Two New Ships?

Two more ships?  Rumors about the future of Disney and Disney Cruise Line are prevalent.  Some rumors gain traction while other fade a way.  And since Disney is almost always testing some sort of new technology, 90% of which guests never see, it comes as no surprise to hear that there may be two more ships on the horizon for Disney Cruise Line.

The rumor first appeared on April 1.  One has to be a “fool” to take heed of any rumor or information leak on that day. But, the rumor kept going, well past the day with hints and speculations from recent cruisers who had conversations on board with ship’s officers, or folks who toured Meyer-Werft when the Fantasy was being built and overheard Disney and shipyard executives talking about “next time.” 

Now the rumor has a little more teeth; a little more traction.  Some speculate that the conversations are really about the Disney Magic and its extensive dry dock stay and the possible enhancements that could be added to the ship.  Others speculate that the new ships will be added to the fleet in 2018 and 2019, two decades after the Disney Magic was launched.

Disney has a major press event coming to the parks in the next few weeks, which would be a great time to announce any plans for Disney Cruise Line.  Disney fans will be sure to have their ears to the ground listening for the latest buzz.

So what does this mean?  For starters, Disney Cruise Line moved into the port of Miami just in the nick of time as guests waiver and teeter about choosing Carnival, which is also a major player in that market.  The number of people cruising is at an all time high with travel to Mexico and its “all inclusive” resorts dwindling.  Travelers find that cruising is a great alternative to the “all inclusive” resort. 

Also, Disney Cruise Line doesn’t seem to have trouble filling ships and if they do, they listen to guests and prospective guests and make changes to the itineraries almost instantaneously, as was demonstrated with the Galveston sailings.  Literally, the ship can turn on a dime.  The two new ships could be DCL’s way to capitalize on the growing market and growing demand for its product world wide.

As chief planner for the Williams Family, two new Disney ships means more to explore and experience.  Already, our only unexplored Disney ship is the Fantasy and our stateroom is already reserved for July of 2014.  Since we book our next cruise while on-board for 12-24 months ahead, if itineraries are available, getting a new ship wouldn’t be feasible yet.  Our plan, after sailing on the Fantasy, was to look at interesting ports for our next cruise, regardless of which Disney ship would take us there.  But we would definitely feel the lure of two new Disney ships.

What do you think about Disney Cruise Line building two new ships?