Tokyo, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s first Disney cruise ship has been named Disney Imagination, Oriental Land Co. said Wednesday. The ship is scheduled to begin service in the spring of 2029, and reservations will be accepted about six months before its launch. Oriental Land, the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, aims to develop its luxury cruise business into a key revenue pillar alongside its theme parks. “We will establish a new culture of family entertainment cruises where everyone, from children to the elderly, can take center stage,” Oriental Land Chairperson and CEO Yumiko Takano said at a press conference. The ship will be about 340 meters long and weigh some 140,000 tons. It will have 1,250 guest rooms and be able to accommodate up to about 4,000 passengers. Some 330 billion yen will be invested in construction and related costs. For the time being, the company plans to focus on short-term itineraries of two to four nights departing from and returning to Tokyo, with prices for standard guest rooms ranging from around 100,000 yen to less than 400,000 yen per person. “The Japanese cruise market has sufficient potential,” Ryotaro Shiiba, president of Oriental Land Cruise Co., the operator of the cruise ship, said. “It is important to put the ship into service under the Japanese flag to contribute to the market’s development,” he added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
