Is the Magic in trouble??

[Onkel Hans]

The magic is just bearly reaching middle aged..............

Cue the Hoop-dee-doo music! I hope the captain keeps his BEARings!

 

[Wadekind]

Friend sent this email 7am this morning:

"Internet has been up and down for the last few days and I could never stay connected long enough to email. We are on our way to Castaway Cay now and will arrive in the AM. Steve quit puking, toilets are working again and we are moving (obviously). We were in St. Thomas yesterday and we went snorkeling and to a beach. I saw a celebrity yacht/cruise ship. I'll tell you who when I get home. Shows are great here although late at night for us early birds. I'm on my way to exercise now.

We wil be home on Sunday....if all goes as planned. LOL."

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I noticed this on my last few cruises....whereas at one time the captains would at least slightly move the boats on sea days....now it seems like they just park. certainly burns less fuel that way.

This is what happened with us in July. The seas were so calm that we just sat idle for awhile. We were on B2Bs so we noticed this a lot. My father, who was cruising with us for the first time, asked one of the officers. Said that Nassau and Castaway Cay are so close that they just kind of move slowly around for awhile and they have a very short distance to go and a long time to get there.

 

[Iceman93]

I am sorry, I am not sure if I missed something. Isn't a sea day not being tied up to a Peir and in the ocean? So I am confused as why it makes a difference if the ship is moving or not?

If the seas are calm, it doesn't matter at all. But if there are waves, then the ship will be much more stable cutting through them than just sitting there bobbing around. This isn't a perfect analogy, but think about how sometimes driving fast over speed bumps is much less jarring than taking them really slow--the ship's hydrodynamics kick in with forward motion.

Also, if you've ever been on a boat that was basically riding parallel to the wave action you know how disorienting that can be. If the ship chops through the waves, it is much more stable and therefore comfortable for all on board.

 

[mmouse37]

I am sorry, I am not sure if I missed something. Isn't a sea day not being tied up to a Peir and in the ocean? So I am confused as why it makes a difference if the ship is moving or not?

A sea day is a day at sea.....some of us were just comparing the recent activities of the Dream where you we were just sitting in the water compared to all our other DCL cruises where we actually moved. To me it makes no real difference....was just pointing out the difference.

And there is something to the sounds of "cruising" like the sounds of the waves as they break along the ship and the breeze you get when cruising...plus the motion of the ship is part of the cruise experience.

MJ

 

[Jestocost]

so I am officially confused we are still traveling on sea days right or do we just sit still

It depends. If the ship needs to move to get from one point or another as part of the sea day, obviously it will need to be in motion. That's not typically true on the shorter cruises, however. I can recall just sailing up and down, and up and down along the same stretch of Florida coast on one shorter cruise that had a sea day.

So, it appears that if the ship doesn't need to use the time to travel and the seas are calm, that the captain may choose to simply stay in place (mostly) during a sea day. If the seas are rough enough, on the other hand, the captain is likely to keep moving to minimize passenger discomfort.

 

[mickey2000]

As Truck 1 noted the Dream is a Baby.

The magic is just bearly reaching middle aged..............A cruise ship easily go 30 + years.

AKK

FROMMERS:

"To stay fresh, cruise lines build not only brand new $500-million-plus ships, but also pump big bucks into refurbishing their existing fleets. Years of corrosive salt water and wind, not to mention constant use, takes its toll. Still, ships are routinely retired from service for the North American market when they're as young as 15 to 20 years old. Considered over-the-hill, they're shifted to a cruise line's Europe- or Asia-based divisions or sold to foreign lines whose clientele isn't as picky about age."

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

FROMMERS:

"[SNIP] Still, ships are routinely retired from service for the North American market when they're as young as 15 to 20 years old. Considered over-the-hill, they're shifted to a cruise line's Europe- or Asia-based divisions or sold to foreign lines whose clientele isn't as picky about age."

And in the same article Atle Ellefsen also says:

"[SNIP] Normally, a cruise operator receiving a run-of-the-mill new ship will keep it and maintain for about 25 to 30 years. Then it is sold down-market and maybe operated for another 5 to 15 years before either it's scrapped or deployed for a few more years in special circumstances, such as for duty as a Mercy ship (floating hospitals for the poor) or as means of transport for developing countries. "

So Tonka's Skipper's comment:

As Truck 1 noted the Dream is a Baby.

The magic is just bearly reaching middle aged..............A cruise ship easily go 30 + years.

AKK

Is correct, she is approaching middle age.

But you are stating in your opinion that the Classic Ships are old, or do you mean dated?

As DCL ship's are very well kept, and maintained to a high standard and 'definitely not over the hill', I see no reason for them to be retired any time soon.

Ex Techie

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

FROMMERS:

"To stay fresh, cruise lines build not only brand new $500-million-plus ships, but also pump big bucks into refurbishing their existing fleets. Years of corrosive salt water and wind, not to mention constant use, takes its toll. Still, ships are routinely retired from service for the North American market when they're as young as 15 to 20 years old. Considered over-the-hill, they're shifted to a cruise line's Europe- or Asia-based divisions or sold to foreign lines whose clientele isn't as picky about age."

Well.ok......believe Frommers.....but they are underestimating the new constructions methods and anti corrosive paints and coatings.

In the North American trade........the NEW cruise liners are easily 20 to 25 years. Frommers said *as young as 15 to 20*, so we are not really differing much here

And then they do indeed go to the med...european waters in general and lastly the far east where the ships continue to sail another 10 to 15 years..........so the average life is 30+ years, give or take (how a line does their maintence and upkeep is a big factor).

To the best of my knowledge the oldest cruise ship out their now,operating under its 5 or 6th name, but was the *STOCKHOM*..........Does that strike a bell?........She had a lil bump with the *Andria Doria in hmmmm......1958, I think give or take a year or 2. So shes about 60 years old now!

AKK

 

[AmandaRG]

Just read the first page and I still think its the Magic! Maybe I had a DREAM

barbarasc is on the Dream. The OP is on the Magic.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

It's also worth noting that the Magic and Wonder are of a very specific design, interior and exterior, and dare I say "Iconic"?

Selling them off to another cruise line would be out of the question IMO.
Design right's and recognizability aside, the ship's would pretty much have to be gutted to remove the Disney from them.

I could see them either wet or dry docked as hotel's though eventually, if they weren't scrapped. (what a horrible horrible thought )

Ex Techie

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

It depends. If the ship needs to move to get from one point or another as part of the sea day, obviously it will need to be in motion. That's not typically true on the shorter cruises, however. I can recall just sailing up and down, and up and down along the same stretch of Florida coast on one shorter cruise that had a sea day.

So, it appears that if the ship doesn't need to use the time to travel and the seas are calm, that the captain may choose to simply stay in place (mostly) during a sea day. If the seas are rough enough, on the other hand, the captain is likely to keep moving to minimize passenger discomfort.

Okay so the point of a sea day is simply just to allow more time on the ship then

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Yep! Nothing more, nothing less!

Some have been lucky and cruised past CC to see their sister ships, and have a horn battle! lol!, other's just move slowly in the water killing time, or just float, or a sea day is going from one port to another and the distance exceed's the ability to sail over night so a day at sea is required.

All depends on the ship and itinerary!

Ex Techie

 

[Iceman93]

It's also worth noting that the Magic and Wonder are of a very specific design, interior and exterior, and dare I say "Iconic"?

Selling them off to another cruise line would be out of the question IMO.
Design right's and recognizability aside, the ship's would pretty much have to be gutted to remove the Disney from them.

Normally you and I are in complete agreement on things, but here I disagree. Before my first Disney cruise a couple of months ago on the Magic I'd sailed 100 days on 7 different Holland America ships. All were built at the same Fincantieri shipyards as the Magic and Wonder. And to me there was a lot more similar than different--at some times I had absolute flashbacks to HAL cruises. I think the superstructure and general layout are actually the same, and it's just the "plussing", theming, and decor that sets the ships apart between the two lines...

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I am afraid you are wrong on this one.

The Classic and for that matter the Dream class were all biult as 1st designs. The yards maybe the same, but the design is Disney! The hull with the reverse cruiser sterns and extreme clipper bows and the double stacks are today only found on DCL vessels. The classic liner design.......wood work are also rarely seen outside of DCL.


Please take the time to look at the HAL site.. the ship designs. All but one has the cut tramsoms, short bow flares/rakes and single stack (or double in line smoke posts). The superstructures are absolutely nothing like DCL and is a cheaper to build ship. They do have a black hull, similiar but not the blue/black of DCL.

Now the cabin layout/postions are likely similair, but lets face it there is just so many ways to put the cabins in place.

I beleive exteckie was more pointing out that all the specail disney touchs would have to be removered....like the rails, with the mickey eras....glass..........kids clubs designs, ........kids pools.........charaters........etc...not impossible to do...but alot of work, costs and rebuiding to do.


The disney ships are indeed very rare gems in the cruising world today.

 

[Iceman93]

I am afraid you are wrong on this one.

The Classic and for that matter the Dream class were all biult as 1st designs. The yards maybe the same, but the design is Disney! The hull with the reverse cruiser sterns and extreme clipper bows and the double stacks are today only found on DCL vessels. The classic liner design.......wood work are also rarely seen outside of DCL.

I'm certainly no expert, and you are due to your years in the industry. And I realize that to a certain extent, like saying a Porsche looks like a Ford because they're both cars, that saying cruise ships look similar is deceptive.

That being said, to my untrained eye the Disney and HAL ships that came out of the same shipyard in the same timeframe look pretty darn similar. Remember that the double stack on Disney is for show only. And there is every bit as much woodwork on HAL as on Disney--this is one of the most striking similarities to me. They both have that wonderful teak walk-around promenade, teak on all walking surfaces on the upper decks, and shellacked handrails everywhere.

In any event, if the Disney decorating touches were all stripped away I think any cruise line could take the ships, make them their own, and they would not instantly recognizable as "the old Disney ships" when they pulled into port. Just my opinion...

 

[tfc3rid]

The first night or 2 out of Port Canaveral on an Eastern are usually VERY rough due to crossing the Gulf Stream... You have the 'protection' of the Bahamas for a time but overall you get very little once yuou re-emerge... Also, there was a tropical wave imapacting that area of the Caribbean this week...

As for the Day at Sea on the Dream... There is such a short distance between Castaway and Port Cnaaveral that the ship basically HAS to float off of Grand Cayman all day, especially if the conditions are good...

When I was on the Oasis 3 weeks ago, during the day we would pull about 8 knots on seas days but as the evening came on, it went to full speed to 'catch up'.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

tfc3rid,

I think you mean Grand Bahama, not Grand Caymen!

Ex Techie

 

[tfc3rid]

tfc3rid,

I think you mean Grand Bahama, not Grand Caymen!

Ex Techie

YES YES!!! Grand Bahama!! Goodness gracious...

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Normally you and I are in complete agreement on things, but here I disagree. Before my first Disney cruise a couple of months ago on the Magic I'd sailed 100 days on 7 different Holland America ships. All were built at the same Fincantieri shipyards as the Magic and Wonder. And to me there was a lot more similar than different--at some times I had absolute flashbacks to HAL cruises. I think the superstructure and general layout are actually the same, and it's just the "plussing", theming, and decor that sets the ships apart between the two lines...

Iceman93,

I'm glad we agree on many things!
My comment was indeed about the complete strip out of the ship to de-disneyfy it as Tonka's Skipper said, but also the exterior would still look similar to how she look's now.
The forward funnel could only be partially removed as there is quite a lot of machinery up there, electrical substations, elevator machinery etc. but to completely change the design of the exterior of the ship and strip out and redesign the interior would be too costly IMO.
IF DCL were to sell her on, they would have strict contractual demand's as to what would have to be removed/changed, and that added onto the cost of buying the vessel would make it unprofitable in it's new life IMO.
I hope she doesn't get sold off, and would rather see her wet or dry docked somewhere as a hotel, but ultimately think DCL would cut their nose off despite their face and scrap her.

JMO

Ex Techie