Disney and Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (OLC) announced a new agreement that will bring year-round Disney cruise vacations to Japan.
Under a recently signed agreement, OLC will build and operate a Disney-branded cruise business in Japan, expected to commence by early 2029.
This is the latest evolution in an over 40-year relationship between Disney and OLC, which owns and operates Tokyo Disney Resort. The addition of a locally based Disney cruise ship will offer fun and relaxation for Japanese Disney fans and visitors during magical voyages filled with the incredible entertainment, world-class dining and exceptional guest service that set Disney cruises apart.
“Disney Cruise Line has ambitious plans to bring family vacations and Disney storytelling to more guests around the world than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Experiences. “We are thrilled to continue the success of this expansion as we collaborate with Oriental Land Co. to introduce another distinctly Disney vacation experience to families and fans in Japan.”
“I am sincerely proud that Disney and Oriental Land will be able to work together to create a world-class cruise business in Japan,” said Yumiko Takano, representative director, chairperson and CEO, Oriental Land. “Oriental Land will use their knowhow from the theme park business to continue pushing boundaries and provide family entertainment cruise experiences filled with inspiration and surprise.”
OLC will operate a new Disney cruise ship to be registered and based in Japan year-round. The ship will be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with imaginative designs created by Walt Disney Imagineering. A sister ship to the popular Disney Wish, it will feature many guest-favourite venues and experiences from that ship with select modifications specially designed with Japanese guests in mind. It is expected to be approximately 140,000 gross tons and powered by liquefied natural gas, with about 1,250 staterooms.
The Disney Cruise Line fleet sails to world-class destinations in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the South Pacific, and Australia and New Zealand, and year-round cruises from Singapore are planned to begin in 2025.