After the fourth Wish class ship, the Disney Cruise Line will be pivoting to the addition of three small ships to its fleet. These will allow the Disney Cruise Line to visit more destinations. They will also be in line with Disney’s environmental goals. The details about these new ships come after it was announced last summer at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event that the Disney Cruise Line would be expanding to 13 ships by 2031.
Smaller Ships
The new ships will be smaller than Disney’s Wish and Dream class ships. They will be approximately 20% larger than the current Disney Magic and Disney Wonder ships. The fourth and final Wish-class ship joining the Disney Cruise Line fleet will be arriving in 2027. It will come in at 144,000gt, be powered by liquified natural gas, and have a capacity for 5,000 passengers. The new ship class will arrive in 2029, with two more ships coming in 2030 and 2031. They will be approximately 100,000gt and be able to accommodate 3,000 passengers.
Environmentally Friendlier Power
As the Disney Cruise Line continues to work to be more environmentally friendly, the technology behind its power evolves. The new ships will not use liquified natural gas like the current Wish-class ships are. Instead, it will use a combination of fuels including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and renewable methanol. On top of that, the new ships will be adaptable to other fuel options that could become available to the cruise industry in the future.
The new ships will also be among the lightest cruise ships of their size. They will also save fuel with a streamlined hull, next-generation power and propulsion systems, and other optimized operations for energy efficiency. These really will be the ships of the future. The ships will also utilize a battery system that will support and supplement the main engines. When in port, the ship will actually be able to turn its engines off and run off of shore power. This is something that many smaller boats are able to do but hasn’t traditionally been a feature of cruise ships.
More Destinations
“As we expand our fleet, it is important that we continue to provide a variety of experiences for our guests. Families enjoy the diversity of vacations we offer, from our classic vessels to our Wish-class ships,” said Thomas Mazloum, president, New Experiences Portfolio & Disney Signature Experiences. “They also expect to explore a broad range of destinations, including those that prefer to host smaller ships.”
Some of these destinations, like specific locations in Alaska, are only available for smaller cruise ships. These smaller destinations also are often not as packed with other cruise ships.
Mazloum also noted, “At the same time, we are focused on implementing new technology and designs that align with our longstanding commitment to the environment.”
More Disney Differences
Guests who cruise aboard the new Disney ships will be able to tell the difference. The Disney difference will continue to grow as more stories are told and innovative ideas come to life.
Disney Imagineers are “dreaming up this new class of ships to be as fuel and energy efficient as possible,” said Philip Gennotte, portfolio project management executive, Walt Disney Imagineering, “and our guests will see the difference — from a more hydrodynamic design to lighter materials and energy-efficient technology throughout … We’re very proud to continue to support Disney’s broader environmental goals, now and into the future.”
A Bigger Fleet
By 2031, when the third of these new ships take to sea, there will be 13 ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet. Currently, there are six ships in the fleet. With the levels of innovation, storytelling, and technology that were revealed with the Disney Treasure last year, it is exciting to think of what could be coming with future ships in the coming years.
Later this year, the Disney Destiny and the Disney Adventure will be joining the Disney Cruise Line fleet. The Disney Destiny will be the third Wish-class ship and find its home port in Port Everglades. The Disney Adventure will be significantly bigger as it was purchased after already being partially built. It will be 208,000gt and based in Singapore. Another Wish-class ship is being built for the Oriental Land Company, the entity that operates the Tokyo Disney Resort. This ship will be delivered to the OLC in 2028 and begin taking guests on cruises around Japan year-round in 2029.
Here is a look at what the fleet is currently and what it will look like in the coming years:
- Disney Magic
- Disney Wonder
- Disney Dream
- Disney Fantasy
- Disney Wish
- Disney Treasure
- Disney Destiny
- Disney Adventure
- Wish-class ship (Oriental Land Company)
- Wish-class ship
- New Class Ship
- New Class Ship
- New Class Ship
All of these new ships will be built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Walt Disney Imagineering will design each of these ships that will be packed full of magical experiences.
What do you think of this new class of ship joining the Disney Cruise Line fleet? Are you excited to see the magical details that are found on these new vessels, the experiences they offer, and the stories they tell? Have you been on a Disney Cruise Line voyage before? What did you think? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
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