Any Disney cruiser like me is waiting, watching and hoping that any day now Disney will release their itineraries for 2014. Most people are guessing that it will be January or February before we see new dates. Based on some information I have gathered, I think we will see something before Christmas.
When I called in to Disney Cruise Lines last week, one of the agents asked me a very innocent question about my travel plans this month, specifically out of country travel. When I said I had no plans, she recalled my trip in January. That was when Disney released the Mediterranean itineraries for 2013. That got me thinking and looking for other clues. I found some significant changes to the Western Caribbean ports of call, that weren’t there before. The last time we found changes like this, it was just a couple weeks before changes were announced to the Galveston sailings towards the end of 2013.
I must say that when Jamaica was added to select sailings in 2013, I heard from a lot of people that they would like to go to Jamaica but they did not want to sail from Galveston. This did not spark additional interest from my clients to now book Galveston.
Let’s take a look at what we believe will not change. We believe the Disney Dream will continue 3 and 4 night sailings to the Bahamas and the Disney Fantasy will continue 7 night sailings from Port Canaveral. Here are the dates we anticipate:
3 – Night Bahamian Cruise
- January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2014
- February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2014
- March 6, 13, 20, 27, 2014
- April 3, 10, 17, 24, 2014
- May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2014
- June 5, 12, 19, 26, 2014
- July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 2014
- August 7, 14, 21, 28, 2014
- September 4, 11, 18, 25, 2014
- October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2014
- November 6, 13, 20, 23, 2014
- December 4, 11, 18, 21, 28, 2014
4 – Night Bahamian Cruise
- January 5, 12, 19, 26, 2014
- February 2, 9, 16, 23, 2014
- March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2014
- April 6, 13, 20, 27, 2014
- May 4, 11, 18, 25, 2014
- June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2014
- July 6, 13, 20, 27, 2014
- August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 2014
- September 7, 14, 21, 28, 2014
- October 5, 12, 19, 26, 2014
- November 2, 9, 16, 26, 30, 2014
- December 7, 14, 24, 2014
7 – Night Eastern Caribbean
- January 11, 25, 2014
- February 8, 22, 2014
- March 8, 22, 2014
- April 5, 19, 2014
- May 3, 17, 31, 2014
- June 14, 28, 2014
- July 12, 26, 2014
- August 9, 23, 2014
- September 6, 20, 2014
- October 4, 18, 2014
- November 1, 15, 29, 2014
- December13, 27, 2014
7 – Night Western Caribbean
- January 4, 18, 2014
- February 1, 15, 2014
- March 1, 15, 29, 2014
- April 12, 26, 2014
- May 10, 24, 2014
- June 7, 21, 2014
- July 5, 19, 2014
- August 2, 16, 30, 2014
- September 13, 27, 2014
- October 11, 25, 2014
- November 8, 22, 2014
- December6, 20 2014
Now for the changes.
We noticed that once again the Jamaica port calendar has changed. There will be the same unknown ship, that turned out to be the Wonder, every other week starting May 14. We also noticed that the Grand Cayman schedule has also changed. The Magic is no longer on the port calendar. Instead, only the Fantasy and Wonder will make calls on Grand Cayman. We are seeing the Disney Wonder on the port calendar twice a month between January and April. This would be the schedule we would expect if the Magic were continuing her schedule at the end of 2013.
With the changes to the Jamaica calendar, we anticipate that the Disney Fantasy will pick up Jamaica on Western Caribbean sailings between May and December.
Here is our prediction. The Disney Wonder will move from Galveston back to Miami at the beginning of January. She will then alternate 4 and 5 night sailings much the same as what the Magic is set to do at the end of 2013. We predict a schedule like this:
- January 10, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
- January 15, 2014 – 4 Night Bahamas (Key West & Castaway Cay)
- January 19, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Cozumel & Castaway Cay)
- January 24, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
- January 29, 2014 – 4 Night Bahamas (Key West & Castaway Cay)
- February 2, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Cozumel & Castaway Cay)
- February 7, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
- February 12, 2014 – 4 Night Bahamas (Key West & Castaway Cay)
- February 16, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Cozumel & Castaway Cay)
- February 21, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
- February 26, 2014 – 4 Night Bahamas (Key West & Castaway Cay)
- March 2, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Cozumel & Castaway Cay)
- March 7, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
- March 12, 2014 – 4 Night Bahamas (Key West & Castaway Cay)
- March 16, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Cozumel & Castaway Cay)
- March 21, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
- March 26, 2014 – 4 Night Bahamas (Key West & Castaway Cay)
- March 30, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Cozumel & Castaway Cay)
- April 4, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
- April 9, 2014 – 4 Night Bahamas (Key West & Castaway Cay)
- April 13, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Cozumel & Castaway Cay)
- April 18, 2014 – 5 Night Western (Grand Cayman & Cozumel)
After this we cannot predict what will happen since the ship is no longer on the port calendars.
That leaves the Disney Magic and this one is a big mystery. Will she stay in Miami or move to another port of call? We do think it’s possible she will stay in Miami and possibly alternate Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. If she does this, we anticipate there will be different ports of call than the Disney Fantasy as we are not seeing the Disney Magic on either Grand Cayman or St. Maarten’s port calendars. She could also alternate 3 and 4 night sailings to the Bahamas or Key West. It’s hard to say. One thing that we anticipate if the Disney Wonder does move to Miami is that there is the potential that all four Disney ships could be on the East Coast of Florida at the same time. If this happens, I can certainly see a rendezvous with all four! That would be a spectacular site to see!
Artist rendering of all four Disney Ships
While we have no specific knowledge of a release date, we will suggest that this could be before Christmas since these itineraries are not dramatically different from what the ships are doing at the end of 2013. We don’t anticipate that the entire year will be released, but could see the first half at that time.
Contact your Travel On A Dream agent to get your name on our waitlist for 2014 dates.
