Today, the fall 2018 sailings appeared on Disney Cruise Line’s website to price and book after three days of phone booking only for Platinum, Gold, and Silver Castaway Club members. Typically, when DCL puts the sailings online pricing is the only revelation. However, this time around the September-October and November-December sailings were marked as Halloween on the High Seas and Very MerryTime cruises.
This is a drastic departure from the norm, as DCL typically puts the sailings on sale without the holiday cruise moniker only to later put out a Disney Parks Blog post or a press release to illicit a bump in bookings for these special sailings. For example, the Fall 2017 sailings went on sale in May 2016 and the Halloween/MerryTime dates were not official until the end of September 2016. For the Fall 2016 sailing release, the sailings went on sale release in May 2015 and the holiday dates were announced in April 2015. I’m not sure if this was a mistake to denote the sailings early, or if this is a change in the sales and marketing strategies for the line. The dates are not listed on DCL’s respective pages from Halloween on the High Seas and Very MerryTime, but they are noted when you search for cruise.
Fall 2018 Halloween on the High Seas Voyages
Disney Magic Sailings
- September 20, 2018 – 7-Night Canada Cruise from New York
- September 27, 2018 – 7-Night Canada Cruise from Quebec
- October 4, 2018 – 5-Night Bermuda Cruise from New York
- October 9, 2018 – 4-Night Canadian Cruise from New York
- October 13, 2018 – 6-Night Bermuda Cruise from New York
- October 19, 2018 – 5-Night Bermuda Cruise from New York
- October 24, 2018 – 5-Night Bermuda Cruise from New York
- October 29, 2018 – 5-Night Bermuda Cruise from New York
Disney Wonder Sailings
- September 14, 2018 – 5-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- September 19, 2018 – 4-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- September 23, 2018 – 5-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- September 28, 2018 – 2-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- September 30, 2018 – 5-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- October 5, 2018 – 2-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- October 7, 2018 – 7-Night Mexican Riviera from San Diego
- October 14, 2018 – 5-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- October 19, 2018 – 14-Night Eastbound Panama Canal Cruise from San Diego
Disney Dream Sailings
- September 3, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 7, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 10, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 14, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 17, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 21, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 24, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 28, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 1, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 5, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 8, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 12, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 15, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 19, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 22, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 26, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 29, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
Disney Fantasy Sailings
- September 1, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 8, 2018 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 15, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 22, 2018 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- September 29, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 6, 2018 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 13, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 20, 2018 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- October 27, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
Fall 2018 Very MerryTime Cruises
Disney Magic Sailings
- November 10, 2018 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from New York
- November 17, 2018 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from New York
- November 24, 2018 – 6-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from New York to San Juan
- November 30, 2018 – 5-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from San Juan to Miami
- December 5, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami
- December 9, 2018 – 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami
- December 14, 2018 – 5-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami
- December 19, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami
- December 23, 2018 – 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Disney Wonder Sailings
- November 2, 2018 – 6-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
- November 8, 2018 – 4-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston
- November 12, 2018 – 4-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston
- November 16, 2018 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- November 23, 2018 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- November 23, 2018 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- November 30, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston
- December 7, 2018 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- December 14, 2018 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- December 21, 2018 – 6-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Disney Dream Sailings
- November 9, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- November 12, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- November 16, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- November 19, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral (2-stops at Castaway Cay)
- November 23, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- November 26, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- November 30, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 3, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 7, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 10, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 14, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 17, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 21, 2018 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 24, 2018 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
Disney Fantasy Sailings
- November 10, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- November 17, 2018 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- November 24, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 1, 2018 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 8, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 15, 2018 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 22, 2018 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
With this change in sales strategy, it leaves me wondering what could be done to boost sales in say a year. Based on historical offerings the only known option to add on would be Marvel Day at Sea since the Star Wars Day at Sea sailings have only been offered during the first few months of the year.
What do you think about the change in marketing strategy?
We booked the Nov. 10 sailing on the Magic during Castaway Club booking, and the DCL rep also told us it was a Merry Time cruise. Unusually, the same sailing a week before was significantly more expensive, despite not being Halloween or Merry Time.
I’m even more excited for these cruises now! I’m looking at 2 October cruises.
This new strategy might fill up the cruises faster. People booking specifically for a Merry Time or Halloween theme don’t have to wait for a later announcement to book, and those of us who book based on scheduling availability will also know to expect a fuller boat when booking if it’s a themed sailing.
I love it that they have let us know sooner. I also booked the Nov 10, 2018 sailing on the Magic, hoping that it would it become a Very Merry Christmas Cruise. What a nice surprise when I went on the DCL website this morning. The DCL rep explained that the week of Nov 3rd has some school holidays in New York, and the week of Nov 17th sails through American Thanksgiving to explain the higher prices. We are Canadian, so hadn’t realized all that.
I have a Sept 8th Fantasy cruise booked and I was so surprised it would be a Halloween cruise. I thought this would be too early, but it’s a nice surprise.
Thanks for the information.
Thank Gosh I booked on Tuesday (Gold). My cruise went up markedly in the past couple of days!
Which cruise was it? If you don’t mind answering. I’m still trying to figure out which ones are worth calling in to book early vs just waiting until they’re available online!
How long do the Christmas decorations stay up typically? We leave on Dec 30th.