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Travel

Cruise Europe with Mickey next year

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 16, 2006

The Disney Cruise Line will sail to Italy, France and Spain from May to August next year as part of a larger strategy to "chart new waters," company officials said.

The Disney Magic will offer eight alternating 10-night and 11-night Mediterranean cruises, departing from Barcelona, Spain, and stopping in eight European cities.

Disney is considering expanding beyond its two ships, which have been successful since they began operating Caribbean voyages in 1998. But "it's not the right time now," company president Tom McAlpin said.

The European expansion will have little impact on the cruise industry overall, an analyst said. Major players such as Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. already operate in Europe with cruise lines that cater specifically to European vacationers.

Even if the unit of the Walt Disney Co. decided to add a few new ships, it would pale in comparison to the 16 ships industry leader Carnival will add in the next four years on top of its 80-ship fleet, said Craig Parmelee, a credit analyst for Standard & Poor's.

Disney is a relative latecomer to the industry. It started with the Magic in 1998. It added the Disney Wonder later that year and now offers cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and its own island, Castaway Cay. The cruise line caters to a niche family market - there's no gambling, entertainment is family-oriented, and Mickey and Minnie mingle with young guests throughout the voyage.

Next summer, Disney also will offer two 14-night trans-Atlantic sailings to bookend the Mediterranean voyages.

[Last modified April 16, 2006, 08:05:54]