New ships?

[taffy12]

Any word on the new ships Disney was supposed to be working on? We'd planned to sail on Glory in the summer of 2007, but now that she's leaving for Europe, we're left stranded!

[gatour]

Nothing has been announced. Even if they announced something today, there is no way they would have a ship built by the summer of 2007.

[pppiglet]

Looks like it will be years before DCL has another ship.

[taffy12]

Thanks...and by the way, just because I feel like an idiot, i must correct myself: I meant Magic, not Glory!

[metrowon]

The Caribbean in Sept/Oct is beautiful, and plenty warm enough to cruise without the summertimes oppressive heat. The Disney ships, are not overcrowdwd from my experiance at these times. And it's like off season rates. Just food for thought? Metrowon

[taffy12]

The Caribbean in Sept/Oct is beautiful, and plenty warm enough to cruise without the summertimes oppressive heat. The Disney ships, are not overcrowdwd from my experiance at these times. And it's like off season rates. Just food for thought? Metrowon

 

That would be ideal...too bad school (I'm in college and my sisters are younger) gets in the way.

[metrowon]

You just go ahead and get that degree, it's a piece of paper that is non-retractable. It's an achievement that speaks for itself. Good Luck, and stay focused, cruising will only get better. LOL, Metrowon

[alinnj]

I read several weeks ago that Disney has no plans to add a 3rd ship to their aging fleet of two! They are perfectly happy with the high prices that they now get for a room, and are afraid by adding a third ship prices might drop? For the past 4 years they have also blamed the economy.

Guess the fuel costs will be next :eek: They seem to be proud of having the most EXPEN$IVE DI$NEY SHIPS TO SAIL ON :confused: Time will tell as all the other lines are building new ships. They just might be sorry IMO! I have sailed Disney 3 times. I found Princess to be my favorite:D

[Rykat247]

Sounds like "sour grapes" there alinnj?!?:rolleyes: :eek:

[alinnj]

:eek: :D :eek: :D

[Host Mick]

I read several weeks ago that Disney has no plans to add a 3rd ship to their aging fleet of two! They are perfectly happy with the high prices that they now get for a room, and are afraid by adding a third ship prices might drop? For the past 4 years they have also blamed the economy.

Guess the fuel costs will be next :eek: They seem to be proud of having the most EXPEN$IVE DI$NEY SHIPS TO SAIL ON :confused: Time will tell as all the other lines are building new ships. They just might be sorry IMO! I have sailed Disney 3 times. I found Princess to be my favorite:D

 

They in fact are looking to build mode ships but they just aren't interested in playing the bigger game with the other cruise lines.

Disney has a different business model than cruise companies. The Walt Disney Corporation is wide and deep. The last that I looked, they owned more than 150 companies including DCL, ABC, ESPN a half-dozen film companies, BVD and complete or partial ownership of the parks and a sweeeet deal with Hong Kong Disneyland. The DCL portion is a little thin piece of the pie. As long as it's giving a good return on investment, they just might not want to mess with it unless the conditions are optimum.

Cruise lines are just that, cruise lines. Right now, the cruise business is booming and the lines must take advantage of it by building bigger ships, grabbing market share and cruising as many people as they can. When the cruise business takes a downturn (and it will eventually) cruise lines will be struggling, dumping ships, dropping ports and many will fail or be bought by others. DCL however, will just keep sailing along on big daddy Walt's deep pockets.

Another thing is that the DCL model was based on the cruise line being a partner with the parks. Synergy as they call it or cross-promotion. Hence the Land/Sea vacations that continue with the Wonder no matter what the Magic is doing. The Magic has only travelled to places that have Disney Parks. They are experimenting with more land/sea vacations in other parts of the world. (though Paris is a long was from Barcelona.) The parks and cruise lines support each other in a manner similar to the parks and the film divisions. Ever winder why they have Sleeping Beauty Castle and had the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House? Synergy. Why are there costumed charachters on the ships? Synergy.

 

Of course there's always the Eisner factor. He was the proponent of the DCL, it was his baby and he was the one wanting to expand the fleet. I wonder what Bob Eiger thinks of the fleet expansion?