Disney sets sail: VP Sarah Fox on the brand’s cruise bet in Asia

Set to debut in December 2025, Disney Adventure will be Disney Cruise Line’s first ship based in Asia. Homeported in Singapore, the vessel is designed as a floating resort-meets-theme park, featuring seven themed zones, a 250-metre Marvel rollercoaster, live Avengers-style shows, and royal suites inspired by Frozen characters Elsa and Anna. Unlike Disney’s existing cruise offerings, Disney Adventure will operate round-trip sailings from Singapore, targeting multigenerational families across the region.

Sarah Fox, vice president and regional general manager of Disney Cruise Line, tells Campaign that the ship is set to be a “gamechanger”. She adds that Disney’s focus groups show that the brand has a strong connection with guests in Asia, with fan favourites including Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man and Iron Man. The new ship will also feature an Asia-specifc experience featuring Duffy and Friends, a popular group of characters in this region.

With a marketing career at Disney brands spanning more than three decades, Fox’s journey with the company has taken her across Disney’s key international markets, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Florida, and London, before she made a recent move to Singapore in 2023.

Over 18 months, Fox and her team have been laying the groundwork for the launch of Disney Cruise Line’s first-ever voyage in Asia on December 15, 2025.

“While Disney Cruise Line is new to Asia, we leverage the breadth and depth of Disney, tapping synergies with other business lines like our studios team, consumer products teams and more, to make an impact,” says Fox.

Fox emphasises that the company’s strategy is rooted in deep regional understanding: “We’re building on existing insights, relationships, and trust, while ensuring we collaborate with a diverse portfolio of regional and local operators to reach guests where they are.”

For many consumers in Asia, this will be their first experience with cruising, and with Disney at sea. “We’re not just launching a product,” Fox explains. “We’re building a new category. That’s why we build every campaign with sales and trade—aligning messaging with booking cycles, tactical offers, and what we hear from the ground.”

Fox highlights the brand’s full-funnel marketing strategy, tailored to each local market, which spans paid, earned, and owned media, guided by market insights.

According to Disney’s official data, since bookings went live in December last year, the brand has witnessed strong momentum across Asia. Within just a day and a half, the company sold out three and a half months’ worth of inventory. Demand remains strong, with reservations continuing at a steady pace for all available sailings.

“In my 30+ years in Disney, through my previous portfolios across marketing communications and guest experience at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland, I strongly believe that localisation is imperative when operating in a region as culturally diverse as APAC”, says Fox. 

Led by Fox and her team, Disney Cruise Line has established a localised infrastructure, from marketing campaigns to customer service. This includes a multilingual contact centre operating within the region’s time zone, offering support in English, Chinese, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, and Hindi to enhance accessibility and convenience for local guests.

Since May 2024, Disney Cruise Line has rolled out campaigns across key Asian markets, including Singapore, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, such as out-of-home activations featuring 3D billboards Captain Mickey and Minnie; a sonic branding trial on SBS Transit public buses in Singapore, where 60,000 commuters heard the ship horn melody from Disney’s Pinocchio When You Wish Upon a Star and cross-line activations like the Disney Zone at Comic Con Singapore, with Marvel Landing AR photo spots and interactive murals.

Since May 2024, Disney Cruise Line has launched a multi-market marketing push to build awareness, and one of its key pillars is social media. With over 1.7 million followers across platforms to date, Disney Cruise Line continues to drive engagement in Asia through content that highlights the experiences and storytelling.

Across Greater China, in collaboration with Shanghai Disney Resort, Disney Adventure was featured in a livestream as hosts walked viewers through key highlights and answered live questions, drawing more than 20,000 viewers and generating over 70,000 likes.

Beyond livestreaming, Disney is amplifying ship-related content across its official platforms in Greater China, including Shanghai Disney Resort, Disney Store, Disney China, Disney+, and its Studios’ social handle, as key touchpoints for fans eager for updates and behind-the-scenes content. To boost bookings and brand awareness, Disney Cruise Line is teaming up with travel sites like Trip.com, Ctrip, and Klook, and investing in influencer partnerships and outdoor ads at major transport hubs.

Disney Cruise Line also built partnerships with brands like UOB for a three-year alliance spanning five markets, aimed at strengthening retail distribution and enhancing customer access to cruise offerings.

The Cruise Line’s presence at major travel fairs has also been instrumental in building momentum. At the NATAS Travel Fair 2025 in Singapore, over 90,000 visitors visited the Disney Adventure booth within three days. In Indonesia, more than 18,000 guests engaged with Disney staff at Astindo, while in India, over 1,200 trade visitors were met at SATTE.

“Our team is actively building key connections with travel agents, regional trade associations, tourism boards, airline partners, and hospitality providers to enhance the overall cruise experience for our guests,” says Fox. “As always, everything we do starts with our guests in mind.”

For more of Fox’s insights, catch her on the panel 'Is the Role of the CMO Still Relevant in Today’s Digital-First Landscape?' at Campaign360, taking place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from May 27–28, 2025.