Disney Cruise Line reveals details about its new themed ship

The rollout of a new ship is exciting for any cruise company — but when it’s a Disney Cruise Line ship, the anticipation is heightened even more. Disney just announced new details about the latest member of its growing fleet, designed to bring more Disney stories and characters to life on the open seas. The new cruise ship will be called the Disney Destiny.

“The design theme of the Disney Destiny, sister to the Disney Wish and the Disney Treasure, will be ‘Heroes and Villains,’ drawing on the legacy of beloved Disney stories, characters and theme park attractions, to forge a cruise vacation that will empower guests to embrace their own calling aboard every unforgettable voyage,” The Walt Disney Company said in a press release.

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Villains Share the Stage

As on every Disney cruise ship, guests will find plenty of great entertainment, convenient dining, and fun activities throughout the ship, from musical shows and restaurants to youth-exclusive spaces. And of course, even the artwork and room decor is Disney-themed. It’s also not uncommon to meet unexpected friends — for example, cheerful Cinderella or playful Peter Pan — in the Grand Hall.

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But, Disney fans know sometimes it’s good to be bad, and the prospect of spotting sinister smiles and villainous visages lurking around the ship should add a new layer of fun to the Destiny (and, if my sons are any indication, some good old-fashioned family rivalry).

“Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney Imagineering teams were inspired by the dynamic duality of every great Disney story, where opposing forces of light and dark drive characters to rise to their purpose, when developing the Disney Destiny,” the press release stated.

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Disney has long leaned into the popularity of its iconic villains, giving them top billing during Halloween festivities and after-hours events and even exploring the idea of a possible Villains-themed land at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. But giving villains equal billing alongside the heroes provides entirely new opportunities to thrill. Muahahahaha.

Disney has so far shared only a few of the stories that fans may encounter upon the Destiny, revealing that some will come from “The Lion King,” “Hercules” and “One Hundred and One Dalmatians.” Let the guessing game begin.

Minnie Mouse Marks a Milestone

Another classic Disney hero, Minnie Mouse, was revealed in the filigree artwork for the ship’s bow, where she is shown “striking a valiant pose in a heroic ensemble, her cape waving majestically in the sea breeze as she boldly leads guests toward their vacation destinies,” as Disney describes it.

“Hero Minnie” is also represented on one side of a newly minted coin created for the Disney Destiny’s keel-laying ceremony. That took place earlier this week at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, where the ship is being built. During the ceremony, the coin is placed under the first block for good luck, marking an important construction milestone.

As part of the announcement of the Disney Destiny, Disney shared a comic book-inspired video short about the coin starring Captain Minnie, Hercules and Hades.

Three Sister Ships: Disney Wish, Treasure and Adventure

As the fleet’s third Triton-class ship, the Disney Destiny will sail in 2025. It follows sister ships the Disney Wish, which set sail in 2022, and the Disney Treasure, which embarks on its maiden voyage on Dec. 21.

The Disney Wish was guided by a motif of enchantment — a “castle at sea” celebrating iconic fairy tales and wishes come true, and featuring characters and inspiration from “Frozen,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” to name a few.

The Disney Treasure is themed with a spirit of adventure, evoking Disney’s most beloved tales of exploration and discovery. Some of the Treasure’s inspiration comes from “Aladdin,” “The Jungle Book,” “Coco,” and “Peter Pan.”

As the Wish’s sister ship, the Disney Treasure replicated a number of the Wish’s popular spaces, including rotational dining restaurants Worlds of Marvel and 1923, kids clubs and quick-service dining locations, and the AquaMouse attraction. But, it also introduced numerous new concepts, including stateroom themes and entertainment and replaced the Wish’s immersive Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge with what promises to be an equally immersive bar, Haunted Mansion Parlor. 

With so many original spaces introduced on the Treasure, Disney Cruise Line fans are in for a fun season of guessing what new stories could inspire the Disney Destiny’s unique spaces.

Also on the horizon, this June Disney Cruise Line will begin sailing to a new island destination in the Bahamas called Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The company will also introduce another ship in 2025, the Disney Adventure, with a home port in Singapore.