In a release to travel agents, Disney addressed the reduced number of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages. They announced yesterday that the hotel would go down from three to two experiences per week beginning in October.
In the release regarding October through December 2023 sales, Disney said:
When the voyage calendar is live, you may notice the schedule has been modified to provide two voyages per week, except for holiday weeks where we may have three voyages. We’ve been learning a lot during our first year of operation and have adjusted voyage dates to meet the needs of our guests.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages for dates in October through December are now available to book.
The change comes after months of disappointing occupancy. The Galactic Starcruiser debuted just over a year ago, and while bookings were at capacity for a while, the current operations had reached a point where there were only enough guests to fill one dinner service.
Low occupancy cruises were being canceled, and rumors indicated that Disney was opting not to renew many entertainment Cast contracts. They began offering discounts to Disney Vacation Club members and Cast Members recently, as well.
The Starcruiser won the TEA Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in Brand Experience last year.
Before the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opened, it went through waves of selling out followed by mass cancellations. Right before the grand opening in March 2022, several months were completely booked. Despite generally positive reactions, cancellations increased after opening.
Back in May 2022, CEO Bob Chapek boasted of continued “high demand” for the Starcruiser and an expectation for the 2-night experience to reach “100% utilization” for the third quarter, meaning they expect the Starcruiser to continue to reach capacity for each “voyage.”
The Starcruiser offers a three-day, two-night immersive “Star Wars” adventure on a fictitious cruise ship where guests became part of a conflict between the Resistance and the First Order. It includes an excursion to Batuu, themed meals, and live entertainment.
It also has a high price tag, with trips starting at $4,809 for two guests for a standard cabin, which has one queen-size bed and two twin-size bunks. The price increases if you add more guests, with a family of four looking at upwards of $6,000 for a standard cabin. Guests can also reserve larger rooms, such as the Galaxy Class Suite that sleeps up to six people in two bedrooms. The even larger Grand Captain Suite sleeps up to eight guests at an even higher price point.
While the reason for the falling demand isn’t clear, Disney has mentioned plans in the past to address what happened when interest runs out. Discussions have been conducted regarding adding holidays, changing the plot, or even adjusting the timeline to allow for the inclusion of other characters. The events of the Starcruiser have been cited as why Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will maintain a strict timeline, whereas Disneyland is loosening the rules to allow for characters such as Boba Fett to appear. Changes to the Starcruiser story may encourage guests to visit again or interest new guests.
Curious about the full experience? Check out our guide to everything on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and our honest, in-depth review.
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Next to nobody would pay that amount of money to confine themselves to a concrete box where you constantly need to engage the “story” to get your money’s worth. Add a pool, turn it into a “deluxe” resort with Star Wars theming, and I promise you’ll have the hotel filled again.
There is no future for this without making it strictly a hotel or offering a lot more exclusive access, more nights and less role play stuff. I said from the minute they announced this thing that it was crazy to think this made it out of blue sky the way it is being used.