Andrea Zelinski
Crew members wearing earthy, Arabian-style outfits smiled at me as I ventured onto the Disney Treasure and into its airy "Aladdin"-themed Grand Hall. Stained-glass parrots perched above black and white pictures of jungle adventurers on the wall at the Skipper Society bar. The eyes in a creepy mariner's portrait shifted from side to side in the Haunted Mansion bar.
Where the Disney Wish, the first ship in Disney's Wish Class, embraced the idea of castles, enchantment and wishes that come true, Disney Cruise Line's new Treasure leans into the concept of adventure, both old and new.
A small theater space called Sarabi pays homage to Simba's mother in "The Lion King" and will host various events, including trivia. Photo Credit: Andrea Zelinski
I am in the middle of a three-night preview cruise on the Treasure. In less than two weeks Disney Cruise Line plans to sail the ship's first revenue cruise out of Port Canaveral, Fla., on Dec. 21. The Treasure will offer seven-night cruises, which are longer than the Wish's three- and four-day jaunts.
As the second ship in the Wish class, the Treasure was modeled closely after its sister. The vessel includes many of the Wish's structural features, such as a large atrium with a stage, two main elevator banks (instead of the three on Disney's earlier ships) and the AquaMouse waterslide on the top deck. Like the Wish, the ship also has a slide that slips kids directly into the Oceaneer Club.
But unlike the Wish, which was teaming with character interactions on its inaugural voyage, I saw no characters roaming the Treasure or hanging out with guests during the first day of my preview cruise for media, travel advisors and other industry guests.
Appealing to a grown-up crowd
Instead, I picked up on various mature, journey-focused storylines that appealed to me both as an adventurer and millennial, a generation that cruise executives say is cruising more.
Movies like "Aladdin" and "The Lion King," which are iconic to people like me who grew up in the early 1990s, served as inspiration for the Treasure's designers of the atrium and two-story, multipurpose theater, respectively. I was surprised to see Disney's designers also tapped into "Alice in Wonderland" by including tricksy-looking Cheshire cat faces inside the ship's Wonderland Cinema theater. That yellow smile served as a special throwback to my childhood.
The Treasure seemingly went further back in time by launching The Haunted Mansion, a bar with a secret drink menu inspired by the famous theme park ride that launched in 1969.
But the ship's design also tapped into newer Disney, Pixar and Marvel films that I've come to love since my sister began having kids (my nieces and nephews are now 11, 10 and 7 and are cruising with my sister and me to help me size up this Treasure).
The artwork in the cabin referenced the Pixar movie "Luca." Photo Credit: Andrea Zelinski
In the first few hours, the kids found several experiences that spoke to them, including the Worlds of Marvel restaurant that featured an interactive digital game from Guardians of the Galaxy characters.
The kids quickly identified the Italian-landscape artwork in our stateroom as belonging to the movie "Luca," a film I knew nothing about. They couldn't get enough of the AquaMouse waterslide and rode it as much as they could before the afternoon muster drill. Meanwhile, they're excited about seeing the Broadway-style production of "The Tale of Moana" on Tuesday night.
While the kids found their groove, I began to think this vessel is not only attractive to kids but to adults traveling childless.
So does Geoff Cox, vice president of sales and marketing for KHM Travel Group in Brunswick, Ohio. After a few hours on the Treasure, he said he found plenty for adults to do to make it a good sell to people with or without children.
The hardware and service are also nice enough that it might not be a stretch to characterize it as luxury, he added.