Today, Disney announced the acquisition of a partially completed ship that will bring the magic of a Disney Cruise Line vacation to new global destinations. Disney will work with the esteemed Meyer Werft shipbuilding company to complete the cruise ship previously known as the Global Dream in Wismar, Germany. The ship will be renamed with certain features reimagined under the world-renowned expertise of Walt Disney Imagineers and is expected to set sail in 2025.
“Our cruise ships give us the unique opportunity to bring Disney magic to fans no matter where they are, and the addition of this ship will make a Disney Cruise Line vacation accessible to more families than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
The acquired Global Dream project will help Disney Cruise Line’s fleet to grow to 8 cruise ships and will not impact the 7th Triton Class cruise ship scheduled for after the launch of the Disney Treasure schedule for a 2024 launch.
The new ship, to be based outside the United States, will feature innovative Disney experiences along with the dazzling entertainment, world-class dining and legendary guest service that set Disney Cruise Line apart. The exterior will be adorned in the iconic, Mickey Mouse-inspired colors of the fleet, complete with signature red funnels.
The 208,000-gross-ton ship is expected to be among the first in the cruise industry to be fueled by green methanol, one of the lowest emission fuels available. Disney Cruise Line expects the passenger capacity to be approximately 6,000 with around 2,300 crew members.
Construction will be completed at the former MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, under the management of Meyer Werft, the Papenburg-based company that built the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish. The ship’s previous owner filed for bankruptcy before completing the vessel, enabling Disney Cruise Line to secure it at a favorable price and within the capital expenditure guidance The Walt Disney Company provided on its recent earnings call. The project also secures employment for hundreds of former MV Werften employees and will provide opportunities for numerous maritime industry suppliers in the region.
When the construction halted at MV Weften at the beginning of 2022, the 208,000 GT Global Dream was three quarters complete. The cruise ship, which measures 342 meters (1,122 feet) in length, beam of 46.4m (152ft 3in), with a 9.5m (31ft 2 in) draft. Originally, the ship was designed to carry 9000 passengers.
The Global Dream was originally ordered on March 3, 2016, with the keel laid on September 11, 2018
More details about the maiden voyage, itineraries and onboard experiences will be announced at a later date.
I hope they have a designer who has sailed on a ship before design this one as opposed to the Wish…….
Amen!!!
I couldn’t agree more. Wish was a huge disappointment for us. Terrible layout, ridiculously small pools, awkward arrangement of stations in Marceline Market, rock hard sofas in the staterooms…definitely a “one and done” for us.
200% agreed! Once was enough for me!
Will this be ship #8 or are they going to cancel the third Triton class ship?
Will help the fleet expand to 8 ships.
Should have read it slower, I see this will be #8. Based outside the US makes me think they will finally break into the Asian cruise market.
That’s where this ship was supposed to be based anyway. Makes sense.
That is a monster of a ship that might eat up DCL in the end. Way too big to offer a premium product
I really hope they create some kind of subsidiary for this and don’t make this 6 funneled monster and instead make it closer to its original design under a different company centered around the Asian market.
NO! I was really hoping this was just a rumor. I think this is a (literally) HUGE mistake. How can they put the quality of theming we’re used to on a ship this massive? I have zero interest in this. I would prefer they build more ships the size of the Wonder and Magic. I LOVE those ships. I’m guessing it will cruise out of Asia – they can keep it!
I would also love to see a new build closer to the size of the Magic-class.
@ Heather and Scott, I agree 100%
i’m willing to bet they got a “GREAT” deal on this hull since it’s been sitting around with nowhere to go. Maybe saving a few bucks on construction will allow for lower sailing rates… and I realize how stupid that sounds as I type it. LOL!
Off to Asia (China?) and will cater for that market. Casino taking a good portion of the space.
Casino is being removed, according to the news article released in Germany.
Where will it’s itinerary’s be
Too big for my tastes!
The interesting thing to me is that Disney is going to have a single ship in their fleet that isn’t like the others and that they didn’t get to spec out. With the target sailing market also being separate from the rest of DCL, this acquisition will result in what I expect to be a very different experience from the rest of DCL. (And the opportunity for a sibling ship is lost since the Global’s sister ship wasn’t as far along and is already nearly fully scrapped out.)
I’m betting they will keep it in the Asis market as it makes sense of the ship as it was designed for that area and market. I’m betting $1.00 to a dozen donuts it will stay over in Asia and wouldn’t come to the US waters for a while. Good move Disney buying a cruise ship on the clearance rack.