Disney Fantasy is a cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Entering service in 2012, she is the second ship of the Dream-class, and the line's fourth vessel overall; the other four ships of the company fleet are the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Wish. Her sister ship, Disney Dream, was launched in 2011. Her captain is Captain Michele Intartaglia.[5]


Disney Fantasy in St. Thomas in January 2020
History
NameDisney Fantasy
OwnerDisney Cruise line
OperatorDisney Cruise Line
Port of registryDisney cruise line Bahamas
OrderedFebruary 24, 2007
BuilderMeyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany
CostUS$950 million
Yard numberS. 688
LaunchedJanuary 10, 2012[2]
Sponsored byMariah Carey
ChristenedFebruary 28, 2012
CompletedFebruary 9, 2012[1]
Maiden voyageMarch 31, 2012[3]
In service2012–present
Identification
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and typeDream-class (Disney) cruise ship
TypeCruise Ship
Tonnage129,750 GT[4]
Displacement65,298 t (64,267 long tons; 71,979 short tons)
Length1,114.8 ft (339.80 m)[4]
Beam
  • 137 ft (42 m) (max)
  • 121.4 ft (37.0 m)[4] (waterline)
Height217 ft (66 m)
Draft27.3 ft (8.32 m)[4]
Decks16 (14 Passenger)
Installed power
  • 3 × 12-cylinder MAN diesels turning
  • 3 x 14.4 MW generators
  • 2 × 14-cylinder MAN diesels turning
  • 2 × 16.8 MW generators
Propulsion
  • 2 x 23 MW Converteam Propulsion Motors
  • 2 x 5 blade inward-turning fixed-pitch propellers
Speed
  • 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (service)
  • 24.7 knots (45.7 km/h; 28.4 mph) (maximum)
Capacity
  • 2,500 (double occupancy)
  • 4,000 (maximum)
Crew1,458
NotesCaptain Michele Intartaglia

History edit

 
Disney Fantasy at Meyer Werft shipyards in Papenburg, Germany in August 2011

In February 2007, Disney Cruise Line announced that it had commissioned two new ships for its fleet with Meyer Werft shipyards in Papenburg, Germany.[6] The first steel-cut, for scrollwork on the ship's hull, took place in March 2009.[7] Later that month, the two ships were named, with the Disney Fantasy set to enter service on March 31, 2012, a little over a year after her sister vessel, the Disney Dream.[8]

Disney Fantasy is structurally almost identical to Disney Dream, with a gross tonnage of 130,000,[9] a length of 340 m (1,120 ft) and a width of 42 metres (138 ft).[10] Disney Fantasy has 1,250 passenger cabins.[9]

The ship's keel was laid on February 11, 2011. Disney Cruise Line president, Karl Holz, along with Minnie Mouse, officially placed a magic coin beneath the ship's hull. The coin is identical to that which was placed beneath the Disney Dream, however, featured the hull number S688, and the date of the keel laying.[11]

On September 13, 2011 it was announced that the stern character on Disney Fantasy would be Dumbo, the Flying Elephant.[12][13]

On December 9, 2011, Meyer Werft found several water lines open on the cruise ship. 48 cabins were damaged at a cost of approximately €1 million.[14]

Disney Fantasy was floated out of the building dock on January 10, 2012, at Meyer Werft. Disney Fantasy was delivered to Disney Cruise Line on February 9, 2012, in Bremerhaven, Germany.[15]

Disney Fantasy arrived in the United States for the first time, calling on New York, on February 28, 2012. The ship was formally named on March 1, 2012, in New York City. The "godmother" of the ship is Mariah Carey.[16] A ceremony was held on the ship featuring performances in the Walt Disney Theatre. Neil Patrick Harris hosted and comedian Jerry Seinfeld performed during the show.[17]

Ever since, Disney Fantasy has been based at Disney Cruise Line's terminal at Port Canaveral, Florida.[18] and cruises to the Caribbean including visits to Disney's private island Castaway Cay.

In March 2020, cruises were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19][20] Disney Cruise Line extended its suspension of all departures several times, finally returning Disney Fantasy to active duty on September 11, 2021.[21] On December 30, 2021, passengers were unable to debark the ship at St. Thomas due to a rise in onboard COVID-19 cases.[22]

Facilities edit

 
Disney Fantasy in 2015

Disney Fantasy has a water playground with a water coaster,[23] pop jets, geysers and bubblers featuring Huey, Dewey and Louie, instead of the Waves bar on the pool deck which is found on her sister ship the Disney Dream.[24] The ship features a nursery, Oceaneer Club, Oceaneer Lab, Edge, and Vibe for children's entertainment.[25]

Disney Fantasy can play songs from Disney movies and parks using its 11 horns,[26][18] specifically: "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella, "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast, "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" from Pirates of the Caribbean, the Pinocchio songs "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)", "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" from Frozen, and "It's a Small World (After All)". In addition its musical horns, during the "Star Wars Day At Sea" the ship can sound other horns, including: "The Imperial March" and a segment of the "Star Wars (Main Title)", and when in New York City, can play the beginning of "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra.[27]

References edit

  1. ^ Allison-Shane, Heidi (February 12, 2012). "Arriving Soon…The Disney Fantasy". All Things Cruise. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  2. ^ Janssens, Cynthia (January 10, 2012). "Disney Fantasy is floated out in Papenburg, Germany". All Things Cruise. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  3. ^ Lasecki, Jason (March 6, 2012). "Disney Fantasy Arrives in Port Canaveral". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d "Disney Fantasy (9445590)". LR Class Direct. Lloyd's Register. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  5. ^ Sanders, Scott (December 16, 2022). "Disney Cruise Line Promotes Staff Captain Michele Intartaglia to the role of Captain Helming the Disney Fantasy • The Disney Cruise Line Blog". The Disney Cruise Line Blog. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  6. ^ "Disney Cruise Line News - Press Releases". Archived from the original on March 13, 2007.
  7. ^ Jason Garcia (March 2, 2009). "Construction begins on new Disney cruise ships". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  8. ^ Jason Garcia (March 10, 2009). "Disney names new cruise ships: Dream and Fantasy". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  9. ^ a b "Disney Fantasy Fact Sheet". Archived from the original on February 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "Germany: Cruise Ship Disney Fantasy Leaves MEYER WERFT Yard on Sunday". Shipbuilding Tribune. January 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  11. ^ "Keel Laying Ceremony Marks a Milestone for the Disney Fantasy Today". Disney Parks Blog. February 11, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  12. ^ "Disney Fantasy Stern Character Sculpture - Facebook". Facebook.
  13. ^ Denise (September 10, 2011). "Artwork Reveals Dumbo and Timothy Mouse on Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship Stern". Mousesteps. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  14. ^ "Disney Fantasy: Vandalismus auf der Disney Fantasy in der Meyer Werft". Schiffe und Kreuzfahrten.
  15. ^ "Germany: Disney Cruise Line Takes Delivery of Its Newest Ship Disney Fantasy". Offshore Energy. February 9, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  16. ^ Sentinel, By Richard Tribou, Orlando (March 2, 2012). "Mariah Carey takes on godmother role to christen Disney Fantasy". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved September 4, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "PHOTOS: Inside The Disney Fantasy Christening". HuffPost. March 2, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Disney Cruise Line to Extend Agreement with Port Canaveral". Disney Cruise Line News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  19. ^ Neale, Dave Berman and Rick. "Coronavirus Port Canaveral: Passengers board last Disney voyage before sailings suspended". Florida Today. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  20. ^ Delahaye, Julie (March 31, 2020). "Cruise lines cancelling over coronavirus and when they will start sailing again". mirror. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  21. ^ Parker, Doug (September 12, 2021). "Back to Sea: Disney Fantasy Resumes Sailings from Florida". Cruise Radio - Daily Updates On The Cruise Industry. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  22. ^ Michaelsen, Shannen (December 28, 2021). "CDC Investigating COVID-19 Cases on All Disney Cruise Line Ships". WDW News Today. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  23. ^ "Disney Fantasy". Ship detective. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  24. ^ Lambert, Marjie (May 24, 2019). "On Disney Fantasy, it's a child's world. Adults get their own pool and nightclubs". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  25. ^ "Youth Clubs". disneycruise.disney.go.com.
  26. ^ "Star Wars Day at Sea". disneycruise.disney.go.com. Disney. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  27. ^ "Disney Fantasy horn plays New York, New York | Disney Cruise Line". YouTube. photosmagiquesglobal. Retrieved April 24, 2019.

External links edit

28°24′36″N 80°36′36″W / 28.4100°N 80.6100°W / 28.4100; -80.6100