Shipbuilding delays force Disney cruise to postpone Singapore debut to 2026

SINGAPORE – Disney Cruise Line’s (DCL) first Asia cruise, Disney Adventure, will not be bringing its magic to Singapore’s shores by December as originally planned.

The ship’s maiden voyage will be postponed from Dec 15 to March 10, 2026, due to shipbuilding delays. An official statement from DCL on Sept 11 stated that voyages scheduled from Dec 15 to March 12, 2026, will be affected.

Mr Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences – a segment of the company that handles family travel and leisure experiences – said in the statement: “As we work on the final touches to bring the Disney Adventure to our guests, we’ve encountered unexpected delays in the shipbuilding process.

“To ensure the experience we deliver reflects our commitment to excellence, we’ve made the decision to adjust our timeline. We know this may be disappointing to our guests, and we’re working directly with them to offer flexible rebooking options and uphold the trust they place in us.”

Those who have booked the Dec 15 sailing will automatically be placed on the new maiden sailing on March 10, and will receive a 50 per cent refund.

If they are unable to make it for the new date, they will be offered a full refund and a 50 per cent discount for a future sailing on a date of their choice, valid for cruises departing on or before March 31, 2027. Requests for these refunds must be made by Sept 21.

All other passengers will be offered a full refund. They can also rebook a sailing of their choice at 50 per cent discount during the same validity period.

These were detailed in two letters seen by The Straits Times – one to customers who had booked the original maiden sailing, and the other to all remaining travellers.

Affected travellers can request a refund or book a new sailing through their travel agent. If they had booked directly with DCL, they can e-mail the company or call the telephone numbers found on

the company’s website

.

While the company did not share specifics of what led to the delay, its statement said the Disney Adventure is “an ambitious transformation of a partially built ship into a Disney experience at sea”.

In November 2022, Disney acquired the ship from the now-defunct cruise ship company Genting Hong Kong for a reported €40 million (S$60 million). The ship, originally named Global Dream, was meant to carry up to 9,000 passengers, making it the largest cruise liner in the world by capacity. The Disney Adventure will have a passenger capacity of 6,700.

The ship has been under construction in the port city of Wismar, Germany. It began sea trials on Sept 1, where the ship’s systems and performance levels are tested.

The Disney Adventure will have seven themed areas, including outdoor deck Wayfinder Bay – inspired by the film Moana (2016) – and Marvel Landing, an area on the upper section which will feature the world’s longest roller coaster at sea, at more than 250m in length.

Tickets for the maiden voyage were sold out on Dec 10, 2024,

the first day the general public could start booking trips. Based on checks, a three-night cruise in 2026 starts at $1,200 a person and a four-night cruise starts at $1,620 a person.

Currently, sailing dates until December 2026 are open for booking. Sailings in 2027 will be available to book from the start of March 2026.

This is not the first time a cruise ship’s maiden sailing has been delayed.

The Disney Wish ship, homeported in Florida, was set to embark on its first trip on June 9, 2022, but faced delays during construction and postponed sailing for more than a month. Affected travellers could request a full refund or receive a 50 per cent discount on a future sailing.

Other cruise lines like Princess Cruises – which operates under global cruise company Carnival Corp – and Royal Caribbean International have also postponed maiden sailings for various reasons related to ship completion.

DCL said the delay to the Disney Adventure will not have an impact on other Disney cruise offerings including the delivery of the Disney Destiny, which is slated to sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from Nov 20.

In response to a query by ST, Ms Jacqueline Ng, director of the Singapore Tourism Board’s cruise division, said the postponement of the ship’s first sailing will not have an impact on DCL’s partnership with the board. She added that DCL “remains committed to homeporting exclusively in Singapore for at least five years, commencing March 2026”.

Singapore received 1.8 million passengers from 340 ship calls in 2024, of whom half were international visitors, and offers sailing itineraries from multiple cruise brands, including Royal Caribbean International, StarDream Cruises and Silversea Cruises.

Ms Ng said: “Singapore’s cruise industry contributes to our tourism sector by expanding our portfolio of tourism offerings and delivering economic impact. STB continues to work closely with the industry to ensure Singapore continues to offer compelling value for both cruise lines and passengers, maintaining our competitive edge in the region.”