Formerly | Disney Vacation Cruises Devonson Cruise Company, Limited |
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Company type | Subsidiary |
Industry | Tourism |
Founded | May 3, 1995 |
Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 2 |
Areas served | |
Key people | Thomas Mazloum (president) |
Services | Cruise line |
Owner | The Walt Disney Company (except Japan) The Oriental Land Company (Japan) |
Parent | Disney Signature Experiences |
Website | Official website |
Footnotes /references House Flag |
Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited, through its first vessel Disney Magic, [1] and is domiciled in London, England, with their operational headquarters located in Celebration, Florida. [2] Disney Cruise Line operates six ships: Disney Magic , Disney Wonder , Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Wish , and Disney Treasure . [3] [4] Two ships will join the fleet in 2025: Disney Destiny , and Disney Adventure . [5] Castaway Cay, a private island in the Bahamas, is exclusively operated by Disney Cruise Line and is designed as an exclusive port of call for Disney's ships. [6] A second private destination, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, a 700-acre property on the southern end of Eleuthera, Bahamas opened on June 6, 2024. [7] [8] Disney Cruise Line operates two Disney Cruise Line Terminals in Florida.
The cruise line has experienced some growth over the past several years as depicted below.
Year | Revenue Marketshare | Passenger Marketshare |
---|---|---|
2011 [9] | 1.95% | |
2015 [10] | 2.4% | 2.8% |
2018 [11] | 2.2% | 2.3% |
2021 [12] | 2.7% | 2.2% |
2024 [13] | 4.2% | 2.8% |
In 1985, Premier Cruise Line became Disney's licensed partner cruise line. This allowed Disney characters on their ships and combined cruise, hotel, and theme park packages. In 1993, Premier ended their relationship with Disney and signed a new one with Warner Brothers, utilizing the Looney Tunes characters. Premier continued to offer Disney Land and Sea packages while adding Universal Studios as an option. Thus, Disney approached both Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines to replace Premier as an exclusive sea partner. [14]
When Disney's negotiations with two major cruise lines, Carnival and Royal Caribbean, did not produce results, Disney had cruise ship designs drawn up by February 1994. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Travel Company started signing up other cruise lines to offer Disney hotels and resort packages. [15] In May 1994, Disney announced that they intended to start cruise line operations in 1998. Arthur Rodney was selected to serve as the first president of the cruise line [16] tentatively called Disney Vacation Cruises. [17]
In 1995, Disney Cruise Line commissioned Disney Magic and Disney Wonder from Fincantieri in Italy. [18] The cruise line was incorporated as Devonson Cruise Company, Limited in February 1996, in the United Kingdom, and was renamed Magical Cruise Company Limited in October 1996. [19] The cruise line cost as much as a theme park to start up. [20] In 1996, Magical Cruise Company purchased Gorda Cay as the line's private island. The company spent $25 million over 18 months on the island and renamed it Castaway Cay. [18]
The Disney Magic's first cruise was originally scheduled for March 1998 but was postponed twice. [21] The Disney Wonder was scheduled for December 1998. [22] On July 30, 1998, with the first voyage of Magic, the Disney Cruise Line was operational. [18] A 10-year contract was signed with Port Canaveral for its home terminal. [23] With the August 1999, resignation of Rodney as cruise line president, the senior operating officer Matt Ouimet was named as his replacement in July. [24] In 2002, the line added seven-day cruises and western Caribbean cruises. [25]
In May 2005, Disney Magic moved its port for the summer cruise season to the Port of Los Angeles. This was temporary for the company's 50th-anniversary celebration of Disneyland and as a test for California expansion. The transfer cruise sold out quicker than expected. Bookings from first-time Disney cruisers were up for these cruises by at least 60%. While Disney had wanted additional ships, shipbuilding costs had increased by at least 33% since it built its first two ships. [23] The Disney Magic was transferred to the Mediterranean for an extended stay in 2007. [26] In 2007, Disney announced the building of two new cruise ships. [27] Disney Dream set sail in January 2011, followed closely by Disney Fantasy in 2012. [3] [28] [29] Meyer Werft shipyard, based in Papenburg, Germany, built the new ships. [18]
In February 2009, Tom McAlpin left the Disney Cruise Line presidency and was replaced by Karl Holz as president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. [30] In early 2009, Disney and Canaveral Port Authority extended their agreement to 2022 with expansion to the terminal to handle the new class of ships. A re-posting of the Disney Magic to Europe in 2010 added DCL's first North European cruises to its existing Mediterranean cruises. [26]
With the arrival of Disney Dream in 2011, Disney Wonder was relocated to Los Angeles. [31] With the arrival of Disney Fantasy in 2012, Disney Magic was relocated to New York City in May 2012 for only the Summer season, before relocating to Galveston, Texas. [32]
In late 2012, Disney Wonder began sailing cruises out of Miami, Florida. [33] In 2013, the Disney Magic relocated to Barcelona, Spain [34] and the Disney Wonder relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia, [35] for the summer season. In autumn 2013, the Magic and the Wonder returned to the United States but switched home ports, with the Magic leaving out of Miami and the Wonder leaving out of Galveston. [34] In January 2014, the Wonder took over for the Magic in Miami and the Magic joined the Dream and Fantasy in Port Canaveral, placing all four ships in the state of Florida for the first time. Since then, the Magic and the Wonder have again switched places. [2]
At the February 2016 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards, three of Disney's ships won 11 category awards. [36] The company ordered three ships of a new class of ship, Triton, in 2016 and 2017. [37] At the company annual meeting in March 2016, Walt Disney Company Chairman Bob Iger announced the first two new ships of the new line which were planned to be built larger than the previous two ships. The first ship, Disney Wish joined in 2022. And the second, Disney Treasure joined in 2024. [36] In July 2017, Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, announced at the D23 Expo that a seventh unnamed ship would join the fleet. [4]
In 2016, the cruise line was looking to buy Egg Island, Eleuthera, the Bahamas, as another destination for the additional cruise ships. However, opposition from nearby island residents and potential damage to the islands' reefs stopped plans. [38]
In April 2017, it was announced that Karl Holz would retire as president of Disney Cruise Line in February 2018. Anthony Connelly assumed the role of president in October 2017. [39] The Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners in January 2019 approved work for Disney's Terminal 8 and adjacent Terminal 10, which would handle more ships when the new class arrived. [40]
With the October 2017 cruise of Disney Magic from New York to the Bahamas, the cruise line held its first Marvel Day at Sea. [41] In October 2018, the cruise line began showing Disney at Sea with D23, a 30-minute entertainment news show that covers the many Disney subsidiaries with input from D23, starting with the Disney Wonder ship. [42]
Soon after a March 2018 conglomerate reorganized the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment division, Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations were renamed Disney Signature Experiences along with Jeff Vahle being names as the new president. [43]
Disney Cruise Line purchased in early March 2019 another Bahamas destination, the Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point property on the island of Eleuthera from the Bahamian Government. The cruise line was looking for another Bahamas location since the announcement of the third ship expansion in 2016. [44]
In 2020, Jeff Vahle transitioned to become the president of Walt Disney World Resort. Cruise industry and Disney veteran Thomas Mazloum was then announced as the new president of Disney Cruise Line and Disney Signature Experiences. [45]
In February 2020, Disney Wonder moved its home port to New Orleans. [46] From March 14, 2020 until July 2021, Disney Cruise Line ships suspended operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [47] Sailings resumed in the form of "Staycation Cruises", closed loop cruises of 2 to 4 nights from the United Kingdom ports of Liverpool, Southampton, Newcastle, and Tilbury for London. [48]
Disney Cruise Line currently operates six ships, with three more set to join in the coming years. As of January 2025, all of Disney Cruise Line's ships are officially registered in Nassau, Bahamas. [49] It is expected that Disney Adventure will be the first ship of the Disney Cruise Line to be registered in Singapore. There are six vessels in the current fleet: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish, and Disney Treasure. Two vessels will be added in the near future: Disney Destiny (November 20, 2025), and Disney Adventure (December 15, 2025), in addition to four as-of-yet unnamed vessels.
In July 2024, The Oriental Land Company ordered a fourth Wish-class vessel, licensed by Disney, for a planned completion date in 2028. [50] [51] [52] [53]
An additional four ships were ordered from the German Meyer Werft shipyard in August 2024. [54] [55] They are planned for delivery between 2027 and 2031, which would bring the fleet to a total of 13 ships. [56] The shipyard claimed that it was the highest value order they had ever received. [57]
It was confirmed in January 2025 that the four new ships ordered in August 2024 would consist of an additional Wish-class ship, scheduled for delivery in 2027, and three new ships, sized in between the Magic- and Dream-class vessels. [58]
Locale | Port Canaveral |
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Official name | Cruise Terminal 8 |
Owner | Canaveral Port Authority |
Operator | Disney Cruise Line |
Characteristics | |
History |
Port Canaveral's Cruise Terminal 8 is located in Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States. [59] It is used to transport passengers on and off of the Disney Cruise Line ships. This port has seen the departure of the Disney Magic , the Disney Wonder , the Disney Dream , the Disney Fantasy , the Disney Wish, and the Disney Treasure . [60]
The terminal is a large building owned by Port Canaveral and operated by Disney Cruise Line. At 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2), this massive building includes the base for Disney Cruise Line check-in, security, and boarding. [61] The terminal was designed loosely on the old Ocean Terminal in Southampton. [18]
Disney Cruise Line had negotiated with the Port Canaveral port authority in early 2009 to extend their contract until 2022. As part of this contract, the port authority expanded and upgraded the dock in order to accommodate the new ships (both of which will be home-ported there), the terminal was enlarged to accommodate more passengers and luggage, and a parking garage was built. In 2019, a new contract agreement of 20 years was negotiated. [62]
In June 2018, Port Canaveral officials approved pursuing a study about how to best upgrade Disney's Terminal 8 and other nearby terminals. With the Disney fleet expected to expand with more ships, Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray stated that, without expansion, "we'll have more activity than Terminal 8 can handle". [63] The Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners in January 2019 approved work for Disney's Terminal 8 and adjacent Terminal 10, which would handle more ships when the new Wish-class ships arrive. The upgrades would allow Disney to base three ships year round at the port. [40] The current plan sees two ships at Terminal 8 and one ship at Terminal 10. [64]
Locale | Port Everglades |
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Official name | Cruise Terminal 4 |
Owner | Broward County |
Operator | Disney Cruise Line |
Characteristics | |
History |
In April 2022, it was approved by the Broward County Commission that Port Everglades' Cruise Terminal 4 would be transformed into a second homeport for Disney Cruise Line, alongside Disney's original homeport. [65] This marked the first time that Disney Cruise Line sailed from Port Everglades. DCL markets the departure point as "Fort Lauderdale". This port began embarking guests on November 20, 2023. [66] [67] Disney Magic is currently homeported at Port Everglades. [68] The full-time ship is currently slated to be changed to the upcoming Disney Destiny, which will begin sailing at the end of 2025. [69]
The terminal is owned by Broward County and operated by Disney Cruise Line. The building is 104,162 square feet (9,677.0 m2) and includes passenger check-in, security, and boarding, as well as a 1,818-space parking garage. The terminal's exterior design is based on Disney's original homeport, while the interior features a Finding Nemo theme. [67]
Disney Cruise Line has negotiated with Broward County for a contract agreement of 15 years with options for three 5-year extensions. The agreement also includes one ship to be homeported year-round as well as a second seasonal ship in 2025. [70]
Disney's Castaway Cay, or simply Castaway Cay, is a private island in the Bahamas which serves as an exclusive port for the Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located near Great Abaco Island and was formerly known as Gorda Cay. In 1997, The Walt Disney Company purchased a 99-year land lease (through 2096) for the cay from the Bahamian government, giving the company substantial control over the island.
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, or simply Lookout Cay, is a private peninsula in the Bahamas which serves as an exclusive port for the Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located in the south-eastern region of Bannerman Town, Eleuthera. In March 2019, The Walt Disney Company purchased the peninsula from the Bahamian government, giving the company control over the area.
Royal Caribbean International (RCI), formerly Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line founded in 1968 in Norway and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997.
Disney Wonder is a cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line. It was the second ship to join the Disney fleet on entering service in 1999. Disney Wonder is of the same class as Disney Magic. The other four ships in the fleet are the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and The interior of Disney Wonder is decorated in the Art Nouveau style, in contrast to her sister ship, Disney Magic which is decorated in the Art Deco style. Both ships have 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,400 passengers in 875 staterooms, and have a crew of approximately 950. Disney Wonder was built in the year following completion of Disney Magic. As of 2015, Disney Wonder sails various North American itineraries on a seasonal basis. From early September to late October 2016, the ship underwent dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, where she was given many new dining, entertainment, and accommodation enhancements.
Disney's Castaway Cay, or simply Castaway Cay, is a private island in the Bahamas which serves as an exclusive port for the Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located near Great Abaco Island and was formerly known as Gorda Cay. In 1997, The Walt Disney Company purchased a 99-year land lease for the cay from the Bahamian government, giving the company substantial control over the island.
The Port of Miami, styled as PortMiami and formally known as the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami, is a major seaport located in Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River in Miami, Florida. It is the largest passenger port in the world and one of the largest cargo ports in the United States.
Disney Magic is a cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. She is the line's first vessel, later followed by the Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish, and Disney Treasure. She has 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,700 passengers in 875 staterooms, and has a crew of approximately 950. The interior of Disney Magic is decorated in the Art Deco style.
Norwegian Sun is a Sun-class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. She entered service in 2001 in a dual christening ceremony at the Port of Miami with Norwegian Star. She was constructed at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Thomas Michael McAlpin is the Chairman and former CEO of Virgin Voyages. He previously served as president and CEO of The World, a privately owned residential ship. McAlpin also served as president of Disney Cruises, where he oversaw two cruise ships, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder as well as Disney's private island Castaway Cay.
Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo, and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The port has the busiest cruise terminals in the world. In 2022, the port had over 4 million passengers passing through it during the fiscal year. Additionally, over 5.4 million tonnes of bulk cargo moves through each year.
Disney Dream is a cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line, which is part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Experiences division. She is the third ship of the overall fleet and the first of the Dream class, and was followed by a sister ship, the Disney Fantasy.
Disney Fantasy is a cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Entering service in 2012, she is the second ship of the Dream-class, and the line's fourth vessel overall; the other five ships of the company fleet are the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream,Disney Wish, and Disney Treasure. Her sister ship, Disney Dream, was launched in 2011.
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Mardi Gras is an Excellence-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. She is Carnival's lead vessel of the fleet's Excel-class, a subclass of the Excellence class, and was built by Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku in Turku, Finland. She also has often been incorrectly referred to as Carnival Mardi Gras, though Carnival has specified that her name does not include the "Carnival" prefix, a first since the Fantasy-class vessels originally omitted "Carnival" in their names upon their debuts. Mardi Gras has been subject to numerous delays in her construction, delivery, and debut amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent impact on tourism. First scheduled for a summer 2020 delivery and debut, she was delivered to Carnival on 18 December 2020. After her debut was postponed on numerous occasions, Mardi Gras began operating weekly sailings on 31 July 2021.
Disney Wish is the fifth cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. She is the largest ship in the fleet and the first of the Wish-class. She entered service in June 2022 and was followed by her sister ship the Disney Treasure in 2024, followed by the Disney Destiny later in 2025. The other five ships in the fleet are the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Treasure The Disney Adventure will join the fleet in 2025.
Disney Treasure is the sixth cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Her sister ship, Disney Wish, was launched in 2022. Disney Treasure is the second ship of the Wish-class. She entered service on December 21, 2024, and will be followed by Disney Destiny on November 20, 2025. She sails Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries. The other five ships in the entire fleet are the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish. The Disney Adventure will join the fleet on December 15, 2025.
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, or simply Lookout Cay, is a private peninsula in The Bahamas which serves as an exclusive port for the Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located in the south-eastern region of Bannerman Town, South Eleuthera. In March 2019, The Walt Disney Company purchased the peninsula from the Bahamian government, giving the company control over the area.
Disney Destiny is an upcoming seventh cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, due to enter service on November 20, 2025. The first of Destiny's sister ships, the Disney Wish, was launched in June 2022, with the second ship, Disney Treasure, launched in December 2024. The other four ships in the entire fleet are the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy. The Disney Adventure will join the fleet on December 15, 2025.
With a larger new ship arriving at Port Canaveral in 2011, Disney Cruise Line sent the Disney Wonder to the West Coast and the Disney Magic to Europe