Disney Magic and Disney Wonder Sail in 2013

Venice, Miami, Vancouver, oh my!  Oh my is sure right as fans of Disney Cruise Line learned about the 2013 itineraries for the fleets two oldest ships, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.  2013 sailings for the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy were announced in October—click here to read more.

There is no more wondering about the Wonder who had four Mexican Riviera sailings canceled for December 2012.  Instead, the Wonder will be cruising through the Panama Canal and making Miami its home port for several holiday sailings in December 2012.  A 14 night repositioning cruise through the canal followed by a 7 night Eastern Caribbean Holiday Cruise and a 6 night Western Caribbean New Year Cruise are scheduled for December 9, December 23, and December 30, 2012.  Interestingly, only one of those itineraries, the 7 night Eastern Caribbean Holiday Cruise, allows guests to stop at Disney’s Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas. 

Miami will continue to be the Wonder’s home part until May 2013 offering 4 and 5 night sailings to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean destinations.  Ports include Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Key West, Nassau, and Castaway Cay.

Then it’s back to the west for the Wonder after another repositioning cruise through the canal to make Vancouver, British Columbia a home port for 7 night sailings to Alaska from May through September 2013.  There are no other itineraries available for the Wonder after September 2013.

Now, about the Disney Magic—Galveston, Texas will be the home port of this ship from December 2012 through May of 2013.  An Eastbound Transatlantic cruise is next followed by a glorious summer in the Mediterranean.  The itineraries rotate 4, 7, and 12 night sailings with Barcelona, Spain as a home port.  Ports of call include Nice, Naples, Florence, Rome, Venice, Croatia, Malta, Athens, Mykonos, and Turkey depending on the particular sailing.

Also, interestingly, there is no Westbound Transatlantic cruise scheduled and no sailings for the Magic after August 2013.

Basically, we’ve got the first 8-9 months of 2013 covered for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, while reservations and itineraries exist for the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy until December 2013. 

Time for some rumination. . Will extended dry-docks to update the older ships be scheduled for the end of 2013?  Will guest favorites, such as the Aqua Duck, be added to the older ships?  What about virtual portholes for the inside staterooms, another guest favorite?  Will the Magic stay in Europe for an extended period of time? 

After the long awaited announcement for the 2013 itineraries for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, this Disney Cruise Line fan is left with more questions than answers.

So, will we be sailing in 2013?  I’m not sure.  Since our next Disney Cruise is slated for December 2012, it would be a short turn around to sail again in 2013.  And, while the European itineraries are tempting Alaska seems to be an area we are more interested in visiting right now. . . well, Alaska and Hawaii.  Yet, changing the home port from Seattle—which the 2012 Alaska sailings are using to Vancouver—home port for 2013, makes airfare more expensive. 

Another dilemma is considering the boy and the kids club.  When he is 10, he’s in the Oceaneer’s Club, which is a state of the art facility on any ship.  But when he turns 11, which he will in 2013, the location for the Tween group on the Magic and Wonder is a converted area on Deck 2 midship, rather than the state of the art location in the forward funnel—the Edge—on the Fantasy and the Dream.  We are leaning more towards the newer ships until he is old enough for the Teen club, which again is quality on all of the ships.

What I do know for sure, is that we will have our next cruise picked out by the time we board the Disney Dream in December of 2012 and will be ready to rebook on board.  We’ll be Gold Castaway Club Members by then and ready for even more perks! (Click here to read about Castaway Club.)

No 2013 Itineraries for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder Yet

Disney Cruise Line postponed its grand announcement from Miami, home of Carnival Cruise Line owner and operator of the Costa Concordia,  originally scheduled for Wednesday, January 18, 2012.  Speculations were that the 2013 itineraries for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder would be announced, and even the end of 2012 itineraries for the Disney Wonder after cancelling four Mexican Riviera itineraries for December 2012. (Click here to read more about the Wonder's itineraries being canceled.)

Enthusiasts will just have to wait.  Disney Cruise Line doesn’t want any of their announcements clouded by the Concordia tragedy which happened on Saturday, 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic. 

Who can blame them?  Though, they are running out of time.  The Disney Fantasy is set for its Maiden Voyage on March 31, 2012.  Disney Cruise Line wouldn’t want any announcement to be overshadowed by news of the christening and inaugural voyages of the Fantasy.  And, the 2013 itineraries for the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have been released since October, 2011. (Click here to read more.)

Cruise line and travel reporters have their ears and eyes focused in Italy as more mysteries of the Concordia crash are uncovered.  Another reason to postpone any industry announcements.

So we wait. . . for the announcement of the date of the announcement, and then the announcement itself.

Rumors and speculation abound with hints at Caribbean ports being reserved with a now unnamed Disney ship.  European ports of call have the Disney Magic for specific dates.  Will there be transatlantic cruises?  Panama Canal cruises?  Cruises from Miami?  Only time, and Disney Cruise Line, will tell.

It's October! Disney Cruise Line Announces 2013 Itineraries for Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy!

Disney Cruise Line released 2013 itineraries for the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy.  Click here for specific dates.

Looks as if the Disney Fantasy, which comes into operation March 31, 2012, will be alternating 7 night Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises throughout the rest of 2012 and all of 2013 without missing a beat.  The Disney Fantasy will operate out of Port Canaveral.

The Disney Dream will offer 3, 4, and 5 night sailings to Nassau and Castaway Cay for 2012 and then only 3 and 4 night sailings for 2013.

This means, we are scheduled to sail on the next to last 5 night sailing of the Disney Dream on Dec. 23, 2012.  There is only one more 5 night sailing after that on Dec. 28.  The 5 night sailings offer guests a “double dip” at Castaway Cay, and as far as I knew, were quite popular.  So, what happened?  I have no idea, but I’m sure there’s some Disney logic behind the decision.  I’m just glad we had an opportunity to sail on one “double dip” and will get a chance to do it again.

Guests wishing to take advantage of a 5 night itinerary had better hurry!  Time is running out!

The itineraries for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder have yet to be released for 2013.  Speculation abounds. . .

Will the Disney Magic head back to Europe again?  Or, will it sail longer itineraries to South America?

With the Disney Wonder to be based out of Los Angeles, actually San Pedro, for the next few years and the drying up of the Mexican Riviera market, what will be in store for this Disney ship?  Guests on the Mexican Riviera itineraries have been blessed or plagued—depending on your perspective, with double stops in Cabo San Lucas, rather than dropping anchor in Mazatlan—stating cultural/political unrest as the reason for skipping that port.  (Click here to read about our stop in Mazatlan on our Mexican Riviera Disney Cruise Line voyage.)

The Wonder has been making trips to Alaska, yet those are only seasonal voyages.  The Wonder is set to make one sailing to Hawaii in 2012, as is the Disney Magic.  Will the Disney Wonder travel further into the South Pacific or as far as Asia? 

Disney Cruise Line guests will have to wait and see what is on the horizon for at least two of the ships in the fleet.  In addition to the speculation as to the itineraries, there’s speculation as to when the itineraries for the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic will be announced.  2013 may also be the year when extensive renovations are made to the 14 and 15 year old ships, adding features now found on the Disney Dream and soon to be found on the Disney Fantasy by scheduling extensive “dry dock” time.

Guests are welcome to reserve their 2013 Disney Cruise!  Bon Voyage!