With the Disney Destiny launching service in November, following the Treasure in December 2024, Disney Cruise Line has launched two new ships in just two years, Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences, which includes Disney Cruise Line, pointed out.
“We’ll add another this year, and then five more beyond that through 2031 that we have announced. We are doing that because we have an opportunity to reach so many new guests and create emotional connections that are accretive for the company overall.”
He added that the cruise ships have generated double-digit returns from the very beginning.
Speaking with Cruise Industry News aboard the Destiny, Schott said that with a growing fleet and broader deployment, the cruise line has become a global ambassador for the Disney brand.
“Everything with Disney usually starts with a story, and we are fortunate to have so many different stories to pull from. These stories matter to people in the emotional connection that’s involved.
“That connection to the brand is just stunning and an experience (cruise) like this remains one of the highest-rated experiences we have in the entire world. So, when people experience our cruise line, they are going to see something that is quite different from anything else.”
Thus, the Disney Destiny features a new story theme. It is about heroes and villains, starting with the grandeur of the Grand Hall, inspired by the story of Wakanda and the Black Panther as guests first walk in.
Schott described it as a very different experience on the same class of ship as the Wish and the Treasure.
“We also have the Lion King restaurant,” he noted. “This is the first time we have created a full experience around The Lion King, which is truly magical, and then we have a new Broadway-style show, Hercules.”
Schott attributed Disney Cruise Line’s successful expansion to its singular focus on a family cruise experience, integrated with its stories and said that 40 percent of their guests said they would not have cruised if the (Disney) product had not been in the marketplace.
“I think that is because of the deep-seated trust our guests have in us from the theme parks we operate round the world at a very high-quality level, and therefore, they are willing to extend that into the cruise market, and that is a good thing for our cruise business.”
“We are very fortunate to have Disney fans all over the world, and they want to experience a new product when it is available.”
Also differentiating the cruise line, Schott said, is the quality of the product delivery.
“It is about understanding our guests’ needs and putting forward the highest quality product that is available.
“I have been with Disney 44 years and spent the majority of my life on the park side of the business, but to come here and see the level of expertise from the captain to the entire crew, and how it is supported from the shoreside to make the experience happen the way it does, is really incredible.”
Excerpted from the 2025-2026 Winter Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine.
