So, you’ve made the very wise decision to embark on a Disney voyage! With 5 ships sailing to the Caribbean, Bahamas, the Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, and Canada there are a lot of options to choose from and choosing the best Disney Cruise for you can be tough!
I hope that you have already reached out to your Kingdom and Cruise Travel Advisor to help guide you through the planning and booking, cause it will make the process so much easier and more enjoyable! But if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, or you want to focus a bit more before contacting your agent, here are some tools that can help zero in on the best itinerary for your upcoming vacation.
The Disney Fleet
With the recent launch of the Disney Wish, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) now has 5 ships on the open sea. While they all have similarities, different ships are different sizes and have different offerings.
If you’ve already sailed on a Disney ship, then you may want to jump right into the newest one in their fleet and go with the Wish.
This is the biggest Disney ship at sea right now and has new experiences like the Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge, an interactive dining experience, and the AquaMouse – the first ever attraction at sea, among many other exciting offerings.
If the biggest ship isn’t your thing, the Fantasy and Dream are one size down, followed by the smallest two ships -the Wonder and the Magic.
If characters are your motivation, then fans of Rapunzel, Tiana, Elsa and Anna, Ant-Man and The Wasp, and Crush are in luck. The Magic features a Rapunzel themed dining room and show; the Wonder is host to Tiana’ place – a Princess and the Frog themed dining location; and the Wish is throwing an engagement party for Anna and Kristoff where you are the guest to their Norwegian inspired dinner with all your favorite Frozencharacters. They also host an interactive Ant-Man and the Wasp dinner where diners will use Quantum Core at your table to shrink and grow objects at the push of a button. The Fantasy and Dream feature the Animator’s Palette which immerses passengers on an interactive conversation with Crush around the entire dining room.
Where From, Where to, and for How Long
Something that might really help focus you in on a specific cruise are the departure ports and destinations of the ships. Not to worry, DCL has options from 2 nights to 14 nights so you can either make this your whole vacation, have a quick weekend getaway, or tack on a Walt Disney World vacation or Galactic Starcruiser voyage. For those of you looking to link it with a Walt Disney World vacation, you’ll want to be looking to leave or return to Port Canaveral. You can ideally match this up with a 3- or 4-night cruise on the Wish, which is currently sailing to the Bahamas.
If you’re looking for a longer sailing out of Port Canaveral, DCL offers the Fantasy which sails to Mexico and the Caribbean for 7-night voyages.
The Dream is now departing from Miami, and also sails to the Caribbean and Mexico. Those itineraries are usually 5- or 4-night cruises.
The Wonder usually handles Alaska in the summer, and those ships depart from Vancouver. During the winter months, the ship goes down into New Orleans, from Galveston, TX, and will also sail from San Diego to locations in Mexico.
During the warmer months of the year, you can find the Magic over in Europe sailing some amazing Mediterranean cruises. In the winter months, it goes back to the US and sails out of New York and San Diego. For those of you close to NYC, this is a great way to do a last-minute cruise as you don’t need to book a flight. New this year, the magic is now sailing in Australia!
There are a few specialty cruises that sail Transatlantic, to Hawaii and the Polynesian islands!
Speciality Cruises
The last major offering that could determine which cruise is right for you would be Disney’s specialty cruises that can make your experience extra magical!
Halloween on the High Seas
Mid-September through October 2023
Aboard these not-so-spooky sailings, guests will eat, drink and be scary with their favorite characters dressed in Halloween costumes, celebrate the season at Mickey’s Mouse-querade party, enjoy trick-or-treating at sea and more.
Very Merrytime Cruises
Early November through December
Celebrate the spirit of the holiday season. where Disney magic will take on a whole new meaning with characters dressed in festive garb from head to (mistle)toe, a special tree-lighting ceremony, holiday décor, and special guests – Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Marvel Days at Sea
During Marvel Day at Sea, take a stand alongside some of Marvel’s mightiest heroes for an exciting day-long adventure—available on select sailings from Miami. Unleash the hero within—and experience the thrills of the Marvel Universe—during a day-long extravaganza where family fun rules. Join some of your favorite Marvel Superheroes (and villains) from The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy—as well as Spider-Man—for one epic day filled with one-of-a-kind entertainment, unforgettable meet-and-greets, and special offerings you won’t find anywhere else.
During Marvel Day at Sea guests will enjoy:
Mighty Encounters – Snap photos of Super-Heroes from a safe distance and brave training sessions with some of Marvel’s greatest, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Captain America.
Thrilling Entertainment – Witness a breathtaking Superhero spectacular and join Star-Lord and Gamora inside Fathoms.
Action-Packed Activities – A movie marathon, a costume celebration, and unique youth club programs are just some of the Marvel-themed goings-on happening on the ship.
Pixar Days at Sea
Sail away on a brand-new Pixar adventure where you may sing, dance, play, and swim alongside your favorite toys, supers, monsters, and more. Pixar Day at Sea combines the strength of friendship with the wonder of Disney for a fantastic day of unique surprises for children of all ages, offered on select 7-night Caribbean sailings from Port Canaveral between January and early March 2023.
Now You Know
As mentioned earlier, I highly recommend pairing a Disney Cruise with a Walt Disney World vacation to give you the best of what’s on land and at sea. This getaway should even allow you to get in some relaxation too! Walt Disney World can be a very “active” vacation, and since you should always arrive the day before your sailing, why not make it 3 or 4 to start off with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a visit to the Haunted Mansion, or a ride on the brand-new TRON Lightcycle Run, opening April 4! Get your fix of all the amazing attractions at the theme parks, and then take some down time as you embark on a Magical voyage at sea.
There are some incredible offers running if you book your next Disney Cruise Vacation now!
Disney + subscribers get the 3rd and 4th guest in their stateroom FREE. Select sailings are up to 25% off, Florida residents get up to 35% on select Caribbean and Bahamian sailings, Canadian residents can save up to 35% on select sailings, some select sailings are up to 35% off for any traveler, and guests on board a cruise can book their next one by paying a reduced deposit and saving 10% on listed pricing.
So, now that you hopefully have a sense of which cruise is next for you, it’s time to reach out to your travel advisor to get you booked! We have lots of tips and first-hand knowledge of all the magical moments and secrets you’ll find aboard a Disney Cruise ship. We can help you with shore excursions, on board activities, dining, and so much more.
We hope to get you booked soon! Once you set sail on a Disney ship, nothing will ever compare. For a quote on an upcoming cruise or Walt Disney vacation, just head here to fill out this quick form.
All aboard! We’ll see you real soon!
Lee Poulin
I LOVE DISNEY, I love traveling, and I love sharing my knowledge of the various parks, ships, restaurants, attractions and resorts so that travelers can get the most out of their vacations. While I specialize in working with LGBTQ+ clients, I welcome anyone and everyone wanting to experience what Disney has to offer. My goal as an agent and vacation planner is to make this process as stress free and easy as possible so that you can keep focusing on the fun! Having been a Company Manager on Broadway for 10 years, part of my job was planning all sorts of travel for individuals, groups, and even movie stars.
I would love to work with you to make this vacation the best you’ve had to date!