Magic Class Ships - Lifespan?

[maui2k5]

With many other cruise lines recently scrapping several ships created in the 1990's, how long do you think the Magic Class (Magic and Wonder) will sail before being scrapped? I would imagine at least another decade if not two.

 

[tvguy]

I don't know. To be honest I was shocked at how new some of the ships were that were sold off during the pandemic. The Amsterdam was just barely 20 years old last year when it was sold off. The first ship I sailed on, the MS Mermoz was 52 years old when it was retired.
Disney seems to be keeping on top of upkeep, I don't know why the Magic and Wonder couldn't sail for another 30 years. I mean, there are parts of Disneyland that are now 67 years old and still viable.

 

[Lillebelle]

If Disney is smart, they also recognize that nostalgia and an emotional connection are a big part of why people will pay the money they do to sail with them. With such a relatively small fleet, people establish what feel like very personal relationships with specific ships. Looking at the other thread about which ship is your favorite, there were a lot of votes for the Magic and Wonder. I imagine they'll try to keep the older ones going as long as it isn't too cost prohibitive to do so.

 

[Marc D]

There are two main reasons to scrap a cruiseship: it is not up to standards and too costly to upgrade, or the company prefers to assign its slot in the fleet to a new and larger ship that will bring in more revenue. In the second case, it’s assuming the company is at full maturity and not looking to expand.

DCL’s market is not yet saturated, but they are spreading themselves thin with every new ship. Contrary to RCCL or NCL, they are not a global cruising corporation and their main base of operation is Florida. Other destinations are all run on temporary basis, wether they are sailing from California, Galveston, Copenhagen or Vancouver. Other cruiselines now operate full-fledged operations in multiple parts of the globe, which provides them with a solid logistic chain and lower costs. At this time, RCCL has at least 10 ships in Alaska across three brands.

Magic and Wonder are still up to standards and could continue to operate for many years. The three new ships will be limited to NLG-fitted ports for the foreseeable future. Magic moving to the west coast and Dream to Europe certainly shows the ambition to expand, on a more permanent basis, their offer.

My guess is we won’t know for sure what their vision is until the next Triton-class ship comes online in a few years.

 

[holula]

If Disney is smart, they also recognize that nostalgia and an emotional connection are a big part of why people will pay the money they do to sail with them. With such a relatively small fleet, people establish what feel like very personal relationships with specific ships. Looking at the other thread about which ship is your favorite, there were a lot of votes for the Magic and Wonder. I imagine they'll try to keep the older ones going as long as it isn't too cost prohibitive to do so.

Definitely agree with this, but I don’t think they will last this decade our unfortunately. Love the classics, they are really wonderful. (Pun not intended!)

 

[happycamper47]

There was one ship that was commisioned in 1948 that sailed until 2020, the MV Astoria.

 

[iannovich]

The following is totally my opinion and 100% conjecture:

They'll sail them as long as they can make more than they cost. If that means they're sailing out of odd locations, they'll do that and try to get some 'under-served' passengers from locations. I think they have at least 10 more years in them.

When they're finally too old to continue, I predict that they will either scrap them or turn them into floating resorts. There are plenty of former ships that have been reutilized this way: the Queen Mary in Long Beach, the 'old' Rotterdam in the Netherlands and the Queen Elizabeth II in Dubai. Disney can create a unique "Disney experience" by having '3 day sailings' where they just stick around in a port and pretend they're Sea Days. They could either be stationary in a single port (or if they're still sea worthy), travel from Port to Port offering the experience. You'd get the food and entertainment (and shopping of course). They could even implement some kind of a wrist band to show that you're a 'cruise guest' and then allow 'day guests' who come for an a la carte dinner at Rapunzel's. Maybe not, but fun to think about anyway.

If it came down to getting rid of them, I don't see them selling them to another cruise brand like the other cruise lines do. I think Disney is too protective of their brand to have the "Margaritaville Magic" or the "Costa Wonder" sailing around out there. It's weird to see the 'Whale Tail' of a Carnival ship under a different line's livery. They'd either scrap them as quietly as possible, or figure out a way to either monetize them, or strip them and use them to create an artificial reef somewhere.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My guess is we won’t know for sure what their vision is until the next Triton-class ship comes online in a few years.

As a side-note, the fact that we're not calling them Wish-class is extremely irritating to me.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Ships today (commercial and military) are being built with a 40-50 year life envisioned. The primary constraints over time are non-entertainment related. Propulsion, electrical generation/distribution and, to a lesser extent, auxiliaries are what kills a ship. Think of your house: you can paint the walls easily, you can change out a sink in a snap or you can re-shingle the roof fairly easily. You can't (really) alter the foundation without exorbitant costs. To rewire the whole house would be prohibitively expensive. It's not easy to change out a main engine, but it can be done (I've done 3 in my lifetime). Changing out the reduction gears? Nope. Not gonna happen. I know of one ship that ran aground and actually bent her hull (going fast & hit a reef). She hit the decommissioning list 15 years early because she couldn't be fixed under the cost of a brand new ship.

ETA: A well maintained ship can last a VERY long time. DCL impressed me from the start with their cleanliness and preventative maintenance of their ships. Not only does it make the ship nicer for us visitors, but it helps the ship last just that much longer

 

[Marc D]

As a side-note, the fact that we're not calling them Wish-class is extremely irritating to me.

I, for one, couldn’t care less what people call them. However, Triton is the official class as filled with the regulatory agencies

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I, for one, couldn’t care less what people call them. However, Triton is the official class as filled with the regulatory agencies

.......................

That's my point.

 

[Lillebelle]

If it came down to getting rid of them, I don't see them selling them to another cruise brand like the other cruise lines do. I think Disney is too protective of their brand to have the "Margaritaville Magic" or the "Costa Wonder" sailing around out there.

OMG this made me laugh! The Margaritaville Magic...too funny.

 

[iannovich]

OMG this made me laugh! The Margaritaville Magic...too funny.

To be fair, I would 100% sail on the Margaritiville Magic.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Is there a market for an entire concierge deck or two? Could they create family suites two cabins into one? I know the Wonder and the Magic both got more concierge rooms and concierge lounge’s. If they didn’t sell out they could offer upgrades at port still if they weren’t sold out. This would let more people fall in love with concierge and want to request it more frequently?

I did want them to move the Magic over to the one of the water areas at WDW. Disney walked on water in my mind. I really thought Disney could “do it all”… but the phone lines have been an issue for almost a year and the new website and app have been just complicating things other things it seems. Trying to call in to make reservations or changes UGH!

 

[Cheburashka]

I don't see them going anywhere in the foreseeable future. They're very well-maintained and popular. If DCL decides 7 ships would be too many given the economic changes of the past few years, I think it's more likely that they just won't build that 7th ship. That's a lot more cost-effective than building a 7th only to scrap the 1st, when the 1st was well-maintained and popular.

The British royal yacht Britannia sailed for 44 years, and was only decommissioned as a political gesture, not because she was too old to sail. There is no reason why the Magic can't sail for at least as long. A well built and maintained ship can last a very long time.

 

[AquaDame]

.......................

That's my point.

The cute factor of the first order of three being called Triton is enough to pacify me.

 

[dwg]

A few years ago we were in Palo's for brunch on the Magic and this topic came up. The server brought up a good point when I asked about what might happen to the Magic. He said a lot of cruise lines sell the older cruise ships to smaller European cruise lines at the end of their life span with the major cruise lines. He doubted that would happen to the Magic as there are too many Disney features built into the decor that couldn't be removed without extensive renovation. I know that was just his opinion but it made sense to me.

 

[beckicnm]

My "first love" ship is Celebrity's Millennium. She first sailed in July 2000, and she looks amazing after their renovation. Disney will do the same - major renovation and keep them in the family.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I don't see them going anywhere in the foreseeable future. They're very well-maintained and popular. If DCL decides 7 ships would be too many given the economic changes of the past few years, I think it's more likely that they just won't build that 7th ship. That's a lot more cost-effective than building a 7th only to scrap the 1st, when the 1st was well-maintained and popular.

The British royal yacht Britannia sailed for 44 years, and was only decommissioned as a political gesture, not because she was too old to sail. There is no reason why the Magic can't sail for at least as long. A well built and maintained ship can last a very long time.

June 30, 1998 makes her 24 years 1 month, 2weeks, and 5 days old. So over the hill, barely sill middle age, time to verify life insurance is in place and her wishes are known. I’m kidding, but I don’t think they would say “7 ships are just too many” I’m thinking they could break into the 3 classes of ships like Carnival or Norwegian? Maybe once they have a few more under the belt?

 

[kramden88]

I was glad to find this thread because I just got off the Wish and I had the same question. Looking at other forums and Quora, it seems that cruise ships are designed for a 30-year life span, though it can vary wildly from ship to ship. Disney takes great care of its ships, so I imagine that they're expecting them to last much longer. But you also have to consider the fact that maintenance gets more expensive with each passing year. At some point, some repairs or replacement of major systems might become prohibitively expensive. Also to consider is the fuel efficiency of those older ships. The new propulsion, lighting, and HVAC systems on the Wish are saving the company millions a year on fuel. Those costs alone might make older ships undesirable to continue being operated long-term.

My reason for wondering is because I was only on the Magic once, a few weeks after its maiden voyage, and I absolutely must go on it again before its retired. I imagine I have some time.