Tickets for a voyage on board Walt Disney’s first Asia-based cruise ship have gone on sale this week, as the entertainment giant takes advantage of a tourism boom in Singapore to realise ambitious goals for its cruise business. Bookings for the Disney Adventure opened to the general public on December 10, a full year before the ship makes her maiden voyage from Singapore.
Bookings started even earlier for Disney’s cruise loyalty members. “The ship is set to be a game-changer,” said Sarah Fox, Regional General Manager for Southeast Asia at Disney Cruise Line. “Every aspect of the ship has been thoughtfully crafted.”
Singapore is hoping the new ship will help cement its place as a tourist beacon in Southeast Asia and reinvigorate its post-Covid 19 recovery. The number of visitors to the nation in the third quarter of this year rose 14 per cent compared to the same period in 2023, to 4.4 million, according to government data. This leaves the city state on track to receive the most annual arrivals since 2019.
The Disney Adventure, by far the company’s largest cruise ship, is scheduled to set sail from Singapore on December 15, 2025. It can hold around 6,700 passengers and weighs 208,000 gross tons. It is about 44 per cent larger than the Disney Treasure, which starts service this month in the United States.
Singapore will be the ship’s home ported for at least five years. Jacqueline Ng, director of the Singapore Tourism Board’s cruise development group, expects the cruise to attract several million local and foreign passengers during that time.
Disney is also positioning itself to take advantage of the post-Covid 19 rebound in global travel. It plans to double spending on its parks and cruise lines over the next decade. The company aims to expand its current fleet of five cruise ships to 13 by 2031.
Unlike Disney’s other cruise ships, the Adventure was not built by the company. The theme-park operator acquired it for a hugely discounted €40 million (US$42 million) from cruise and resort operator Genting Hong Kong after it filed for bankruptcy in 2022, according to reports in Germany, where the ship was built.
It has seven themed areas based on Disney, Pixar and Marvel films and will feature rides, live stage shows, restaurants and shops similar to the company’s theme parks. Although Mickey Mouse is still a fan favourite, Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man and Iron Man resonated strongly with focus groups in Asia, according to Disney’s Fox.
The upper deck of the ship was transformed into a Marvel-themed area with three attractions, including an Iron Man-themed roller coaster stretching 250 metres (820 feet). It is a first for a Disney cruise and the world’s longest on a ship. A live stage show featuring Marvel superheroes and villains will also be added. The dining options aboard will largely feature Asian cuisines ranging from Indian to Japanese to bubble tea.
Guests can opt for stays of between three and five nights, which start from around US$1,564 for two adults on the maiden voyage, while a three-night cruise for a family of four in an ocean-view room costs around US$3,400. For those looking for a further upgrade, two Frozen-themed suites are available.
