Disney Wonder Completes 25 Years of Service – Cruise Industry News

The Disney Wonder recently completed its 25th year of service. As the company’s second cruise ship, the 1,750-guest vessel entered service for Disney Cruise Line on August 15, 1999.

As a sister to the 1998-built Disney Magic, the Wonder was built at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Venice, Northern Italy.

After being delivered to Disney, the ship embarked on a trans-Atlantic crossing with no guests onboard before arriving at its homeport: Port Canaveral, in Central Florida.

During its inaugural season, the Disney Wonder offered a series of three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas, visiting Nassau and Disney’s private island destination Castaway Cay.

The ship was later christened in Port Canaveral on Oct. 1, 1999, during a ceremony that saw Disney characters Tinkerbell and Mickey Mouse serving as godparents.

The Wonder continued to offer short cruises to the Bahamas through 2011 when the new Disney Dream took over its schedule.

The ship then made Disney Cruise Line’s debut on the West Coast, offering cruises to the Mexican Riviera and Alaska.

In late 2012, the vessel also debuted in Miami, offering some of the company’s first voyages from the port.

Following a major refurbishment in 2016, the Disney Wonder continued to offer summer programs in Alaska, as well as seasonal programs on the West Coast and in the Caribbean, departing from San Diego, Port Canaveral, San Juan, Galveston and more.

The vessel marked another first for Disney in late 2023, embarking on the company’s inaugural season in Australia and New Zealand.

During the seasonal cruise program, the Wonder offered cruises departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland.

Upon completing its current summer season in Alaska, the ship is set to return to the South Pacific in late October.

In 2025, in addition to Alaska, Australia and New Zealand, the Disney Wonder is also scheduled to offer itineraries to Baja California, the Mexican Riviera and Hawaii.