Walt Disney News

The construction of the next cruise ship for Disney Cruise Line has reached another milestone: assembly of the ship's hull began today with the traditional keel-laying ceremony. The ship is the sister ship of the Disney Treasure, which is also under construction, and the Disney Wish, which launched in 2022.The keel was laid in the 504-meter-long covered building dock at Meyer Werft in Germany. Philip Gennotte, portfolio project management executive, Walt Disney Imagineering Germany…

Disney Cruise Line has announced plans to acquire and complete the unfinished cruise ship previously known as Global Dream. The 208,000-gross-ton ship, which was originally being built by the now bankrupt MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany for insolvent parent company Genting Hong Kong's Dream Cruises, has been sitting incomplete as the shipyard's liquidator sought a buyer. The Walt Disney Company's cruise subsidiary on Thursday confirmed plans to acquire the vessel and have it completed at the former MV Werften yard under the management of the Meyer Group…

Chief Executive Bob Chapek introduced Walt Disney Co's first new cruise ship in a decade on Wednesday, the culmination of the first project the former theme parks executive championed to the company's board of directors.The launch of the 4,000-passenger Disney Wish is a bright spot for Chapek, who became Disney's CEO in February 2020 and secured a three-year contract extension on Tuesday following recent controversies that prompted questions about his tenure.It took more than six years to bring the 144…

Walt Disney Co announced on Wednesday it has suspended all new departures on its Disney Cruise Line through July 27 as the coronavirus outbreak continues.On its website, the company said guests currently booked on affected cruises will be offered either a credit to be used for a future sailing within 15 months of their original sail date, or a full refund.As a result of the “No Sail Order” issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cruises in the United States are banned until July 24.On a May 5 conference call to discuss the company’s second-quarter results…

Four of Carnival Corp’s cruise lines said on Monday they would extend the suspension of all voyages by a month to May due to the coronavirus crisis that has worsened over the past few weeks.The brands - Holland America Line, Carnival and luxury cruise ship operators Seabourn and Cunard - together operate 49 ships.Carnival Corp, also the operator of two coronavirus-stricken Princess cruises, has already temporarily suspended several of its ships due to concerns over the rapidly spreading COVID-19 crisis earlier this month.“The impact of COVID-19 is affecting personal routines and businesses as

Carnival Corp’s luxury cruise ships operator Cunard said on Monday it would extend the suspension of all voyages by a month to May 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic.Carnival, also the operator of two coronavirus-stricken Princess cruises, has already temporarily suspended several of its ships due to concerns over the rapidly spreading COVID-19 crisis earlier this month.“The impact of COVID-19 is affecting personal routines and businesses as well as placing significant travel restrictions around the world,” said Simon Palethorpe, president, Cunard.Cunard, which extended the suspension from Apr

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that major cruise lines would suspend cruises for 30 days, following a series of industry announcements that came after repeated transmission of coronavirus among passengers at sea.“At my request, effective midnight tonight, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC have all agreed to suspend outbound cruises for thirty days,” Trump said on Twitter.“It is a great and important industry – it will be kept that way!” he added.Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd said earlier on Friday it was suspending its cruises in the United States for 30 days…

Genting Hong Kong appointed travel industry veteran Tom Wolber as President and CEO of Crystal Cruises, effective September 15. Wolber brings to the role over three decades of experience in general management, operations, newbuild construction and business development. He joins Crystal most recently from the Walt Disney Company where he served in various executive roles for 28 years, 10 of which were with Disney Cruise Line where he served as Senior Vice President of Operations. Wolber helped transform Disney Cruise Line into a global cruise line.

Hurricane Matthew, the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade, strengthened as it barreled toward the southeastern United States on Thursday after killing at least 140 people, mostly in Haiti, on its deadly northward march. As Matthew blew through the northwestern Bahamas on Thursday en route to Florida's Atlantic coast, it became an "extremely dangerous" hurricane carrying winds of 140 miles per hour (220 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. That made it a Category 4 hurricane and it was likely to remain so as it approached the United States…

The Disney Fantasy, a cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, part of The Walt Disney Company,  rescued three people clinging to a capsized boat near Cuba late last week who turned out to be fugitives. The three were rescued by the Disney cruise liner and turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard, who discovered upon fingerprint analysis that two of the individuals had outstanding arrest warrants in New Orleans, according to U.S. Marshal Amos Rojas Jr. of the Southern District of Florida. "Only 25 miles from their homeland, the three were later turned over to authorities in Florida after the Coast Guard discovered they were wanted fugitives," say local news and media.

Walt Disney Co said it signed an agreement to build two cruise ships for its Disney Cruise Line business. The company, which signed the agreement with the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, said on Thursday the ships are expected to be completed in 2021 and 2023. Disney Cruise Line, which comes under the company's parks and resorts business, was launched in 1998 and operates out of ports in North America and Europe. The new ships, at about 135,000 gross tons, will be the biggest in Disney's fleet.

Kathy Forrester joins Hydroid, Inc., manufacturer of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), as Marketing Coordinator. Forrester will support Hydroid’s marketing efforts by assisting in the planning, development and execution of the company’s marketing plan, with the goals of increasing sales and promoting the Hydroid brand and corporate culture. She has more than twenty years of marketing experience at firms including Sotheby’s International, Strategic Marketing & Design, AMA Nantucket, Talbots and Walt Disney World.

According to a report from Reuters, Walt Disney Co. rolled out a new 4,000-passenger cruise liner on Jan. 4, joining other cruise operators in adding bigger and potentially more profitable ships to their fleets. The new Disney Dream, which cost more than $900m and features a high-speed water slide that takes riders out over the side of the ship and back, docked in Port Canaveral in central Florida in preparation for its January 26 maiden Caribbean cruise. (Source: Reuters)

Disney Cruise Line took possession of its newest ship – Disney Dream – from the Meyer Werft shipyard in a traditional maritime ceremony aboard the ship in Bremerhaven, Germany. The Meyer Werft flag was lowered, while the Disney Cruise Line flag was raised, transferring ownership from the shipbuilder to Disney. The milestone closes the book on the ship’s construction journey, which began nearly two years ago in Papenburg, Germany, and signals its readiness to welcome guests on its maiden voyage, set for Jan. 26, 2011, from Port Canaveral, Florida.

Thomas Mazloum has been promoted to Crystal Cruises’ senior vice president, operations. Mazloum, who has served as Crystal’s senior vice president, hotel operations, since 2003 assumed the responsibilities for the fleet’s marine operations this month with the March 31 retirement of Joe Valenti, Crystal’s senior vice president, marine operations. As head of hotel operations for Crystal Cruises, Mazloum’s responsibilities include the supervision of Crystal’s food and beverage, entertainment, quality assurance, land programs, service training, onboard guest services and profit centers, and purchasing department. In Mazloum’s new role he will also oversee the ships’ technical and nautical operations, regulatory compliance, safety and security, environmental stewardship, and seagoing personnel.

Inchcape Shipping Services has appointed Noah Rudolph as Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Government Services, effective 10 November, 2008. A graduate of Princeton University, Rudolph holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School. Rudolph has held several positions in the US Government including service in the United States Marine Corps and the Department of Justice. Rudolph will serve as the Chief Operating Officer for the ISS Government Services business stream.

The Walt Disney Company is expanding its cruise business by adding two new ocean liners, President and CEO Bob Iger said. Scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012, the ships will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. The company signed a letter of intent with Meyer Werft shipyard, based in Papenburg, Germany, to negotiate a contract to build the 122,000-ton new cruise liners, which will be two decks taller than the existing 83,000-ton ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms. Specific design plans and itineraries for the yet-unnamed ships are still in development and will be unveiled at a later date.