Where Do Disney Cruise Line Ships Come From? | The Kingdom Insider

Disney Cruise Line sailings have been temporarily suspended and the 4 ships in their fleet are docked. The Disney Fantasy and Magic ships are in the Port Canaveral Anchorage. The Disney Dream is in Port Canaveral and the Disney Wonder is in San Diego. Let’s not forget, Disney is currently in the middle of building their 5th ship, the Disney Wish.

We know where the ships are, but where did they come from? The two key names you need to know are, Fincantieri and Meyer Werft. Both of these are shipyards who were commissioned by Disney Cruise Line to construct their fleet of ships.

Fincantieri is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, and in 2108, became the 4th largest in the world. The company builds both commercial and military vessels. Fincantieri is where the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder were built.

In 1995, Disney ordered the Magic to be built. Its port of registry is Nassau in the Bahamas and its total cost was $400 million dollars. The Magic was built in two halves with the bow built at Fincatieri’s Ancona shipyard and the stern at their Marghera shipyard. The bow was then towed to the Marghera shipyard where the halves were joined. Its maiden voyage was July 30, 1998, and its been in service ever since. 

Also ordered in 1995 was the Disney Wonder. Registered with the port of Nassau in the Bahamas, the ship was also built at Fincantieri Ship Yard and was completed in 1999. Its maiden voyage was in August and its been in service ever since.

Sister ships, the Dream and Fantasy were ordered by Disney in 2007 and built alongside each other at Meyer Weft Ship Yard.

Meyer Weft is one of the major German shipyards, headquartered in Papenburg at the river Ems. Founded in 1795 and starting with small wooden vessels, today Meyer Werft is a builder of luxury passenger ships. In fact, 700 ships of different types have been built at the yard.

The keel of Disney Dream was laid on August 19, 2009.On June 1, 2010, the final section of the ship, the bow, was put into its place, completing the exterior, with work continuing on the interior of the ship. Float-out took place on October 30, 2010, and Disney Dream had her maiden voyage on January 26, 2011. She’s been sailing ever since.

The Disney Fantasy cost $950 million to construct and its maiden voyage was March 31, 2012.

Also constructed at Meyer Werft, the Fantasy’s keel was laid on February 11, 2011. Disney Cruise Line president, Karl Holz, along with Minnie Mouse, officially placed a magic coin beneath the ship’s hull. The coin is identical to that which was placed beneath the Disney Dream, however, featured the hull number S688, and the date of the keel laying.

Interestingly enough, on December 9, 2011, Meyer Werft found several water lines open on the cruise ship. A total of 48 cabins were damaged at a cost of approximately $1 million dollars. 

The Disney Fantasy was floated out of the building dock on January 10, 2012, at Meyer Werft. Disney Fantasy was delivered to Disney Cruise Line on February 9, 2012, in Bremerhaven, Germany.

At the time of their completion, the Disney Dream and Fantasy were the largest ocean liners ever built in Germany.

The Disney Wish (and beyond)

Disney Cruise Line has once again, commissioned Meyer Werft with the construction of three new ships. The first will be delivered in 2021, Disney Wish. The Wish will be the first vessel in the Disney fleet to feature an eco-friendly LNG drive system.

Disney’s beloved princess, Rapunzel, will add a touch of magic to the luxury liner’s hull. The three ships are in the Triton Class, and the other two ships (yet to be named) will be delivered in 2022 and 2023.

The Wish’s steel cutting ceremony was set for March 22, 2020. However, with the current pandemic, it has not been confirmed if the ceremony took place. Usually these types of ceremonies receive press and media coverage, of a ceremony did take place, there was very little fan fare.

Disney Cruise Line will begin taking reservations for the Disney Wish in late 2020, with an inaugural launch set for January 2022.