Disney Cruise Line ships from newest to oldest

What’s the newest Disney Cruise Line ship? It’s something you’ll want to know if you’re in the market for a Disney cruise.

The newest Disney Cruise Line ship is typically also the Disney Cruise Line ship with the most bells and whistles and the most up-to-date cabins, restaurants, bars and attractions. It’s what you want if you want the very latest and greatest in a vessel for your Disney cruise vacation.

Right now, the newest Disney cruise ship is the 1-year-old Disney Wish. It just debuted in July 2022. However, Disney Wish won’t be the newest Disney Cruise Line ship for long. It’ll soon be supplanted as the newest Disney cruise vessel by the currently-under-construction Disney Treasure — a sister ship being built to the same basic design. Disney Treasure is scheduled to begin sailing in 2024.

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Two other relatively new Disney cruise ships are Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream. Both began sailing about a decade ago.

In all, Disney operates just five cruise vessels — far fewer than such cruise brands as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. Founded in 1998, the line has gone long periods without adding a single new vessel, with occasional bursts of expansion, including one taking place right now.

The line has never retired a vessel since its debut in 1998. The oldest Disney cruise ship, Disney Magic, is 25 years old.

In general, Disney’s newest ships are bigger and more amenity-packed than its older ships. If you crave the most possible activities in a Disney cruise vacation, you’ll want to stick to the line’s three most recently built vessels.

Disney’s two oldest cruise ships — those built in the 1990s — are about 40% smaller than the line’s newest vessels and have fewer venues on board. Still, even these smaller ships offer a lot of attractions as compared to many vessels at competing lines.

Here, every Disney ship currently in operation is ranked from newest to oldest:

1. Disney Wish

Maiden voyage: 2022
Size: 144,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,508

2. Disney Fantasy

Maiden voyage: 2012
Size: 125,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,500

3. Disney Dream

Disney Dream docked at Castaway Cay — DAVID ROARK/DISNEY CRUISE LINE

Maiden voyage: 2011
Size: 125,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 2,500

4. Disney Wonder

Maiden voyage: 1999
Size: 85,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 1,750

5. Disney Magic

Maiden voyage: 1998
Size: 83,000 gross tons
Passenger capacity: 1,750

What is the newest Disney Cruise Line ship?

The newest Disney Cruise Line ship is Disney Wish. As noted above, it debuted in July 2022. Measuring 144,000 gross tons, it’s also the biggest Disney cruise ship and has more amenities than the line’s older vessels.

TPG has had staffers on Disney Wish three times over the past year to experience and review the vessel. For more on the ship and its new features, see the following guides and reviews:

What is the oldest Disney Cruise Line ship?

The oldest Disney Cruise Line ship is Disney Magic. Unveiled way back in 1998, it was the very first Disney cruise ship ever built, and its arrival in 1998 marked the beginning of the line.

Disney Magic isn’t just the oldest Disney cruise ship but also the smallest Disney cruise ship. Measuring just 83,000 gross tons, it’s about 40% smaller than the new Disney Wish. As a result, it has fewer venues than Disney Wish but also a more intimate feel.

Because it offers fewer and smaller attractions than the new Disney Wish and other newer Disney ships, Disney Cruise Line typically uses Disney Magic and its slightly younger sister ship Disney Wonder for its more destination-intensive itineraries — trips where you’re going to spend much of your time off the ship and onboard amenities are less important.

Disney Magic, for instance, is the ship that Disney sends to Europe every summer for itineraries that are all about exploring cities such as Barcelona and Rome (reached via the port of Civitavecchia, Italy).

What new Disney Cruise Line ships are coming?

Disney Cruise Line currently has two new cruise ships on order. The first to arrive will be Disney Treasure in 2024. As noted above, it’s a sister ship to Disney Wish, and it’ll have many of the same features as that vessel.

Another vessel in the same series, known as the Triton class of ships, is on order for delivery in 2025.

The Triton-class vessels are being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, which also built Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream.

In addition, Disney Cruise Line recently bought a massive, partly finished cruise ship that was originally ordered for Asia-based Dream Cruises. The unfinished ship became available for purchase after Dream Cruises went out of business.

Disney plans to finish construction on the vessel and operate it out of Singapore starting in 2025. The ship will sail Southeast Asia voyages aimed at the Asia cruise market.

What is the newest Disney Cruise Line ship available for booking?

Disney Wish is the newest Disney Cruise Line ship you can book right now. The line’s next new ship, Disney Treasure, is not yet available to book.

What is the newest class of Disney Cruise Line ships?

The Triton class is the newest class of Disney Cruise Line ships. It’ll be made up of at least three vessels, the first of which (Disney Wish) has already debuted.

The Triton class is the shiny new thing at Disney Cruise Line. The first of the vessels, Disney Wish, debuted with a whole new array of Disney “wow” on board, from the “Star Wars”-themed Hyperspace Lounge that offers a “window” view of passing starships to Marvel- and “Frozen”-themed restaurants.

First look: Disney Wish’s new ‘Frozen’ dinner show

In addition, cabins on Disney Wish include seven ocean-view rooms located over the bridge, a first for Disney Cruise Line. The rooms have extended living areas with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bow and out across the ocean. If that isn’t enough, there also are four Royal Suites with a “Sleeping Beauty” theme, two of which feature a two-story floor plan.

What’s the difference between newer and older Disney cruise ships?

The three newest Disney Cruise Line ships are notably bigger than the two oldest Disney Cruise Line ships. As a result, they have room for more onboard venues and attractions than the older vessels.

On all three of the newer vessels (Disney Wish, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream), you’ll find large water coasters careening around the top deck — a level of attraction you won’t find on the older Disney ships.

The newer Disney cruise ships also are home to kiddie waterslides, decktop kiddie play areas and several pools apiece. The ships’ insides are loaded with huge children’s play areas, family entertainment and even adults-only venues.

Disney’s two oldest ships are about 40% smaller than its newest ships and have fewer such features. They have a notably more intimate feel, at least in the pantheon of relatively big, mass-market ships. They also hold fewer people. While Disney’s newest ships are designed to hold around 4,000 passengers with every berth full, the line’s two oldest vessels (known as the Magic class) are only designed to carry about 2,500 passengers with every berth filled.

That makes the two oldest Disney ships a good choice for someone who wants to try a Disney cruise but isn’t eager to travel with huge crowds. The oldest ships in the Disney fleet thus appeal to a subset of Disney fans who prefer more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don’t mind giving up some onboard amenities to get it. They are also sometimes less expensive to sail on, on a per-day basis.

In addition, because of their size, the oldest ships at Disney are able to operate itineraries to places that aren’t as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports in the world can handle a ship the size of Disney Wish.

Note that all Disney ships are renovated and upgraded on a regular schedule every few years, so even the oldest Disney cruise vessels have newer carpeting, updated furniture, modern decor in cabins and other updates. In many cases, they also have had entire eateries and bars renovated over the years with concepts that first debuted on newer vessels.

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