New Destinations

[tap & dap]

We just got off the Magic on Saturday, and Disney has 5 weeks in September - October time frame when they will most likely sail to new destinations.

These new destinations will alternate with the Western Cruise for 5 weeks, so it most likely will be places somewhere in the Carribean.

Our understanding from the people on the ship is that they are trying to determine which new ports would be the most family oriented, offering excursions for all age groups.

They will not accept reservations for those five weeks yet, but you can book a cruise near that timeframe and request that it be switched to those dates when they open up.

 

[Fay Ray]

What happened to the dry dock time? Did you speak with Cast Members?

 

[tap & dap]

We actually spoke with the lady that does the ship's reservations and has a desk on the Magic.

There are five cruises that will alternate with the Western Carribean for those trips. Every other week the ship will sail to the Western Carribean, so this is not the dry dock time frame.

It actually will go into dry dock for two weeks earlier in the year, most likely April when it needs to go to Virginia for scheduled maintenance.

To clarify this is September - October 2004.

 

[westjones]

Well if anyone hears anymore about this and when the information will be out, I would love to know. I just booked a cruise for my twin DD birthdays during Sept. 19th 2004 and we are on a 4 day because they didn't offer a 7 day during their birthday (they didn't have any on that date until just last week, they must have moved the Wonder's dry dock to October and opened up those dates).

If they run a cruise over September 19th (which isn't on the schedule yet) and it does somewhere interesting, we might just have to move to the 7 day also! I really want to know when more information is out and where it will go.

Thanks!
DJ

 

[westjones]

Well if anyone hears anymore about this and when the information will be out, I would love to know. I just booked a cruise for my twin DD birthdays during Sept. 19th 2004 and we are on a 4 day because they didn't offer a 7 day during their birthday (they didn't have any on that date until just last week, they must have moved the Wonder's dry dock to October and opened up those dates).

If they run a cruise over September 19th (which isn't on the schedule yet) and it does somewhere interesting, we might just have to move to the 7 day also! I really want to know when more information is out and where it will go.

Thanks!
DJ

 

[dcbrown]

We were on the 4/19 cruise and cast members told us that the next weeks cruise (4/26) the CEO of the DCL was going to be on board to make a "BIG" announcement. I wonder if that was it....but they also said the ship was in dry dock during September...and they were looking for some time off w/their families. The cast members thought it might be an announcement about a new ship....guess not. If we haven't heard it here!!


DCBrown

 

[AnnMorin]

Did they say anything about a formal announcement? What about the people that booked already if they did not want to go on the new itinerary. I for one would be up for a different set of ports, sept. and oct. aren't good for me though,, to soon into the school year was it only for five weeks?

 

[tap & dap]

Those 5 weeks are currently not available for booking. You have to book a Western Cruise and request that you be placed on the list for the new cruises when it opens up.

The only answer we got when we asked when, was soon.

No indication either if it would just be those 5 weeks or whether additonal weeks would be added.

Some of the ports they are hoping for are Puerto Rico and Jamaica, but will not know till the ports are announced.

 

[bkline]

I'd like to see a change to the Eastern itinerary. I loved my Eastern Disney cruise, but I'd like to see some or at least one island change or addition. Tortola would be a great addition. My DW thought two sea days to start out was a little too much away from land.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by bkline
Tortola would be a great addition. My DW thought two sea days to start out was a little too much away from land.

From Florida, it takes two days at sea to get to St. Maarten. And it's almost as far to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

So although Tortola would be a possibilty (as a replacement for St. Maarten or St. Thomas) on an alternate Eastern itinerary, getting there after just one day at sea would not be.

Actually, I really liked starting the cruise with two days at sea. It was a great way to unwind. And it made the first port, St. Maarten, seem like a distant land. (Never mind that an airplane trip would only have taken two and one half hours from Florida.)

 

[laurenk]

Where in Virginia is the ship going? Will there be a cruise from there, like a turn around?

Also, are you talking about this Fall, or 2004? We have a Western booked for the end of October.
Thanks!!

 

[Surfergirl]

Does this mean that the new schedules would be in place of the eastern route and the western would stay the same?

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by laurenk
Where in Virginia is the ship going? Will there be a cruise from there, like a turn around?

Also, are you talking about this Fall, or 2004? We have a Western booked for the end of October.
Thanks!!

The Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation in Norfolk, Virginia, performs drydock services for cruise ships, but I don't know if that's where the Disney Magic is headed. There will not be a passenger cruise to or from Virginia.

The Disney Magic is scheduled for drydock this year. If you look at the table at the official DCL site, you'll see that there's no cruise scheduled for September 27 or October 4, 2003.

The ship should look great afterwards. I hope they'll use this opportunity to repair the missing rails on the Magic's rear stack. (These rails were removed after they were partially destroyed by the March 2002 stack fire).

 

[AnnMorin]

I agree with Werner about the two days at sea on the way out on the Eastern, we love that! In fact that was the deciding factor when choosing the eastern over the western for this year. As much as we loved Grand Cayman having key west the day after we got on board was the opposite of relaxation for us. Taking two days to get to St. Maarten makes one feel like they are truely on a journey!

 

[jjgarv]

Any update on what that big anouncement was? People should be back from that 4/26 cruise......

 

[tap & dap]

We were on the 4/26 Cruise and there was no announcement made, they just kept saying soon.

They did confirm that the ship is already built on paper and they are just waiting for the economy to turn around before talking with shipyards.

So who knows, the Disney Magic will be in one of the Cruise Magazines next month, so maybe they will tie it into that article.

Yes the new destinations would replace the current Eastern itinerary and alternate with the Western itinerary.