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No Disney cruise ships to VI until after June 2018!

- Disney Fantasy will not return to Tortola until after June 2018, according to Disney Cruise Line
Disney Fantasy is not expected to call to the Virgin Islands until after June 2018. Photo: wdwinfo.com
Marella Discovery had the distinction of being the first cruise ship to call to the Virgin Islands following hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. Photo: VINO/File
Marella Discovery had the distinction of being the first cruise ship to call to the Virgin Islands following hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- It was on December 4, 2017 that Disney Cruise Line announced to its booked customers that they will be returning to the Eastern Caribbean, but will skip calls to the [British] Virgin Islands, a story first reported by this news site.

The cruise line had said then that Tortola was still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. “As a result, DCL will alter the ports of call for the Disney Fantasy Eastern Caribbean beginning with the December 30th sailing through March to include Philipsburg, St Maarten, instead of Tortola, British Virgin Islands,” the letter to its customers had read.

The next scheduled Disney Cruise to Tortola was an April 7, 2018 departure of the Disney Fantasy.

However, this will no longer be the case as, according to DCL, The Virgin Islands is continuing to recover from the effects of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.

“As a result, Disney Cruise Line has altered the itinerary for the Disney Fantasy Eastern Caribbean sailings through June/2018 to include a stop at Philipsburg, St Maarten, instead of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands,” DCL announced on its website on March 13, 2018.

The revised itinerary is below:

Saturday: Port Canaveral, Florida

Sunday: Day at Sea

Monday: Day at Sea

Tuesday: Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Wednesday: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Thursday: Day at Sea

Friday: Castaway Cay, Bahamas

Saturday: Port Canaveral, Florida

According to the website, guests who have pre-reserved Port Adventures in Tortola will notice that the adventures have been automatically removed from their cruise activities.

‘Bigger cruise ships not expected for first quarter’

Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) had said that the usual bigger cruise ships that frequented the territory prior to the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, are not likely to return before the end of the first quarter of 2018.

The Minister made this announcement to reporters while at a meet and greet welcome session on December 6, for the cruise ship Marella Discovery at the territory’s cruise pier and park on Tortola.

And now Government can count out Disney Cruise Line from visiting the Territory in the second quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, Marella Discovery had the distinction of being the first cruise ship to call to the Virgin Islands following hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.

26 Responses to “No Disney cruise ships to VI until after June 2018!”

  • See (19/03/2018, 10:29) Like (28) Dislike (1) Reply
    Perhaps the polluted state of Cane Garden Bay and the sorry condition of many roads inflenced their decision. These large companies are not stupid .
    • Cruiser, USA (19/03/2018, 11:49) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
      The roads are one of our main safety concern.
      • Tola Man (19/03/2018, 15:02) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
        just don't drive to east end and you will be ok, anything past paraquita bay is terrible to drive
  • Well Sah (19/03/2018, 10:30) Like (13) Dislike (14) Reply
    The NDP really mash this BVI up.
  • What? (19/03/2018, 10:31) Like (9) Dislike (5) Reply
    So the NDP lied to us again?
  • Take ta (19/03/2018, 10:33) Like (10) Dislike (5) Reply
    The ndp has also destroyed the economy
  • Concerned (19/03/2018, 11:41) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    Cruise ship pier for big ships, a flop! Always thought it would be as this government has no clue that the real world out there wants a good infrastructure, before bringingin their guests.
    Do NOT let them do an airport expansion or we will see us further in debt & no tourists to pay. They are raping the charter toursists now!!
  • resident (19/03/2018, 11:55) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
    the ndp was dumb to give disney an exclusive deal instead of carnival
    • @resident (19/03/2018, 17:05) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      Its not an exclusive deal. Its a priority deal. Any ship can use the port, but Disney has first choice of dates and booking dock space.
    • tretretrete (20/03/2018, 16:04) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
      One would think that in these hard time..(while other ships are supporting) that Disney would have been contributing to the economy....How else would we get back on our feet?
  • vick (19/03/2018, 12:21) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    where are the pwd people?.it's been 6 month now that we had the storm and the roads still are in the same state condition than before Irma. Sick and tired of changing bushing and shock absorber on my car.
  • Longshanks (19/03/2018, 12:58) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Cannae blame them really. They have to do what's in their customers' interests. They'll be back at some point, but the different pace of recovery in St Thomas, St Maarten, and BVI forces their hands.
  • Josiahsbay (19/03/2018, 14:51) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
    We have other cruise ships visiting our islands and they appear to be willing to work with us until we get back up to speed. I don't see why the one cruise line we partnered with has abandon us. They should at the lease make an assessment stop and see what is the response from their passengers before they write us off for later in the season.
    • snafu (19/03/2018, 16:02) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
      They have already carried out an assessment of the state of the BVI, that's why they're not bringing their passengers into a war zone. Aleppo would be a better alternative.
  • See (19/03/2018, 16:00) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
    You can bet the ranch that the big cruise lines have already sent their people to check the beaches the roads the cesspool of a capitol as well as the general look of the country . Yes we have come a long way but lets stop fooling ourselves about being a great place for cruise passengers ...or even land based vacationers. Anagada is the one exception . Go to Cane Garden Bay . You will not see ONE SINGLE BIRD . That means the schools of fish are gone . The water is murky and there is debris in the water . I realize there is a plan to fix this and that there are also other beaches to go to . Just citing one example of why the larger ships are not coming here risking their customers safety and vacation experience. Maybe we should all just stop the political posturing and get off our collective asses and really start to fix things for the good of our children and our country . We are being outworked on our own recovery by outside volunteers . Whats wrong with that picture
    • Truth. (21/03/2018, 07:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Guess you just got there. Birds come and go as usual. They were all over the bay for months. Fishing has been excellent.
      Water is clear and lovely.
  • L**s (19/03/2018, 23:01) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    More lies , the cruise ship have already sent there people to check our progress and there will be no larger cruise ships until October - November , these politicians always playing politics. Tell the people th truth Mark
  • l (20/03/2018, 09:23) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Its a shame. St Maarten was hit hard by Irma too. They saw the importance of a speedy recovery. We are still here fighting. Shame. Shame.
  • .... (20/03/2018, 15:53) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    Disney and Norwegian are like that woman who leaves you when you were down and out, then wants to come running back when you are on your feet...
  • See (20/03/2018, 20:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    No ..... Disney and Norwegian are just real businesses doing their due diligence . Their customers pay a lot per head to step off those boats . I for one am not in favor of wooing the tourists who spend the very least while here but if we are going to make the cab drivers and Romney's happy we better get our acts together and have something to show them and somethings new to sell . Clean up the mess fix the roads and get a handle on the crime
  • Jessus (22/03/2018, 12:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Even Haiti...Yes HAITI..havw a better cruise ship product than the BVI...shame!


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