A mechanical issue aboard Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship has caused Disney Wish to delay its scheduled departure from Nassau and change onboard plans due to the ship being in port.
Poor weather has also caused Sunday’s planned visit to Castaway Cay to be cancelled, but Disney Cruise Line is compensating guests for the multiple disruptions.
Mechanical Issue Impacts Disney Wish
Guests aboard Disney Wish received letters on the morning of Sunday, April 30, 2023, alerting them to technical difficulties and itinerary modifications.
“Due to an unexpected mechanical issue, it was necessary to extend our time in port overnight,” the letter read. “Our engineering team worked to resolve the issue, and we are scheduled to depart from Nassau this morning at 10 a.m.” The ship had originally been scheduled to depart Nassau at 5:15 p.m. the previous evening.
The delay also caused a rescheduling of the ship’s fireworks show, a unique event held aboard every Disney cruise. Fireworks cannot be launched while a ship is in port, so the show was rescheduled from Saturday evening to Sunday evening, weather permitting.
The nature of the “unexpected mechanical issue” was not disclosed, but Disney Wish was able to leave Nassau on Sunday morning. Because the day is now a day at sea, the ship can maintain a more leisurely pace if necessary while work continues or if any additional monitoring of the ship’s systems is required.
Disney Wish is currently sailing a 3-night roundtrip Bahamian cruise from Port Canaveral, and is due back to its Florida homeport on Monday morning, May 1.
Weather Creates Another Impact
Because of the delay Saturday night, as well as windy conditions at Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line’s private island in The Bahamas, the ship was unable to visit that port of call as planned on Sunday, April 30. The ship was supposed to have been at Castaway Cay from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
“Weather conditions are not favorable at this time, and as a result, the itinerary has been modified, and the ship will not call on Disney Castaway Cay today,” the letter explained.
During the time the ship was scheduled to be at Castaway Cay, steady winds in the area were reported to be over 20-25 knots (23-29 miles per hour / 37-46 kilometers per hour), with gusts as high as 35 knots (40 mph / 65 kph).
Instead, Disney Wish spent Sunday at sea, which also permits the ship to sail at a lower speed for the wind conditions, making deck activities more comfortable and enjoyable.
Any pre-paid Port Adventures for Castaway Cay were automatically cancelled and removed from guests’ accounts.
Compensation Offered
Because of the disruption in the schedule, Disney Cruise Line is offering guests onboard Disney Wish two types of compensation.
First, all staterooms are receiving a $100 (USD) onboard credit for the current cruise. This credit can be used for souvenirs, photos, spa treatments, and other onboard purchases.
Second, each guest onboard will receive a 20% discount on a future Disney cruise, whether 3-, 4-, or 7-night sailing. The future cruise discount may not be transferred to other parties and is subject to blockout dates, and it may not be used on maiden voyages. The discount must be used on a future cruise departing by May 1, 2025.
The 144,000-gross-ton Disney Wish is the fifth ship for Disney Cruise Line, and the largest in their fleet. She debuted in June 2022 with great fanfare, and can welcome as many as 5,000 guests per sailing. Homeported from Port Canaveral, Florida, the ship is currently offering alternating 3- and 4-night sailings to The Bahamas.