Exciting news! DCL planning TWO new ships! About This Page:

[Belle*]

Disney Cruise Line has announced plans to build TWO new ships!
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-cruise-ships/

"That’s right, Disney is again expanding its family cruise business with plans to build two new ships, each of them showcasing the immersive family entertainment, enchanting storytelling and unparalleled service that only Disney can deliver.

The company has entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. The schedule calls for the new ships to be completed in 2021 and 2023.

“We pride ourselves on the unforgettable vacation experiences we deliver to our guests each and every day, and the expansion of our Disney fleet will allow us to create even more magical memories for families at sea and in incredible cruise destinations around the world,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company.

While design plans, ship names and itineraries are still in development, the Walt Disney Imagineering team is already dreaming up exciting new innovations that will be uniquely fun and distinctly Disney. Each new ship will be approximately 135,000 gross tons – slightly larger than the newest Disney Cruise Line ships, the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy – and each is currently planned to include about 1,250 guest staterooms.

Since first setting sail in 1998, Disney Cruise Line has been an industry leader in innovation and game-changing creativity. For instance, with the launch of the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ships in 2011 and 2012, the company introduced several firsts for the industry, including a water coaster at sea (AquaDuck) and virtual portholes in interior staterooms (Magical Portholes) that provide real-time views of the sea as well as sightings of animated Disney characters.

“The expansion of Disney Cruise Line only adds to our excitement for the unprecedented growth taking place across our vacation destinations, from new Star Wars experiences coming to the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts to the 25th anniversary of Disneyland Paris and the grand opening of our newest park, Shanghai Disney Resort,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts."

[Dani S]

We've been considering trying a cruise in the next few years. Our DD will be 11 when the first new ship is supposed to be done. That sounds like a great age for a first cruise!

[chezp]

Great news! It's scary though, how far away those dates sound, but I know how quickly times goes and they'll probably be here before we know it.

[MayraLR]

That is exciting news!

[cubfancolleen]

I'll be interested in hearing where the new ships will port. Wondering if they'll end up keeping a ship in Europe? Keeping one on the west coast full time? Not sure I like the idea of them being bigger still, though. I really still prefer the size of the original ships. If only they had the Rainforest from the Dream & Fantasy, they'd be perfect!

[cbate717]

So excited. I am shaking!!!! I have been waiting for this news!!!

[Dave Marx]

I won't exactly say I'm speechless, but there's not much info yet, so not a lot to be said...

The new ships are slated to weigh in at 131,000 GRT, which is just a tiny bit larger than the Dream and Fantasy (130,000 GRT). The difference could mean something as small as a tweak in hull dimensions to improve energy efficiency. The announced stateroom capacity is identical to those ships, so while I'm sure Imagineering has plenty up its sleeve, the overall cruising experience will probably be quite similar.

Five to seven years is a long time, but time has a way of cruising along. By way of perspective, DCL announced plans for (what would become) the Dream and Fantasy in 2007, and the ships were delivered in early 2011 and 2012. So this time, they're about a year or three farther out on the time line. That is, in part, by necessity, as the shipyards are already booked-up for 2020.

The announced shipbuilding schedule for 2021-2023 is pretty wide open, though that doesn't mean the yards aren't in negotiation with all the other cruise lines out there. For years, we've wondered how many more staterooms the cruise industry can profitably operate (more ships, and larger ships with more staterooms), but it seems there's no end in sight. There are even new lines on the horizon, most notably Virgin Cruises, a new three-ship line headed by the legendary Richard Branson and former DCL President Tom McAlpin.

The additional year's separation between the launch of the first and second ships may have something to say about pent-up demand - perhaps less than DCL was facing way back when. We also know that Imagineering likes to have some time to refine its designs once the public starts to experience newly-opened parks and newly-launched ships. We did see that with the Fantasy, most notably up on the recreation decks with AquaLab and Satellite Falls.

Also, as I noted when the Dream and Fantasy were hitting the water, filling an additional 1,250 staterooms per ship, week in and week, out was quite a marketing challenge. An extra year's spacing between the ships may make that easier to profitably swallow (excess stateroom capacity means lower demand-driven rate increases).

Then, there's the question of potential cruise markets for all six ships. The same questions arise now as did then... what of the smaller Magic and Wonder? It's an easy leap to assume that the new ships will replace the line's oldest ships on itineraries (and home ports) that see the highest demand, with the Magic and Wonder serving smaller markets. Has the beachhead in Miami been sufficiently established that the Magic and/or Wonder will winter somewhere other than Miami and Port Canaveral (more departures from San Juan and Galveston, a return to the Mexican Riviera out of San Diego or LA, maybe even NY?) The thought that DCL will try out the Asia/Pacific market is still hanging out there. Cuba is a new possibility (served from either Miami or San Juan). That large island has several potential cruise ports, few, if any of which will be ready to handle the crowds that arrive on today's mega-ships.

None of DCL's ships have been optimized for cool-weather cruising (Alaska and the Baltic). With the Panama Canal's new locks coming on line, I'd expect the Wonder will be replaced on the Alaska itineraries by either the Dream or Fantasy, well before the new ships arrive. And if one or both of the new ships come equipped with retractable covers for the pools, we can expect they'd take over the Frozen itineraries.

There is also the question of how much longer DCL will operate the Magic and Wonder. They'll be well over 20 years old when the new ships arrive. Both are already at a disadvantage to newer ships when it comes time to pass health inspections. I don't think Disney can get away with operating ships that score lower than 90% on those inspections. That could mean, eventually, either major overhauls involving the ships' kitchens and sanitation facilities or a permanent place at Yesterland.com.

Rather than end on that somber note, I'll say a word or two about Meyer Werft, the shipyard that will once again play Bob the Builder on behalf of Imagineering. Since the Dream and Fantasy left the Meyer yard in Papenburg, Germany, the Meyer family acquired the STX shipyard in Turku, Finland. That yard typically produces one cruise ship per year, which increases Meyer's large ship capacity by 50%. The yard also has a subsidiary that prefabricates over 6,000 cruise ship staterooms annually.

Meyer also builds river cruise ships in a third shipyard in Rostock, Germany, but I'm not sure this is the time or place to speculate about DCL's future on the rivers of the world (and no, that's not yet a theme park attraction)...

[Cam22]

I opened up the Disney Park Blog to see this awesome news this morning. So very excited! Disney!

[feonag]

I am also very excited about the new ships. We love the Dream, and especially the Fantasy. What is sad is the first new one will be complete a year after my youngest child graduates high school. So both of my babies will be adults. We will still cruise them but it will not be the same.

[modisney]

That's a major investment which I think might mean fewer upgrades etc. to the Magic and Wonder. I'm glad the new ones won't be super huge and hope one will be named Wishes.

[Cruisecrasher]

It's interesting that this is the news that came out from DCL. On February 23 during the "Making of the Dream" activity on the Disney Dream, the cast member running the presentatioin casually began discussing that DCL had just purchased a new island only the day before...

My friends onboard confirmed the new island purchase and the imminent release of the announcement of the new ships.

I came home from vacation expecting that to be announced (especially since location and other such details were not yet available per said cast member) and instead hear they've finally announced the next two ships!

[moneyhappy]

I must admit I like the size of the Magic over the Dream, so a bigger ship will be interesting.

I do wonder if Disney will take a ship to Asia with Disneyland Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo it would make sense to do an Asian cruise.