Disney Dream bids farewell to Port Canaveral after more than decade in service

Ship moving to make way for all-new Disney Wish

The Disney Dream at Port Canaveral (2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – Disney Cruise Line is preparing to welcome its newest ship, the Disney Wish, to Central Florida later this month.

In order to make room at Port Canaveral, the company is shuffling some of its cruise ships around, including the Disney Dream.

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The ship arrived back at Port Canaveral Monday morning to disembark weekend cruise passengers before heading to its new port in Miami.

“The Disney Dream will be leaving us on June 6, and the Disney Dream has always called Port Canaveral home,” Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO, said during a commission meeting last month. “So, it’s heading down to Miami and next year, it’s going to Europe - so that ship probably won’t be back for a while. It’s been a long stay since she was delivered about 10 years ago.”

Following the ship’s time in Miami, Disney Cruise Line said in 2023 the Disney Dream will sail from Barcelona and Rome to picturesque ports of call throughout the Mediterranean, including a first-ever 7-night sailing to the Greek Isles with stops in the ever-popular ports of Santorini and Mykonos. Later that year, the ship will travel from Southampton and will feature cruises to a wealth of destinations including Spain, France, the British Isles, Norway and Iceland.

Construction of the Disney Dream began back in 2009. A year later, the ship was delivered to Disney Cruise Line.

Early in the morning on Jan. 4, 2011, the ship arrived to fanfare and fireworks at Port Canaveral.

(Jan. 4, 2011): Fireworks light the morning sky as the Disney Dream, Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, arrives Jan. 4, 2011 for the first time to her home port of Port Canaveral, Fla. after traveling approximately 6,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Bremerhaven, Germany. The 4,000-passenger Disney Dream will welcome guests on her maiden voyage on Jan. 26, 2011, and is scheduled to sail three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney's private island Castaway Cay, from Port Canaveral. (Phelan Ebenhack, photographer) (Disney Cruise Line)

Just a couple of weeks later on Jan. 26, 2011, the ship set sail on its maiden voyage from Central Florida. Since that time, the ship has taken millions of passengers on 3- and 4-night sailings to Disney’s Castaway Cay and Nassau.

Mickey Mouse and Disney Dream at Castaway Cay (WKMG)

At 1,115 feet, the Disney Dream is longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and longer than the height of New York City’s Chrysler Building, making it one of the fleet’s bigger ships.

The Dream’s sister ship, the Disney Fantasy, will continue to call Port Canaveral home.

The Disney Wish is scheduled to arrive at the port on June 20 between the hours of 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. at cruise terminal 8 and 10.

The Disney Wish will be powered by liquified natural gas, or LNG, one of the cleanest-burning fuels available, officials said. At approximately 144,000 gross tons and 1,250 guest staterooms, the ship will be slightly larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Disney Wish (Disney Cruise Line)

When the Disney Wish sets sail this summer, it will be filled with innovative new experiences steeped in Disney storytelling, including the first-ever Disney attraction at sea, immersive dining experiences themed to “Frozen” and Marvel, and a high-end lounge set in the Star Wars galaxy.


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