March 10 announcement?

[NancyIL]

Hi Everyone:
I've been lurking at this board with great interest in the last couple of weeks especially with this Thread. I'm reallly looking forward to book my first Disney cruise on this POTENTIAL itinerary from LA--Honolulu. I'm pregnant now with my 2nd child, so I promised my 1st daughter that we'll go on a special trip that combines Disneyland and a Disney Cruise next year with the new baby. My 1st daughter will be 5 next year around the time of this potential repo cruise.

So, a couple of questions for all the Disney veterans and Cruise Experts:
--what does it mean that the Wonder will be in Honolulu for May 5 AND 6? Does that mean we get to Honolulu on May 5, but we stay on the ship overnight and debark on May 6?

--Is there any ports possible between LA and Honolulu? I checked on the last Mexican Riviera sailing and it comes back to LA on Apr 29, 2012. Which means that the LA-Honolulu sailing will leave LA on Apr. 29, 2012 and arrive on May 5 at Honolulu. So, are we only going to see 7 SEA DAYS?????

Thank you everyone for all your ideas and insightful thoughts on this Board.

Yes, it sounds like the ship will overnight in Honolulu. It could stop in San Diego, Ensenada (Mexico), or Catalina Island on its way to Hawaii, but there's really nothing else out there once it is in open ocean.

Ships that do roundtrip cruises to Hawaii from LA spend 4 days at sea each way. On the way back to LA, they make a port stop in Ensenada, Mexico.

DCL can't do a one-way cruise from LA to Hawaii and let people permanently disembark there. The ship will definitely continue on - whether it's to Vancouver or elsewhere in the Pacific.

 

[MrsMa]

Yes, it sounds like the ship will overnight in Honolulu. It could stop in San Diego, Ensenada (Mexico), or Catalina Island on its way to Hawaii, but there's really nothing else out there once it is in open ocean.

Ships that do roundtrip cruises to Hawaii from LA spend 4 days at sea each way. On the way back to LA, they make a port stop in Ensenada, Mexico.

DCL can't do a one-way cruise from LA to Hawaii and let people permanently disembark there. The ship will definitely continue on - whether it's to Vancouver or elsewhere in the Pacific.

Why can't DCL do one-way from LA to Honolulu? What if they stop at Ensenada or Caitlin Island? Is that ok for stopping at foreign port? I'm really hoping that we can get off at Honolulu and then have a few days of winding down before flying back home to Canada. Wishful thinking??

 

[WeLoveABD]

Why can't DCL do one-way from LA to Honolulu? What if they stop at Ensenada or Caitlin Island? Is that ok for stopping at foreign port? I'm really hoping that we can get off at Honolulu and then have a few days of winding down before flying back home to Canada. Wishful thinking??

I was Wonder-ing the same thing! Why not go one way LA, then a foreign port (Mexico) then Hawaii--get off, be encouraged to spend time at the new Disney resort and then fly home? (Far too many sea days to go round trip, if you ask me).

Still waiting re Magic. They could avoid the hot spots and stay in the Eastern Med (Turkey, Greece)...or assume by 2012 that Egypt will be good to go for tourists. As to Japan--at least in the northwest parts that will be years of recovery. (There is always China--and hopefully parts of Japan, including the Disneyland parks there).

 

[gydell]

My TA told me that they know that DCL is not doing the med in 2012.

 

[CruznLexi]

Having done Hawaii before, I find it very strange that only Honolulu is listed and no other port. It could go to Asia or up to Vancouver but It could same thing for the fall. Also looking at Carnival spirit too which has a very nice Hawaii for 12 nights with Balcony for cheap.

 

[mrsklamc]

I don't know if the other Hawaiian ports aren't scheduled, or if maybe they just aren't published?

 

[taaren]

I don't know if the other Hawaiian ports aren't scheduled, or if maybe they just aren't published?

On the neighbor islands the cruise ship (except NCL pride of america) don't dock at a port, they go to a touristy area, like where the library I work at on front street in lahaina, and put down anchor in international waters and send passenngers ashore in tenders. Cheaper and compliant w intl water laws.

 

[insureman]

Not that they are always reliable, but a DCL CM from their reservation center just told me they are not going to know about the late 2012 itinerary until June.

 

[discorsner]

Not that they are always reliable, but a DCL CM from their reservation center just told me they are not going to know about the late 2012 itinerary until June.

For my sanity's sake I certainly hope that this CM was incorrect!

My family would be thankful to Disney if they could hurry up because they are sick of hearing me fret about it!

C'mon Disney! You are worth waiting for of course! (BUT, please hurry!)

 

[NancyIL]

Why can't DCL do one-way from LA to Honolulu? What if they stop at Ensenada or Caitlin Island? Is that ok for stopping at foreign port? I'm really hoping that we can get off at Honolulu and then have a few days of winding down before flying back home to Canada. Wishful thinking??

Due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, a foreign-flagged ship can't transport passengers between two different US ports unless it stops at a distant foreign port that's not in North America. Ships can stop in Ensenada, Mexico when doing roundtrip cruises, but that isn't distant enough for a one-way. (Catalina Island is in California.) That's why the Wonder will have to continue to Canada or another country in Asia or the South Pacific.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Not that they are always reliable, but a DCL CM from their reservation center just told me they are not going to know about the late 2012 itinerary until June.

When I called four weeks ago to book our Christmas 2012 cruise, I asked the agent why didn't DCL notify Platinum and Gold CC members first about booking fall/winter 2012 cruises. She said another department handled guest communications and that the reservations center had no idea that they were opening up the remainder of 2012 on the Fantasy until they showed up to work that morning. She said they had no advance warning.

In other words, take a DCL reps story with a grain of salt! Isn't that how this thread got started in the first place?!

 

[mrosen]

Not that they are always reliable, but a DCL CM from their reservation center just told me they are not going to know about the late 2012 itinerary until June.

I hope that isn't true - ugh............I wonder why they are taking so long to share the rest of the itineraries?

 

[spark21]

The Magic has not gone to Nassau in years (except when they have had last minute itinerary changes due to weather) so there would be no requirement to have Nassau on a Magic itinerary. (DCL as a whole may have a contract to have so many port calls there but that's why they have the Dream doing 2 calls a week.) Now, whether they opt for a stop in Nassau on a Magic from NY itinerary is a whole different matter.

Really? I was on the Magic in January and we went to Nassau - it was always on the itinerary.

 

[NancyIL]

Really? I was on the Magic in January and we went to Nassau - it was always on the itinerary.

The Wonder went to Nassau on Bahamas cruises, and the Magic went to eastern or western Caribbean ports. The Nassau port stop in January was not the Magic's normal itinerary.

 

[Suz D]

Due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, a foreign-flagged ship can't transport passengers between two different US ports unless it stops at a distant foreign port that's not in North America. Ships can stop in Ensenada, Mexico when doing roundtrip cruises, but that isn't distant enough for a one-way. (Catalina Island is in California.) That's why the Wonder will have to continue to Canada or another country in Asia or the South Pacific.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

Nancy, I'm not questioning you, but more questioning this information on wikipedia...

We've done several Disney cruises departing from Port Canaveral and the first stop was Key West. I'm not sure how that figures into the Passenger Vessel Services Act...

 

[Suz D]

Nancy, I'm not questioning you, but more questioning this information on wikipedia...

We've done several Disney cruises departing from Port Canaveral and the first stop was Key West. I'm not sure how that figures into the Passenger Vessel Services Act...

The reason I posted this was because my thoughts were...

NYC
at sea
Port Canaveral
Key West
CC
at sea
at sea
NYC

Because the new ships can't dock at Key West that might be an alternative, however that would mean all US ports except CC.

 

[NancyIL]

Nancy, I'm not questioning you, but more questioning this information on wikipedia...

We've done several Disney cruises departing from Port Canaveral and the first stop was Key West. I'm not sure how that figures into the Passenger Vessel Services Act...

You can cruise from one US port to another, as long as there is a foreign port stop in there somewhere. Roundtrip Alaska cruises from Seattle visit mostly US ports, plus one Canadian port (usually Victoria) to fulfill the foreign port requirement.

You can't begin a cruise in one US port and end in a different US port without the distant foreign port stop. If you miss the ship in Port Canaveral, you can't catch-up with it in Key West - but must board at the first foreign port.

 

[NancyIL]

The reason I posted this was because my thoughts were...

NYC
at sea
Port Canaveral
Key West
CC
at sea
at sea
NYC

Because the new ships can't dock at Key West that might be an alternative, however that would mean all US ports except CC.

I missed seeing the "CC" in your list! I suppose the ship could do this.

 

[Brandis]

Nancy, I'm not questioning you, but more questioning this information on wikipedia...

We've done several Disney cruises departing from Port Canaveral and the first stop was Key West. I'm not sure how that figures into the Passenger Vessel Services Act...

That is because Key West is not the final stop. You are supposed to reboard the ship and continue your trip which will include a foreign port before the end destination. If you would try to walk off the boat with your luggage in Key West, DCL either wouldn't let you or charge you the fine they will have to pay because they were transporting you directly between two US ports.

As long as they visit a foreign port before returning to Port Canaveral they are fine. If the end destination would be a different US port than Port Canaveral, they would have to stop at a DISTANT foreign port first, because then it would qualify as a one-way transportation.

 

[Brandis]

I missed seeing the "CC" in your list! I suppose the ship could do this.

Doesn't count CC as a foreign port? I thought that they have to await clearance by Bahamian customs officials before the guests can disembark at CC.