Tag Archives: Disney Cruise Line

Disney cruise stages dramatic rescue

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Disney cruise stages dramatic rescue of passenger who fell overboard from passing Royal Caribbean liner after holidaymakers spot him in water

  • 22-year-old had been a guest on Royal Caribbean ship Oasis of the Seas
  • Spotted in the water by crew aboard Disney Magic vessel later in the day
  • A lifeboat was dispatch to rescue the passenger near Cozumel, Mexico
  • Questions raised over cruise ship passenger detection technology

A passenger who went overboard during a luxury cruise was rescued by a passing Disney liner.

The 22-year-old, who had been a guest on Royal Caribbean ship Oasis of the Seas, was only spotted in the water by the eagle-eyed passengers and crew of the Disney Magic vessel as it passed by later in the day.

The incident happened on Thursday morning as the Magic was approaching Cozumel off the coast of Mexico.

The passenger can be seen on the far left of the picture as the rescue vessel approaches

It is not yet known how the passenger came to be in the water.

However, the incident is raising questions over whether cruise ships have the proper technology to detect when someone goes overboard.

Disney has credited a combination of passengers and crew from the Magic with spotting the man in the water, lowering a lifeboat, and getting him aboard the Magic.

Below is the Video of the Rescue.

The rescue mission was launched by Disney Magic after passengers and crew spotted someone bobbing in the water

The rescue mission was launched by Disney Magic after passengers and crew spotted someone bobbing in the water

The man was immediately transported to shore for treatment.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said the ‘22-year-old male guest from Oasis of the Seas went overboard near Cozumel, Mexico.

‘He was spotted by a crew member from another cruise ship, and picked up. We are grateful for the other ship’s assistance.’

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said the cruise line has not yet provided additional comment, beyond its statement.

Scott Sanders, founder of The Disney Cruise Line Blog, said such a rescue at sea by the Magic crew is unusual.

The rescue mission was launched by Disney Magic after passengers and crew spotted someone bobbing in the water

‘It’s pretty darn fortunate that they were sailing in the vicinity,’ said Sanders, whose blog is not affiliated with Disney.

Jim Walker, a maritime attorney who reported on the incident on his Cruise Law News website, said the case points out the need for cruise ships to have better monitoring systems for detecting when someone falls off or jumps from a ship.

He said systems he would support include motion sensors and thermal detection systems that would indicate if someone goes overboard.

He also favours linking such systems to an alarm notification for crew so that an immediate search-and-rescue operation could begin.

The Oasis of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship, with a capacity of 6,360. The ship — which is based at Port Everglades, near Fort Lauderdale — was on a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean when the incident occurred.

The vessel has the capacity to house 5,400 passengers and 2,394 crew. It cost £800m and took three years to build in Turku, Finland before it was launched in 2009.

At 1,187ft, the Oasis of the Seas is longer than the Shard and wider than Boeing 747.

Disney Cruise Line Fun Facts!

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– The Disney ships are painted in Mickey Mouse-inspired colors – black hull, white superstructure, yellow trim and two giant red funnels, each with the Disney Cruise Line Mickey Mouse logo.

– Disney Cruise Line was the first cruise line to have yellow lifeboats, instead of the traditional regulation orange. Disney was granted special permission from the U.S. Coast Guard to paint the lifeboats yellow, to keep with the special color theming of the ship.

– The Disney Magic was built in two halves… one hundred miles apart! Part of the ship was constructed in Ancona, Italy then towed 100 miles to meet the stern in Marghera (just outside Venice) to be perfectly joined and welded together.

– Disney Cruise Line ships use the iconic first seven notes of the “When You Wish Upon a Star” song melody as their horn signals.

– Disney ships are the only cruise ships to have four captains – the ship’s captain, Captain Mickey, Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow.

– Measuring 964 feet in length, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are each longer than Main Street U.S.A at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

– The anchor on the Disney Magic weighs 28,200 pounds – about the same as three full-grown elephants. Each ship weighs 90 million pounds.

– Taking place every cruise onboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the “Pirates IN the Caribbean” deck party features the only fireworks display at sea.

Guest Experience
– Seventy-five percent of staterooms on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are outside, ocean view cabins. Of those, nearly half offer a private verandah.

– In a cruise industry first, most staterooms on Disney Cruise Line ships feature a split “bath-and-a-half” design, providing families the added convenience of a sink and tub/shower in one room and a sink and toilet in a separate room.

– Onboard each Disney Cruise Line ship, there are about 950 crew members representing more than 60 different nationalities. That is approximately one crew member for every three guests.

– Disney Cruise Line was named the top large cruise ship experience by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the ninth annual “Reader’s Cruise Poll.” In fact, Disney Cruise Line has won more than 50 different awards and accolades since launching in 1998.

Dining
– On an average seven-night Disney Cruise Line voyage, the following food items are consumed:
• Beef – 5,000 pounds
• Chicken – 10,000 pounds
• Salmon – 1,200 pounds
• Shrimp – 1,300 pounds
• Lobster Tail – 1,000 pounds
• Melon – 12,800 pounds
• Pineapple – 3,300 pounds
• Individual Eggs – 71,500
• Coffee – 57,820 cups
• Soda – 3,125 gallons
• Beer – 12,385 bottles/cans
• Wine and Champagne – 2,700 bottles

– In a single day, each Disney Cruise Line ship uses:
• 10,000 forks
• 5,000 cloth napkins
• 800 tablecloths

– Disney Cruise Line dining room Cast members represent, on average, 60 different nationalities.

– The décor and food of the Palo restaurant are inspired by Italy, the birthplace of both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.

– Palo takes its name from the poles that line the canals of Venice. Palo’s extensive reserve wine list features selections that hail from some of the most mature vineyards in the world and highlight some of the greatest Super Tuscans like Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Tignanello.

Onboard Features
– The Disney Magic interior is in the art deco style, characterized by geometric designs and bold, solid colors. The interior on the Disney Wonder is in the art nouveau style, which is characterized by organic influences and curved patterns.

– A bronze statue of Helmsman Mickey adorns the lobby of the Disney Magic and was inspired by the famous “Man at the Wheel” statue in Gloucester, Mass. On the Disney Wonder, a bronze statue of Ariel from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” graces the lobby.

– The main atrium chandeliers on both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are each one-of-a-kind commissioned pieces created by celebrated glass artist Dale Chihuly. To meet cruise line safety standards, Chihuly worked within a new medium and fashioned the vibrant chandeliers out of acrylic plastic.

– The décor of the Buena Vista Theatre on both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder was designed to emulate the elegant movie houses of the 1920s and 1930s, the period when Walt Disney was producing the first Mickey Mouse animated films.

– The main showplace for entertainment onboard Disney Cruise Line ships, the Walt Disney Theatre spans three decks and can seat 977 guests.

– A leader in family entertainment, Disney is the only cruise line to feature first run films from the Walt Disney Pictures film banners, with movies premiering exclusively at sea on the same day that they are released in US theaters. Disney Cruise Line is also the industry leader in onboard enhanced digital entertainment with advanced Disney Digital 3-D technology in all shipboard theaters.

– With ships purpose built for family cruising, both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder boast nearly an entire deck of space dedicated to age-specific children’s activities.

– Don’t worry about getting a chill! The swimming pools on Disney ships are heated when the water temperature drops below 75 degrees.

– A room with a view! 73% of staterooms onboard Disney ships have ocean views. Of those outside facing rooms, 60% boast private verandahs.

– Stay connected, even at sea! Disney ships feature Wi-Fi service in staterooms and public spaces, allowing guests to surf the web at sea from their wireless-ready personal laptop computers.

Castaway Cay


– Castaway Cay is the only private island in the cruise industry where the ship docks alongside so guests do not have to tender to land.

– Visitors to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, can catch a glimpse of the ghost ship Flying Dutchman – the actual, full-size studio prop from the Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest moored in the waters just offshore.

– Guests can mail a special souvenir message to family and friends back home by using the Castaway Cay Post Office. All postcards, letters and packages shipped from the island display an exclusive Castaway Cay postmark.

– Water is procured in Port Canaveral and delivered to Castaway Cay by the ships to an 80,000 gallon fresh water storage tank on the island.

– Feels like home? Approximately 60 Disney Cruise Line crew members live and work full-time on Castaway Cay.

Environmental Programs
– Each Disney ship has an onboard Environmental Officer dedicated to overseeing all environmental systems and procedures, along with shipboard recycling, waste minimization and water reclamation efforts.

– While cruising, Disney ships can convert sea water to fresh water for use onboard. An onboard desalinization plant produces nearly 500,000 gallons of fresh water every day.

– Disney Cruise Line made history by being the first cruise line to utilize an innovative hull coating that is both 100 percent non-toxic and effective in increasing fuel efficiency. The coating helps reduce the ships’ surface resistance in the water, decreasing the need for propulsion power as the ship glides through the sea.

– On Castaway Cay, an innovative recycling program repurposes used cooking oil from the ships’ galleys and combines it with diesel fuel to power machinery on the island. The program reduces waste and carbon dioxide emissions, saving up to 8,000 gallons of traditional fuel each year.

– Shipboard recycling systems help divert more than 405 tons of aluminum, plastics, paper and non-traditional recyclables from conventional waste streams each year. That’s the equivalent of over 27 school buses or 12 humpback whales.

– Researchers at Castaway Cay are helping to restore the health of coral reefs through a unique research project transplanting native sea urchins in The Bahamas. The urchins help to control harmful algae levels that can choke out corals, and the project is providing vital research for rebuilding coral reef systems that serve as homes for tropical fish and marine life.

Branson looks to make waves with expansion into cruising

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After toying with the concept for many years, Richard Branson finally took the plunge and committed his Virgin brand to a new cruise venture, to be known as Virgin Cruises.

The startup will be the first major cruise line to be created from scratch with newbuilds since Walt Disney Co. unveiled its cruise plans nearly 20 years ago.

Though sometimes controversial, Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, has earned international respect in the business world as a visionary entrepreneur.

But one cruise veteran said Disney’s experience demonstrated what kinds of challenges Virgin faces.

“It’s not an easy business to break into,” said Mark Conroy, former Regent Seven Seas Cruises president. “It took Disney four or five years to get it where it needed to be.”

Branson’s vision and business acumen should help overcome obstacles. His Virgin Atlantic Airways provides a distinctive product in a fairly uniform industry, and the Virgin label is a part of more than 400 businesses worldwide, including entries in travel, entertainment, telecommunications, media, financial services and healthcare.

“We plan to shake up the cruise industry and deliver a holiday that customers will absolutely love,” Branson said in a statement announcing the formation of Virgin Cruises.

In that statement, Virgin Group said the line planned to start by building two “world-class” ships. The size of the vessels was not disclosed, nor was a date mentioned for the start of operations. Virgin said those details were being withheld for competitive reasons.

Conroy estimated it will take 36 to 40 months to design, build and deliver a ship that will serve as a prototype for the line.

The new cruise line plans a headquarters in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, which could be seen as a sign that it will be more focused on selling to the North American market initially than to the U.K., where most of Branson’s other businesses are based.

In the U.K., cruise tours are sold under the Virgin Holidays Cruises label, combining a land vacation with a cruise on a variety of established U.K.- and U.S.-based cruise lines.

Conroy said starting a cruise line has become a dauntingly expensive proposition, estimating it will cost $750 million to $1 billion to build the ships that Virgin disclosed.

“In the olden days, you could start a cruise line with $20 million or $30 million,” Conroy said. “Not today.”

To help with financing, Virgin Group said it has enlisted Bain Capital, a well-known private equity and venture capital firm, to be its lead investment partner. Notable investments in startups by Bain Capital’s venture arm include DoubleClick, LinkedIn and Shopping.com.

For cruise expertise, Virgin has hired Disney alum Tom McAlpin as CEO of Virgin Cruises. McAlpin helped found Disney Cruise Line and was its president from 1996 to 2009. He subsequently became CEO of The World, Residences at Sea. A Miami native, he started his cruise career at Royal Caribbean International.

“Opportunities like this do not come often, so I am very excited to lead this business and introduce the Virgin brand to the cruise industry,” McAlpin said in a statement.

Adam Snitzer, principal at Peak Revenue Performance, a Miami Beach cruise consulting company, said Disney’s continued success in the cruise business was partly due to McAlpin.

“He’ll bring a lot of fresh ideas to the Virgin brand,” Snitzer said. “Getting a new cruise line off the ground is a lot of work. Tom’s done it before for Disney. I see no reason to think he can’t do it again.”

Snitzer said that Branson’s arrival is good news for a business on the hunt for new and younger customers.

“To the extent that many people still see cruising as ‘food fests for seniors,’ having a cool, hip, well-known entrepreneur like Branson as an owner will only help to further break down that old misperception,” he said.

Branson’s interest in cruise was well known in the industry. “He’s probably talked to everyone in the business over the years,” Conroy said.

Ray Cotton, a principal with Bain Capital, said the cruise industry needs what Branson’s got.

“With a small number of global players, an experience in need of refreshing and consumers ready for something new and exciting, the industry exhibits all the characteristics of one ripe for a new entrant,” Virgin’s statement quoted him as saying.

But Conroy said cruise lines are already doing some interesting things without any outside pressure, citing ships such as Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway.

“Norwegian is a transformed company,” Conroy said.

Although the Virgin brand is a strong marker for hip and youthful, Conroy said he was uncertain whether it would command the same premium as Disney does in the family market.

“It all depends on what it delivers,” Conroy said.

Virgin Atlantic has cultivated a loyal following, but if anything its transatlantic fares are lower than those offered by old-line competitors such as British Airways or Lufthansa.

Conroy said that Branson’s dealings with travel agents are encouraging. “I know a lot of agents who know him, and he seems to be agent-friendly,” he said.

Evan Lovell, a partner at Virgin Management Ltd., said in a statement that the cruise line will benefit from Virgin’s “extensive travel and leisure experience,” which includes passenger train service in the U.K. and a new hotel brand that is scheduled to open its first property in Chicago next month.

Much like Disney, Virgin can benefit from mining its existing databases to market the cruise venture to customers who have already tried some of its other travel-related products.