Port Canaveral, FL, March 3, 2016 – Disney Cruise Lines has announced plans to add two new ships to its fleet. The company has entered into a tentative agreement with the Meyers Werft shipyard in Germany for new ships to be completed in 2021 and 2023.
Design, development, and the names of the ship have yet to be decided upon. What is known is that they are slated to be slightly larger than the current Disney Fleet’s two largest ships: the Dream and the Fantasy. Weighing in at 135,000 gross tons, compared to the Dream class’s 129,690 gross tons. These ships will be an expansion of the Disney fleet rather than replacements for the lines two older ships the Magic and Wonder, which debuted in 1998 and 1999 respectively. The two new ships will almost certainly share Disney Cruise Line’s ocean liner profile, as well as the elegant Art Deco and Art Nouveau interior spaces of their predecessors. Although the line may yet have something new in mind.
The announcement is exciting for fans of the Walt Disney Company in general, and fans of Disney Cruise Line in particular. Disney Cruise Lines pioneered several cruise industry firsts. The first ships designed from the keel up with family cruisers in mind, with staterooms equipped with tubs for young children, privacy curtains that divide staterooms for added privacy, and split bathrooms to help families prepare in the morning and before bed. The first Aqua Coaster aboard ship is another Disney innovation, as are the virtual portholes aboard the Dream and the Fantasy that give cruisers in interior staterooms a view of the outdoors.
Disney also has some of the most beautiful ships afloat, and some of the most innovative dining and entertainment to be had at sea. We are excited to see what the Disney Imagineers come up with for the line’s newest ships.
It is exciting news for Port Canaveral. The Central Florida cruise port has been Disney’s homeport of choice since the line’s debut in 1998, with most Disney Cruises setting sail from the port. With its unique position close to Disney World, and its recent expansion, Port Canaveral is well placed and well suited to serve these new ships, and Disney cruisers.
Go Port, Port Canaveral cruisers, and the cruise industry will be eagerly anticipating further details.