'I watched Disney's new ship float out and it was more nail-biting than expected'
Disney Cruise Line marked another milestone its the expansion of its fleet as the latest of its cruise ships, Disney Destiny, was floated out earlier this week.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the Meyer Weft shipyard in Germany for the highly-anticipated event, which gave fans a first look at the 1,122ft-long ship, which is estimated to have cost up to $1.1billion (approx £743million) to build.
While a float out is a big deal for cruise lines, I wasn't prepared for how much of an event it would turn out to be. My first clue was when we turned up to find that hundreds of locals had already been camping in the parking lot for days beforehand, and were already lining up near the shipyard's riverbanks to get some of the best views of the ship.
READ MORE: 'I took my baby to Disneyland Paris and was surprised at the rides he could do'
Meyer Weft and Disney Cruise Line pulled out all the stops too; there were food and drink stalls, iconic Disney songs playing in the background, and of course those all-important fireworks when the ship made its grand appearance. Minnie Mouse herself made an appearance, dressed in a new superhero outfit in a nod to the artwork that features on the bow of the Destiny.
There was a general buzz of anticipation, and considering a float out takes a couple of hours, the atmosphere was impressive.
Although it was all a very smooth process, it was nail-biting to watch all the same. For a start, although the ship's engines have been built and are powerful enough for the ship to move forward, these don't actually get used because there's such a small margin of error in terms of navigating the riverbank and space.
Instead, a tiny (well, tiny compared to the cruise ship) tug boat sailed out and was hooked up to the ship with ropes; and that turned out to be the way they would be dragging out the huge ship which boasts a 144,000 gross tonnage. The smaller boat slowly zig zagged as it pulled the Disney Destiny out of the construction hall. There were only a few metres either side with room for error, so precision was key, and I felt nervous for the captain whose responsibility it was to ensure that the ship stayed well away from the sides!
There were around four or five shipyard workers who also walked along the edge of the riverbank, reportedly to keep an eye out in case the ship got too close, and to help assist the smaller boat with ropes.
Luckily, they knew what they were doing and the ship was floated out seamlessly, with fireworks and pyrotechnics going off once it had officially left the hall, as well as a new upbeat song being unveiled that will be the ship's anthem.
As for the Disney Destiny itself, there's going to be plenty for Mickey Mouse fans to get excited about. A sister ship to the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, this new addition to the fleet boasts a 'heroes and villains' them complete with a Cruella De Vil themed bar, a Marvel lounge inspired by the Sanctum from Doctor Strange, and a Pirates of the Caribbean themed pub.
Disney Destiny will sail on her maiden voyage on November 20, 2025 from Fort Lauderdale, with itineraries to The Bahamas and Western Caribbean. You can get more details about the ship and book sailings at disneycruise.disney.go.com. You can also find out more about the shipyard at meyerwerft.de.
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