Looks like the Disney Cruise Line is preparing for the expansion of its fleet. They’re opening a London office that will staff about 20 cast members, including some relocated from Central Florida.
Spokeswoman Christi Erwin Donnan said Disney Cruise Line is hoping to increase its presence internationally. The London office will also ensure Disney is “well-positioned to tap into the European market and competitively recruit new talent.”
Disney is having two new liners built in Germany, which will double the size of the company’s fleet to four ships when they arrive in 2011 and 2012. Many industry analysts expect Disney will then opt to base a ship permanently in Europe.
With fuel prices involved in a crazy climb the cruising industry might change three times between now and 2011. I certainly wish Disney luck here.
(via the Orlando Sentinel)
I doubt that Disney will be committing to basing a ship permantently in Europe since they just signed a deal with Canaveral for them to be homeported there for some number of years as part of the package Disney worked out with the Port Authority in lieu of the stiff fine they were facing for not meeting their required number of sailings.
Maybe they might make more frequent trips, or the small print in the deal allows them to move around in such a fashion as to have a ship in the Med. area during high Europe travel seasons, but my guess is it will, like lasts years inagural trip, be seasonal at best.
The agreement ensures that some combination of Disney’s four ships will remain based at Canaveral until at least 2023, making a combined 150 calls every year. The two new ships do have to make Port Canaveral their home for a few years after coming into service, but Magic and/or Wonder will be free to relocate.
With the large number of Vacation Club and other repeat cruisers who are looking for varied itineraries, I bet that Disney is looking at a number of different options…
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