Following the fourth Wish Class ship's debut in 2027, Disney Cruise Line will launch three smaller vessels that can access more ports of call and support the company's environmental goals.
Cruise news is typically dominated by mega-ships like Icon of the Seas. However, the brand-new class will include three ships measuring around 100,000 gross registered tons (GRT) with a capacity of 3,000 passengers, Seatrade Cruise News reported. This means they'll be larger than Disney Magic and Wonder.
Disney initially announced four new builds with Meyer Werft in August. However, they hadn't disclosed any ship statistics or plans.
Disney Treasure is among the largest cruise ships built for the family-friendly cruise line. However, Disney plans to launch its largest ship in 2025, though it wasn't built specifically for them.
Disney Adventure was ordered by Genting Hong Kong. The Global Class ship was scrapped when the company filed for bankruptcy, which was then purchased by Disney Cruise Line for its Asian market.
The ship will measure around 208,000 GRT when completed. In comparison, Disney's largest ships currently measure around 144,000 GRT, while the smallest, Disney Magic and Wonder, come in at around 83,000 GRT.
Bigger isn't always better, though. Large vessels can't access certain ports of call. Many cruisers prefer the intimacy of smaller ships, too.
Disney claims the new ships won't run on LNG (liquefied natural gas). Instead, they'll use various fuels, including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and renewable methanol.
They also want the ships to remain adaptable to additional fuel options that become available to the cruise industry in the future.
Read more: I sailed on my first Disney cruise. I loved the Broadway-style shows but didn't enjoy all the food
Disney is "dreaming up this new class of ships to be as fuel and energy efficient as possible," said Philip Gennotte, Portfolio Project Management Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering.
He claims guests will "see the difference — from a more hydrodynamic design to lighter materials and energy-efficient technology throughout."
Norwegian's new Prima Class isn't the line's largest
Disney isn't the first cruise line to introduce a new ship class with vessels smaller than its existing ships.
Norwegian's Prima Class is smaller than the cruise line's Breakaway Plus Class. Norwegian Prima, for instance, measures 142,500 GRT. The highly-anticipated Norwegian Aqua will be a little larger, coming in at 156,300 GRT.
In comparison, Norwegian Encore, the largest ship in the fleet, is 169,116 GRT.
Royal Caribbean has also alluded to a brand-new smaller ship class
Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley has acknowledged that most of the cruise line's smallest ships are aging. Vision of the Seas, for example, launched in 1998, whereas Radiance of the Seas entered service in 2001.
The ships show their age compared to newer counterparts like Icon of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas. However, while these vessels aren't the flashiest at sea, they are loved by many guests due to their charm and intimate experience.
Bayley's alluded to the Royal Caribbean team working on a new, smaller ship class. Details, however, need to be finalized before anything can be formally announced. Don't worry, though. The popular cruise line still plans on adding more massive Icon Class ships to its fleet, starting with Star of the Seas in 2025.
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Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
