Wednesday, March 14, 2007
In a press release on February 22, 2007, Disney announced the expansion of its cruise line. Disney plans to add two new ships to its current fleet of two. This expansion is expected to more than double the cruise line’s current passenger capacity. By expanding, Disney hopes to meet the increasing demand for its cruise line.
The two new ships are to be very similar to each other and will weigh about 120,000 tons. They are planned to be two decks taller than the two existing ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder and will have 1,250 staterooms. These two ships are scheduled for christening in 2011 and 2012.
In the press release, Disney President and CEO Bob Iger stated: “Since our maiden voyage in 1998, Disney Cruise Line has been a huge success for our guests and for our shareholders alike. It has brought our unparalleled family vacation experience to the high seas, and has also generated high margins and double digit returns on invested capital. We’re excited to announce the expansion of our fleet, which is a logical next step in what is a real growth business for us.”
Names have not yet been announced for the ships.