Disney Fantasy Begins to Take Shape

On Feb. 11, 2011, Disney Cruise Line® celebrated the keel laying of the Disney Fantasy™ at the Meyer Werft shipyard. This is the second of two newly designed ships that take the family cruise experience to all-new heights. The sister ship to the Disney Fantasy, the Disney Dream™ entered service on Jan. 26, 2011.

The keel laying ceremony is a significant milestone in the ship building process when the first block, or section of the ship, is lowered into the building dock and a coin is placed under the keel for good fortune. Placing the coin was Karl Holz, President of Disney Cruise Line, assisted by Minnie Mouse.

The Disney Fantasy will offer many of the innovations that the Disney Dream currently features and brought to the cruise industry for the very first time, including AquaDuck -- the world’s first shipboard water coaster. However, the Disney Fantasy will feature a few new design elements and Guest experiences that will give the ship a unique identity all her own.

The 4,000-passenger Disney Fantasy will sail weeklong Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Fla., beginning with its maiden voyage scheduled for March 31, 2012. In addition, the Western Caribbean itinerary will change to feature a stop at Costa Maya. Bookings are now open for sail dates through August 2012.