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_(21000557309).jpg) Disney Fantasy departingPort Canaveral, September 2015 | |
| Disney Cruise Line | |
| Formerly |
|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Tourism |
| Founded | February 6, 1996; 30 years ago (1996-02-06) |
| Headquarters |
|
Key people | |
| Revenue |  US$2.5 billion (FY24) |
| US$307 million (FY24) | |
| US$328 million (FY24) | |
| Total assets | US$3.3 billion (FY24) |
| Owner |
|
| Parent | Disney Signature Experiences |
| Website | Official website |
| Footnotes / references Financials as of fiscal year (FY) ended September 28, 2025[update]. References:[1]  House Flag | |
Disney Cruise Line is thecruise line subsidiary ofthe Walt Disney Company. Incorporated in 1996 asMagical Cruise Company, Limited with the launch of its first vessel, the company is domiciled inLondon, England, with its operational headquarters inCelebration, Florida.[2][3][4] As of 2026, Disney Cruise Line operates seven ships:Disney Magic,Disney Wonder,Disney Dream,Disney Fantasy,Disney Wish,Disney Treasure, andDisney Destiny,[5][6] with an eighth ship,Disney Adventure, scheduled to enter service in March 2026.[7] Five additional ships are on order and are expected to enter service by 2031. The cruise line operates two private destinations inThe Bahamas used exclusively by Disney ships:Castaway Cay, a 1,000-acre (400 ha) private island, andLookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, a 600-acre (240 ha) destination on the southern end ofEleuthera.[8][9][10] Disney Cruise Line also operates exclusive-use cruise terminals in Florida atPort Canaveral andPort Everglades.
In 1985,Premier Cruise Line became Disney's licensed cruise partner, allowing Disney characters to appear aboard its ships and enabling combined cruise, hotel, and theme park vacation packages. The partnership ended in 1993, when Premier entered a new agreement withWarner Bros. and adopted the use ofLooney Tunes characters. Following the termination of the agreement, Disney explored replacing Premier with another cruise partner and entered negotiations with bothCarnival andRoyal Caribbean.[11] When those discussions failed to produce an agreement, Disney began developing plans to operate its own cruise line.[12] Meanwhile,Walt Disney Travel Company began signing agreements with other cruise operators to offer Disney hotel and resort vacation packages.[13]
By early 1994, Disney had commissioned preliminary cruise ship designs and announced plans to launch a proprietary cruise operation by 1998.Arthur Rodney was appointed the inaugural president of the venture, initially branded asDisney Vacation Cruises.[12] The operating company was incorporated in the United Kingdom in February 1996 asDevonson Cruise Company, Limited and later renamed Magical Cruise Company Limited.[14]
In 1995, Disney ordered two purpose-built cruise ships fromFincantieri in Italy.[15] Around the same time, the company acquired Gorda Cay inThe Bahamas, investing approximately $25 million to redevelop the island as a private cruise destination later namedCastaway Cay.[15][16]
The first ship,Disney Magic, entered service in July 1998, followed byDisney Wonder in December 1999. With their introduction, Disney Cruise Line officially commenced operations, homeporting both vessels atPort Canaveral under a long-term agreement with the Canaveral Port Authority.[17]
Early itineraries focused on short Caribbean cruises marketed to families, later expanding to seven-night itineraries and Western Caribbean routes.[18] In 1999,Matt Ouimet succeeded Arthur Rodney as president of Disney Cruise Line.[19]
In 2005,Disney Magic was temporarily repositioned to thePort of Los Angeles in conjunction with Disneyland's 50th-anniversary celebrations, testing demand for West Coast sailings.[17] In 2007, the ship was deployed to Europe for an extended Mediterranean season, marking Disney Cruise Line's first sustained operations outside North America.[20]
In 2007, Disney announced plans to expand its fleet with two significantly larger vessels, theDream class, constructed byMeyer Werft in Germany.[15]Disney Dream entered service in 2011, followed byDisney Fantasy in 2012. The arrival of these ships enabled the seasonal redeployment of theMagic-class vessels to Europe, the West Coast, and Alaska.[20]
From March 2020 until July 2021, Disney Cruise Line suspended global operations due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[21] Service resumed gradually, including a series of closed-loop sailings from ports in the United Kingdom, before returning to regular international itineraries.[22]
Beginning in the 2020s, Disney Cruise Line embarked on its largest expansion to date, structured around two distinct phases of vessel acquisition.
The first phase centers on theWish class, with five vessels ordered, starting in 2016.[23]Disney Wish entered service in 2022, followed byDisney Treasure in 2024,[24] andDisney Destiny in 2025. A fourthWish-class ship is scheduled for delivery in 2027,[6] and a fifth vessel in 2029. The final ship will be owned and operated by Oriental Land Company, Disney's long-time partner and the owner and operator ofTokyo Disney Resort, and will be homeported in Tokyo.[25][26]
In 2022, Disney also acquired a partially completed cruise ship later namedDisney Adventure. Following extensive redesign and refurbishment, the vessel is scheduled to enter service in March 2026, homeported year-round in Singapore, marking Disney Cruise Line's first permanent deployment in Asia.
A second phase, announced in 2024, consists of three ships of a newly designed, unnamed class. These vessels, sized between the earlierMagic andDream classes, are scheduled to enter service in 2029, 2030, and 2031.[27][28]
In parallel with fleet expansion, Disney invested in port infrastructure and private destinations. In April 2022, the company announced plans to establish a secondary homeport facility atPort Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which opened in November 2023. Port Canaveral also underwent pier and terminal upgrades to accommodate larger ships.[17] Disney further expanded its portfolio of exclusive destinations with the development ofLookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on the island ofEleuthera in The Bahamas.[29] Announced in March 2019, the destination opened to guests in June 2024.
In February 2009,Karl Holz was appointed president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations, succeedingTom McAlpin.[30] Following a corporate reorganization in 2018, Disney Cruise Line and related offerings were grouped under theDisney Signature Experiences segment withinDisney Experiences, withJeff Vahle named president.[31]
In 2020, Vahle transitioned to leadWalt Disney World Resort, andThomas Mazloum was appointed president of Disney Signature Experiences.[32] In 2025, Mazloum became president ofDisneyland Resort, andJoe Schott was named president of Disney Signature Experiences.[33]
 Disney Cruise Line Terminal 8 at Port Canaveral | |
| Locale | Port Canaveral |
|---|---|
| Owner | Canaveral Port Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 1,160 ft (350 m) |
| History | |
| Opening date | July 30, 1998 |
| Coordinates | 28°24′47″N80°37′47″W / 28.413108579754674°N 80.62977801554493°W /28.413108579754674; -80.62977801554493 |
Port Canaveral's Cruise Terminal 8, located inCape Canaveral, Florida, serves as the primary homeport facility for Disney Cruise Line. The line homeportsDisney Fantasy,Disney Treasure, andDisney Magic at Terminal 8, whileDisney Wish is homeported at nearby Cruise Terminal 10, a shared-use terminal.[34]
The terminal building, owned by the Canaveral Port Authority and operated by Disney Cruise Line, measures 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) and includes passenger check-in, security screening, and boarding facilities, along with adjacent ground transportation infrastructure.[35]
In 2009, Disney Cruise Line negotiated an extension of its operating agreement with Port Canaveral through 2022, which included dock and terminal upgrades to accommodate newer vessels. In 2019, the parties reached a new 20-year agreement granting Disney exclusive use of Terminal 8 and partial use of Terminal 10.[36] In 2018, port officials approved studies to evaluate capacity upgrades at Terminal 8 and adjacent facilities in response to planned fleet growth.[37] In January 2019, the Canaveral Port Authority approved modernization work at Terminals 8 and 10 to support additional year-round ship deployments.[38]
 Cruise Terminal 4 at Port Everglades following renovation | |
| Locale | Port Everglades |
|---|---|
| Owner | Broward County |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 1,125 ft (343 m)[39] |
| History | |
| Renovated | November 20, 2023 |
| Coordinates | 26°05′46″N80°07′19″W / 26.09612041113019°N 80.12198191441779°W /26.09612041113019; -80.12198191441779 |
Port Everglades's Cruise Terminal 8, located inFort Lauderdale, Florida, serves as a secondary homeport facility for Disney Cruise Line. The terminal is scheduled to homeportDisney Destiny, along with a second vessel on a seasonal basis.
In April 2022, theBroward County Commission approved the conversion of Cruise Terminal 4 at Port Everglades into an additional homeport for Disney Cruise Line.[40] Passenger embarkation operations began on November 20, 2023.[41]
Cruise Terminal 4 is owned by Broward County and operated by Disney Cruise Line. The 104,162-square-foot (9,677.0 m2) facility includes passenger processing areas and is directly connected to the 1,818-space Heron Garage. Interior theming incorporates elements from theFinding Nemo franchise, and includes a public art installation,Coral Glow Persian Sconce Wall, byDale Chihuly.[42]
Under a long-term operating agreement, Disney Cruise Line is scheduled to base at least one vessel at Port Everglades on a year-round basis, with provisions for additional seasonal service.[43]
Disney's Castaway Cay is aprivate island inThe Bahamas that serves as an exclusive port of call for Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located nearGreat Abaco Island and was formerly known as Gorda Cay. In 1997, The Walt Disney Company acquired a99-year land lease from the Bahamian government, extending through 2096.
Castaway Cay was the first private island destination in the cruise industry designed to allow ships to dock directly at the island, eliminating the need for passengers to be tendered ashore.
The island remains largely undeveloped, with approximately 55 acres (22 ha) of its roughly 1,000 acres (400 ha) in active use. Daily operations are supported by approximately 140 permanent Disney Cruise Line employees based on the island.
Disney's Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is a privately owned cruise destination in The Bahamas that serves as an exclusive port of call for Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located on Lighthouse Point, a peninsula on the southeastern coast ofEleuthera near Bannerman Town. Unlike Castaway Cay, which is situated on a private island, Lookout Cay occupies a privately controlled peninsula that remains part of the larger, inhabited island of Eleuthera.
In March 2019, The Walt Disney Company purchased the Lighthouse Point property from the Bahamian government. The destination opened to guests on June 6, 2024, with theDisney Magic becoming the first Disney Cruise Line vessel to call at the port.
Like Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay was developed exclusively for Disney Cruise Line operations and is accessed solely by Disney vessels.
The cruise line has experienced some growth over the past several years, as depicted below.
| Year | Revenue market share | Passenger market share | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1.95% | 1.95% | [44] |
| 2015 | 2.4% | 2.8% | [45] |
| 2018 | 2.2% | 2.3% | [46] |
| 2021 | 2.7% | 2.2% | [47] |
| 2024 | 4.2% | 2.8% | [48] |
| 2025 | 3.9% | 3.1% | [49] |
Disney Cruise Line vessels incorporate stylistic references toocean liners of the early 20th-century, including long, low profiles and black hulls with red accents, which also reflect the colors associated withMickey Mouse. The vessels carry yellow lifeboats that match the color of Mickey's shoes rather than the standard safety orange, a choice that required a waiver under international maritime regulations.[50]
Disney Cruise Line began operations with theDisney Magic (1998) andDisney Wonder (1999), built byFincantieri in Italy. The fleet expanded with the largerDream-class ships,Disney Dream (2011) andDisney Fantasy (2012), constructed byMeyer Werft in Germany. Expansion continued in the 2020s with theWish-class vessels, beginning withDisney Wish (2022), followed byDisney Treasure (2024) andDisney Destiny (2025). In 2026, the line is scheduled to introduceDisney Adventure, acquired as a partially completed vessel and completed for Disney Cruise Line service. Two additionalWish-class and three smaller class ships are on order and are expected to enter service by 2031. All vessels areregistered inNassau, Bahamas.[51]
Most ships operate onlow-sulfur marine gas oil blended withhydrotreated vegetable oil, with theWish class usingliquefied natural gas.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
