Launch of New Disney Adventure Cruise Ship Delayed

Disney just announced that the new Disney Adventure Cruise Ship is going to be delayed. The ship was originally scheduled to debut December 15, 2025. We have details on the delay including the email sent to all guests who are booked on impacted sailings.

This ship is unique in that it was purchased by Disney from another cruise line that went bankrupt and is being retrofitted with Disney theming and offerings. The ship will be the largest cruise ship in Disney's fleet.

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Disney Adventure Cruise Ship Delayed

The Disney Adventure was originally the Global Dream and was ordered by Genting Hong Kong. That company went bankrupt while the ship was already under construction and Disney purchased the partially completed vessel. The ship was reportedly sold to Disney for only €40 million. This purchase was executed by Bob Chapek, who was Disney CEO at the time.

The ship is being substantially refurbished by the Disney teams to bring the offering to Disney standards. Even so, there will be dramatically different offerings onboard the ship that will be far larger than other ships in Disney's fleet. This ship is also the largest in Disney's fleet. Disney Cruise Line estimates the passenger capacity of the 208,000-gross-ton Disney Adventure to be approximately 6,700 with around 2,500 crew members. The Disney Wish and Disney Treasure fit up to 4,000 passengers.

The ship will consist of differently themed Disney neighborhoods. There will be a new Marvel area on the upper deck that will feature the first Disney roller coaster at sea and a Dumbo-style spinner attraction. There will also be different areas themed to Moana, Toy Story, and San Fransokyo. The main gathering place on the ship will be the Disney Imagination Garden. This will be the “emotional heart” of the Disney Adventure as an enchanted valley, charming garden, and open-air performance venue all in one. This space is inspired by 100 years of heroic and heartwarming Disney Adventures, specifically calling out “Moana on the high seas to Mowgli in the jungle.” You can read more about the ship in our guide.

The new Disney Adventure ship will be sailing out of Singapore. Now, Disney has announced that the ship will be delayed from the original December 15, 2025 sailing debut date to March 10, 2026. Guests who were booked on the impacted sailings were notified tonight. This isn't the first time that Disney has delayed one of its ships. The Disney Wish was originally set to debut in February 2022, but it eventually debuted in July 2022.

This does not have anything to do with the new Disney Destiny cruise ship debuting in November in the US. That ship remains on schedule.

Joe Schott, President of Disney Signature Experiences shared in a 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.”

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You can see the full email sent to guests who were booked on sailings shared by Scott Gustin on X –

We know many Guests – including you – have been eagerly anticipating the debut of the Disney Adventure. This ship represents a bold new chapter for Disney Cruise Line, as we transform a partially built vessel into a fully reimagined Disney experience at sea.

As we bring this vision to life, we've encountered unexpected delays in the shipbuilding process. To ensure every detail meets the high standards you expect from Disney, we've made the difficult decision to postpone the Disney Adventure's maiden voyage to March 10, 2026. We regret that this change will affect your upcoming sailing.

We understand how disappointing this news may be and sincerely apologize for the impact on your vacation plans. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to deliver an experience that's truly worth the wait.

Since you were booked on the original maiden voyage, we would like to offer you the opportunity to sail on the new maiden voyage scheduled for March 10, 2026 at a 50% discount of your voyage fare.* No action is necessary on your part if you're able to join us on this new sailing date. We will automatically shift your reservation to the new maiden voyage, and you can expect to receive a confirmation with your updated statement reflecting your reduced fare by October 8, 2025.

If you're unable to sail on the new maiden voyage, you may request a refund of any amounts paid to Disney Cruise Line to the original form of payment and you may use your 50% discount on a future cruise. Please let us or your travel advisor know by September 21, 2025 to request your refund. Note that the future cruise must be booked by March 31, 2026, and the cruise must depart on or before March 31, 2027.

To request a refund or reserve a different sailing, please speak with your travel advisor or if you booked directly with Disney Cruise Line, call our Contact Center utilizing one of the available telephone numbers on our website.

Alternatively, Guests who booked directly with Disney Cruise Line may email their request along with their full name and reservation number to us at dcl.reservations.apac@contact.disneycruiseline.com. We'll be happy to assist you.

The 50% future cruise discount will be notated and visible on your account by October 8, 2025. If booking prior to this date, please note that the 50% cruise discount will not be visible at the time of booking. You will receive an updated confirmation statement reflecting this discount once the discount is applied.

Additional 2027 Disney Adventure sailings will be available to book beginning in March 2026.

Commentary

This will also be the first time that Disney has based a ship in Asia so we aren't surprised that there are some bugs that are part of the new launch. Since this new Disney ship was first announced, I have been interested to see how the vessel would do. We've heard comments that there is a lot of interest and a big push from Disney to promote the ship in the region. The ship is a great way to reach more Disney consumers who are already enjoying the Disney theme parks in Asia and those in Singapore who have never had a Disney experience so close to home.

This ship was one of the deals led by then-CEO Bob Chapek, which was initially seen positively. Up until this point I would have told you that this was an entrepreneurial move that reduced the risk of entering the Asian cruising market by reducing the initial amount of money the company spent on building a ship here. Perhaps this delay and the news that the retrofit has hit some roadblocks changes that sentiment a little bit.

We will still have to wait and see how this ship shakes out with local demand and hope that it still has the major impact when it debuts in March. I know how stressful this must be for those going on a sailing and those working on a new ship. Here's hoping it all comes together well for the new launch date.

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