Under the bight yellow harvest moon, the Disney Treasure commenced its journey to open waters on September 18, 2024, when it was guided by a tugboat from the Meyer Werft shipyard down the Ems River to Eemshaven, Netherlands.
The shipyard waits for a full or new moon, and for the wind speed to drop below 20 knots before commencing the journey which has become a classic spectator event as new ships make their way to the open sea.
As it left the shipyard, the Disney Treasure was celebrated by spectators along the riverbanks, arriving in Eemshaven early the following morning.
The ship will undergo various tests and sea trials in the coming days, overseen by Captain Marco, to ensure its readiness for a transatlantic journey before delivery to Disney Cruise Line.
Set to launch its inaugural season with week-long Caribbean itineraries, the Disney Treasure will sail from Port Canaveral, visiting destinations like Tortola, St. Thomas, and Castaway Cay, with a New Year’s Eve cruise planned in the Western Caribbean.
Some ships, such as Royal Caribbean’s 169,000-gross-ton Odyssey of the Seas in 2021, 41 metres wide, have only two feet of clearance on each side as they are towed backwards down the Ems.
