Disney Cruise Line held a christening event for its latest ship, Disney Destiny, on Monday 10 November at its home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The event blended high-energy concert elements with Disney spectacle, featuring multi-tiered sets, drone effects, scenic projections, a live band, and multiple vocalists.
The waterfront show included a custom pop rock arrangement of iconic music from Hercules, The Lion King, Frozen, Pirates of the Caribbean, Black Panther, and more, celebrating Disney, Pixar, and Marvel stories that guests can enjoy on the new ship.
“For more than 100 years, we have entertained our fans in new and innovative ways, connecting them to the Disney stories they love,” says Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences.
“Disney Cruise Line is a powerful part of that legacy because our ships become brand ambassadors that travel the globe and bring joy to our guests in ways only Disney can. Now, the Disney Destiny makes its own extraordinary entry into our growing fleet.”
What to expect on Disney Destiny
The Disney Destiny, sister ship to Disney Wish (2022) and Disney Treasure (2024), draws on Disney, Pixar, and Marvel heroes and villains to offer new and favourite experiences.
Highlights include a Broadway-style adaptation of Hercules, engaging dining inspired by The Lion King and Marvel Super Heroes, immersive character meet-and-greets, a Mickey Mouse-themed water attraction, unique lounges inspired by Cruella de Vil and Doctor Strange, creative kids’ clubs, and signature fireworks at sea.
Inspired by Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, the Disney Destiny Grand Hall immerses guests in a universe of heroes and villains as soon as they step inside.
The Sanctum is Disney Cruise Line’s first lounge themed to the world of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange. Rich red and gold accents, echoing Doctor Strange’s Cloak of Levitation, are woven throughout, alongside other icons and trinkets.
Meanwhile, the iconic villain from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ One Hundred and One Dalmatians inspires De Vil’s, a unique, adult-only piano lounge.
Cruella’s notorious sense of style and daring personality are showcased in the bar’s Hollywood Regency-inspired decor, where everything features her signature colours of red, black, and white. A glowing, fiber-optic Cruella figure also appears and vanishes in the wall behind a striking spotted piano.
The ship is also home to Cask & Cannon, a Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired pub. This features a mismatched collection of furnishings and antiques, presumably 'acquired' during pirates' voyages.
Nautical motifs and pirate iconography, like treasure maps, fishing nets, barrel stools, rum bottles, and skull-and-crossbones symbols, are woven into the design. The interior features wooden planks resembling a sea-worn ship, with Easter Eggs honouring the film franchise and the attractions’ lore.
Meanwhile, Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King offers a unique family dining experience, bringing the beloved songs and unforgettable moments from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Lion King to life at sea.
Disney Destiny's maiden voyage
Susan Egan has been announced as the godmother of the Disney Destiny and performed a ceremonial blessing at the event.
The Broadway performer has close ties to Disney stories — from lending her distinctive voice to Megara in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hercules to originating the role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.
The Disney Destiny sets sail for its first voyage on 20 November, kicking off an inaugural season of four- and five-night cruises to The Bahamas and the Western Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Disney Cruise Line’s newest year-round terminal.
“The Disney Cruise Line team, alongside our Disney Imagineers, have invested years of their expertise, creativity and dedication into this beautiful ship,” says Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences.
“They have created something truly spectacular.”
Disney Cruise Line has started building its next cruise ship, the fourth in its Wish class and due to begin sailing from 2027.
The new ship will join the Disney Wish, the Disney Treasure, and the upcoming Disney Destiny. It will be around 144,000 gross tonnes, accommodate 4,000 guests, and be powered by liquefied natural gas.
