| Page Number |
PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line 2010 Update Description |
31 | The Disney Dream has successfully made its way from Meyer Werft shipyards, down the narrow River Ems to the Dutch port of Eemshaven, and is now in the North Sea, undergoing tests. Disney Cruise Line has released video of the new ship at sea, available at the Disney Blog.
- 2010-11-17 14:11:42 [update] | 31 | During a ceremony December 9 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany, Disney Cruise Line officially took possession of the Disney Dream. The flags of Meyer Werft and Germany were lowered and the flags of the Disney Cruise Line and the Bahamas (where the ship is registered) were raised. The Dream departs December 19, 2010 on a transatlantic repositioning cruise and is expected to arrive in Port Canaveral, Florida on January 4, 2011.
- 2010-12-14 13:12:57 [update] | 31 | The Disney Dream, the newest addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet, arrived in Port Canaveral on January 4, 2011. You can check out video of the ship's arrival online.
- 2011-01-04 10:01:14 [update] | 31 | Disney Cruise Line has announced that the christening ceremony for it's newest ship, the Disney Dream, will be webcast live on Wednesday, January 19, starting at 10:30 am Eastern time. The live, streaming coverage can be accessed at disneycruise.com and at the Disney Parks Blog.
PassPorter authors Jennifer and Dave Marx will be on hand for the event, and will also be providing coverage at http://www.passporter.com/ disney-dream. Jennifer's blog is live now, with pre-trip reports and videos.
- 2011-01-13 14:01:48 [update] | 31 | A special ceremony was held at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany on February 11, 2011 to lay the keel of Disney's Cruise Line newest ship, the Disney Fantasy. These days, the keel laying is when the first block or section of the ship is lowered into the building dock. A coin is placed under the keel for good luck.
- 2011-02-14 13:02:17 [update] | 31 | On October 18, the design of Disney Cruise Line's fourth ship, the Disney Fantasy, was revealed to the public. As expected, the ship will be identical to the Disney Dream in most ways. Both ships share the same stateroom layouts, both inside each room and as to their category, stateroom numbers, and locations on the deck plans. Most public spaces will have the same names, locations, and decor as those same spaces on the Disney Dream. What's different? The theme and names of the lounges in the adult entertainment district have yet to be revealed, the name and theme of the dining room adjoining the Atrium Lobby is also unknown (it has a different name and decor on every Disney ship), and the ship's iconic characters (statue in the Atrium Lobby, and bow and stern decorations) have also not been revealed. Disney Cruise Line likes to keep a few surprises to be announced at later dates (any excuse for a press release).
- 2010-10-21 12:10:01 [update] | 31 | The Disney Dream, Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, is scheduled to be towed down Germany's River Ems from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg to the Dutch port of Eemshaven on November 12th and 13th. The passage of large ships down this narrow river generates lots of attention, so the shipyard has issued a PDF map showing the ship's expected arrival times at various points along the way. Eemshaven will be the base of operations for the Dream's sea trials, after which she's scheduled to head across the Atlantic and enter regular service in January 2011.
- 2010-11-10 11:11:20 [update] | 32 | The Disney Dream Christening Ceremony is being held Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 10:30 am EST. You can watch the ceremony live at DisneyCruise.com/dream. Jennifer and Dave Marx will be there and uploading video to our message boards!
- 2011-01-18 10:01:12 [update] | 32 | Enterprising searchers on the web may have unearthed the debut month for Disney Cruise Line's fourth ship, the Disney Fantasy. The new ship shows up on port schedules for St. Maarten (March 26, 2012) and Grand Cayman (March 30, 2012). Visit PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line forum for analysis by PassPorter Author Dave Marx.
- 2010-10-14 14:10:52 [update] | 36 | The second of Disney's new ships, the Disney Fantasy, will be sailing alternating 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries beginning April 7, 2012. The first of the new ships, the Disney Dream, which enters service in January 2011, will continue to sail 3-, 4-, and 5-night Bahamas itineraries in 2012. The Disney Magic will handle the 7-night Caribbean sailings from January through March 2012, until the Fantasy takes over. The Disney Wonder will remain on the West Coast sailing 7-night Mexican Riviera itineraries. Itineraries for Fall 2012 have not yet been announced, and there's not yet word of where the Magic and Wonder will be sailing during Summer 2012. Reservations can now be made for all announced itineraries.
- 2010-10-18 10:10:01 [update] | 38 | Disney Cruise Line has released the Disney Fantasy cruise ship's schedule through the remainder of 2012. The ship, which enters service in March 2012, will continue its pattern of 7-night Caribbean cruises, alternating weekly between Eastern and Western itineraries. The Western itineraries will continue to visit Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Castaway Cay (that's a lot of "c's" at sea!). The Eastern itineraries will continue to visit Sint Maarten, St. Thomas, and Castaway Cay through October 20, and will visit San Juan Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Castaway Cay on November 3 and 17, and December 1, 15, and 29, 2012 (Happy New Year 2013!). Itineraries for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder have yet to be announced for late spring, summer, and fall 2012.
- 2011-02-16 21:02:38 [update] | 40 | The ongoing situation in Egypt has caused itinerary changes for Disney Cruise Line Guests sailing on the Mediterranean Cruise this summer. The stop in Tunis has been replaced with a stop in Palermo, Italy. Also, Adventures by Disney has canceled all Egypt itineraries which were scheduled to begin later this year.
- 2011-02-08 11:02:39 [update] | 47 | The Disney Magic was scheduled for a 10-night cruise on December 29, 2010. This cruise has been split into two 5-night sailings, one on December 29, 2010 and one on January 3, 2011. Both cruises will feature one stop at Nassau, two stops at Castaway Cay and one day at sea.
- 2010-04-27 12:04:11 [update] | 59 | Disney Cruise Line has modified its reservation deposit policy. Effective immediately, deposits on new reservations are 20% of the stateroom fare before taxes and government charges. Previously, deposits were fixed amounts per passenger that depended on the length of cruise and category of stateroom. For passengers making low-cost reservations, this mean a significant reduction in deposit, while deposits on high-priced reservations may be higher than previously. A reduced-percentage deposit may be available as an incentive for those who make new reservations while on board a Disney cruise.
- 2010-10-07 13:10:07 [update] | 82 | Disney Cruise Line has announced an enhanced online check-in process called "My Online Check-In." New features include the ability to enter information for your entire traveling party, enter shared information, and even have some information auto populate if you've cruised before. A new animated video starring Goofy explains the process at DisneyCruise.com.
- 2011-02-02 09:02:25 [update] | 82 | To improve the flow of arriving guests and minimize check-in wait times, a Port Arrival Time is now be assigned to cruisers. Each arrival time slot has a limited number of spaces, so you should finish your online check-in process as soon as possible so you can have the largest selection of available arrival times. Note that this arrival time does not apply to concierge and platinum guests, who can arrive at any time. And if you purchased your air or ground transfers through Disney, you will not need to choose a port arrival time. If you've already completed your online check-in for an upcoming cruise, you should login and select a Port Arrival Time. Note that the assigned arrival time is not an indicator of the actual time for boarding the ship.
- 2011-02-02 09:02:11 [update] | 125 | Beginning on the Dec. 16, 2010 sailing of the Disney Wonder and the Dec. 28, 2010 sailing of the Disney Magic, guests will have a new way to stay in touch with one another. Portable Wave Phones will enable guests to contact members of their party while onboard the ship or ashore at Disney’s Castaway Cay. All staterooms will now offer two portable Wave Phones for complimentary use during the length of the cruise. Guests can rent additional phones from Guest Services for $3.50 per day each. The Wave Phones replace the paging system previously used by Youth Activities. Parents can now receive texts or calls on the Wave Phone from youth pr,ogram counselors. If phones are lost, damaged or not returned to the stateroom prior to debarkation a $250 charge per phone will be applied to the Guest’s stateroom account. Guests can opt out of using these phones and have the Wave Phone service disconnected in their staterooms, and so avoid the possible penalty. This charge will be mentioned on the payment authorization form that Guests complete during the check-in process.
- 2010-12-07 12:12:32 [update] | 143 | The cost of dining at Palo, Disney Cruise Line's popular, adults-only, extra-cost restaurant, will increase in late January 2011. Dinner and brunch charges rise from $15 to $20, and High Tea increases from $5 to $10. The new fees go into effect as of January 26 on the new Disney Dream, and will increase on January 29 on the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder.
- 2010-10-27 11:10:02 [update] | 180 | The height restriction for solo riders on the AquaDuck is now 54". If you're riding with another person, the height restriction is still 48". No doubt this to prevent smaller, lighter riders from losing speed during the ride and getting stuck in mid-tube (Jennifer saw this happen on the Maiden Voyage).
- 2011-02-02 09:02:00 [update] | 180 | Those wishing to ride the AquaDuck, the "water coaster" aboard Disney Cruise Line's Disney Dream, must be at least 7 years old and 54 inches tall to ride alone, or, if under 7, at least 42 inches to ride with another person (the other rider must be at least 14 years old).
- 2011-03-01 13:03:29 [update] | 183 | Disney Cruise Line has announced its headline entertainment offerings on the Disney Dream, which goes into service on January 26, 2011. Live stage shows will include the all-new "Disney's Believe," a tale of a workaholic father who learns to believe in (Disney) magic. Also on tap in the 1,340 seat Walt Disney Theatre will be an updated favorite from the Disney Wonder, "The Golden Mickeys': A Timeless Tribute," and "Villains Tonight," which currently runs on the Disney Magic.
- 2010-10-27 10:10:06 [update] | 183 | Disney Cruise Line has announced the headline deck shows for the Disney Dream, which goes into service on January 26, 2011. The cruise begins with a re-worked "Sailing Away" deck party around Donald's Pool. There will also be updates to the very popular Pirates Night. The evening's entertainment begins with "Mickey's Pirates IN the Caribbean," a "family-friendly interactive show" suitable for even the smallest cruisers, where guests become members of Mickey's Pirate Crew. Later that evening, Captain Jack Sparrow appears during the "Club Pirate" dance party, aimed at somewhat older cruisers, and the evening ends with the bigger and better "Buccaneer Blast" fireworks show.
- 2010-10-27 10:10:28 [update] | 276 | New private Cabanas are now available for rent on Castaway Cay. The daily rate of $499 includes the furnished, 325 sq. ft. cabana, dining table, a refrigerator, locked storage unit, outside freshwater shower and shaded area, and, of course, lounge chairs that are all yours for the day. Beach toys, tubes and floats, snorkel gear, and a one-hour bike rental for up to six guests are also included (equivalent to the Getaway Package, worth $32 for each adult, $16 for each kid). Non-alcoholic beverages, sunscreen and towels are provided. Food & Beverage packages as well as a Cabana Host can be added for an additional cost.
- 2010-09-28 11:09:35 [update] | 300 | Disney Cruise Line guests can now book private cabanas at either the Family Beach or Serenity Bay (the adults-only beach) on Castaway Cay at the same time as other online reservations such as Palo and shore excursions.
- 2011-04-19 10:04:05 [update] |
