Disney’s cruise line goes massive in Asia.
This month, the corporate’s eighth and largest ship, the Disney Journey, will embark on its maiden voyage, carrying passengers on three- and four-night journeys at sea from its berth in Singapore.
The vessel accommodates a whopping 6,700 passengers, round two-thirds extra capability than Disney’s Want class ships, that are the Disney Want, the Disney Treasure and the Disney Future. The Journey may also carry round 2,500 crew members, about 1,000 greater than on the Want class ships.
“It takes a village to have the ability to assist the kind of service that we’re identified for,” Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences, advised CNBC.
The Disney Journey units sail at a time of fast enlargement for Disney’s cruise line. It’s certainly one of six vessels set to hitch the fleet by 2031. It is also emblematic of the corporate’s international aspirations, which coincides with a pointy decline in worldwide guests venturing to the USA.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse pose in entrance of the Disney Journey.
Disney
Whereas tourism grew worldwide final yr, the USA was the one main vacation spot to see a drop in overseas guests, in response to the World Journey & Tourism Council. Total, worldwide journey to the U.S. fell 6%, the group discovered. That decline continued into 2026, as January’s numbers had been down 4.8% in contrast with the identical month a yr prior.
Journey bans, visa charges and invasive searches at ports of entry are all contributing to worldwide vacationers leaving the USA off their journey itineraries, in response to the WTTC. Commerce frictions, geopolitical unease and security considerations have additionally contributed to the drop in demand for journey stateside, journey specialists advised CNBC.
Nonetheless, Disney’s home theme parks drive round two-thirds of income in its experiences division, which incorporates parks, cruises, resorts and client merchandise. Worldwide locations account for round one-fifth of income.
Increasing its fleet to new ports permits Disney to entice company that will not have in any other case been in a position to enterprise to its theme parks or get on board certainly one of its cruise ships. And Asia is a quickly rising market.
A complete new market
Disney isn’t any stranger to the Asian market. It already has a powerful footprint of theme parks and resorts in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
“Now we have a extremely sturdy presence already up within the the northern a part of Asia,” Schott stated. “However, I feel as you concentrate on the southeast a part of Asia, we do not actually have a bodily presence. So, this can be a nice method to actually have the ability to join an entire lot of folks that have not had the chance to do a bodily Disney expertise earlier than.”
The cruise business, specifically, in Asia has been in a state of fast development within the wake of the pandemic. In 2024, the area accounted for two.6 million cruise passengers, a 13% enhance from the earlier yr, in response to knowledge from the Cruise Traces Worldwide Affiliation.
“Previous to 2024 we had been actually seeing an increase within the disposable revenue and the revenue ranges of Southeast Asian vacationers,” stated Dulani Porter, government vp and associate at Spark, a inventive company that works with hospitality and tourism manufacturers. “And so it was a really, essential marketplace for any worldwide tourism group.”
That is the place the Disney Journey is available in.
Initially destined to be a floating on line casino, the ship went up on the market half manner by way of its development when its dad or mum firm, Genting Hong Kong, went bankrupt in 2022. Disney swooped in and acquired it.
“I feel this was a terrific alternative, as a result of if we hadn’t acquired the ship the best way we did, we would not be going into this market as quickly as we’re,” stated Bruce Vaughn, president and chief inventive officer of Walt Disney Imagineering. “And that is a terrific factor.”
Beforehand, all of Disney’s cruise ships have left from home ports in Florida earlier than touring to worldwide locations. Within the case of the Journey, the ship is the vacation spot. Stationed in Singapore, the vessel will voyage totally at sea, with no port calls.
And Disney says demand is already there. Disney’s cruises are already 80% booked for fiscal 2026, Schott stated.
A ‘model ambassador’
The Disney Journey’s dimension is not the one factor that units it other than the remainder of the fleet. The ship has been tailor-made for customers in Asia.
“Because the ship goes to be devoted to Singapore and that market, we additionally wished to be sure that we tackle what we thought can be distinctive to them,” stated Vaughn.
This got here within the type of choosing franchises and characters which might be well-liked within the area, designing leisure and rest areas catered to native tastes and offering a various number of menus throughout its eating places.
“We’re trying ahead to servicing a brand-new viewers,” Schott stated. “In that respect, the ship is a model ambassador.”
Visitors on board the Journey shall be immersed in Disney’s greater than 100 years of storytelling with character meet-and-greets in addition to themed procuring and leisure areas.
Located in the midst of the ship is a deck designed to appear to be a avenue from San Fransokyo, the fictional metropolis in “Large Hero 6.” The world is dwelling to arcade video games impressed by the film, a duplicate of the Fortunate Cat Cafe owned and operated by Aunt Cass in addition to 4 film theaters and devoted tween and teenage areas.
A view of San Fransokyo avenue aboard the Disney Journey.
Disney
The road additionally options the first-ever Duffy and Mates retailer at sea and a Nationwide Geographic store. Disney executives advised CNBC that these manufacturers are extremely well-liked with customers within the area.
Duffy the Disney Bear is a personality that was developed initially for a merchandise line at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs, however gained consideration when it was delivered to Tokyo just a few years later. Within the final 20 years, Duffy has been joined by seven different stuffed animal buddies and has develop into one of many bestselling merchandise strains for the corporate.
In 2023, Disney reported the character generated $500 million in gross sales yearly.
Disney characters in conventional Han costumes carry out on the stage throughout a particular version of “Having fun with the Moon with Duffy and Mates” occasion celebrating the Mid-Autumn Competition on the Shanghai Disney Resort on September 17, 2024 in Shanghai, China.
Vcg | Visible China Group | Getty Photos
In designing the Disney Journey, the corporate was additionally acutely aware of native traditions. For a lot of in Asia, holidays aren’t only for a nuclear household, however for prolonged household and even massive teams of buddies.
“I feel one of many greatest distinctions that I am seeing with South Asian cultures [is] journey actually is about spending extra time collectively,” Porter stated. “To not generalize, however North American cruisers will select cruising as a result of the children can go do their factor and the mother and father can go do their factor, all contained right into a ship.
“For Asian vacationers, that could be a very significant time spent collectively, the place the grandparents and the children and the mother and father and the grandparents, everyone is absolutely attempting to maximise all of that point collectively,” she stated.
Each Vaughn and Schott detailed layers of experiences out there to cruise company that cater to completely different age ranges, each youngsters and youngsters at coronary heart.
There’s Marvel Touchdown on the higher deck of the ship that incorporates a rollercoaster, a spinning attraction and car-chase journey all impressed by The Avengers. In the identical space is a sundeck, infinity pool and a bar.
Wayfinder Bay is an open-air space with amphitheater-like seating that doubles as a efficiency venue. And there is D Lounge, which options a variety of non-public karaoke rooms.
“We have had to consider that fairly extensively in our parks within the area … multigenerational journey is simply a part of the formulation,” stated Schott.
Additionally a part of the formulation is Disney’s eating expertise.
Aboard the Disney Journey, company could have an eclectic number of meals and drinks to attempt, with an emphasis on flavors which might be well-liked within the area.
The Disney Journey could have burgers and traditional American fare at Sew’s Ohana Grill, bubble teas on the Ursula-inspired Bewitching Boba and Brews, in addition to pitas and kebabs on the Ms. Marvel-inspired Cosmic Kebabs.
There may even be Indian delicacies at Mowgli’s Eatery and Polynesian-inspired fare at Gramma Tala’s Kitchen.
Rotational eating can be featured on the cruise ship, a staple of Disney’s service.
Whereas passengers have the choice to seize quick-service meals and snacks all through the ship, a number of of its eating places are included in a prescheduled eating plan. Visitors have reservations for every of those themed eating places and rotate by way of them throughout their cruise.
Disney rotates the restaurant workers, too, to comply with every group of passengers to their scheduled restaurant. Because of this, company have the identical servers, busboys and restaurant managers all through their journey, and the waitstaff will get to know the company — and their preferences.
“I feel on the finish of the day, this entry into the market must be a extremely sturdy one for us,” Schott stated. “So we’re trying ahead to actually having the ability to ship the Disney-level of service at a unprecedented degree.”
