Disney first dipped its glass slipper into cruising in 1998, with the addition of Disney Cruise Line (DCL) to the company's global portfolio. Less than six years from now, the brand will have expanded its magical fleet to 13 ships sailing from ports around the world.
On July 30, 1998, Disney Magic set sail on her maiden voyage, launching DCL and introducing cruisers to Disney's unique brand of magic at sea. Magic was followed by Disney Wonder in 1999 (together, they are known as the Magic class), Disney Dream in 2011 and Disney Fantasy in 2012 (the Dream class).
In 2022, DCL introduced the larger Wish vessels, which were designed to provide more immersive and innovative experiences for passengers — including Disney Wish (2022), Disney Treasure (2024) and Disney Destiny (2025) — ushering in the line’s current growth spurt.
Wish-class ships were designed to provide a more immersive and innovative experience for passengers.
Credit: 2025 Samantha Davis-Friedman
Disney Adventure (a Global-class ship built initially for Genting Hong Kong) will set sail from Singapore in 2026, followed by an unnamed fourth Wish-class ship in 2027 and an additional Wish-class ship launching in 2029 through an agreement with Tokyo Disney Resort owner Oriental Land Company (OLC). By 2031, the Disney Cruise Line fleet will consist of 13 ships, including a new class, which will be larger than the Magic class but smaller than the Dream and Wish classes.
“This is the most expansive period in our history,” said Yolanda Cade, vice president of communications and public affairs for Disney Signature Experiences. “We will be able to find a fit for every person's needs and offer the stories that match the experience they want to have in 13 different ways by 2031, which is really compelling — and it's not that far away.”
We will be able to find a fit for every person's needs and offer the stories that match the experience they want to have in 13 different ways by 2031.
The expansion of Disney Cruise Line is running in tandem with the expansion of Disney’s portfolio, which now includes not only Disney stories and characters but also those from Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. Disney theme parks have also made their way onboard, with the debut of the Haunted Mansion Parlor; Periscope Pub, inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attractions; and the Skipper Society lounge, themed to the Jungle Cruise, all on Disney Treasure. Clients sailing on Disney Destiny can revisit the haunts in the parlor, as well as party with Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Cask & Cannon pub.
Nowadays, the "Disney difference" on DCL is not only the high level of service, but also the onboard spaces and experiences designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative team behind Disney's theme parks.
Clients can party with Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Cask & Cannon pub.
Credit: 2025 Disney Cruise Line“If you think of Disney Cruise Line as a storybook — and each of the ships as a chapter in that book — each time you step onboard a new ship, you're starting a new chapter,” Cade said. "I love that Imagineering is really making the ships unique by having that storytelling in all of the new spaces, as well as all the returning favorites that people fell in love with."
If you think of Disney Cruise Line as a story book — and each of the ships as a chapter in that book — each time you step onboard a new ship, you're starting a new chapter.
Disney Destiny Sets a New Standard for Onboard Storytelling
Disney Cruise Line’s seventh ship, Disney Destiny, is themed to heroes and villains. Cade describes villains as "misunderstood heroes" and notes that this duality is not only a unique lens for DCL storytelling, but also provided an opportunity for Imagineers to tell different Disney stories in new ways — in many cases, for the first time onboard a Disney ship.
“It really makes sense for our business that our guests want to see new stories and connect in different ways,” Cade said.
Key to the storytelling on Disney Destiny are innovative — and sometimes intimate — character-driven interactions with iconic Disney villains, such as Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Dr. Facilier (the voodoo magician from “The Princess and the Frog") and Loki, the God of Mischief from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These "meet and play" opportunities allow clients to get up close and personal with villains who, until now, have not been invited to most shipboard experiences, let alone showcased. The mysterious experience inside Dr. Facilier's Parlor has a sophisticated — and even slightly sinister — vibe. But have no fear, the heroic Spider-Man, Hercules, Hero Minnie and Marvel's Dr. Strange are protecting cruise passengers onboard.
The mysterious experience inside Dr. Facilier’s Parlor has a slightly sinister vibe.
Credit: 2025 Disney Cruise LineWhile new ships and stories will undoubtedly attract new cruisers, Cade notes that clients who have been cruising with DCL since Disney Magic have already seen firsthand how the evolution of storytelling has enhanced what they love about a Disney cruise. And imaginative dining, incredible onboard and onshore experiences and world-class service are all elements, she says, that will “always be there, even as the stories evolve.”
“The Disney brand makes such an emotional connection with our guests; it's part of so many of our memories and the way that we connect,” Cade said. “No one [else] delivers that kind of value holistically in a cruise experience. That is the Disney difference. And there will be even more opportunities for clients to experience it.”
