Disney Adventure Maiden Voyage Delayed to March 2026: What Guests Need to Know
Looks like would-be sailors will have to wait a little longer to Adventure in Singapore. News spread rapidly last night that Disney Cruise Line’s newest and biggest addition to the fleet, the Disney Adventure, would not sail her Maiden Voyage as scheduled in December 2025. Instead, the inaugural season for the 6000+ passenger ship will be postponed until March 2026.
Concept Art of the Themed Areas Represented on the Disney Adventure
A Global History of Adventure
The Disney Adventure cruise ship has one of the most fascinating stories in Disney Cruise Line history. Originally ordered in 2016 by Genting Hong Kong as part of its ambitious Global-class, the vessel, originally named Global Dream, was left unfinished when the company went bankrupt. In 2022, Disney Cruise Line, under the leadership of short-live CEO Bob Chapek, acquired the ship at a steep discount and began transforming it into the largest Disney cruise ship ever built, with a displacement of over 208,000 gross tons.
Last night, Scott Gustin and Scott Sanders of Disney Cruise Line Blog broke the news of the Maiden Voyage delay.
When the Disney Adventure eventually sails its Maiden Voyage, now scheduled for March 10, 2026, it will make history as the first Disney Cruise Line ship to homeport year-round in Singapore, opening up the possibility for future itineraries across Southeast Asia. The ship is also designed with sustainability in mind, becoming the first in the fleet powered by methanol fuel. From its dramatic construction journey to its groundbreaking debut, the Disney Adventure represents both a bold new chapter for Disney at sea and an exciting opportunity for guests to explore Asia in signature Disney style.
So What Went Wrong?
It’s hard to say what exactly went wrong, if anything, and I don’t want to speculate. Modern ship building is incredibly complex and taking over a partially constructed vessel and adapting its design to fit a very specific set of needs for a very specific set of guests is no doubt a huge undertaking.
Here’s the facts in convenient time line form:
March 8, 2018 - Construction began on the Global Dream at facilities in Wismar and Rostock
September 11, 2018 - The keel for the Global Dream was laid
November 16, 2022 - Disney Cruise Line purchased the Global Dream for €40 million. A far cry from the original price tag of €1.8 billion
September 8, 2023 - Disney Cruise Line officially announced the Disney Adventure at Destination D23 held at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
December 10, 2024 - Booking officially opened for the inagural season
April 19, 2025 - The Disney Adventure floated out of the Meyer Werft construction dock to prepare for sea trials
September 1, 2025 - The Disney Adventure left Wismar shipyard for sea trials
September 10, 2025 - Disney Cruise Line announced the Maiden Voyage, originally scheduled for December 10, 2025, would be delayed until March 10, 2026
December 15, 2025 - Originally scheduled Maiden Voyage
March 10, 2026 - Newly scheduled Maiden Voyage
It’d be easy to draw conclusions based on the above time line. The postponement announcement occured just days after multiple sea trials. Without additional information it’s impossible to know when or what issues caused the delay. I’ll leave the conjecture up to you.
Officially, Disney released the following statement on the delay:
“As we work on the final touches to bring the Disney Adventure to our guests, we’ve encountered unexpected delays in the shipbuilding process. To ensure the experience we deliver reflects our commitment to excellence, we’ve made the decision to adjust our timeline. We know this may be disappointing to our guests, and we’re working directly with them to offer flexible rebooking options and uphold the trust they place in us.”
Over the Horizon
This delay not only affects the Maiden Voyage but every sailing from December 10, 2025 thru March 12, 2026. This understandably disappointing to everyone scheduled to sail in that time period. This may be especially true for die hard Disney Cruise Line fans who planned to make the long journey from the United States to Singapore to be among the first to experience the Disney Adventure. But not all hope is lost.
Disney Cruise Line announced guests booked for the original Maiden Voyage will be automatically rebooked for the rescheduled Maiden Voyage on March 10, 2026. Additionally, those guests will also receive a 50% discount on the Maiden Voyage. A full refund and a 50% future cruise discount will be given to guests unable or unwilling to travel to Singapore for the new Maiden Voyage date.
Guests booked on other affected sailings will automatically be refunded their full fare and receive a 50% future cruise discount. Not a bad deal if their other travel arrangements can be postponed, rescheduled, or refunded without penalty. The catch is, all 50% future cruise discounts must be used to book a future cruise by March 31, 2026 and the sailing must depart on or before March 31, 2027.
Dining, Shows, and Attractions, OH MY!
While the delay is unfortunate it’s better to get it right than ship (get it) un-finished or sub par product. As it stands there’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Disney Adventure. The ship is a huge departure from the six (soon to be seven) other ships in the fleet.
Uniquely, the Disney Adventure is divided into seven distinct themed areas (think neighborhoods similar to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis- and Icon-class ships), each with its own feel, décor, and lineup of restaurants, shops, entertainment, and spaces. The zones include:
Disney Imagination Garden
Toy Story Place
San Fransokyo Street
Town Square
Wayfinder Bay
Discovery Reef and
Marvel Landing.
Marvel Landing Concept Art
Wayfinder Bay Concept Art
Most notably, three Disney attractions will be coming to the upper decks of the Disney Adventure in the Marvel Landing district. This is a first for Disney Cruise Line and has fans psych’d! I’m a bit skeptical about the viability of these attractions running efficiently at sea and how long the lines will be. I swear to you that if people start Rope Dropping (yuck) and Lightning Lane comes to DCL were gonna have a huge problem. Anyway, the attractions on board will include:
Ironcycle Test Run — a roller coaster-type ride suspended high above the decks.
Pym Quantum Racers — mini-cars on a track playfully sized via “Pym Tech” shrinking/enlarging effects.
Groot Galaxy Spin — more of a thrill / spin ride experience.
Are you excited about the prospect of Disney attractions aboard Disney Cruise Line ships?
Cinderella at Royal Society for Friends
Imagination Garden Concept Art
Final Thoughts
Despite my hesitations, the delays, and odd nature in which this ship has come into existance - I’m curious. So curious, in fact, that I personally have a 3-night sailing on the Disney Adventure booked for my family of 5 plus my sister and her wife for November 2026.
Booking the Adventure was an ordeal since the ship, despite is size, has VERY few rooms that can accommodate me, my wife and 3 kids in one room. If you have questions about booking the Disney Adventure or any other DCL vacation check this out. Hopefully by the time my sailing draws near the kinks will have been straightened out and it’ll be smooth sailing. If not, we might have a few extra days to explore Singapore. Honestly, a win-win.
Alright, that’s it for now. See ya next time!