When Disney Destiny made its inaugural call to St. Maarten on July 1, 2026, the visit set off a formal announcement from the island's minister of tourism that Disney Cruise Line's presence there is about to grow sharply. According to Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten, Disney is expected to schedule roughly 14 calls to St. Maarten in 2027, up from three visits in 2026, with further growth targeted for 2028 as additional ships enter service.
Only six Disney calls to St. Maarten appear on itineraries published so far through summer 2027, meaning the bulk of the projected increase will come when Disney releases its fall 2027 and early 2028 schedules, which cruise booking historians note have typically dropped in August in prior years. Port schedules already show tentative visits by Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Fantasy for late 2027 and early 2028, offering an early signal of which ships may carry the expanded program.
The expansion is underpinned by Disney's fleet growth. The line currently has five additional ships in development, bringing its total toward 13 vessels by the early 2030s. St. Maarten's geographic position as a gateway to Eastern Caribbean itineraries makes it a natural anchor port for a larger Disney fleet sailing from Florida homeports, and island officials said they intend to invest in infrastructure to handle the additional traffic.