Its a big day for the cruise ship industry and a big day for The Walt Disney Company as today they announced that they will begin building two more cruise ships to add to their fleet of four ships. The addition of two new ships will increase the fleets capacity by nearly 50% expanding its customer capacity by 2,500 additional floating guest rooms.

The new ships that will be completed in 2021 and 2023 will continue the Disney Cruise brand of showcasing the immersive family entertainment, enchanting storytelling and unparalleled service that only Disney can deliver.

“We pride ourselves on the unforgettable vacation experiences we deliver to our guests each and every day, and the expansion of our Disney fleet will allow us to create even more magical memories for families at sea and in incredible cruise destinations around the world,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company.

The crusie ships which will be built in Germany at Meyer Werft shipyard will be larger than the most recent Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. The design plans, ship names and itineraries are still in development, as the Walt Disney Imagineering team is already dreaming up exciting new ways to create the world’s most magical oceangoing adventures.

Since first setting sail in 1998, the Disney Cruise Line has already put its stamp on the industry as it has been a consistent innovator as they have introuced several first including  including a water coaster at sea (AquaDuck) and virtual portholes in interior staterooms (Magical Portholes) that provide real-time views of the sea as well as sightings of animated Disney characters.

Plans for the expansion of Disney Cruise Line come during a period of momentous growth and innovation for Disney properties around the globe.

“The expansion of Disney Cruise Line only adds to our excitement for the unprecedented growth taking place across our vacation destinations, from new Star Wars experiences coming to the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts to the 25th anniversary of Disneyland Paris and the grand opening of our newest park, Shanghai Disney Resort,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.