Disney Cruise #8, came as a bit of a surprise with the November 16, 2022 acquisition announcement of the partially completed Global Dream vessel after the previous owner fell in to bankruptcy before completing the vessel. Disney Cruise Line was able to secure the project at a favorable price and within the capital expenditure guidance The Walt Disney Company provided on its recent earnings call.
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.
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
Click here for the announcement.
It was reported Disney purchased the partially completed ‘Global Dream’ through insolvency for €40 Million with estimates of €1 Billion to complete.
Ship Stats
- Ship’s Registry:
- Gross Tonnage: 208,000 tons | Length: 1,122 feet | Beam: 152ft 3in feet | Draft: 31ft 2 in feet | Height: TBA feet
- Speed – Cruising: TBA knots • Max: TBA knots
- Capacity – Passenger: 6000 • Crew: 2300
- Passenger Decks – TBA
- Staterooms – Total: About TBA | Inside: TBA | Outside – Verandah: TBA Ocean View: TBA
Fun Facts
- Lobby Statue: TBA
- Godmother: TBA
- Christened: TBA
- Maiden Voyage: TBA – 2025
- Ship Builder: Meyer Werft (Wismar, Germany)
- Hull Number:
Itineraries
To be announced…