Disney Cruise Line plans to add two new ocean liners to its fleet. The ships, which are scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012, will more than double the line’s passenger capacity and help Disney meet demand for its cruise business, which hosts a range of corporate meetings and incentive groups.
The company is negotiating with Meyer Werft shipyard, based in Papenburg, Germany, to build the 122,000-ton liners. Each of the new ships will have 1,250 staterooms and rise two decks taller than the existing 83,000-ton Disney Magic and Disney Wonder (which each have 877 staterooms).
Similar to the original two ships, the new vessels will be a modern interpretation of classic ocean liners of the 1930s. Disney designers drew inspiration from the original trans-Atlantic ships that featured a dramatic black hull with two funnels and porthole windows.
The black hulls are accented with red and white, and Disney received special permission from U.S. Coast Guard to have its lifeboats done in Mickey yellow instead of the traditional orange.