Thread: Disney Announces Names for New Cruise Ships: Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy

CELEBRATION, Fla. (March 10, 2009) – Today at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of The Walt Disney Company, Disney announced the names of the company’s two new cruise ships.

“Last week, steel cutting began on our next two Disney cruise ships. Today I’m pleased to announce their names,” said Robert A. Iger, Disney president and CEO. “The Disney Dream will set sail in 2011, while the Disney Fantasy will hit the high seas in 2012.”

Similar to the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the names were chosen to celebrate Disney’s unique heritage of creating enchanting places and stories where dreams really do come true.

“The names are very telling of our brand and are part of our history,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. “Disney is known for making dreams come true, and for creating worlds of fantasy that go beyond the imagination. The names are a natural choice for our ships.”

As noted, Disney Cruise Line began construction on the new ships with a steel cutting ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The first piece of steel cut was part of the art deco inspired scrollwork that will grace the bow of the ships. Similar to the scrollwork on the existing Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the intricate pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s, with added touches of Disney whimsy.

Since finalizing a contract with the Meyer Werft shipyard to build the two new ships, Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney Imagineering have created a truly distinctive design. Over the next few years, construction will continue, bringing the design to reality, with the Disney Dream scheduled for delivery in 2011 and the Disney Fantasy in 2012.

The new ships will be purpose built with families in mind, and specially designed areas and activities for each member of the family to allow for both quality time together and wonderful individual experiences. The focus is to provide a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and kids can immerse themselves in worlds only Disney can create.

The expansion will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will each be 128,000 tons.

Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are both very good names and fits right in with the Disney product.

I'm sure the new ships will be just as popular as the 2 already sailing in the Disney fleet.

Too bad the names are already the names of other cruise ships sailing other lines! It has gotten to the point where ships have to carry the line name as part of the "official" name of the ship....such as Carnival Dream and Carnival Fantasy.

I was just thinking the samea thing... the same word just keep getting recycled for cruise ship names. NCL has also used Dream, and Fantasy has been used by more thatn one other line, too.

Of course, Dream and Fantasy are, as you pointed out, both very appropriate for the Disney brand.

Maybe that's why. But, surely there are words enough for some originality once in a while.

Here's a rendering I found of the new ships.

Is a Disney Cruise in your opinion worth the hefty price tag? I have never been on one but my brother is considering of planning a family cruise in 2 years and wants to know about doing it on a disney ship...his kids are not Disney obsessed and enjoy Carnival's camp program, so would they like Disney much better? Just looking for your honest opinions...

I just don't know . . especially if thekids are not real enchanted with Disney. (Different story if the were, I guess)

Although, I Do find their approach to dining quite intriguing ...

I can tell you this - Our Son and DIL went on one of the DCL Inaugural sailings, and had a fabulous time - they really loved Castaway Cay. (They actually left the kids home!)

I am definitely interested...I saw that they rotate your dining location each night but you keep the same servers and tablemates-that seems cool...would want to try the new one...maybe one day when I find a special deal

Originally Posted by Char

I'm sure the new ships will be just as popular as the 2 already sailing in the Disney fleet.

Too bad the names are already the names of other cruise ships sailing other lines! It has gotten to the point where ships have to carry the line name as part of the "official" name of the ship....such as Carnival Dream and Carnival Fantasy.

Originally Posted by canarymoon

I was just thinking the samea thing... the same word just keep getting recycled for cruise ship names. NCL has also used Dream, and Fantasy has been used by more thatn one other line, too.

Of course, Dream and Fantasy are, as you pointed out, both very appropriate for the Disney brand.

Maybe that's why. But, surely there are words enough for some originality once in a while.

Great minds think alike. The first thing that popped into my head when I read the names...