Disney Believe's New Cruise Director Already Has His Ship Bingo Card Almost Full
Disney Cruise Line just named the person who will be running the show onboard Disney Believe once it sets sail, and Trent Hitchcock isn't exactly new to this. He's spent nearly 20 years with Disney Cruise Line already, ten of them as a cruise director, and he's worked on every ship in the fleet except Disney Adventure. As he put it himself, "my ship bingo card is almost full."
Who Is Running the Show Onboard
Hitchcock was part of the opening team for Disney Destiny, and now he's stepping into the same role for Disney Believe, the ship closing out the Wish class before Disney Cruise Line moves on to its next generation of vessels. As opening Cruise Director, he's in charge of entertainment, youth activities, and recreation onboard, with a team of more than 200 crew members reporting up through him. That covers everything from deck parties and fireworks at sea to Port Adventures and the ship's Broadway style stage shows.
FIRST LOOK: See what was announced for Disney Believe at D23
Cruise Director Trent Hitchcock with Mickey Mouse | Disney Cruise Line
He's already been working on this one for a while too. Planning for a new ship's entertainment program typically starts about a year out, and Hitchcock said bringing a new ship to life is a special time, calling it an honor and a privilege to be the one closing out the Wish class. He'll travel to the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany next year to work directly with the ship through construction, its maiden voyage, and its first full season.
Trent Hitchcock | Disney Cruise Line
Why a Cruise Director's Resume Actually Matters
It's easy to skim past a crew announcement like this one, but the cruise director sets the tone for basically everything a family experiences outside of dining and staterooms. Hitchcock told Disney Parks Blog that the biggest reward of the job is waking up every day knowing he gets to lead an incredible entertainment operation and seeing how much guests enjoy it, which tracks with someone who's clearly spent two decades getting good at exactly that.
A good Cruise Director really sets the vibe. I sailed with Trent when the Disney Destiny was launched in November 2025. I can confidently say he killed it! Not only was the excitement on the Maiden Voyage at an all-time high but the cast and crew seemed to rally around Trent and the confidence speaks volumes about his demor and professionalism.
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Trent Hitchcock with Mickey and Minnie in Alaska | Disney Cruise Line
What It Means If You're Booking Disney Believe
Disney Believe isn't setting sail until late 2027, so there's plenty of runway before any of this actually shows up in your vacation. But a cruise director with this much institutional knowledge, someone who's already sailed almost the entire fleet, is a good sign for how buttoned up the Believe's entertainment lineup is likely to be from day one instead of getting ironed out over its first few sailings.
Worth keeping an eye on this blog as more details about the ship's shows, parties, and onboard entertainment start to leak out ahead of the 2027 debut.
Alright, that’s all for now. See ya next time.
