How often does Disney switch up itineraries?

[Douglas Dubh]

I do know that many of the ports can only take one or two ships, so that probably enters into it.

Or they require ships to tender, and if it’s too windy they have to cancel.

 

[jwalk03]

I just saw the other night (looking at past years), that Disney went to Key West in the past.

Anyone ever do that itinerary? What was it like?

Very few cruise ships are allowed to stop at Key West now. The locals passed an ordinance to severely limit cruise ships traffic.

It was a fun stop and very popular when it was available.

 

[jimmymc]

They make some minor changes each year, but the big shakeups only really come when a new ship is launched. The Treasure and Wish are locked into their itineraries for a while now. The Destiny also seems locked into 4-6 night sailings Caribbean out of Ft. Lauderdale. The only big shakeup I can see is Disney sending two ships to Europe in the future, with one of them giving more focus on the Greek Isles and eastern Mediterranean. For North America, the less routine sailings like southern Caribbean and Panama Canal will probably be reserved for the smaller ships.

 

[jwalk03]

They make some minor changes each year, but the big shakeups only really come when a new ship is launched. The Treasure and Wish are locked into their itineraries for a while now. The Destiny also seems locked into 4-6 night sailings Caribbean out of Ft. Lauderdale. The only big shakeup I can see is Disney sending two ships to Europe in the future, with one of them giving more focus on the Greek Isles and eastern Mediterranean. For North America, the less routine sailings like southern Caribbean and Panama Canal will probably be reserved for the smaller ships.

Personally I think I would be surprised to see a double deployment to Europe. I would think a permanent Southern California ship is more likely to happen first. (But that's just my opinion- I certainly could be wrong)

 

[jimmymc]

Personally I think I would be surprised to see a double deployment to Europe. I would think a permanent Southern California ship is more likely to happen first. (But that's just my opinion- I certainly could be wrong)

I'm thinking Europe because the UK has a lot of Disney fans, and they tend to fill up the current European sailings. But this is based on pure speculation, I don't have access to Disney's sales data.

 

[JM_97]

They make some minor changes each year, but the big shakeups only really come when a new ship is launched. The Treasure and Wish are locked into their itineraries for a while now. The Destiny also seems locked into 4-6 night sailings Caribbean out of Ft. Lauderdale. The only big shakeup I can see is Disney sending two ships to Europe in the future, with one of them giving more focus on the Greek Isles and eastern Mediterranean. For North America, the less routine sailings like southern Caribbean and Panama Canal will probably be reserved for the smaller ships.

They eventually will have both the Magic and Wonder in Alaska. I wonder what will happen after that.

 

[LAS2AMS]

People who choose DCL, want a Disney experience. It’s less about the destination.

Princess and, to a lesser extent, Royal and Norwegian offer exotic itineraries. Generally, they use older ships and appeal toward an older crowd. Eg not Disney.

 

[Mle8308]

I just saw the other night (looking at past years), that Disney went to Key West in the past.

Anyone ever do that itinerary? What was it like?

I did a Wonder cruise years ago that stopped at Key West. It was a lot of fun! I don't remember how many nights it was, maybe a 7 night??? It was a longer cruise, not a 3 or 4 night.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Has Disney ever done Northeast/Canadian cruises coming in and out of NYC?

 

[JM_97]

Has Disney ever done Northeast/Canadian cruises coming in and out of NYC?

Magic has done them a handful of times but Disney hasn't sailed out of NYC in a while now.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Magic has done them a handful of times but Disney hasn't sailed out of NYC in a while now.

Maybe they should bring that as something different for cruises, but maybe NYC is like Key West and wants less cruise ships?

 

[jwalk03]

Maybe they should bring that as something different for cruises, but maybe NYC is like Key West and wants less cruise ships?

Not aware of any restrictions on cruise ships from New York City like Key West. The issue is more creating attractive itineraries that will sell for premium prices. Its a long way from New York to the Caribbean, and sailing north to Boston/Maine/Canada has a very limited season and honesty is less appealing to your average cruiser than the Caribbean.

 

[Travel60]

To OP: as several have said, the itineraries don't change a lot. But I want to address your concern about the Magic (and Wonder). The Magic is my favorite ship followed closely by the Wonder. The bigger ships seen to be trying too hard to both be "Disney" and to compete with other larger cruise lines. The smaller ships are more intimate, less hectic, and often have longer itineraries.

 

[JM_97]

Maybe they should bring that as something different for cruises, but maybe NYC is like Key West and wants less cruise ships?

Also, Disney has some contractual agreements in Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, and Galveston that take precedent. Maybe with more ships coming they can get NYC back in the mix.

 

[nicnac0404]

Not aware of any restrictions on cruise ships from New York City like Key West. The issue is more creating attractive itineraries that will sell for premium prices. Its a long way from New York to the Caribbean, and sailing north to Boston/Maine/Canada has a very limited season and honesty is less appealing to your average cruiser than the Caribbean.

I think DCL has found the 4-5 night cruises their sweet spot, and this is a challenge for East Coast ports!

 

[jwalk03]

I think DCL has found the 4-5 night cruises their sweet spot, and this is a challenge for East Coast ports!

This is absolutely true. They make more money on shorter cruises than longer ones. 2 sets of guests per week means twice as many t-shirt & stuffed animal sales vs one long cruises.

If you price it out the cost per night is almost always higher on 3 & 4 night cruises than on 7 night cruises!

 

[JM_97]

This is absolutely true. They make more money on shorter cruises than longer ones. 2 sets of guests per week means twice as many t-shirt & stuffed animal sales vs one long cruises.

If you price it out the cost per night is almost always higher on 3 & 4 night cruises than on 7 night cruises!

Especially now that the ship doing most of the 3/4 night sailings is only 3 years old, so they can really justify a premium price with all the bells and whistles.

 

[JM_97]

I think DCL has found the 4-5 night cruises their sweet spot, and this is a challenge for East Coast ports!

I'm kind of their target audience since I think 5 nights is the perfect length!

 

[jwalk03]

Especially now that the ship doing most of the 3/4 night sailings is only 3 years old, so they can really justify a premium price with all the bells and whistles.

Even if you just compare a 7-day Treasure cruise with a B2B on the Wish for 7 days total. The 7-days on the Wish is typically more than the 7 days on the Treasure even though the Treasure is the newest ship.