Disney Cruise Line and Oriental Land Co. Announce Year-Round Disney Cruises in Japan Starting 2029

Jul 09, 2024 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Disney Cruise Line Signs Agreement with Oriental Land Co.

Posted: Tuesday July 9, 2024 8:22am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Today, Disney Cruise Line announced a new agreement with Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (OLC) that will bring year-round Disney cruise vacations to Japan.

Disney Cruise Line Signs Agreement with Oriental Land Co.

Under a recently signed agreement, OLC will operate a Disney-branded cruise business in Japan, expected to begin by early 2029. This is the latest evolution in our over 40-year relationship with OLC, which owns and operates the magical Tokyo Disney Resort.

A new Disney cruise ship, to be registered and based in Japan year-round, will be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with imaginative designs created by Walt Disney Imagineering.

A sister ship to the popular Disney Wish, it will feature many guest-favorite venues and experiences from that ship with select modifications specially designed with Japanese guests in mind. It is expected to be approximately 140,000 gross tons and powered by liquefied natural gas, with about 1,250 staterooms.

Disney says more details will be announced in the coming months.

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RobbiemJul 23, 2024

Nagoya is really close, I could see the inland sea between Honshu, Shikoku and Fukuoka being a nice destination (it is beautiful) or north to akita or Hokkaido. It will be really inter to see how this is marketed - Tokyo Disney is seen as an escape from Japan, the whole place is designed to feel like you are overseas. Will the DCL do this or will it be more Japanese?

nickysJul 14, 2024

Soon. OK, maybe not soon! Three and a half years maybe? Time to start learning Japanese in the meantime. 😁

HauntedPirateJul 14, 2024

I just want to know when I can book a 4-night cruise plus 5 nights at TDR (with park tickets) as a package deal. 😉

maxairmikeJul 11, 2024

There’s the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal in Odaiba just a few metro stops away from TDR, which is what I would expect they’d use. Yokohama from what I understand is the typical cruise port for the Tokyo metro area. OLC could opt to build their own terminal, but I don’t think that’s as likely to happen unless they do something crazy like more land reclamation to add onto the existing resort landmass. Based on the initial press release they will be doing short (3-4 day cruises I would guess) trips staying close to the Tokyo area. I could see them possibly going as far as Nagoya if that’s within the range of that short of a cruise. They could also be cruises to nowhere with a focus on Disney entertainment and activities on the ship.

cjkeatingJul 10, 2024

99.9% of the cruisers on this ship are going to Japanese. They will all know to find the cruises via the Tokyo Disneyland website. The cruise will be primarily Japanese. They'll accept English bookings but they won't have much interest in attracting guests who are non-Japanese speakers unless they are the niche who are non-Japanese speakers who visit TDL. You just have to look at how Tokyo Disneyland has been run since it opened... I don't foersee the OLC wanting to give perks to American cruisers who are Castaway Club members which will impact on brand new Japanese cruisers having a disadvantage. I'm willing to be shocked but I would be surprised if the Singapore cruises have some or any 'classic' Castaway Club perks... they may simply because it is a DCL run ship.

RobbiemJul 10, 2024

Does anyone have any ideas where the new ship will cruise? Will it be able to leave Japanese waters and sail to destinations the main DCL goes to or will it have to keep to its own market? It would be interesting if there was a cruise to Hong Kong or Hawaii for example I have no idea where cruise ships dock in Tokyo (I saw some in Yokohama but not Tokyo when I visited), but I assume the cruise port will be near TDR, again would DCL then use this as a port of call? Interesting times ahead

jmeJul 10, 2024

I would certainly hope that just because a ship is operated by OLC, a Disney Cruise from Tokyo would still be linked to my Castaway Club membership benefits (i.e. maintained status and the cruise counting toward my level). As such I would then expect the booking process to be integrated, but it's not necessary. I guess, at this point, only time will tell. We simply don't have enough information to go on at this point.

BrianLoJul 10, 2024

https://www.olc.co.jp/en/news/news_olc/20240709/main/0/link/20240709(2).pdf I think the OLC press release answers some of the above questions. Operationally it is a licensing of DCL. Paying for the ship, Management and operations are in fact being handled by OLC. Though the OLC presser specifically goes on about Disney Cruises, a reflection of the current fleet and essentially the product that is a Disney Cruise. So I don't think an integrated booking relationship is entirely ruled out, nor do I think it is strong, either. But it would be in both companies interest to have an integrated relationship, I'd imagine. Though quite tricky, because it is a licensed partnership and not a stake of DCL. I think the best solution would be to both run their own separate booking portals and software, but having some kick-back integration in booking abilities. And reciprocity in Castaway Club? But still staying arms length. They are also spending 2 billion on this... but I must say there may be cruise terminal, booking, staffing costs rather than a flat 2 billion on just the ship. Hard to say what the breakdown is.

JohnDJul 09, 2024

I'm not talking about "administrative" but it makes no sense not to provide Japan itineraries on the DCL site so that the Disney cruiser has a one stop location for finding Disney cruises. Show them as "Disney partner." I don't care.

JohnDJul 09, 2024

Okay. Just wondering because I think it would create confusion. All the average guest knows is Disney cruise ships and where they cruise. DCL goes to Europe, Australia and soon Asian Pacific but not Japan on the Adventure. But these cruises off Japan in a Disney named ship aren't branded under DCL? Look, I don't care how structured "underneath" but if the average DCL cruiser can't find Japan cruises on the DCL site, I would think it would over complicate things. Brand them as "Disney partner". I don't care. They should be featured on the one-stop DCL site.

Railking55Jul 09, 2024

This is surprising news!

peter11435Jul 09, 2024

Depends which press release

cjkeatingJul 09, 2024

Agree. I can't see this having any 'administrative' links to DCL.

CaptainAmericaJul 09, 2024

I would be absolutely shocked if that's the case. I predict this will be entirely separate. The press release didn't even say "Disney Cruise Line." Not once.