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Adios
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Posted: Thu Feb 22nd, 2007 10:06 pm | 1st Post |
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From Disney Cruise Line
Two new ships will more than double passenger capacity
BURBANK, Calif., (February 22, 2007) -- The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) plans to expand its successful cruise business by adding two new ocean liners, President and CEO Bob Iger announced today. Scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012, the ships will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line to meet the sustained demand for Disney's family cruise vacations.
The company signed a letter of intent with Meyer Werft shipyard, based in Papenburg, Germany, to negotiate a contract to build the 122,000-ton new cruise liners, which will be two decks taller than the existing 83,000-ton ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms. Specific design plans and itineraries for the yet-unnamed ships are still in development and will be unveiled at a later date.
"Since our maiden voyage in 1998, Disney Cruise Line has been a huge success for our guests and for our shareholders alike," Iger said. "It has brought our unparalleled family vacation experience to the high seas, and has also generated high margins and double digit returns on invested capital. We're excited to announce the expansion of our fleet, which is a logical next step in what is a real growth business for us."
Disney Cruise Line established the family market within the cruise industry when the business launched in 1998. The first two ships were purpose built for families to reconnect and recharge while creating vacation memories that will last a lifetime. From a theater featuring live musical spectaculars to a luxurious spa for adults and nearly an entire deck dedicated to children's activities, the ships offer something for every member of the family. Disney Cruise Line continues to grow by attracting passengers who say they would not have cruised if it hadn't been for the Disney brand.
"Focusing on families has been smart business for us," said Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "More than 95 percent of Disney Cruise Line guests rate their cruise experience as excellent or very good. Families know they can trust us to provide a quality, immersive Disney experience. As a result, Disney Cruise Line continually sets sail with the highest load factors in the industry of nearly 150 percent."
Similar to the original Disney Cruise Line ships, the new ships will be a modern interpretation of classic ocean liners of the 1930s. Disney Imagineers drew their inspiration from the original trans-Atlantic ships that featured a dramatic black hull with two funnels and porthole windows. The profile of the ships, with its gentle curves at the stern combined with sleek angles at the bow, are reminiscent of the art deco designs of the era. To add whimsy to the classic design, the Disney ships have the same exterior color palette as Mickey Mouse with black, white, red and yellow. The new ships will feature elegant, detailed Disney scrollwork at the bow and will evoke images of the glamour of the golden age of cruising.
Tom McAlpin, the President of Disney Cruise Line, said, "This is an exciting time for Disney Cruise Line, and we are looking forward to working with Meyer Werft to blend our innovation and creativity with their fine craftsmanship. Meyer Werft has a long tradition of building magnificent ships. We are confident that the result will be ships that take the immersive Disney family-focused cruise experience to an entirely new level."
New itineraries
Disney Cruise Line, which traditionally offers 3-, 4- and 7-night Caribbean cruises, has also enjoyed strong demand for new itineraries. Trips to the Mediterranean and to the West Coast have recently set booking records within the company and booked 30-50 percent faster than the existing itineraries at higher prices.
"With a larger fleet, we'll have greater flexibility to offer a variety of itineraries," Rasulo said. "This is a business that our guests love, and we're pleased to give them more options to explore the world with Disney with two new ships."
To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can contact their travel agent, visit disneycruise.com or call Disney Cruise Line at (888) DCL-2500. Travel agents can call Disney Cruise Line at (888) 325-2500 or visit disneytravelagents.com.
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Thu Feb 22nd, 2007 11:56 pm | 2nd Post |
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| Despite what seem to me to be higher prices than the other mainstream lines, they should be very successful with their new ships. Wonder what they'll name them?
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Deb - Research, research, research!
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Liberty 10/07; Miracle 10/06; Navigator OTS 10/04; Legend 04/04; Grand Princess 09/03; Dawn Princess 01/03; Enchantment OTS 10/02; Destiny 01/02; Sensation 10/99
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BeckyThane
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Posted: Fri Feb 23rd, 2007 02:07 am | 3rd Post |
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WOO-HOO!!!
It's about daggone time. Disney talked about adding a 3rd ship a number of years ago. Most thought it would enter the Alaska market during the summer, and do the left coast in the winter. Wonder where these two will go?
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TheWog
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Posted: Fri Feb 23rd, 2007 12:34 pm | 4th Post |
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This is cool news, but good God how much are they going to charge now?
Feb. 22, 2007 - The Walt Disney Company today announced the long-awaited expansion of the Disney Cruise Line. In a press release, company President and CEO Bob Iger announced that the company has signed a letter of intent with Meyer Werft Shipyards of Germany to build two, 122,000-ton ships, each with room for 4,000 guests (Disney’s current ships are each 83,000-ton/2,400 guests). The first of the two, as yet unnamed ships will be delivered in 2011, and the second will arrive in 2012.
Artists rendering of the new ship design -- Copyright Disney
Few additional details are available at this time. The ships will each have 1,250 staterooms (up from 877 – a 40% increase), they’ll be two decks taller, and Disney intends to follow the same design traditions as before – gold scrollwork at the bow, the existing DCL color scheme, and “classic” ship style. Artist’s renderings of the new ships look remarkably similar to the existing ships, with the addition of two additional stateroom decks in the area between the lifeboat deck (deck 4) and the main recreation deck (deck 11) – lots more rooms with verandahs! There is no word yet on proposed itineraries.
With no additional word from Disney Cruise Line at this time, we thought a bit of independent research (and speculation) would be in order. Here's what we've got so far:
About Meyer Werft Shipyards
Meyer Werft Shipyards have been around for nearly as long as the U.S.A. (1795). They’ve built ships for many of the world’s largest cruise lines, although they haven’t been part of the mega-ship building explosion of recent years. To date, they’ve delivered cruise ships of less than 100,000 GRT, closer in size to the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, rather than behemoths like Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas or Cunard’s Queen Mary II. Meyer Werft has a webcam on their site, which may prove useful and fascinating when the Disney ships are being built.
At the moment, Meyer Werft is building three “Solstice-class” ships for Celebrity Cruise Lines (the higher-end division of Royal Caribbean) that are of similar size and capacity to the ships Disney is ordering. The Celebrity ships will be 1,020 ft. long, 121 ft. wide, “weigh” 118,000 GRT, have 1,425 staterooms and 2,850 passengers (based on double occupancy). More than 90 percent of those will be outside staterooms, and 85 percent will have verandahs. The standard staterooms on the Celebrity ships will be 215 sq. ft., roughly equal to the current non-verandah staterooms on the Disney Magic/Wonder. The Celebrity ships are diesel/electric-powered, with Pod propulsion systems.
Pod Propulsion
Pod propulsion is likely for the Disney ships, too. Pods place the main (electric) propulsion motors and propellers outside the ship’s hull, not unlike an outboard motor (but fully submerged). Typically, there are three or four propulsion pods at the stern of the ship, with one or two that pivot from right to left for steering as well as forward motion, and one or more in a fixed position for full-speed-ahead situations. A rudder is not needed. The net result can be a remarkably quiet and vibration-free voyage. (The Disney Magic and Wonder have conventional propeller systems.)
Will the Disney Ships Resemble the Celebrity "Solstice" class ships?
It’s not unreasonable to project that Disney’s ships will be similar to the Celebrity ships. What’s interesting, though, is that Celebrity is boasting how large their standard stateroom will be (215 sq. ft.). Disney’s ships will be larger, but will have fewer staterooms (1,250 for Disney, 1,425 for Celebrity). While Disney isn’t ready to make any boasts yet, I think we can expect Disney to announce that its new staterooms will be larger than those on the Magic/Wonder (and many other ships). It’s also possible that Disney is dedicating substantially more space to its hugely popular kids programs, and to theaters big enough to satisfy guest demand (the theaters on the Magic and Wonder are often standing room-only). The other areas of under-supply/high demand on the Magic and Wonder are the number of available suites, and the difficulty of getting a table at Palo. It’s not hard to guess that Disney will address both shortages in the new design.
More Magic?
Carnival is building two 130,000 GRT, 3,652 passenger ships at Italy’s Fincantieri Shipyards (birthplace of the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder), due in 2009 and 2011. Curiously, the new ships will be called Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic. No other information on dimensions is currently available.
Crew Size?
One trend is certain – the number of crew members will not increase proportionally to the number of additional guests. This has been one of the driving forces behind the mega-ship trend. There are certain economies of scale in departments like engineering, laundry, and in the kitchens, and while theaters and lounges will up-size, the number of performers and stage hands may not have to increase substantially. Most of the added crew members (and Disney has yet to announce the projected crew complement) will be stateroom attendants and dining room servers, and even there, it’s likely that each will be attending to more guests than on Disney’s current vessels, with various labor-saving improvements added to help them along.
Will The New Ships Fit Through the Canal?
It’s almost certain that the ships will be “Post-Panamax” (larger than the maximum size for passage through the Panama Canal) for no better reason that the Panama Canal itself is being up-sized, with new, larger locks scheduled to enter service in 2014. The new locks will be able to handle ships up to 1,120 feet long and 161 feet wide, larger than any cruise ship that has yet been announced. None of the large ships described earlier can fit through the existing canal locks.
What Port Will the Ships Call "Home?"
DCL has been hinting the new ships are destined for the West Coast market. However… The Caribbean cruise market is #1 in the world. Would DCL leave its Caribbean capacity unchanged, while placing the equivalent of three Magic-sized ships on the West Coast? Probably not. I’m leaning towards a strategy that has one ship (a new one) home ported on the West Coast, with three home ported at Port Canaveral. One of those three Port Canaveral-based ships would be available for special itineraries (Mediterranean, Alaska/Hawaii, circumnavigation, etc.).
Any visit by the new ships to the West Coast prior to the opening of the new Panama Canal locks will require a trip around the stormy southern tip of South America, or eastward through the Suez Canal and across the Pacific. It’d be a grand and glorious voyage in either case, but my money is on Disney assigning the Magic or Wonder to California until the Panama Canal can handle the new ships, while they plop the new boats down in the Caribbean.
Our Earlier Predictions
In the latest (5th) edition of PassPorter’s Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line, we predicted that the new ships would be around or under 100,000 GRT, as Disney might not want to risk an over-capacity situation (leading to stateroom discounting). It seems they’re being bolder than we thought. We were right that they’d probably build two ships. We were wrong about the shipyard (the two unidentified ships at Fincantieri slated for delivery in 2009 and 2010 belong to Carnival), and we are probably right about Disney going back to the design drawing board, rather than depend on designs that are by now several years old.
In fact, this is all so new that Disney's current artist’s renderings of the new ships can’t really be trusted (a contact at DCL confirmed this). If you look carefully, you’ll see that, with the exception of the two additional passenger decks, the design is essentially a neatened-up copy of the Magic/Wonder. You can see a glass-enclosed area in the forward section of the recreation deck (see image below), presumably an indoor (or indoor/outdoor) pool. This makes sense for ships that may be visiting Alaska during the summer season.
Artists rendering of the new ship design -- Copyright Disney
However, detailing is so sparse on those drawings that nothing should be taken at face value. While some things aren’t likely to change (like the number of decks), I wouldn’t place wagers on anything else at this point.
Well, that’s about all anybody has for now. Stay tuned for more rumors, speculation, and eventually, real news.
Cruise Ship Comparisons
- Disney Magic 83,000 GRT, 964 ft. long, 106 ft. wide, 877 staterooms, 1,754 guests (double), 2,400 guests (max.)
- Panama Canal Locks – 1,000 ft. long, 110 ft. wide
- Disney “Dreams” 122,000 GRT, length and width unknown, 1250 staterooms, 2,500 guests (double), 4,000 guests (max).
- Celebrity Solstice-class (under construction) 118,000 GRT, 1,033 ft long, 121 ft wide, 1425 staterooms, 2,850 guests double
- Carnival Dream/Magic (under construction) 130,000 GRT, length and width unknown, 3,652 passengers (double occupancy?)
- Royal Caribbean Voyager class 142,000 GRT, 1,020 ft long, 157.5 ft wide, 14 passenger decks, 1,557 staterooms, 3,114 guests double occupancy, 3,838 guests full capacity
- Cunard Queen Mary 2 – 151,400 GRT, 1,132 ft. long, 135 ft. wide, 3,056 guest max. capacity
- Royal Caribbean Freedom class – 154,000 GRT, 1,112 ft. long, 127 ft. wide, 15 passenger decks, 1,817 staterooms – 3,634 guests (double) 4,375 guests maximum.
- Royal Caribbean Genesis class (fall 2009 delivery) 220,000 GRT, 1,180 ft. long, 154 ft. wide, 2,700 stateroom 5400 guests (double), 6,400 max.
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Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Where's my frozen umbrella drink?
Ice cream should be a food group.
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TheWog
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Posted: Fri Feb 23rd, 2007 12:37 pm | 5th Post |
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BeckyThane wrote: WOO-HOO!!!
It's about daggone time. Disney talked about adding a 3rd ship a number of years ago. Most thought it would enter the Alaska market during the summer, and do the left coast in the winter. Wonder where these two will go?
I bet these new ones go to the Caribbean and the Wonder or Magic goes to the left coast and does land and seas or they both go to the West Coast and do a similar set up as they have now with one of them doing Land and Sea packages with DL and the other doing 7 day Mexico cruises with Summer Alaska cruises.
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Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Where's my frozen umbrella drink?
Ice cream should be a food group.
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BeckyThane
Super Cruiser
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Posted: Fri Feb 23rd, 2007 01:18 pm | 6th Post |
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TheWog wrote: I bet these new ones go to the Caribbean and the Wonder or Magic goes to the left coast and does land and seas or they both go to the West Coast and do a similar set up as they have now with one of them doing Land and Sea packages with DL and the other doing 7 day Mexico cruises with Summer Alaska cruises.
Thanks for the great article, Wog!!!
Aaaaahhhh! You have a good point! I had forgotten about the possibility of doing left coast land/sea packages with Disneyland. I'll bet the rapidity with which the cruise line's left coast itineraries booked up is what spurred Disney to sign the build contract. (Notice they mention both -- the new builds and the left coast cruises booking up quickly -- in the original press release?!?) I'd bet on your theory. But, I'm not sure that they would put both ships on the left coast. (Disneyland just isn't the draw that WDW is -- but maybe this is their way of drawing more people there?) I'll bet three will winter in Florida, with one available to do Alaska/European/Mediterranean cruises during the summer.
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TheWog
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Posted: Fri Feb 23rd, 2007 04:41 pm | 7th Post |
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BeckyThane wrote: TheWog wrote: I bet these new ones go to the Caribbean and the Wonder or Magic goes to the left coast and does land and seas or they both go to the West Coast and do a similar set up as they have now with one of them doing Land and Sea packages with DL and the other doing 7 day Mexico cruises with Summer Alaska cruises.
Thanks for the great article, Wog!!!
Aaaaahhhh! You have a good point! I had forgotten about the possibility of doing left coast land/sea packages with Disneyland. I'll bet the rapidity with which the cruise line's left coast itineraries booked up is what spurred Disney to sign the build contract. (Notice they mention both -- the new builds and the left coast cruises booking up quickly -- in the original press release?!?) I'd bet on your theory. But, I'm not sure that they would put both ships on the left coast. (Disneyland just isn't the draw that WDW is -- but maybe this is their way of drawing more people there?) I'll bet three will winter in Florida, with one available to do Alaska/European/Mediterranean cruises during the summer.
That's a good bet, especially the way those Panama Canal trips book so quickly. Maybe they could then go south a bit with their 10/11 day sailings.
____________________
Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Where's my frozen umbrella drink?
Ice cream should be a food group.
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