Before Disney Cruise Line launched its own ships, Port Canaveral was home to a different Disney-connected vacation at sea: Premier Cruise Lines’ brightly painted Big Red Boat.
According to Space Coast Daily, Premier partnered with Disney from 1985 to 1992, offering Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral that included Disney-costumed characters and were paired with multi-day stays at Walt Disney World. The arrangement was licensed as the official cruise line of Walt Disney World from 1985 to 1993.
Beginning in 1985, Premier’s Majestic, Oceanic and Atlantic offered three- and four-day Bahamas vacations. The line was aimed at family travel, including multigenerational groups.
Premier Cruise Lines was created in the early 1980s, and the source credits businessman Bjornar Hermansen and partner Bruce Nierenberg with bringing the multi-day cruise business to Port Canaveral in 1984. The company used “The Big Red Boat” trademark for ships with its recognizable red color scheme.
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After the Disney relationship ended, Premier adopted Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes characters as part of its family-oriented identity. Disney later formed its own cruise line in 1995; Disney Cruise Line’s Magic made its first voyage on July 30, 1998, after the company signed a 10-year Port Canaveral home-terminal agreement.
Premier ceased operations on Sept. 14, 2000, after filing for bankruptcy. Its vessels later met different fates: the former Oceanic, known as Big Red Boat I, sailed until 2012 before being scrapped, while the former Rembrandt was purchased by Rotterdam, Netherlands, for restoration as a historic landmark.
