Does Disney Cruise Line Have Plans to Purchase Abandoned Cruise Ship?

[princesscinderella]

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out, if in fact DCL buys this ship. When I spoke with Cruise Director Darren a few years back he felt strongly that DCL would not home port a ship in Asia due to that market's demand for on-board Casinos. He mentioned, at the time, that NCL (I think it was NCL) was sending some ships over to Asia, and was in the process of doubling the casino floor space during the re-position.

I would bet (lol) that DCL would never put a casino on board.

I’m thinking they will do 24 hour bingo

 

[sethschroeder]

I would bet (lol) that DCL would never put a casino on board.

Now you have me thinking its even more likely. This is the perfect excuse for Chapek to bring a casino on board. Then say how successful it was to bring to the rest of the fleet removing other areas of the ship.

This makes too much sense and would make DCL even more profitable.

 

[AvidDisReader]

Now you have me thinking its even more likely. This is the perfect excuse for Chapek to bring a casino on board. Then say how successful it was to bring to the rest of the fleet removing other areas of the ship.

This makes too much sense and would make DCL even more profitable.

EXACTLY. We have already seeing Disney/ESPN partner with a sports book. This is the future income source for Disney. Start with an Asian only cruise ship with a casino, brag about the profitability and ever so slowly introduce to US ships. Do not tell me about Walt spinning in his grave, that ship has long since sailed (pun intended).

 

[jrapps]

EXACTLY. We have already seeing Disney/ESPN partner with a sports book. This is the future income source for Disney. Start with an Asian only cruise ship with a casino, brag about the profitability and ever so slowly introduce to US ships. Do not tell me about Walt spinning in his grave, that ship has long since sailed (pun intended).

One of the reasons I justify that DCL charges a premium for their cruise is they don't have a casino, they offset those potential profits by charging more. If they start to add casinos (which I still have my doubts about) PLUS they still charge a 25%-100% premium over other cruise lines, this will just continue Disney's downward spiral. I get it, a company is all about profit. But you have to at least give customers the sense they are valued. Nickel & diming while also reducing quality will eventually backfire.

Let's first see if we get an announcement in the next few weeks that Disney is in fact buying this, then the real speculation on where the ship is going and what it will look like can really begin!

 

[sethschroeder]

One of the reasons I justify that DCL charges a premium for their cruise is they don't have a casino, they offset those potential profits by charging more. If they start to add casinos (which I still have my doubts about) PLUS they still charge a 25%-100% premium over other cruise lines, this will just continue Disney's downward spiral. I get it, a company is all about profit. But you have to at least give customers the sense they are valued. Nickel & diming while also reducing quality will eventually backfire.

Let's first see if we get an announcement in the next few weeks that Disney is in fact buying this, then the real speculation on where the ship is going and what it will look like can really begin!

Is there a positive benefit to you in them not having a casino? Possibly the extra space for other things to be put? I would say though that I don't really notice anything missing from newer ships that have casinos as they usually are in the bowels of the ship where nothing customer facing would be anyways really.

 

[jrapps]

Is there a positive benefit to you in them not having a casino? Possibly the extra space for other things to be put? I would say though that I don't really notice anything missing from newer ships that have casinos as they usually are in the bowels of the ship where nothing customer facing would be anyways really.

Smoking. I avoid the casinos on other cruise ships at all costs. Hate even walking thru them to get to another venue. Currently Disney ships have no indoor smoking places. Now if they had a casino that was 100% non-smoking, perhaps that wouldn't be an issue, but that is even less likely than a casino on a Disney ship. Other cruise lines have tried smoke-free casinos. They ALWAYS give up at some point.

It's not so much that I see a positive to a casino-free ship. Its more that I have an issue with Disney chipping away at the brand, the customer experience, the elegance, the wholesome family values, all to squeeze even more money out of it's fan base and make a quick buck. It cheapens the brand, and it cheapens the experience, but you don't get a cheaper price for that. If I want that experience, I can sail Carnival for much less than Disney.

 

[Sykes]

Smoking. I avoid the casinos on other cruise ships at all costs. Hate even walking thru them to get to another venue. Currently Disney ships have no indoor smoking places. Now if they had a casino that was 100% non-smoking, perhaps that wouldn't be an issue, but that is even less likely than a casino on a Disney ship. Other cruise lines have tried smoke-free casinos. They ALWAYS give up at some point.

Celebrity has had nonsmoking casinos for more than a decade now and it's really nice--it's specifically one of the reasons I choose Celebrity. I tend to agree that Disney adding a casino is pretty unlikely, but there's no reason to think that Disney couldn't pull off a fully nonsmoking casino if they wanted.

 

[AvidDisReader]

I have 2 words for you on why Disney will not care about the nickel and diming: Bob Chapek.

One of the reasons I justify that DCL charges a premium for their cruise is they don't have a casino, they offset those potential profits by charging more. If they start to add casinos (which I still have my doubts about) PLUS they still charge a 25%-100% premium over other cruise lines, this will just continue Disney's downward spiral. I get it, a company is all about profit. But you have to at least give customers the sense they are valued. Nickel & diming while also reducing quality will eventually backfire.

Let's first see if we get an announcement in the next few weeks that Disney is in fact buying this, then the real speculation on where the ship is going and what it will look like can really begin!

 

[jrapps]

Another update...looks like we could know for sure Thursday...

https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/wirts...-perfekt-sein-XNU6UBXCEJOYF3VDZGONO7UPIU.html

11/15/2022, 1:00 am

Wismar/Schwerin. The purchase of the cruise ship “Global Dream” (“Global 1”) from the insolvent MV shipyards by the US company Disney is taking shape: According to OZ information, an announcement at the Wismar shipyard is planned for Thursday. Several sources report this. The plan accordingly: The Papenburg Meyer shipyard is to rebuild the mega ship (342 meters long, space for up to 9500 passengers) in Wismar.

Insiders report that the huge cruise ship from the insolvent MV shipyards is to be completed and converted in Wismar and become a "typical Disney ship". An upcoming date for the announcement is also given. What that means for shipyard workers and the country's million-dollar guarantees.

 

[JM_97]

Another update...looks like we could know for sure Thursday...

https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/wirts...-perfekt-sein-XNU6UBXCEJOYF3VDZGONO7UPIU.html

11/15/2022, 1:00 am

Wismar/Schwerin. The purchase of the cruise ship “Global Dream” (“Global 1”) from the insolvent MV shipyards by the US company Disney is taking shape: According to OZ information, an announcement at the Wismar shipyard is planned for Thursday. Several sources report this. The plan accordingly: The Papenburg Meyer shipyard is to rebuild the mega ship (342 meters long, space for up to 9500 passengers) in Wismar.

Insiders report that the huge cruise ship from the insolvent MV shipyards is to be completed and converted in Wismar and become a "typical Disney ship". An upcoming date for the announcement is also given. What that means for shipyard workers and the country's million-dollar guarantees.

Will the ship be based in Asia? I also wonder what it would be called. Having the Disney Dream and then the Disney Global Dream might be confusing.

 

[sethschroeder]

Will the ship be based in Asia? I also wonder what it would be called. Having the Disney Dream and then the Disney Global Dream might be confusing.

Dream Cruises was the brand so I doubt they keep that.

They might keep Global though.

 

[jrapps]

I am sure they will completely rebrand the ship, including the name.

If we are lucky, the shipyard will announce it on Thursday. Disney will stay radio silent for at least a few weeks, and then probably acknowledge they bought it without providing ANY details. DCL isn't really timely with their announcements.

I am sure there will be all kinds of threads guessing what it will look like, be named, will it add to the fleet or replace Triton 3....sail in Asia or US...how long will it take to retrofit, etc, etc.

Lots of fun yet to come!

 

[Kennywood]

Perhaps Chapek will use it as his personal mega-yacht and name it the Disney Ego. Lol

 

[jrapps]

Perhaps Chapek will use it as his personal mega-yacht and name it the Disney Ego. Lol

Then it would be the Disney Chapek!

 

[jrapps]

I must just love searching random German websites....another article, not much new info:

https://www-ndr-de.translate.goog/n...tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

According to this article, the contract has been signed and the press conference will be on Thursday. They should also determine how many of the 900 employees will remain on at this press conference.

The ship will lose the amusement park and casino, and the parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Meyer-Werft will finish the build at Wismar

 

[nikem3]

From what I've heard, it will be converted for western tourism. This is a huge ship to fill and makes sense to bring it to the US and possibly move another ship to the far east eventually.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Confirmed.

 

[Kennywood]

In which US markets could Disney utilize and fill a ship that could hold up to 9000 people? With Disney pricing, I can't see them filling up this ship on a continual basis.

 

[nikem3]

In which US markets could Disney utilize and fill a ship that could hold up to 9000 people? With Disney pricing, I can't see them filling up this ship on a continual basis.

So based on the press release it will be based outside of the US. So I'd venture to guess this will end up being an Asian ship.

 

[jrapps]

In which US markets could Disney utilize and fill a ship that could hold up to 9000 people? With Disney pricing, I can't see them filling up this ship on a continual basis.

After Disney retrofits this ship, it wont hold anywhere near 9,000 people. It is slightly smaller than an Oasis class ship, and those touch 6,000 when completely full. The 9,000 number is assuming every cabin on the ship has 4-5 people in it. Never going to happen.

I bet when Disney is done with this, it's official capacity will be in the 5000ish range.