BREVARD HISTORY: From 1985 to 1992, Premier Cruise Line Hosted Disney-Themed Voyages Out of Port Canaveral

cruises marketed in connection with a multi-day vacation stay at Walt Disney World

ABOVE VIDEO: Before Disney launched its own fleet, Premier Cruise Line hosted Disney-themed trips to the Carribean from Port Canaveral.

BREVARD COUNTY • PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – From 1985 to 1992, Premier Cruise Line’s “Big Red Boat” partnered with Disney featuring its bright red-hulled cruise ship that operated out of Port Canaveral to provide Disney-costumed characters for the cruise line’s Bahamas cruises in connection with a multi-day vacation stay at Walt Disney World.

Prior to Disney’s entry into the cruise line industry, Premier Cruise lines hosted Disney-themed trips to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral.

Starting in 1985, the ships Majestic, Oceanic and Atlantic offered 3-day and 4-day vacations to the Bahamas.

The excursion package was marketed at Premier’s “Big Red Boat.”

Premier Cruise Line was formed in 1983 by two cruise veterans and later bought by Dial Corporation (of Dial soap fame), which then also owned the Greyhound Bus Company.

The company earned over $20 million annually on gross revenue of $100 million during the 1980s.

The successful niche that Premier served was the family cruise line, especially attractive to grandparents sailing with their children and grandchildren.

Premier ships included the Majestic (the former Sun Princess of Princess Cruise Lines), the former Home Lines flagship Oceanic, the Atlantic (another former Home Lines ship), and the Royale, a former Costa Cruises liner known then as the Frederico C.

The original four ships had the prefix “Star/Ship” before their names.

During Premier’s reorganization in the mid-1990s, all but the Oceanic (Big Red Boat I) were sold off. Premier then became an amalgamation of Dolphin and Seawind Cruises.

Later, the Rembrandt, formerly the Rotterdam of Holland America Lines, was added to the line.

– Wikipedia contributed to this report

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