New Disney Cruise Line Ship Coming to Japan
Disney and Oriental Land Co., Ltd. will work together on another major project and we have the scoop. A new Disney cruise ship in Japan is one step closer to becoming a reality after it was announced that the project has moved into its next major phase.
The partnership was introduced back in 2024, officially confirmed by its Board of Directors that it was approved. The official press release from Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (OLC) includes a specific line that hints at more possibilities too. This new company project will operate under the public name Disney Cruise Line Japan, and a sister ship to Disney Wish is expected to debut and sail out of Japan starting in 2029.
Newest Disney Cruise Line Ship Announced
With the current news of Disney Cruise Line fourth Wish Class ship, the Disney Believe, set to debut in late 2027 with a “promise and possibilities” theme. The announcement, made by new CEO Josh D’Amaro during Disney’s 2026 Annual Shareholders Meeting, signals both creative ambition and continued fleet expansion.
The New Wish Class for Japan
The new ship will be registered in Japan and will structurally be about the same Disney’s Wish-class ships, except with some modifications and changes for the Asian market.
The vessel will be like the others with gross tons in size of 140,000 with about 1,250 staterooms and a capacity of around 4,000 passengers. Construction will most likely take place at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
Approximate Launching Schedule
According to the press release, Ryotaro Shiiba has been named as the Representative Director and President of Oriental Land Cruise., Ltd. The first cruises are expected to launch in Japanese fiscal year 2028 (which runs from April 1, 2028, through March 31, 2029). However, only one ship is currently scheduled for 2029, the company used the plural “ships” when describing the start of this new subsidiary
“As part of this initiative, the Company has decided to establish a subsidiary to accelerate the commercialization of its cruise business and to manage and operate its future cruise ships in a specialized and agile manner.”