Disney is betting big on cruises

16.08.2024 - 15:50 / insider.com / Meyer Werft / Hugh Johnston

If you had a genie, what would your three wishes be? If one includes going on a Disney cruise, you're in luck — you'll have more opportunities to do so soon.

The most magical cruise line on Earth plans to stay busy over the next few years. On August 11, Disney Cruise Line announced an order for four ships to be delivered between 2027 and 2031 — on top of the four additional vessels already set to debut between December and 2029.

These eight vessels would more than double Disney's five-ship fleet, all in the next seven years.

Disney has yet to announce the details of its latest order, but it has tapped Germany-based Meyer Werft to build the four ships — the "highest order value" in the shipyard's history, the company said in August.

The shipyard also constructed Disney's latest three vessels as well as the upcoming Disney Treasure and Disney Wish, which are scheduled to debut at the end of 2024 and in 2025, respectively.

Two of the eight forthcoming ships would have their home ports in Asia, a first for the cruise company. This includes Disney Adventure, scheduled to debut in Singapore in 2025, and another unnamed ship set to be operated in Japan by Oriental Land Company, which runs Disney's Japan-based theme parks.

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In the background of this massive fleet expansion, Disney Cruise Line also launched its second private destination in the Bahamas, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, in June. The new port and the cruise line's first private island, Castaway Cay, are currently scheduled for more than 70% of Disney's 442 voyages in 2025.

It's a great time for the entertainment giant to bet big on its vacation-at-sea business. Many major cruise companies have been experiencing record bookings and demands throughout 2024.

Disney, for its part, has seen "strong demand" in its cruise arm, with onboard spending also increasing throughout the summer months. That could help offset some of its amusement parks' 3% drop in operating income compared to the same time last year — in step with competitors like Six Flags and Universal.

"The cruise ships tend to pay back very quickly," Hugh Johnston, The Walt Disney Company's senior executive vice president and CFO, told analysts in August. "We certainly feel positive about those investments."