Castaway Cay & Bigger ship...

[DisneyDreamer8]

I'm a little worried about being on Castaway Cay with almost double the passengers...

What do you think DCL will do to the island to accomodate more people. Not to mention the changes that will have to be made to the dock area.

Ideas??? What would you like to see done????

 

[Amlee]

I don't think it will be a problem as not all 4 ships will be based in FL or the Caribbean. They can't use Castaway as a stop on the west coast.

Not sure if they will have to dredge some more or not, but from what I have read. It's not a simple thing to get the current size ships to dock. So I'm guessing they will have to dredge.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Just speculation but, I think the new ships will be docked on the West Coast. So, there shouldn't be any changes to the dock or overcrowding on CC. I agree, the Family Beach is VERY crowded as is. So, I'm with you on being worried with all those additional passengers. Lets hope they make the right decision.

Jennifer

 

[tiggr33]

I was on the phone with DCl on an unrelated issue tonight. They said that since the new ships will be longer and wider then the Magic and Wonder, and will not fit in the Panama Canal they are leaning towards European or Med bases.

 

[Amlee]

I was on the phone with DCl on an unrelated issue tonight. They said that since the new ships will be longer and wider then the Magic and Wonder, and will not fit in the Panama Canal they are leaning towards European or Med bases.

Yup, got told the same thing earlier.

This is some ideas I came up with.

Here are some ideas of how it could work out:

1: New ship in PC doing the current Magic run.
one old: ship based in New York

2: New ship in LA doing a northern route/special cruise.
old ship: doing a Baja route

3: New ship: in LA/PC
Old ship: Med/special cruise

Either way if one of the New Ship goes to the West coast, it's a trip around South America. As I was just told by a Disney Cruise rep that at the current spec's they are too big to go through the canal. <<<< That is the repo I want on!

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

Boy I can see it now if they don't have one new ship doing the Caribbean....

It would seem to me that they would want the larger capacity for their most popular sailings....Which to me would be one new ship out West, one new ship in Florida along with one old to run 3/4 day sailings and an old ship in Europe.

But I guess it is a wait and see game.

 

[jilljill]

I would love to see one of the new ships based out of NY, even if only for a couple of months a year.

 

[wrabitdad]

Don't forget that Panama is moving ahead with plans to add a third lane to the current canal to accommadate the current panamax ships and the larger ones planned.

Where ever they are, it will be wonderful.

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

Don't forget that Panama is moving ahead with plans to add a third lane to the current canal to accommadate the current panamax ships and the larger ones planned.

Where ever they are, it will be wonderful.

Unfortunatly they won't be done until 2015.

I would love to take one of the bigger ships through...We had a blast on the Magic Repo!!!

 

[taswira]

I was on the phone with DCl on an unrelated issue tonight. They said that since the new ships will be longer and wider then the Magic and Wonder, and will not fit in the Panama Canal they are leaning towards European or Med bases.

My guess would definitely be European or Med bases. Keep in mind that the two new vessels are not "cruise ships" but are "ocean liners." That means they will specifically meet the criteria in structure and features for transatlantic and wide open water (or whatever the proper term would be for "middle of nowhere in the ocean") sailing. Another possibility in the future, depending on the design, might be Alaska cruises. This was considered in the past but the Magic and Wonder are really not built for that. I would expect those current ships to continue to do Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico and Panama Canal cruises. Only time will tell.

 

[tvguy]

Unfortunatly they won't be done until 2015.

I would love to take one of the bigger ships through...We had a blast on the Magic Repo!!!

Or they could do what the other cruise lines with large ships do, go around the tip of South America, with stops in Rio de Janiero Brazil, the Falkland Islands, Lima Peru, Mexico....an Orlando to Los Angeles cruise. My mom did that on NCL, 18 days, best cruise she has ever taken. That cruise had everything, warm weather in the Caribbean, glaciers in South America.

 

[crzy4magic]

I just did some checking on the www.pancanal.com website (Panama Canal) and the new ships should easily fit after the third set of locks project is completed. Given what we are seeing about the configuration and the desires of the head or Resorts and Theme Parks to have ships in LA I would not be surprised to see a new ship and an old ship on each coast.

The next thing we should be on the lookout for is a Castaway Cay like location somewhere on or near the Mexican Riviera.

 

[dreamcometrue]

Or they could do what the other cruise lines with large ships do, go around the tip of South America, with stops in Rio de Janiero Brazil, the Falkland Islands, Lima Peru, Mexico....an Orlando to Los Angeles cruise. My mom did that on NCL, 18 days, best cruise she has ever taken. That cruise had everything, warm weather in the Caribbean, glaciers in South America.

I wondered about how they'd get a new and such large ship to the West Coast and wondered if a cruise around the tip of South America would be possible. I guess it is! Wow...that is one cruise I'd love to be on!! It's hard to believe it's only 3 days more than a cruise through the Panama Canal!

 

["Got Disney"]

Unfortunatly they won't be done until 2015.

I would love to take one of the bigger ships through...We had a blast on the Magic Repo!!!

They are set to sail on 2011 and 2012...not start building at that time....so we only have to wait for 4 and 5 years....

see...http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=acXxzXVNe_Ck&refer=news

 

[travelgirl06]

This is pure speculation, but I'm sure DCL wants to get into Alaska cruises, and the old ships aren't "suited" for thas, so it would be logical for one of the new ships to spend summers in Alaska and winters in Mexico. Both these itineraries will pull a premium.

I don't see DCL putting two ships in Europe permanently, afterall there are still spaces open on the Med cruises sailing on the current vessels (substantiall smaller than the new ones). Maybe one ship will do Europe full time (Baltic/Scandanavia summers, and the Med in the winter), and that would leave two ships for the Caribbean/Bahamas.

Or, I could see 2 ships Caribbean/Bahamas, 1 ship Mexico, and one "rotational" ship that does Europe sometimes, New England sometimes, Panama Canals, maybe even Asia??

I think they will keep the number of ships based out of each port low to ensure that they are sailing at capacity and able to charge premium DCL prices.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would love to see one of the new ships based out of NY, even if only for a couple of months a year.

I agree!! I would certainly cruise more often if they were! I would not fly out to CA for a cruise though, just to far to have to fly for a cruise. We did it once, never again...

 

[mmouse37]

Me too!!! An easy 30 minute drive and Magically we would be at the port!!!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

I think one of the new ships will make stops at CC. It will mean a longer walk for people to find empty chairs at the family beach.

And can DCL please order beach chairs made of fabric and not that awful hard plastic they have now. Those beach chairs are so uncomfortable.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Well, I'm betting we'll see some Asia and pan-Pacific cruises with a new ship too!

I'm also thinking one of the existing ships will be exclusively land/sea WDW/Bahamas/CC based. I think Disney will promote that concept to attract more first time, Disney loving, cruisers. New ships, new itineraries...for those of us who know and love Disney service and are ready to TRAVEL!

 

[CarolG]

Unfortunatly they won't be done until 2015.

[QUOTE="Got Disney";17179327]They are set to sail on 2011 and 2012...not start building at that time....so we only have to wait for 4 and 5 years....[/QUOTE]

2015 is the target opening date for the expanded third set of locks in the Panama Canal.

So until the expansion project is completed, moving either or both of the new ships to the Pacific (assuming they exceed Panamax dimensions) would probably involve a repositioning cruise around the tip of South America.

Sounds like a fun trip to me!