Guests on board Disney Cruise Line’s all-new Disney Adventure learned their four-night sailing embarking from Singapore was canceled — mere hours after they already boarded the ship.
On Thursday, May 7, after guests boarded, settled in and started their vacation, the captain of the ship announced that there were technical issues and guests were to wait for further information.
A Reddit user who was on the cruise said that they were told they “will set sail soon.”
“Midnight now. We’ve been waiting here since 2 p.m., and they have no update for us,” they wrote in an update in the comments. “What’s even worse is they’ve shut down all kitchens, coffee, etc. Why would they do that?”
About 26 hours later, approximately 2 p.m. Singapore time, it was announced that the cruise would be canceled due to mechanical issues that the engineering team couldn’t fix in time.
Guests were ultimately stranded in Singapore and left to figure out what to do next. At 6:30 p.m., they wrote that they were still waiting for a letter with hotel information before disembarking.
The Reddit user noted that when the cancellation was “really disappointing, especially if vacationing with kids.”
“Good thing is that we did get to experience some parts of the cruise, sad part the shops weren’t open so couldn’t get any Disney merchandise from the cruise,” they added.
With a cruise like this, guests likely planned and booked this trip far in advance, and many traveled internationally to reach the ship.
“The Disney Adventure remains in port in Singapore as our teams continue to address a mechanical issue,” a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson said in a statement, per WDW News Today. “As the issue has not been resolved in the timeframe required to start this voyage, this current sailing has been cancelled. We apologize to our guests and are working with them directly to provide support for their travel needs.”
Disney is providing guests who were on the ship with a full refund for the canceled sailing, as well as any booked amenities, a 50% discount on a future sailing and a complimentary hotel stay for the night.
However, the Reddit user noted that in the fine print, the 50% discount only applies to cruises booked before July 31, 2026, and they must sail before May 31, 2027.
Some reports noted that Disney is also providing $500 for incidental expenses such as flight changes, while other reports said they’re fully covering all flight changes.
According to Disney Cruise Line Blog, which obtained a copy of the letter, DCL provided a pre-arranged, complimentary hotel room at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, as well as up to $500 per stateroom for other incidentals.
The specifics seem to vary by guest, and Disney seems to be working with guests directly on their specific travel needs, Inside the Magic reported.
Cruise cancellations affect a lot, such as flights, hotels, time off work, childcare arrangement and, in many cases, years of planning and saving.
Those in the comments of the Reddit post were appalled by the situation.
“Let’s wait a few months and see if the ship is truly cursed. I predict more issues and bad reviews,” one wrote.
“50% discount is a little ridiculous considering everyone’s potential travel time. Should be more. IMO,” another said.
“oh my, so you had to get off the ship??? how are that many people meant to find hotels so quickly??? that’s WILD!” a user commented.
“Im a disney checkin staff and ive always wondered why the cruise didn’t have scheduled maintenance days (its continuous boarding mon/thurs with no ‘off periods’vto fix the ship if needed),” someone wrote. “And now theres an engine failure, which is definitely not surprising.”
As of now, the next sailing on the Disney Adventure, scheduled to leave on Monday, May 11, is still expected to set sail.
The Disney Adventure is a brand-new ship that was launched in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board and is meant to be Disney’s flagship presence in the Asia Pacific region.
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