Disney Cruise Line’s Hull | Black? Blue? Or Something in Between?

Disney Cruise Line: 87% Black 13% Blue., originally uploaded by ssanders79.

The debate has gone on for over a decade. Is the ship black, is it blue, what is it… Well it was answered publicly in 1998 in a book dedicated to Disney’s first cruise ship.

….Among [Dr. Hartmut] Esslinger’s other contributions was color. “I recognized the traditional colors of classic ship hulls were black. I think that, for the future, black is too sinister, too depressing, especially on a Disney ship. I selected a color that was 87% black, the rest blue”. As a result, the ship will virtually change colors, depending on the time of day, weather and position. The cariation of the color is astonishingly subtle: no one will doubt it is both classic and inventive.

Exerpt from Disney Magic: The Launching of a Dream by John Heminway. Page 31.

This is a porthole on Deck 3 just outside the Promedade Lounge. While the ship looks black, you can clearly see the blue when painted on glass.

Here is a link to the book Disney Magic the Launching of a Dream