The Disney fleet is expanding.
Next month, the Disney Treasure cruise ship will make its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Caribbean, officially becoming the sixth ship in the company’s lineup.
The Treasure, which is 221 feet tall and 1,119 feet long, can carry 4,000 passengers and 1,555 crew members. Like Disney’s other cruise ships, the Treasure features themed dining, curated lounges and premium on-board live entertainment.
As the Treasure sets sail, Disney, too, is embarking on its own journey. The company, which hadn’t launched a new ship in a decade prior to the Disney Wish’s debut in mid-2022, is entering an era of rapid expansion.
Disney’s fleet will double by 2031, with two ships arriving in 2025 — the Disney Destiny and the Disney Adventure — followed by four additional Disney-branded vessels and a partnership with Oriental Land Company to bring Disney’s cruise vacations to Japan.
“Disney Cruise Line is going through an unprecedented period of growth,” said Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney’s new experiences portfolio and Disney signature experiences. “The demand that we’re seeing right now for Disney Cruise Line is very strong. We’re a premium brand, occupancy is high, and frankly, the business is doing really, really well.”
Disney cruises are part of the company’s experiences division, alongside parks, resorts and consumer products. According to the company’s earnings report on Thursday, the division posted record revenue and profit for fiscal 2024, with revenue up 5% for the full year to $34.15 billion and operating income up 4% to $9.27 billion.
The experiences segment was the second-highest revenue driver for Disney last year behind its entertainment division, which tallied $41.18 billion in fiscal 2024. However, the entertainment segment’s operating profits were smaller, just $3.92 billion.
Full-year revenue growth in experiences was the strongest of any Disney division, and the company expects to see 6% to 8% profit growth for experiences in fiscal 2025.
Disney has become a leader in the family cruising space, despite its relatively small number of ships. For comparison, the three largest cruise lines are Carnival, with more than 100 vessels, Royal Caribbean, with more than 40, and Norwegian Cruise Line, with around 30.
Disney is considered slightly more expensive than Carnival and Royal Caribbean for base pricing, but if guests choose to upgrade to larger cabins or add food packages or experiences to their itineraries, the prices are quite similar.
Disney’s Treasure offers seven-night cruises starting at $4,277 for two guests and $6,994 for a family of four. These prices increase if travelers select cruises tied to Halloween or Christmas.
What sets Disney apart is its innovations in cruising and its focus on storytelling, said Gavin Doyle, founder of MickeyVisit.com.
“Disney redefined the cruising space when they entered, and that was in the way they were designing the ships in a guest-centric way that they serviced people on board, and also the beloved characters and intellectual properties that they can integrate,” he said.
Doyle noted that Disney accommodates diners using “rotational dining” on its cruise ships. Passengers don’t eat in one large mess hall — they are prescheduled to dine at different themed restaurants. Disney rotates the restaurant staff, too, to follow each group of passengers to their scheduled restaurant. In so doing, guests have the same servers, busboys and restaurant managers throughout their trip, and the waitstaff gets to know the guests — and their preferences.
“They’re able to just deliver this level of customer service that does feel like magic,” Doyle said.
While there are traditional amenities onboard the Treasure that are staples on cruise lines — upscale restaurants, pools, spas and gaming rooms for kids — Disney has integrated storytelling into these services to elevate them for guests.
Its dinnertime restaurants are immersive and feature live entertainment. Plaza de Coco, the first theatrical dining experience themed to the 2017 film “Coco,” invites guests to gather at Mariachi Plaza for a festive meal and music.
Meanwhile, over at Worlds of Marvel, guests will experience two different shows, one called “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” and the other “Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix.”
The high-tech venue has a number of screens for diners to tune in to during their meal to experience the heroic adventures.
There is also 1923, a restaurant named after the founding year of Walt Disney Animation Studios. This location is a bit more subdued and upscale. It features a collection of exploration-themed artwork from modern and classic animated films.
In addition to the three main family restaurants, the Treasure has a number of places for casual dining and to grab quick bites during the journey. Those with a sweet tooth can head to Jumbeaux’s Sweets, which is based on the ice cream parlor from Disney’s “Zootopia.”
The Treasure also features some adult-exclusive dining locations for those traveling without kids or looking for a night away.
Palo Steakhouse and Enchante are upscale restaurants inspired by “Beauty and the Beast” and feature gourmet Italian and French menus. The Rose, a chic lounge at the entrance to the two restaurants, has pre-dinner aperitifs and after-dinner cocktails.
The Disney Treasure marks the first time that Disney has brought intellectual properties from its parks to one of its ships.
The Haunted Mansion Parlor is a bar that features ghostly design elements from the famed attraction as well as spirit-filled cocktails, mocktails and zero-proof beverages.
“Walt Disney World has been around 50 years,” said Mazloum. “Disneyland even longer. Many of our guests over the years have been growing up by coming to our parks and over time you have these iconic attractions and experiences … Our Imagineers, and I’ve got to give them a lot of credit, came up with the idea.”
“We were literally thrilled with that idea, and even more thrilled with the reception we’ve received,” he added.
Another fan-favorite parks property coming to the Treasure is Jungle Cruise. Skipper Society is a place to grab themed cocktails and light snacks surrounded by camp-style furnishings.
Other adults-only spots include Scat Cat Lounge, based on “The Aristocats,” and Periscope Pub, based on “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
Of course, for many, Disney cruises are a family affair.
“People often say that they have been designed with families in mind, which is absolutely correct,” said Mazloum. “I would go a step further and say they’ve really been designed for multiple generations so that everyone is allowed to enjoy their experiences.”
According to the Cruise Lines International Association, cruises are a top choice for multigenerational travels, with one-third of families sailing with at least two generations. Another 28% of cruise travelers board with three to five generations, the organization said in its annual state of the cruise industry report published in April.
Disney has dedicated spaces for every age group. It’s a Small World nursery offers babysitting services for children ages six months to three years, while older children can head over to Disney’s Oceaneer Club, which features several immersive spaces.
Families can also catch “Disney the Tale of Moana” at the Walt Disney Theatre onboard the Treasure. The Broadway-style production features a massive Te Ka puppet and introduces an all-new song called “Warrior Face.” The stage will also feature “Disney Seas the Adventure” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
Additionally, the Treasure will have Hero Zone and the Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas, popular spaces from the Disney Wish. Hero Zone is a sports and recreation venue with game show-style competitions and physical challenges, while cinemas are luxe screening rooms featuring first-run films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm.
Similar to the Wish, the Treasure also has a Toy Story-themed area that includes a splash pool, wading pool and family waterslide. There’s also an adapted version of the Wish’s AquaMouse water coaster called “Curse of the Golden Egg.”