Disney Cruise Line has announced a plan to host staycations from the UK beginning in Summer 2021. The voyages to nowhere will sail from the United Kingdom and spend two, three or four days at sea before returning back to the UK.
Called Disney Magic at Sea, the voyages will allow guests to enjoy dining, characters and entertainment. Guests may see a combination of classic Disney characters, Marvel characters and more as onboard entertainment becomes the primary feature of the sailing.
Disney Cruise Line has outlined a series of health and safety measures for the UK staycation trips. A couple key highlights are below.
Health & Wellness
Our approach emphasizes a combination of health and safety measures. This includes COVID-19 testing, health screenings, face coverings, reduced Guest capacity and physical distancing.
Cleaning & Disinfecting
Disney Cruise Line is operating at elevated cleaning and sanitation levels, with an emphasis on high-touch surfaces.
We find it a bit strange that Disney Cruise Line didn’t touch on ventilation or air purification in their safety guidelines. Regularly cleaning surfaces is extremely important, especially on cruises, but the spread of COVID-19 has been proven to be primarily through the air. Disney Cruise Line likely has a robust air filtration system already in place, but it’s odd they didn’t highlight it here.
It’s also a bit surprising that vaccinations weren’t mentioned. Other cruising companies, such as Royal Caribbean, have said they’ll require vaccines for adults and testing for children. Disney Cruise Line steering clear of the vaccination topic as a whole is a bit bizarre, especially in a cruising environment.
American guests should keep a close eye on the UK staycations as they may provide a guideline of what to expect when Disney Cruise Line resumes operations in the United States.
