Why won't Disney build another cruise ship?

[cathie]

Does anyone know why Disney hasn't built another cruise ship yet? All the other cruise lines are constantly building new ships & there's lots of competition. Is it because Disney can't afford to right now (the DCL seems to be more expensive than RCCL & Carnival) or are they satisfied with just two? Cathie

 

[Michelle]

DCL definitely is planning on expanding at some point but they are dealing within budgetary constraints.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It's not that The Walt Disney Company couldn't come up with the money to have another ship or two constructed. It's an issue of how Disney management in Burbank chooses to invest capital.

Earlier this year, Disney announced that it would write off $114 million of its investment in "leveraged airline leases" with bankrupt United Airlines. In other words, a few years ago, Disney management thought that investing in aircraft and leasing them to airlines was better business than investing in another cruise ship. (In hindsight, they were wrong.)

We keep hearing the DCL management has plans drawn up to expand the fleet. But until Mr. Eisner and his inner circle decide it's worth spending a third of billion dollars or so for a new ship, we'll only have the Magic and the Wonder.

 

[beschultz]

DCL seems to be more expensive than RCCL & Carnival

It's sometimes easy to forget that there is no casino on DCL and the other cruise lines make a " little" money in those "little" rooms!!!

 

[MFan]

DCL's prices are higher because of the demand. They are able to fill cabins at these higher prices. If they build a third ship, it may reduce that pent up demand and cause lower prices on all 3 ships, and thereby eroding their marginal return on the business. Given the current glut in cruise cabins, why would they want to take that risk? It may be good for consumers, but it's certainly not good business...

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

I agree with all of the responses but feel as if they did build a 3rd ship the demand would be there by offering new ports. So much of DCL's business are repeat cruisers who from threads I have read sometimes tire of the Eastern and Western choices. Just seems like a good idea to build a 3rd ship and try an Eastern route with different ports or such.................just my opinion

 

[beschultz]

They are trying a new itinerary during August/September 2004, during the Magic's Eastern itinerary weeks. We are on the list to be called for booking on the 9/18/04 cruise. From what we were told, we should be hearing any day now. I can only hope.

 

[Mjasp]

Do you know what that itinerary is? Are they only doing it for 1 week?

Thx
Joanna

 

[MFan]

Speaking of new itineraries...we've heard DCL was surveying some customers on a West coast route (Baja California/Mexico or Alaska), also mentioned was one in Mediterranean. Oooo...I'd jump all over that one. We've been wanting to do a Mediterranean cruise for years, but for some reason, my DW kept getting pregnant...

Now that our youngest is 2, we can explore that idea again!!

 

[plutospup]

Look for port calls of San Juan, and I believe Antigua. They are also looking into Casa de Maya, where the Magic unexpectedly made a port call a few months back.

 

[Mjasp]

OOOH San Juan, now I'd LOVE that.. Antigua also.

 

[gfolchick]

I heard on the Magic last week that they have the plans for the 3rd ship in place, waiting for the Euro to drop before committing to a shipyard.

Also heard, from several people onboard (castmembers), that they may get rid of St. Maarten stop on Eastern and Gr. Cayman on Western routes. Islands to replace may be St. Lucia and San Juan

 

[Mjasp]

Love those rumors. Keep them coming!!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Roatan and Belize City would be interesting destinations on an alternate Western itinerary.

What DCL really needs is a third ship, designed for 7-night cruises (including 7 rotation restaurants).

Then the Wonder or Magic could go to the West Coast for summer cruises from Seattle or Vancouver to Alaska, and winter cruises from LA or Long Beach to Mexico.

Because the additional capacity would serve a new market, it should not have much of an effect on pricing for cruises out of Port Canaveral. And some costs, such as advertising expenses and fixed administrative expenses would no longer have to be carried entirely by a two-ship fleet.

Alas, someone needs to convince Mr. Eisner to write a $350 million check. In the old days, Mr, Eisner liked to do things that would increase revenue by 50% -- which is what would happen to DCL if they were allowed to launch a third ship.

 

[Mjasp]

Horace...Its time to get hired by DCL and make us proud. Build it and they will come.

Joanna

 

[Señor Ferrari]

Originally posted by gfolchick
Also heard, from several people onboard (castmembers), that they may get rid of St. Maarten stop on Eastern and Gr. Cayman on Western routes. Islands to replace may be St. Lucia and San Juan

This is why I don't believe anything I hear from cast members. They're either badly mis-informed, or they just like spreading rumors.

To get rid of Grand Cayman on the western route and replace it with San Juan, the ship would have to travel almost to St. Thomas to make the call at San Juan. This is almost 700 miles in the other direction. I don't know how they'd be able to do that and still get to Cozumel. I can see San Juan as part of the eastern, but not the western.

St. Lucia would ostensibly be a stop on the eastern route, but this poses similar logistical problems. St. Lucia is another 300 miles south of St. Maarten, so that's another 12 hours each way, assuming the ship makes 25 knots, which it doesn't, except in the best of conditions. This would severely limit how much time would be spent in port. Given how long it takes the ship to get from St. Thomas to Castaway Cay, and that St. Lucia is 350 miles from St. Thomas, could the ship spend more than a half-day in St. Lucia?

That's not to say they're not considering dropping these two ports, but I can't imagine how these two ports would be replacements.

 

[somall]

A cast member told me (on the 5/10/03 Western) they were going to drop St. Maarten and replace it with Antigua, which would be a good decision.

 

[MarkRG]

Ok, let me straighten out this 'port replacement' rumour. What it is about is this(this was heard by me in the captain's roundtable- a public q&a with the command crew- aboard ship):

-If they ran the standard 7 day cruises thru the Dec holidays this year, they'd be in a closed port for both holidays. Something they don't want to do. So, they are looking at doing two 10-day cruises during that period with a different itinerary and I don't remember the port names thrown around, and don't want to put conjecture out there.

-Neither the Magic or Wonder are under consideration of a West Coast reposition for one plain fact, neither ship is capable of operating in cold weather properly. There is virtually no place for easy public inside observation in cold weather. And all the outside areas are unheated and open with no way to easily enclose them. Think about that one, the only place you have a public window to the outside from inside the ship is on deck three next to Lumiere's/Tritons and the clubs.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

I received one of the survey's with my new Castaway Club member card. It had several options for other itineraries including: Mexico, Alaska, Bermuda, Mediterranian...

I hope they don't make Costa Maya a scheduled stop. I was on that 3/29 cruise, and while it was better than another day a sea, I didn't see a whole lot to recommend making it a regular stop. Of course we only walked off the boat and checked out the shopping, beach, and pool within walking distance of the pier. I understand that those who went on the different excursions really had a good time. But, there isn't much to see or do if you don't want to pay for the excursions....

 

[plutospup]

Costa Maya (sp?), Mexico is a brand new community build for tourism. It has a natural inlet, which makes it perfect for cruise ships. The airport has several nice new terminals. Of course they're empty now, except for the private planes that fly in. Despite this nice, new shining community, however, the locals, literally, still live in grass huts outside this community. Overall, this port has good potential for the cruise industry.