Construction begins on new DCL Ships

[Wendy]

Construction crews in Germany today began work today on Disney Cruise Line’s two new ships.

The first steel cut in the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, was a piece of the retro scrollwork that will cover the bow of the ships (similar to the scrollwork on Disney’s existing Magic and Wonder ships, which the company says are designed to evoke memories of classic ocean liners from the 1930s).

The unnamed new ships, which will each have 1,250 staterooms and weigh 128,000 tons, are scheduled to arrive in Port Canaveral in 2011 and 2012. They will carry 4,000 passengers each, about 1,300 more than the Magic and Wonder.

Both of the new vessels will remain based at Canaveral through at least the end of 2014.

“When we launched our business in 1998, we recognized a need in the marketplace for a cruise experience created just for families,” Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations, said in a prepared statement. “With these new ships, we are continuing to build upon that vision of providing more families with an unforgettable cruise vacation and the chance to explore new destinations with Disney.”



Sourced Orando Sentinel, story by Jason Garcia, March 2nd 2009

[Tink]

Wow. We'll see if the recession delays this construction at all.

Keeping the ships based in Canaveral is a good idea. Much closer to WDW and makes it easier to do Land and Sea packages.

[Taja]

Let's hope construction proceeds as scheduled--or at least close to it!

Hmmmmm...

If--a big IF--my house recovers from its middle-aged crisis and the economy improves, perhaps I can schedule a cruise on one of the new ships--and talk Leu into going. That's a big IF, too! She was horrendously seasick on her one and only cruise (7 nights) in the mid-70s and has absolutely no interest in cruising on open waters again.

[Steven]

Wonder when the new ships arrive the old ones might deploy to Hong Kong Disney or LA permanently ? Surely there wouldn't be enough business for 4 Disney ships out of PC!?

[Slowhand]

Wonder when the new ships arrive the old ones might deploy to Hong Kong Disney or LA permanently ? Surely there wouldn't be enough business for 4 Disney ships out of PC!?

I heard somewhere that one of the ships would be in the Med for most of the time.

[Tink]

That would make sense. I would imagine Disney would expand its ability to serve customers by having ships in other ports of call. One on the west coast of the US, one in the Mediterranean...at least!

[Taja]

It would be great if they would base one in the western US. Airfare is more affordable!