Disney’s giant new ship is a floating (and highly affordable) theme park

The ship: Disney Adventure

• The cruise Singapore to Singapore, four nights
• Launched 2026
• Passengers 6700
• Crew 2500
• Passenger decks 14; 2111 staterooms
• Length 342 metres

Originally built by Hong Kong-based Genting’s Dream Cruises, Disney picked up the unfinished, billion-dollar ship at a “favourable price” (exact amount unrevealed) when Dream Cruises fell into receivership during the pandemic. Disney then reduced the originally planned capacity of 9000 down to 6700. Even so, at 208,000 gross tonnes, it’s easily the biggest ship in Disney’s fleet and the cruise line’s first to be based in Asia, launching from Singapore – its home for the next five years. The ship was built for an Asian market by Genting; hence Disney taking the opportunity to base it in the region where it already has three well-established, popular theme parks (in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai).

Boarding

We board the ship at Marina Bay Cruise Centre and, while not quite as efficient as the city’s famed Changi Airport, the modern, vast terminal is as easy and smooth as you’d expect from Singapore. Smartgates operate for immigration and security checks are quick. Disembarkation after the cruise is even more efficient, with passengers exiting in groups based on luggage tags featuring a Disney character. There’s no queuing other than briefly for a second security scan of bags (it’s worth noting that, even though the ship will be making no port stops during its cruises, foreign passengers still need to fill out the Singapore Arrival Card a second time to re-enter the country).

The design

It’s a Disney ship, so the Disney touches are everywhere. Mickey Mouse logos are on the carpets, the funnels, the doors – basically everywhere you look. Other elements are more subtle. For example, the guest services area features a Snow White statue and theme, which is why there are exactly seven service desks behind her (though fortunately none of the staff are Dopey). The look and feel varies from one part of ship to the next, but for the most part it’s the bright, colourful feel you’d expect from Disney.

The spaces

The ship is split into seven zones, which helps to separate the crowds when there are so many passengers on board (on this preview cruise, with just industry guests, the ship was operating well below its full capacity). The standout spaces are the two open-air courtyards (or “canyons” as the designers refer to them) cutting a swathe through the centre of the ship, creating a version of the original “Main Street” design of Disneyland’s thoroughfare in California. Each zone has its own theme. On the upper decks, there are water play areas for different ages, including three waterslides.

“Marvel Landing”, at the rear of the ship, features bumper cars and a spin ride based on Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy respectively. There is also the Iron Man-themed Iron Test Cycle – a two-passenger jet-ski-like vehicle that travels the longest roller coaster track on any ship. There have been some teething problems. It was still in testing mode during our cruise and reportedly not operating during the first cruise for paying passengers. Like other major cruise lines, Disney ships also feature an exclusive, luxury section, in this case called “The Concierge”. On the Adventure it’s a large, multi-level space with its own sun deck, pool, spa and dining.

The stateroom

My ocean view verandah stateroom is similar to those found on other Disney ships, with a queen-sized bed, couch, desk and balcony. The couch folds out into a second bed for my two young kids to sleep on, which can be separated by a curtain. It’s comfortable, if a little cramped when the second bed is unfolded. The bathroom features a decent-sized shower and, like on other Disney ships, the toilet is separate so kids who are in a hurry don’t need to wait for you to come out of the bathroom. The large, flat-screen TV offers a wide range of channels from Disney’s stable, as well as on-demand movies and TV shows. Inside cabins feature virtual windows showing the exterior view. There are also rooms overlooking the two courtyards, but be warned, these can be noisy given the shows and other activities that take place in these spaces, day and night.

The food

While Disney certainly doesn’t downplay the dining options on board its ships, or on Disney Adventure specifically, it deserves to be a bigger selling point. Compared to some other family-focused cruise lines, the standard of the meals is excellent. Unlike other large ships, Disney rotates passengers through several restaurants rather than having a single, enormous main restaurant. There are 12 eateries in total – too many to cover in detail, but the main dinner options all feature a similar mix of Asian and Western options, including nods to Singapore like Hainanese chicken rice. A highlight is the Animator’s Palate (found across most Disney ships), where guests are invited to draw their own character upon arrival. Later in the meal the illustrations are brought to life on big screens throughout the restaurant, dancing through famous scenes from Disney movies. The kids love it.

Aside from the main venues, there are also casual dining spots offering kebabs, curries, burgers and pizza. There are two fine-dining restaurants available at an extra charge. That said, the quality of the food in the included dining rooms is such that it’s probably not worth forking out for these, unless you’re particularly keen for a kid-free, quieter dining experience (there are also several adults-only bars across the ship).

Wellness

There’s a rainforest-themed spa featuring vertical gardens, saunas, whirlpools and more, along with a large gym with modern equipment. For a bit of fun, get your exercise at the Imagination Garden courtyard, where Big Hero 6’s Baymax leads passengers through an aerobics routine.

The entertainment

Brace yourself, this might take a while. There are two night-time theatre shows. Seas the Adventure, which runs just 30 minutes and is aimed at younger audiences, sees Goofy leading the audience through a series of worlds from Disney’s back catalogue, while Remember is a new show developed specifically for this ship. It features an incredible Wall-E puppet playing video clips (recreated live) to help bring back his fellow robot EVE’s memory. In essence, they’re both just framing devices to stage the greatest hits from Disney’s most popular films, like Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid and Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast. Being Disney, the production values and quality of performances are through the roof – you won’t see better in a city theatre.

Disney Adventure has its own a version of the Marvel superheroes show seen on Disney Wonder in Australia, held in the Imagination Garden, but the Adventure’s design allows for different staging that makes great use of the giant digital screen behind the heroes to create eye-popping effects (like Thor shooting lightning or characters leaping out of portals). The success of 2014’s Big Hero 6 in Asia has seen the creation of an entire section of the ship based around that film’s San Fransokyo city, which features immersive arcade games aimed at older kids, along with the ship’s two cinemas. (In another nod to the Asian market, there are also private karaoke rooms on board.)

One of the major changes Disney made after acquiring the ship was to scrap the planned casino and instead use its large central space to create an enormous kids’ club for children aged three to 10 (there are three other clubs for different age groups, ranging from babies to 17). Here there are games, play equipment and character-led workshops. Speaking of characters, one of the obsessions of Disney fans is getting their pics taken with costumed characters. Given the size of Adventure and the number of passengers on board, this means you’ll need to make a booking via the cruise line’s app in order to secure a spot – do it well in advance.

The crew

On Disney ships, they’re not crew, they’re “cast members”. And plenty of them certainly seem to be putting on a Disney-like performance: wait staff in the restaurants play games or perform tricks for the kids, while everyone we walk past on the ship greets us and invites us to have a great day. They are universally friendly and helpful (including one who comes to the rescue of our five-year-old when he runs too far ahead of us and gets lost).

The verdict

Disney charges a premium compared to other family cruise lines, but you get what you pay for. The quality of the food, the design and especially the entertainment are a cut above anything else in this market. My only caveat is that, when the Adventure is closer to full capacity, there may be longer waits and bigger crowds at the on-board attractions (use the app to plan what you want to do in advance).

With Disney cruises having left Australian waters and unlikely to return, Disney Adventure is a relatively short flight away for those looking to experience some Disney magic at sea without having to cross the world to do it. Perhaps due to the size of the ship, combined with a lower cost base in Singapore, passengers will also find Disney Adventure significantly cheaper than the Disney cruises in Australia were.

The details

Cruises on board the Disney Adventure start from $A1566 for a three-night cruise for two in an inside cabin (from $A2555 for two adults and two children). Verandah rooms start from $A2317. Connecting rooms are available.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

Swell

For some cruise ships, the entertainment is something of an afterthought – an added bonus to keep you from getting bored on board. On Disney ships, it’s everything.

Not so swell

Despite being Asia-based, prices on board are all in US dollars so beware the exchange rate.

The writer travelled as a guest of Disney Cruise Line.