Falmouth, Jamaica

I just read an interview by Breaking Travel News (BTN) with William Tatham, the Vice President of Cruise Shipping and Marina Operations at The Port Authority of Jamaica. In the article, BTN asked Mr. Tatham about attracting new types of passengers now that the port has increased it’s birthing capacity by 50%. Mr. Tatham’s response directly identified Disney Cruise Line as a potential client which the Port is currently courting.

We have a number of lines that are looking at Jamaica for the first time……

We’ve been courting a number of lines with an interest in Falmouth. We have been inviting cruise companies, such as Disney, down to visit and look at the port.

Jamaica, has long been known as a sun, sand and sea port of call with a party-like atmosphere which has been a deterrent for cruise lines like Disney. In the last few years, the focus has shifted to history and culture. Tatham also noted, in the interview with BTN, that this new approach is attracting an older, more affluent and probably more educated kind of clientele.

2014 and Beyond

At this time Disney has yet to release the much anticipated 2014 – 2015 Itineraries. While reading the BTN interview I headed over to Cruise Jamaica, and clicked on their Port Calendar! I noticed an unusual, mystery vessel, PAJ43-12, on January 14, 2014. This same vessel is referenced 71 times on alternating Tuesdays through May 2016 and the calendar entries were created on May 28, 2012 not long after first hearing about Jamaica’s wooing Disney Cruise Line Executives.

This got me thinking. In the past other port authority websites have revealed hints at unreleased itineraries. My next stop was the neighboring Port Authority of the Cayman Islands to look at their ship calendar.

Indeed, it may look like Grand Cayman is revealing a portion of the 2014 itineraries for not only the Disney Fantasy schedule to alternate every other Monday, but the Disney Wonder which is scheduled to alternate Tuesdays and Wednesdays. With the added information that the Disney Fantasy will call on St. Maarten on alternating Tuesdays I think it is save to say she will continuing her alternating 7-Night Eastern & Western Itineraries in 2014. More than likely, the Disney Dream will keep the same itineraries continuing 3 and 4-Night Bahamian sailings out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

What does this mean for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder?

Fresh off her expected September 2013 dry dock the Disney Magic will be based out of Miami, Florida sailing 3 and 4-Night Bahamian cruises and 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruises. The 5-Night Western does offer an opportunity for Disney Cruise Line to call on Jamaica, but based on the current itinerary pattern the Tuesdays would not line up with the mystery ship listed on the Falmouth Port Calendar.

Which leaves the Disney Wonder sailing 7-Night Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston, Texas at the end of 2013 as the likely candidate to call on Falmouth Jamaica January 14, 2014. This is a stretch, but it is not that far fetched when looking at it on paper. The Wonder’s 7-Night Itinerary A at the time does corresponds with the Grand Cayman Port Calendar. Now, lets consider the Tuesdays the mystery ship, PAJ43-12, is scheduled in Falmouth, Jamaica. The Falmouth Port Calendar would still match up assuming the Wonder changes to an 7-Night Western Caribbean Itinerary B where on alternating Tuesdays she would call on Jamaica.

Where would you like to sail in 2014 and beyond? Leave a comment!