Disney Cruise Line’s new ship Disney Dream will have inside cabins with ‘virtual portholes’ and the first water coaster at sea.
Details of the new ship, which sets off on its maiden cruise on January 26 2011, were unveiled yesterday at a gala media event in New York.
The ship will be 128,000 tons, which makes it more than 50% bigger than two existing ships, Disney Wonder and Disney Magic, and will hold a maximum of 4,000 passengers. It is being built at the Meyer-Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
Walt Disney Company chief executive Bob Iger said the features on the ship have been designed by the same imagineer team that work on the park attractions to create something that is more than a cruise ship, with innovative new ways for guests to interact with the characters.
All 150 inside cabins will have the virtual portholes, which will feature video feed from cameras mounted outside the ship so passengers will actually have a sea view, but every so often Disney characters will come into view as well.
The water coaster, called AquaDuck, will be four decks high and have a loop that extends 13ft over the side of the ship. Riders will be inside a clear acrylic flume so they have views out to sea as they speed along. They will also pass through a tunnel and along river rapids.
Children will have to be more than 48 inches tall to go on the ride; a new area, possibly a water park, is being created for those who are too short, but details have not yet been finalised.
The children’s area has also been enhanced, with additional play areas for kids aged three to 10. In a new ‘magic theatre’ in each of the kids’ clubs, new technology already in use at the parks allows children to ‘talk’ to characters.
Teens aged 14-17 get their own Vibe club and deck area at the front of the ship accessible only by swipe card. The District, which houses various bars and lounges, is a family area by day and adult-only in the evening.
There are two new dining rooms – Royal Palace, which is themed on castles and Disney princesses, and Enchanted Garden, which switches from being a casual, self-service by day to a more intimate waiter service restaurant at night.
As on the existing ships, there is fixed two-sitting dining, but passengers rotate around the three different dining rooms – the third is called Animator’s Palate and is on Magic and Wonder – and can also opt to eat in Palo, an adult-only Italian speciality restaurant.
The theatre will have two private boxes, each holding 20 passengers that will probably have to be booked, but that is yet to be confirmed.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Jay Rasulo said: “Our guests told us they wanted more and Dream is a response to that. It has something for everyone. It has been created to make people’s dreams come true whether they are two or 82.”
Disney Dream will sail alternating three and four-night cruises from Port Canaveral in Florida to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. During the summer months, it will be sailing four and five-night voyages with two stops at Castaway Cay. Cruises go on sale on November 9 2009.