Rumors & Confirmations

[sethschroeder]

Have they heard of their CEO Chapek?

He is not going to allow the Magic to retire when they can make a killing off that ship.

 

[Royal Consort]

Yep, lots of long stretches of ocean. I remember that NZ and Australia appear close, but are 1200 or 1800 miles apart.

What Americans and Europeans consider far, we Aussies consider close. The 10 hour 'quick trip' to Tokyo to the 14 hour 'not bad' one to LA... Long haul is 24 hours to London.

Then I get to read comments with Americans saying they will never fly to Hawaii because it's TOO FAR. Oy vey.

 

[Kwami]

What Americans and Europeans consider far, we Aussies consider close. The 10 hour 'quick trip' to Tokyo to the 14 hour 'not bad' one to LA... Long haul is 24 hours to London.

Then I get to read comments with Americans saying they will never fly to Hawaii because it's TOO FAR. Oy vey.

Eh, it's 10 hours to Oahu and 13 hours to Tokyo from Boston, too. Our long haul trip is Australia!

 

[elsawasajedi]

Love these! Rumors aren’t supposed to be true, are they? Sort of like playing gossip / telephone. But maybe a grain of truth thrown in.

If you take out the assumption that we aren’t talking immediate action, I could believe situations somewhat related to these. Just for fun:

1. Australia. There’s a fairly significant cruise industry there. P&O, Royal C., companies we don’t recognize. Sail up to Singapore Or start there. Disney Parks are in Tokyo (2) and Shanghai - and Hong Kong? During the year, do runs from various home ports. It’s not like just doing an Alaskan season - more like the move over to the West Coast on the Wonder - for a while Vancouver, then San Diego. Australian summers aren’t the same months as Japan, right?

Visit Hawaii and see the number of Asians on vacation. Airline carriers do not have to fly Americans & Canadians to these ports of embarkation. There are lots of people in the Eastern hemisphere who live closer.

2. Per the Meyer Werft corporate website regarding Disney’s Triton-class ships: “ The two other ships in the Triton Class will be delivered by MEYER WERFT in 2024 and 2025.“. Wasn’t “next year” the original schedule before Covid? So close to reality - Obviously didn’t come from the dog.

3. Magic Hotel? I’m guessing it moves over to cover the sailings in Whatever destination is chosen in Item #1. Then sold to a low-cost cruise line serving Europe or Asia, following in footsteps (wake) of old Celebrity or Royal C ships.

DCL to Bermuda was a rumor / request talked about at Castaway Club reception in 2007. Years later, it’s a reality. We shall see if Disney goes Down Under or challenges the Queen Mary in years to come. Pretty sure they are getting a second Triton-class boat fairly soon, though.

hah thanks for taking this in the spirit in which it was posted.


gotta love these boards sometimes. I literally was like over telegraphing the fact it was complete rumor and people still managed to show up here with attitudes lol.

 

[elsawasajedi]

What Americans and Europeans consider far, we Aussies consider close. The 10 hour 'quick trip' to Tokyo to the 14 hour 'not bad' one to LA... Long haul is 24 hours to London.

Then I get to read comments with Americans saying they will never fly to Hawaii because it's TOO FAR. Oy vey.

you didn't get the memo? the world revolves around Americans.

that Tokyo rumor couldn't possibly be because of thr ginormous fan base there in combination with Australian fan base.

time will tell if any of this stuff is true and in what timeframe if so. for now it's fun to laugh about (and see people get so spun up about 'no ur wrong11!1!1')

 

[Scalemaster34]

Have they heard of their CEO Chapek?

He is not going to allow the Magic to retire when they can make a killing off that ship.

The question is do Magic and Wonder make the same level of "killing" or profit as the newer ships do? They are already less profitable to operate due to their size and cabin options. And at 30 Years what will the cost of an extended drydock to replace many of the main mechanical systems cost - engines get older they burn more fuel and become less efficient and pollute more? And ultimately just how large is the Premium Family cruise business? Extending out the operational cost and maintenance for say five or ten years - which makes them a better "killing", fixing up an old ship, or ordering a 4th or 5th Triton? Or is just keeping the Line small with just five ships be more profitable?

My guess is Disney looked at all this years ago, and it's one reason they ordered three new ships....

 

[sethschroeder]

The question is do Magic and Wonder make the same level of "killing" or profit as the newer ships do? They are already less profitable to operate due to their size and cabin options. And at 30 Years what will the cost of an extended drydock to replace many of the main mechanical systems cost - engines get older they burn more fuel and become less efficient and pollute more? And ultimately just how large is the Premium Family cruise business? Extending out the operational cost and maintenance for say five or ten years - which makes them a better "killing", fixing up an old ship, or ordering a 4th or 5th Triton? Or is just keeping the Line small with just five ships be more profitable?

My guess is Disney looked at all this years ago, and it's one reason they ordered three new ships....

You have cruise lines dedicated to taking on older ships, do updates, and run them at like 50% capacity on maybe 25% of the room cost as Disney charges.

Yes they are making a killing even with upkeep and drydock updates/overhauls.

There is no reason for Disney to retire these ships. Instead you ship them off to far reaches of the world that Disney would not otherwise visit. Don't tell me people won't pay Fjord or Alaska prices for a cruise from Brisbane around New Zealand on a 30 year old Magic. How about a Singapore cruise on the Wonder down the road.

Also can run the Celebrity route that goes around the horn in South America as well. These other cruise lines run these other routes with a much lower cost per guest than Disney charges.

By the way Freedom of the Seas went through a $110m upgrade and was launched in 2006. Royal sure seems even with much cheaper prices than Disney they can run profits on these ships instead of retiring them. Yes Freedom is 9 years younger but Disney also charges a much higher premium.

 

[sethschroeder]

how large is the Premium Family cruise business?

Another Chapek move is to take the Magic out of commission, upgrade to a more adult oriented cruise, and relaunch. The childless family is more of a target for Disney than ever before. This ship could also do more variety in cruises with more repositioning cruises.

Could we see gambling and drink packages make their way to a subset of DCL that is meant to be more adult oriented possibly?

 

[sethschroeder]

Then I get to read comments with Americans saying they will never fly to Hawaii because it's TOO FAR. Oy vey.

There is a ton of things to do and see throughout the US. There is no reason to travel that far for most people. Yes its not Tokyo but you have LA and NYC on both coasts if you want a massive city.

Yes its not Hawaii but you have amazing lake areas like Lake of the Ozarks or you have great beaches in Florida/Texas or you have amazing mountains in the Rockies or Appalachia.

Want skiing? Have its in the middle of the US don't need to go to Europe. Want sports? You have it likely within a few hours drive at most. Want a tourist capital? Disney World and Disney Land on both coasts plus tons of regional parks (Water Park Capital is in Wisconsin in North Middle of the US).

That is why its "too far" because they don't see the value in traveling that far, using up a full day of vacation on the travel itself, and then getting an experience while "better" is not that much better when time off is a premium for most in the US.

 

[auntlynne]

I keep putting the Magic in the Eastern hemisphere. And the response is “no, it’s the Wonder.” I was just playing - but do y’all know something in the works? Is the Wonder going Down Under / over or is it because it is the ship currently in the Pacific?

My dog keeps asking, so he can share it with his pack.

 

[Snowwhyt]

In search of fairness to the US people whom complain. We don’t all live on the west coast. Actually all my flights from my local airport require an overnight stay on the west coast. So it’s over 24 hours. I can drive 4 hours to an international airport and get it down to a 16 hour trip though with the transfer in Dallas, Phoenix or several California airports.

What Americans and Europeans consider far, we Aussies consider close. The 10 hour 'quick trip' to Tokyo to the 14 hour 'not bad' one to LA... Long haul is 24 hours to London.

Then I get to read comments with Americans saying they will never fly to Hawaii because it's TOO FAR. Oy vey.

Trying to send my senior citizen parents has been a nightmare with limited mobility and pure exhaustion from traveling. We are now making arrangements for an escort. My mother-in-law fell at the airport and people JUMPED OVER HER! Can you imagine?!

 

[auntlynne]

I threw a stick and my retriever came back expecting a big treat for what he dug up in the back yard. I like to call it the internet, though.

Down Under

“Interestingly, an ‘Unnamed Vessel’ from an ‘Unnamed Line’ has been assigned more than 20 berths between 27 October 2023 and 16 February 2024 with the Port Authority of NSW. That’s ample time for a ship such as Disney Wonder to sail from Vancouver, via the South Pacific and Hawaii, to Australia.
…
While there is no indication that the ‘Unnamed Line’ is that of Disney Cruise Line, the frequency of short-duration turnarounds over the Christmas/New Year period and January school holidays, would be optimally timed for a family-focused cruise line.

Between 17 December 2023 and 23 January 2024, the ‘unnamed vessel’ is offering around a dozen short sailings of three- to five-nights, including what could be a 4-day Christmas sailing [plus a week-long New Years voyage], more than enough time for Disney fans to get their Mickey Mouse & friends fix, while at sea.

The mystery cruise line has also scheduled a number of what appears to be longer sailings, which could be for voyages to ports such as Melbourne, where it may also have scheduled a series of roundtrips, transTasman sailings or cruises in the South Pacific.
…

And in a further possible sign that Disney Cruise Line is coming Down Under, this week Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia confirmed DCL as first-time exhibitor at Cruise360 Australasia Trade Show, being held next month in Sydney – a possible platform from which DCL could announce its intention for the local market and ramp up awareness with travel advisors.

Last month, Disney’s Vice President of Marketing & Sales International Jeff van Langeveld told media “Australia and New Zealand are big cruise markets with a strong affinity for Disney, so naturally that’s going to be a big focus for us going forward.”

Source “Latteluxurynews.” Oh, I mean Rex.

Disney Cruise was listed a Trade exhibitor at Cruise360 Australasia Trade Show, as mentioned in the article.

Perhaps a dingo can fill us in on further info. Or maybe Bluey and Bingo.

And the DCL website shows a WBPC and Pacific Coast Cruises for the Magic fall 2023. The Wonder’s last listed cruise (AK) ends in Vancouver on Sep 19, 2023.

AK + HI, S Pacific through Polynesia and then an Australia cruise. Somebody could have fun!

 

[happycamper47]

And the DCL website shows a WBPC and Pacific Coast Cruises for the Magic fall 2023. The Wonder’s last listed cruise (AK) ends in Vancouver on Sep 19, 2023.

It has been posted that the WONDER is also scheduled for dry dock during that period. The MAGIC is only in San DIego for 1 1/2months. It then does an EBPC on December 3rd.

 

[Doberge]

Disney is about global growth right now so pushing DCL into new markets only makes sense. I'm still new here but one thing I hesr often is that DCL doesbt have enough itinerary variety for folks who have been on many cruises already. While Disney's main goal is likely to expand globally, they have a loyal network of existing cruisers itching for something new.

 

[Ladybugx87]

I threw a stick and my retriever came back expecting a big treat for what he dug up in the back yard. I like to call it the internet, though.

Down Under

“Interestingly, an ‘Unnamed Vessel’ from an ‘Unnamed Line’ has been assigned more than 20 berths between 27 October 2023 and 16 February 2024 with the Port Authority of NSW. That’s ample time for a ship such as Disney Wonder to sail from Vancouver, via the South Pacific and Hawaii, to Australia.
…
While there is no indication that the ‘Unnamed Line’ is that of Disney Cruise Line, the frequency of short-duration turnarounds over the Christmas/New Year period and January school holidays, would be optimally timed for a family-focused cruise line.

Between 17 December 2023 and 23 January 2024, the ‘unnamed vessel’ is offering around a dozen short sailings of three- to five-nights, including what could be a 4-day Christmas sailing [plus a week-long New Years voyage], more than enough time for Disney fans to get their Mickey Mouse & friends fix, while at sea.

The mystery cruise line has also scheduled a number of what appears to be longer sailings, which could be for voyages to ports such as Melbourne, where it may also have scheduled a series of roundtrips, transTasman sailings or cruises in the South Pacific.
…

And in a further possible sign that Disney Cruise Line is coming Down Under, this week Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia confirmed DCL as first-time exhibitor at Cruise360 Australasia Trade Show, being held next month in Sydney – a possible platform from which DCL could announce its intention for the local market and ramp up awareness with travel advisors.

Last month, Disney’s Vice President of Marketing & Sales International Jeff van Langeveld told media “Australia and New Zealand are big cruise markets with a strong affinity for Disney, so naturally that’s going to be a big focus for us going forward.”

Source “Latteluxurynews.” Oh, I mean Rex.

Disney Cruise was listed a Trade exhibitor at Cruise360 Australasia Trade Show, as mentioned in the article.

Perhaps a dingo can fill us in on further info. Or maybe Bluey and Bingo.

And the DCL website shows a WBPC and Pacific Coast Cruises for the Magic fall 2023. The Wonder’s last listed cruise (AK) ends in Vancouver on Sep 19, 2023.

AK + HI, S Pacific through Polynesia and then an Australia cruise. Somebody could have fun!

I really want the Australia rumor to be true. We expect an announcement (or not) tomorrow - is that right?

 

[Doberge]

I really want the Australia rumor to be true. We expect an announcement (or not) tomorrow - is that right?

Yes, DCL will be part of the Parks, Experiences, and Resorts presentation Sunday at 10:30 pacific. Live stream will be available.

 

[DCSWO]

Magic isn’t going away any time soon. She is going into dry dock in April in the Bahamas. Among other work, she is getting the additional 11 family ocean view rooms converted to Concierge like the Wonder has, and getting the expanded Comcierge lounge to go with it. Got that from a Concoerge host yesterday.

 

[holula]

Magic isn’t going away any time soon. She is going into dry dock in April in the Bahamas. Among other work, she is getting the additional 11 family ocean view rooms converted to Concierge like the Wonder has, and getting the expanded Comcierge lounge to go with it. Got that from a Concoerge host yesterday.

If they are going to do more work in dry dock, I’d love to see Promenade Lounge rethemed into the Snuggly Duckling.

To me it really looked tired in comparison to the rest of the ship.

 

[diablodancer]

I really want the Australia rumor to be true. We expect an announcement (or not) tomorrow - is that right?

I don’t think today is all or nothing for what it’s worth, just that it seems the obvious time to announce (just trying to manage expectations as I know other panels have led to disappointment due to people having unfounded expectations). While there’s a lot of evidence that Australia’s happening, I don’t think we’ve had any specific intel about when to expect an announcement I less I’ve missed something?

that we know by the end of today!

 

[TestingH2O]

you have amazing lake areas like Lake of the Ozarks

I get your point, but Lake of the Ozarks is definitely not something I would recommend traveling more than a couple hours for. Certainly not as a replacement for Hawaii. The lake itself is gross and the vibe is definitely more “frat party” than “nature getaway.”

The US does have the Great Lakes though, and those areas are truly beautiful.

Single states are as large or larger than entire countries in other parts of the world. Traveling through the US really would be the same time commitment as international travel in lots of places.