Disney Announces Plans for New Tokyo-Based Cruise Ship

Walt Disney Co. has revealed plans for a new cruise ship to become the ninth vessel in the Disney Cruise Line fleet. The unnamed ship will be based in Tokyo and begin sailing in fiscal year 2028.

It is a partnership with Oriental Land Company, which operates Disney’s two local theme parks – Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

The theme parks division, along with Oriental Land Company, have developed three new areas at the Tokyo DisneySea theme park based on its Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan movies.

Joint Venture With Operator Of Disney’s Tokyo Theme Parks

They signed a 10-year partnership worth about $60 billion to expand Disney’s theme parks and cruise operations jointly. The new ship will follow the design concept of the Disney Wish, which accommodates 4,000 guests.

“To set sail from Japan will make Disney vacations at Sea more accessible for Japanese guests, who we know are some of our biggest fans,” said Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Signature Experiences. The ship will be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, starting in fiscal year 2025.

New Ship Will Sail Short Itineraries As Part Of Theme Park/Cruise Packages

The new cruise ship will be registered and based in Japan year-round. It will initially sail short localized cruises with theme park packages ranging from two to four nights. The company said further details about the inaugural sailing, itineraries, and onboard amenities will be announced later.

Disney Cruise Line currently operates five ships and plans to launch three more in the coming years. This includes the mega-ship Disney Adventure, which will enter service in 2025.

With a capacity of 6,000 guests, Disney purchased the ship at a huge discount due to the bankruptcy filed by the original customer, Genting Hong Kong. This will become the first Disney ship to homeport in Asia, at Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre.