Disney Cruise Line and Meyer Werft mark keel laying for Disney Treasure

Disney Cruise Line and Meyer Werft have celebrated the keel laying for Disney Treasure, the cruise line’s second Trident class cruise ship and sister ship to the new Disney Wish.

As part of the keel laying, which marks the start of assembly of the new ship, a commemorative coin with the likeness of Captain Minnie Mouse was placed beneath the keel to bring good luck to the vessel during her construction.

Once assembly is complete and the ship is ready to be floated out, the coin will be retrieved from beneath the keel and welded to the ship’s navigation mast in a historic tradition known as the coin ceremony.

Philip Gennotte, portfolio project management executive, Walt Disney Imagineering Germany, took part in the keel laying ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Disney Treasure is due to launch in 2024 and will feature many of the same features and attractions that debuted aboard her sister ship Disney Wish, but with a design customised to the vessel.

The design of the ship’s Grand Hall atrium for example will be inspired by “the grandeur and mystery of a gilded palace,” according to Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, drawing “on real-world influences from Asia and from Africa as well as the far off land of Agrabah.”

The atrium will therefore pay homage to Aladdin, Jasmine and the Magic Carpet of the eponymous Disney film, rather than Cinderella which is the centrepiece statue in the atrium aboard Disney Wish.

Promotional video has also shown characters from the Pixar film “Coco,” Disney’s “Moana” and the three ghosts from the Haunted Mansion ride, all tied to the main theme of the ship: adventure.

Like Disney Wish, Disney Treasure will be 144,000 gross tons with 1,254 staterooms, carrying around 4,000 passengers. She will also run on liquefied natural gas like her sister ship as Disney follows other lines in seeking to reduce emissions.

It’s unknown what attractions and amenities will feature aboard Disney Treasure. When Disney Wish was introduced, she debuted what Disney calls its first attraction at sea, the AquaMouse, a combination of water coaster similar to the AquaDuck on Dream and Fantasy, but with elements similar to Disney’s theme park rides.

Disney Wish also introduced the first Marvel-themed rotational dining space and an adults-only Star Wars bar, along with an Avengers Academy, a musical version of The Little Mermaid as its main stage show and a host of other features.

Disney Wish and Disney Treasure will be joined by a third yet-to-be-named ship in the class in 2025. The keel laying for Disney Treasures comes after Disney confirmed that its largest-ever ship (the former Global Dream) will be based in Singapore, while new features were also announced recently for its second private island destination Lighthouse Point.