Disney Cruise Line tops J.D. Power satisfaction survey

Disney Cruise Line tops J.D. Power satisfaction survey

By Tom Stieghorst
J.D. Power & Associates has ranked Disney Cruise Line tops for consumer satisfaction in its first-ever survey of the cruise industry.

Disney scored well ahead of the pack. Four other cruise lines were bunched together. But their satisfaction index scores placed Royal Caribbean International second, followed by Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines rated below the industry average score for satisfaction, J.D. Power said.

The survey found 18% of passengers reported experiencing at least one problem on their cruise.

“Many cruise lines in the report have very high levels of passenger satisfaction, well above the report average; however, for more than a year, the overall industry has been dealing with a lot of negative news affecting customer perceptions, expectations and trust,” said Ramez Faza, senior account manager of the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power.

“To raise the bar, the industry must focus on meeting the needs of the nearly 20% of passengers who experience a problem with their cruise line experience,” Faza said.

Disney Wonder to sail out of Miami

Disney Wonder to sail out of Miami

By Donna Tunney
Disney Cruise Line for the first time will homeport a ship in Miami, starting in December.

The 2,700-passenger Disney Wonder will operate mostly four- and five-night sailings through May 2, 2013.

The Disney Fantasy, which will enter service in March, and the Disney Dream will continue to sail a variety of Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries from Port Canaveral, Fla.

The Disney Fantasy will operate eastern and western Caribbean sailings, while the Disney Dream will sail three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

The cruise line, which unveiled its 2013 schedule on Jan. 24, has added more destinations to its European lineup, including Venice and the Greek islands.

Beginning June 1, 2013, the 2,700-passenger Disney Magic will return to the Mediterranean with new itineraries, including a four-night option and 12-night sailings in addition to seven-night itineraries.

The new 12-night sailings visit destinations such as Venice and Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast on one itinerary and Ephesus, Turkey, and the Greek isles on another. All cruises depart from Barcelona.

Additionally, Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney will offer passengers land-sea vacations in the Mediterranean. Available on select departures, three- or four-night land packages will be offered in Barcelona and Madrid prior to the cruise.

The 2,700-passenger Disney Magic, which will begin sailing from Galveston, Texas, in 2012, will continue to sail from that port through May 2013 before redeploying to Europe.

In Alaska next year, the Disney Wonder will operate a series of seven-night cruises from Vancouver to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, starting May 27.

Beginning May 27, 2013, the Disney Wonder will sail seven-night cruises from Vancouver to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.

Disney Wonder to sail second Hawaii cruise in 2012

Disney Wonder to sail second Hawaii cruise in 2012

By Donna Tunney
Disney WonderDue to “overwhelming response” to its first Hawaiian itinerary, Disney Cruise Line is adding a second Hawaii cruise aboard the Disney Wonder to its 2012 schedule.

Both cruises depart from Los Angeles. The original 15-night Hawaiian itinerary, which includes nine days at sea, departs April 29. The newly added 14-night Hawaiian itinerary, with eight days at sea, departs Oct. 14.

Port calls include Maui; Kauai; Oahu; Hilo, on the Big Island; and Ensenada, Mexico.

“We listen to our guests, and shortly after we announced our first Hawaiian voyage it was clear our guests wanted more options to visit Hawaii,” said Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz.