Best Disney Cruise Line Itineraries

Table Of Content

• Royal Caribbean Extends Cancellations for Labadee Through May 2024
• Disney Fantasy
• I love that the ship docks right at the island, so there are no tender ships involved
• Comparing prices: A specific example
• Crowds and service
• Choose Disney for Truly Family-Friendly Accommodations
• Costa Maya, Mexico — Best Excursions
• Disney Cruise Line destinations and itineraries

If you happen to be onboard at the same time as a Disney movie is released, you also get to attend the premiere at sea. Ships will also run classic Disney movies in the theater, on the poolside Jumbotron, and the cabin television channels. On select ships, both cruise lines try to enhance the inside cabin experience with virtual views.

Royal Caribbean Extends Cancellations for Labadee Through May 2024

The cheapest seven-night cruise on the line's recently debuted Icon of the Seas starts at $1,723 per person; its 2025-arriving sister Star of the Seas isn't much more affordable, with rates starting at $1,677. What most of these Disney passengers share is a love of the brand, whether that's the characters and movies or Disney's obsession with high-quality entertainment. Also, Disney cruises don't come cheap, so families tend to be well off, or they've saved for years for a special trip. Disney Cruise Line unsurprisingly attracts a lot of families, especially families with little kids in that princess-worshipping sweet spot, as well as multigenerational families.

Disney Fantasy

When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons. One of the first true thrill rides at Disney parks, Space Mountain initially opened at the Walt Disney Resort in 1975 before a second version of it was introduced at California's Disneyland at 1977. It's long remained one of the most popular Disneyland attractions, with versions built at parks in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong. Its most recent ride adaptation came last year with The Haunted Mansion, although that was one of a number of Disney films that found itself struggling at the box office last year. On Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, Remy is also available, with the dessert experience starting at $65 without the 18% auto-gratuity, while brunch and dinner are $80 and $135 respectively, plus an additional 18% auto-gratuity. Plus, just off Serenity Bay Beach is a fun beachside bar serving up drinks and snacks.

I love that the ship docks right at the island, so there are no tender ships involved

Don’t make yourself such an obvious target and you’re likely to be fine. A limited number of strollers are available from Guest Services while in port. Since they are limited, don’t wait until most people have left the ship to ask for one. Whether you are on a three-night trip to Castaway Cay or a bigger crossing to the South Pacific, a Disney cruise is a special vacation that actually feels like a vacation. During the evenings, dining attire in the three main dining restaurants is "cruise casual," meaning no swimwear or tank tops, but you don't have to put on a party dress. That said, many guests do dress up a bit in the evening, but it's not required unless you are dining in Palo, Remy or Enchante.

Comparing prices: A specific example

Located on the largest of the Cayman Islands, and home to the majority of islanders, George Town is known for its lively culture. Like so much of the area, it has a rocky history of territorial disputes, hurricanes, and economic challenges. Now a British Overseas Territory, it’s a haven for tourists seeking natural beauty and great weather. We’ve picked some of the best offerings at multiple ports and across different price points. There are plenty of great options at each of the price points, and you don’t certainly don’t have to spend a huge amount to have a good time.

Crowds and service

The Animator's Palate restaurant features different "shows" on Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy, such as conversations with Crush the Turtle from "Finding Nemo" and an animated sequence featuring diners' drawings. And onboard Disney Wish, you’ll find a Frozen- and an Avengers-themed dining experience. Guests are assigned a dining time, tablemates and waiter, and eat with the same people at a different main dining room (there are three) each night, on a pre-set schedule.

Disney Cruise Line Offers Worldwide Adventures to Europe, Alaska, The Bahamas and Caribbean in Summer 2025 - PR Newswire

Disney Cruise Line Offers Worldwide Adventures to Europe, Alaska, The Bahamas and Caribbean in Summer 2025.

Posted: Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

All of Disney Cruise Line's cabins were designed with families in mind. Most have a split bath design, with a sink and toilet in one room and a tub-shower combo and sink in another. They have room-dividing curtains and plenty of extra berths, with sofabeds and pulldown bunks. Royal Caribbean does have some family cabins fleetwide, especially on Icon of the Seas, but the majority of its rooms were not created with families of three and four in mind. The other theme night was pirate night, which was about halfway through the cruise. Definitely some people went completely wild dressing up in full pirate garb.

Costa Maya, Mexico — Best Excursions

Take some time to explore the public parts of the island, including the old landing strip. Disney has placed a bunch of artfully arranged flotsam and jetsam all over, including a couple of DC-3’s with Disney nose art that make a great backdrop for a group photo. Taking a walk or bike ride to the observation tower makes a nice expedition. The walkway is paved and well-marked, and there are water dispensers at regular intervals. From the top of the tower you can see the ship in the distance, the native landscape of Castaway Cay (which is admittedly pretty sparse), and some fun surprises placed here and there by Disney imagineers. You'll certainly pay more for the privilege of sailing with Mickey and Minnie than with some other family-friendly lines.

Disney Cruise Line destinations and itineraries

The Disney Fantasy set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida on July 1, 2023. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings of this same itinerary for comparison. We will probably go on another Disney cruise, I wouldn’t be surprised if we did another one next year. I also think that a Disney cruise would be fabulous for people with younger teens, who similarly like to make friends, and would really enjoy the independence that you could give them in the safe environment of a Disney cruise. At this point, some people were hiring porters to carry their bags, and the porters literally came through customs with them. Considering the guy wanted 20 bucks to put our bags on the ship in the beginning I can’t imagine how much they were asking for for this 30 minute commitment.

At $50 per person, Palo is a great value for brunch and dinner with all-you-can-eat options from an extensive menu, all of very high quality. On the flip side, Remy and Enchante are among the most expensive specialty restaurants at sea. Icon of the Seas has new Infinite Balcony cabins, which have extra interior space and a glass wall that rolls down halfway (like a car window) to bring fresh air into the room.

You can play in Andy's Room from "Toy Story" or fly the Millennium Falcon in a "Star Wars" simulation. Activities range from arts and crafts and science experiments (like making goop) to playing video games or digital entertainment on the Magic Play Floor. Tweens and teens each have separate hangouts with lots of games and hangout space. How do you make a decision when your vacation choice falls to Disney Cruise Line versus Royal Caribbean? The cruise lines are different in many ways — discover what sets the lines apart to determine which is the best for you.

And virtually every port has information booths right outside the dock where you can book experiences directly. Visit Graycliff Chocolatier for a delicious hands-on exploration of the chocolate-making process. You’ll start with a fascinating factory tour, witnessing cacao beans being ground and roasted, liquid chocolate being mixed, and molds being filled.

For example, the cruise line may need to end a cruise in a particular port to reposition the ship to do some sailings from there. You'll have to get yourself back home from that port, but you may save on the cruise in the process. Those sorts of prices will only be available during the offseason, such as in mid-to-late January and early February or for repositioning cruises as the ship moves from, say, Puerto Rico to Florida. That same cruise during spring break can cost double or more, so the more date flexibility you have, the better. While some gratuity is included at Palo and Remy, you'll likely want to add an additional tip if you enjoyed the service. If you stay in a concierge-level room or suite, it is customary to tip the Concierge Lounge hosts at the end of your cruise a recommended amount of $8 per night per guest.

In short, ships are becoming floating versions of the most over-the-top family resorts on land and there's never been a more exciting time to try family cruising. That is, if you can figure out the right ship and cruise line for you. Royal Caribbean immediately suspended all calls in Labadee on March 14, despite the resort being secured by private barriers. The cancellations affected Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Adventure of the Seas, each set to visit within days of the initial unrest, as well as Grandeur of the Seas. Labadee is a private resort on Haiti’s northern coast, offering an array of adventures, including Adrenaline Beach, Dragon’s Beach, Nellie’s Beach, Columbus Cove, and Buccaneer’s Bay.

Disney Cruise Line sailings, however, offer even more with a stop at the line’s award-winning private island, Castaway Cay. The very best Disney Cruise Line Mexican cruise itinerary is the 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise from San Diego, visiting the quaint port of Ensenada as well as the picturesque Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula. This relaxed itinerary still enjoys abundant time in port as well as days at sea to experience all the fun of Disney Wonder, the ship currently offering this vacation. If you book it through Disney, it’s about $250 for adults and $140 for kids. If you self-book and work every angle, you might be able to get access to Aquaventure for $120-$140 so per person in the peak season, or $95-$110 in the off season. Compare that to Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon or Aquatica in Orlando, all of which are $75-ish for a full-price adult ticket (even less if you use one of the many discounts available).

The option for those still in swim diapers is some splash areas, such as Nemo's Reef and Dory's Reef. Each Disney ship has multiple pools, though if you've never been on a cruise, you may be initially shocked at how small they are — and how busy they can get. All of Disney Cruise Line's ships have some kind of waterslide on board.