Disney’s Japan Partner Establishes New Company for Upcoming Cruise Line

A new Disney cruise ship in Japan is one step closer to becoming a reality after today it was announced that the project has moved into its next major phase.

While the partnership was first introduced in 2024, Oriental Land Co., Ltd. officially confirmed today that its Board of Directors has approved the establishment of Oriental Land Cruise Co., Ltd.

This new company will operate under the public name Disney Cruise Line Japan, and a sister ship to Disney Wish is expected to debut and sail out of Japan starting in 2029 but perhaps a little sooner.

How the Partnership Works

Basically, Disney doesn’t own any part of the Japanese company.  Instead, Oriental Land Cruise Co. (OLC) company simply pays Disney a license and royalty fee to use their characters and branding.

While OLC owns and operates the business independently, Disney provides the creative “magic” and the branding power that is known world-wide.

A Sister Ship to the Disney Wish

The new ship will be registered in Japan and will structurally be about the same Disney’s Wish-class ships, except with some modifications and changes for the Asian market.

The vessel will be 140,000 gross tons in size with 1,250 staterooms and a capacity around 4,000 passengers.  Construction is scheduled to start in the second half of 2026 and will take place at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Note that Disney Cruise Line just recently announced the name of their fourth Wish-class ship, Disney Believe, which will debut in late 2027. This Wish-class vessel has no connection to the Disney Cruise Line Japan ship.

Launch Timeline & Leadership

According to the press release, Ryotaro Shiiba has been named as the Representative Director and President of Oriental Land Cruise., Ltd.

The first cruises are expected to launch in Japanese fiscal year 2028 (which runs from April 1, 2028, through March 31, 2029).

But could more ships be on the way?

The official press release from Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (OLC) includes a specific line that hints at that possibility.

While only one ship is currently scheduled for 2029, the company used the plural “ships” when explaining why they are starting this new subsidiary:

“As part of this initiative, the Company has decided to establish a subsidiary to accelerate the commercialization of its cruise business and to manage and operate its future cruise ships in a specialized and agile manner.”