Disney Cruise Line has confirmed that it will build a fourth Wish-class ship before moving to a new, smaller class design.
Disney Cruise Line Planning Smaller Class of Cruise Ships
As reported by Seatrade Cruise News, these are the first details released for Disney Cruise Line’s four new builds contracted at Meyer Werft last August.
The fourth 144,000gt (gross tonnage), liquified natural gas (LNG)-powered Wish-class ship will have a capacity for 4,000 passengers and is set to come in 2027. Three new vessels will follow it in 2029, 2030, and 2031, coming in at 100,000gr with a capacity for 3,000 passengers.
This new class will be 20% larger than the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, but smaller than the Dream and Wish classes. The new class of chips will not use LNG, but will be able to run on a variety of fuels, including renewable methanol and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), while also staying adaptable to other fuel options that become available.
Disney also said that the new class will be among the lightest cruise ships of their size, saving fuel with next-generation power, a streamlined hull, and propulsion systems, among other energy optimizations. The ships will also have a battery system to support and supplement the main engines; when in port, the ships can shut down their engines and utilize shore power.
As we expand our fleet, it is important that we continue to provide a variety of experiences for our guests. Families enjoy the diversity of vacations we offer, from our classic vessels to our Wish-class ships.
They also expect to explore a broad range of destinations, including those that prefer to host smaller ships.
At the same time, we are focused on implementing new technology and designs that align with our longstanding committment to the environment.
Thomas Mazloum, president, New Experiences Portfolio & Disney Signature Experiences
Per Philip Gennotte, portfolio project management executive, Walt Disney Imagineering, said that Imagineers are “dreaming up this new class of ships to be as fuel and energy efficient as possible,” and that “guests will see the difference — from a more hydrodynamic design to lighter materials and energy-efficient technology throughout […] We’re very proud to continue to support Disney’s broader environmental goals, now and into the future.”
The Disney Cruise Line fleet currently offers six vessels:
- Disney Magic
- Disney Wonder
- Disney Fantasy
- Disney Dream
- Disney Wish
- Disney Treasure
That number will increase to 13 by 2031 with the addition of the upcoming Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure in 2025, the new, smaller class of three ships, and the Wish-class ship to be operated by Oriental Land Co. expected for 2029.
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