Meyer Werft: Delivery of the mega cruise ship "Disney Adventure" delayed

Bremerhaven. The Disney Adventure was originally scheduled to depart on its maiden voyage in mid-December. The cruise line had apparently already sold the corresponding tickets. However, customers have now been informed that the trip from Singapore will not take place. The maiden voyage has been postponed to May 10, 2026. A corresponding email to customers is circulating on social media.

Disney cites "unexpected delays in the shipbuilding process" as the reason. The Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, or rather the Meyer Wismar shipyard founded specifically for the mega-project, is primarily responsible for this. The Disney shipping company did not elaborate further on the problems. Disney did not initially respond to our editorial team's inquiry. Meyer Werft, in turn, referred the shipbuilder to Disney.

At a good 350 meters, the longest cruise ship ever built in Germany has just docked at the quay in Bremerhaven. This is where the final fitting-out will take place. The Disney Adventure was brought here from Wismar across the Baltic Sea in a spectacular transfer maneuver.

Even though the Disney Adventure's maiden voyage hasn't yet taken place, the ship has a turbulent history: Construction began in 2018 in the halls of the MV shipyards in Wismar under the name Global One. However, the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania-based shipyard group, like its parent company Genting, slipped into insolvency in 2022 – despite government rescue attempts.

At this point, the cruise ship's shell was already standing in the shipyard. In the wake of the ship's insolvency, the Disney shipping company took over the colossus. Meyer Werft from Papenburg was entrusted with the completion on-site in Wismar. Disney is a regular customer of the Papenburg-based shipyard.

These, in turn, ran into severe turmoil in 2024. Only the intervention of the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony saved the previously family-run company. Since then, the state has held just over 80 percent of the company. The restructuring is ongoing.

It is unknown how many passengers will be affected by the delays. However, because the cruise ship is designed for more than 6,000 guests, the number is likely in the tens of thousands. Disney promises to deliver an experience worth the wait to affected customers starting in March 2026. The ship's target market is Asia. Among other things, the ship features a roller coaster.