By Wynna Wong

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Hong Kong passengers are left in limbo and disappointed after shipbuilding issues forced the maiden voyage of Disney’s latest cruise ship in Singapore to be delayed, with some struggling to manage pre-booked flights and hotel rooms.
Disney Adventure, a new cruise ship still being built and operated by Disney Cruise Line, was originally set to launch on its maiden voyage from Singapore, its home port, in December 2025.
But some passengers said they had received an email in recent days telling them the vessel’s launch had been pushed back to March 10, 2026.
“As we work on the final touches to bring the Disney Adventure to our guests, we’ve encountered unexpected delays in the shipbuilding process,” said Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences, in response to queries from the Post.
“To ensure the experience we deliver reflects our commitment to excellence, we’ve made the decision to adjust our timeline.
“We know this may be disappointing to our guests, and we’re working directly with them to offer flexible rebooking options and uphold the trust they place in us.”
The customer email also said those who had booked affected sailings would automatically get a refund plus a 50 per cent discount voucher for future cruise bookings, which must be made by March 31 next year and depart before March 31, 2027.
Guests who do not wish to sail on the new maiden voyage date should tell the company or their travel adviser by September 21, a Disney Cruise Line spokesperson added.
A Hong Kong customer, who only wished to be identified as SL Wong, told the Post she and her family had originally booked to board the cruise in Singapore in late January.
“Luckily, we have yet to make reservations for flights and hotels,” she said, as they had plans to spend several days travelling around Malaysia as well.
“Why did they announce the ship wasn’t ready so late, and why are they forcing people to use the 50 per cent off coupon when there are no details yet?” she said.
“Does this mean I’ll have to fight with other affected guests to book a room again?
“I don’t have confidence in the ship, but the company [Disney] is still OK for now.”
Wong also said that since they had booked the cruise via the Taiwan-based third-party travel platform KKday, they had yet to receive official confirmation that their trip had been cancelled and only learned of the news via social media.
While KKday Hong Kong has yet to make a statement on the matter, its Taiwan office has announced on its social media that refund options are available. But the firm said that the 50 per cent discount only applied to bookings between October 8 and March 26 next year.
“My family member who booked the original trip may be busy and might not even be in Hong Kong in October, so we are quite frustrated and not sure what to do,” she said.
Wong added the group currently aimed to book a new trip for June, to avoid the summer peak period in July and August, but noted initial checks for the pricing during that time frame were drastically more expensive than what they had originally paid.
“So the 50 per cent coupon won’t even actually be half off; it would be more like 30 or even 20 per cent off,” she said.
Elsewhere on social media, affected Hong Kong customers complained they had already booked flights and hotels, with one customer saying she had opted for one of the cheaper fares that was non-refundable.
“I know a number of people who completed all their bookings just last week because they were having a promotion,” another said.
The Disney Adventure ship was acquired from Genting Hong Kong in 2022, which was already partially built.
Genting declared bankruptcy the same year due to the pandemic.
Star Cruises, which recently relaunched in Asia with its Star Voyager liner homeporting from Hong Kong starting in June, was under Genting when it went under, but had its trademarks and intellectual property bought out by Resorts World in September 2022.
Disney Cruise Line’s first vessel Disney Magic also suffered multiple delays from its original maiden voyage date of March 1998, before eventually setting sail in July that year.
Disney Wish’s inaugural sailings were also pushed back from June to July 2022 due to shipyard delays.