Twice the magic: Disney to double Vancouver cruise ships in 2026 | Daily Hive

Twice the magic: Disney to double its number of cruise ships serving Vancouver starting in 2026

Disney Wonder cruise ship at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Disney Cruise Line is betting big on Vancouver, announcing a major expansion that will see the number of its cruise ships in the city double starting in the 2026 season.

For the first time ever, two Disney cruise ships will call the Canada Place cruise ship terminal in downtown Vancouver their homeport, as Disney Magic is now set to join the longtime Vancouver designated vessel of Disney Wonder.

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Furthermore, it is the first time ever Disney has assigned two vessels for its Alaska itineraries.

Between May and September 2026, Disney Magic will embark on 18 roundtrip voyages from Vancouver to Alaska, offering both five-day and seven-day sailing itineraries.

Also in 2026, Disney Wonder will make 21 voyages from Vancouver, including a four-day Pacific Cruise beginning on February 26, providing what could be the earliest annual season start ever in the history of Vancouver’s cruise ship industry.

Disney Magic cruise ship. (Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock)

Disney Magic cruise ship. (Helen89/Shutterstock)

Disney Wonder also kicked off Vancouver’s 2024 cruise ship season early with a March 11 sailing, and it will also be the first ship of the 2025 season with a sailing on March 5. Over the course of the 2025 season, Disney Wonder will make 21 sailings from Vancouver.

Historically, the first cruise ship of the season in Vancouver arrived in April of each year.

Disney Cruise Line debuted its seasonal Alaska cruises from Canada Place in 2011 with Disney Wonder. Although the ship temporarily relocated to Seattle in 2012, it returned to Vancouver in 2013, drawn by Canada Place’s superior passenger ratings. Now in its 12th year calling Vancouver its homeport, Disney Wonder has become a staple of the city’s cruise scene, aside from interruptions during the first two years of the pandemic.

disney wonder cruise ship vancouver canada place

Disney Wonder cruise ship at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Disney Magic holds a special significance as the first ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, paving the way for the magical voyages that followed.

Since its debut in 1997, Disney Magic has undergone several major renovations and upgrades to enhance and modernize the guest experience. Disney Magic and Disney Wonder represent the Magic-class ships in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet, with Disney Wonder entering service in 1998.

Both ships have a capacity for 2,700 passengers in 875 staterooms, and a gross tonnage of 84,000 GT.

Depending on the itinerary, Disney Cruise Line sailings from Vancouver may include stops in Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan — destinations known for their prehistoric glaciers, rich history, and eclectic shopping. Guests may also witness the awe-inspiring Dawes Glacier, a towering tidewater glacier rising over 600 ft.

Disney Wonder cruise ship at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

This follows another record-breaking for Vancouver’s cruise ship industry in 2024, when it recorded a new all-time record of 1.32 million cruise ship passengers — onboard 327 cruise ship visits. This represented a 7% year-over-year increase or over 80,000 more than in 2023.

The 2024 season even saw all-time record highs for daily passenger volumes; six of the top 10 busiest days now belong to 2024, including the second busiest day ever, April 29, when nearly 20,000 passengers were recorded.

Continued strong tourism in Metro Vancouver, coupled with the low Canadian dollar, could result in even higher cruise ship passenger numbers in 2026.

Currently, Disney Cruise Line has a fleet of six cruise ships, including the newest additions of the 2022-launched Disney Wish and the 2024-launched Disney Treasure. Eight new additional cruise ships are planned over the coming years, including the launch of Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure in late 2025.

Disney Wonder at Canada Place in Vancouver (Macklin Holloway/Shutterstock) and Mickey and Minnie Mouse. (Disney Cruise Line)

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