Today construction crews at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany began work on the first of Disney Cruise Line’s two new ships.

The first steel cut was a piece of the retro scrollwork that will cover the bow of the ships (similar to the scrollwork on Disney’s existing Magic and Wonder ships, which the company says are designed to evoke memories of classic ocean liners from the 1930s).

“When we launched our business in 1998, we recognized a need in the marketplace for a cruise experience created just for families,” Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations, said in a prepared statement. “With these new ships, we are continuing to build upon that vision of providing more families with an unforgettable cruise vacation and the chance to explore new destinations with Disney.”

The unnamed new ships, which will each have 1,250 staterooms and weigh 128,000 tons, are scheduled to arrive in Port Canaveral in 2011 and 2012. They will carry 4,000 passengers each, about 1,300 more than the Magic and Wonder.