Fleet deployment with new ships

Spork24

Mr. Blue Bird on my shoulder
Joined
Jan 21, 2014
i was sitting around thinking about Disney’s new ships this morning. Why are you guys opinions on how they will deploy the new ships. I could see 2 or the ships relieving the dream and fantasy on the Canaveral circuit to free them up to be more mobile like the magic and wonder.

I don’t see Disney having 7 ships based in the carribean in winter though. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one cruise out of Australia in winter.


Also, any rumors that they might decommission and sell the classic ships in the years following the new ship rollout. I’m not sure how big of a cruise line Disney thinks their high end family market can support.
 
Also, any rumors that they might decommission and sell the classic ships in the years following the new ship rollout. I’m not sure how big of a cruise line Disney thinks their high end family market can support.
I can't imagine DCL selling those beautiful ships to the competition. The look of the ships is a big part of their brand. The classics are in great shape and one (Magic) is currently undergoing some renovations, getting a new restaurant & updating a kids' club. They just added more concierge cabins on each. Nope. I don't see them leaving the Disney fleet anytime soon.

I think that they'll probably put at least one ship full time on the West coast. I also wouldn't be surprised if one ship were stationed out of Asia or Australia.
 
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I can't imagine DCL selling those beautiful ships to the competition. The look of the ships is a big part of their brand. The classics are in great shape and one (Magic) is currently undergoing some renovations, getting a new restaurant & updating a kids' club. They just added more concierge cabins on each. Nope. I don't see them leaving the Disney fleet anytime soon.

I think that they'll probably put at least one ship full time on the West coast. I also wouldn't be surprised if one ship were stationed out of Asia or Australia.

The cruise lines that would be in the market for them aren’t really Disney’s competition. They would obviously de Disney the look and probably require a different paint job. I know they wouldn’t sell them now, but in another decade they will be 30 years old. The big cruise lines don’t keep these ships forever. I think Royal carribean is only operating 2 or 3 that age ina much larger fleet.

Also they are a good size for some of the iteneraries like Alaska where bigger ships can be problematic, and with the nostalgia factor Disney could keep them a while longer.
 


Back when they first started they had said they wanted a fleet of 10 ships. If that projection has changed over the years is anyone's guess but I remember reading and hearing about 10 ships total. I worked for Liberty Travel back then and remember reading all the press releases.

MJ
 
If they sold their ships, where would the other cruise lines put their casinos? I can see DCL selling them to the US Navy, however...huge recruiting tools. How about if they do something like the Queen Mary and dry dock the old ones and turn them into hotels?
Now, on a more serious note, where to place the new/old ships around the world? Living in Oregon, we hope they put one or two on the West Coast permanently...there are Hawaii cruises to be done, then Australia, New Zealand, Bora Bora, etc. For us, the more "at sea" days the better. I am just glad they are building new ones.
 
My guesses:-
Magic, over to Japan/China permanently (small ship for potential smaller market)
Wonder, Alaska, additional Carribbean (smaller ship for Alaska)
Dream, Europe and Carribbean
Fantasy, west coast USA and Mexico.
New big ships doing the Bahamas and the east west Carribbean itinaries that are most popular.

I reckon they will put the new itinaries on the old ships as repeat cruisers will want to try new places and new ships so why let them kill two birds with one stone when you can get double the dollar. Also the 3/4 night port Canaveral is the gateway cruise and they want to make an impact on newbies with the flash new ships so they then book longer cruises.

All these guesses are based on nothing though. I don't follow the cruse industry, know any other lines itinaries or read any articles.

Oh hang on. Are there going to be 3 new ships? Chuck both dream/fantasy in Europe, with some fiddling of one in the winter and put one of the new ones on the west coast. Job. Done.
 


With DCL moving all four ships back to Florida in Early 2019, I bet they are seeing how many ships they can handle "In town". The three new ships will be powered by Liquified Natural Gas, which currently limits where they can go. Parts of the US, and Europe are the current 'powers' of LNG.

With the expansion of the PC, it is not impossible for the Dream or Fantasy to transfer to the west coast. However, most of the 'speciality' cruises to the MED, Baltic, and Alaska, have been better served by smaller ships, IMO.

I could see the Magic/Wonder going to Asia and Australia, Dream/Fantasy handling the West Coast of USA, Dream/Fantasy going out of Miami doing alternating cruises, Two new ships(Believe/Imagination???) handling Port Canaveral, and third new ships(Adventure??) handling Europe.
 
My guesses:-
Magic, over to Japan/China permanently (small ship for potential smaller market)
Wonder, Alaska, additional Carribbean (smaller ship for Alaska)
Dream, Europe and Carribbean
Fantasy, west coast USA and Mexico.
New big ships doing the Bahamas and the east west Carribbean itinaries that are most popular.

I reckon they will put the new itinaries on the old ships as repeat cruisers will want to try new places and new ships so why let them kill two birds with one stone when you can get double the dollar. Also the 3/4 night port Canaveral is the gateway cruise and they want to make an impact on newbies with the flash new ships so they then book longer cruises.

All these guesses are based on nothing though. I don't follow the cruse industry, know any other lines itinaries or read any articles.

Oh hang on. Are there going to be 3 new ships? Chuck both dream/fantasy in Europe, with some fiddling of one in the winter and put one of the new ones on the west coast. Job. Done.

The Asian cruise market is HUGE! The problem with US companies sending ships over there is that they typically treat the ships very differently. A ship really needs to be custom designed for the market to do well. We saw a small glimpse of those when Splash mountain had bench seats at WDW vs straddle seating at DL. There is so much more involved like eating, smoking, pool decks, etc. that are just different in a different culture.
 
Also, any rumors that they might decommission and sell the classic ships in the years following the new ship rollout. I’m not sure how big of a cruise line Disney thinks their high end family market can support.

The Magic and Wonder are vey far away from being sold or scrapped. The regular cruise company keeps their ships around for 40 years+-, while the ultimate lifespan of most cruise ships is 50years +-. Disney takes very good care of their ships and I would not be surprised if they keep them around until they get that old. The question of if they will sell or scrap after use is up in the air. Disney is not a company that likes others to have their leftovers. However, I am one in favour of turing them into docked hotels, or even moving them inland(very expensive) and setting them up at WDW.
 
Back when they first started they had said they wanted a fleet of 10 ships. If that projection has changed over the years is anyone's guess but I remember reading and hearing about 10 ships total. I worked for Liberty Travel back then and remember reading all the press releases.

MJ

That’s awesome info, I hadn’t heard that
If they sold their ships, where would the other cruise lines put their casinos? I can see DCL selling them to the US Navy, however...huge recruiting tools. How about if they do something like the Queen Mary and dry dock the old ones and turn them into hotels?
Now, on a more serious note, where to place the new/old ships around the world? Living in Oregon, we hope they put one or two on the West Coast permanently...there are Hawaii cruises to be done, then Australia, New Zealand, Bora Bora, etc. For us, the more "at sea" days the better. I am just glad they are building new ones.


Are you including Hawaii in the west coast or talking about doing 1 ways back and forth to hawaii our of the west coast? I could easily see 1 ways to hawaii and trying to seek aulani packages in the front or back end for part of the year.
 
The Asian cruise market is HUGE! The problem with US companies sending ships over there is that they typically treat the ships very differently. A ship really needs to be custom designed for the market to do well. We saw a small glimpse of those when Splash mountain had bench seats at WDW vs straddle seating at DL. There is so much more involved like eating, smoking, pool decks, etc. that are just different in a different culture.

What about the pool decks would need to be different in Asia, just curious.

Also I think Disney could probably get enough western cruisers for a part time Asia route to make it worthwhile.
 
That’s awesome info, I hadn’t heard that



Are you including Hawaii in the west coast or talking about doing 1 ways back and forth to hawaii our of the west coast? I could easily see 1 ways to hawaii and trying to seek aulani packages in the front or back end for part of the year.

According to the Jones Act, a non-US flag vessel cannot transport passengers from one US port to another US port. One way cruises from San Diego/Los Angeles to Hawaii would not be possible. They can do cruises from San Diego/Los Angeles to Hawaii, then to Esanada, MX, then back to San Diego/Los Angeles. but that takes more time and more money.
 
What about the pool decks would need to be different in Asia, just curious.

Also I think Disney could probably get enough western cruisers for a part time Asia route to make it worthwhile.

In general, Asians like 'outdoor' spaces but with shade. So pools need to be covered with something other than glass. Keep in mind that 'asians', is a big group of vastly differing wants.

This comes from Tillberg Design Group. The same group that designed aspects of the Magic and Wonder.

As for westerners filling the ships, keep in mind the added cost of flying over there. Even Disney had issues filling ships with westerners in 2008/9 while the USA travellers couldn't afford to fly abroad. Anything can change where money needs to come from.
 
Just a cursory look at Castaway Cay for 2018 -

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-castaway-cay-bahamas-2018.html


there's not much room to just add the ships to the Caribbean/Bahamas routes. At first, I thought maybe a ship out of Miami, but maybe not. I have to agree that DCL will either have to be in other markets (west coast or Europe) longer or develop new itineraries in new places.


I heard a rumor that Disney was looking at other Bahamian islands, to make a second castaway cay. Possibly one with more shelter from rough seas to make it easier to dock in weather. No one is speculating yet that the original castaway will go away, but they may need a second one with bigger fleet. Of course it’s just a rumor as of now.

I think they could sell 3 and 4 night castaway cay double dips year round if they had the capacity. Maybe keep all 3 of the new ships out of fla year round and let the fantasy and dream join the magic and wonder expanding other routes.



Two ships replicating what they do now, and the third ship could alternate doing short castaway cay or CC II double dips and longer (10-14 day) eastern/southern Caribbean out of mia or Canaveral.

Might this explain why they announced the third ship a bit after he other two?

I agree that you will probably see at least one ship if not two winter in the pacific. (One split between Mexican riviera and Hawaii and the other out Of Asia somewhere.
 
In general, Asians like 'outdoor' spaces but with shade. So pools need to be covered with something other than glass. Keep in mind that 'asians', is a big group of vastly differing wants.

This comes from Tillberg Design Group. The same group that designed aspects of the Magic and Wonder.

As for westerners filling the ships, keep in mind the added cost of flying over there. Even Disney had issues filling ships with westerners in 2008/9 while the USA travellers couldn't afford to fly abroad. Anything can change where money needs to come from.

You make some good points, of course Disney probably doesn’t even have any of this set in stone yet, but probably just a general idea of what they will do with them, considering we are many years from having all of them in the fleet. I’m having fun with the speculation though!
 
It is fun, like fantasy cruise manager.



I've only joined the board fairly recently, are there fantasy itinerary threads? Where we can properly get our geek on and pick the exact ports?

(And then get into petty online arguments about the size of our imaginary boats and whether we'd have to tender or not).
 
I heard a rumor that Disney was looking at other Bahamian islands, to make a second castaway cay. Possibly one with more shelter from rough seas to make it easier to dock in weather. No one is speculating yet that the original castaway will go away, but they may need a second one with bigger fleet. Of course it’s just a rumor as of now.

I think they could sell 3 and 4 night castaway cay double dips year round if they had the capacity. Maybe keep all 3 of the new ships out of fla year round and let the fantasy and dream join the magic and wonder expanding other routes.



Two ships replicating what they do now, and the third ship could alternate doing short castaway cay or CC II double dips and longer (10-14 day) eastern/southern Caribbean out of mia or Canaveral.

Might this explain why they announced the third ship a bit after he other two?

I agree that you will probably see at least one ship if not two winter in the pacific. (One split between Mexican riviera and Hawaii and the other out Of Asia somewhere.

They had found a second island a few months ago in the Bahamas but some opposition was started and Disney didn't go through with the sale. Hopefully they are still looking for a second island.

This is just one article that talks about them taking core samples.

http://crew-center.com/disney-rumored-purchase-second-island-bahamas

MJ
 
It is fun, like fantasy cruise manager.



I've only joined the board fairly recently, are there fantasy itinerary threads? Where we can properly get our geek on and pick the exact ports?

(And then get into petty online arguments about the size of our imaginary boats and whether we'd have to tender or not).


Not that I know of, but that sounds like fun!
 

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