I thought that you'd all enjoy this email I received from Chuck at All Seasons. I'd imagine we're going to see a lot of this stuff during our Med cruises!
REFLECTIONS ON A FIRST - THE SPECIAL 10-NIGHT SAILING OF THE DISNEY WONDER!
This newsletter comes to you from the Internet Café of the beautiful Disney Wonder. When
Disney Cruise Line® first announced that the Disney Wonder would be doing one 10-night and one 11-night sailing in September 2006, I knew I wanted to be on board. Special itineraries aboard this great cruise line are just that - special! The opportunity to spend 10 nights aboard a
Disney Cruise Line vessel while visiting St. Thomas, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and
Castaway Cay was very appealing. But while I focused on the great opportunity, I gave little thought to all that Disney Cruise Line had to do to make this special sailing happen.
First there is the obvious. In the history of Disney Cruise Line three or less stops have been made at four of the ports on the 10- and 11-night itineraries. So there were logistical arrangements to be made regarding the mapping of the itinerary and the ports, the most obvious of which was the laying out of the itinerary and related shore excursions. But as Tom Wolber, Senior Vice President of Operations for Disney Cruise Line pointed out during his seminar last week that was only the beginning.
Since joining the fleet in 1999, the Disney Wonder has always done 3- and 4-night cruises. So let us begin with something as basic as hangers. Try to fit a 10- or 11-night wardrobe onto the number of hangers required for a 3- or 4-night cruise. And towel animals - do you think guests are going to settle for the same three or four towel animals to be repeated in sequence, night after night of their cruise?
Moving on to the dining room - how many more magic tricks and jokes will the servers and assistant servers need to keep families (especially small children) entertained on a cruise that is three times as long? And how many more ways can you fold a napkin? How about the menus? Lunch and dinner menus required 70 and 50 new entrées and 50 and 40 new desserts, respectively. Food preparation is not the only problem here - can you imagine Disney Cruise Line allowing servers and assistant servers to serve meals they are not intimately familiar with? Disney Cruise Line sees this as an opportunity to try new things, so the new menu items were generally not brought over from the Disney Magic®. In most cases, they were truly new! Eight new buffets were added along with eight new drinks of the day. Alternative casual dining, character breakfasts and Tea with Wendy Darling, staples aboard 7-night cruises of the Disney Magic were brought aboard the Disney Wonder for the first time.
Fifteen new entertainment experiences were added. Susan Eagan, the original Belle on Broadway and the voice of Meg in Disney's animated feature, Hercules, was brought onboard to perform. She was, in a word, spectacular! The Art of the Story, a wonderful new production show was premiered. Forty-five new youth programming events were added, as well as the all new Mouse-2-O. This new daytime deck party is best described as a 3-hour water carnival, Disney-style, with music, dancing, water games, prizes and appearances by the Disney characters, singers and dancers. Remember how passengers on the other cruise ships used to stare at us all as we danced the night away during deck parties in the Nassau Harbor - you know, those cruise ships that now have their own deck parties? Well, they will soon be doing it again! Just wait until they catch Mouse-2-O, especially once the big screen is put in place above the Goofy pool during dry dock. Once again, Disney Cruise Line proves itself to be on the cutting edge of family entertainment and definitely worthy of the Disney name.
Back in its home office in Celebration, FL, Disney Cruise Line has worked for over a year to make this sailing happen. Training aboard the ship for the past three or four months has been nonstop, all in anticipation of these two special sailings. But it all came together this week in incredible fashion. Most things worked, a few things did not, but the best parts of what happened over these two sailings will now become part of the product we all love.
The second night of the cruise I was fortunate to have dinner with Captain Henry, Tom Wolber, Don "Ducky" Williams and five other guests. The conversation was lively and enjoyable. Though everyone aboard continues to be noncommittal, I continue to get the feeling I got aboard the Disney Magic when I sailed a few weeks ago. The announcement we have all been waiting several years for - the one about new ship(s) and more exotic itineraries - may not be far off.
The passenger count aboard this week is just over 2000, approximately 60% of which have sailed on Disney Cruise Line before. You might think that "before" means once or twice. Think again, as Disney Cruise Line is not your typical cruise line! One couple I met on a previous inaugural sailing has done every inaugural. They have now sailed on Disney Cruise Line 25 times. Another couple has sailed 19 times and several couples or families I met have sailed 10 times or more, all on a cruise line with only two ships and in existence only eight years. It seems like anyone who has sailed before has sailed at least five or six times.
So if you are sitting back, thinking about booking that first Disney Cruise Line vacation, move into the action mode. Call All Seasons Travel at 800-771-8690 during the hours listed above. All of our agents have sailed on this product at least once, most having sailed several times. All know it well with each of them selling several staterooms per week. Our staff will courteously and efficiently answer all of your questions without high pressure sales tactics. Later, give us a call if you decide to book. If you will be traveling alone or with pre-teens or teens, consider one of next summer's Mediterranean sailings. Whatever you do, give All Seasons Travel a call and allow our knowledge and experience to work for you!
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