Credit: DisneyDisney Cruise Line is chartering a new path.
Not content with a burgeoning theme park empire, Michael Eisner guided The Walt Disney Company onto new waters in the 1990s when he established Disney Cruise Line as a part of something he envisaged as the “Disney Decade.”
The company was officially launched in 1996, with its inaugural cruise setting sail in 1998. It began with the Disney Magic, which introduced a blend of Disney’s trademark entertainment and traditional cruise experiences. Disney Cruise Line’s fleet expanded in 1999 with the Disney Wonder, designed to offer similar features but with unique design elements and itineraries.
Since then, the Disney Cruise Line has expanded its fleet massively. As of 2024, guests can still board the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, as well as Disney’s newer ships, the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish.
In December 2024, the Disney Treasure will join this fleet and set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, for the first time.
Larger than Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, this contains a water coaster at sea called the AquaMouse, the Walt Disney Theatre (which hosts “The Tale of Moana,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Disney Seas the Adventure”), and five immersive restaurants: 1923, Worlds of Marvel, Plaza de Coco, PALO Steakhouse, and Enchanté (the latter two of which are only for adults).
As if the Disney Treasure wasn’t exciting enough, the Disney Adventure – a ship based in Singapore – will also enter service at some point in 2025, in addition to yet another Florida-based ship: the Disney Destiny.
Disney has been on a sharing spree lately about the Disney Destiny, revealing some of the exciting details that will await guests on the cruise ship from December 2025. The first (and arguably biggest) revelation was that this ship is primarily Marvel-themed, featuring characters from all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Sharon Siskie, senior vice president and general manager of the Disney Cruise Line, explained in a statement Disney’s rationale for choosing Marvel superheroes as the inspiration for the Disney Destiny.
The Disney Destiny is all about celebrating the bold, charismatic, and driven characters at the heart of our favorite stories. And who are our beloved heroes without the antagonists who challenge them to prevail? We want our guests to have fun with the unique theme of this ship, and we are having a blast creating spaces and entertainment experiences that pay tribute to the villains, anti-heroes, and mischief makers who have captivated Disney film and theme park audiences for generations.
As part of this Marvel theming, guests will be able to dine at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant, where a dinner show will star the Guardians of the Galaxy. A separate lounge will be inspired by the Sanctum Sanctorum, the New York home of Doctor Strange. In the Wakanda-themed lobby, guests will be met with a Black Panther statue, while the “Destiny Tower suite” will be inspired by Iron Man.
Unsurprisingly, the theme also extends to the hull of the ship, which will feature Spider-Man and his Spider-Bots (the tiny robotic arachnids featured in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park and Walt Disney Studios Park).
For the first time ever, a Marvel character will be on the stern of a Disney Cruise Line Ship: Spider-Man and his Spider-Bots will be showcased on the stern of the Disney Destiny, launching in December 2025. #disneycruiseline
For the first time ever, a Marvel character will be on the stern of a Disney Cruise Line Ship: Spider-Man and his Spider-Bots will be showcased on the stern of the Disney Destiny, launching in December 2025. #disneycruiseline pic.twitter.com/X7XpAHKWXR
— Brooke Geiger McDonald (@BrookeGMcDonald) August 1, 2024
This marks a historic first for the Disney Cruise Line. While characters always adorn the hull of the ship, this is the first time in the Disney Cruise Line’s 29 years that these characters have heralded from anything but an animated Disney movie. Past characters given the honor of adorning the front of a Disney Cruise Line vessel include Goofy, Donald Duck, Sorcerer Mickey, Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Rapunzel.
If you’re worried about the ship being a Marvel overload, however, we have some good news. Of the many, many details unveiled for the Disney Destiny, a handful have nothing to do with the MCU.
The ship’s bars, for example, will be themed to Cruella de Vil, the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean (seemingly the ride, not the movie franchise starring Johnny Depp). A separate dining experience will be inspired by The Lion King (1994), while a candy store named Edna Á La Mode Sweets takes its cues from The Incredibles (2004).
What’s your favorite ship on the Disney Cruise Line?