Capt. John's Comments About Re-location of Magic and Wonder

[tam012864]

We just got off the ship Thursday and Capt John said the same things in our Castaway Club Reception. He said Port Canaveral would get the new ships and the Wonder and Magic would be placed elsewhere. He did mention the west coast as a possibility and that Alaska was being looked at as well as Mexico for iteneries. He also mentioned that maybe the Med could be another home..but that definately the new ships would be going to Florida. I can't wait to see how it all turns out....

 

[travelgirl06]

If you check out this Navigator, in the section about DVC/Cruise with us year after year, there seems to be a deffinate allusion to Alaska cruises.

http://allears.net/cruise/medcruise/em4.jpg

Granted, this could be based on the fact that you can use DVC points to sail to Alaska (although not currently on DCL), but I think it could also be a hint about future itineraries.

 

[Kissimmee]

Mind if I muddy the water a bit...

Some points based on conversations with crew that should know on the Transatlantic:

1. the new ships are not compatible with the existing panama canal
2. The Magic and Wonder will each receive a major refit as the new ships enter service. Magic will be first and it will involve a reworking of deck 9 and 10 to better protect parts of deck nine from bad weather. (think Alaska)
3. As much as we love the Magic and Wonder, the new ships will eclipse them.
4. Port Canaveral will remain the home port for all four ships
5. The magic and Wonder will send a good deal of their time off on a wider range of special cruises. South American, Mediterranean, Panama canal, Alaska, Mexican Riviera and Hawaii. Heavy on the last four
6. During the peak Caribbean season three or four ships will stay in Florida although they may depart from Miami or Tampa.

 

[ElenitaB]

Question: If the two new ships are considerably bigger than the Magic and the Wonder, would Castaway Cay need to be dredged again to make it even bigger to allow them to dock there?

 

[tvguy]

This would take you around Cape Horn, who's waters are particularly treacherous. Make sure you take your Dramamine!

My mom took took a 3 week NCL cruise around the Cape, said it was not as rough as she expected, smoother than a cruise she took from Honolulu to Vancouver.

Mind if I muddy the water a bit...

Some points based on conversations with crew that should know on the Transatlantic:

1. the new ships are not compatible with the existing panama canal
   
   Correct for the current canal, but the widening project is scheduled to be complete by 2014, 2 years after the second new Disney ship launches, and the wider canal will be compatible with the new ships
   

 

[Kim in TN]

We just got off the ship Thursday and Capt John said the same things in our Castaway Club Reception. He said Port Canaveral would get the new ships and the Wonder and Magic would be placed elsewhere. He did mention the west coast as a possibility and that Alaska was being looked at as well as Mexico for iteneries. He also mentioned that maybe the Med could be another home..but that definately the new ships would be going to Florida. I can't wait to see how it all turns out....

We heard this same thing and we got off the ship yesterday.

 

[jco_direwolf]

Question: If the two new ships are considerably bigger than the Magic and the Wonder, would Castaway Cay need to be dredged again to make it even bigger to allow them to dock there?

First off in general I said something to my wife the other day about I bet the move the Magic and Wonder out of PC when the new ships are ready.

As several others have pointed out the existing ships are what are referred to as "PanaMax", the largest vessel that will fit though the smallest lock. So these ships are best for moving around the world. As needed to dredge castaway cay I doubt it. They know how big/deep the inlet is and I bet it's with-in what ever the safety standards call for....JUST inside them.

Having a larger fleet gives them more flexibility about which ships to pull from which routes. I wouldn't be surprised, if the Magic (which I believe is consider to be their flagship) had no "fixed" route/home port. They just sail it year round from special cruise to special cruise. West coast of the americas, Asia, Alaska, the Med.

just my take on what we know. that there are 2 additional ships coming.

johno

 

[Barbossa]

Question: If the two new ships are considerably bigger than the Magic and the Wonder, would Castaway Cay need to be dredged again to make it even bigger to allow them to dock there?

Not to mention expanding the facilities at CC to accomodate the much larger number of visitors.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I like the around the world with stops near all the disney parks! Now *that* is a vacation I'd like to take!

 

[LITTLEKID58]

 

[JimB.]

If the two new ships are considerably bigger than the Magic and the Wonder, would Castaway Cay need to be dredged again to make it even bigger to allow them to dock there?

I think it depends on the depth of the dock & the draft of the new ships. the "area" of the berth is more than sufficient to fit the bigger ships. But how deep is it? I would think there is at least 10-15' underneath the keel at low tide, but I have no idea if this is deep enough for the new ships.

Also, the dock will (IMHO) have to be extended somewhat to allow for the longer ships to moor appropriately.


I was also on the 5/27 where Capt. John said the M & W would be repositioned. I was surprised at this. I'm wondering how much work will have to be done to the terminal & Port Canaveral to accommodate the new ships.

My GUESS is that 1 one ship would be west coast (Mexico in winter & Alaska/Mexico in summer), & if this summer works, the Med will be the other. If it's not, who knows?

The big difference (once again, IMO) with DCL is that it is a "niche", not a stand alone business. The (soon to be) 4 DCL ships are just a drop in the bucket in the cruise market, so they will always be in demand. I think DCL would pretty much fill their ships regardless of where they go. I'd probably sail DCL if they sailed out of Chicago & did a Great Lakes cruise, just because I like the experience. The ports of call are just a side light.

 

[tfc3rid]

Keep in mind also, that additional shipping lanes through the Panama Canal are being constructed that will allow larger ships to cross there... So in reality, it odesn't matter right now that the new ships would not fit through the PC...

 

[winotracy]

We were on the first Med Cruise and Tom McAlpin talked at the CC reception. He said that the Magic and Wonder can go to Alaska. He also said that the trip by ship from Toyko to Hong Kong takes 5 days. He said that all four ships will be able to go through the Panama Canal (the canal revisions are set to be done before the new ships come out). He also said no casinos, ice skating or rock climbing walls.

 

[Euphscott]

I've heard rumors quite to the contrary of the speculation here. Some thought has Disney worried about being able to sell spots on four ships, leading to the thought of selling off the Magic and Wonder once the new ones arrive.

The concern is that the sailings to the Med have not gone as well as they wanted. Thus they are discovering that the core group of sales is to repeat cruisers, not new ones. So, the way that reads is that cruisers are not sailing Disney unless they are an established fan. This translates to difficulty selling enough spots on four ships in the near future.

No solid decisions made - lots of options and it's all up for discussion as I hear it...

 

[Mickey_loves_Minnie]

I like the around the world with stops near all the disney parks! Now *that* is a vacation I'd like to take!

Me too!

If I could only afford it.

 

[Aquagirl]

I've heard rumors quite to the contrary of the speculation here. Some thought has Disney worried about being able to sell spots on four ships, leading to the thought of selling off the Magic and Wonder once the new ones arrive.

The concern is that the sailings to the Med have not gone as well as they wanted. Thus they are discovering that the core group of sales is to repeat cruisers, not new ones. So, the way that reads is that cruisers are not sailing Disney unless they are an established fan. This translates to difficulty selling enough spots on four ships in the near future.

No solid decisions made - lots of options and it's all up for discussion as I hear it...

Where did you hear this rumor? I haven't heard this one yet. According to Disney they seem excited to have 4 ships.

 

[Euphscott]

I am hearing whispers from high up the food chain.

 

[Mozart]

I've heard rumors quite to the contrary of the speculation here. Some thought has Disney worried about being able to sell spots on four ships, leading to the thought of selling off the Magic and Wonder once the new ones arrive.

The concern is that the sailings to the Med have not gone as well as they wanted. Thus they are discovering that the core group of sales is to repeat cruisers, not new ones. So, the way that reads is that cruisers are not sailing Disney unless they are an established fan. This translates to difficulty selling enough spots on four ships in the near future.

No solid decisions made - lots of options and it's all up for discussion as I hear it...

Not trying to stir up the pot, but this seems contrary to everything being said and done by DCL at this point. DCL appears to be very adamantly interested in testing new routes, and have met with great success. They never even started a European marketing campaign for the Med sailings, according to interviews I've seen with DCL executives, because they were so happy with the number of Americans flying over. As to the repeat cruisers, that's pretty much in line with the majority of the cruise industry, or any industry for that matter. Go after the one-timers and you'll never make any money. Go after the hardcore fans and you'll be swimming in it.

McAlpin is talking about opening new routes, but they're going to sell off the Magic and Wonder? Despite the fact that their fill rate is currently one of the highest in the cruise industry, and that's with only 2 ships and both of them located in what is considered a weakening market. Meanwhile, there are other destinations such as California that would be perfect for yet another deal of the same type. 2 ships...one doing a 3,4 day itinerary that is part of a Land and Sea vacation, and one doing 7 day trips.

If anything, I would expect DCL to already be discussing ships #5 and 6.

 

[tecdavidt]

According to our TA the DCL med cruises are not selling as they had hoped they would. Plenty of room if one has the money. The public may wish for exotic ports but they do come at a high price and a lot of people can afford the Caribbean but not Europe. I would guess the same for any exotic port cruise. Alaska cruises are always high priced. What our TA says about Alaska, the market is saturated and the season is short. So who knows, if there is the demand from DCL fans they just might try it. I would skip that one, I get enough of cold living here in the Midwest that when it is warm in the summer I am not going somewhere where the temps could be only in the 50 to 60 range. My sister has and loved it, to each his own.

What makes the most sense: keep the two new ships in the Caribbean year round. They could also add a southern route starting from San Juan to add interest. Move one of the original ships to the west coast and link it to Disneyland. Use the other ship to try other cruises, Med., Asian, etc... or keep it in the Caribbean.

We would have done a 7 day Caribbean cruise this summer on the Magic if she was here but she isn't. We opted for the parks. I know from reading the boards a lot of people wished the Magic was still here for the 7 day because this was when their schedules allowed time for a 7 day cruise. A back to back Wonder is not the same experience. Close, but not the same. People also aren't that thrilled she will be gone again next year so there is a demand for 7 day Caribbean cruises year round. Who knows what DCL will choose to do. We all have to sit and what.

Kathy

 

[Euphscott]

I am not trying to argue here, but how do you define success? Yes, Panama Canal and California sailings did well. But the Med has not been overwhelming. Have you seen the prices for cruises they are desperately trying to fill out?

The problem that DCL is facing is that they are not growing their business. They appeal to a niche crowd (granted a very loyal one) but not adding the general cruising public. Let's face it, you have to enjoy Disney to stomach these cruises. Yes, in the ship theming Mickey is subtle. But in the stage shows and a good deal of their entertainment, the Mouse is pretty in your face. I enjoy that and many on these boards do as well - but it's not a scenario that the general cruising public has embraced.

So, without a spike in growth of their cruising demographics (meaning not the same crowd over and over), filling over twice as many beds each week becomes a bit of a challenge. In spite of all the warm fuzzies that Disney encourages in it's brand monkeys, this is a business. 4 ships each going out at less than 80% or so occupancy each week is not a business model Disney is willing to embrace.

Nothing is set in concrete - and the DCL people indeed talk big - but they answer to folks higher up in the Disney food chain. And those accountaneers have a very close eye on bottom line numbers.