Big news is afoot at the Disney Cruise Line as it recently announced the expansion of its fleet from four to six ships as well as new menu items at its signature Italian specialty restaurant, Palo.
Two New Ships On The Way
The press release – posted in its entirety in Fab News here – regarding the two new ships set to come online is vague on specific details, but a number of things are still known. Plus, several other tidbits can be gleaned upon closer inspection.
To start, the two as-yet-unnamed ships will be built where the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy were constructed – the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany – and they will launch in 2021 and 2023 respectively. That’s 9 years after the Fantasy began cruising in 2012 versus the 11 year gap between theDisney Wonder (1999) and Disney Dream (2011) before it. So, the line’s expansion is accelerating.
Despite rumors that a new pair of ships would be sized somewhere between the Magic-class and Dream-class, the ships will actually measure in slightly larger at 135,000 tons – 5,000 tons more than the Dreamand Fantasy – but sport the same number of cabins – about 1,250.
Where might that extra space be allocated? Take a closer look at the rough rendering of the expanded fleet above. The greyed out newcomers actually display an extra forward deck of suites above the spa facility, meaning the suites could be larger this time around or the same size and doubled up in quantity with some other cabins being displaced elsewhere. Also of note, the aft superstructure does not appear to feature porthole window cabins anymore. Behind an architecturally curved swoop looks to be more balconies. Lastly, the AquaDuck water coaster is not present in the rendering, but a newly bowed out pool deck between the funnels is.
Surely these renderings are nowhere near final indications of the exact vessels to come, and many changes may still be in store, deck attractions included. As competing cruise lines raise the bar with articulated crane arms and suspended track cycles literally taking guests to new heights, one wonders what Disney next has up its sleeve. A hybridization between the AquaDuck and AquaDunk or something entirely new are possible. I’ve always thought it would only be a matter of time before a line attempts an onboard roller coaster, but shifting centers of gravity would make that very difficult.
One idea I have sketched out in my mind (and paper admittedly) is actually a shipboard Tower of Terrorattraction themed to Captain Nemo and his floating research station. Enlarged passenger bathyspheres could replace elevators as the thematic ride vehicles as they are launched for deep sea depth from high above and dropped below the waterline to the keel before something goes wrong and the mechanism haywires in typical thrill ride fashion. Shaft effects could include water bubbles and aquariums to simulate the dive, and any Vulcania narrative could tie in nicely with the Castaway Cay-submerged Nautilus ride vehicle from Magic Kingdom’s former 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. How’s that for some armchair imagineering? (For the record, I once aspired to be a mechanical engineer to design ride systems for WDI, so I have several such ideas rolling around in my noggin.) I’d love to hear your ideas for Disney Cruise Line attractions you’d like to see in the future.
Returning to earth from the blue sky, one thing that is for certain is that these two new Disney ships are sure to surprise with new attractions (more Star Wars most likely to begin with) pushing the boundaries of imaginative onboard offerings.
New Palo Menu Items
Also, since I last checked in, Disney has announced new menu items for its Palo adults-only Italian specialty restaurant fleet-wide. According to the line, the new choices are set to “revisit the restaurant’s Italian roots with the addition of regional recipes, authentic ingredients and time-honored techniques.”
The main event is now a Esperienza del Vino wine pairing menu option featuring six entirely new courses, each accompanied by a glass of wine or spirit and described by Disney below:
~ Coppa (thinly sliced cured pork neck) on dressed fava beans, garnished with sharp pecorino cheese and micro celery paired with a refreshing Venetian Bellini made with sparkling Prosecco, ripe white peaches and a hint of raspberry
Gnocchi with nutty cep mushroom sauce paired with Bellavista Franciacorta Cuvee Brut, a rich blend of 30 distinctive wines
~ Poached white asparagus with smoked anchovies, quail egg and truffle oil paired with dry, flowery Elena Walch Gewurztraminer from the northern province of South Tyrol White Asparagus
~ Sea bass with spinach and buckwheat paired with La Scolca Gavi dei Gavi Black Label, crisp and acidic with undertones of almond and lime ~ Beef striploin—aged for 25 days, seared and roasted with rosemary—thinly sliced and served with dressed arugula paired with full-bodied Antinori Tignanello Marchesi, a potent Tuscan red with notes of spice, fruit, oak, licorice and rosemary ~ Creamy mascarpone mousse, enclosed in a delicate white chocolate dome and served atop fluffy rhubarb and grappa sponge cake in a bed of sweet consommé jelly, elegantly garnished with a floral and fruity flourish, paired with a soft Alexander Platinum Grappa Mascarpone Mousse
What’s more are additional a la carte dinner offerings described by Disney below:
~ For two to share: a whole roasted chicken, marinated for 24 hours in lemon, sea salt and rosemary – beautifully presented in a copper serving dish with roasted baby vegetables, asparagus and potatoes and topped with a Barolo wine reduction typical to the mountainous region of Piedmont in the northwest Roasted Chicken
~ A piquant Dover sole is fileted tableside and served with regional staples like capers, anchovies, sundried tomatoes and thyme potatoes ~ Classic sea scallops with an exquisite Prosecco and black truffle reduction Sea Scallops
~ Returning to the menu with a new twist, seared ahi tuna steak is prepared with blanched green beans, roasted new potatoes and peppered quail eggs ~ Light, creamy tiramisu—a coffee-infused classic Tiramisu
~ A limoncello tart for a refreshing pop of citrus Palo requires reservations and a dinner surcharge of $30 per person, and the Esperienza del Vino wine pairing experience is priced at an additional $59 per person.