New Disney Dream cruise ship sails out to sea

by Leigh Caldwell on

The Disney Dream, the third ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, is now under its own power, conducting tests out on the North Sea.

The Dream left the Meyer Werft shipyard and was towed by tugboats 26 miles down the River Ems to Eemshaven, The Netherlands. This conveyance is unique to ships built at Meyer Werft, because it is so far inland. Some railroad bridges across the river had to be dismantled to allow the ship to pass.

Of course, the whole thing was done Disney-style, with fireworks and Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck waving from the decks to residents gathered to watch the spectacle.

After the North Sea tests, known as the “test-and-adjust period,” the Disney Dream cruise ship will be dry-docked for a short time in Germany before being officially delivered to the Disney Cruise Line.

The Disney Dream will sail 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida. The inaugural cruise is set for Jan. 26, 2011.

A fourth Disney Cruise Line ship – the Disney Fantasy – is also under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard. The Fantasy will be completed in spring 2012.

Disney Cruise Line heading to Alaska in 2011

by Scott Carmichael on

Starting May 3rd 2011, Disney Cruise Line will be offering an Alaska itinerary. The 7 night Alaska cruise starts in Vancouver and after day at sea will take guests to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, followed by another sea day before arriving back in Vancouver.

The cruise will be offered on board the Disney Wonder, their 964 foot long, 2400 passenger vessel. The Disney Wonder offers guests three pools, 6 youth clubs, 7 lounges and bars, 9 restaurants and of course a whole host of Disney themed entertainment.

For a modest fee, parents can check their little ones into one of the on-board kids clubs, allowing them to enjoy themselves without the kids for a couple of hours.

The Disney Wonder currently sails in the Bahamas, Mexican Riviera and the Panama Canal, so the repositioning to Alaska during the summer is an interesting choice – I’m guessing it has something to do with a drop in passenger numbers on cruise lines, especially in that area, along with overcapacity. The Alaska Cruise market is still relatively popular, so this Disney gamble should mean they’ll be able to fill their ships quite easily.

If you are interested in a Disney Alaska Cruise, you’ll be able to book your voyage starting September 28th 2009. In addition to the Alaska route, Disney will also be offering 2 repositioning cruises from Los Angeles to Vancouver (April 27th 2011) and Vancouver back to Los Angeles (September 20th 2011).

(Via: Anchorage Daily News, thanks Matt!)