With purchase of 4 new ships, Disney Cruise Line will expand fleet to 13

Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Disney Cruise Line plans to expand its fleet to 13 ships with the announcement of the order of four new vessels.

Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, on Saturday  unveiled at D23: The Ultimate Fan Event in Anaheim, Calif., that the company has reached an agreement with a German shipbuilder.

Disney has five ships in its current fleet with four others being built.

On Monday, Meyer Werft confirmed the ships will be delivered between 2027 and 2031, but did not elaborate on details, including ship size.

Meyer posted on Facebook that the agreement is the highest order value in the company's history.

The company is a luxury builder of cruise ships, including newly built Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny. Carnival Cruise Line also has purchased ships from the builder.

The current Disney ships are Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy and Wish. They range from a capacity of 2,700 to 4,000 passengers. Magic was the first to enter service in 1998.

Treasure will debut in December from Port Canaveral in Florida, joining the Fantasy and Wish.

Earlier this month, Disney announced the Destiny that will set sail in November 2025, also from Florida. A Broadway-style stage show, "Disney Hercules," will debut onboard the ship.

Port Canaveral is popular for Disney fans because the port is just 58 miles from Disney World.

Other home ports are San Diego and South Hampton, England.

Disney is scheduled to enter the Asian market next year.

Disney Adventure will homeport in Singapore. With an estimated 6,700 passengers, it is the largest cruise ship in its fleet.

In July, Disney and Oriental Land Co. Ltd. entered a new agreement to bring year-round Disney cruise vacations to Japan by early 2029.

In June, Disney Cruise Line opened Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, the newest destination on the island of Eleuthera, The Bahamas.

In a news release, Disney's D'Amaro said, "Expanding our fleet gives more people, in more parts of the world, the opportunity to experience a vacation at sea like only Disney can provide."

Occupancy reached 97% across its five ships in the second quarter of this year.

"Disney Cruise Line has produced strong returns on capital investment, thanks to high-quality experiences, generating strong guest satisfaction ratings and consistent demand," D'Amaro said.