Disney Cruise Line, not surprisingly, is owned by the Walt Disney Company. It is run as a part of their Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division. While the company itself was established in 1995, the first Disney cruise ship did not launch until 1998 (Disney Magic ). Shortly following the Magic's launch, Disney launched a sister ship the next year (Disney Wonder ). Prior to the launch of Disney Cruise Line, the Disney name was involved in the cruising industry with, the now out of business, Premier Line Cruises (whose ships were also known as "The Big Red Boat").
The Disney Cruise Line ships were the first ships built specifically for family cruising. As such, there are certain onboard features that other lines do not offer. These include free soda in the dining rooms and at certain locations on the ship, in addition to the Buena Vista Cinema (featuring Disney movies). There are also certain features that are lacking, relative to the cruising industry. For example, there are no casinos or libraries onboard their ships. Relative to the cruising industry, the Disney staterooms are fairly large. In fact, many of the staterooms feature a "bath-and-a-half."
In September of 2008, Disney Magic entered dry dock to undergo an exciting slew of enhancements. Among these upgrades are 22" flat-screen TVs in staterooms, as well as the addition of Quiet Cove (an adults-only pool retreat), Mickey's Splash Zone (a toddler water playground) and the Oceaneer Club (a Neverland-themed play space for 3 to 7 year olds).
Disney Cruise Line has recently launched two new 128,000-ton cruise ships, which debuted in 2011 (Disney Dream ) and 2012 (Disney Fantasy ). This is very exciting news for fans of the Disney product, as new ships have been long awaited (the current ships were built in 1998 and 1999) and offer much more space and features than the current 83,000-ton ships. The new ships can accommodate up to 4,000 passengers, and they each have about 1,250 staterooms. Among the exciting new features available on board these ships are inside staterooms with Virtual Portholes and a huge AquaDuck Water Coaster!