Disney Cruise Line Reveals First Details of New Ship Class

Disney Cruise Line Reveals First Details of New Ship Class

Disney Cruise Line revealed the first details and images of its new ship class, which will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

With deliveries scheduled for 2029 and 2030, the series of newbuild's will initially include three 105,000-ton vessels.

During its D23 Expo, the company revealed a rendering of the ships, which will feature a look similar to Wish-class vessels.

Of note, the ship will feature a three-deck-high glass area amidship, while bringing back the company’s traditional look with a black and gold hull and two funnels.

In a video, the company also highlighted a few fundamentals of the new class project, noting that it will have an optimized hull.

The class will also feature what Disney called a state-of-the-art lightweight design, which will allow for more energy efficiency.

According to the company, the new ship was designed to capture the magic of the ocean, with new features set to be revealed at a later date.

“From sketches and finished drawings, thinking ahead and creating new attractions for months and years to come, we keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things,” Disney said.

Slightly smaller than the company’s more recent newbuild, the new vessels are expected to have capacity for up to 3,000 passengers.

Before welcoming the first of the new ships into its fleet, Disney is introducing the new Disney Believe in 2027.

Currently under construction at Meyer Werft, the 140,000-ton vessel will be the fourth in the company’s Wish-class series.

The series also includes a fifth, yet-unnamed vessel, which is scheduled for delivery in early 2029.

The 2,500-passenger vessel will mark Disney Cruise Line’s debut in Japan through a partnership with Oriental Land Company.

Disney Brings Forward Delivery of New builds

Disney Brings Forward Delivery of New builds

Disney Cruise Line is bringing forward the delivery of two of its upcoming newbuilds, according to Walt Disney Company’s recent earnings call.

Documents released during the presentation point to three newbuilds entering service during calendar year 2029 and one in 2030.

Two vessels are now expected to be delivered in 2029, including the first and second ships of a new class ordered from Meyer Werft in mid-2024.

To be built at the German shipyard, the prototypes were initially scheduled to enter service in 2029 and 2030, with a third sister set to be delivered in 2031.

While the first two ships are now set to debut in the same year, Disney documents point to the third newbuild being delivered in 2030.

The vessels are believed to be smaller than the latest newbuilds, coming in at approximately 105,000 tons and capacity for 3,000 guests.

Disney is also building a fourth Wish-class ship, the Disney Believe, which will be delivered by Meyer Werft in late 2027.

Additional details of the 140,000-ton vessel, including deployment and onboard features, will be revealed later this year.

The Walt Disney Company presentation also highlighted the introduction of Disney Cruise Line Japan’s first newbuild.

Currently being developed in cooperation with Oriental Land Co. (OLC), the ship will sail from Japanese ports on a full-time basis.

Ordered at the Meyer Werft shipyard in 2024, the unnamed Wish-class vessel is set to be delivered in late 2028 before making its debut in early 2029.

Disney Cruise Line Japan will be operated through a partnership between OLC and the Walt Disney Company, with the NYK Group serving as ship manager and business consultant.

With revenues driven by a ten percent increase in parks and cruising businesses, the Walt Disney Company reported net income of $2.8 billion on revenues of $22.7 billion for its fiscal third quarter.

Oceania Orders Two More Ships from Fincantieri

Oceania Orders Two More Ships from Fincantieri

Oceania Cruises has confirmed it will double its newbuild order with Fincantieri as two more 1,450-guest ships will debut for the brand in 2032 and 2035, respectively.

Following today’s delivery of the Oceania Allura, the Oceania Sonata will follow in summer 2027 and is the first of a new class of ships, followed by three more vessels, two of which were confirmed today by Jason Montague, chief luxury officer for Oceania Cruises, which is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

The additional two vessels, previously ordered as options for Oceania Cruises, have now been confirmed.

The Sonata will be followed by the first sister ship, the Oceania Arietta, in 2029.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said the new Oceana ships represent the dawn of a new generation of luxury cruising.

Each Sonata Class vessel will carry approximately 1,390 guests and measure approximately 86,000 gross tons.

“I am delighted to confirm we will be adding two more Sonata Class vessels to our fleet. We are proud to continue our legacy of innovation alongside Fincantieri, our shipbuilding partner for close to 20 years. These four Sonata Class ships will herald the next stage in the evolution of the Oceania Cruises brand of exceptional small-ship luxury experiences,” said Montague.

Oceania Orderbook:

• Oceania Sonata; 2027; 1,450 guests
• Oceania Arietta; 2029; 1,450 guests
• Oceania Unnamed Newbuild; 2032; 1,450 guests
• Oceania Unnamed Newbuild; 2035; 1,450 guests

MSC Cruise reveals New Dining Concepts for the upcoming MSC World Europa

MSC Cruises’ upcoming vessel World Europa will introduce seven new dining and drinking venues including a mixology bar and Indian tea house.

The new venues include The Gin Project, a dedicated gin bar with specialist gin experts helping guests mix their own cocktails from more than 70 craft gins available, while Elixir Mixology Bar is a new cocktail venue with an outdoor terrace and "liquor corner" for tasting spirits.

 

The Coffee Emporium will serve French, Italian, Turkish and Moroccan coffees and coffee brand Lavazza will develop an MSC signature roast which passengers can take home.

 

Raj Polo Tea House offers English breakfast teas, cold-brewed and iced tea selections and tea-infused cocktails and Chef’s Garden Kitchen features greenery grown onboard using a soilless farming style, which the line has termed farm-to-ocean cooking.

The new venue, Chef's Garden Kitchen, uses a soilless farming method to grow its greenery

La Pescaderia is a restaurant specialising in seafood and features a fresh fish display where guests may choose their fish to eat, while Luna Park Pizza & Burger is a buffet-style venue with family games and American cuisine offerings.

The Masters of the Sea, the line’s signature pub, will have a second floor onboard World Europa, which will feature a micro-brewery with MSC beers brewed on board.

The line’s specialist restaurant mainstays will also be onboard, such as Butcher’s Cut, Kaito Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar and Hola! Tacos & Cantina.

The ship is currently being built in Saint Nazaire and will welcome its first guests on board in December 2022 and sail to the Arabian Gulf region for its inaugural season.

Jacques Van Staden, MSC’s vice-president of food and beverage, said the culinary experience onboard the ship had been designed with the future in mind, such as the technology seen at Chef’s Garden Kitchen.

“Each new concept aims to go beyond what traditional venues achieved in the past and focus on crafted, artisanal and immersive experiences that will revolutionise the place dining holds in the overall cruise experience,” he said.