Jason Leppert

Mar 1, 20123 min read

Disney Fantasy Arrives in New York

The Disney Fantasy arrived yesterday, February 28th, in New York, after her cross-Atlantic voyage from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

I’m here to cover the christening ceremonies for this new vessel and will update you all as the events unfold.

In the meantime, here are some photos below that Disney has released of the Fantasy’s graceful sailing into American waters for the first time.

Tonight’s christening ceremonies for the Disney Fantasy were nothing short of extraordinary. The evening’s fantastic entertainment sampler in the Walt Disney Theatre was emceed by none other than Neil Patrick Harris, and I had a front row seat. NPH (Neil’s shorthand alias) played to the crowd with his usual wit and stage craft, introducing tastes of the Fantasy’s three headline shows.

The audience was satiated by the increasing roster of talent as NPH introduced New York staples, comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Broadway superstar Heather Headley. Jerry performed a 10 minute stand-up routine of fresh material which proved his comedic skills are still as sharp as ever. At one point Neil even “stumbled across” New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in the audience. Then Heather sung a medley of three Disney classics before coming back to round out the stage entertainment with a soaring rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

Afterwards, the ships’ atrium was filled with guests anticipating the ship’s actual christening. To introduce the ceremony, Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, and Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, enlisted Mickey – now with a fully articulated mouth – to escort the ship’s godmother, Mariah Carey, to the stage.

After the usual pleasantries, and a triple note a cappella tune from Mariah, we were shown a live video feed of the outside of the ship where her husband Nick Cannon and Minnie Mouse stood at the ship’s bow. At Mariah’s count, Minnie smashed the bottle of champagne onto the steel of the Fantasy’s hull. And with that, streamers and confetti showered the cheering crowd.

It was a magical night in typical Disney fashion that finished off with a wonderful dinner and an opportunity to explore the ship’s many nightclubs and bars.

And now some photos to whet your appetites as well…

The Disney Fantasy Docked in New York:

The Official Christening Seal:

Neil Patrick Harris with Mickey Gloves:

Famous Comedian, Jerry Seinfeld:

Broadway Superstar, Heather Headley:

NPH with New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg:

Mariah Carey and Mickey Mouse:

The Christening Stage:

The Crowd Covered in Streamers:

Here are some more photos from the brand new Disney Fantasy fresh from the shipyard…

The beautiful atrium welcomes:

As does Minnie Mouse:

And exquisite details:

There are plenty of venues for little ones including the princess and pirate makeover experience found at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique:

And the spacious and interactive Oceaneer Club:

With your favorite characters like those from Monsters, Inc.:

The new AquaLab is sure to please with its leaky pipes, pop jets, and other aquatic mayhem:

Little kids get their own water play area at Nemo’s Reef:

And the new Enchanted Art onboard this ship features the Muppets in “The Case of the Stolen Show” interactive game:

Where you use detective cards to control the play:

Europa is the adult-only area onboard the Disney Fantasy with venues themed to various European countries:

With The Tube dance club and its dramatic foggy London entrance:

And colorful interiors:

With nods to the Underground:

And the monarchy:

The celling is decorated with a Union Jack comprised of numerous projection domes:

The Skyline Bar features rotating cityscapes from across the EU:

The vistas are animated with walking pedestrians, passing cars, and other urban elements as you order from the backlit drink menus:

The French boudoir themed Ooh La La Lounge:

With sprawling couches and eclectic decor:

La Piazza carousel bar with its many popcorn lights:

And O’Gills Pub with draft beers and other libations:

Including a house brand Irish cream that actually beats Baileys:

The restaurants onboard include the magnificent Royal Court:

Details here abound including etched glass chandeliers:

Coach lighting fixtures:

Character portraits:

And exquisite flooring treatments:

The whimsy of Animator’s Palate:

And its many screens:

And table ornaments:

And I’ll leave you for now with a final shot of the Fantasy’s extensive upper deck space:

Disney Fantasy Arrives in New York

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