disney cruise line planning center

Disney Cruise Line Planning Guide

This Disney Cruise Line planning guide covers things to do, packing tips, dining recommendations, Castaway Cay advice, and more. Whether you’re setting sail on a Caribbean itinerary aboard the Magic or heading to somewhere else, this will help you prepare. ( Updated March 9, 2023 .)

Let’s start with the good news, which is that as of 2023, Disney Cruise Line is largely back to normal for sailings departing from the United States and Puerto Rico. There are no longer vaccination or pre-cruise test requirements and face masks are now entirely optional.

Beyond that, entertainment is no longer modified, character meet & greets are no longer distanced, and all-you-can-eat buffets are once again self-service. There are still relatively minor ways the Disney Cruise Line experience remains modified, but nothing you’d notice unless you’re actively looking for it. The number of hand-sanitizing stations has increased, but that’s really about it.

The biggest change is that Disney Cruise Line has added a new ship to its fleet! The Disney Wish is now sailing on 3 and 4-night Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral to Nassau and Disney’s Castaway Cay. We’ve been on this new ship a couple of times, and share whether it’s worth the premium pricing in our Disney Wish Cruise Ship Review .

We also have lists covering the “Best of” and “Worst of” the Disney Wish . Suffice to say, this new ship will be incredibly appealing for some families, and has a number of subtle enhancements that will improve the experience for some families. It also has frustrating and perplexing design decisions, and features that make it less appealing for certain audiences.

While we like the Wish, we prefer the legacy ships. That’s just our  personal  perspective based on our priorities and circumstances. You should read reviews and pros & cons to determine which ship is right for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

A few more ships will be added to the Disney Cruise Line fleet in the next 5 years, but the even bigger development on the horizon is that the Lighthouse Point Private Island Destination Opens to Disney Cruise Line in Summer 2024 . Lighthouse Point will offer beaches for families, adults, and kids–complete with play areas, cabanas, kids’ clubs, and more. One highlight will be the Bahamian art and culture pavilion featuring special programs and local artists will provide visitors to Lighthouse Point opportunities to learn and celebrate the traditions and natural beauty of The Bahamas.

We think Lighthouse Point looks incredible–like a mashup of the best parts of Castaway Cay and Aulani Resort in Hawaii! Only select sailings will stop at Lighthouse Point, so be mindful of that when booking your Bahamian cruises.

To that point, this Disney Cruise Line planning guide focuses on Bahamian cruises aboard the Disney Cruise Line fleet. These are the perfect “starter” cruises to discover whether you’re going to be a certified cruise addict, or if it’s not for you. While some of the specifics in this Disney Cruise Line Guide are tailored towards the Disney Magic, we have sailed on all of the other ships to a multitude of destinations, too.

Most of these same tips apply to the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wonder. This guide applies equally to those ships in terms of the basics of things to know before you go, and recommendations for activities and other things you should try to do once you’re on board the ship.

While we prefer the larger and newer ships, the Disney Magic is arguably the most approachable ship and often has the least expensive itineraries. It’s smaller (964 feet long and holds 2,700 passengers plus ~950 Cast Members), but the spaces feel fresh and modern. By contrast, the Disney Fantasy is 1,115 feet and holds 4,000 passengers (plus ~1,500 Cast Members).

Th overall style and aesthetic of the Disney Cruise Line is evident the moment you step aboard one of the ships and step into its lobby. The lobby is a signature area of each Disney Cruise Line ship, with each having a one-of-a-kind chandelier, beautiful design and detail work, and great use of color and lines. Now, this isn’t unique to the reimagined Disney Magic–the original design was stunning, too–but it just goes to show how well-designed the Disney Cruise Line ships are.

We will cover other elements of Disney Cruise Line in the sections that follow. Let’s get started with planning your voyage aboard Disney’s cruise ships!

What to Pack

One big one for the adults is alcohol. That’s right, you can take alcohol aboard the Disney Cruise Line in your carry-on bag when you board the ship or return from port. This used to be huge, because there were no limits. However, Disney Cruise Line now has a policy significantly limiting the amount of alcohol guests can bring on-board.

Other than that, all you need to pack is “basic cruise stuff.” We always recommend taking a look at our Unique Disney Packing List , which can give you some good ideas of things to pack, but the basics are a pair of quality water shoes and Frogg Togg Chilly Pads . You might want to consider the Frogg Togg Super-sized Chilly Cooling Towel for putting on your lounge chair to keep cool around the pool or on Castaway Cay.

If you plan on getting into the pirate spirit for the Pirate Night deck party, we recommend buying some random pirate accessories before the cruise. We did not do this, and the two of us spent ~$40 on random pirate stuff in the gift shop that we will probably never wear again. It was fun for photos and to just get us in the mood for the party, but lesson learned on that one…

Two more things that might seem obvious: swimsuits and sunscreen. You can buy both of these things on the cruise, but you will pay a significant premium. Make sure to take your sunscreen off the ship at Castaway Cay, as they will really price-gouge you if you need to buy it there!

Getting There

Although Disney Cruise Line sails out of many ports, the most common one is Port Canaveral in Florida. If you’re expecting a simple Disney’s Magic Express-type arrangement to get from Orlando International Airport to the Disney Cruise Line boarding area, you are in for a surprise, as there is no such free service. Instead, you either have to rent a car, take a non-Disney shuttle, or take a Disney shuttle. It’s fairly simple once you figure out which of these transportation methods you’ll be using, but figuring it out is easier said than done.

Disney’s transfer bus costs $39/person per way from either the airport or any Disney hotel, and is the easiest option. However, given the per person nature of the bus, it can be a more expensive option. It also is probably the least efficient option. You are at Disney’s whims in terms of pick up and drop off times, meaning that you may not be able to board the cruise ship as early as you would like. If you are a family of 4, a car service generally charges $200-300 round-trip, which is generally a cheaper option than Disney’s transportation–and it’s more efficient.

Renting a car is another option, and if you go this route, you will want to do a “one-way” rental from wherever your point of origin to Port Canaveral. Then, once you return, do another one-way rental from Port Canaveral to wherever you’re going. The reasons for doing this are two-fold: 1) you avoid paying for rental car days while you’re on the cruise, and 2) you avoid paying $15/day.

Sometimes, one-way rental costs have a higher per-day cost than round-trip rentals, but the difference should be insignificant. Sarah used this strategy when going on a cruise recently, and her one-way rental cost (times two) was only ~$50, as opposed to the $140 round-trip Disney shuttle cost she would have paid for her and her sister, or the ~$200 cost she would have paid to do a round-trip rental plus parking at Port Canaveral. This does require taking a shuttle from the rental car location to Port Canaveral, which Sarah found to be a hassle.

Even if you’re only a party of 2, two separate one-way car rentals are almost always going to be the cheapest option for transportation to and from Port Canaveral. This is a hassle in its own way in having an additional rental car booking plus having to use the rental car shuttle, but we feel it’s a good balance of autonomy, efficiency, and price.

Cruise liners have reputations for having small, claustrophobic staterooms that guests should really only use for sleeping and showering. We are not here to suggest that the Disney Cruise Line ships are large and luxurious, but they have exceeded our expectations. On the one hand, they absolutely are smaller, smaller than even a room at a Value Resort at Walt Disney World.

On the other hand, they use space efficiently, are laid out so that you can use them for more than just sleeping and showering, and are well-designed. (I guess we sort of are going to say they’re luxurious!) They are still small and I wouldn’t want to spend more than a couple hours of free time in the stateroom each day, but the rooms are nice.

Not all of the rooms in the same class are the same! It might seem easy to pick a room since there’s only inside, oceanview, and verandah categories. However, there are actually several “secret” verandah and porthole staterooms, as well as mini-suites and oversized rooms, all of which are priced in a lower tier than you might expect .

As for which class of stateroom you should get, that’s entirely up to you. On our first cruise, the cost of upgrading to a verandah was insignificant, so we did that. We quickly realized that for a short cruise, we weren’t spending enough time in the room to get our money’s worth (and we paid very little for the upgrade). The longer the cruise or the more time you plan on spending in your room, the more worthwhile a verandah or oceanview room becomes.

The Disney Cruise Line ships feature rotational dining, plus adults-only fine-dining restaurants like Palo and Remy, and an assortment of quick service options so that you can grab food on the go or eat while lounging around on the main deck. Here are our quick-hit summaries of the main dining rooms on the Disney Magic–click each name for a detailed review and food photos–which are similar to the restaurants on the other Disney Cruise Line ships.

Animator’s Palate – Animator’s Palate is a restaurant that’s more like a dinner show. Besides the stage shows, this is probably the biggest dose of “Disney magic” that you’ll have aboard the Disney Cruise Line, as it features an animation-centric transformation of the restaurant via some clever Imagineering. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it’s definitely not to be missed. The restaurant is supposedly “Pacific Rim,” but it more or less seemed like standard, American cuisine to us.

Lumiere’s – Lumiere’s is an American and French cuisine fusion restaurant. It combines Art Deco and Beauty and the Beast themes into a stylized restaurant that is elegant, yet full of Disney whimsy and charm. We really liked our meal at Lumiere’s and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The dining room is a bit chaotic and loud, but the food and design are both great.

Palo – This is the adults-only fine dining experience aboard the Disney Magic, with a per guest surcharge. It is soooo worth that surcharge that you should not even hesitate to make reservations here. Seriously, so many people pass on Palo because they already paid a lot for the cruise and want to take advantage of the “free” dining (really dining built into the cost of the cruise), but Palo is worth the added cost as compared to the other restaurants. Do it. You will not regret it.

Carioca’s – We skipped Carioca’s for Palo during our rotational dining, having heard that it was the least impressive restaurant on the Disney Magic. It is themed to be an outdoor marketplace set in Rio, and transforms from day to night as it changes from day to night on the ship. The name comes from Jose, the parrot from The Three Caballeros. We were in here once outside of the rotational dining, and it seemed like an interesting concept.

In addition to the rotational dining, here are the other restaurants on the Disney Magic:

• Cabanas (Table Service)
• Daisy’s De-Lites (Quick Service)
• Pete’s Boiler Bites (Quick Service)
• Pinocchio’s Pizzeria (Quick Service)

Drinking gets its own section because, for a lot of people, getting your buzz on is an essential part of the cruise experience. We aren’t of that mentality, but there certainly is something to be said for lounging on the top deck and having a drink or two.

The big thing to know with drinks aboard the Disney Cruise Line is that their costs vary widely. Drinks in the ‘cool’ hurricane glasses (made of plastic) at the Sail Away Party are weak Miami Vices that are expensive. There’s also a souvenir beer mug, which is also expensive. We’d avoid these both; even if you want a souvenir, put your money towards something better than a cheap plastic glass.

Drinks elsewhere on the ship are less expensive, but we were never really blown away with any of the concoctions at any spot we tried. We’ve heard of drink specials ( Disney Cruise Line Blog’s drinking page lists a few examples), but we didn’t see any. Keep your eye out for these!

Nightlife aboard the Disney Cruise Line ships is…how do we put this…not all that full of life. Each ship has a few options, but in our experience, none are all that popular. Here’s what you can find aboard the Magic…

After Hours is the adults-only entertainment district, and it’s pretty cool in theory. There are three venues here: O’Gill’s Pub, Keys, and Fathoms. The main area here is Fathoms, which is used earlier in the night for hosted interactive shows like “Pops” before becoming a dance club later. O’Gill’s and Keys are variations of the same concept, with one being an Irish pub and the other being a modern piano bar.

In terms of concept and design, all three of these venues are cool. And, so long as you’re fine with your entertainment ending at around 9 or 10 pm, they are fun in practice, too. The problem is, once you get past about 10 pm, the number of adults on any given Disney Cruise Line ship looking for nightlife is minimal, and this already low number is spread across multiple venues. If you like the quiet of having a venue (more or less) to yourselves so you and friends can chat, this is a great thing. If you’re looking for an energetic scene, this is an awful thing.

I am somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. I hate going to dance clubs in our town because they are loud and obnoxiously crowded. Conversely, I am not keen on pubs and other places where no one else is around. At that point, why not just “party” at home? We have found that After Hours skews too close to “empty” to really do a ton for us. In fairness, one night we did see some adults who had overindulged go absolutely crazy on the dance floor…that was a lot of fun to watch!

This is something that will vary to a degree on every sailing, but one thing that appears consistent is that Disney Cruise Line attracts a disproportionate number of families as compared to other cruise lines. Parents are often too tired or have outgrown the idea of nightlife, and aren’t as likely to partake as singles. We’d hazard a guess that these nightlife spots are busier on cruises that are geared more towards adults (like an Alaska cruise or a repositioning cruise). You can still have fun with the nightlife, especially if you’re the one bringing the party (or more importantly, the people).

Family Stuff & Kid’s Clubs

If you are looking for family-friendly entertainment, or just a place to deposit your kids for the day, the Disney Cruise Line has you covered!

D Lounge is the main hangout for family-friendly activities. Lots of different things happen here throughout the day, from trivia to dancing to even Disney Vacation Club presentations. Kids, what’s more family-friendly than convincing your parents to buy into Disney Vacation Club? This is your future we’re talking about! 😉

The Oceaneer Club is for children age 3-12, and has numerous themed experiences that will appeal to a variety of different interests and age levels. We had a chance to tour this club, but since we don’t have kids, we have no first-hand feedback on how the experiences are. The spaces themselves sure look cool, but if anyone has feedback from their kids as to how enjoyable this stuff actually is, please share in the comments.

First, and probably the most interesting is Marvel’s Avengers Academy. There’s also Disney’s Pixie Hollow, Andy’s Room from Toy Story, and Mickey Mouse Club. Each of these areas is pretty-well themed. So, Andy’s Room actually resembles his room from Toy Story, Pixie Hollow looks like it might be inhabited by fairies, and Mickey Mouse Club has a strong Mickey Mouse motif.

The Oceaneer Lab, also for children age 3-12, is basically the activity center. The coolest thing about this, I think, as a Disney fan is that it incorporates the S.E.A. (Society of Explorers and Adventurers) concept found at Tokyo DisneySea and Hong Kong Disneyland and brings it to the Disney Magic! It has a pirate-themed area where kids can steer a pirate ship through the Caribbean, plus Captain’s Workshop, Animator’s Studio, and Craft Studio, all of which offer interactive activities.

Both locations are open from 9 am until midnight, and are connected by a kids-only hallway, so kids can utilize both spaces easily. Truthfully, I’m not sure what the distinction between the Club and Lab is, since both venues offer interactive activities. Maybe they just couldn’t fit the entire kids area into one space, and since there are two locations, they needed two names? No clue.

There’s also Edge and Quarter Masters, both of which are basically places to play video games. Vibe is the teens-only ‘club’ hangout.

The nursery aboard the Disney Magic is called ‘it’s a small world’ Nursery, and is themed to the park attraction. It’s for kids under 3, and has an additional charge. So remember, parents, babysitting is FREE for your kids over age 3, but costs extra for those under 3. Plan accordingly when determining when to book your cruise! 😉

Like all things Disney, the Disney Cruise Line nails themed entertainment. Currently, the Disney Magic has three Broadway-style shows “Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic,” “Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story,” and “Tangled: The Musical” These shows play on Deck 4, Forward in the Walt Disney Theatre (a beautiful theater worth checking out in its own right).

One thing several people have asked us is whether it’s worth it to see the shows. Our answer is always a qualified “absolutely.” We absolutely recommend the shows because these are a big part of what puts the “Disney” into the Disney Cruise Line, and more than anything else aboard the ship, they are something you will only find on the Disney Cruise Line. Why would you skip the entertainment that’s a defining feature of the Disney Cruise Line?!

We qualify that ‘absolutely’ response because we want to make it clear that we don’t think these shows are across-the-board incredible. Each of them has its flaws, but they’re all elaborate, ambitious, and well worth watching at least once. They all have really strong production values, very talented casts, and memorable music. I would say that you will probably like 2 out of the 3 shows if you’re a serious Disney fan. You might even like them all–I suppose it depends upon how critical you are.

The big impediment you might have in seeing all of these shows is dinner. The shows each have two performances on select nights of your cruise, and these occur at 6:15 pm and 8:30 pm (check your Personal Navigator to confirm this). The idea is that if you have an early dinner seating, you go to the late show, or vice-a-versa. For adults traveling without kids, this presents no issue (perhaps unless you’re having a long meal at Palo), but for parents with kids, dinner and a show can be a bit much.

We have two potential recommendations for this: change your meal seating time (you can have it adjusted when you first board the ship) depending on whether you think dinner-first or show-first is better for your kids, or do dinner first and watch the shows from bed on your in-cabin TV. The latter suggestion is less ideal, but possibly more realistic. Obviously, you lose a lot of what makes the shows special by watching them on TV as opposed to in the theater, but if you realistically wouldn’t be able to do both dinner and the theater (and enjoy both), then that’s not really a good option.

Characters & Other Entertainment

It’s impossible to cover every single piece of entertainment available on the Disney Cruise Line. First of all, because there are like 20+ different things to do everyday. Second, because it changes from cruise to cruise, so we could never keep up. For this area, the Personal Navigator is your friend. Refer to the paper Personal Navigator or the iPhone app regularly, and determine what looks interesting to you on a daily basis.

The stage shows covered above are the flagship entertainment aboard the Disney Magic, and those are not to be missed. Additional entertainment consists of activities in the D Lounge (mentioned above), nightlife (also mentioned above), trivia, and other unique seminars and presentations. There’s really so many entertainment options that you could spend your entire cruise “being entertained.” Based upon what we saw, not all of the entertainment options were created equally, and others are advertisements for other Disney offerings.

There’s also recreation like basketball, shuffleboard, ping pong, soccer, and more. The Fitness Center offers weight machines and elliptical. Aerobic and yoga classes are also offered.

Of course, the pools are the most popular places for ‘fitness’ on the Disney Cruise Line, and there are three of them. One for families, one for adults, and one for kids–you can read more about these pools here . Add to that play areas and the AquaDunk, and there’s a lot to do. Our favorite pool was the family pool, although it was always crowded because it’s open to everyone.

However, it’s also in the center of everyone, and it was nice to lounge around. The AquaDunk always had a long wait in the middle of the day–I finally did it in late afternoon and only waited 10 minutes, and didn’t think it was worth even that. It seems like Disney needed something that looked like the AquaDuck water coaster on the other ships, and this was all the Disney Magic could support. It’s fine, but way too short.

Another big thing for many guests is the Buena Vista Theater. This shows first-run Disney movies, and is very popular with guests. To each their own, but we aren’t fans of taking from out of a cruise to see a movie. At home, we can see a movie for ~$15 per person, and while it might seem like a “good deal” to see movies for “free” on the Disney Cruise Line, your per hour waking cost of the cruise is probably significantly more than ~$5. Why not do things that are actually unique to the cruise? That’s just our take, though, and we understand some people might need downtime, or might just want to relax as a family and enjoy the latest Disney film.

Pirate Night is the ‘biggest’ entertainment aboard the Disney Magic. It starts with character meet & greets in atrium, followed by normal rotational dinner (servers and guests seem to get into the pirate mood), followed by the Pirates in the Caribbean deck/dance party, and concluding with fireworks shot over the edge of the ship.

If you have kids, this is probably great fun. We had a blast getting into the pirate mood and dressing up a bit for it, but the actual deck party was a bit of a letdown. Pirate Mickey and the other characters were fun, but the music was pretty dated and it seemed like the whole thing was way too reliant on the dance element. Kids probably won’t know the difference and will have a blast, but we would have liked to see more scripted action from the characters, or a dance party that wasn’t stuck in the past.

In terms of character meet & greets, the scheduled meet & greets in the atrium were without a doubt the most popular ones we saw. This was especially true on Pirate Night, when the characters are dressed in pirate attire. If you want to do meet & greets on Pirate Night, make sure to arrive and line-up just before the meet & greets start. Other scheduled meet & greets drew long lines, but nothing as long as this.

We actually found the shortest lines to be on Castaway Cay, where the characters (plus Jack Sparrow) generally didn’t have much in the way of lines at all. Perhaps this was because people don’t want character photos when they are in swimsuits? Maybe guests forget their cameras? Whatever the case, we think this is the best time for character photos.

We’re not really sure if it’s “entertainment” per se, but we don’t have anywhere else to put it, so…there’s a spa on the ship. It’s called Senses Spa & Salon. We contemplated doing something here for the sake of “research”…until we saw the prices. Sorry, you’ll have to do your own research on this one.

Castaway Cay

Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is the port of call that everyone going on Disney Cruise Line for a Caribbean cruise will see. We love Castaway Cay, and since there are so many tips and recommendations for this stop, we actually wrote a dedicated Castaway Cay Guide that you can reference for planning your day on Castaway Cay.

Overall, setting sail aboard the Disney Cruise Line is an incredibly enjoyable experience. Although the itineraries command premium pricing, but it’s a premium experience, too. All things considered, we feel DCL offers good value for money, Disney quality, and the ships don’t nickel and dime you like other cruise lines.

Since first setting sail with Disney Cruise Line, we’ve since done several additional itineraries, including to Norway, Alaska, and both the Eastern and Western Caribbean (multiple times). Our favorite destination by far was the Norwegian Fjords, which literally felt like a trip to Arendelle from  Frozen . Alaska was also a lot of fun, and of course we love cruising to tropical islands and enjoying Castaway Cay.

Even as Platinum Castaway Club Members, we do not consider ourselves the definitive authority on Disney Cruise Line. There are still far more itineraries that we have not done as compared to ones we have. With that said, we’re working on becoming seasoned cruise pros. If any of you experienced cruisers have additional tips or recommendations as to itineraries, excursions, or anything else, please share them. We wanted to put this guide together as a handy starting point, because we’ve been receiving a lot of questions about Disney Cruise Line.

If you want personalized recommendations for Disney Cruise Line itineraries, ships, and more, click here to get a cruise quote from a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner . If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, we’d really appreciate it if you’d share it via social media to help spread the word. We put a lot of work into making this site a helpful planning resource, and hope it’s useful to you! 🙂

Your Thoughts

Have you ever set sail on the Disney Wish, Disney Magic, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, or Disney Wonder? Do you have a favorite ship or favorite itinerary? Do you think Disney Cruise Line is worth the premium pricing? What did you think of the ships? Any other tips to add or recommendations? If you have questions or thoughts, please share them below and we’ll try to respond!

Written by Tom Bricker

Great advice! we’re looking to book a cruise – any advice on if it’s better to book direct or recommended travel agents?

And don’t ask me why I’m saying like a lot so bye

If you could see like the hall then you would be surprised it looks so pretty. I never went on the cruise ship but like I seen it in pictures and it looks so beautiful and magical And like if you see the entire ship it’s like huge and when I saw it I thought there was like so many places that you could be in there. These are the things that Seriously say about the Disney cruise ship , 1. It’s like so fun and, 2. It’s the most Beautifullest place that I’ve ever seen , and last 3. I’m pretty sure everyone’s having fun So . Bye-bye,thx

You complain a lot

if you are a beer drinker, the beer mug package is 100% worth it, great value and way easier than hauling your own beer. the bottled beer packages are not. the mug package- you pay up front the cost of a 22oz beer and get the mug. you then can refill that 22oz mug for the price of a 16oz beer all cruise long. at the end of the evening, trade your mug in for a token/card at any bar. use that token/mug next time. the best part is at the end of your cruise, you can either take a clean mug home, or better yet, keep the token/card in a safe place to bring back on your next cruise to keep things rolling without needing to buy the package new again. also, this allows you to have any beer on tap, which is so much better than any beer bottled. they often have various seasonal offerings, even local offerings (alaska brewing co on alaska sailings, for example).

Like I will love it too I like the dining table and I like like everything I have on a Disney cruise ship it’s like so fine I don’t know what to say but this is the most best cruise ship I ever in like ever seen in my entire life is so magical if I’d be there i’d be surprised so like…thx

I’m hoping to provide color to the Oceaneer Lab and Oceaneer Club, since I don’t see it anywhere in the comments. We have only experienced these options on the Disney Fantasy, so I can’t speak for the other ships in the line, but I expect that its similar. Kids are issues a wrist band at the beginning of the cruise that looks just like a Magic Band. This is how they are checked in and out, and how they are tracked throughout the different areas. My three year old liked to take his on and off, and when this happened, CMs would just put it back on his wrist or around his ankle. Don’t forget to return this band at the end of the cruise, or you will be charged $12.50, and the bands don’t work a second time around or at the parks. It’s a lame souvenir.

During Registration you’ll say who is allowed to check out with your child, and a CM will confirm the first time you drop off. At pick up they will tell you when you can find your kid so you don’t have to search the whole area.

In the Oceaneer Club each of areas, Marvel, Pixie Hollow, Andy’s Room, etc, have their really creative themeing and themed activities throughout the day. There is always something going on to keep kids engaged and active – our son loved meeting Dr Strange in Marvel and practicing flying an X-Wing in the Star Wars area. If that sounds overwhelming, there are always quiet areas kids can find to chill and unwind – we often found our son in Andy’s room watching a movie or playing with Mr. Potato Head.

Oceaneer Lab had lots of fun activities aimed at different ages and developmental levels. My son loved flying an airplane. I loved that they had CM led science experiments and cooking lessons from Ratatouille. The kitchen lab is also where kids are served lunch. CMs were extra awesome in accommodating my son’s food allergies during cooking labs and meals, as we have come to expect from Disney.

How have you found cheaper rates on DCL cruises? I was under the impression that the only way to get cheaper rates is to book 1.5 years out when the prices first come out. Have you done a post on this yet?

Disney sometimes offers last-minute discounted “guaranteed” rooms which means you cannot choose your room but will be assigned one in a specific category or better. Many of these have additional restrictions–e.g must b paid in full upon booking and aren’t nonrefundable. We are currently trying this out for our first cruise in April on the theory that the room won’t matter much for just a three day cruise. The other thing to note is because it is last minute, many on board activities and port excursions will be sold out (we got some and are happy with out options, but you have to be willing to be flexible and take what isn’t available)

Sorry for all of the typos in my above response! My phone autocorrect was acting pretty weird…

I also just realized Tom has a blog post about this, so check it out here for more/better info:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/money-saving-tips-disney-cruise-line/

Palo Dining is now a $30 fee! But we are still going to try it on your recommendation.

Hi just an update you are no longer allowed to carry liquor onto the ship. You may carry on 2 bottles of wine per person or a 6 pack of beer person but nothing else. You can however carry the wine and beer limit on at every port. I believe this new rule went into effect this past September. For some people this is not a big deal but for others was one of the draws to a Disney cruise over other cruise lines.

Good point–I’ll update this in the post!

It was a big draw for our family (all adults) and I feel it was great for adults traveling sans kids. Sad to see this change.

Do you have recommendations on when to go? Is there a season when it is typically cheaper? A month where you wouldn’t risk bad weather? We are thinking a Caribbean Cruise from the same port.

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Disney Cruise Line Planning Tips & Tricks

LAST UPDATE: 7/17/23

On this page we have collected some useful advice, tips and tricks that can help you save time and money when you are planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation. Jump to:

• Cruise Information & Guidebooks

How to Save Money

• Resort Add-on vs. Booking Disney World Separately
• Tips And Tricks for Picking A Stateroom

Secret Porthole Staterooms

Secret verandah staterooms, secret connecting staterooms, category 8a “mini-suites” and oversized/open plan staterooms, hump suites & concierge staterooms, accommodating larger families, two rooms are (sometimes) better than one, trip insurance, passports and visas.

• Booking Palo/Remy, Excursions, Onboard Activities, Spa Appointments and Kids’ Club Online

Disney Cruise Line Weddings and Vow Renewals

Cruising with a disability.

Other useful Disney Cruise Line information pages:

• For discounts and tips on saving money on the cruise itself , visit our Disney Cruise Discount page.
• For advice that will help you save time and get the most out of your cruise once you are onboard , visit the DCL Onboard Advice page.
• For advice that will help you with excursions, tours and activities  while in port, visit the Tips & Discounts for Port Excursions page.

Planning a Disney Cruise: Information & Guidebooks

When you’re starting to plan a Disney cruise, the very first thing you should do is watch the FREE Disney Cruise Line Vacation Planning Videos ! They’re available to anyone online and have lots of useful info in them.

In addition to viewing the videos, which will give you a good general idea of what the Disney Cruise Line has to offer, you may want to look at a guidebook or two to get more detailed information about it. See our list of suggested guidebooks for cruises and port excursions .

There’s a lot of FREE information about the ships and getting the most from your cruise on this page and the Onboard Advice, Tips and Tricks page here on this site! We also recommend visiting the independent Disney Cruise Line Blog , which has lots of useful information, including scans of menus and daily schedules from recent cruises.

Unlike most of the other cruise lines, Disney is generally very consistent in only moving its prices one direction over time: up! Disney very rarely runs sales, and as the ship fills they will raise the price of the remaining rooms. Some very popular cruises (usually unique and new itineraries in popular destinations like Europe) can go up in price on the first day of booking! The bottom line is that booking as early as possible is the surest way to save money on a Disney cruise. Occasionally Disney will run a sale at the last minute, but you can’t be sure any particular sailing will have a sale.

Booking way ahead allows you to grab the best staterooms and have a better chance of getting the first seating at dinner (important to many families with young children). Especially for the most popular times of year (spring break, summer and Christmas, and to a lesser extent other holidays like Thanksgiving), you would be well advised to book as early as you can, because those cruises often sell out and rates for those dates will just go up and up. In the rare case the fare drops after you book, Disney is very good about adjusting it. You or your travel agent just need to call and ask for the lower rate.

Keep in mind that your  Disney cruise deposit is fully refundable up to the payment-in-full date (75 days before sailing for most 3-4 day cruises, 90 days for most 7 day cruises, longer for holiday cruises, cruises from non-US ports and for concierge-class bookings). If you think you might want to take a cruise next year (or the year after), you’d do well to get it booked right away if you can. Then you can take some time to research and plan. If later you decide it’s not going to work, cancel and get your money back. Or if you need to change the date, you can easily ask Disney or your travel agent to change it. But if you do end up taking the cruise, you’ll be happy you got it booked before the prices went up.

Other tips that can save you money:

• Sail in the off-season. The less busy parts of the year (January, early February, May, late August, September, October, and the portions of November and December that are not holiday weeks) have significantly lower fares, and the fares often don’t go up as quickly over time. Sometimes they stay pretty much the same right up until a few months before sailing.
• Keep an eye out for last-minute restricted fares . These fares (sometimes called *GT fares) are generally a very good deal, but they only happen on sailings that aren’t filling at the regular prices. They usually release them after the payment-in-full date for the cruise has passed, so you start to see them at about 1-2 months away from sailing. They often are for a very limited number of rooms, and sometimes they come and go very quickly, so if you see one for a cruise you can take, definitely pounce while you can. You can read more about these restrictions and see the current list of discounted cruises on our Disney Cruise Line Discounts & Deals page .
• Be sure to take advantage of any onboard credits that may be available. There are plenty of other specialized deals and offers for the Disney Cruise Line, too. Be sure to check and see if you qualify for any of the deals listed below.
• Save up to $1000 right off the top by using the right travel agent (in addition to any other savings). We highly recommend booking all Disney cruises through a Disney Specialist travel agent . It costs you nothing and they do all the work for you!
• Don’t buy more cabin than you need . Read our guide to picking a stateroom  for our picks for the best values in each category.
• If you can only afford an inside cabin, be sure to learn more about secret porthole rooms !
• If you will be traveling with a family of 5 or more , be sure to read about a useful tip that could save you a bundle.
• If you’re willing to take your chances, learn how you might be able to buy a cheaper cabin and score an upgrade (either free or discounted).
• get a good deal on a hotel for the night before your cruise
• find the best prices for transportation from the airport or your hotel to the cruise terminal
• save on trip insurance

Resort Add-On vs. Booking Disney World Separately

If you are considering a Resort Add-on to your cruise, which adds a stay at Walt Disney World onto your Disney cruise, keep in mind that it is almost always a better option to book the two separately.

Basically the only advantage of the Resort Add-on is convenience. With the Resort Add-on, you only check in once. When you arrive at the hotel, you are given your “Key to the World” card for the cruise, but you use your MagicBand (or Disney World RFID ticket) for everything else. That’s nice, but may not be worth hundreds of dollars to you. That’s right, sometimes you can save that much by booking a discounted room separately, and/or buying discounted tickets with the features you want, instead of what Disney dictates.

With the Resort Add-on, you can only add a full-price resort stay in a standard room before or after your cruise. You cannot :

• book anything other than a standard room (no themed or view rooms, or suites);
• get a discount on your hotel room;
• add tickets other than full-price 1-day to 5-day tickets with the Park Hopper option (no Base Tickets  or  Park Hopper Plus options are available); or
• add a Dining Plan at all (you’d have to book a separate vacation package to get a Dining Plan).

Given the total lack of flexibility and the fact that you can’t get any sort of discount, we really don’t recommend booking a Resort Add-on.

By the way, if you’re debating whether to visit Walt Disney World before or after your cruise: go before the cruise. Disney World is fun, but exhausting. If you do the cruise after your Disney World visit, you’ll have a chance to relax and you can return home rested.

Tips And Tricks For Picking A Stateroom

Disney Cruise Line has several different categories of staterooms with somewhat confusing names and descriptions. Here’s an overview of the various types and the key differences between them, with some notes on our picks for the best value.

How Important is Stateroom Location?

There are two “classic” rules of thumb about stateroom location: higher on the ship is better and closer to the center of the ship is better. In our experience, those rules of thumb are not actually very helpful.

The center of the ship does have a bit less motion when the ship is tipping forward and back in higher seas, since you’re closer to the center of the see-saw, so to speak. But big cruise ships do not as a general rule have a huge amount of motion, at least compared to smaller boats you might be used to. And even if you experience somewhat less motion in a stateroom closer to the center, during your cruise you will be roaming all over the ship to eat, watch shows and participate in activities, so one way or another you will spend a fair amount of time on the far ends of the ship. For much of the time you’re in your room, you’ll be sleeping, and research suggests that people are least bothered by motion when they are lying down. Bottom line: in our experience, most of the time the motion is going to be very minor no matter where you are on the ship. If there are rougher waters you will notice at least a little motion, but your cabin location is not going to be the most important factor in how much the motion bothers you.

Similarly, being higher on the ship doesn’t hugely improve your views or experience. You get a slightly better view from a verandah on deck 8 than on deck 5, but only slightly. In the few cases where you’d like a view from as high as possible (in port, usually), you’ll want to go up to the top deck for the best view anyway. Everything on the ship is a quick elevator ride away no matter which deck you are on.

One thing that can bother some people is vibration from the engines or electric motors. The ship has huge diesel generators on the lowest decks, and the main electric propulsion motors are in the rear, so in general, you will feel more vibration lower on the ship and closer to the rear. But you might feel at least some vibration almost anywhere on the ship. We’ve been on the lowest passenger deck, and certainly noticed mild vibration, but it hasn’t really bothered us. If you’re on a low deck in the front or rear of the ship, you might notice the sound and vibration of the lateral thrusters during early-morning docking, but that doesn’t last long under normal circumstances.

Noise from the area above, below and around your stateroom can be an issue , especially if you are a light sleeper or sensitive to sound. You should definitely take a look at what is located on the deck just above or just below your stateroom. If you are just underneath the pool deck, you may find yourself awakened very early in the morning by crew sliding deck chairs around as they prepare the pool area for the day. If you are on a lower deck just above or below a nightclub, you may find the thumping bass makes it hard to nod off in the evening. If your room is near the elevators you may hear a bit more noise from people coming and going. We have had rooms that had noise leakage, and it’s not the end of the world, but it can affect some people more than others, so consider what will bother you and what you can ignore.

As a very broad generalization, we prefer to get staterooms in the middle decks, sandwiched between two other decks with staterooms, or above or below an area that isn’t in use early in the morning or late at night. We don’t really worry about being central; if the ends are cheaper and have the room types we like, we book a room on the ends. We often try to get rooms towards the front or back that are just under or over the spa or the main dining rooms, as they don’t typically have a lot of noise in the morning and evening. But if it’s the only good room available, we’re fine with being smack-dab under the pool deck; we pack a set of earplugs just in case.

Category Numbers And Letters

All rooms are designated with a category number and letter, like “4A” or “10C.” The category number tells you the basic type of room, 1 being the fanciest concierge room and 11 being the smallest and least expensive regular room. Lower numbers typically have more amenities and features, like windows or verandahs, or may be bigger than higher-numbered categories.

• Categories 1, 2 & 3 are concierge staterooms, which come with extra perks like access to a special lounge and priority access to excursions and events.
• Categories 4, 5, 6 and 7 are verandah staterooms, which have a small private deck on the outside of the ship where you can get some fresh air and watch the ocean go by.
• Categories 8 and 9 are oceanview staterooms which have one or two portholes, which don’t open.
• Categories 10 and 11 are inside staterooms, which have no windows at all.

Within a category number, most staterooms are pretty much identical (with some exceptions mentioned below), with the letters indicating primarily how attractive the location is (according to Disney), with ‘A’ being the best. We generally recommend getting the C, D or E staterooms to save yourself some money, because the higher-lettered staterooms really aren’t significantly better. But there are a few exceptions; read on for more.

It seems like there are lots of rooms with lots of different layouts, but in reality the vast majority of regular non-concierge rooms fall into three basic interior sizes (not counting the verandah, if any). Disney doesn’t break out the size of the interior area of verandah rooms, so the verandah sizes are estimates based on measurements of room layouts and physical comparison of rooms.

Small : category 11, which are approximately 184 sq. ft. on Magic/Wonder and 169 sq. ft. on Dream/Fantasy/Wish. All sleep at least 3; some sleep 4. The space reduction relative to the next bigger size comes from not having a split bathroom and losing some of the open space in the middle of the room.

Regular : category 10, 9, 7, 6, 5 and Dream/Fantasy/Wish 4E, which have an interior area of approximately 215 sq. ft. on the Magic/Wonder, 205 sq. ft. on Dream/Fantasy, and 218 sq. ft. on Wish. All sleep at least 3; some sleep 4. Category 9 rooms have portholes with a view of the water. Category 7, 6, 5 and Dream/Fantasy 4E rooms have verandahs which vary in size, but are typically about 30-40 additional sq. ft.

Large : category 8 and 4 (except for Dream/Fantasy/Wish 4E), which have an interior area of approximately 245 sq. ft. on Magic/Wonder and 235-240 sq. ft. on Dream/Fantasy/Wish. All sleep at least 4; some sleep 5. These rooms are the same width as the regular-sized rooms, but are deeper, which makes room for an extra pull-down single bed in the ones that sleep 5. Category 8 rooms have one or two portholes with a view of the water. Category 8A rooms are extra-large, but Disney doesn’t give a specific size; we guess that they’re about 320 sq. ft. Category 4 rooms have a verandah, which varies in size, but is typically about 30-40 additional sq. ft.

Certain handicapped-accessible staterooms are also larger, but that’s mostly in the form of empty space to allow a wheelchair to move around. The accessible rooms also typically have a non-split bath (again to allow for a wheelchair) with a variety of different shower/bath combinations to deal with different kinds of physical issues.

Beyond that are the concierge rooms, some of which are larger and are covered more below. But realistically, there isn’t a lot of difference in the actual living space and amenities between a category 10 inside and a category 5 verandah, for example. The rest of the differentiation in category is all about the porthole or verandah, the location on the ship, and small differences in verandah or porthole views, which we’ll go over below.

Inside Staterooms

Inside staterooms have no windows or verandahs, and thus no natural light. They turn pitch black when the lights are off (night or day), which can be a plus or a minus, depending on whether you like sleeping in absolute darkness. The darkness can be a problem if you’re trying to maneuver around at night without waking up the rest of the family; we recommend bringing a small flashlight or nightlight if you book one of these rooms. These rooms are a good value for folks that don’t need a view and don’t plan to spend much time in their room. You get the same food, activities and entertainment as everyone else for much less money, and a view of the ocean is just a short elevator ride away at all times.

On the Dream & Fantasy (but not the Wish), all inside staterooms have Disney’s “virtual porthole” which is a screen with a porthole-shaped frame over it that shows you roughly the view you’d see if there wasn’t a whole bunch of ship in the way. There are four cameras mounted on the ship pointing in the four main directions (fore, aft, port and starboard) and each virtual porthole shows a view in the “correct” direction, given the wall it’s mounted on. The virtual portholes also show some “surprise” Disney characters floating or flying by about every 30 minutes, which is a nice touch. The portholes can be turned on and off. If you leave them on at night, they provide some glow (even though the view is typically black, there’s some residual light from the screen). For some people, it’s still too much light to sleep with, so if you’ve never experienced one it might be good to bring a flashlight or headlamp just in case.

11A, 11B, 11C – These are typically the cheapest rooms available. They are smaller than other staterooms, and they don’t have a split bathroom. All sleep at least 3 and some sleep 4. The A, B, C designation is purely Disney’s assessment of how attractive the location is, with A’s being located on upper decks or closer to midship and C’s being located on lower decks. The actual amenities are identical. 

10A, 10B, 10C – These are larger than the category 11’s, though mostly that’s just open space; they have the same basic furniture. They have a split bathroom, with one half containing a sink and shower and the other half containing a sink and toilet, each with its own door to the room. All sleep at least 3 and some sleep 4. The A, B, C designation is purely Disney’s assessment of how attractive the location is, with A’s being located on upper decks or closer to midship and C’s being located on lower decks. The actual amenities are identical. Frankly we don’t see enough value in these over the 11’s, though the split bath is definitely a convenience and speeds up getting ready in the morning. These rooms are not available on the Disney Wish.

Best bets for inside staterooms:

• If you want to experience a Disney cruise at the lowest possible price, 11C staterooms are hard to beat. They feel a little cramped, but honestly so do the category 10’s.  
• If you want the slightly larger space and split bath of a category 10, the 10C’s are generally the best deal, but check what’s above them to make sure it’s not going to be a noise problem.
• If you can’t get the category letter we recommend, try for the next letter in the same category  (i.e. if you can’t get a 11C, try for a 11B. If those are sold out, get a 11A, etc.). If the whole category number is sold out, check our recommendations before booking the next higher number.

Oceanview Staterooms

Oceanview staterooms have a porthole window that has a view of the ocean, as the name implies. This means you get natural light coming in, which can make the room feel brighter and cheerier, but can also make it harder to sleep past sunrise. The curtains do shut out most of the light, but some can find its way in. If you like a very dark room, we suggest bringing some clothespins to keep the curtains shut or pack a sleep mask.

9A, 9B, 9C, 9D – These are the same size as the category 10’s, and have roughly the same layout and features, but have a porthole in one wall. All sleep at least 3 and some sleep 4. The A, B, C, D designation is partially about Disney’s assessment of how attractive the location is, but is also about the view.

• On the Magic and Wonder, the 9D rooms on deck 1 have two small portholes instead of one large porthole , which reduces the view somewhat, but lets in a fair amount of light.
• On the Dream, Fantasy and Wish, the 9C and 9D staterooms are on the front of the ship and mostly have obstructed views . Because the wall with the porthole is slanted, you can’t necessarily see out very well. They still let in plenty of light.
• The 9D’s on all ships and 9C’s on the Dream/Fantasy/Wish are a great value if you mostly care about light rather than views.

8A, 8B, 8C, 8D – These stateroom categories are only available on the Dream, Fantasy and Wish (the Wish only has 8B & 8C). They are larger than a category 9 or 10, and all of them sleep at least 4, with some sleeping 5. The ones on the Dream & Fantasy all have at least one ultra-large porthole with a built-in seat, large enough for a child or small adult to relax in and watch the scenery go by. We don’t know yet whether the Wish version will have the porthole seat, but it’s not looking likely. These porthole seats are very appealing to kids, in our experience. The 8A rooms are oversized and have unusual layouts ( we have more details and a video below ). The B, C and D rooms are essentially identical with B’s located highest on the ship and D’s located lowest.

Best bets for oceanview staterooms:

• On the Dream, Fantasy and Wish we like the 9B’s on deck 2. They are not underneath anything loud and are the best value in a traditional oceanview room.
• On the Magic and Wonder the aft 9C’s are a similarly good deal . If you are noise-averse, avoid the forward 9C’s on the Magic/Wonder, as they are underneath the nightclub area and might have excess noise until midnight or so.
• If you don’t actually have 5 people in your party, there’s not a lot of reason to book a category 8 over a category 9 , though the porthole seats on the Dream & Fantasy are pretty nifty.
• For folks who need or want the extra room on the Dream/Fantasy/Wish, the 8C’s on deck 6 are the best deal in category 8.  
• If you can’t get the category letter we recommend, try for the next letter in the same category (i.e. if you can’t get a 9C, try for a 9B. If those are sold out, get a 9A, etc.). If the whole category number is sold out, check our recommendations before booking the next higher number.

Verandah Staterooms

Verandah staterooms have a small private outer deck, usually with two chairs and a small low table. Most have a clear plexiglas railing, allowing you to see a mostly unobstructed view of the ocean while seated. Some (mentioned below) have a solid white railing, a half-height white railing, a solid wall with a large hole, or a partial obstruction from something else on the ship. The one thing they have in common is that you can go outside and enjoy the fresh air and some kind of view. Like oceanview rooms, they can have light leakage if you don’t get the curtains closed completely. If you like a very dark room, we suggest bringing some clothespins to keep the curtains shut or pack a sleep mask.

7A – This category has gone through many names over the years, but is now just lumped in with all the other verandah room types, with a note about how 7A’s have limited views. The rooms on the Magic & Wonder with the most severe view limitations have a “navigator’s verandah,” which is an almost fully enclosed deck. A navigator’s verandah has a full floor-to-ceiling solid steel exterior wall with a large round hole in the upper half, through which you can see the ocean if you’re standing up. Not every room actually has that kind of verandah; many of them are just regular verandahs with a partially-obstructed view. All sleep at least 3 and some sleep 4. In either case they are identical in interior room size and amenities to a category 5 or 6.

• On the Magic and Wonder, almost all 7A’s have navigator’s verandahs  ( with a few exceptions that have a regular verandah ). You can’t really see the ocean or the horizon while sitting down in a navigator’s verandah, but you can get fresh air and sunlight, and if you are standing up your view is just as good as any other verandah room. The four “ secret verandah ” rooms are a great value, but we think the other Magic/Wonder navigator’s verandahs don’t provide much value over an oceanview, unless you need fresh air to avoid feeling claustrophobic.
• On the Dream, Fantasy and Wish, almost all 7A’s have regular verandahs with a partially obstructed view , typically from an exterior steel wall intruding on the view somewhat (the exceptions are a two rooms on the Dream & Fantasy with a tiny, but unobstructed, verandah and two rooms on the Wish with a slightly smaller verandah and no obstruction). Read more about this category on the Dream, Fantasy & Wish and our rankings of the amount of view obstructed . These are without a doubt the very best value in the verandah category on the Dream, Fantasy and Wish. Even the Dream, Fantasy or Wish 7A with the most obstructed view has a much better view than any oceanview room, and most are better than a category 6, in our opinion.

6A, 6B – These rooms are essentially identical to category 5 and 7 rooms in terms of interior room size and amenities, but have somewhat obstructed verandahs. All sleep at least 3 and some sleep 4. They are located toward the back of the ship on the upper decks.

• On the Magic and Wonder, category 6 cabins have a full “white wall” railing. The entire railing is a steel wall. This isn’t as obstructive as a navigator’s verandah, but it does block your view of the ocean when sitting down, so practically speaking it’s very similar. One thing to consider is that many of these have a verandah that sticks out a bit further than the decks above, giving people standing above you on the back of the ship a view of part of your verandah. All of them have portions of the verandah that are not visible from above.
• On the Dream, Fantasy & Wish, the white wall only comes about halfway up the railing , with the rest of the railing the usual plexiglas. You may be able to see the ocean while seated, depending on how tall you are and how close you sit to the railing. Some people love these as a slightly cheaper alternative to a category 5, but we feel like the loss of view makes them about equal to a category 7, so we prefer the less-expensive category 7 if they are both available.

5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 4E* (*Dream, Fantasy, & Wish version only) – These rooms are essentially identical in terms of interior room size and amenities to category 6 and 7 rooms, but have an unobstructed verandah (except the Dream/Fantasy/Wish 4E, which is a special case). All sleep at least 3 and some sleep 4. These are the most numerous of the regular-sized verandah cabins and the most commonly-booked verandahs for families of 4 or fewer. Category 5A-D are just on different decks, with 5A’s highest and 5D’s lowest.

• The Dream, Fantasy & Wish 4E’s on decks 6-10 are aft staterooms with a view of the wake , which have basically the same interior space and layout as a 5, but a larger verandah. Some people love these aft 4E cabins, as the wake is very pretty in the moonlight, and you don’t tend to get much wind. They have the same half-wall railing as the category 6’s, making them (to us) inferior to the category 7, unless the rear view makes you happy.
• The Dream & Fantasy 4E’s on deck 5 port & starboard have the same interior space as a category 5 , sleep 3 or 4 people (instead of the usual 4 or 5 you get with a category 4) and were originally categorized as 5E’s. They were upgraded to category 4 because of their large extended balconies. This is nice if you want to spread out, or get more sun. It also means people above you have a view of the extended part of your deck that pokes out further from the side of the ship. As with the aft decks, you can certainly stay in the covered section if you prefer more privacy. 

4A, 4B, 4C, 4E* (*Magic/Wonder version only) – These rooms are the largest non-concierge verandah rooms on the ship. All sleep at least 4 and some sleep 5. These cabins are the only single-room option for a family of 5 on the Magic and Wonder, and the most commonly booked option for families of 5 on the Dream and Fantasy. The category 4’s have a bit more open floor space than a category 5, but unless you need a room for 5 people, there’s no real reason to book one of these over a category 5; the amenities are identical and the difference in space is pretty trivial. The letter A-E is primarily about the location, with central and higher rooms in a pricier category.

• Category 4E’s on the Magic and Wonder have a full white-wall railing , just like the category 6A’s, but are otherwise identical to other category 4’s.

Best bets for verandah staterooms:

• There’s no good reason to pay extra for a category 4; the extra space is minimal and the amenities are identical.
• The 7A’s are a great deal, especially on the Dream, Fantasy & Wish , where they are normal verandah cabins with slightly obstructed views. The handful of partially obstructed 7A cabins on the Magic & Wonder are also a great deal if you can get them, and the “navigator verandah” 7A’s on Magic & Wonder are fine if you just want fresh air and light.
• We would only book a category 6 if the 7A’s are all sold out. That said, if the 7A’s are sold out, or you can only get the “navigator’s verandah” style and you don’t like them, category 6 rooms are a fine alternative.
• If you can’t get or don’t like category 6 or 7 , the 5C’s are, in our view, the best value on all 5 ships.
• The Wish 5Cs on deck 6 have ship equipment, lifeboats or a bumped-out deck just below their verandah which intrudes on the view of the ocean slightly; we would recommend trying to get deck 7 5C’s if possible.
• For a family of 5 on the Magic & Wonder, the 4E’s are the best single-room deal . Though if you want an unobstructed view of the ocean, move up to a 4B or higher.
• For a family of 5 on the Dream, Fantasy & Wish, the 4C’s are the best single-room deal.
• The Wish 4C’s on deck 6 that are not bumped out have lifeboats, ship equipment or a bumped-out deck just below their verandah , which intrudes on the view of the ocean slightly. We would recommend trying to get the bumped out 4C’s or deck 7 4C’s if possible. The bumped out ones are obvious on the deck plan – for example, 6074 is bumped out, but 6100 is not.
• Be sure to compare the cost of a single 5-person stateroom to a pair of staterooms , one with 2 guests and one with 3 guests. It’s usually not much more money, and occasionally it’s actually cheaper! 
• If you can’t get the category letter we recommend, try for the next letter in the same category (i.e. if you can’t get a 5C, try for a 5B. If those are sold out, get a 5A, etc.). If the whole category number is sold out, check our recommendations before booking the next higher number.

Concierge Staterooms

Concierge categories get you access to dedicated concierge staff, both before the cruise and during . As a concierge passenger, you get priority for booking any shore excursion or specialty restaurant, even prior to people who have Platinum status in the Castaway Club. Concierge passengers get priority for embarking and disembarking, as well as priority tendering in ports that require it (though keep in mind Disney visits very few ports that require tendering – Grand Cayman is the only one Disney goes to regularly). Concierge guests can use a private concierge lounge with some free food and drink available at all times, as well as a private sun deck. The rooms themselves are in some cases larger than non-concierge, but not always. All concierge guests get robes in their room, plus some extra products in their bathroom. The concierge staff will also leave special gifts in your room every day, ranging from a nice fruit plate to a limited-edition lithograph.

Whether concierge is worth the extra money is an entirely personal decision . The lounges are very nice and have a good selection of snacks and drinks available all the time, plus concierge staff ready to help you with anything you need. The rooms themselves are quite plush, especially the 1-bedroom and larger ones. The price for concierge used to be a relatively moderate upcharge, but lately a concierge room costs at least double what a similar non-concierge room costs, and often more. If you want to splurge, it’s certainly the way to go, but it’s not in our opinion twice as good an overall experience as staying in a normal verandah room. Mostly it’s about saving time and being less stressed out, because the concierge staff are there to sort out pretty much any request or problem you might have. Want a table for 2? No problem. Want to book a meeting with Anna and Elsa? No problem. Need a Remy reservation? It’s done. Most of these things are available to anyone, concierge or not, but non-concierge guests may have to wait in line or on hold for Guest Services, and concierge staff get priority for certain special events like popular meet-and-greets. You and your kids will still have to wait in line for Mickey or Cinderella; you don’t get priority for everything .

3B (Wish) – These are oceanview concierge staterooms, found only on the Wish. They have no verandah, but they do have floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views, and they’re very large (357 sq. ft.). They’re all on the front of the ship on deck 11, facing forward. All of them sleep 4, and some sleep 5. They have all the same amenities and privileges as any other concierge stateroom.

3A & 3B (Dream, Fantasy, Magic & Wonder) – These are basically just large verandah rooms, essentially identical in size to a category 4, and all of them sleep 5. The decor is slightly different from the category 4’s, with fancier woods and so forth, but otherwise they’re basically the same. 

2A & 2B  – These are 1-bedroom staterooms. They all sleep 5. They are very plush and about the size of two category 4 staterooms. They have an extra half-bath off the living room area, a much larger TV in the living room, and a very nice sitting area with a nice-sized table suitable for having dinner in your room. The bedroom can be closed off from the living room area with sliding doors, giving the adult guests some extra privacy. The 2A vs. 2B designation is mostly about location. The 2A’s on the Magic & Wonder are laid out slightly differently and have a longer verandah. The single 2A on the Dream & Fantasy is on the front center of the ship and is sandwiched between the two connecting Royal suites. On the Disney Wish, the 2A’s are on deck 12 and have somewhat deeper verandahs compared to the 2B suites on deck 13.

1C  – These are 2-bedroom Royal suites, found only on the Disney Wish, called “1-Story Royal Suites with Verandah.” One of the two suites is accessible. Sleeps up to 6. They have a large living area and dining room, three full bathrooms, and a pantry and wet bar. There is a large private verandah with a whirlpool tub.

1B (Dream, Fantasy, Magic & Wonder)  – These are 2-bedroom staterooms, only found on the Magic and Wonder (though on the Dream/Fantasy you can get a connected 3A and 2A that forms a basically equivalent space). They sleep up to 7. They have two full bedrooms, each with its own bath. There is a nice sitting area and a full dining area with large table for 6.

1B (Wish) – These are 2-bedroom, 2-story Royal Suites. They stretch across two decks (12 and 13), with a spiral staircase to take you between the two levels. They sleep 6, and have two large bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a large dining and living area and two large verandahs with a private hot tub.

1A (Dream, Fantasy, Magic & Wonder) – These are the fanciest Royal suites and are priced accordingly. They sleep 7 on the Magic/Wonder and 5 on the Dream/Fantasy. The decor in these suites is luxurious and tasteful. The living area is huge with a formal dining table and sitting area, and they have a massive verandah (with a private hot tub on the Dream/Fantasy). 

1A (Wish) – This is the very exclusive, very pricey Wish Tower Suite on deck 14 & 15 in the forward stack on the ship. This is by far the most deluxe cruise stateroom Disney has ever created. There is a large living and dining area, two main bedrooms, a child’s room with two bunk beds, and a library that can be turned into a bedroom for two more. There are four full bathrooms and a half-bath off the living room. Total capacity is 8 guests. There is no verandah, but there are floor-to-ceiling windows on both decks, providing what is clearly the best stateroom view on the ship.

Best bets for concierge staterooms:

• None of these staterooms are really justifiable from a value standpoint. The current price premiums required to book them are eye-poppingly high.
• If you want extra space and a feeling of luxury, the category 2 and above have lots of extra room and amenities and feel super posh. The standard category 3 concierge verandah rooms really don’t feel much different from a category 4. The 3B Concierge Oceanviews on the Wish, though, are unique and might be a great option for someone who wants more space and doesn’t care about a verandah.
• If you primarily want access to the concierge lounge and the priority for booking cabanas and so forth, get any concierge room available; they all have equal access to all concierge services.

Want an oceanview stateroom at an inside cabin price? Book a “secret porthole” stateroom!

There are six staterooms on Deck 5 and two staterooms on Deck 6 of the Magic and the Wonder (but not on the Dream, Fantasy or Wish) that are sold as Category 10 inside staterooms, but actually are oceanview cabins with obstructed view portholes. By selecting one of these cabins, you will get some natural light and a bit of a view, while paying the lower price for an inside stateroom!

The obstruction is caused by equipment (mostly canisters that hold inflatable life rafts) in front of the portholes, and the amount by which these portholes is obstructed varies. You can typically see some ocean and some sky, but not a lot of either. Also, be aware that there may be a light on all night outside the porthole, so you’ll have to close your curtains tightly to keep it dark in the cabin.

The Secret Porthole staterooms on deck 5 are conveniently located near the kids’ activity centers, Flounder’s Reef Nursery and the Buena Vista Theater. There are relatively few passenger staterooms on this deck, so there is less potential for foot traffic and noise. (The majority of Category 10 staterooms without secret portholes can be found on lower decks and may be located under the adult nightclubs with dance floors and live bands.)

Of the eight Secret Porthole rooms, there are two pairs of connecting staterooms. For families of 5, this is an affordable alternative to booking a more pricey Category 4. We have more suggestions below about accommodating larger families on a Disney cruise .

Word has gotten out about these staterooms, so you’ll have to book well in advance to snag one.

• The cabins to request are 6006, 6506, 5020, 5520, 5022 and 5024 (connecting), 5522 and 5524 (connecting).
• 6006, 6506 have the least obstructed view; you can see the ocean clearly but the sky is mostly blocked. 5020 and 5520 have slightly more obstructions that block a fair amount of sea and sky. 5022 and 5522 are even more obstructed. 5024 and 5524 have the most obstructed view.

The “secret” here is getting a standard verandah for the price of a “navigator’s verandah.” In the best case you’re getting a rooms pretty much equivalent to a category 5, but are paying for a category 7. That can be a significant savings.

Magic & Wonder

While not as big an upgrade as the secret porthole staterooms , the secret verandah staterooms on Disney’s Magic and Wonder cruise ships give you a little more for your money. Basically these are Category 7A staterooms that have a regular verandah (a private, open-air deck accessed from your cabin), instead of the usual Category 7A “navigator’s verandah,” which is a fully enclosed deck with a large porthole.

The secret verandah staterooms were originally sold as Category 6, but were recategorized to Category 7A after Disney received complaints because they have a slight obstruction of view. The obstruction is due to their location at the very ends of the ship: an overhang curves around on one side of the verandah, obscuring the view a bit in that direction. Overall, the obsctructed view on these rooms is worlds better than on a regular Navigator’s Verandah. They also have a normal railing rather than the white-wall railing of a Category 6.

Here’s our estimate of the amount of obstruction for each of the “secret verandah” 7A rooms on the Magic & Wonder , with our assessment of most desirable on top to least desirable on the bottom (keeping in mind that a true Navigator’s Verandah obstructs about 80% of the view, so all of them are an upgrade from a regular 7A):

• Minor obstruction (20%-40%): 7120, 7620
• Significant obstruction (40%-60%): 6134, 6634

Dream, Fantasy & Wish

The Dream and Fantasy & Wish don’t actually have any Navigator’s Verandahs. The 7A rooms are the ends of rows of category 5’s and 6’s, and in fact were originally categorized as 5’s and 6’s on the Dream & Fantasy. However, the outer white panels of the ship impinge on the view from the verandahs of these rooms, in some cases to an almost trivial degree. Mostly they have a view that most people would find nearly identical to the higher-category room next door, and almost always far less obstructed than the navigator’s verandahs or white-wall verandahs on the Magic and Wonder, in the sense that they all have Plexiglas railings and you can see the ocean clearly while seated (with the exception of 5024 and 5524, where the obstruction is mostly on the lower half).

In a few cases, a category 7 has a connecting door to the category 5 or 6 stateroom next door , and if you want two connecting verandah staterooms getting this combo can save you some money, by getting (for example) a 5A and 7A instead of two 5A’s. Even if all the officially connecting rooms are booked, you can still book almost any 7A and the adjacent category 5 or 6, have the stateroom attendant open the verandah barrier between the rooms (see the next section for more) and essentially have the equivalent of two category 5 or 6 staterooms for less. Often these will book up fast, but ask a travel agent to see if a suitable pair is available.

On the Dream & Fantasy, there are two unusual “mini-verandah” rooms: 5188 and 5688. These are mirror-image aft-facing rooms on deck 5 with no view obstructions, but very small triangular verandahs. Their verandahs are too small to fit a chair, but do have a built-in bench that two thin people could fit on. They each can connect inside to a handicapped-accessible 9A stateroom next door (5186/5686), but their verandahs do not connect to the verandahs on either side of them.

On the Wish, there are also two slightly different “mini-verandah” 7A rooms: 7194 and 7690 . They’re on the aft port and starboard corners of deck 7. Because of the way the ship curves around, they have a slightly smaller, curved verandah, though not nearly as small as the mini-verandah 7A’s on the Dream & Fantasy. They face port and starboard, rather than aft, though because of the angle they have a pretty decent view aft as well. They have the normal complement of two chairs and a small table.

Here’s our estimate of the amount of obstruction or other issues for each of the 7A rooms on the Dream,   Fantasy & Wish , with our assessment of most desirable on top to least desirable on the bottom:

• Very minor obstruction (20% or less): 8022*, 8164, 8520*, 8662
• Minor obstruction (20%-40%): 7022, 7170*, 7520, 7668*, 9012, 9152*, 9164, 9512, 9652*, 9664
• Significant obstruction (40%-60%): 5024**, 5524**, 6178*, 6678*, 7182, 7680, 8176*, 8674*
• Very small verandah (but no obstruction of view): 5188*, 5688*
• Very minor obstruction (20% or less): 6174, 6674, 9172*, 9672*
• Smaller verandah (but no obstruction of view): 7194, 7690
• Minor obstruction (20%-40%): 8022, 8170*, 8520, 8668*, 9014*, 9160, 9514*, 9660
• Significant obstruction (40%-60%): 7022*, 7174, 7518*, 7670

* – Connects (inside) to adjacent category 5 or 6 stateroom

** – Obstruction across lower half; extended verandah next door both blocks view and provides neighbors clear view into your stateroom from their verandah

A semi-secret stateroom connection exists on all five ships: nearly any two (or more) adjacent verandahs along the straight sides of the ship (and many along the stern) can be connected by folding back the dividing panel. The primary exception is deck 10 on the Dream, Fantasy & Wish, which has some solid steel dividers (roughly every other one) because of structural requirements for the deck above. So about half of the verandah dividers on deck 10 open and half don’t. If it’s important to you to get two rooms with connecting verandahs, either avoid deck 10 or call Disney (or have your travel agent call) and they can tell you if any two specific rooms can connect their verandahs.

There are also a handful of non-connecting verandahs on other decks, on the “corners” of the ship where the space is just too narrow to put an divider that can open. But other than those exceptions, they all open. To connect the verandahs, ask your stateroom attendant; they have a special key that unlocks the divider. Once it’s open, the two rooms share one long verandah, and they become effectively connecting staterooms. If you have a whole bank of adjacent rooms, you can fold back all the dividers and make one really long verandah.

On Disney’s Dream and Fantasy ships, all twelve of the Category 8A Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms are oversized, with two large portholes and no split bath. Four of the 8A staterooms could be called “mini-suites” or “junior suites” because they are large and somewhat divided. There are also eight 8A staterooms that offer unique open floor plans.

“Mini-Suites”

Four of the 8A staterooms are extra-spacious and have a wall divider between two “rooms.” The “rooms” are not completely separate, because there is a large opening between them that is not closed off with a privacy curtain or door. These “mini-suite” staterooms sleep 3 people and do not have the split bathroom. The bathroom is small, with sink, toilet and standard bathtub/shower. There are two televisions: one facing the bed and one facing the single pull-out sofa. In addition, these are connecting cabins, so if you needed to accommodate up to 6 people, getting the two connecting rooms would provide you with a super-spacious layout.

If you’re having a hard time envisioning these cabins, watch this YouTube video of a Disney Fantasy mini-suite .

• The “mini-suite” cabins are 5020 and 5022 (connecting) and 5520 and 5522 (connecting).

Oversized/Open Plan Staterooms

There are eight oversized 8A cabins with open floor plans. They are laid out as one big L-shaped living/sleeping room with no privacy curtain. (The bathroom fills the “L” shape, so the overall shape is square.) All sleep 4. In some cases there is a support pole running from floor to ceiling in the center of the room. They all seem to be handicapped-accessible, although only 6014 is marked HA on the deck plans. None have the split bath: there is no tub and instead there is a large square bathroom with a curtained shower area offering no barrier at floor level, so someone in a wheelchair can roll in.

• The oversized, open-plan cabins are 5018, 5518, 6012, 6014 and 6016 (connecting, both have a pole), 6510, 6512 and 6514 (connecting, both have a pole).

Thanks to Jo and Cheryl at Small World Vacations for details.

On Disney’s Dream and Fantasy ships, a few of the 1-Bedroom Suites and Concierge Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah have larger verandahs than the others, due to a “hump” in the shape of the ship on Decks 11 and 12.

• The 1-Bedroom Suites with the larger balconies are 11002, 11006, 12000, 12006, 12012, 12506 and 12512.
• The Concierge Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah with the larger balconies are 11004, 12008, 12010, 12508 and 12510.

Note also that 1-Bedroom Suite 12000 is unique. It is situated between the two Royal Suites. A hallway entrance leads to a hallway/mini-foyer with connecting doors to the two Royal Suites. Then you enter through the actual door of the suite. This suite has the largest verandah of any of the 1-Bedrooms and faces straight forward on the ship. Note that the outer part of the verandah is not private, since guests standing in public areas of Deck 13 can look straight down at it.

Accommodating a family of 5 or more on a Disney Cruise without breaking the bank is no easy trick.

If you are cruising with a family of 5 on the Magic or the Wonder, Disney will recommend the 304-square-foot Category 4 Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, which is the smallest cabin that will sleep 5. That is not the lowest-priced option, in almost all cases.

You could book TWO connecting Category 9 Deluxe Oceanview or Category 10 Deluxe Inside staterooms instead. The combined price of two connecting lower-category staterooms is often about two-thirds to three-quarters the price of a single Family Stateroom, and you end up with more space (typically about 40% more overall), two full bathrooms, and more privacy. However, you won’t have a verandah.

If the verandah on the Category 4 is important to you, consider booking one Category 6 Deluxe Oceanview with Verandah or Category 7 Deluxe Oceanview with Navigator’s Verandah, plus one Category 9, 10 or 11 cabin. It may be cheaper, and you’ll have a lot more space, more privacy and two bathrooms. However, the staterooms will not connect.

You should also price out two connecting Category 5 cabins. It will be more expensive than the single Category 4, but not by as much as you’d think, and you’ll get a huge upgrade in space and bathroom capacity.

Any of the connecting room options are great if you have older kids. Even if your kids are small and you’re worried about them being in the next room, keep in mind that the stateroom attendant can give you a prop for the connecting doors, making the two rooms effectively one large suite. You’ll be able to hear the kids if they wake up in the night, but can close the door if you need some privacy.

For a family of 6 or more, you have a few choices. A 2-Bedroom Suite or Royal Suite will sleep up to 7. However, it will be cheaper (usually much cheaper) to book two staterooms than to book a suite.

If you are cruising with a family of 5 on the Dream, Fantasy or Wish, Disney will recommend the approximately 241-square-foot Category 8 Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom, which is the smallest cabin that will sleep 5. Generally this is in fact the cheapest option for 5 people.

However, especially in peak seasons (e.g., summer, spring break), it may be hundreds of dollars cheaper to book TWO connecting Category 11 Standard Inside staterooms instead. Alternatively, the price difference between a Category 8 Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom and TWO connecting Category 9D or 9C Deluxe Oceanview or Category 10A Deluxe Inside cabins (only on the Dream & Fantasy) may be negligible.

So always check prices both ways, and if the price difference is minimal, consider that two Category 9 Deluxe Oceanview cabins or two Category 10 Deluxe Inside cabins would give you a total of 408 square feet and two bathrooms. Two Category 11 Standard Inside cabins would give you about 338 square feet and two (non-split) bathrooms.

For a family of 6 or more, your only choice is two staterooms on the Dream or Fantasy. On the Wish, you can get concierge rooms that sleep 6, though two regular staterooms will be much cheaper.

Thanks to Mike R, Tara H and Cheryl from Small World Vacations for info!

As mentioned earlier, for a family of 5 it’s often cheaper to get two rooms rather than one, but the same logic applies (though less often) to families of 4. It can happen that the only rooms left that can handle 4 people are high-category, expensive ones. If less expensive rooms with fewer beds are available, you may be able to save money by booking two lower category rooms.

Even if you can get a single lower-category room that sleeps 4, it’s almost always worthwhile pricing out the cruise as two staterooms for comparison. Even if you don’t find a cheaper two-room option, you might be surprised to find one that’s only slightly more expensive. Unlike hotel pricing, where a second room always costs the same as the first room, cruise pricing has large supplementary fares for the 3rd and 4th occupant of a room, which makes splitting much more attractive. For example, you might find that a single room costs $3000, broken down into $1000 each for the first two guests and $500 each for the 3rd and 4th. Split into two identical staterooms of the same category you originally picked and your total fare is now $4000, or $1000 each for all 4 guests. That’s only a 33% increase in price for a 100% increase in space (and bathrooms)! Depending on the category and sailing, you’ll generally find that splitting 4 people into two staterooms of the exact same category is only 15%-40% more. And if you’re willing to make the second room a lower category, like an interior room on the same hallway, that reduces the cost even more.

If your children are small, you may want to limit yourself to connecting rooms. That makes this strategy somewhat harder on the Magic and Wonder, which have fewer overall connecting rooms. In addition, finding a set of available connecting rooms is not easy with Disney’s interface. We highly recommend using a travel agent if you want connecting rooms, as good travel agents are adept at finding connecting rooms and it’s exactly the kind of laborious task that you’d rather have someone else do for you.

If you’re willing to take your chances, consider booking a low-priced stateroom and hoping for an upgrade. For example, you could book a Category 11 “guarantee” stateroom, which means you’ll get at least a Category 11 Standard Inside cabin, but you are not immediately assigned a specific cabin. Instead, Disney Cruise Line guarantees you a room at this rate and waits to see how the ship fills up. If you are booking early and/or traveling during the off-season, this may work to your advantage. Since many people want to book the least expensive fare, the lowest fare often sells out. When that happens, Disney Cruise Line will sometimes upgrade some of the people who booked the lower fare first, in order to make cheaper rooms available for new guests.

Another trick is to request an upgrade at the port upon check-in. Depending on how full your cruise is, Disney is sometimes willing to upgrade you for a fee. Usually this fee is much less expensive than if you booked that category originally. If you are interested in trying this, get to the port early and as soon as you are in the terminal, make a beeline for the check-in desk and mention that you’re interested in paying for an upgrade. These upgrades had gotten very rare when the economy has picked back up, but when cruising restarts post-pandemic, there’s a decent chance that upgrades will become available again for at least some cruises in the offseason.

The key thing to keep in mind: upgrades are not in any way guaranteed, so don’t book a room you wouldn’t be happy staying in.

It is especially important to buy trip insurance for a cruise , because you have to pay the entire cost in advance and you won’t get a refund if you have to cancel right before your scheduled departure. With thousands of dollars at stake, it’s worth it to protect the investment.

It is absolutely critical to buy insurance if you will be taking a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season (between June 1 and November 30). While cruise ships can easily outrun and sail around hurricanes, ports and airports often close, which can affect your travel plans in a big way. If you don’t have insurance, you will be out of pocket for related expenses, such as renting a car to get to a new port or to get home from a port where you hadn’t expected to disembark. And if you can’t make it to the ship, the cruise line has the right to say “tough luck” and keep your money!

In 2016, hurricane Matthew caused significant damage in the Canaveral area and forced the closure of Port Canaveral. In 2017, Irma passed near Port Canaveral and Disney cut short several cruises and canceled several others. In 2018, hurricane Florence caused cruise ships to divert to alternate ports (not Disney, but primarily because of lucky timing). In 2019, Dorian caused Port Canaveral to be closed again and several cruises to be rescheduled and others to arrive late.

Because of these storms, people had trouble getting to their cruises or getting home afterwards because the airports were closed temporarily. Plenty of other people had to rearrange their flight dates and/or destinations, which often incurred a penalty. Some people ended up having to pay for hotel rooms when their cruises were delayed; others had to rent cars in order to get to the port. The luckiest ones never left for Florida, but still had to pay cancellation or change fees for the airfares they never used. These are exactly the kinds of expenses that trip insurance is designed to cover.

Perhaps the most important coverage included in a trip insurance policy is trip cancellation and interruption insurance , which can protect your investment if you have to cancel your cruise at the last minute (or come home early) due to illness or injury. Depending on the policy, you may also be covered if you cancel for other reasons, such as jury duty, terrorism at your destination, or even unemployment.

Emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation insurance are very important if you become ill or injured during the cruise. A lot of medical insurance policies do not cover you outside of your home country. Plus, evacuation insurance will help to pay for an emergency flight, which would be hugely expensive if you had to pay for it yourself. This can be very worthwhile, especially if you will be visiting developing countries, which is common on cruises. Personally we would not be comfortable with the care provided in most Caribbean hospitals, for instance, and would much prefer to be flown to the US for treatment.

Delayed baggage insurance will help you pay for replacement clothing if the airline sends your suitcase to Timbuktu and you need something to wear in the meantime. Supplemental baggage insurance will pay a predetermined amount if an airline or cruise line loses your luggage completely. When you consider the high cost of the formal wear you may be taking on a cruise, and how little airlines and cruise lines tend to pay for lost luggage, supplemental baggage insurance becomes a wise move. (Some higher-end credit cards provide extra baggage insurance, so check with your card issuer before paying extra for this coverage.)

Disney Cruise Line sells trip insurance, but it’s expensive and it has major exclusions: it doesn’t cover pre-existing medical conditions or air travel you arrange yourself. (Air travel arranged through Disney is covered.) You can almost always get better insurance than Disney offers, and at better rates, by buying it elsewhere.

Be aware that in most cases, trip insurance will provide slightly less coverage (usually by adding exclusions on pre-existing medical conditions) unless you buy it within about 14-21 days of paying your deposit on the cruise. So be sure to purchase it right away, once you’ve committed to the cruise.

Where to Buy Trip Insurance

• A great place to comparison-shop for trip insurance is SquareMouth , where you can see side-by-side policy information and rates for major, reputable insurance companies. We have used SquareMouth ourselves to buy trip insurance and were especially impressed with their straightforward comparison system and robust filters to help you find the specific insurance features you need. We were also impressed with their “Zero Complaint Guarantee,” where they will go to bat with the insurance company on your behalf if you have a problem. Compare policies on SquareMouth .

If you are an adult US citizen and plan to take a Disney cruise, we strongly recommend getting a passport. While according to the US State Department a passport card or an enhanced drivers license is acceptable for closed-loop (beginning and ending in same port) sea travel between the US and the Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, a regular “book” passport is required to fly into or out of the US. If an emergency arises, you won’t be able to fly back to the US from an international port without a passport. Similarly, if you are delayed and miss the ship sailing, you won’t be able to fly to the next port and catch up with the ship.

Kids who are US citizens will also need passports if traveling outside the Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. Kids under 16 can present a certified birth certificate as their ID when going to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, but we still highly recommend getting your kids a regular passport (NOT a passport card) for those destinations, due to the same restrictions on air travel mentioned above.

Finally, while most destinations in North America and the Caribbean will let you off the ship without a passport, you do need a full passport to get off the ship in Martinique.

About Passports

Each person in your party will need a passport. Some people have asked us about “family passports.” They have not been available for a long time. Children (even infants) must each have their own passport.

In order to get a passport, you will need:

• a certified copy of each person’s birth certificate. If you need certified copies of birth certificates and aren’t sure how to get them, a good site is VitalChek.com . Anyone not born in the US will need to provide proof of citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate.
• current, valid government-issued photo ID (such as drivers license or military ID) for each adult.
• two official passport photos. You can get these taken at many locations. Two of the cheapest places are AAA offices and Costco stores.

There are additional requirements for children. For more information on passports, including how and where to apply, visit the Department of State website.

Applying for your passports at least 3 months in advance is highly advisable. The processing time can currently take 8 weeks or more. If you need your passport sooner, you can get an expedited passport by mail directly from the Department of State by paying an extra fee of $60 plus the cost of express shipping both ways. An expedited passport takes about 2 weeks.

Most countries visited by Disney Cruise Line do not require US citizens to have a tourist visa.

Guests who purchase an organized tour in St. Petersburg, Russia will not require a Russian Tourist Visa as long as the booking is via a tour company with the appropriate licenses. All Disney shore excursions qualify, and most other excursions marketed to cruise passengers by third parties will as well. If booking a tour on your own, though, check with the tour company to make sure you won’t need a visa. Assuming you have booked with Disney or another licensed company, you will need to present the following items to the Russian Immigration officer when departing the ship:

• A valid passport for each guest
• A tour ticket from Disney or your third-party tour company for each guest
• Photocopy of the passport pages showing each guest’s picture and personal information

However, note that without a Russian Tourist Visa, visitation is limited to the period of the excursion and guests will not be permitted to leave the ship outside of the tour hours. Guests who wish to sightsee independently must obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa before leaving home. Companies such as PassportVisasExpress.com can expedite the visa for you.

Booking Palo/Remy/Enchanté, Excursions, Onboard Activities, Spa Appointments and Kids’ Club Online

Disney Cruise Line has an online system that allows guests to make advance reservations for Palo, Remy or Enchanté (the adults-only restaurants onboard) as well as shore excursions, spa treatments, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, popular character breakfasts and meetings, and babysitting. In addition, you can do advance registration online for the kids’ clubs.

In order to use this service, your cruise must be paid in full.

• Platinum Castaway Club members (repeat Disney Cruise Line passengers who have been on 10 or more previous Disney cruises) and those who are staying in Concierge cabins can make their online reservations up to 120 days prior to embarkation. (And in fact, people staying in Concierge can tell the shoreside concierges in advance what they want, and the concierges will book them at the earliest possible point, effectively ahead of even the Platinum members.)
• Gold Castaway Club members (repeat Disney Cruise Line passengers who have been on 5-9 previous Disney cruises) can make their online reservations up to 105 days prior to embarkation.
• Silver Castaway Club members (repeat Disney Cruise Line passengers who have been 1-4 previous Disney cruises) can begin making reservations 90 days before embarking.
• All others can go online and make reservations 75 days in advance of departure.

To start making reservations online, register at DisneyCruise.com . You’ll need your cruise reservation number. Reservations open just after midnight EST, the exact number of days in advance listed above.

If you are not able to book the restaurant, shore excursion, spa treatment, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointment and/or babysitting time you want, try to get on the ship as early as possible on embarkation day. There will be locations on the ship where you can go in person and try to get your reservations. Some time slots are held back for onboard booking, so you have a decent chance.

Disney Cruise Line wedding packages are usually available on all cruises, but only a few weddings are allowed for each sailing: one or two on the ship, one on the island. You can hold a Disney Cruise Line wedding, commitment ceremony or vow renewal that is as small as just the two of you, or as large as 100 guests. A Disney Cruise Line wedding package is an “add-on” on top of your regular cruise fare.  Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings  offers full details on locations, guest limits and pricing.

The same information applies to a commitment ceremony or vow renewal. As far as Disney is concerned, the planning and costs for these ceremonies are all interchangeable.

• If you will have guests sharing your special day, it is easiest to have a single travel agent handle everyone’s arrangements, so that all of the names and reservation numbers can be cross-referenced as part of your wedding party. This will also help you to get group seating arrangements for dinner aboard the ship. Every attempt will be made to seat you and your guests near each other, if not at the same table.
• If you and your guests will be booking at least 8 cabins, you may qualify for group status, which brings some extra benefits. Ask your travel agent for details.

For more information, read  Disney Cruise Line’s official information on traveling with a disability .

Need a mobility aide, oxygen, baby crib or other special equipment while cruising? Special Needs at Sea is the preferred accessibility supplier for Cruise Lines International Association. Visit their website for a complete list of equipment and to reserve the items you need.

Disney Cruise Line: Get to Know the Planning Center

A key part of your Disney Cruise Line booking is the cruise Planning Center on the DCL website found at disneycruiseline.com/plan . You can only access the Planning Center with a reservation number – available after you’ve paid your deposit and gotten your confirmation email. In addition to the reservation number, you’ll also need to have access to the birth date of at least one member of your party.

• The Reservation Summary Basic factual information such as your stateroom number; dining time assignment; names of the guests in your party; air transportation, ground transportation, and WDW hotel information, if you have booked any of these through Disney; trip itinerary, including ashore and on board times for port days. Remember that if your party has booked multiple staterooms, you will have multiple reservation numbers. In order reserve excursions or on board activities, you will need the correct reservation number for each member of your party and to be in the Planning Center for the correct stateroom.
• My Cruise Activities . Descriptions of the port adventures and on board activities available during your sailing, including excursions, spa treatments, adult dining, child care, and more. After you’ve paid your cruise fee in full and as your travel date nears, this becomes the booking center for these items.
• My Online Check-In . You may complete online check-in up to three days prior to your sailing. This is where you will give DCL specifics about your travel, authorize credit card payment for on board purchases, and provide additional information about your party. While Online Check-In is not required, it can reduce your wait time at your embarkation port terminal. If you are using Online Check-In, you will be able to print at home a signature and payment authorization form. Bring this with you to your embarkation port.
• Fun Aboard the Ship. Information about amenities specific to your sailing vessel.
• Character Calls. Arrange for a recorded Disney character to place a telephone call welcoming members of your party to their cruise. (Particularly fun if the cruise is a surprise or gift for members of your sailing party.)
• Packing List. The general DCL packing list, along with some specifics based on your cruise itinerary. For example, folks traveling to Alaska and folks traveling to Mexico will understandably receive different advice about the number of parkas to pack.
• Air & Ground Transportation. This is the spot to enter your flight information and/or port transfer data. Or to add port transfers, etc. to your package.
• Passport & Travel Documentation. Notifications about specific travel documentation requirements for your itinerary.
• Stay Connected. Allows you to register for email or text reminders about your trip.
• In-Room Gifts & Shopping . Opportunity to purchase gifts and floral arrangements for members of your party who may be celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or other milestones during your voyage. Gifts will be delivered to your stateroom during your sailing.
• Driving Directions. Detailed directions to your port. Also includes the correct address to make your GPS happy.
• Custom Pre-Arrival Guide . You can download a PDF of most of the information included in the Planning Center. The PDF will note your booking information as well as your general itinerary and any excursions, spa treatments, or adult dining you may have booked.

If you’re like most guests, you’ll visit the Planning Center more than a few times prior to your trip. My most recent DCL voyage was a four-day quickie, with just two guests. Even with this relatively simple profile, I stopped by the Planning Center nearly a dozen times before my trip.

How do you use the planning center? Do you focus mainly on the “My Cruise Activities” section, or do you find other aspects of the Planning Center particularly valuable? Let us know in the comments below.

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Erin Foster

Erin Foster is an original member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (now PlanDisney), a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com, and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. She's been to WDW, DL, DL Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Aulani, DVC Vero Beach, and DVC Hilton Head. She's a Platinum DCL cruiser and veteran of 10 Adventures by Disney trips. Erin lives near New York City, where she can often be found indulging in her other obsession - Broadway theater.

One thought on “ Disney Cruise Line: Get to Know the Planning Center ”

I use reservation summary, my cruise activities and my online check-in every cruise. Character calls and In Room Gifts I use occasionally. The rest of these I don’t think I’ve ever even used in the planning center. It’s not that I don’t use them, I just usually access the information through FAQs.

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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney Cruise (in 7 easy steps!)

Planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation is an experience like no other! With the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation, it’s a getaway that your family won’t soon forget. From exciting onboard activities like character meet and greets and Broadway-style shows to tropical destinations like the Caribbean and Bahamas, there’s something for everyone. Plus, the all-inclusive nature of a Disney cruise means that you won’t have to worry about meals, entertainment, or even childcare. And with exceptional service and attention to detail, you can rest assured that your every need will be taken care of.

*This post may contain affiliate links.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy .

Planning to sail on Disney Cruise Line in the coming year? Be sure to check out our guide to all that Disney Cruise Line has to offer this year including exciting itineraries, new ports of call, themed events at sea, and more!

1) Choose Your Itinerary

One thing to consider when choosing your itinerary is the cruise’s embarkation point. Most cruises are “round trip” in that they start and finish at the same port, but Disney does offer several “repositioning” cruises per year that allow you to start and finish at different ports. (Disney moves their ships to new locations depending on the season.) These cruises are unique and can even be less expensive.

2) Select Sail Dates

School breaks, major holidays, and special sailings will make for more crowded ships. But you’ll also want to take notice of the weather. While you may have smaller crowds and cheaper prices during the rainy season, you’ll have to take the risk of sailing during less-than-perfect weather. (You may also run the risk of having your vacation canceled or postponed due to hurricanes.) Weigh the pros and cons, and decide what’s best for you and your family.

Also, be sure to check out our seasonal guides for more information on sailing during different times of the year:

DCL in the Summer

Dcl in the fall, dcl in the winter, dcl in the spring, 3) select your room.

• Motion – If you are prone to seasickness, the location of your room on board is really important. One of the most popular suggestions for dealing with motion sickness is to stay in a lower-level stateroom. (Although I personally found that my motion sickness was better on upper floors.) Mid-ship is also a popular place to stay if motion is an issue for you. In the front of the ship, you will feel more movement, but in the back, you may feel more vibration… especially at night. This makes mid-ship a popular option.
• Proximity – If you know where you will be spending most of your time on board, this should also play a part in making your room choice. My family likes to stay in a room with easy access to Cabanas in the morning for breakfast. We also like to be near the elevators, but not so close that we hear a lot of noise.
• Amenities – Do you want an inside stateroom? An ocean view? A verandah? Are you traveling with others and need connecting staterooms? These are all things to consider when picking your family’s stateroom.

4) Reserve Your Cruise

There are several ways to book a Disney Cruise… on their official website , over the phone, or via a travel agent. I personally love using the website as it’s the easiest way for me to see all my options in one place. But I have booked over the phone with ease as well. I also know that travel agents often offer incentives and promotions to book through them. So in the end… you can’t go wrong with any of these options.

5) Book Travel Arrangements

This is where you book your airline tickets (if necessary) and a hotel stay before or after your cruise. You’ll also want to arrange your transportation to and from the port. If you are cruising out of Port Canaveral and staying at a Disney hotel, you can arrange to have the official Disney Cruise line transportation take you to the ship. Our family has used this option several times now, and we have enjoyed the ease of it.

6) Make On Board Reservations

Once you’ve paid for your cruise in full (and you are within your activities booking window listed below,) you can complete your online check-in and make reservations for various cruise activities. This includes spa reservations, adult dining options, port adventures , nursery reservations, and other onboard fun such as beverage tasting seminars, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, character greetings and breakfasts, and the Royal Court Royal Tea. (Be sure to check out our Disney Cruise Line dining guide as you plan your days onboard and make your reservations!)

• First-Time Guests – 75 days prior to sail date
• Silver Castaway Club Member – 90 days prior to sail date
• Gold Castaway Club Member – 105 days prior to sail date
• Platinum Castaway Club Member – 120 days prior to sail date
• Pearl Castaway Club Member – 123 days prior to sail date
• Concierge Guests – 123 days prior to sail date

7) Let the Countdown Begin!

One thing we love to do as a family is to plan our attire for the cruise. There are many special activities and evenings onboard where you may want to dress up a little (or a lot!). Many cruises offer formal nights and themed parties. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that Disney Cruise passengers LOVE to go all out with these festivities! We’ve dressed in our finest for formal night, as pirates for Pirate Night, and even as Star Wars characters for Star Wars Day at Sea . So be sure to check out your cruise’s special activities so that you can be prepared!

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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney Cruise: 80+ First Time Disney Cruise Tips

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Disney cruises are a magical way to get a dose of Disney while also seeing different parts of the world. Whether you’re new to cruising or just new to Disney Cruise Line, planning a Disney cruise can be a little overwhelming. Between figuring out what to pack, checking in and booking onboard excursions, we have you covered with these first time Disney Cruise tips from start to finish. 

Keep reading for over 80 tips for Disney cruises for first timers (from a travel agent!)

Updated 8/15/24

Table of Contents

General information on disney cruises.

Disney Cruise Line currently operates five cruise ships: The Dream, Fantasy, Wonder, Magic and Wish. The Wish is Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, which had its inaugural sailing in 2022.

Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of sailings, including:

• Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral, New Orleans and Galveston
• Baja Mexico cruises out of San Diego
• Alaskan cruises out of Vancouver
• New England and Eastern Canadian cruises departing from New York City
• European Cruises including the Mediterranean, British Isles and Norwegian Fjords
• Transatlantic and Panama Canal Cruises
• Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand

Wondering what’s the best Disney cruise for first timers? A 4-night cruise is always a good place to start if you’re unsure about cruising for 5+ nights. 3-night cruises can feel rushed, but a short Disney cruise is better than no Disney cruise!

Planning a Disney cruise for summer 2025? Summer 2025 Disney Cruise Line itineraries were recently released, and you can book cruises any time between now and September 2025. This includes the new Lighthouse Point , which is Disney’s oasis on the island of Eleuthera that opened in the Bahamas in June of 2024.

Tips for Booking a Disney Cruise

Booking a Disney Cruise is very involved, from choosing the right sailing to picking the best stateroom. Below is some information to get you started with planning.

• Use a travel agent who specializes in Disney. A Disney focused travel agent knows the ships and ports of call best. They will help you pick the best room, walk you through the pre-cruise processes and answer questions along the way. 
• You can search Disney cruise itineraries by visiting disneycruiseline.com , calling Disney Cruise Line or contacting your travel agent. 
• A deposit is required to secure your cruise , and it’s typically refundable prior to final payment at either 90 or 120 days, depending on the length of your cruise. Be sure to read the full terms and conditions before making a deposit. 
• Disney Cruise room types include inside rooms, oceanview rooms, verandah rooms, concierge rooms and suites. The suite sizes and locations can vary by ship. 
• Oceanview and Verandah rooms both have split bathrooms and they also have a bathtub. (Something you don’t typically see on other cruise lines!)
• Inside rooms are the least expensive and smallest room types.
• Not sure which location of the ship is best between forward, aft and midship? Midship rooms are typically known for experiencing less motion than aft (back) or forward (front) rooms.  Motion on the ship affects people differently, however, so what works best for one person in terms of deck number and location may not be an ideal room choice for someone else. 
• Guaranteed (GTY) rooms are generally made available for certain room categories at a discount as inventory starts running low. It means that your category is guaranteed, but your actual room number and deck will be assigned prior to departure. 
• If you’d like an elevated experience, Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms are available as well. These offer things like specific concierge lounges, larger rooms, complimentary alcoholic drinks and booking excursions and experiences early.
• Disney offers Deluxe Oceanview and Oceanview Verandah cabins that sleep 5 people. For families of 6+ , either 2 connecting cabins or a 1+ bedroom concierge suite are required regardless of your kids’ ages. 
• If you need a passport for your cruise, be sure to apply for it at least 3 months before, unless you do expedited processing. 

If you’re not currently working with a travel agent, feel free to contact me to get started. Not only do I provide Disney Cruise tips and tricks, but I also assist with each step and actions required along the way.

Pre-Cruise Tips

• Excursions and onboard experiences can be booked starting at 75 days out from your cruise (at midnight) for first time cruises. It will be earlier if you have Castaway Cay Club status or are cruising concierge. 
• Online check-in dates depend on your Castaway Cay member status and room type. Pearl and Concierge guests can check in as early as 40 days prior to sailing. Platinum is 38 days, Gold is 35 days and Silver Castaway Cay members can check in 33 days prior to sailing. Everyone else can check in 30 days prior to sailing, starting at midnight. In order to get an earlier port arrival time, checking in at midnight is recommended, but it’s not required. Have images of your documents and headshots saved in a folder on your phone or computer to work through the process more quickly.
• Upon checking in, you’re assigned a Port Arrival Time (PAT.) This is the time you can arrive at the port before boarding. You’re also assigned a boarding group #, which determines when you can actually board the ship once you pass the initial checkpoints at port. 
• Disney Cruise Line bus transportation is available from the airports or hotels to port at select locations. Check here to find out if it’s available for your sailing. You can call DCL to have it added up to 3 days before sailing (or ask your TA to do it for you!)
• Royal Gatherings and special meet and greets for Marvel and/or Pixar Day at Sea sailings are also available for booking 30 days out at midnight.
• Passports are recommended for cruising, but for many sailings that start and end in the US they’re not required. Find the Disney Cruise Known Before You Go overview here for sailing requirements and acceptable proof of identification for cruising on Disney Cruise Line. 
• You can prepay gratuities prior to sailing, otherwise they will be added to onboard expenses at the end of your cruise. As of February 2023, prepaid gratuities are $14.50 per person per night. 
• Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app on everyone’s phone before you sail. This will make it easier to access the itinerary and activities when you get onto the boat. 
• To engage with other cruise goers and stay informed, join the Facebook group for your cruise . You can usually find this by searching Disney [ship name] and the date of sailing. 
• Disney Cruise Line Fish Extender groups exchange items like ornaments, snacks, etc and are usually managed by the Facebook groups. You can buy a fish extender here to put outside of your cruise door. 
• Disney cruisers are big on decorating their doors, and cruise door magnets are a fun and easy way to do it. 
• You can schedule a Disney Cruise Line pre-cruise call with Minnie and Mickey or Goofy. To book your DCL character call, go to My Reservations and select “Request Call.”
• Vaccinations and covid tests are no longer required for DCL sailings as of November 14, 2022. 

Packing Tips for Disney Cruises

When packing for a Disney Cruise, our biggest tip is to not over pack. Cruise cabins are smaller than traditional hotel rooms and you will likely need less than you think. Below are a handful of packing tips for Disney cruises.

• Pack anything you need for the first day in your carry-on , including prescription medicine, identification documents and port arrival forms. We recommend bringing a swimsuit or change of clothes, sunscreen and anything else you need until your luggage is delivered.  
• Make sure you have the identification documents you used for online check-in. You will not get on the cruise if you forget these! I always recommend taking a picture of birth certificates as a backup as well.
• Each adult 21+ can bring up to 2 bottles of wine or a 6 pack of beer or hard seltzer onboard. Another one of our lesser-known Disney cruise tips is that you can also bring unopened bottles of water and packaged snacks. Just make sure any alcohol, bottled water and snacks are unopened and in your carry-on bags. (Note: So many people ask about alcohol packages on Disney Cruise Line, and there isn’t one on DCL.
• What should you wear on a Disney cruise? Disney cruises tend to be more casual than other cruise lines. Casual clothes like shorts and tees or a swimsuit and cover up are great for during the day. While we tend to dress a little nicer for dinner, you can also get away with wearing shorts and t-shirts unless you’re dining at the adults only restaurants. 
• Itineraries with 7+ nights typically have a formal night and those with 4+ nights typically have a dress up night. Call DCL or ask your travel agent to find out what night this is. (But again, with Disney cruises being more casual, you won’t be out of place if you don’t participate!)
• Don’t forget to pack your Disney gear! Minnie ears, Disney shirts and princess dresses are all encouraged on Disney Cruise Line. 
• Some extra things we like to pack for a Disney cruise: refillable water bottles, magnets for your door and inside the room, and activities/ fidget toys for the kids to have at dinner.

See Disney Cruise Line packing tips for more tips on packing and what to bring your cruise carry on.

Booking DCL Excursions & Onboard Experiences

Like all cruise lines, Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of excursions at each port. In addition, Disney cruises offer several free and paid activities on the ship for both adults and kids. You can find more information on both below.

• You book them on any day under onboard activities and they will be available for the duration of the cruise. 
• If you don’t purchase the photo package, you can still purchase individual pictures before you leave the ship. 
• Photos are available for download up to 45 days after your sailing at disneycruise.disney.go.com/photos/ .
• Disney cruise offers a specific list of excursions, and they can change by sailing. You can find the list of Disney Cruise Line Port Adventures here . 
• If you need towels for an excursion, they’re provided when you get off the ship. 
• If you have to make changes to excursions or onboard experiences , you can go to Guest Services or cancel directly in the app. Just be sure to review cancellation policies as you will be charged if you don’t cancel within the specified timeframe. 
• The shows on the Disney Cruise Line are Broadway style and offered two times a night. The first show is typically at 6:30pm and the second show is typically at 8:15pm. Shows differ by ship and sailing. 
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on Disney Cruise Line is offered for ages 3+ and includes a full makeover, hair and nails. You can pack your own outfit or purchase something there for an additional charge. This can be booked in advance under onboard activities or when you arrive on the ship. 
• Disney Cruise Line offers a great spa, salon and barber shop for adults. You can book these in advance under onboard activities or head to the spa when you arrive to schedule a time. (I got a haircut and style at the Tangled Salon on the Disney Wish and had such a good experience!) 

One of our biggest first time Disney cruise tips is to take full advantage of the included activities offered on the ship. You can easily have an amazing time without spending any additional money. 

Disney Cruise Embarkation Day Tips & Overview 

Wondering how the Disney cruise boarding process works? The highlights are below. 

• When you arrive at the port, the porters will take your luggage except for carry-ons. (I recommend having a few dollars on you for a tip!) 
• When it’s your port arrival time, you’ll go through screening so they can check carry-ons, Port Arrival Time (PAT) form and documents for identification. 
• Have your PAT document accessible at all times since they’ll ask for it multiple times as well as your docs (ID + Birth Certificate or passport.)
• When it’s time for you to board your ship, your boarding group number will be called over the loudspeaker. There’s typically a holding area to wait until your boarding group is called which is similar to airport gates. (Note: Your Disney Cruise boarding time will vary depending on how quickly they move through the boarding groups. On our most recent cruise, we had a PAT of 11:15am and our boarding group was called at 11:45am.)
• When you get on the ship, you can do a number of things including lunch at the buffet or available table service restaurant, check out the kids’ clubs, use the pool etc. (One of our biggest Disney Cruise embarkation tips is to explore and check out the areas you may not otherwise get to access during the cruise, like adults only dining, kids’ clubs, etc.) 
• Rooms are typically ready around 2pm and luggage will arrive after that. 

Tips for During Your Cruise

There were a handful of things we didn’t realize on our first Disney cruise. These tips for first time Disney cruisers include a handful of things we learned on the cruise. 

• The full itinerary , character greetings and activities will be available in the Navigator app when you arrive at port. Be sure to review the daily schedules on your first day. One of our Disney cruise hacks is to “favorite” the activities you want to do so that you get reminders throughout the cruise. (This applies for things like character greetings, family crafts, adults only activities and more.)
• The Sail Away Party is a can’t miss activity on Disney Cruise Line. It’s a fun party with singing, dancing and so many characters as the ship sails away. 
• Pirate Nights take place on most Caribbean Sailings and have fun activities, characters dressed in pirate gear, a special show and fireworks at night. The Disney Cruise pirate night menu is also available for most sailings, which is a special themed dinner with items like crab cakes, shrimp and jerk chicken. 
• If you’re looking for free adults only activities on Disney Cruise Line, there are things like adults only trivia, crafts and more that are only for 18+. You can also use The Cove, which is an adult only pool and relaxation area on Disney Cruise Line.
• You can communicate on the ship using the chat feature between those in your stateroom. To communicate with those outside of your stateroom, you need to get their chat ID number. 
• Wi-Fi on Disney Cruise Line is an extra charge and options vary by ship. To avoid additional cell phone charges, put your plan on airplane mode with the onboard Wi-Fi.
• Character meet & greets typically take place in the ship’s grand hall/ atrium or in the kids’ club areas. Lines typically go quickly, and you likely will not wait more than 15 minutes for a meet and greet. Try to arrive a few minutes early to get in line. 
• Take a screenshot of your charges in the app before leaving the ship, as it’s the only way you can review the detailed charges. Visit Guest Services to resolve any discrepancies before disembarking.

Dining Tips for Disney Cruise Line

One question I get a lot is, how does dining work on Disney Cruise Line? Each cruise line has its own approach to dining, and Disney has some unique features that we feel sets it apart. 

• Disney Cruise Line has rotational dining each night for dinner, which means you will rotate to different themed restaurants each night of your cruise. You can request a specific dining rotation prior to your cruise by calling DCL or asking your Travel Agent to do so. You won’t find out the confirmed dining rotation until you board the ship.
• There are two Disney cruise dining times . Main dining is at 5:45pm and second dining is at 8:15pm. Main dining fills up first, but you can be added to a waitlist if you don’t initially get the seating you want.
• Smaller groups are typically sat with other families. You can request a private table, but it’s not guaranteed. DCL usually aims to put people of similar ages/ families together.
• There’s a buffet on Disney Cruise Line that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a variety of options for every age and diet. On most ships, the buffet is called Cabanas, but on the Disney Wish it’s called Marceline Market. 
• The pool decks offer unlimited soft serve and fountain drinks as well as a variety of lunch options.
• Standard tips for servers and room hosts are automatically calculated per person. Envelopes and tickets with the total amount of gratuities are provided on your last night. You can add additional cash to the baseline tip for the amazing staff at the end and then hand it to the servers at your last meal.  Note: When you purchase an alcoholic drink at dinner or in a lounge, 18% gratuity is automatically added up front.
• The bars throughout the ships typically serve specialty coffees in addition to alcoholic drinks. Punch cards are available for a free coffee after you purchase 5. 
• Lounges on Disney cruise ships are open to kids during the day, and they are adults only in the evenings.
• Room service on Disney Cruise Line is included with your rate. It includes everything from coffee and pastries to dinner and Mickey bars. A $1 per item tip is recommended for delivery. 
• Adults only dining on Disney cruises is also available. These specialty dining experiences are available for an additional fee, and you can book them when your onboard activities booking window opens. 

Tips for Cruising with Kids on Disney

There are so many amazing Disney cruise activities for kids, that it’s no surprise it’s one of the best cruise lines for families. Below are a few tips for going on a Disney Cruise with kids. 

• Kids must be potty trained to use the regular pools, but all Disney Cruise ships have a splash pad for younger kids. 
• Life vests are provided on board and at Castaway Cay for kids.
• Strollers are available to borrow at Castaway Cay, and some ships also have them available as you leave for excursions. 
• With the exception of the nursery, the kids’ clubs on Disney Cruise Line are included with your rate. They include: Oceaneers Club for ages 3-10, Vibe for ages 11-14 and Edge for ages 14-17. 
• Disney Cruise Line kids’ clubs are open for all ages during Open House on the embarkation day. It’s a fun way for the whole family to explore these areas. 
• Your kids ages 3+ will get a wrist band to access the kids’ clubs during the cruise.  They charge you $12 up front, and the charge is removed when you return it.
• The nursery is available on a half hour basis for kids up to (and including) age 3. The current rate is $4.50 per half hour for the nursery on DCL. You can sign up for the nursery in advance on the Disney Navigator app or book when you arrive on the ship. 
• Your room host will set up your pull-down beds based on your family’s needs. Pack-n-plays and bed rails are available upon request.
• If you’re going on a Disney cruise with a baby or toddler in diapers, a diaper genie will also be provided in your room. Baby food can be requested as well.
• The minimum age for infants on a Disney cruise is 6 months for most sailings.

Disney Cruise Disembarkation Tips

Disembarking is always the saddest part about a Disney cruise. Below are a few tips so you know what to expect when disembarking a Disney cruise. 

• The night before you disembark your Disney cruise, you’ll get luggage tags with a Disney character. Place them on your luggage and leave them outside of your door for pickup by 10:30pm (unless otherwise noted on your sailing.)
• If you have an earlier flight the next morning, you can use express walkoff and take your luggage yourself, versus leaving it outside the night before. (Pro Tip: Check the recommended departure flight times for Disney Cruise Line to ensure you have enough time to get to the airport.)
• Disembarkation day breakfast is usually at the same restaurant you ate at the prior night, which your servers will confirm. Those with Main Dining have breakfast around 6:45am, and those with Second Dining typically have breakfast around 8am.  You can also have breakfast at the buffet on your Disney cruise disembarkation day. It’s usually open from 6:30- 8:30am. 
• The ship will typically clear customs around 7:30am, pending any issues. At that time, an announcement will be made over the loudspeaker that guests are able to disembark. 
• Guests should plan to bring checked bags to breakfast and vacate the ship directly after breakfast.  You’ll pick up your luggage after disembarking in the area with the character that matches your luggage tags. 
• There isn’t technically a set disembarkation time for Disney cruises . At most ports, guests are asked to clear the ship by 9am and should exit by 9:30am at the latest.

Disney Cruise Line Placeholder

If you loved your Disney cruise experience (as I’m sure you will!) be sure to check the Navigator app for an offer to put down a deposit for a placeholder for 10% off a future cruise. You can reserve up to 2 placeholders by paying a $250 fully refundable placeholder deposit that will go toward the cruise.

Pro Tip: We usually do 2 placeholders just in case we invite family or friends- knowing that we can cancel the 2nd for a refund if we don’t use it!

You can then apply the placeholder(s) to the same cruise for up 24 months from your current sailing. Be sure to also select your travel agent in the drop down if you want to work with them again! After purchasing your placeholder, you’ll receive an email with a reservation number to book your next cruise. This is a great offer if you think there’s even a chance you will sail again on Disney Cruise Line. 

Pre and Post Cruise Plans

• We always recommend flying in the night before your cruise and staying nearby. If you experience flight delays (which is so common right now) you could risk missing the cruise disembarkation if you fly that day.
• If you have a late flight out on the evening of disembarkation day, many rental car companies have free shuttles from port if you want to explore for the day.
• If you’re traveling out of Port Canaveral, you can tack on a visit to Disney World or stop at Kennedy Space Center on the way back to MCO airport. 

If you book your Disney cruise with a travel agent, they can also help with your pre-cruise and post-cruise travel plans and logistics. Another reason to book with a TA!

Contact me , Amanda Emmerling, for assistance with planning and booking your next Disney Cruise!

Have you been on a Disney cruise before? I’d love to hear any tips for planning a first Disney cruise in the comments.

Related Blog Posts

• Disney Very Merrytime Cruise Tips
• Tips for Cruising with a Baby or Toddler
• Disney Cruise Packing Tips

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Disney Cruise Line Unveils a Flexible Planning Calculator

Disney Cruise Line has added a Flexible Planning Calculator to help you plan the cost of your Disney Cruise. You can see how much you need to save or pay on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly to pay off your cruise by the Paid In Full Date.

It is not a formal payment plan, but it helps you plan the cost of your cruise.

A new flexible planning calculator is now available to help guests plan their Disney Cruise. When browsing available itineraries, simply select  ‘ Rate & Room Details ’  under the preferred sailing to view the planning calculator. This functionality will only be visible for itineraries with sail dates at least 90 days in the future. With this new functionality, guests can calculate a sample payment plan for their cruise based on a preferred payment frequency or a custom amount for added flexibility. Please note that this calculator is only for planning purposes and does not represent a formal payment plan.

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest Disney cruise news, like the new Dance Party  debuting this week on the Disney Dream, the rollout of the  DisneyBand+  across the fleet, and the latest on the  Disney Treasure . Don’t forget to enter to win a Disney Cruise on the Disney Wish .

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Plan Your Dream Trip To Disney!

14 Insanely Useful Disney Cruise Tips to Know Before You Go

October 25, 2019 //  by  Stephanie Kastan //   Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking about planning a Disney cruise, or have already booked one, these Disney cruise tips will help you get the most out of your vacation. Disney cruises are tons of fun, but, like with any vacation, you can miss out on some fun and relaxation if you don’t prepare! If you’re interested in what to pack, how to save money, or how to make the most of your time on your Disney cruise, I’ve got you covered!

Disney Cruise Line (DCL) currently has four ships: The Fantasy, the Dream, the Magic, and the Wonder. There are also more coming in the next few years! Each ship has slightly different offerings, so, whether you have kids or are a kid at heart, Disney definitely has something to offer every passenger.

Get a FREE printable 30/60/90 day Disney countdown by joining our private Disney Facebook Group and share your photos and ask for tips and tricks! 

Tips for Booking Your Disney Cruise

Best time to go.

Timing is obviously important for vacations, and this is especially true for Disney vacations! Time of year for cruising will also depend on your family’s needs and wants. For example, anytime school is in session is a good choice for a Disney cruise. Fewer people and often cheaper prices are a huge benefit to the off-season. However, if you absolutely cannot go during the school year, that’s clearly not going to work for you.

September is often hailed as the number one Disney cruise trip for best time to sail. It’s a good choice because the weather is still warm enough to enjoy the onboard pools and white sand beaches (unless you’re doing an Alaska or Europe itinerary- though warmer weather will still help these!). However, September is also during Florida’s Hurricane Season, and it can be a busy time of the season for storms (Note that in recent years both Hurricanes Irma and Dorian were in September).

If your family is looking for a specific itinerary- those have specific dates attached to them. For example, Alaska cruises only sail during the summer, for obvious reasons. Disney Cruise Line also has specialty sailings at certain times of the year- Halloween on the High Seas, Very Merrytime, Marvel Day at Sea, and Star Wars Day at Sea. If any of those strike your fancy, be sure to pay attention to which dates they’re offered.

Choosing your Stateroom

I highly recommend picking your own stateroom! This is one of my biggest Disney cruise tips. However, this can be overwhelming as there are so many options and things to consider. Fortunately, when you book through Disney, or if you go through a travel agent, you are able to view the deck plans to make an informed decision. For example, if anyone in your party experiences seasickness or motion sickness, it is absolutely crucial to pick a stateroom as close to mid-ship as you can and as low deck as you’re comfortable with.

If you are traveling with a bigger party you may be considering a suite that can sleep more people, but it is usually recommended to instead get adjoining cabins. It is actually cheaper to get two cabins than it is to get a larger suite most of the time, plus everyone will have more room (and bathrooms) to spread out.

You should also think about where you want to be in relation to everything else. There is dining on the lower desks if you want to be close to it, but usually most people think about being close to the pool deck up top. This is great if you want to be right there with the action and fun, but you should also consider volume. If you like peace and quiet when you go to bed and night, you may want to be a bit further away from the top decks. Personally, I like to cruise midship because I’d rather have the quiet at night and take an elevator to get to the pool.

Dining Times

Disney Cruise Line has a super fun dining rotation that allows guests to experience different restaurants during their sailing. There are also two dining times to pick from when you book your cruise: early and late. If you’re okay eating dinner at a later time, I highly recommend choosing this option as it will have fewer kids in the dining room (making it much quieter!) and it has the added bonus of Dine and Play. The Dine and Play program means that families at late dining can have dinner all together before the kids are taken to the kids’ clubs!

Your dining time will also impact your timing for the shows! Early dining is much more crowded, which means that most families go to the second show when they finish dinner. If you have late seating for dinner, you can see the show first and get better seats because you won’t have to rush from dinner to the theater!

Specialty Dining

Specialty dining is a total experience on Disney cruises, and one of my biggest Disney cruise tips. If you think you want to do it, book in advance! You can always cancel later but many times you’ll find that by the time of your sailing most reservations will be taken.

Palo and Remy, Italian and French themed respectively, are fine dining experiences. There is an enforced dress code, so pack accordingly! The Palo brunch is often the highest regarded meal, but I think it depends on your tastes. I am a huge sucker for brunch so the Palo brunch did win me over, but the chocolate souffle on Palo’s dinner menu is TO DIE FOR.

The specialty dining options are a flat fee, so while that does mean they’re a bit pricey, it also means you can eat as much as you want to. Just don’t fill up too much before dessert!

Character Meet and Greets

There are plenty of characters to meet onboard Disney Cruise Line (and on the private island, Castaway Cay), and just like in the parks, they’re happy to meet you and your little ones. These characters also have the great benefit of being in great, sea-worthy outfits! Eskimo Minnie on the Alaska sailings has totally stolen my heart, but Captain Mickey (and now Captain MINNIE!) are iconic.

Just like in the Disney Parks, there are designated times for meet and greats with the characters, and you’re able to reserve a spot for them before you sail! I highly recommend doing this if anyone in your party wants to meet the characters (especially the more unique characters like the Star Wars and Marvel crews on those specialty sailings), as the lines can get long and close very quickly.

But don’t worry! If you don’t reserve a time to meet the characters in advance, your cruise Navigator (delivered to your stateroom each day) will list times and locations for meet and greets. Just be sure to arrive early! 10 minutes is the recommended window to ensure you grab a spot in the line. And don’t forget your autograph books!

Tips for Making the Most of Your Disney Cruise

What to pack.

If you get motion sickness or seasickness, Dramamine is a MUST for your Disney cruise. You can find it at any drugstore or here on Amazon. Important note about Dramamine- start taking it several days BEFORE you cruise because it can take awhile to start helping you. Also, if you discover you need it after you’ve set sail, or have run out, you can find it onboard all of Disney’s ships!

For most itineraries, sunscreen is another must-pack item. I highly recommend (and encourage) going the reef-safe route, especially because these sunscreens are as effective as the non-reef safe ones are. My favorite ones are All Good and MyChelle , both of which are animal cruelty free and feel great on my skin.

I’d recommend bringing a light sweater on your Disney Cruise for dining and shows, as I find the interior of the ship can get a bit chilly with the air conditioning- especially if you’ve been in the sun all day! For those sailing on colder Disney cruises, I’d still recommend bringing a light sweater in addition to your warmer clothes.

Pins! This is one my favorite Disney cruise tips. I wish I had known to bring pins on my first Disney cruise- my husband and I are big pin traders. For those who don’t know, Disney Parks’ cast members often wear lanyards with Disney pins on them for guests to trade with. However, what I didn’t know was that during Disney Cruise sailings, there is an event held near the theater where the ship’s officers come out and trade pins with the guests! It was a great way to find some unique treasures and can be a great way to bring home a souvenir with a fun memory attached!

Another fun Disney cruise tip is to pack magnets! Why? Because Disney cruise guests often decorate their stateroom doors to show who they are, what they like, or what they’re celebrating! It’s a really fun way to get to know the people you cruise with and make a statement!

For more great ideas on what to pack, check out our post on Disney packing lists !

Bringing Booze on a Disney Cruise?

All right, adult Disney fans, this one’s for you: Disney Cruise Line allows you to pack booze in your carry-on to bring on your sailing! Honestly, I think this is a great idea for everyone. They do have limits and specifications, so be sure not to exceed them and risk losing the money you spent on the booze AND the money you’ll spend buying more onboard!

Disney Cruise Line allows you to bring two (2) bottles of wine and one (1) six-pack of beer PER PERSON in your carry-on luggage. You are also allowed to buy wine and beer while you’re in a port of call and bring it back to the ship with you! This is such a great money-saver for those who want to drink on their Disney cruise. Additionally, you can also bring wine to your dining room if you want to drink with dinner- the restaurant will charge your stateroom $25 for the uncorking fee.

Tips for Pirate Night

Pirate Night is such a fun and exciting part of Disney cruising. This event is only featured on Caribbean itineraries, so if your Disney cruise happens elsewhere then you can skip this section! Pirate Night happens up on the pool deck, and is a pirate-themed show, with dressed up characters and fireworks!

There is a buffet on the pool deck during Pirate Night, so you may opt to skip the dining room in favor of the buffet and staking out a spot for the festivities. The pool deck is PACKED during Pirate Night, so definitely get there early. Plus, it’s windy up there and you may end up getting a bit chilly (trust me) so bring your sweaters!

At dinner, you will get a Mickey banana to wear for the party, but most guests choose to dress up much more! The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique onboard the ship does offer kids’ pirate makeovers for Pirate Night, but I highly suggest packing costumes/accessories with you.

Get Connected

Honestly one of the most convenient parts about Disney Cruise Line for me and my husband was the DCL mobile phone app. If you’re wondering what my favorite Disney cruise tip is, here you go: download the app! It allows you to communicate with your party without using data or paying for wifi. No more making plans for the whole day and trying to remember what time you need to meet up with your family. Now you can message them while onboard! The app has other handy features, including a fun countdown to your cruise before you go, but it is a MUST for Disney cruising.

Embarkation Tips

Best Disney cruise tips for embarkation? Check in online is number 1! You can do this in advance and it will save you so much time at the terminal. When you check in online you can also select your arrival time- be sure to write it down! This saves you so much time in the port AND can help you get on the ship early! If you do this, definitely keep your swim gear in your carry-on so you can grab lunch and hit the pool while others board. Just make sure to still arrive one hour before your scheduled time!

For cruisers with kiddos, it’s almost always easier to sign up for the kids’ club after you board the ship. You are able to in the terminal but the lines get very long, especially compared to the ones onboard the ship.

Shore Excursion Tips

I highly recommend shore excursions if they’re in your budget! These are a great and EASY way to explore your ports of call. However, if you’ve been to one your ports of call before, this is a great time to enjoy the ship with fewer people. I live in Florida and have been fortunate enough to cruise multiple times, but the itinerary is always the Bahamas, so I usually skip Nassau to stay on board. This is when I ride the Aquaduck without waiting in line!

However, if you’re going somewhere new then I highly recommend excursions. When I do go to Nassau, my favorite thing is the Atlantis waterpark. It’s awesome! Most ports have a lot of options for you, so definitely check them out and decide on your family’s must-dos. And, if you’re going to Alaska, you’ve got to do the sled dog racing for me! That’s my dream trip. If you’re not a dog person, my mom swears by the glacier helicopter rides.

Before and After Your Disney Cruise

Transfers to and from the port.

Disney offers their buses, which are super cute, for ground transfer for a per person fee. These are an awesome option because you can check your luggage into the bus and it will be delivered to your stateroom without you having to lug it around. Trust me, the cruise terminal before embarkation is PACKED. The last thing you want is to deal with your suitcases and carry-ons and children, if you have them! Plus, bus rides are better on the environment than everyone riding individually, which is a win in my book.

If the shuttle service doesn’t work for you, Uber, Lyft, and other shuttles are all great options to get to the port. Be sure to prepare for a wait in the drop-off lane, though, as that can take awhile! There is also parking at the terminal if you want to drive your own vehicle, just know that the parking is a bit pricey and must be paid upfront.

Best Hotels in Cape Canaveral and Miami

Cape canaveral.

If you aren’t local to your port and are flying to them, I cannot say enough how much I recommend arriving a day before your cruise. It means you need to get a hotel, but it also means you won’t miss your cruise if you have flight delays or cancellations. Plus, if luggage is lost the last thing you want is to board the ship without it! Even if the airline can’t get your luggage to you in time, at least you’ll have time to pick up some necessities before you set sail.

Many Disney cruises embark from Port Canaveral or Port of Miami, so you may struggle to determine where you should stay! Port Canaveral is in the very small town of Cape Canaveral (home to the Kennedy Space Center), so if you want to stay close to the port, or maybe check out the space center, then below are a couple of good picks.

Country Inn

Canaveral Towers

If y0u’re sailing out of Port Canaveral, you also have the wonderful option of staying at Walt Disney World, which is about an hour away. Disney World is also closer to the airport and still offers ground transfer with luggage checking from the resort to the port.

If you’re sailing out of Miami, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of options for hotels. Port of Miami is right by downtown Miami, it can be pretty hectic. If you’re wanting to see the sights while you’re there, hotels downtown on South Beach are your best bets (and are still close to the port). Here are my favorite choices for Miami.

For Downtown:

Guild Miami

Holiday Inn

For South Beach:

Casa Boutique

National Hotel

Gratuities are a hugely important part of budgeting for your cruise, because most cruise employees rely on tips for their income. Thankfully, gratuities for your cabin and waitstaff are automatically included in your fare so you don’t need to worry much about this on a Disney cruise! However, you have the option to go to Guest Services and adjust the amount of tips provided to your staff. You can also tip cash in most currencies at the end of your cruise if you want.

If you order room service, you will need to sign the receipt and write-in a tip amount to be charged to your cabin because this is not an automatically tipped service. If you enjoy services at the spa, specialty dining, or concierge, gratuities are also included in the price but you are able to tip on top of that if you so choose.

Now you’re ready to book and set sail on your Disney Cruise! You’re going to have a wonderful time. I hope these Disney cruise tips have helped you to feel more prepared for your vacation so that, when the time comes, all you need to do is have fun! Happy cruising!

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Disney Cruise Line Date Planning Calculator

You’ve booked a Disney Cruise ! Hooray! One of the next steps will be planning for online check-in and activities. Continue below to see what can be booked in advance and see the dates available to book.

What to Book

Adult-Exclusive Dining Dining reservations must be cancelled prior to 24 hours ahead of the scheduled reservation to avoid a cancellation fee.

• Palo Steakhouse

Nursery Reservations must be cancelled more than 4 hours in advance to avoid a fee.

• “it’s a small world” nursery . Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis once onboard.

Onboard Activities Activities my include the following. Check your planner for specific offerings for your sailing.

• Beverage Tasting Seminars
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique/Pirates Leage
• Character Greetings
• Goofy’s Sports Deck
• Olaf’s Royal Picnic
• Royal Court Tea

Photography

• Professional Photography
• Shutter’s Photography

Port Adventures Reservations must be cancelled at least 3 days prio to cruise departure to avoid payment in full. Some Port Adventures are non-cancelable and nonrefundable.

Spa & Fitness

• Fitness Center
• Hook’s Barbery
• Senses Spa & Salon
• Untangled Salon

When to Book

Disney Cruise Line has different check-in dates for various guests to make it a bit more complicated. Castaway Club guests (those who have sailed with Disney previously) have the benefit of booking earlier than other passengers.

• Pearl Castaway Club members: (those who have completed 25 or more cruises) can book 123 days before their sail date, starting at midnight Eastern US time.
• Concierge level guests: can book 123 days before their sail date, starting at midnight Eastern US time for online bookies. Contact Shoreside Concierge Associate team beginning at 130 days.
• Platinum Castaway Club members: (those who have completed 10 or more cruises) can book 120 days before their sail date, starting at midnight Eastern US time.
• Gold Castaway Club members:   (those who have completed five cruises) can book 105 days before their sail date, starting at midnight Eastern US time.
• Silver Castaway Club members: (those who have completed one cruise) can book 90 days before their sail date, starting at midnight Eastern US time.
• New Cruisers: can book 75 days before their sail date, starting at midnight Eastern US time.

One thing to note, your cruise must be paid in full to be able to take advantage of pre-booking these exciting options.  

Disney Cruise Line Important Date Planning Calculator

Disney Cruise Line Important Date Planning Calculator helps you calculate the booking opening date for your cruise.

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26 Disney cruise tips, tricks, secrets and extra magic to unlock when setting sail with Mickey

Disney Cruise Line might be a comparatively small cruise line with just five ships, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in popularity and enthusiastic fans. It also has some unique approaches to cruising that may surprise you — whether you're a first-time cruiser or an experienced cruiser on a different line.

After sailing on six Disney Cruise Line voyages across four of its ships in the last few years, I've picked up a few hacks and money-saving techniques I'm happy to pass on to you. No matter if this is your first time at sea or your 99th, you can benefit from this list of 26 Disney cruise tips, tricks and secrets.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

You can find discounts on Disney Cruises

Disney cruises are generally more expensive than other family-friendly competitors such as Royal Caribbean , but there are still ways to save money on a Disney cruise . Here are some different discounts you can find for Disney Cruise Line.

When booking a Disney cruise, your best move is to book the cruise as soon as it becomes available. You'll have the best selection of cabins and generally the best prices. Sometimes, you can find discounts closer to the sailing if certain room types aren't selling as hoped.

Sail one-way

A few times a year, Disney ships based in seasonal homeports need to head toward their next cruising region. When that happens, the ships sail one-way (aka repositioning) cruises , starting in one port and ending in a different one. You can often book these one-off sailings for less money than the normal round-trip cruises that start and end in the same spot.

For example, Disney Dream will sail a three-night cruise to move it from San Juan to Ft. Lauderdale in November. You can book a cabin with a balcony for $1,580 for two people, which is a solid price on Disney Dream. The $3,326 price tag for a concierge-level cabin is very good; those cabins usually start at close to $800 to $1,000 higher on many other three-night sailings.

Remember to factor in the cost of two one-way flights when you're calculating the savings bonus of taking a one-way cruise.

Related: Ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line

Let Disney pick your cabin

If you're not picky about which cabin you get, an easy way to save a substantial amount of cash on your Disney cruise is to let Disney pick your cabin for you. You select a room type (such as an inside room or one with a balcony) and then let Disney assign you to a specific cabin location closer to sailing. For your flexibility, this type of guaranteed fare comes at a discount.

In the example below, you'll see the cheapest inside cabin where you pick a specific room on the ship is $2,072, while the price starts at $1,488 if you let Disney choose which inside room you get. This type of fare comes with additional restrictions, so read the fine print carefully. I've done this multiple times and have always been happy with the room location I've received.

Upgrade your room at the port for less

Depending on the ship's occupancy, it can be cheaper to upgrade your cabin at the port right before you board than in advance. There's no guarantee a better room will be available, but it can't hurt to ask when you are checking in inside the port just before boarding if nicer rooms are available.

If higher room categories have gone unsold, the check-in staff can tell you the price to upgrade to a nicer room; they can reference a spreadsheet that outlines the upgrade rates based on your current cabin and fare. In my experience, you can save up to half the cost compared to upgrading your room in advance.

Pay with points or discounted Disney gift cards

You can pay with discounted Disney gift cards to save a little money. There are many ways to do this, but stacking credit card bonus categories with discounted gift cards that can be available at places like Sam's Club or even Target can knock around 5% off the total price without too much effort.

You can also use some types of credit card points and miles to pay for a Disney cruise. For example, you can use Capital One miles from cards such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ) and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , (see rates and fees) to cover all or part of any charge that's considered a travel expense.

The Disney Visa Card also offers some onboard savings perks and you can enjoy 0% APR for six months on your Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase, after that a variable APR of 19.24%-28.24%.

Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

2 rooms are cheaper than a suite

If your family is considering getting a suite to spread out and have more space, but are finding the prices for Disney Cruise Line suites to be prohibitively high, consider connecting staterooms instead. A family of four can expect to spend about 50% more on connecting cabins instead of all staying in one room, which is likely a lot less than buying up to a suite which can be several times the cost of a regular room.

Get free Mickey ice cream bars (and more) from room service

Unless you're staying in a concierge-level stateroom (more on that soon), room service on a Disney cruise is relatively basic. However, it's available at no extra charge, so use it as much or as little as you like.

I'm a fan of ordering room service for a quick breakfast (or that first hit of coffee) or for a fun anytime treat of Mickey ice cream bars. I often order Uncrustables from room service the night before port days to toss in my bag for the family to eat while ashore. My girls learned how to politely call to order these by the second or third day of the cruise.

It's a common courtesy to add a few dollars for a tip to the slip that you'll sign when the order is delivered.

Order as much dinner as you want

On Disney Cruise Line, you'll be assigned a dinner rotation through the three included restaurants on the ship. Your serving team will rotate with you, which is pretty fun as they get to know you and your preferences.

Since this food is all included, don't be shy. If you can't decide between the shrimp or salmon entree, try both. Order a couple of appetizers or be daring and try a dish you've never tasted before.

When it comes time for dessert, create your own sampler-platter for the table and taste them rather than limiting yourself to one selection.

You aren't locked into your assigned dining plans

If, for some reason, your assigned order of restaurants or tablemates (if you have any) aren't working out, don't be shy about asking guest services to make alterations. They will connect you with the appropriate people within the dining team to make necessary adjustments.

New movie releases are shown in the theaters

While a movie theater may sound like a strange place to spend a few hours at sea, I recommend making time to go see a new Disney movie while on your next Disney Cruise. The ships show first-run movies, so instead of heading to your local theater to see the next Marvel, Pixar or other Disney film released close to your cruise date, save some money and enjoy the movie at sea for no extra charge.

In fact, if you are at sea when a new Disney movie premieres on land, you'll get to see it the same night on the ship, too.

It's cash-free on the ship — except for this

You don't need much cash while on a Disney cruise. Your "Key to the World" room key serves as your form of payment and identification on the ship. I highly recommend bringing a lanyard to keep track of this important card if it's your first Disney voyage. Return cruisers are given a lanyard in their cabin.

However, if you want to add an extra tip to your service team at the end of the cruise beyond the standard amount that's charged to your folio, it's nice to do that with cash. If you are staying in a concierge-level room, you may want to pack some extra cash for the concierge lounge hosts and the evening bartenders, too.

Your kids can (maybe) get into an older club

Disney Cruise Line divides kids into four age groups — the nursery (up to age 3), the primary kids club (3–12), a tween club (11–14) and a teen club (14–17). The clubs, other than the nursery, are complimentary, so the magic age for a Disney cruise begins once your child is at least 3 years old and potty-trained, so they can enjoy time in the kids clubs while you enjoy … whatever you want.

Once your kid is ready to age up to the next club, they can actually do that a little early with your permission. For example, my oldest was able to level up to the tween club at 10 years old and the teen club at 13 years old with a signed slip from me, so use (or hide) that information as it suits you best. I will say that once your kid levels up in those clubs, they probably won't go back much to the previous club.

Take note that the tween and teen clubs allow kids to come and go at will. If you need your child to be monitored, then they will need to stay in the main kids club, which is open through age 12.

Hit the pools early or late to avoid crowds

If you don't want to swim in a crowded pool or wait in a long line for a slide around the AquaDuck or AquaMouse, you'll need to employ some strategy. I recommend heading to the waterslide the second you board the ship if it is warm enough in your port, as that is as empty as it's going to get.

If you miss that window, mornings are also pretty empty, as are late afternoons as everyone starts to get ready for the evening. Avoid mid-day on sea days at all costs unless you like swimming with dozens of your new best friends.

You'll want to decorate your door

The cabin doors on a Disney cruise are almost all metal, so decorative magnets will stick to the doors nicely. Pack themed magnets to decorate your door. Not only is it fun to participate in this shipwide decoration, but the personalized door serves to help kids (or tired adults) find their cabin should they forget the room number.

You can keep things simple or order personalized magnets on a site like Etsy in advance of your sailing. You may see some doors that go all out and even have pouches with goodies in them. Those hanging pouches are known as fish extenders (as they hang off of a fish built into the ship). They often signify that the cabin is participating in a gift exchange with others on the cruise that they arranged beforehand on Facebook.

Your sailing has a Facebook group and it's worth joining

Speaking of Facebook, the odds are excellent that your individual sailing has a Facebook group with several hundred people in it. If you wish to participate in gift exchanges, get to know your shipmates pre-cruise or tap into a hive mind for advice on picking excursions and packing, it's a big asset to belong to a group specific to your sailing.

Go to Facebook and search for your sailing (e.g. Disney Wonder Alaska June 12 - 19). You'll likely find a "private" group that's not officially affiliated with the cruise line. Join the group to be kept in the loop and to drum up excitement for your trip before you set sail.

Soda is free if you know where to look

If you order a can of Coke in the dining room or from room service, it's going to cost you a few dollars, but you can get as much free soda as you want from the fountain. These are usually located on the pool deck and in the buffet area. Bring a refillable bottle so you can easily take your soda with you around the ship.

Check the app for happy hours

Alcohol isn't free on board, but you can find discounted drinks at happy hour. On my most recent Disney cruise, select drinks were 50% off from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the ship's pub. Check your Navigator app during your sailing to look for happy hours on your Disney cruise.

The best merchandise sells out

If you see a cool hat, sweatshirt or shirt you adore, buy it as soon as you spot it. The onboard gift shops are only open while the ship is at sea, and the popular items sell out (and generally don't get restocked while you're on board).

A Disney cruise is not just for families

There's no doubt that families make up a large portion of the Disney Cruise Line passenger base, but a Disney cruise is not just for kids . The ships cater to childless couples and friend groups with special spaces reserved just for grownups.

Each ship has an adults-only nightlife area and/or multiple bars and lounges to visit in the evening. An adults-only sun deck includes a pool and space to sunbathe. Each ship also has one or two adults-only restaurants you can retreat to at dinnertime if you want to ensure a high-end and kid-free meal. (You'll have to pay extra for these meals, however.)

Disney offers legitimately good liquor and tastings

On top of the cocktails and drinks you may expect, Disney ships offer some very high-end liquors on board. I shared a photo of the below beverage cart on Instagram while on a recent cruise and got dozens of messages from people shocked Disney would have Pappy's bourbon. That specific 23-year-old bottle goes for several hundred dollars per drink, and it's on board Disney cruise ships.

If you're looking for something more affordable, sign up for one of the various beverage-tasting classes on offer. Most of the tastings are $40 - $50, and you'll get to sample a few drinks, as well as learn more about wine, tequila, bourbon and other beverages.

You don't need to pay for motion sickness pills

If you find the motion of the ocean to be a bit more than you bargained for, head to guest services, and they will give you — and your kids — motion sickness pills free of charge.

Pro tip: Don't wait until you are feeling terrible to start battling any potential motion sickness . At the first signs of queasiness, seek out a remedy. Green apples and ginger candy are alternatives for travelers who prefer not to take medicine.

The concierge lounge is extra magical

If you want your own personal Fairy Godmother who all but ensures you get the bookings you want, the best meal times, coveted reservations at the adults-only restaurants and cabana access at Castaway Cay, then book yourself into a concierge-level cabin or suite.

You'll get all that, plus you can board the ship first and skip the lines when disembarking. Concierge guests get exclusive access to a lounge with included evening drinks and a private sun deck (with a hot tub on Disney Wish ). You can order meals from the onboard restaurants to your room, and hang out with a Disney character in the lounge one evening of the cruise.

Not to mention, you'll be staying in some of the nicest and largest accommodations on the ship.

Concierge-level rooms do not come cheap, but they're the way to go if you want cream-of-the-crop service on a Disney cruise. I'd venture that the added perks and extra booking window for specialty restaurants and Castaway Cay are most valuable on the shorter Disney cruises of three or four nights.

Related: What it's like on a $10,000 Disney Wish concierge cruise

Find your way by looking at the carpet

It can be disorienting at first to find your way around a cruise ship, but Disney makes it easy to know if you are heading forward or aft when you're in the long cabin hallways. If the carpet design is upside down, you're heading toward the back of the ship, but if it is right side up, you're heading to the front of the ship. In the photo below, the globe is the clue.

Late dinner is better

Disney cruise ships offer two dinner options — early or late seating. Your showtime for the evening entertainment is opposite your dinner; if you have an early dinner, you have the late show and vice versa.

It's logical to assume that an early dinner at 5:45 p.m., as opposed to late dinner at 8:15 p.m., is better if you have little kids. Having done both, I'd say that late dinner is vastly superior in most situations.

First, 5:45 p.m. is too early to have made the most of your day and be ready for dinner. With all there is to eat on the cruise, you might not even be hungry yet. Beyond that, if you aren't heading into the dark theater to see the show until 8:15 p.m., it can be hard for little ones to sit still or stay awake.

However, if you see the show first and then eat dinner, the servers are great about expressing your meal with little kids. It's better to do a quick dinner and then head to bed (or back to the kids club!) than an early dinner and miss the evening shows because your kid no longer has the ability to sit still.

The $45 adult restaurant is worth it

If you enjoy fine dining, book a fancy dinner at one of the adults-only restaurants. Depending on which ship you are on, there will be one or two restaurants that are reserved for adults — Palo and perhaps also Remy or Enchante .

Remy and Enchante are super-fancy and pricy, but Palo is approachable-fancy and costs an additional $45 per person for the set menu. It's 100% worth the money if you can get a booking.

You'll leave any cartoony trace of Disney behind as you leisurely indulge on beef tenderloin, sea scallops, grilled lobster with pasta, calamari and chocolate souffle.

The best character meetings aren't the posted ones

You'll find many character meet-and-greets on the itinerary for each day where it's known that Mickey, Donald or Minnie will be at a specific place at a specific time for a brief hello and a photo. Those meetups are great, but they are not the best character interactions you'll find on Disney Cruise Line.

The best time you'll have with characters will be when you least expect to see them. You might spot Goofy walking around in his pajamas, Donald waddling out on the deck or Minnie strolling the halls in her finest dress.

These encounters can't be planned or predicted, but without the lines and forced nature of a quick photo, the more free-form interaction with the characters is better than any planned photo sessions you'll find on land or sea.

All the characters come out to say goodbye on the last night

On the last night of each cruise, all of the classic characters come out to the atrium for a short time (15 - 20 minutes) so you can snap a quick photo with anyone you missed before they do their final farewell presentation. Check your app for this goodbye show, which usually occurs around 10 or 10:30 p.m.

Pro tip: If you have a specific character you want to photograph, ask a cast member setting up for the event where that character usually stands during photo time. That way, you can position yourself in the right area to snap a photo because the event can turn chaotic in a hurry.

Skip the debarkation line by carrying your own bags

Getting off the ship at the same time as thousands of other guests can be a buzzkill, so don't do that. If you can manage your own bags, don't put them out the night before and take them off the ship yourself the final morning.

That leaves you free to disembark as early as possible before the regular disembarkation begins, which might be around 7:30 a.m. or so, depending on the port, weather and other factors. You can avoid the crowds because you don't have to wait for your luggage to be assembled along with everyone else.

You can bring your own water and wine

If you want to have bottled water at the ready, bring a case of it onboard. It will need to be sealed in its original packaging and you have to carry it on (instead of having it in checked luggage), but it can be worth it if you want to save money for the truly yummy drinks.

If you enjoy wine or beer out on your veranda, you can save a little cash by bringing your own alcohol onboard , with limits. Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of two bottles of unopened wine or Champagne (no larger than 750 ml) or a six-pack of beer (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call. Again, these beverages need to be carried on and not stashed in checked bags.

You can enjoy the spa without a treatment

If you love the idea of spa-like quiet and relaxation without paying around $200+ per treatment, look into the Rainforest Room in the Senses Spa, which costs much less than that per day. Depending on demand, you can book a one-day pass or get a pass that lasts the duration of your cruise. Inquire in the spa as to availability and exact pricing, but it's certainly going to be less than a spa treatment.

Each of the Disney ships has its own version of this room. On Disney Wish, the space has not only the heated loungers that are a common fixture in each of these thermal areas, but also an indoor and outdoor lounge component, a steam room, a chilled ice room and a relaxing water feature for dangling your feet.

Bottom line

You can't go wrong in booking a Disney cruise as there is already so much included and available at your fingertips. But with a little knowledge, you can skip some of the common first-timer mistakes and board like a pro, starting with your first cruise.

Related reading:

• What it's like inside the Disney Wish Star Wars-themed bar
• Everything you need to know about Disney Wish
• The best credit cards for Disney
• Best destinations you can sail to on a Disney cruise
• Everything you need to know about Disney's loyalty program
• The 2 types of Disney Cruise Line ships, explained

• CruiseMapper
• Cruise Lines

Disney Cruise Line

History, review, itineraries, ships, deck plans, news.

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Disney Cruise Line fleet

Disney adventure, disney destiny, disney treasure, disney wish, disney fantasy, disney dream, disney wonder, disney magic, review of disney cruise line.

DCL-Disney Cruise Line (disneycruise.disney.go.com) is a passenger shipping company, subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Ltd, the company is headquartered in London City (England UK), with operational headquarters in Celebration (Florida USA).

Currently, DCL owns and operates six ships ( Treasure , Wish , Fantasy , Dream , Wonder , Magic ), plus the private island Castaway Cay Bahamas (exclusive port for Disney-owned vessels).

Actually, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) was created in 1995 when The Walt Disney Company commissioned the liners Magic (1998) and Wonder (1999) from Fincantieri Italy . With the newbuilds DCL ended the ship charter arrangement with Premier Cruise Line (1983-founded/2000- defunct ). In the 1980s, Disney contracted Premier Cruises to provide passenger shipping services, with voyages leaving roundtrip from Florida ( Port Canaveral/Orlando City ). Back then, Disney's travel packages were marketed as "family cruise vacations" and featured costumed Disney Characters. The fleet project (building two new liners by Meyer Werft Papenburg Germany ) was announced in 2007. Disney Dream was introduced in 2011, Disney Fantasy - in 2012, Disney Wish - in 2022.

DCL's current President is Jeff Vahle.

In July 2022, DCL increased the recommended onboard gratuities (by US$1 per day per passenger) to US$14.50 pp (most staterooms) and US$15,50 pp (concierge suites).

In July 2023, DCL increased the cost of dining at the ships' optional adults-only restaurants (Palo, Palo Steakhouse, Enchante, Remy). Specialty restaurants' charges are per person.

• (fleetwide) Palo now costs $50 for both brunch and dinner.
• (ship Wish) Palo Steakhouse costs $50.
• (ships Fantasy and Dream) Remy costs $80, dinner costs $135, dessert costs $65.
• (ship Wish) Enchante costs $80 for brunch, $65 for dessert, Passion costs $125, Collection costs $195.
• Tasting seminars' charge pp (including Mixology Class) was raised in April from $25 to $45 pp.

DisneyBand+

In 2022, on Disney Wish ship DCL introduced the "DisneyBand+" - a water-resistant wristband similar to Walt Disney World's MagicBand+. In 2023, the device was implemented fleetwide.

Before the voyage, passengers can utilize the technology for a smoother embarkation. Upon arrival at the cruise port, they can use the band for check-in (by scanning the device) which expedites the ship boarding process.

Once on the ship, the DisneyBand+ serves as a stateroom key, eliminating DCL's old key cards.

The device can be also used for paying for food and beverages (at dining venues) as well as merchandise (at the onboard shops) which eliminates the need for credit cards. On Castaway Cay, just like on the ship, the DisneyBand+ can be used for shopping or purchasing drinks.

DisneyBand+ is sold in several designs and 50+ different styles. Prices start at US$35 (solid colors), while themed bands cost US$45 (plus tax). To ensure timely delivery, DCL recommends purchasing the wristbands at least 45 days prior to the voyage's departure date.

Customers who already have MagicBand+ (from Walt Disney World) can use it as a substitute for the DisneyBand+.

New ships 2022-2031 (DISNEY TRITON-Class)

In October 2022, the German broadcaster NDR aired an interview with Christoph Morgen (GHK's MV Werften's insolvency administrator) stating that the unfinished (~75% completed) 9000-passenger liner Global Dream/Disney Adventure (originally ordered by Genting Hong Kong for Dream Cruises ) could be acquired by DCL and delivered/inaugurated in 2024-Q4.

• Global Dream's construction was suspended in January 2022 when MV Werften filed for bankruptcy.
• While the possible purchase price was not mentioned, the previously stated shipbuilding cost was EUR 1,6 billion.
• DCL's purchase interest was not officially announced, but on October 4th, Reinhard Meyer (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister of Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labor) mentioned "confidential negotiations" with a possible byer and that completing Global Dream will secure the employment of MV Werften Wismar 's ~950 former employees.
• Industry experts commented that with Global Dream Disney might enter the Asian market.
• On November 16, 2022, DCL officially confirmed Global Dream's acquisition.
•  The ship's new name (Disney Adventure) was revealed on September 9, 2023. Disney Adventure is planned to start revenue operations for DCL in 2025, with homeporting in Singapore and voyages in Southeast Asia (year-round deployment).

In early March 2016, DCL announced plans to build three new liners (the company's ever-largest) and signed a shipbuilding agreement with Meyer Werft Gmbh (Germany's largest shipbuilding company). The new vessels are slightly bigger than Fantasy and Dream .

Disney's three newbuilds were scheduled for deliveries in 2022 ( Wish ), 2024 ( Treasure ) and 2025 ( Destiny ).

DCL officially announced the plans to build 3 new vessels on July 15, 2017. When launched/operational, with them Walt Disney will nearly double its current fleet. The boats' builder is Meyer Werft ( Papenburg Shipyard ). The announcement was made by Bob Chapek (Walt Disney Parks and Resorts company's Chairman).

The new vessel's interior design, facilities and itineraries are still in development. What is known so far is that they will be LNG-powered (by liquefied natural gas) and from one series (same-designed), with GT-tonnage 144,000 tons (larger than the originally announced 135,000 GT) and max passenger capacity 2500 (1250 staterooms). This design is slightly larger than Disney's previous largest units (Dream-Fantasy). The first liner will be named Disney Wish (2022-Q2). The names for the second and third units are yet to be announced.

On the March 9th/2018-released exterior rendering was shown Disney's traditional black-white-red hull color scheme. New is the superstructure's golden flair. Between the funnels is the top-deck waterpark with slides. Balcony cabins are located midship, which provides larger accommodations for passengers.

DCL also revealed that the new liners will be all homeported in Florida - in Miami (Destiny) and Port Canaveral (Wish, Treasure).

On August 10, 2024, during D23 2024 (Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase), Josh D’Amaro ( Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences & Products) announced that DCL's fleet will be expanded to 13 vessels. The 4 new ships (ordered from Meyer Werft Papenburg) will be larger/newly designed/modified and are planned for deliveries between 2027 and 2031 .

New Disney ship in Japan

On July 9, 2024, DCL-Disney signed an agreement with Oriental Land Co Ltd (OLC) for year-round Disney cruises in Japan. Oriental Land Company Ltd (aka Oriental Land/1960-founded, subsidiary of Keisei Electric Railway Company) owns and manages the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu (Chiba Prefecture, Honshu Island).

Under the agreement, OLC will build and operate a Disney-branded cruise shipping business in Japan, planned to start in 2029-Q1.

The introduction of a Japan-based Disney ship will provide Japanese Disney fans with the unique opportunity to enjoy Disney-themed voyages, featuring signature entertainment, dining, and services, the whole year round.

Constructed by Meyer Werft Papenburg, the vessel will be similar/sistership to Disney Wish, with volume ~140,000 GT-tons, LNG-powered, with ~1250 passenger staterooms.

"Adventures by Disney" cruises to Antarctica

For 2021, DCL planned to introduce its first cruises to Antarctica and for 2023 its first Galapagos voyages, all via chartered ships. Both "expedition ship travel" options are offered by DCL's tour subsidiary "Adventures by Disney", and are Disney's ever-first expedition voyages.

Disney's Antarctica program is via a ship charter deal with the French premium travel brand Ponant Cruises .

Eventually postponed to 2023 (due to the COVID crisis), DCL's Antarctic program offers sailings visiting the Antarctic Peninsula (12-day/11-night itineraries via Drake Passage ) and with an overnight in Buenos Aires Argentina before the charter flight to Ushuaia Argentina (homeport).

In Ushuaia start and end the Antarctic voyages on the Ponant vessel Le Boreal ( max passenger capacity 264). Before boarding, tourists spend 2 days touring the area around Ushuaia (Patagonia). A sightseeing tour visits Tierra del Fuego NP and includes a train ride on the Southern Fuegian Railway (aka "Train of the End of the World"/the world's southernmost functioning railway) in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego Province.

DCL cruises to Antarctica include several days of exploration - landings and coastal cruising by Zodiacs (large-capacity rigid inflatable speedboats) that all Ponant ships carry onboard. An optional premium kayaking tour is also available for booking, as well as the 3-night hotel/4-day Buenos Aires guided tour package "Antarctica and Patagonia Expedition Cruise" (pre-cruise stay in Argentina's capital city).

Adventures by Disney recommends on Antarctic voyages children to be at least 12 years old and restricts bookings to minimum age 10 years due to "the duration of the trip, potential for extreme weather or sea conditions and the amount of physical activity involved".

Fares for Disney's first Antarctic cruises (2023) started at USD 12800 (EUR 10740/GBP 9180) for adults and USD 11500 (EUR 9560/GBP 8247) for children, with double occupancy. Deals are inclusive of two domestic flights (Buenos Aires-Ushuaia-Buenos Aires), 5-star hotel stay (at Sofitel Buenos Aires Recoleta Hotel), 31 meals total (11 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 10 Dinners). DCL's Antarctic expedition experience features professional services by a team of naturalists, Disney-trained tour guides, Special Guests, Zodiac excursions and landings, shipboard activities (for adults and kids). International flights (to/from Ezeiza International Airport) are not included in cruise fares.

Bookings opened on November 12, 2021.

"Adventures by Disney" cruises in the Galapagos Islands

Adventures by Disney's Galapagos cruise program was inaugurated in 2022, with prices from USD 6300 (EUR 5290/GBP 4518) for adults and USD 5600 (EUR 4700/GBP 4016) for children, with double occupancy.

Disney's Galapagos Islands program is based on the chartered boat Galapagos Legend (1963-built, max passengers 110). Adventures by Disney limits Galapagos bookings with a min age 12-years-old.

DCL's Galapagos deals are inclusive of a 9-day/8-night package (roundtrip cruise itinerary with two domestic flights Quito-Baltra-Quito), 23 meals (8 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 7 Dinners), 1-night Quito hotel stay (pre-cruise). International flights (to/from Wyndham Quito Airport) are not included in cruise fares.

Disney Galapagos cruise itinerary includes Quito City (hotel/Day1), Baltra Island (ship embarkation/Day2), South Plaza Island (Day3/morning guided Wildlife Walk), North Seymour Island (Day3/guided hiking tour and snorkeling), San Cristobal Island (Day4/Pitt Point debarkation, guide Coastline Tour-hiking-sea kayaking-snorkeling, Cerro Brujo Beach), San Cristobal Island (Day5/visit to Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve's breeding center, hiking to Cerro Tijeretas Hill, visit to Organic Farm & Restaurant), Espanola Island (Day6/Gardner Bay debarkation, guided hiking-swimming-snorkeling, hiking Suarez Point), Floreana Island (Day7/morning Walk Tour, guided swimming-snorkeling, visit to Post Office Bay, playing soccer with the cruise ship's crew, guided tour to Cormorant Point, Devil's Crown nad Champion Islet), Santa Cruz Island (Day8/visits to Charles Darwin Research Station, Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, Centro de Educacion Basica Oswaldo Guayasamin, Quiman Valle Coffee Farm, guided boat tour to Ballena Bay and Eden Islet), Baltra Island (ship debarkation, flight to Quito).

"Adventures by Disney" cruises in the Mediterranean/Adriatic

In October 2022 were announced DCL's first Adriatic Sea voyages (two 8-day itineraries on PONANT's ship Le Bougainville ) scheduled for 2024.

Disney's "Adriatic Expedition Cruise" itinerary is roundtrip from Venice City (Italy) visiting 7 Adriatic ports - in Croatia (Korcula, Primosten/Krka National Park, Split, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Rovinj) and Montenegro (Kotor).

From Croatia (Rovinj) are organized bus tours to Slovenia for visiting Postojna Cave Park's Postojna Cave. Other excursion options include kayaking along Pakleni Islands (off Hvar Island's coast), bicycling in Hvar City's Stari Grad, and catamaran touring Montenegro's Boka Bay.

Up to 6 professional tour guides accompany Disney's cruise tourists and lead all activities (shipboard and ashore). Onboard adults-only activities feature cocktail workshops and fitness classes. 

Junior Adventurers (12 years old and under) can enjoy their own special programs that are led by the adventure guides, such as navigation lessons, a pizza party, a "Pirates of the Adriatic" swim party, and a "Dalmatian Dash" scavenger hunt.

Departures were scheduled for June 25 and July 2, 2024.

General public bookings opened on October 27, 2022. Priority bookings opened on Oct 24th.

"Adventures by Disney" river cruises

In Europe, Adventures by Disney partnered with one of the world's largest river cruise companies - AmaWaterways - offering its loyal customers river cruisetour deals on voyage-chartered boats.

A "voyage charter" is when the vessel (and its crew) are hired for a specific voyage (departure date and custom itinerary). The charterer (Disney) pays the shipowner (AmaWaterways) on a lump-sum basis (single payment) while the shipowner is responsible for paying port taxes, fuel costs and crew costs. The cruise charter specifies a laytime (period) for loading and unloading the Disney-provided (exclusive) passengers.

On the chartered from AmaWaterways riverboat, Disney provides its passengers with all-inclusive deals (accommodation, meals, entertainment, shore excursions) including an immersive and pro-active onboard and ashore program curated by Disney's family travel experts. A team of Disney Adventure Guides includes English-speaking professional storytellers who review the visited destinations (port cities, towns, land tour sites and attractions).

For season 2021, the mainly family-themed "Adventures by Disney" were part of Disney's ever-largest river cruise program - a total of 30 departures/itineraries on Danube and also in France (Seine, Rhine, Rhone). Traditionally, select voyages were exclusively reserved for families without kids, being themed on Food and Wine and Oktoberfest (with German beer tastings). New in 2021 was Disney's Rhine River program that included Papenburg where was offered an exclusive tour to the MEYER WERFT shipyard where MS Disney Wish was under construction at the time.

For April 2025, Adventures by Disney scheduled the launch of two new routes in Holland and Belgium. Both voyages are 7-day-long, roundtrips from Amsterdam and feature visits to windmills, famous museums, canal cruising, and beer and food tastings.

Disney ship cruising experience

Among the best family lines, with the most family-friendly cruise ships, and some of the most attractive cheap all-inclusive family cruise packages, The company is the world's leader in family cruising. "Disney World land and sea" packages are industry's best kids cruise deals for the Caribbean, operated with signature land resorts and large and modern liners.

Disney Cruise Line is a unique enterprise designed to provide the industry's best family ship travel vacation experiences. Disney offers regular departures from Florida USA to Eastern Caribbean (mostly to the Bahamas) from its own cruise terminal at Port Canaveral - just a few minutes away from Disney's capital city Orlando and world's best Disneyland Park. Among the special voyages are the Alaskan itineraries (leaving from Seattle and Vancouver Canada) during the Disney summer and the Panama Canal transition cruises on repositioning between Alaska and Caribbean.

All Disney ships are family-friendly. Each boat features a Walt Disney Theater (resembling Broadway house) and Buena Vista Cinema (for Disney movies). Studio Sea (TV sound stage and forum for G-rated live shows) is available on Magic and Wonder. Similar venue (named "D Lounge") is on Fantasy and Dream. "Disney Digital 3-D" (on Magic and Wonder) is a cinema experience with lasers, streamers, fog and lighting effects.

The main swimming pool areas on all Disney boats are geared toward families. There is a pool for kids (with 200-ft Mickey waterslide) and small sprinkler tub for toddlers. Adult-only pools are also fleetwide feature, though on the larger ships they encompass several decks.

The AquaDuck water park (Fantasy and Dream) is one of the first-ever watercoasters on a cruise ship. Located on top-deck, the slide has a transparent, acrylic tube propelling riders (on rafts) up and down 4 decks of the ship. At one point, the slide swings out 13 ft off the ship's side, 150 ft above sea level.

Palo restaurant is a boutique eatery on every Disney ship, offering Italian traditional cuisine. The Remy restaurant serves premium French dishes (on Fantasy and Dream) and comes with the highest at sea surcharge for dining - USD 85 pp.

The adults-only spa features rain forest steam room. The adults-only nightclubs on board are named "Route 66" (on Wonder), "Europa" (on Fantasy), "The District" (on Dream), "Beat Street" (on Magic). Another popular for adults venues are sports pub and dance club. The following link is to CruiseMapper's Disney secrets, tips, and tricks .

Disney ships' kids and teen programming

Company's kids' program is professionally organized and run by highly-trained and certified youth counselors. On each cruise liner are offered pre-scheduled daily character meetings, themed breakfasts, animation workshops, parades, firework shows. Onboard nurseries are named "It's a Small World" (on Fantasy and Dream) and "Flounder's Reef Nursery" (on Magic and Wonder). The ship nursery provides complimentary childcare for infants (ages 12 weeks-3 years) with toys and supervised fun activities. Nurseries feature indoor porthole windows (semi-transparent one-way mirrors) allowing parents to peek without being seen. For a fee is available online pre-ordering of baby supplies (via the brand partnership with "Babies Travel Lite").

Ship's "Oceaneer Club" spans nearly an entire deck. It is a supervised program for kids aged 3-7 yo (split into age groups 3-4 and 5-7). "Oceaneer Lab" (for kids split into age groups 8-9 and 10-12) offers hands-on science experiments, ship-wide scavenger hunts, themed deck parties (with Disney costumes provided), high-tech interactive programs. Children ages 11-12 can compete in marine biology game show and send to friends digital postcards.

Teens (aged 13-17) have private clubs (named "Stack" and "Aloft") fitted with plenty of chairs and couches, and offering MP3 listening stations, latest video games, popular board games, and magazines, teen bars (dispenser-served smoothies and soft drinks). On Fantasy and Dream teen are in 2 age groups - 11 to 13 (at "Edge") and 14 to 17 (at "Vibe", with an outdoor sundeck with hot tubs).

After boarding, kids are automatically enrolled in children's programs on Castaway Cay, which feature bike riding and supervised games by age group, private island experiences (Disney characters appearances are scheduled several times daily).

Most Disney cabins have bath-and-a-half - the second bathroom has a sink, toilet, vanity, the full bathroom has a sink, tub/shower, and toilet.

Shipboard facilities

Spa and Fitness Facilities

• Senses Spa & Salon (Dream and Fantasy)
• Vista Spa & Salon (Magic and Wonder)
• Fitness Center (all ships)
• Goofy's Sports Deck: (Dream and Fantasy) - an open-air centre with golf course, sports simulators, basketball-volleyball court
• Wide World of Sports (Magic and Wonder) - an open-air centre with basketball court, ping-pong tables.

Onboard Theatres (all ships)

• Buena Vista Theater - first-run movies, 3D cinema, top-notch equipment, plush seats
• Walt Disney Theater - live performances, Broadway-style themed Disney shows, movies.

Youth Clubs

• Disney's Oceaneer Club (all ships) - supervised themed activities ages 3-7
• Disney's Oceaneer Lab (all ships) - themed activities ages 8-12
• Edge (all ships) - teens-only, video games, TV, Internet
• Vibe (all ships) - teens-only, with a sundeck and a pool
• D Lounge (Dream and Fantasy) - family lounge and nightclub
• Studio Sea (Magic and Wonder) - family activities center
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Fantasy) - a kids make-up salon
• Arr-cade (Dream and Fantasy) - arcade (all ages)
• Quarter Masters (Magic and Wonder) - arcade (all ages)
• Flounder's Reef Nursery (Magic and Wonder) - themed after "The Little Mermaid" (ages 3 months to 3yo)
• It's A Small World Nursery (Dream and Fantasy) - 3 months to 3 years.

Shipboard Nightclubs and Lounges

• 687 - sports bar (Dream)
• Bon Voyage - family bar (Dream and Fantasy)
• Cadillac Lounge - piano bar (Wonder)
• Cove Cafe - adults-only (all ships)
• Currents - cocktail bar (Dream and Fantasy)
• District Lounge - nightclub (Dream)
• Diversions - sports pub, karaoke (Magic and Wonder)
• Evolution - disco club (Dream) - family during the day, adults-only at night
• O'Gills Pub - Irish themed sports bar (Fantasy)
• La Piazza - adults-only (Fantasy)
• Meridian - adults-only (Dream and Fantasy)
• Outlook Cafe - adults-only (Wonder)
• Pink - adults-only (Dream)
• Promenade Lounge (Magic and Wonder)
• Rockin' Bar D - music club (Magic), family (dailyy), adults-only (nightly)
• Sessions - piano bar (Magic)
• Signals - adults-only (Magic and Wonder)
• Skyline - adults-only (Dream and Fantasy)
• The Tube - adults-only nightclub (Fantasy)
• Vista Cafe - family (Dream and Fantasy)
• WaveBands club - family (day), a dance club at night (Wonder)
• Waves - family (Dream and Fantasy)
• Ooh La La - adults-only, Victorian furniture (Fantasy)

The FUN Pools (swimming pools)

• AquaDuck - 4 decks high water coaster (Dream and Fantasy)
• Donald's Pool - family (Dream and Fantasy)
• Goofy's Pool - family, incl 2 whirlpool spas, a toddler pool with splash zones, 7,3x4,3m LED screen on the forward funnel overlooking the pool (Magic and Wonder)
• Mickey's Pool - kids-only, 1 deck high slide (all ships)
• Nemo's Reef - kids area (Dream and Fantasy)
• Quiet Cove Pool - adults-only (all ships).

In March 2015, Disney Cruise Line introduced the "Mickey Check" meals fleetwide.

• Disney's "Mickey Check" is used throughout Disneyland Resorts and Walt Disney World at various locations. The mark is also on Disney-licensed food products. It is a part of "Disney Magic of Healthy Living" commitment (launched 2006) to make healthy eating simpler and more fun for families. These meals are offered in the onboard rotational (main dining room) restaurants.
• To receive "Mickey Check", food must be nutritious and meet the Walt Disney company's Nutrition Guidelines (created by leading child health experts) for levels of saturated fat, calories, sugar, and sodium. A "Mickey Check" kids' meal includes 3 or more nutritious food groups (vegetables, lean protein, whole grains), has zero trans fats and limited added sugar.

Since November 2019, on all Disney ships provide to their crew complimentary texting (sending and receiving unlimited text messages) on devices with iOS and Android operating systems.

Disney private island Castaway Cay (Bahamas)

Castaway Cay is a Bahamian private island leased by Disney Cruises. It serves as an exclusive port of call for Disney ships. Castaway Cay (formerly Gorda Cay) is located close to Great Abaco Island. In 1997, Walt Disney Company bought a 99-year island lease from the Bahamian Government (set to expire 2096), giving the company substantial control over the cruise ship passenger experience on the island.

In early August 2017 was announced that Disney is looking to buy a second Caribbean private island to be developed as an exclusive port of call for the company's new cruise ships. The reason for a new private island destination is that Castaway Cay has the capacity to handle ships with capacity up to 875 cabins, otherwise it becomes too crowded. Such a "private island" option emerged in 2016 with Egg Island (Bahamas). However, those plans were abolished after some environmental studies showing that the island's ecosystem would not sustain the planned development.

New Disney private island in the Bahamas (Eleuthera)

On October 19, 2018, The Bahamas officially issued a tentative preliminary approval of Disney Cruise Line's plan to build and exclusively operate a private cruise port ( Lighthouse Point ) on Eleuthera Island's southern tip. Project's developer will be the Walt Disney Company subsidiary Disney Parks and Resorts. The plan is for developing a land sized 746 acres (302 hectares / 3 km2) that Disney agreed to purchase. The new Disney ships-only port will have a dedicated pier (capacity 1 vessel), boat marina, shops, restaurants, passenger walkways through forests and around salt ponds.

Disney's new port project will create around 150 permanent local jobs plus various entrepreneurial opportunities for Bahamian residents. However, The Bahamas Parliament must officially agree to the plan once all terms and conditions are agreed and proper environmental testing is conducted.

In early-March 9, 2019, Bahamas allowed Walt Disney to acquire (purchase) the resort property Lighthouse Pointe (at Grand Lucayan, Freeport) from Meritage Hospitality Group Inc (US company / restaurant operator). The property will serve as Disney's new cruise port (land area 190 acres / 77 hectares / 0,77 km2) that also doubles as "entertainment facility" (during no-ship days). By this project, Disney will invest between USD 250-400 million to develop the property as Castaway Cay. As part of the deal, Disney agreed to donate property's southernmost point (land value USD 6,3 million) to the Bahamas Government for a national park.

Core elements of Disney's new Bahamas port project include low-density development, sustainable design, free public access, economic opportunities for Bahamians, overall workers ratio 80-20% (Bahamian-other workers) during project's construction phase, creating 150 permanent jobs (with health benefits) for Bahamians after project's completion. Construction will start after the Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Plan are reviewed and Gov approved.

Currently, on Eleuthera island is located the Carnival Corporation -owned (via ist subsidiary Princess Cruises ) private island resort Princess Cays .

New Disney cruise cancellation policy

Since September 2018, Disney has a new final payment and cruise cancellation policy.

• Final payments for passengers booked in standard staterooms on itineraries with lengths 1- to 5-nights is due 90 days prior departure. The old policy required 75 days prior to departure. By the new policy, cancellation fees start at 89 days (customers also lose their cruise deposits). At 44 days, customers lose 50% of their payment, at 29 days - 75%, at 14 or fewer days - 100%.
• For passengers booked in standard staterooms on itineraries with lengths 6-nights or more, payment is due 120 days prior departure. The old policy required 90 days for itineraries between 5 and 9 nights. By the new policy, customers cancelling 56+ days prior departure lose their cruise deposit. Customers cancelling between 55-30 days - lose 50%, those cancelling between 29-15 days - 75%; those cancelling 14-days/less - 100%.
• For customers booked in concierge cabins and suites on itineraries 1 to 5 nights, final payment due date remains 120 days prior departure. On itineraries 6+ nights, final payment is due 150 days prior departure.

The company also eliminated final payments and cancellation fees for holiday cruises - voyages that include July 4th, Christmas, New Year's Eve or Thanksgiving Day.

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, DCL-Disney suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (all 4 liners) by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 14, 2020, through June 30, 2021.

DCL cruise operations resumed in 2021 with the ships Disney MAGIC (July 15/UK cruises to nowhere from Southampton/Oct 28 starts Caribbean from Miami), Disney DREAM (Aug 9/Bahamas from Port Canaveral), Disney FANTASY (Sept 11/Bahamas from Port Canaveral), Disney WONDER (Nov 5/Panama Canal from San Diego to Galveston), Disney Wish (June 17, 2022/ Maiden Voyage /Bahamas from Port Canaveral).

• DCL's Alaska 2021 program (Disney Wonder from Vancouver) was canceled. DCL's Europe 2021 program (Disney Magic) was canceled.
• Disney Magic's mini-season in Europe-UK (Around Britain itineraries) was for UK residents only.

All affected bookings received full monetary refunds, including on prepurchased through Walt Disney packages and services. With rebooking is offered 125% refund in FCC (future cruise credit) transferred to the new booking which must be made within 15 months of the canceled voyage's departure date. Without rebooking is provided full (100%) monetary refund.

Itinerary of Disney Cruise Line

By 2025, DCL-Disney Cruise Line's fleet will double its size following the introduction of two newbuilds (now on order/under construction) . To be deployed mainly in the USA-Caribbean, the new boats will be homeported in Miami ( Disney Destiny ) and Port Canaveral ( Disney Wish , Disney Treasure ).

DCL operates "Disney Cruise Line Terminal" in Port Canaveral Florida - the homeport for the liners Fantasy and Dream. Disney Magic is homeported in Miami Florida , Disney Wonder is homeported in Galveston Texas and San Diego California plus Vancouver BC Canada (to Alaska).

DCL offers various destinations, including Europe, the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Panama Canal , Canada, and New England, Alaska, Pacific Coast USA, as well as Transatlantic crossings on repositioning. Most itineraries are roundtrips to The Bahamas, Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. During summer, Disney Wonder operates on Alaskan cruises from Vancouver. All DCL cruise itineraries to The Bahamas visit DCL's private Caribbean island CASTAWAY CAY (located north of Nassau ) as an exclusive port of call.

Since November 2023, Disney Dream is homeported (for the first time) in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale (Florida USA) . The new homeporting follows the ship's European deployment (Mediterranean from Barcelona and Civitavecchia-Rome, and UK-Baltic from Southampton). The 4- and 5-night itineraries visit ports in The Bahamas (Castaway Cay, Nassau) and Western Caribbean (Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman).

In 2023 (February 18th thru April 10th) Disney Magic was homeported in NOLA/New Orleans Louisiana . The program was based on 4-5-6-day roundtrip Western Caribbean itineraries visiting Cozumel (4-day), Cozumel plus Costa Maya (5-day) and Cozumel plus Grand Cayman/George Town Harbour (6-day).

"Adventures by Disney" expedition voyages

DCL's subsidiary "Adventures by Disney" offers expedition-type cruise vacations via chartered ships.

The program started in 2022 and currently offers sailings in the Galapagos Islands (chartering Galapagos Legend ), Antarctica , and Europe/Mediterranean (chartering two PONANT ships - Le Boreal and Le Bougainville).

Adventures by Disney's 2024 schedule currently lists the following itineraries/departure dates:

• "Galapagos Islands Expedition Cruise" departures in 2024 - March 17-25, June 9-17, July 14-22, August 7-15, December 18-26.
• "Antarctica and Patagonia Expedition Cruise" - departures in 2023 (December 17-28) and 2024 (February 17-28)
• "Arctic Expedition Cruise" departure in 2024 (July 1-10)

All "Adventures by Disney" cruises are English-speaking and served by professional tour guides.

(NEW) "Adventures by Disney" river voyages in 2025

On January 19, 2023, Adventures by Disney opened for booking two new river routes (scheduled for launch in April 2025) visiting popular port cities in Holland and Belgium.

Both voyages are 7-day-long, roundtrips from Amsterdam and feature visits to windmills, famous museums, canal cruising, and beer and food tastings (chocolate, cheese, waffles).

The "Discover Holland and Belgium Tour" itinerary's ports are Amsterdam, Utrecht , Rotterdam , Ghent , Brussels , Antwerp , Kinderdijk , Gouda , and Bruges . It includes a Rotterdam Pilgrim walking tour, a visit to Utrecht's Museum Speelklok and Castle de Haar, and an exploration of Brussels' influence on comic books. There's an adult-exclusive departure for this itinerary.

The "Tulip Tour" (inaugural departure on April 13, 2025, ship AmaLucia) visits Amsterdam, Hoorn , Middelburg , Ghent, Antwerp, Rotterdam , Kinderdijk, and Schoonhoven . Highlights include a visit to Keukenhof Gardens/Lisse and the Floralia Brussels (flower show at the Grand Bigard Castle).

The "Discover Holland and Belgium Tour" is scheduled for AmaStella ship (chartered in the summer) and AmaViola (chartered for the holidays), starting from June 28, 2025.

Prices for children started at US$4900, for adults at US$5500.

DCL cruise itineraries 2024-2025-2026

DCL has two year-round homeports in Florida USA (including its first full season out of Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale ) and also operates voyages leaving roundtrip from California, Louisiana, and Texas.

Disney Dream commences in early 2024 with sailings to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean. Passengers can choose from 3- and 4-night getaways to the Bahamas and 5-night vacations to the western Caribbean, featuring classic Disney experiences like Broadway-style shows, character encounters, fireworks at sea, and innovative dining. All sailings from Florida include a stop at Castaway Cay , a private island oasis reserved exclusively for DCL guests. Located in the Bahamas' turquoise waters, Castaway Cay offers the ultimate escape for everyone, with relaxation, adventure, and quality time with the whole family.

Disney Wish is kicking off 2024 with 3- and 4-night journeys to Nassau (Bahamas) and Castaway Cay departing from Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida) , Disney's homeport located just 1 hour from Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Voyages aboard Disney Wish combine numerous Disney firsts and enchanting entertainment, bringing to life Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars stories.

Also from Port Canaveral, Disney Fantasy continues 7-night sailings to the beaches of the eastern/western Caribbean. Disney guests on eastern Caribbean voyages visit Tortola BVI and St. Thomas , while western Caribbean itineraries feature the ports of Grand Cayman , Falmouth (Jamaica) , and Cozumel (Mexico) . Every Disney Fantasy sailing also features a stop at Castaway Cay, as well as several days at sea.

Disney Magic has 2 limited-time engagements in Galveston Texas early 2024. After ringing in the New Year , the ship is expected to embark on Caribbean adventures ranging from 4 to 6 nights through the end of January. Upon returning for a month-long stint in March-April, the Magic ship will sail voyages ranging from 4 to 7 nights to the western Caribbean during the spring break period. New Orleans (Port NOLA) welcomes Disney Magic back for a 2nd consecutive year in February 2024 with 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises to the Caribbean. Families have the opportunity to arrive early/extend their vacation to enjoy jazz & jambalaya in the city that inspired "The Princess and the Frog."

After her return from an inaugural season in Australia & New Zealand, Disney Wonder is due to arrive in San Diego California in March 2024 for 3- to 7-night cruises to Mexico, including Baja peninsula. Popular for its vibrant culture, saltwater adventures, and stunning beaches, families are able to visit some of the most prized destinations in Mexico, including Cabo San Lucas , Ensenada , Puerto Vallarta , and Mazatlan along with stops on the shores of Catalina Island (Dominicana) off the California coast.

In March 2023, DCL-Disney Cruise Line announced the inaugural dates/select itineraries for its brand-new island destination in The Bahamas, headlining a season full of new and passenger-favorite itineraries around the world in the summer of 2024. Along with the first voyages to Lighthouse Point , families are able to choose cruise vacations to bucket-list destinations including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, northern Europe, and Alaska.

In June 2024, Disney debuts its newest Bahamian destination on Eleuthera Island at Lighthouse Point. Passengers sailing aboard Disney Magic from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida) can discover a vibrant beach retreat infused with the energy of Bahamian artistry and a commitment to conservation.

A 7-night inaugural voyage aboard Disney Fantasy from Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida) on June 8th allows passengers to be among the first to see the crystal-clear waters of the new destination at Lighthouse Point. The ultimate Disney island destination itinerary features 2 stops at Lighthouse Point and a day at Castaway Cay . On June 6th, a 3-night preview voyage on Disney Magic from Fort Lauderdale offers a sneak peek of Lighthouse Point.

After the inaugural voyage, Lighthouse Point is to be a featured port of call on select 3-, 4- and 5-night sailings to The Bahamas and the Caribbean on Disney Magic from Fort Lauderdale. The itineraries vary stops between Lighthouse Point/Castaway Cay, with 5 special departures including both Disney island destinations.

In the summer of 2024, Disney Dream returns to premier European destinations in the Greek Isles, British Isles, the Mediterranean, and popular locales in Iceland and the Norwegian Fjords.

The sailings feature a number of new ports of call (Valencia, Haugesund, and Hamburg), along with 3 Mediterranean destinations that return for the first time since 2014: Catania, Kusadasi, and Valletta.

Mediterranean and Greek Isles voyages from Barcelona (Spain) and Civitavecchia-Rome (Italy) range from 5 to 11 nights, while northern Europe and the British Isles cruises offer itineraries anywhere from 3 nights to one 12-night journey that includes the Norwegian fjords, 3 days in Iceland and an overnight in Reykjavik (Iceland) .

Cruises to Alaska from Vancouver BC Canada return on Disney Wonder from May through to September 2024, with 5-, 7- and 9-night sailings.

Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish are due to sail to islands throughout The Bahamas and Caribbean in the summer of 2024. All voyages on the Port Canaveral-based liners feature a visit to Castaway Cay.

Disney Wish features 3- and 4-night Bahamian vacations, while Disney Fantasy sails to popular ports in the eastern & western Caribbean on 7-night cruises. One 5-night Disney Fantasy cruise in July takes families to Nassau with 2 stops in Castaway Cay, while a 10-night southern Caribbean journey gives families another chance to visit Lighthouse Point with additional visits to Antigua, Castaway Cay, Dominica, St. Lucia, and Tortola.

Disney Adventure ship starts revenue operations for DCL in 2025, with homeporting in Singapore and voyages in Southeast Asia (year-round deployment).

In June 2024, DCL unveiled two exciting seasons of itineraries, covering voyages from fall 2025 to spring 2026.

The fleet, including  Disney Fantasy ,  Disney Wish ,  Disney Treasure , and  Disney Dream , is due to visit Disney Cruise Line's signature island destinations,  Disney Castaway Cay  and  Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point , ensuring voyages filled with quintessential Disney magic.

The itineraries feature tropical sailings from the Pacific Coast and Gulf of Mexico in late 2025 and early 2026. Additionally, the  Disney Wonder embarks on a 3rd season of voyages across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific from October 2025 to February 2026.

As part of Disney Cruise Line's themed sailings, families can look forward to creating memories on beloved holiday cruises, including Halloween on the High Seas and  Very Merrytime sailings  in September, October, November, and December 2025.

Summer 2025 itineraries (Europe & Caribbean)

In its debut summer season in Europe, Disney Fantasy sets sail from Barcelona Spain and Civitavecchia-Rome Italy , from May to late July. Itineraries (ranging from 5 to 12 nights) explore picturesque Mediterranean ports, including a special 12-night voyage to the Greek Isles.

From late July to September, Disney Fantasy is homeported in the UK  (Southampton England)  visiting popular destinations in Spain, Norway, and the British Isles.

Disney Wonder's Alaskan program is based on roundtrips from Vancouver BC Canada , and scheduled for May through September. Passengers can marvel at Alaska's stunning natural beauty and explore destinations such as Juneau ,  Skagway , and  Ketchikan .

In summer 2025, four Disney ships operate from Florida, with three departing from  Port Canaveral  and one from  Fort Lauderdale .

Disney Treasure ship offers 7-night Caribbean itineraries to Castaway Cay ,  Tortola BVI ,  St Thomas USVI ,  Falmouth Jamaica ,  Grand Cayman , and  Cozumel .

Disney Magic ship from Port Canaveral offers 4- and 5-night sailings to The Bahamas and DCL's private islands.

Disney Dream ship from Fort Lauderdale offers 3- to 5-night voyages to  Nassau , Castaway Cay, and Cozumel.

Both Disney Magic and Disney Dream visit  Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point  (Disney's new Bahamian private resort,) in summer 2025. Some itineraries group both exclusive ports (Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay).

Disney Wish ship from Port Canaveral has scheduled 3- and 4-night roundtrips to Nassau and Castaway Cay, while the Disney Dream will operate from Fort Lauderdale on similar routes.

(animal cruelty) The Faroe Islands cruise boycott

In 2014, Disney was the first of all three (for now) cruise ship companies (followed in 2016 by AIDA and Hapag-Lloyd) that banned Faroe Islands (a Danish territory) as destination part of their North European itineraries.

The boycott is due to the island nation's traditional mass slaughter of pilot whales each year. The protected by Denmark gruesome practice of killing whales is called "Grindadrap Grind". Locals use motorboats to drive a pod of whales into a harbor. The defenseless animals are dragged to the shallow water and brutally slaughtered by locals armed with knives (16-19 cm / 6-8 inches long) while their families cheer them on. The killing party even rip out baby whales from their mothers.

The Faroe Islands have a population of ~50,000 and kill each year 1000+ pilot whales. You can see the cruise ship schedule of Torshavn - Faroe's most visited port. All cruise lines with scheduled visits to the Faroes are accused of supporting the brutal whaling practices. Whaling is still officially approved and carried out by the "civilized" countries Japan, Norway, and Iceland, killing over 2000 whales each year and trading in whale products.

Disney's response was to the "Faroese Pilot Whaling Act" by the local government, which continues to allow pilot whales to be culled or massacred. It also empowers local authorities to imprison (for up to 2 years) people found guilty of impeding these whaling activities - despite all the international condemnations.

Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace are among the largest organizations taking direct actions against the "Faroese Pilot Whaling Act". Most of the available online haunting images of slaughtered whales lying in a sea of blood are released by these organizations.

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