Over the past month, the number of readers emailing and private messaging me to ask if I know when DCL will release the sailings for Fall 2018 is growing each week. Honestly, I do not have any insider info to share. What I can share, is the pattern that may indicate when we will see the next itinerary announcement.
If you take a look at the itinerary announcement history from the last 3+ years, there was a distinct pattern to DCL’s release schedule. The only real deviation from the pattern was February’s summer 2018 release during wave season, the three or so months at the beginning of the year (Jan – March) when cruise lines have all sorts of deals for the upcoming year.
- 2017
?/?/17 – Fall 2018 (September – December)
2/21/17 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Summer 2018 Itineraries (May – September) - 2016
10/25/16 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Winter 2018 Itineraries (January – May)
5/24/16 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Fall 2017 Itineraries (September – December)
4/12/16 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Summer 2017 Itineraries (May – September) - 2015
10/6/15 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Winter 2017 Itineraries (January – April/May)
5/18/15 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Fall 2016 Itineraries (September – December)
3/23/15 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Summer 2016 Itineraries (May – September) - 2014
10/28/14 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Itineraries for Winter 2016 Featuring Tortola and a Return to the Southern Caribbean
5/19/14 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Fall 2015 Itineraries Featuring a Return to Tortola, Hawaii and Texas
3/25/14 – Disney Cruise Line Announces Magical Summer 2015 Itineraries (May – August)
Based on the pattern established over the years, I would be on the lookout for a release anytime between now and the end of May before the summer sailing season gets underway. For now, I am treating the earlier than normal release for summer 2018 as an outlier and not letting impact release patter until data supports a new release schedule.
OCD request: please put the ? date above 2/21 since all the dates are in order from the bottom up..
Not sure why I did it that way. Thanks for the suggestion!
The February release this year really threw me for a loop. Thankfully my TA was totally on top of it for me. (Thanks, Heather!)
Scott, do you think that the new booking days schedule will have an impact as to which day of the week they will release new itineraries? If they release on a Tuesday as in the past, the general public booking day would fall on a Saturday.
Absolutely.
Scott,
Are Gold and Platinum having a chance to book before Silver?
thx for the Heads up. Hoping the Magic is in NYC Fall 2018! Fingers crossed!!!!
I will be on the EBTA starting Sat – if they release the dates while I’m on board, how would I find out about it and can everyone book right away or would it also be tiered to Platinum/Gold/Silver? Thank you!
Check with the onboard booking desk
Based on the new Castaway Club benefits, booking would be tiered. For example, lets say booking opens on a Monday. Platinum could start booking, followed by Gold on Tuesday, with Silver on Wednesday, and then on Thursday open booking for everyone else.
Scott they are released