Disney Cruise Line Is Going Global With 13 Ships by 2031

Disney Cruise Line is charting an ambitious course for the next several years, announcing new ports, expanded sailings, and a growing fleet that will reach 13 ships by late 2030 or early fiscal year 2031. The news came in the weeks following D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Southern California, where Disney Experiences executives laid out a vision for a more globally accessible cruise operation.

A key part of that strategy is a brand-new fourth class of ships — sized intentionally between the 2,713-passenger Disney Wonder and the 4,000-passenger Disney Wish — set to begin launching in 2029. Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum explained the thinking: smaller ships can access more destinations around the world, giving the line the flexibility to reach fans in ports that larger vessels simply can't enter. Further details on the new class, including features and itineraries, are still to come.

Before those ships arrive, Disney's fourth Wish-class vessel, the Disney Believe, is set to debut in late 2027. A few signature design details were revealed at D23: Tinker Bell and fellow Peter Pan characters will grace the bow in hand-painted filigree, Buzz Lightyear and Woody will appear on the stern as if writing the ship's name in a Toy Story-style font, and a bronze Moana statue — accompanied by Pua and Heihei — will anchor the Grand Hall.

On the itinerary front, both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are slated to return to Alaska in summer 2027, while the Disney Wish will make its European debut, visiting all-new ports of call. Disney Cruise Line also announced it will return to New York for the first time since 2022, with that announcement coming on August 25. Meanwhile, an agreement with the Port of San Diego runs through at least 2031, roughly doubling annual sailings from that port and putting cruisers within about 90 minutes of Disneyland in Anaheim.

This story was reported by Eve Chen for USA TODAY, as aggregated by Central Oregon Daily.