers. It’s as if Imagineering has taken a huge leap forward, iterating on past designs to make technical, functional, and narrative improvements in the process. It’s still early days, but the Disney Wish is significantly better than its predecessors, which is saying a lot since these ships are exceptional.
The dining slate looks great and unique, the already great rooms just got even better, and AquaMouse is exactly the type of (at-sea) attraction that’s perfect for Disney Cruise Line – something only Imagineering could do. . Reasonable minds may differ, but I’m personally glad Disney didn’t overstep the mark by adding crazy recreational options that infringe on the classic ship design aesthetic.
In short, I love what Disney Cruise Line has shown off Wish so far, and I’m incredibly pleased with both its style and substance. I can also wait another month or two if that means a neater and, perhaps, more normal experience too.
Are you planning to board one of the DCL ships? Read our Guide to Disney Cruises to prepare for your trip, plan entertainment, activities and excursions, and find out what to expect from your Disney cruise! For personalized planning and recommendations, click here to get a cruise quote from an authorized Disney vacation planner at no charge. They can find you all the current discounts and help you plan your cruise details!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of this news that the Disney Wish will be delayed for over a month? Are you affected by the postponement of the delivery of the vessel? Excited for the Disney Wish, or is it too expensive/not for you? Are you planning to book a cruise on this ship, or are you waiting for the first reviews and more details? Do you agree or disagree with our advice and assessment? Questions? Hearing feedback on your experiences is both interesting for us and helpful for other readers, so share your thoughts below in the comments!
