DCL shows that they CAN cancel cruises for no reason - Wonder's 12/9/12 and on

[aan1701]

They also by contract not home port the two new ships anywhere but Port Canaveral. I believe the Dream is tied there till '15 and the Fantasy till '16. If I understood my friend, who talks in code, they are trying to rework the MR. Alaska is so popular my friend said they have every intention on returning in '13 and '14. So we shal see.

 

[sarahgirl]

DCL has already committed to keeping the Dream and Fantasy at Port Canaveral for 10 years. So no go on that either. Plus if they are having a hard time filling the Wonder, they are going to have to discount much further to fill 2 ships.

 

[LKFan]

There is still a route around South America...

That would be cool - a cruise around Cape Horn.

Sadly, I think the new ships have an obligation to stay in FL for a few years.

 

[truck1]

DCL has already committed to keeping the Dream and Fantasy at Port Canaveral for 10 years. So no go on that either. Plus if they are having a hard time filling the Wonder, they are going to have to discount much further to fill 2 ships.

The 2 new ships are mentioned by name in the PC contract only for a few years.This is from the Port News:

"In 2011 and 2012, Disney will put both of its mega-size 4,000-passenger ships at Port Canaveral in a deal in which the cruise line will pick up the $22 million cost for improvements to its land-side terminal at the port and construction of a new parking garage.

Under terms of the 15-year deal, the ships will remain at Port Canaveral at least until 2014, at which time Disney has the option to move the ships. At least two of the four Disney ships will remain at Port Canaveral for the duration of the contract.
"



Theoretically, they could move 1 or both of the new ships out,in favor of a Magic class, but if the Dream is still filling on a reg basis, and the Fantasy looks that way too, theyd lose too much money moving both new ships.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

They also by contract not home port the two new ships anywhere but Port Canaveral. I believe the Dream is tied there till '15 and the Fantasy till '16. If I understood my friend, who talks in code, they are trying to rework the MR. Alaska is so popular my friend said they have every intention on returning in '13 and '14. So we shal see.

Thank you for posting this!!! We recently moved a dummy date to an Alaskan cruise after hearing rumors this might be the last summer DCL goes to Alaska. Lets just say I'm not getting day 1 pricing and cabin selection is awful compared to what I'm used to. We had already bought airfare on SWA to visit Cali next summer and had hotels booked in Anaheim, Yosemite, SanFran. It can all be changed or cancelled with no fees but I didn't cancel anything yet. SWA will release my Aug dates on Jan 22 which is when I need to cancel the Cali flights and move them to Seattle. I can't stall on that cuz I'm using up an award from the old RR system. sigh...

" the Wonder is no longer showing on the Grand Cayman port schedule in 2013. Additionally, the Magic is not showing after May 14, 2013 until November and then she is only there every other week. Looks like changes in the fall to the Disney Magic itineraries and/or home port! "

It's still there. Look again. DCL must have asked them to not make it so obvious. Every other Wednesday where it used to say Wonder now says "CVTBN" which I'm guessing means Cruise Vessel To Be Named. When you click on it, it says Disney Cruise Line, passenger capacity 2400. Since the Magic is booked there the day prior, it must be the Wonder.

As for cancelling the December cruises I feel bad for those that planned to cruise those dates but I wish they could have stayed in LA just a little longer. I'd love to do a Christmas PC crossing! There's no way my kids could ever miss 15+ days of school (then grades 10 & 7). At least over Christmas, a PC might be doable. Dec 9 is way too early to coincide with school break! What the heck are they thinking??? Then they'll wonder why people aren't jumping all over it!

 

[luv2sleep]

Glad it looks like Alaska might still happen. I don't see it as a once in a lifetime trip like I do the Mediterranean cruises because I live on the west coast. It's close enough to do at least twice so I'd be more than happy to take an Alaskan DCL trip. I am hoping for 2013 or 2014 as my son will be 6/7 and will be able to get something out of the port excursions geared for kids. Very excited about this!

 

[cmclaura]

I'd just like to see 2013 itineraries out for Alaska out within the next two weeks. I'm sailing B2B on the Dream from 12/29 til 1/8 and I'd really like to book up my Alaska cruise using my DVC points when I get off the ship.

Shouldn't the dates have been released by now? I kept hearing sometime between October and December. C'mon already!

 

[Kidlette]

Wow - so much speculation!

Don't get me wrong, I feel for everyone. But, it should be remembered that any cruise line has the right to cancel or change an itinerary at any time. It's funny because that's part of the irony with people like us. We are so organized and book so far in advance because we're planners and we want the security of knowing what will happen. On the other hand, we don't often consider the risk of booking something so far out and how it could change. It is truly frustrating to have plans change, but that is the risk we take in booking so far out.

The positives are to remember that:

(a) it is too far out for airfare, so it's guaranteed that no one has airfare yet that will be affected

(b) a cruise line can change an itinerary at any time WITHOUT compensating passengers in the least. Heck, you can be on your sailing with shore excursions booked when the captain changes the itinerary. Yes, you get your excursion money back, but you get no compensation for your itineerary changing and not sailing where you paid to sail to. The fact that Disney is giving shipboard credits is GREAT! As a travel agent years ago I knew people who had plumbing problems in their cabins and stuff on different cruise lines and got diddly-squat in compensation!

(c) although things like planning to sail for the holidays are definitely affected, it's not as though they're canceling the sailings for this month where people would have to fight with their jobs to get new vacation times, etc. That they're doing this a year out is actually a good thing. Granted they could give you a little more time to make your changes, but at least they're giving you time

My curiosity lies more with people who booked using their DVC points. Once you book a cruise with DVC points you can't get them back. So - if these people can't change their dates, is Disney going to make an exception and allow them to get their points back or are they out of luck and lose their points? It would be REALLY wrong to not turn the points back into reservation points. Did anyone book any of these sailings with points and know what's going on with that situation? (Just curious)

As for Alaska - of course they can have the ship in 1 port most of the year and then move it to Alaska for the summer. ALL cruise lines operate this way for Alaska. Alaska is seasonal and that's just the nature of that particular itinerary. All cruise line's reposition their ships for the season and then move them back, so there's no reason Disney couldn't or wouldn't do the same.

As for moving out of Mexico - I personally don't think that can or will happen, at least not for a couple of years. First of all, they have a contract with San Pedro and can't just leave. Second, the amount of marketing and advertising to promote the new Mexico sailings, plus its merchandise, etc. far exceeds anything they might be losing in sending ships that aren't 100% full. Remember, it's not even been a year since they started this itinerary. I would agree that their extensive use of the KSF promo on this itinerary does show they've had a little trouble filling it, but once they release the promo the sailings have been selling out super quickly. It is more likely that there is an itinerary gap that needs to be filled for this time frame and the Wonder is the ship to do it. It happens all the time in the cruise industry (a unique itinerary opportunity comes up, they get an opportunity to test a new market, another ship gets scheduled for dry dock and a different ship has to pick up some slack...there are hundreds of reasons). At this point EVERYTHING is speculation, and we won't know until they announce it.

Anyhow - that's my 2-cents. I truly am sorry for those of you who had plans and don't know what to do with your vacations now, but I have faith it will all work out for you. Just take it in stride and try to make the best of it. I am definitely curious to see what's going on - it will be interesting!

 

[NWmom]

Forming a theory and wondering if it could work or not-

Alaska 2011 out of Vancouver, airfare higher $ to that port and needed passports if flying to/from US

Alaska 2012 out of Seattle, shorter times in port no passports (legally) needed as closed loop, cheaper flights

Could Alaska 2013 or 2014 be out of Vancouver and alternate the itinerary?

Do some 7 days for those wanting shorter cruises and also do some longer one ways like other lines do for those wanting more?

Granted it might be trickier to arrange it, but they could do a few cruises to test it(Hint Hint)

 

[CruznLexi]

Every year on the travel Chanel Peter Greenburg does a thing that is basically do cruise ships make money? It is about a NCL ship and at the end of the week did it make money.,it is very interesting. They had a rain day and most shore excursions were canceled. So the relied on the spa for incentIves. They never say if the ship made money or not. I am sure DCL did not send the Wonder to Cali to just bring it back to Florida some 2 years later. But the never intended for all the prooblems in Mexico before the ship got to Cali and canceling ports. They have tried to come up with options to make it better like Hawaii, Alaska and Pacific. You can't do those year round. So what to do with the ship. Is It cost effective to try Bermuda or another place and break the contract and sail back through the canal? It depends how much they are loosing each week. If the ship is not making money move it to where it will. If there is a canal cruise it will be right around Christmas and the price would be prIcey I bet!

 

[aan1701]

Wow - so much speculation!

At this point EVERYTHING is speculation, and we won't know until they announce it.

Now this is the best thing on this thread. Yes we know DCL has cancelled the sailings, but when it comes to facts that is all we know. When my friend tells me something like this, it is mostly speculation from my friend as well, except for the fact my friend sees things at DCL HQ and talks to people who know stuff. So now it is a wait and see game. I still think they may leave the west coast as anything is possable, but as of know with the info provided I seriously doubt it. I just hope I am not wrong, I love having a DCL ship 20 min away from me.

 

[Ware Bears]

Alaska is so popular my friend said they have every intention on returning in '13 and '14. So we shal see.

I do hope so. We were hoping to do Alaska in 2013 to celebrate our silver wedding and will be so disappointed if we can't.

 

[nunzia]

Maybe they plan on expanding their Pacific Coast cruises? I'm booked on one next Sept. and have heard that those that are offered are booking quickly. I don't know that that would be a popular cruise in the winter, but think it's a fabulous itinerary. I just wish they'd do an ABD tie in to go to the Walt Disney Museum and yes...PIXAR..in my dreams...

 

[OH 6]

Sounds to me like they are just canceling those 4 itineraries. Perhaps with the challenges in Mexico they will do a longer pacific coast cruise and then a 15 night cruises to Hawaii and back - that'd be a nice way to spend Christmas and New Years.

I think some really different kind of itineraries are more likely that the ship just leaving LA. They used to do nice long ones around the holidays that sold really well out of FL, maybe they'll try the same out of LA next year.

 

[LKFan]

Maybe they plan on expanding their Pacific Coast cruises? I'm booked on one next Sept. and have heard that those that are offered are booking quickly. I don't know that that would be a popular cruise in the winter, but think it's a fabulous itinerary. I just wish they'd do an ABD tie in to go to the Walt Disney Museum and yes...PIXAR..in my dreams...

They were asking whether people preferred SD or SF on DCL FB last week. Pacific cruises would be nice but, like you said, it isn't exactly tropical in California during the winter.

 

[Yokelridesagain]

Forming a theory and wondering if it could work or not-

Alaska 2011 out of Vancouver, airfare higher $ to that port and needed passports if flying to/from US

Alaska 2012 out of Seattle, shorter times in port no passports (legally) needed as closed loop, cheaper flights

Could Alaska 2013 or 2014 be out of Vancouver and alternate the itinerary?

Do some 7 days for those wanting shorter cruises and also do some longer one ways like other lines do for those wanting more?

Granted it might be trickier to arrange it, but they could do a few cruises to test it(Hint Hint)

My understanding is that entries into Glacier Bay are strictly limited. In essence, I think another cruise line would have to give up its place for DCL to be able to sail into the bay. Alaskan cruises make big $$$, so not likely to happen.

 

[NancyIL]

Forming a theory and wondering if it could work or not-

Alaska 2011 out of Vancouver, airfare higher $ to that port and needed passports if flying to/from US

Alaska 2012 out of Seattle, shorter times in port no passports (legally) needed as closed loop, cheaper flights

Could Alaska 2013 or 2014 be out of Vancouver and alternate the itinerary?

Do some 7 days for those wanting shorter cruises and also do some longer one ways like other lines do for those wanting more?

Granted it might be trickier to arrange it, but they could do a few cruises to test it(Hint Hint)

Almost all Alaska cruises are 7 nights - including one-ways. I was on a 14-night roundtrip on HAL Amsterdam last summer, but longer Alaska cruises are the exception.

If DCL returns to Alaska in 2013, I hope they will depart from Vancouver. As for Glacier Bay - I don't think DCL will ever get permits to go there. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity can't go there, and I'm pretty sure they would get permits before DCL: the new kid on the block.

 

[cruisecrasher]

They were asking whether people preferred SD or SF on DCL FB last week. Pacific cruises would be nice but, like you said, it isn't exactly tropical in California during the winter.

SD or SF???
I'm so clueless about acronyms.
Oh, San Francisco or San Diego...

 

[LKFan]

SD or SF???
I'm so clueless about acronyms.
Oh, San Francisco or San Diego...

Sorry about that.

Here is the article that they linked to on FB (Facebook) on Dec 12.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...or-a-disney-cruise/?CMP=SOC-DCLFY11Q4FBDM0019

 

[luv2sleep]

The Pacific Coast cruise seems like a good one. SF and SD are both great places to visit. I have lived in both areas. There's tons to do. The excursions look fun too.