2010 news from the Magic

[Jazmine8]

I am interested in doing a Med cruise, but I don't want to go in the summer. If DCL were to start in the spring and continue through the fall - I might be persuaded to go with them...depending on the itinerary.

That sounds interesting.

I agree Jazmine. I asked my kids about Alaska and they both said they weren't interested in going to look at ice, snow and animals they see all the time at the San Diego Zoo (even though I explained that seeing them in the wild is totally different). So, we won't be in the competition for a suite on these cruises.

We also aren't interested in HI. To us that's not a cruise vacation but a "go lay on the beach" type of thing. I don't want to jump from island to island and sight see. I like to relax. But (as my teen says) that's just the way we roll. (Also, we've talked the limitations on HI cruising to death. There are a few threads way back.)

It just depends on what type of vacationer you are and I was just adding my 2 cents like everyone else here and got flamed for expressing AK through my eyes. It was only my opinion and others amy be able to provide an different view. I knew about all of those excurisions but that's not what I like to do. I mean me canoeing yeah right. Dog sledding might have been fun but I could do that in Colorado fro way less than in AK.

What does HI cruising to death mean?

 

[gydell]

Do you remember what cruise line? That might help to solve the mystery.

Lisa, how have you been? Will you do another repo in 2010?

 

[Castaway Kev]

I would be wiling to bet $1.00 that Disney will send a cruise ship to AK and HI in the next five years. Who knows if it will it be permanent.

Surveys have shown that the two destinations that Castaway Club members want the most are the Mediterranean, AK and HI (in that order). The med cruise was done last summer. It's almost a given that AK and HI will follow soon.

Let's not forget that DVC is building beachfront property in HI. It could easily serve as a sister to Castaway Cay.

It's very common for cruiselines to have ships do AK in the summer and HI in the winter.

They will probably run some Mexican Riviera cruises as well. These have been popular.

That's my two cents, anyway.

 

[Soccermom-Cheri]

That sounds interesting.



It just depends on what type of vacationer you are and I was just adding my 2 cents like everyone else here and got flamed for expressing AK through my eyes. It was only my opinion and others amy be able to provide an different view. I knew about all of those excurisions but that's not what I like to do. I mean me canoeing yeah right. Dog sledding might have been fun but I could do that in Colorado fro way less than in AK.

What does HI cruising to death mean?

What I meant is that last summer (approx) there was at least one lively thread on whether or not DCL would go to Hawaii (HI) or have a ship dedicated to HI cruises. Some did some research and found out that only NCL had ship(s) dedicated to that area, they flew under the American flag and such had to have a mostly American crew and had to pay US minimum wages. We discussed whether that was cost effective for DCL.

We also figured that the length of time it would take to cruise to HI and back would decrease the number of cruises available during a special summer cruise itinerary and thus not be cost effective for DCL.

That's all I meant by "we had discussed it to death". Guess I didn't put that exactly right.

Since we are all just speculating (and no doubt providing endless entertainment for DCL execs who read these forums), all opinions and thoughts should be welcome.

 

[aan1701]

Since the info came from nps.gov it is more than rumor to me as anything that has to do with the government must be a matter of public record. So I would say AK is right around the cornor for DCL. Personaly do not have any intrest in AK but I will or on the trip thru the canal again. Also I think this will star in 2011 when DCL gets new ship number 1.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I'm hoping for HI!!!!

 

[mmackeymouse]

I am a little befuddled.

So the rumor is that dates for the Special iteneraries will be out first, then the Caribbean iteneraries will be out later?

 

[kaseyC]

Since the info came from nps.gov it is more than rumor to me as anything that has to do with the government must be a matter of public record. So I would say AK is right around the cornor for DCL. Personaly do not have any intrest in AK but I will or on the trip thru the canal again. Also I think this will star in 2011 when DCL gets new ship number 1.

Very true. This does prove that DCL is planning future cruises to Alaska. The question is when? The requested permits for Glacier Bay covers a 10 yr period -2010-2019, but that does not mean that have to use those permits each year.

I'm very intersted in sailing Alaska again but I am also hoping to see an European itinerary again.

 

[Mozart]

Very true. This does prove that DCL is planning future cruises to Alaska. The question is when? The requested permits for Glacier Bay covers a 10 yr period -2010-2019, but that does not mean that have to use those permits each year.

I'm very intersted in sailing Alaska again but I am also hoping to see an European itinerary again.

The DO have to use the permits every other year or risk losing them for the remainder of the contract period. This means that the latest DCL could start going to AK and keep their permits would be 2011.

 

[awoltoday]

Very true. This does prove that DCL is planning future cruises to Alaska. The question is when? The requested permits for Glacier Bay covers a 10 yr period -2010-2019, but that does not mean that have to use those permits each year.

I'm very intersted in sailing Alaska again but I am also hoping to see an European itinerary again.

I think it does mean they would need to use the permits every year. First, per the prospectus, if they are awarded permits and don't use them, they may be taken away for subsequent years. Second, if they include an intention not to use all requested permits in the bid, it may make their bid less desirable and they may not be awarded any permits to start with.

The bidding process Q&A provides this example (question 3):

“failure to use any prime season use days allocated during the first year of the contract term may result in
reallocation of those use days at the discretion of the Superintendent.”

Depending on the circumstances, the concessioner could lose use days for the remainder of the contract
term which have been allocated to the concessioner, but which were not used during the first year of the
contract. This provision is designed to discourage offerors from submitting proposals for services which
they are unable or do not currently plan to provide. Use days for the remainder of the contract term may
not be reallocated if the offeror clearly stated in their proposal their proposed schedule of use. For
example, if an offeror did not plan to provide Cruise Ship Services in Glacier Bay until 2012, the offeror
should state in their proposal, under the Proposal Package, ‘Number of “Prime Season” Use Days
Requested’ section, that if they are awarded a concession contract, they would immediately relinquish
their use days for 2010 and 2011.

A Glacier Bay permit is certainly not required for DCL to cruise Alaska, either. They could certainly do a Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm cruise. But, that isn't exactly Disney's style when it comes to itineraries. They tend to do the safest status quo itinerary. To get the permits, Disney is going to need to commit to the itinerary.

That same tendency to do established itineraries is why I have been figuring on a round trip out of Seattle or Vancouver. However, as someone mentioned earlier, a one way cruise out of Vancouver to Seward/Whittier would make a great Land/Sea partnership with Adventures by Disney. A one way cruise would certainly increase your airfare cost - although it generally creates a little more port time for Alaska cruises.


Mozart -
Where are you getting the "every other year" thing? I'm not seeing that in the prospectus anywhere.

 

[Maxwell]

I just can't see my kids (3, 6 and 9) enjoying an Alaskan cruise. I would think too cold to use the pools and no Castaway Cay.

 

[Justthe8ofus]

I just can't see my kids (3, 6 and 9) enjoying an Alaskan cruise. I would think too cold to use the pools and no Castaway Cay.

My kids would love a helicopter ride over a glacier or dog sleding. My youngest will be 8 by 2010 and 9 by 2011. I hope they are old enough for that stuff. Mine are into animal planet and could get into the wildlife.

That would more interesting than Northern Europe to kids IMO. We have a pool at home so that doesn't matter to us. We def don't sail DCL for the pools.

 

[awoltoday]

I just can't see my kids (3, 6 and 9) enjoying an Alaskan cruise. I would think too cold to use the pools and no Castaway Cay.

Well, there is only ONE Castaway Cay.

People using the uncovered pool IN Glacier Bay

DD9 doing the Butterfly in Glacier Bay

 

[outahere]

I just can't see my kids (3, 6 and 9) enjoying an Alaskan cruise. I would think too cold to use the pools and no Castaway Cay.

The weather around the Glacier Bay area can change dramatically. We did an Alaskan cruise on NCL last August and the week before we went, it was close to 80 degrees and sunny. Our week it was cloudy/misty and never went above 60 degrees. There were very few people in the pool because it was so cold, but the crew said the week before they ran out of sunscreen in the gift shop.

 

[NancyIL]

That same tendency to do established itineraries is why I have been figuring on a round trip out of Seattle or Vancouver. However, as someone mentioned earlier, a one way cruise out of Vancouver to Seward/Whittier would make a great Land/Sea partnership with Adventures by Disney. A one way cruise would certainly increase your airfare cost - although it generally creates a little more port time for Alaska cruises.

I think a roundtrip cruise would attract more families because of the easier and cheaper flights. On the other hand - airfare to Barcelona last summer wasn't exactly cheap, and Disney was pretty successful with their Med cruises.

 

[danicaw]

Wherever they announce I am getting excited!

My SIL and I just took a Princess cruise from Seattle to Alaska (just 3 weeks ago...a week off of ).
Princess was nice, but I was constantly comparing it to Disney, which, I think is a better cruise experience.
But we loved the ports and cruising through the Tracy Arm.
Since both of us have young kids we often thought about how they would do in that environment and I think in the ports have several family friendly options, but the ship was less kid friendly. The kids clubs seemed very small. The covered pool area was really the only place I saw many kids.
We both decided we would love to cruise Alaska with our families but not until the kids were much, much older or Disney started cruising Alaska.

Oh, our cruise stopped in Victoria, BC for a few hours.... we arrived at 5pm and left at 11pm (or around then) not the best for seeing the sights, but being that we have both been to Victoria recently we enjoyed the evening on an empty ship.

For 2010 we may wait to decide until our Dec. cruise on the Magic. It will be our first with 2 kids. Our DS was 23 months on our last cruise as a family and that was the first Panama Canal Repo. This time he can do the clubs and DD will explore Flounders.
If that goes well, we may try to rebook while onboard...if all the cruises aren't sold out

 

[gydell]

Well, there is only ONE Castaway Cay.

People using the uncovered pool IN Glacier Bay

DD9 doing the Butterfly in Glacier Bay

Which cruise ship is this? We want to do Alaska even if DCL does not.

 

[danicaw]

Which cruise ship is this? We want to do Alaska even if DCL does not.

I think its a Norwegian ship.... the Sun or the Pearl?

 

[awoltoday]

Which cruise ship is this? We want to do Alaska even if DCL does not.

It's the Norwegian Pearl - a fantastic ship.

And I'm pretty sure I saw adults going down the slide!

 

[pillow]

It looks like the RCCL cruises to Alaska go in and out of Vancouver (which is great IMO) but they are one way -- 7 day cruise NB and 7 day cruise SB. So to go round trip you'd have to do a back to back 14 day trip!

RCCL does round trip Alaska as well, but I like the point to point itinerary better.

Jodie