While Mickey Mouse is the epitome of agelessness — he looks pretty much as he did in 1928 except for more color — even Disney can't prevent the aging process.
At least, not with ships.
The first Disney cruise ship ever built, the Magic, is going in for a little facelift. Now 14 years old, or about a third of the way through a cruise ship's lifespan, the Magic is scheduled for refurbishment next summer. Since it will be in Europe at the time, it's safe to assume it will return to its place of birth, the Fincantieri Shipyards of Italy.
The Magic carries 2,700 passengers. While hardly a cruise giant in today's fleets, it's 80 feet longer than the Titanic was and has been a workhorse in Disney's fleet, which has grown by three ships since the launch of the Magic.
There are no clues yet as to what the extensive changes will be to the ship, other than that Disney is known for the creation of "firsts" in the industry. It was the first ship to play a portion of "When You Wish Upon A Star" from the ship's horn, and the first to be manned with yellow lifeboats, rather than the traditional orange. That's not only traditional, but was legal until Disney obtained permission to paint them a color that's consistent with the old guy's brand.
The old guy…Mickey, who has been around 83 years without refurbishment.
Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
14 nights
October 5, 2012
Fort Lauderdale: Cartagena, Panama Canal, Puntarenas, Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, San Diego
Inside: $849
Cost per day: $60
www.royalcaribbean.com