Third Ship Rumor and "Secret" West Coast Sailing

[wide awake]

Thank-you tezb and Heidi,
As a native Californian I was getting really tired of the anti west coast posts. It was the same thing before May 5, DCL would never go west because blah, blah, blah. Guess what, DCL is here the summer of 2005 !!! Whether a new ship will be built, where it will be based if it is built...who knows...but is it necessary to always paint the west coast as an also-ran ?

 

[tezb]

Originally posted by wide awake
Thank-you tezb and Heidi,
As a native Californian I was getting really tired of the anti west coast posts. It was the same thing before May 5, DCL would never go west because blah, blah, blah. Guess what, DCL is here the summer of 2005 !!! Whether a new ship will be built, where it will be based if it is built...who knows...but is it necessary to always paint the west coast as an also-ran ?

Wide Awake....I too am an Native Calif. I contemplated whether or not to post as I didn't want to start anything all over again but just couldn't keep quiet after reading so many posts suggesting that the East Coast should get the newer ship. Anyway, no one knows at this point and DCL will do whatever they feel is best for their business!

 

[TaraBelle1069]

Originally posted by jgalecpa
This part is NOT, Repeat NOT a rumour.

I just called DCL and asked if there were a 6 night Calif. Cruise on the 17th of july and there was and there was plenty of availability

As the 17th of July is the official 50th anniversary of Disneyland, I'm sure they will have lots of press and celebrities already in "town". This would seem the perfect time to use the ship on the 16th for some sort of announcement.

I tacked on a trip to DL after my RCCL Mexican Riviera cruise and I'm sure I'm not the only one to do it. This would be the perfect combination. Someone mentioned moving to Caribbean in the winter. They could also do what RCCL does and split the ship between Mexico and Alaska.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by jgalecpa
This part is NOT, Repeat NOT a rumour.

I just called DCL and asked if there were a 6 night Calif. Cruise on the 17th of july and there was and there was plenty of availability!

(Priced a Cat 9 for 2 adults and two kids at $5,400)



Hmmmmm......

Yes, I just read this in an article. This cruise is supposedly not listed on their website, though (I have yet to check for myself). You have to call for it.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by CRSNDSNY
Yes, I just read this in an article. This cruise is supposedly not listed on their website, though (I have yet to check for myself). You have to call for it.

Despite what the article says, the 07/17/05 6-night cruise is listed on the official DCL website. See http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/d...erariesindex?id=SevenNightWestCoastCruiseItin

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
Despite what the article says, the 07/17/05 6-night cruise is listed on the official DCL website. See http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/d...erariesindex?id=SevenNightWestCoastCruiseItin

Ahhhhh.....thanks for checking!

This would definitely be a great day to be at Port in LA. I'd love to be there for the announcement.

 

[erikthewise]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
Despite what the article says, the 07/17/05 6-night cruise is listed on the official DCL website. See http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/d...erariesindex?id=SevenNightWestCoastCruiseItin

This may be a recent change. Yesterday I received an email newsletter which mentioned this cruise as if it were just announced by DCL.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by CRSNDSNY
This would definitely be a great day to be at Port in LA. I'd love to be there for the announcement.

There is no reason to believe that DCL will announce a 3rd ship on July 16, 2005. The article is purely speculation -- illogical speculation, at that. And the article contains various inaccuracies that make me question its credibility further.

Why would DCL schedule an annoucement for a year from now? If DCL has actually already reached an agreement with a shipbuilder, the announcement will come much sooner. If there is no agreement, why would DCL schedule any announcement?

Please see my more plausible explanation earlier in this thread.

 

[Grumbo]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the only way to book it up until now has been to call the cruise line and ask for the date specifically. It's almost like Disney has been trying to keep this sailing a secret. On July 17, 2005, there will be a 6-night cruise departing from Los Angeles, following the same route and itinerary of the 7-night cruises with the exception of the deletion of the port of Puerto Vallarta.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This part is NOT, Repeat NOT a rumour.

I just called DCL and asked if there were a 6 night Calif. Cruise on the 17th of july and there was and there was plenty of availability!

(Priced a Cat 9 for 2 adults and two kids at $5,400)



Hmmmmm......

Insofar as the Press conference and the 6 day cruise this was announced and I spoke with my TA about this months and months ago right after the cruise prices and itineraries were announced. It was no secret and on All Season's Website the fact it was a 6 day cruise and that it was cheaper was in black and white (or is their text red and white )
This stuff is "interesting" but lets wait and see. It makes no difference where the new ship goes. I think it will go east and that has NOTHING to do with bashing the west coast over the east. That is MY feeling from what has been said in the past plus as Horace said that it is an incentive for Caribbean cruisers. The fact there would be a DCL ship in the Pacific is a big incentive alone.
Cheers,
Grumbo

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

Horace Horsecollar
if i remember corectly this same website also leaked out the magic going to the west coast first. and if DCL sells well on the west coast they might think of placing the new ship out west. as for the newer ship, it is from what DCL told me going to be just as long and wide and the magic/wonder, but will have more decks. also, there is already a plan in place to widen the panama canal to get larger ships through. i hope no one gets into a fight over rumors. we are all adults here, right?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by KYCruiseCrazy
Horace Horsecollar
if i remember corectly this same website also leaked out the magic going to the west coast first. and if DCL sells well on the west coast they might think of placing the new ship out west. as for the newer ship, it is from what DCL told me going to be just as long and wide and the magic/wonder, but will have more decks. also, there is already a plan in place to widen the panama canal to get larger ships through. i hope no one gets into a fight over rumors. we are all adults here, right?

I recall that Al Lutz had the Magic going to the West Coast in 2005 at http://www.miceage.com/ before anyone else picked up on that rumor.

The description that the new design will have essentially the same length and width the current DCL ship, but with an extra deck (and possibly a stubbier bow) makes sense to me. With a small fleet, Disney needs the ability to reposition ships through the Panama Canal. Other cruise lines have shown the you can get more staterooms and more verandahs onto a ship with Panamax length and width, and DCL's new design is likely to follow this trend. (By the way, the article at JimHillMedia said the new ship would be a "third copy of the Disney cruise ship," not a new higher-capacity design; I believe is another questionable "fact" in the article.)

It's likely that the Panama Canal will be able to handle longer and wider ships some day, but this will require a multi-billion dollar investment and a lengthy contruction process. I'd be surprised if new locks and waterways are completed any time in the next ten years.

I hope nobody thinks I'm getting "into a fight over rumors." I just think any rumors need to be examined for plausibility. I think all of us on this board are eager to see a DCL fleet expansion, and we welcome any evidence that DCL is moving forward with their plans. I hope DCL is moving forward, but I don't consider this particular article to be reliable evidence.

 

[jrabbit]

It wouldn't surprise me if DCL builds a third ship and then sails all 3 out of Port Canaveral. You remember the May 5th announcement about Disneylands 50th anniversary right? We (Disneyland/westcoasters) get to borrow the Magic for 4 months (counting the repo cruises) and WDW is getting 4 new major attractions. What a better way to celebrate Disneyland than by giving WDW many new 'toys'. But hey, here at Disneyland we are getting a new paint job - which is 8 years over due.

I'm also sick of the east coast folks feeling that it's their "right" to get all of the new stuff and am sick of the Disney exec's continuing to pour money into WDW while turning the Disneyland Resort into a shopping mall (think DCA).

But back on topic -- I'm hoping that DCL will be building 2 new sister ships. Hope at least one ship comes out west. But don't really care where they sail out of. Will strongly consider sailing on them when they finally come online.

Oh yea, like Horace - I'll stick with Al at MiceAge for rumors because he has a very high percentage of "rumors" that turn into fact!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
There is no reason to believe that DCL will announce a 3rd ship on July 16, 2005. The article is purely speculation -- illogical speculation, at that. And the article contains various inaccuracies that make me question its credibility further.

Why would DCL schedule an annoucement for a year from now? If DCL has actually already reached an agreement with a shipbuilder, the announcement will come much sooner. If there is no agreement, why would DCL schedule any announcement?

Please see my more plausible explanation earlier in this thread.

I understand that it is speculation and never once thought that this article was 100% true.

On another note, perhaps negotiations will be happening in the next year and they are expecting to come up with an agreement with a shipbuilding company at approximately this time. They may be leaving this day open as a potential best case scenario announcement forum. Above all, companies such as DCL begin a project with the end in mind. Maybe their 'end' is on a deadline for completion and contract signing at about a year from now. I do not see this speculation as erroneous as you do, I suppose.

 

[hydster]

After reading back through the West Coast Rumor threads from April/May I have come to 1 conclusion:

None of us really knows anything for certain

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by hydster
After reading back through the West Coast Rumor threads from April/May I have come to 1 conclusion:

None of us really knows anything for certain

Heidi, don't you know I have supernatural powers?
:space:

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
There is no reason to believe that DCL will announce a 3rd ship on July 16, 2005. The article is purely speculation -- illogical speculation, at that. And the article contains various inaccuracies that make me question its credibility further.

Why would DCL schedule an annoucement for a year from now? If DCL has actually already reached an agreement with a shipbuilder, the announcement will come much sooner. If there is no agreement, why would DCL schedule any announcement?

Please see my more plausible explanation earlier in this thread.

I have to agree, I think the one day is for the V.I.P's for Disneylands 50th at that time, whilst Disney likes to stage annoucements and might well do so at that time, it wouldnt be planning a press annoucement that far in advance, and if a ship order goes in, it is more likly based on Dollar/Euro rates at the time, and everyone would know very quickly, so any annoucement is redundant.

Now a possibilly is me might know by then they have a ship on order and when it would be ready, and they might give us ideas of its location and trips for the future.Now its possible that Disney would use the Magic for fireworks or a backdrop, that night to help assist the 50th birthday party get going, timed with DL's 50th?

 

[hydster]

Originally posted by CRSNDSNY
Heidi, don't you know I have supernatural powers?
:space:

You're right..I totally forgot about those!

MY BAD!

You aren't Dionne Warwick by any chance are you?? LOL

 

[Euphscott]

OK you west coasters, don't get so bent of shape (at least not with me!) as I am a Texan and frankly don't care one way or another, because for me it's equidistant to Florida or California (well sort of...).

Anyhow, the reason I believe that a new ship would be placed in Florida is because of the traditional cruising market. I am not thinking in terms of Disney World versus Disneyland. While I suspect that plays a partial role in decision making, DCL is a cruise line and they are competing with cruise lines. So, you have to look at where the most competition lies - in the Caribbean. You cannot sail the Caribbean out of LA. Well, you can, but not in 7 day increments. Historically cruise lines will introduce their new babies in the Caribbean and reroute a more established ship to the Mexican Riviera routes.

The one excception to this rule is the ships that are sent over to do Alaskan runs. And in spite of the theorizing here, I do not believe Alaska is in Disney's future until a fourth ship is brought to life. The 7 day cruise is the bread and butter of the cruise industry. Without moving to a non-Disney linked port (the aforementioned Seattle or Vancouver) you cannot do Alaska in 7 days. Now once a 7 day workhorse is plying the Mexican Riviera route, you could convince me that Disney might run a 14 day route with a fourth ship up and back, or two 10 day one way cruises out of and into LA.

So...as one poster so elquently typed - I don't think we really know!

And as for the Al Lutz vs. Jim Hill debate - they both seem to hit on things equally often and usually within days of each other.

My intent was not to cause a fire storm, just to report what some are hypothesizing.

 

[rcostello1]

One thing I can say for sure is that the only trademarked names currently held by Disney in terms of a "passenger cruise ship" are Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. Both were registered in 1996, long before any ship set sail.

Just something logical to think about. Disney does nothing on a whim. They plan their spontaneity!

 

[ivanova]

this of course is all pure speculation ... until it happens we won't know anything for sure ... but speculating can be fun ... one question I've always wondered, why haven't they consider Japanese ship yards? Why just European ship yards?

If the new ship is (ever) built and is larger than Panama Canal dimensions, then it's "stuck" ... if built in Italy it makes sense to move it to FL and leave it there, if built in Japan then it would make more sense to relocate it to CA. Of course, it makes even more sense to build it to Panama Canal dimensions so they can move it from any ship builder to any port.

BTW, side note, as to widening the canal, watched a fascinating show about that this weekend - it'll take YEARS and billions of dollars. Panama has to figure out how to do it, then figure out how to pay for it. So building a ship to "some day" go through the new locks doesn't make a whole lotta sense right now....

Ultimately the decision maker will be what the ship is built to handle ... maybe they'll build it to EVENTUALLY handle Alaska cruises (Alaska in summer, Mexico in winter) but for the time being stick with Caribbean and Mexican Riviera cruises until they work out the finer details of Alaskan cruises out of LA. 'cuz frankly if they can't attach it to a park ("land") stay, I'm not sure it's within their "mission" to cruise there (because ultimately, they seem to work for the ultimate good of the DISNEY name).