Disney said it would build another four new cruise ships between 2027 and 2031, joining its current fleet of five and four on order, and bringing its fleet count to 13 ships.
The news came during the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase and the company said that the ship names, designs, and itineraries were still in development.
A formal announcement is expected shortly.
The Disney Magic and Wonder, the line’s two initial newbuilds, joined the fleet in 1998 and 1999, respectively, and were built at Fincantieri in Italy.
Subsequent ships were all built at Meyer Werft in Germany, and the company’s upcoming orderbook is being handled by the German yard.
The line’s most recent new cruise ship, the 2,500-guest Disney Wish, launched service in 2022. The Disney Treasure is next, sailing later this year.
The Allure of the Seas is set for a $100 million upgrade in April 2025, Royal Caribbean International announced in a press release.
The refurbishment, which is part of the company’s Royal Amplified refit program, will see the creation of new venues and features onboard.
For a complete picture of the drydock market, see the 2024 Drydock and Refurb Report by Cruise Industry News.
According to Royal Caribbean, after the update, the Allure of the Seas will offer more than 35 ways to dine and drink, as well as new bars, a new water park and upgraded pool decks.
The 2010-built vessel will also see the creation of new suites, as well as Royal Caribbean’s signature Ultimate Abyss slide.
The refurbishment will be completed ahead of the ship’s summer program in the Western Mediterranean, the company added.
Between April and October 2025, the newly amplified ship is scheduled to offer seven-night cruises to Spain, Italy and France.
“From the new Icon and Utopia of the Seas to now the more than $100 million transformation of Allure of the Seas, we’ve upped the ante threefold on the different ways vacationers can get away and make memories with Royal Caribbean,” said Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer, Royal Caribbean International.
“Allure will be reimagined with the best of Royal Caribbean and what travellers love. Between new favourites, like the Pesky Parrot tiki bar, and experiences that unlock core memories time and time again, from an incredible pool deck to an unmatched combination of thrills and ways to chill, Allure will have even more of everything that makes it standout favourite,” he added.
First introduced in 2018, the Royal Amplified program included significant refurbishments onboard Voyager-, Freedom- and Oasis-class ships.
After debuting its new features in Europe, the Allure of the Seas is set to return to the United States in November 2025 for a series of six- to eight-night cruises to the Caribbean departing from Fort Lauderdale.
Starting November 7, Marella Cruises will homeport the Marella Discovery 2 in Malaga, Spain for a series of winter sailings before heading to Tenerife and Gran Canaria in December 2024.
The ship was previously slated to sail in Asia.
These itineraries go on sale on May 23.
Chris Hackney, managing director of Cruise for TUI UK & I said: “We are delighted to offer these itineraries out of two of our well-established homeports for this winter. We know guests love the beautiful Canaries and Madeira and as Marella Cruises is part of TUI, we can offer incredible experiences ashore with our destination teams as well as a great onboard experience too. All of these itineraries offer cruise and stay options too, with great flying options across various UK airports.”
“We do appreciate how disappointing it was to those customers who were impacted by the cancellation of our Asia program on Marella Discovery 2, but we are confident with the breadth of the program we have to offer something different to our customers.”
From Malaga, Spain, Marella will offer two itineraries:
Spanish Flavours, departing from November 7, 2024, with visits to Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Valencia, Cartegena, Gibraltar and porting in Malaga.
Sights and Delights, departing from November 14, 2024, visiting Malaga, Lisbon, Portugal, Cadiz, Casablanca, Cartagena, Motril and Malaga, Spain.
From Tenerife, the Marella Discovery 2 will also offer two new itineraries:
Winter Escape, departing November 28, 2024, with visits to Malaga, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
Sail into Spring, departing on March 24, 2025, visiting Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Cartagena, Malta and Limassol, Cyprus.
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