Any rumor when 2014 dates come out?

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I think it's a combination of a few factors:

1) Disney is associated with being a cruise for kids and with a lot of kids. That assumption drives away the adults without kids or those who want to cruise without their own kids. Disney needs to better market themselves to adults without driving away their bread and butter - families. Not saying it's easy, but to be competitive they should.

But isn't Disney's overall business families. They market the parks to families. Why does the cruise line have to be different?

2) The itineraries are too repetitive. While no new countries are being discovered, Disney could do a better jobs of getting to a variety of the ones that exist. Vary the number of days - the longer crises seem to be selling in Europe (until the PIF date arrives) - why not try longer cruises here that can hit ports new to Disney

Do other cruise lines change up their itinerates every year?

3) Even in Europe, the 7 nights are the same. We will be in Europe 2013 to visit family and I would love to do a Disney cruise - we did the Med in 2010. The 7 night cruise hit the same ports. Even in Europe there is nothing different for a 7 night cruise.

Again as I’ll asked before do other cruise lines that sail in Europe change itinerates every year or do they do the same one?

4) They are over-priced. Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean both have new ships and lots to offer for kids. Carnival is doing a lot to revamp their "party" image. Disney is charging a lot of money to go to the same places year after year. All 3 lines can offer Disney a run for their money.
/QUOTE]
True they do cost more but they don’t have things that other cruise lines do to make money like a casino or charging people for every drink they get on board even at self serve drink stations. I’m sure they would love to be able to charge as much as the lines you mentioned but at the same time they don’t want to put a casino on board to make up the difference.

 

[DahliaRW]

It seems that if the school issue is really hampering filling ships, thad Disney should start seeking out and soliciting those who have more flexible schedules. I'm thinking specials aimed at areas where school is year round and their breaks are different from the average school (i.e. Arizona?), those with children too young for school, or homeschoolers...

 

[PizzieDuster]

Meeee toooo. Leaving from the west coast would eliminate airfare for us and we'd be MUCH more likely to be able to cruise.

Meeee three!

 

[Ptwolfman]

Meeee three!

Same here. As it is, we have to fly to the West Coast unless we want to leave from Vancouver or Galveston

 

[keishashadow]

How about some 10-nt cruises to the Southern Caribbean for Aruba, Curacao, S.America, etc.? Anything besides the same 6 ports. How about doing all of us with school-age kids a favor and just cruise the PC back & forth a couple times during the summer just for the heck of it? There's no way we could pull our kids out for 2 weeks during the school year.
How about all the other islands named in that Beach Boys song?

Wonder if they've considered sailing out of SJU? They could offer 7 night cruises that include aruba & curacao as RCCL often does.

Why not a bermuda route? So many here post they don't get off the ship in ports anyway and with the sea days would spend more $ onboard. Not sure if it would be feasible to work in stop @ CC if sailing from PC though.

As an east-coaster, I'd like to see a short 3 or 4 day up the coast vs any Mexican itinerary; especially if it included a stop in San Francisco (wouldn't have to be closed loop to make me happy). Certainly would make it easy to tie in with DL trips.

 

[tajz90]

But isn't Disney's overall business families. They market the parks to families. Why does the cruise line have to be different?

Do other cruise lines change up their itinerates every year?

Again as I’ll asked before do other cruise lines that sail in Europe change itinerates every year or do they do the same one?

I agree. Other cruise lines don't mix it up every year. They do sail a few more itineraries but as others have pointed out, they have many more ships. I don't think the average cruiser will go to the more exotic ports. It seems like the other cruise lines bigger ships are concentrated in the Caribbean ports and the smaller ones scattered.

I thought I had heard once that the ports will negotiate contracts and the ships are anchored there for that period of time. For instance, (making up a time), the Fantasy has to sail from PC for 5 years. That wouldn't allow for a huge variance.

 

[Parkerpooh]

It seems that if the school issue is really hampering filling ships, thad Disney should start seeking out and soliciting those who have more flexible schedules. I'm thinking specials aimed at areas where school is year round and their breaks are different from the average school (i.e. Arizona?), those with children too young for school, or homeschoolers...

Or spend more time marketing to canadians as we can take our kids out of school whenever we want!

 

[chateau]

They could market the ship differently for those with very young children, not dependent on school schedules. Why not make it clser to a traveling wdw, with live shows geared toward younger children (the live shows seemed too theatrical for my little ones to stay interested) like the Little Mermaid or Disney Junior Live on stage.... along those lines. Sometimes parents need a little r&r, to be ''away'' yet have the kids well entertained.... seeing all their favorite disney characters. From conversations I had, it seems the preschool age children are highly interested in meeting characters, that running around is too stressful. They could build that up a bit.

 

[RedSox68]

What would you like to see that would make it less yawn worthy?

We live close to Galveston. Any and all cruise ships can leave Cozumel, Costa Maya and the like off their schedules.

I have to admit though, I'm not crazy about Caribbean ports. I'd like to see something a little more grand.

For one thing, A CHANGE OF PORTS!

Geez, Disney, how many surveys do you have to send out before you actually go through with trips to Bermuda or Southern Caribbean. I think it would be a terrific change up if Disney did 10 and 11-day cruises HERE and not just in the Med. They could do so many more itineraries and new ports. Many ships leaving from the east coast are now doing 8 and 10-night cruises. A nice change up.

St. Maarten, St. John, St. Thomas, Grand Cayman and Cozumel have been done for 12+ years. That's the big yawn

 

[RedSox68]

I'm hoping a ship leaves from. NYC, don't care where it goes only has to leave from NYC if not might cruise a different line

Agreed. I was hoping they'd come back to NYC so we could sail without flying. From everything I read, those sailings did quite well! Even sailing out of Baltimore would be nice.

How about doing all of us with school-age kids a favor and just cruise the PC back & forth a couple times during the summer just for the heck of it? There's no way we could pull our kids out for 2 weeks during the school year.

Exactly what I thought. We loved our PC cruise that we did in August of 2005. Now they only seem to do them during the school year! It was a nice 2-week vacation and we loved the relaxation of it and the ports we saw.

 

[jcarwash]

Who had December 4th in the betting pool?

Disney Parks Blog just announced that early 2014 dates are available to book today:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/12/disney-cruise-line-announces-2014-itineraries/

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Who had December 4th in the betting pool?

Disney Parks Blog just announced that early 2014 dates are available to book today:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/12/disney-cruise-line-announces-2014-itineraries/

What time!? It's not showing up on the website

 

[tellemarie]

What time!? It's not showing up on the website

I'm wondering this myself! We're planning on having a cruise wedding in early 2014 and we don't want any other cruise line! The longer they wait to release the dates the more worried I get about this!

 

[tellemarie]

OH! I just called the DCL line and they say we can start booking 12/6/2012. Not today. Nice going, Disney blog

 

[wifey1220]

I just called they said after 9:30 the website should be updated but just to view no booking yet

 

[tellemarie]

I just called they said after 9:30 the website should be updated but just to view no booking yet

Do you think the rates will be up yet?

 

[Summerl30]

how long before we can book?

 

[Chee Chick]

Who had December 4th in the betting pool?

Disney Parks Blog just announced that early 2014 dates are available to book today:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/12/disney-cruise-line-announces-2014-itineraries/

Am I reading this article correctly that the Magic and Dream will be doing the same itinerary from PC? Why choose the Magic if you can sail on the newer Dream.

So sad to see the Magic leaving Galveston. Looks like I will be booking the Fantasy for 2014.

 

[tellemarie]

how long before we can book?

Can't book until the 6th

 

[Summerl30]

Am I reading this article correctly that the Magic and Dream will be doing the same itinerary from PC? Why choose the Magic if you can sail on the newer Dream.

So sad to see the Magic leaving Galveston. Looks like I will be booking the Fantasy for 2014.

cheaper I am guessing? Maybe it will be a slightly different itinerary.