One more cruise line joined the chorus line of ships restarting operations in August of this year. Disney Cruise Line will start operations from the United States on August 9, on which date Disney Dream will have the honor of being the first Disney ship to sail from the United States since the pandemic.
The cruise line is already operating in the United Kingdom, where Disney Magic is sailing on 2-3- and 4-night cruises around the British Isles. The second ship in operation, Disney Dream, will sail from her homeport of Port Canaveral on 3- and 4-night cruises will visit Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, in The Bahamas.
Disney Dream Has Not Concluded Test Voyages
The news about Disney Dream sailing on Bahamian cruises this august comes as a surprise. The cruise ship still has two test cruises scheduled for August 1 and August 5, while it recently concluded its first test sailing, which departed from Port Canaveral on July 17. This test sailing was held after a bumpy start which saw Disney Dream’s test voyages postponed after inconsistent, but negative, COVID test results onboard.
Public Relations Director, Yolanda Cade, said to Disney Parks Blog:
Beginning August 9, the Disney Dream will kick off our long-awaited return to cruising from the US—with tropical voyages to the Bahamas departing from Port Canaveral, Florida. Three- and four-night cruises will visit our private island, Castaway Cay, for an unforgettable vacation at sea.
The restart for Disney Dream is not the only thing happening at the cruise line. It has also added test voyages for Disney Wonder and Disney Fantasy, so a restart of cruising for all Disney Cruise ships could be closer than expected. What is certain is that with the high level of children onboard its ships traditionally, the company has had to put some serious thought into its health and safety measures.
Increased Health Measures But High Service Levels
Disney plans to offer the same amount of service, entertainment, and a dining experience that guests are used to onboard the Disney ships. A five-layer approach will need to make this possible, which does not include mandatory vaccinations for all guests onboard.
Guests will need to hand over a negative PCR-RT test before joining the vessel; this can include proof of vaccination but is unnecessary for voyages departing from Florida. The number of guests on board the ship has also been reduced to enable a high level of social distancing; guests will be required to wear masks at all times in most areas of the vessel, which includes the little guests aged two and up.
When the other Disney cruise ships are making an appearance remains to be seen; for now, Disney Fantasy is the first in line after Disney Dream to start test cruise operations.
Also Read: Disney’s Castaway Cay, Bahamas – What You Need to Know
Disney Fantasy’s upcoming test cruises are a 3-night Bahamian visiting Nassau and Castaway Cay on August 26 and a 4-night Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral to Cozumel on August 29. Keeping to the timeline for Disney Dream, Fantasy could be operational for guests in early September.
