Disney Operated Cruise Ships to More Than Double from 6 to 13 by 2031
“Now Is the Right Time to Invest” Amid Growing Travel Demand
What if there was a space on a large cruise ship where Mickey Mouse walks around and completes missions like Iron Man? What if there were stages themed after movies like Moana or Beauty and the Beast, and a Mexican restaurant where Mexican singers perform live songs like in the movie Coco?
An illustration depicting the interior of a cruise ship operated by Disney (Photo by Disney Cruise official website)
An illustration depicting the interior of a cruise ship operated by Disney (Photo by Disney Cruise official website)
Disney is expanding its cruise business by leveraging its own content. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently reported that Disney plans to more than double its current fleet of six cruise ships to 13 by 2031 and invest about $12 billion (approximately 17.14 trillion KRW) in the cruise business over the next decade.
With a 100-year history as a 'content powerhouse,' Disney is still a budding player in the cruise market. In the Caribbean, where the cruise industry is active, Disney holds only a 5% passenger share, and globally just 2.5%. However, the 'passenger cruise days'?calculated by multiplying the number of passengers by the number of sailing days?on Disney cruise ships increased by 32% in fiscal year 2022 and by 14% during fiscal year 2023, indicating significant growth.
Thomas Mazloum, President of Disney Experiences, stated, "Considering the strong demand, now is the best time to invest in the cruise business." He also revealed that more than 8 out of 10 passengers surveyed expressed willingness to cruise again.
In particular, Disney captivates passengers by decorating cruise ships using its strengths in content and characters. Various facilities and services feature Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, as well as Marvel Comics characters including the Avengers. Characters roam throughout the cruise, Disney movies are screened in theaters, and separate stages or themed spaces are set up to provide time with Disney characters.
WSJ reported, "Most cruise routes offer activities for children accompanied by guardians," adding, "Disney provides entertainment for children until midnight while guardians relax on poolside sunbeds enjoying cocktails."
Disney employs a strategy of leveraging this content while pricing its cruises higher than competitors. For example, a Disney cruise departing from Florida, USA, in April next year for a four-day trip to the Bahamas costs about $7,692 (approximately 11 million KRW) for a family of four. In comparison, a similar itinerary from global cruise line Royal Caribbean costs $3,368 (about 4.81 million KRW), roughly half the price of Disney’s offering.
Disney’s decision to make a large-scale investment in the cruise business appears to be a response to rapidly increasing travel demand. According to data from the Cruise Lines International Association, the number of cruise passengers last year reached 31.7 million, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 29.7 million in 2019. In a June report, JP Morgan analyzed that the millennial generation shows greater interest in cruise travel compared to typical land-based travel.
Meanwhile, Disney began accepting reservations for its first Asian cruise travel product open to the public on the 10th. This cruise ship, departing from Singapore on December 15 next year, can accommodate 6,700 passengers. Disney plans to continue operating cruises departing from Singapore for at least five years and aims to expand its cruise business in Southeast Asia.
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