Disney and Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (OLC) have announced that through a new agreement between the two companies, Disney cruise vacations are heading to Japan. The agreement will have the OLC operating a new Disney-branded cruise business in Japan. This is expected to happen by 2029.
“Disney Cruise Line has ambitious plans to bring family vacations and Disney storytelling to more guests around the world than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Experiences. “We are thrilled to continue the success of this expansion as we collaborate with Oriental Land Co. to introduce another distinctly Disney vacation experience to families and fans in Japan.”
The relationship between Disney and OLC goes back over 40 years. OLC owns Tokyo Disney Resort where it recently opened an expansion to Tokyo DisneySea called Fantasy Springs. The new announcement sees the two companies continue to expand their relationship. This new ship will be locally based in Japan and promises to offer both fun and relaxation for Japanese Disney fans and visitors from around the world. It will be taking them on magical voyages that are filled with incredible entertainment, world-class dining, and exceptional guest service that set Disney cruises apart from the rest.
“I am sincerely proud that Disney and Oriental Land will be able to work together to create a world-class cruise business in Japan,” said Yumiko Takano, representative director, chairperson and CEO, Oriental Land. “Oriental Land will use their knowhow from the theme park business to continue pushing boundaries and provide family entertainment cruise experiences filled with inspiration and surprise.”
This new cruise offering will involve a new ship. OLC will operate this new Disney cruise ship and it will be both based and registered year-round. The ship will be a Wish class ship and be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenberg, Germany. It will have imaginative designs that are created to Walt Disney Imagineering. It will be a sister ship to the Disney Wish and include many guest-favorite venues and experiences from that ship. There will also be some modifications made on the ship that will be specially designed for Japanese guests. When completed, it will be approximately 140,000 gross tons and powered by liquefied natural gas. It will have around 1,250 staterooms.
At this point, details about the maiden voyage, itineraries, and onboard experiences have not been announce yet. With the ship still a few years away from arriving in Japan, there is plenty of time for those details to be announced. The arrival of this Disney cruise in Japan expands the Disney cruise options that guests can experience around the world. The Disney Cruise Line currently offers guests the opportunity to visit The Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the South Pacific, and Australia and New Zealand. Starting in 2025, there will be year-round cruises available from Singapore.
What do you think about Disney cruising coming to Japan? Where would you like to see these cruises go? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
