2 New Ships

[Karin]

I noticed this in the News Forum.

"Disney Cruise Line plans to base its two, still-unnamed superliners at Port Canaveral beginning in 2011, replacing the smaller Magic and Wonder. The new Disney ships displace 122,000 tons with a double-occupancy capacity of 2,500 passengers."

So where are the Magic and Wonder going, I wonder (pardon the pun).

And don't the Magic and Wonder have a capacity of ~2,500? Or is that not their actual double-occupancy? Is that triple occupancy or something... I've heard the new ships will hold ~4,000 passengers. 1,250 cabins????

So I pulled out my "Passporter's Field Guide to the DCL" and found that the Magic and Wonder have 877 cabins, so a double-occupancy would be 1,754. Yeah, right. Like that's ever been a reality!

[Andrew]

So where are the Magic and Wonder going, I wonder (pardon the pun).

Rumor has it that one of the two will be home-ported in Los Angeles, while the other will do various temporary itineraries (Mediterranean, Alaska, etc).

[Two Bears]

I noticed this in the News Forum.

So I pulled out my "Passporter's Field Guide to the DCL" and found that the Magic and Wonder have 877 cabins, so a double-occupancy would be 1,754. Yeah, right. Like that's ever been a reality!

When cruise lines quote capacity they always use two people in every stateroom. The interesting thing is when you look at industry statistics that are announced to the investment and banking communities, cruise lines come up with occupancy numbers of 110% to 150%, I have even seen it as high as 175%, the reason, families traveling together, three people in a stateroom, all of that counts towards occupancy and so it looks like cruises are doing an amazing job. Its all in the way you look at things, I know that I will avoid the new mega ships coming which have a listed capacity of 5,000 people. Imagine a wonderful vacation of you and 8,000 others..........no thanks.

Ted

[pixar]

When cruise lines quote capacity they always use two people in every stateroom. The interesting thing is when you look at industry statistics that are announced to the investment and banking communities, cruise lines come up with occupancy numbers of 110% to 150%, I have even seen it as high as 175%, the reason, families traveling together, three people in a stateroom, all of that counts towards occupancy and so it looks like cruises are doing an amazing job. Its all in the way you look at things, I know that I will avoid the new mega ships coming which have a listed capacity of 5,000 people. Imagine a wonderful vacation of you and 8,000 others..........no thanks.

Ted

It's all relative, isn't it? I was on-board a 110,000 gross tonnage ship with almost 3,000 guests last summer in the Mediterranean and I did not find it crowded nor uncomfortable. The only ship I know with a stated guest count of over 5,000 is the Oasis of the Seas ship coming out late next year (http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/). 220,000 gross tonnage! If my schedule works out, I'd like to enjoy a week on-board that ship.

[GusMan]

Imagine a wonderful vacation of you and 8,000 others..........no thanks.

If they increase size and capacity and not increase programming and the like, I would agree. But I think one thing that DCL has done well (as well as other cruise lines) is to help offset crowds with programming. The more choices you have, the less apt it will be for things to seem crowded because the people will be spread out.

Now, how such a change will impact stops such as Castaway Cay, is another question and different set of issues to resolve.