Disney Cruise Line introduces Frozen themed events

Frozen experiences are to be added to Disney Cruise Line ships this year

Disney Cruise Line is to add new experiences to its ships based on the hit movie Frozen.

A new Frozen themed deck party will debut this summer on select Disney Magic and Disney Wonder sailings to Europe and Alaska. The ship will be transformed into a winter wonderland for a day of Frozen themed entertainment.

Character meet-and-greets will be offered with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf. A themed scavenger hunt will be offered, along with a snow and ice activity named "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" after one of the key songs from the film.

Families can learn a traditional Scandinavian dance spinning and braiding giant ribbons on a Maypole and there will also be a Frozen themed dining experience inspired by traditional Nordic cuisine.

A deck party will conclude the day’s events, complete with snowflakes, icicles and snow-covered rocks.

A new production show is also planned for the Disney Magic inspired by the movie. It will feature three songs from the movie - "Let it Go," "For the First Time in Forever" and "In Summer" – along with characters from the film in a new adventure.

For itineraries on-board aboard the Disney Magic to Norway there will be a selection of exclusive shore excursions that link the region to the film.

Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream will also benefit from character meet-and-greets with Anna, Elsa, and Olaf. Disney Cruise Line’s private island Castaway Cay will also experience a Frozen theme with the addition of Olaf's Summertime Freeze bar that will serve non-alcoholic specialty frozen drinks in souvenir cups.

During July this year two 12-night voyages on-board Disney Magic will sail from Dover to the Baltic region. On 3 August she will reposition to Barcelona for several seven-night Mediterranean cruises.

(Photo credit to Disney Cruise Line)

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Setting Sail For More Magic!

By Editor Simon Veness

It's time for us to set sail again, which means another 'live' cruise blog from Time Spent At Sea - and a chance to be the first to run the rule over the newly-refurbished Disney Magic of Disney Cruise Line.

We are heading down to Miami later this week where we will be taking a short preview cruise aboard the 15-year-old ship which is fresh from major renovations in the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz.

Having sailed on the maiden voyage of the Disney Magic back in 1998 after an unforgettable naming ceremony starring Tinker Bell (yes, they really did manage to pull off that trick!), I am keen to see how this big refresh has treated what was already a classic ship.

Unlike most cruise vessels built in the 1990s, Disney's newcomer avoided much of the monolithic, slab-sided look that was so prevalent then, and is still largely the case today. The Magic - and sister ship Disney Wonder a year later - boasted a more traditional profile, with a raked bow and two funnels (albeit the second one being fake, but then that was not uncommon even in the 1920s and 30s) and a distinct Art Deco period touch aboard.

And, while the duo were packed full of child-friendly facilities and amenities, Disney were also head of the pack in providing adults-only areas where parents could relax on their own or couples without children could benefit from a distinctly more 'grown-up' atmosphere, free

of Mickey and Co if they preferred.

Now, 15 years later, we will get another 'maiden voyage' as the new-look version showcases what should be some dramatic additions and upgrades to the original formula.

First among them is the AquaDunk - a 40ft freefall water slide (right) that goes out over the side of the ship and then back again to land riders with a pronounced swoosh on the pool deck.

More water features include the AquaLab outdoor play area for kids, where young 'uns can splash and slide to their hearts' content in a completely developed area that was the Mickey Pool. The indoor kids clubs have been totally transformed, too, with the Oceaneer Club, Oceaneer Lab and Its A Small World nursery all getting dramatic new looks and facilities.

The adults-only area - formerly Beat Street - will become After Hours with three distinct but interconnecting elements, O'Gills Pub, Keys piano bar and Fathoms nightclub.

The unique Animator's Palate restaurant has been tweaked with some of the more recent technological advantages from recent duo Disney Fantasy and Dream to include the 'Animation of Parade' show, while the Parrot Cay restaurant has been transformed into Cariocas, a vibrant Brazilian-style dining room (picture, below) that is intended to be both elegant and fun,

and buffet restaurant Cabanas will have more buffet stations rather than the old single buffet line idea. 

Finally, all the staterooms have been refreshed with new linens and mattresses, and more underbed storage, while 44 cabins are now inter-connected to allow for larger family groups. 

So, there will be a LOT to report on in our preview experience - we will just have to hope there is enough time to fit it all in!

Be sure to follow along here at Time Spent At Sea this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Mickey in Alaska?

It seemed to be the worst-kept secret in cruising, but Disney Cruise Line has finally announced they will be taking one of their ships to Alaska for the first time in 2011.

The House of Mouse has dabbled with the US West Coast a couple of times (in summer 2005 and '08) but a move to an Alaskan programme had been conspicuous by its absence, despite persistent rumours DCL was considering the idea.

Now Mickey and Co have finally charted a course for America's 49th state, with a summer series on Disney Wonder out of Vancouver from May 3 to Sept 6, 2011.

The 7-night cruises will visit the Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, with stops at the latter trio and fares starting at $939/person

The Wonder will sail a total of 18 seven-night cruises in Alaska, and also be equipped with a brand new venue called Outlook Café during a dry dock in October. Located high atop deck 10, the 2,500sq ft, 65-seat Café is a stylish retreat for a beverage or cocktail, with curved glass windows and panoramic views. The design uses contemporary Art Deco inspiration and an elegant spiral staircase will connect it with the existing Cove Café one deck below.

The Alaska programme will be sandwiched by two separate series based in Los Angeles, from Jan 23 to April 27 and Sept 25 to Dec 18, to the Mexican Riviera, starting at $639/person (substantially different to Alaska!).

Disney Magic returns to the Mediterranean for the summer 2011, sailing 10 and 11-night itineraries out of Barcelona, which means the new Disney Dream will be left to run their typical Caribbean and Bahamas cruises that summer.

It is great news for the region of Alaska, which will see a slight downturn in business in 2010 but it will be interesting to see how well positioned Disney can make their cruises in the first season in an area that is notoriously difficult to predict for weather and shore excursions.

With almost two years to prepare, they should provide a neat alternative to the traditional Alaska cruise, as offered by the likes of Princess, Holland America and others, but I remember NCL having a number of teething problems when they started in 1994. Watch this space, as they say!

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.