Disney finalizes order for 2 ships

Jason · April 24, 2007

Pair will more than double capacity of cruise line as demand increases

BY DONNA BALANCIA

FLORIDA TODAY

Disney Cruise Line announced Monday that it has finalized a contract to build two new cruise ships with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft shipyard. Specific financial terms were not disclosed.

"This is an exciting time at Disney Cruise Line, and we are looking forward to working with Meyer Werft to build two new, innovative ships that will take our immersive, family-focused cruise experience to an entirely new level," Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin said in a statement.

Plans to add two 124,000-ton ships to the fleet were announced in February, when executives signed a letter of intent to negotiate a construction contract with Meyer Werft. The ships will be built in Papenburg, Germany.

Scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012, the ships will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line to meet the demand for Disney's cruise vacations.

The new ocean liners will be significantly larger than the existing 83,000-ton ships -- the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder -- with 1,250 staterooms each.

The Magic and the Wonder are home-ported at Port Canaveral.

Disney Cruise Line established the family market within the cruise industry when the business launched in 1998.

Similar to the original Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney said the new ships will be modern interpretations of classic ocean liners of the 1930s.

Disney designers -- known as

"Imagineers" -- drew their inspiration from the original trans-Atlantic ships that featured a dramatic black hull with two funnels and porthole windows.

The profile of the ships, with gentle curves at the stern, combined with sleek angles at the bow, is reminiscent of the art-deco designs of the era.

The Disney ships feature the same exterior colors as Disney icon Mickey Mouse, with a black, white, red and yellow palette.

Disney said the new ships will feature detailed Disney scrollwork at the bow and evoke images of the glamour of the golden age of cruising.

The ships were built to respond to demand for new itineraries, the company said.

While no announcements have been made on itinerary changes, Disney Cruise Line executives said bookings for future Disney Cruise Line trips on the Mediterranean and on the West Coast have been strong.

Disney Cruise Line traditionally offers three-, four- and seven-night Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral.

"Expanding our fleet will give us the flexibility to offer a variety of itineraries in the future," McAlpin said. "We are looking forward to taking our guests on new adventures to different parts of the world with Disney Cruise Line."