It's official Disney cutting Galveston short

[TXinmyheart]

http://www.galvestondailynews.com/news/local_news/article_27ba70a4-4314-11e2-9b09-0019bb30f31a.html

They will be offering KSFs all over the place with four ships out of Florida.

 

[mom2val]

P

 

[violetmonarch]

OH NO!!! I am so bummed! I guess that this cruise we are taking in Jan 2013 will be the last for a very long time.

 

[LizJ]

Bummer, we are trying out a cruise from Galveston in January with the hopes to continue Disney cruising for many years to come as traveling to Texas is easier than Florida. Oh well, at least we great one cruise.

 

[Tink rules]

they are talking for 2014....

 

[Raspberry Beret]

I'm not surprised. The large number of discounts and multiple itinerary changes was a big clue that the Galveston sales were poor. I guess that mention of Galveston on the 2014 Itinerary announcement page was a typo.

New Itineraries and Ports for 2014
Get ready to explore dazzling destinations in 2014! Disney Cruise Line is offering cruises departing from such popular home ports as Miami, Florida, Port Canaveral, Florida and Galveston, Texas and sailing to spectacular ports of call in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cr...ntAnnounce0006

 

[mstee777]

Plenty of other lines sail out of Galveston and do quite well. Disney is only sailing out of Galveston during the school year and charging way more than other lines. Besides, the short cruises only hit boring ports that can be done for less than half the price on another line. meanwhile the long cruises are not doable while kids are in school. I think they are missing a huge market by not sailing from Texas in the summer.

 

[rosermama]

Plenty of other lines sail out of Galveston and do quite well. Disney is only sailing out of Galveston during the school year and charging way more than other lines. Besides, the short cruises only hit boring ports that can be done for less than half the price on another line. meanwhile the long cruises are not doable while kids are in school. I think they are missing a huge market by not sailing from Texas in the summer.

I agree I think this is the same with Puerto Rico those sailing have been undersold so far because they are on the off weeks this is the slow season so to measure this time as an indicator of how well something will do is bad business sense.

I agree they would be able to sell really well in the summer

 

[mmouse37]

Can't get the link to open.

MJ

 

[Candy Apple]

Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 12:16 am, Tue Dec 11, 2012.
By WHITNEY HODGIN
GALVESTON — Mickey Mouse will not set sail from Galveston as often as originally planned.
The Disney Cruise Line, which started sailing out of the Port of Galveston in September, will not be returning to the port in 2014, the port’s director and a Disney spokesperson confirmed.
Disney signed a two-year operating agreement with Galveston from September 2012 until September 2014, which means Disney was scheduled to sail either the Magic or the Wonder from the Port of Galveston until May 2014, Port Director Mike Mierzwa said.
Rebecca Peddie, Disney Cruise Line’s manager of public affairs, said the cruise line’s contract with the port was until the end of 2013.
The company announced Dec. 4 the Disney Magic would be sailing out of Port Canaveral, Fla., beginning in 2014.
Mierzwa said he got the call from Disney in November.
“They hadn’t formally scheduled cruises out of Galveston for 2014, but we had a tentative schedule for 19 cruises during the first four and a half months of 2014,” Mierzwa said.
“There’s going to be loss of revenue to the port,” he said. “This was going to be a component of our 2014 budget. We will have to find other ways to make up for that.”
Losing approximately 20 cruises equals $1.234 million in operating revenue and about 8,000 hours for labor, Mierzwa said.
“We will have to find new ways to find work hours for the guys on the port,” he said. “We’re supposed to be creating jobs.”
Peddie said the cruise line had a good experience in Galveston but made the decision to try a different port based on guest demand for more options out of Port Canaveral.
“We’re very disappointed that they’re going to be leaving in January 2014,” Mierzwa said. “On the other hand, we’re pleased Disney chose to bring their product to the Gulf Coast.”
Had Disney called him sooner, Mierzwa said he might have been able to prevent the Princess Cruise Line from announcing it would move its Caribbean Princess from the Port of Galveston to the Port of Houston for the 2014-15 operational year, citing lack of space in Galveston.
That agreement with the Port of Houston was for one year, Mierzwa said.
“Certainly I would like to have them come back to Galveston after that,” he said. “I already reached out to them and said I’d give them the first option.”

 

[luv2sleep]

Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 12:16 am, Tue Dec 11, 2012.
By WHITNEY HODGIN
GALVESTON — Mickey Mouse will not set sail from Galveston as often as originally planned.
The Disney Cruise Line, which started sailing out of the Port of Galveston in September, will not be returning to the port in 2014, the port’s director and a Disney spokesperson confirmed.
Disney signed a two-year operating agreement with Galveston from September 2012 until September 2014, which means Disney was scheduled to sail either the Magic or the Wonder from the Port of Galveston until May 2014, Port Director Mike Mierzwa said.
Rebecca Peddie, Disney Cruise Line’s manager of public affairs, said the cruise line’s contract with the port was until the end of 2013.
The company announced Dec. 4 the Disney Magic would be sailing out of Port Canaveral, Fla., beginning in 2014.
Mierzwa said he got the call from Disney in November.
“They hadn’t formally scheduled cruises out of Galveston for 2014, but we had a tentative schedule for 19 cruises during the first four and a half months of 2014,” Mierzwa said.
“There’s going to be loss of revenue to the port,” he said. “This was going to be a component of our 2014 budget. We will have to find other ways to make up for that.”
Losing approximately 20 cruises equals $1.234 million in operating revenue and about 8,000 hours for labor, Mierzwa said.
“We will have to find new ways to find work hours for the guys on the port,” he said. “We’re supposed to be creating jobs.”
Peddie said the cruise line had a good experience in Galveston but made the decision to try a different port based on guest demand for more options out of Port Canaveral.
“We’re very disappointed that they’re going to be leaving in January 2014,” Mierzwa said. “On the other hand, we’re pleased Disney chose to bring their product to the Gulf Coast.”
Had Disney called him sooner, Mierzwa said he might have been able to prevent the Princess Cruise Line from announcing it would move its Caribbean Princess from the Port of Galveston to the Port of Houston for the 2014-15 operational year, citing lack of space in Galveston.
That agreement with the Port of Houston was for one year, Mierzwa said.
“Certainly I would like to have them come back to Galveston after that,” he said. “I already reached out to them and said I’d give them the first option.”

Sounds like an abrupt decision.

Interesting about the demand for more port time in Port Canaveral. I guess they see having all 4 ships sailing from PC as more lucrative. Could be because of WDW I guess?

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

I'm not surprised. The large number of discounts and multiple itinerary changes was a big clue that the Galveston sales were poor. I guess that mention of Galveston on the 2014 Itinerary announcement page was a typo.

I think technically they do sail 1 time in 2014 out of Galveston....looks like there is a Jan 4, 2014 cruise (4-day) before the ship moves to Florida.

 

[rosermama]

I find it funny that they mentioned people want more options out of PC. While that's true we aren't getting it we are getting the same old same old we want more options out of PC meaning we want the ships to go to new ports of call!!!

 

[ludari]

Too bad but it will be interesting to see what DCL decides to do with the remaining 2014 itinerary.

 

[E ticket rider]

Sounds like an abrupt decision.

Interesting about the demand for more port time in Port Canaveral. I guess they see having all 4 ships sailing from PC as more lucrative. Could be because of WDW I guess?

Only three ships will be home ported in PC for (at least) the first half of 2014. Disney Wonder will home port out of Miami during that time.

 

[Aura of Foreboding]

We looked at some of the Galveston sailings (as we have long flights either way), and although the cruise fares were better, flights and transfers were ridiculous. If you aren't from Texas (or very near) Galveston is not a cost-effective port. I hope they will try Los Angeles again.

 

[gumbypee]

Why oh why did they not give summertime a chance!?!?!

I might have to book one more next year before they leave me

 

[darkwing818]

Too bad but it will be interesting to see what DCL decides to do with the remaining 2014 itinerary.

Hoping for some "New" itineraries for the rest of 2014.

 

[jcarwash]

Can't get the link to open.

MJ

Try this one:

http://www.galvestondailynews.com/news/local_news/article_db0543ac-4344-11e2-9319-001a4bcf6878.html

 

[Crecia27]

We are so disappointed. We were ready to sail again in 2014, but will be canceling our dummy date now. Guess it's back to RC for us.