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The Disney Cruise Line (DCL) Discussion Thread


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Interesting, but not surprising, that they have gone with a different company to build the ships this time around. I think this decision, coupled with over a decade of industry progress, will result in some pretty different looking ships, at least on the inside.

 

DCL was never happy with the job that Fincantieri did, at least the folks I spoke to weren't. Some basic things, like getting the water hot enough in the galley sinks, were problems well into the first and second years of sailing (and that's a big problem on a ship). So a move to a different company is not shocking. While I am sure they will keep the retro style that everyone seems to love, I think the bones of these ships will be quite different.

 

Perhaps a main atrium running down the centre of the ship? A different approach to dining? Obviously there will be more onboard recreation, but in what form?

 

It's going to be very interesting and exciting watching these get designed and built - that's for sure.

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This is perfect timing. I was part of the inaugural installation team on the Wonder and loved it. I always said I'd go back and do the next DCL ship. And these new ships fit in with my schedule nicely. The good thing is my old management team are still very much involved and during my honeymoon in 05 they spent most of the cruise trying to convince me to come back.

 

Yes there are some horror stories from Frank and Terrys ship yard. There was one day we'd isntalled some cupboards in our technical area. Came back a couple of days later to find ducting had been fitted in the room. We could no longer open the cupboard doors as the ducting went through the centre of the small room. Then there were issues like most of the technical kit being 220 volt (since it was purchased in Europe) then the spare parts we were given were 110volt since the parts were sent from the US.

 

We were told back in 99 that the plan was for 6 ships running in different areas around the World but they were waiting for the exchange rate to improve and the cost of steel to drop before commencing the next ships.

 

Fingers crossed I'll get to work on these babys.

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Neat. I've never been on a cruise, and I want to go on one. Maybe when I'm able to afford one, and I'm old enough. cruises seem really nice, and I hear Disney ones are great. The only problem I hear about it is the little tune they play. Apparently they play that all the time. Oh well, I'll go with a cheaper cruise if I ever go on one. Like Jahan, I like money. Rich or poor, it's nice to have one.

 

In 2011, and 2012......if we're alive by the end of 2012!

 

I don't believe the rumors, but still. It's always possible.

 

-Mike

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Not quite sure what little tune you mean. Each area of the ship has different background music. It use to be a case that each area had a dedicated CD player that would loop. So you'd only hear the same song every hour or so and that's assuming you didn't move around the ship.

 

I know when I went back in 2005 the music in some areas had been updated. Studio Sea had lost the god awful compilation of old TV theme tunes (Brady Bunch, Mister Ed etc.) and had more contemporary music. The Atrium, Buena Vista Theatre and Walt Disney Theatre were the only places you'd hear endless Disney tunes.

 

One of the biggest frustrations when I went back was seeing lots of theme effects either broken or not being used. One of the reasons is over the years they'd been forgotten about and the information hadn't been passed down.

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Hey exmouse, you must have a ton of great stories! Our paths might have crossed at some point - I was part of opening crew for the Wonder and joined the ship in Venice in May of 99 while she was being finished. Days of cleaning and unpacking the dining rooms, followed by evenings of riding the buses into Venice (for free, of course ), and cheap Peroni under the stars (being eaten alive by mossies).

 

One of my favourite places on the ship was the server room behind Animators (next to the always-dirty toilet). The stacks of laserdisc players, servers, amps, etc that hummed away producing the show next door - that was pretty cool.

 

I loved to start the Animators finale late at night when the dining room was empty. Seeing the show by yourself or with a few friends...too unreal. I played it for a few guests who missed it on occasion and it nearly brought them to tears.

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Those LCD players (why didn't they go for DVDs?) were a nightmare and part of my responsibity as an entertainment technician. At least once a week I'd have to go and reset them in the middle of a meal/show.

Were you onboard the night of the power failure when we were minutes away from having to evacuate the ship? Due to leaving late we tried to make up time but over laoded the generators and they all failed. In Wavebands some of the Frequent Sea played accapella to entertain the guests. We moved osme of the emergency lighting to create some spot lights. Or the night one of the deck hands had a go at steering and did the equivalent of a hand break turn. Bottles fell of shelves in the bars, people fell over etc. I was training a guy to do Mickey Mania in Stuido Sea when his chair start rolling through the tech booth. I had to grab hold of him and hold myself up at the same time. Or how about how the ship smelt of puke and orange freshner during Hurricane Floyd. The crew beach on Castaway never did look as good after Floyd.

Those were the good old days.

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  • 2 years later...

Disney Cruise Line's Newest Ship - Disney Dream

 

With the construction of their newest ship, the Disney Dream, under way, Disney Cruise Line is literally building a Dream. Today in New York City, Disney Cruise Line held an event that allowed attendees to explore some of the signature elements from the Disney Dream.

 

We are all looking forward to innovations like:

 

*First of a kind watercoaster! A high speed thrill ride called, The AquaDuck! Riders zip through a see through tube that curves out over the side of the ship giving riders a view of the ocean 150 feet below!!!!!!

 

*2 new restaurants-The Royal Palace, a tribute to the Disney princess stories & The Enchanted Garden which transforms from day to night!

 

*A re-imagination of Animators Palette.

 

*Parents can escape on the perfect date night at the Dream's Skyline Bar that has views of the world's most famous cities!

 

*Virtual Portholes in the ship's interior cabins let guests have "views" of the ocean using digital technology. That's right, a TV instead of a window, and it'll occasionally show a character popping up, like Mickey or the starfish from Finding Nemo.

 

*Interactive experiences for the kids, Disney-style. Kids will be able to interact with Crush, the animated turtle from "Finding Nemo," via a cinema-size plasma screen, and experience what it is like to be "toy size" in Andy's Room, a larger-than-life replica of the "Toy Story" set. There will also be a play area called Monsters Academy, visited regularly by Mike, the lovable green guy from "Monsters Inc."

 

Inaugural sailing - January 26, 2011

Starting January 30, 2011, The Disney Dream will alternate between 3 and 4-Night sailings and Disney Cruise Line will alternate between 4 Night Sailings and & 5-Night sailings with 2 stops in Castaway Cay the summer of 2011.

 

 

Read from the experts, and watch the video. It has a lot of concept art and cool stuff not talked about on the post.

disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2009/10/presenting-the-disney-dream/

 

On a sidenote, they're doing a rebroadcasting (I think) of the live webcast where they announced all of this at 5:45 EST on www.disneycruiselineevents.com/disneydream/

DuckSlideSMALL.jpg.b430fdedf897b4a7e627318d5256c3e4.jpg

A watercoaster on a ship! World's first! At 765ft long, very respectable too! Oh, and clear tube so you can see out!

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Most of the time you will see what is truly going on outside the ship, but from time to time different Disney characters will pay your cabin a visit through the 'interactive porthole'.

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And an overview on this beautiful new ship coming out early 2011! Bookings open up November 9, 2009!

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Ok, I'm scared already! The booths you see here in this fairytale themed restaurant actually rotate! Not for use as a teacup (sorry Robb!) but so that you can face different guests if you'd like!

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Don't worry adults, there's stuff for you too! Including this bar, where the 'windows' change to show you different famous skylines from around the world.

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Just one of the AMAZING themed kids areas on the ship. Truly this ship is geared to children and it gives them a once in a lifetime experience to be part of the Disney films.

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A mock up of what it will look like when you first 'take the plunge' on the Duck!

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So excited!

 

Can't wait to see what else they have in store for the new ships! Although the pricing is going to be very scary. The 10+ year old Disney ships still get a giant premium over the other lines, I can't imagine how expensive these new ones will be!

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Wow this ship looks great. I have always thought that the Disney Cruise Line was just lacking that wow factor in their ships, but this ship just looks like it is what the doctor ordered. The water coaster looks amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing what else this ship has to offer.

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Keep in mind the ship really won't (and shouldn't) appeal to teenage boys.

 

On the other hand I was showing KT the renderings of the Kids Club which has four different rooms: Andy's Room, Laugh Floor, Nemo, Pixie Hollow, and she was very impressed and asked to go right now.

 

I went on the Disney Magic when I was 19 and even though I love Disney, it was not for that age group at all. It really is more for families or HARD CORE disney fans.

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As a huge DCL fan I am super excited. The watercoaster is a crazy move and really will help set this ship apart. Some other cool features that other articles mentioned is a "Turtle Talk with Crush" type theater and this subtle feature which seems to be almost like the living portraits in Hogwarts..

 

Customization and personalization will carry through the Dream’s Enchanted Art, exhibits that appear to be standard artwork — an animation cell, a painting, a photograph. In reality, they are monitors hidden, behind glass, that can be activated into a “transforming art” sequence.

It’s a fantasy that Disney wants to look real.

“The illusion has to be there,” Dauberger said. “You have to believe it’s a piece of art.”

The 19 pieces, scattered throughout common areas of the Dream, will react to individual passengers’ Key to the World cards. A piece of Enchanted Art might perform one way for a child but another way — or maybe not at all — for a parent, Dauberger said.

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The 19 pieces, scattered throughout common areas of the Dream, will react to individual passengers’ Key to the World cards. A piece of Enchanted Art might perform one way for a child but another way — or maybe not at all — for a parent, Dauberger said.

 

The water coaster if a very cool idea. I think the portraits mentioned in the quote though will really be the kind of innovation that sets Disney apart from others. I would probably end up watching the portraits for twenty or thirty minutes just to see what all they do in reactions to people.

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Keep in mind the ship really won't (and shouldn't) appeal to teenage boys.

 

On the other hand I was showing KT the renderings of the Kids Club which has four different rooms: Andy's Room, Laugh Floor, Nemo, Pixie Hollow, and she was very impressed and asked to go right now.

 

I went on the Disney Magic when I was 19 and even though I love Disney, it was not for that age group at all. It really is more for families or HARD CORE disney fans.

 

Well if you look at their ship layouts they have teen zones as well as "teen" pools also, the water coaster to me, seems like they were aiming for the older part of the family as the little kids have their mickey slide Anyways I am not 19, so I am sure it wouldn't be appealing if I were 19.

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I love the look of this ship, especially the virtual portholes in the interior cabins. When I took my cruise last year our cabin was so dark we ended up sleeping in well past the time we wanted to wake up at. Having a "window" will be really nice for those on the interior. The water coaster just looks plain awesome and makes me want to see much more of this ship.

 

 

 

...must...book...cruise...need more money.

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This looks really amazing, and on their Youtube video they also showed a teen lounge and pool that looked really nice. Everything about that ship just screams awesome, the water coaster, the cabins, the small touches. Maybe someday I'll convince my parents to go on a Disney Cruise...sigh.

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^^^

 

Disney is almost revolutionizing the entire concept of cruising right here. In my opinion this is a much less older person friendy more kid/family friendly ship then I have ever seen. This is so unique that if and when I get married here is my honeymoon spot.

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