Disney Cruises – How to Plan, Cruise Ship Options, Things to Do

Our ultimate guide to Disney Cruises is here to help give you an overview of all the Disney cruises offered, the ships, how to save money, and tips on making the best of your cruise! This is your first step towards planning a Disney Cruise that breaks down all the most important details guests need to know and offers all our Disney Cruise resources in one place.

Disney Cruise Line is known for its stellar customer service and commitment to families which is why they are one of the best cruise lines to sail with. You just can't beat Disney level customer service!

We have sailed with Disney Cruise Line multiple times and have experienced a variety of cruises from the Alaskan cruise and Marvel Day at Sea including a stop at Disney's private island in the Bahamas. During my most recent cruise I enjoyed all the offerings on the ship including the adult entertainment, rotational dining, Broadway-style shows, and now I have the all details you need to know to best plan your Disney Cruise!

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Disney Cruise Line Current Itineraries

Disney Cruise Line releases their upcoming yearly itineraries pretty far in advance with 2025 sailings already available for booking. You can also look at the list of the current 2024 sailings if you want to plan a cruise within the year.

There are also Disney Vacation Club Member exclusive cruise options that are available that are a hit with DVC members and their families with one just recently announced for 2025.

Guests looking for themed itineraries can also find Disney Cruises celebrating Halloween, Christmas, and even Marvel during Marvel Day at Sea. Past themed Day at Sea cruises have also included Pixar and Star Wars although Marvel Day at Sea is the only one on the itinerary for the moment.

Disney Cruise itineraries include many different destination options from the Caribbeans, Europe, Alaska, Bahamas and Disney's private island Castaway Cay.

Disney is also opening a brand new island in June 2023, Lighthouse Point, which is also located in the Bahamas.

What is Included in a Disney Cruise?

The pricing of a Disney Cruise will vary depending on how long of a cruise you're interested in, what level of stateroom you select, and what port you decide to cruise out of. Read our full guide here to see out breakdown of how much a Disney Cruise costs. 

To give you an idea, a 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami to Disney Castaway Cay and the Bahamas would start at $1750 per person for a basic, inside stateroom. This doesn't not cover the cost of any additional souvenirs, alcoholic drinks on board, airfare to the port, spending money at the destinations, and so on. The longer your cruise and the fancier of a stateroom you select, the higher the price. The further away your port is from where you live, the higher cost it will be for airfare. These are all important considerations to think through before selecting which cruise is right for you!

Before you book your Disney Cruise, it's a good idea to make sure you know what's included. Here is what is all included in your Disney Cruise:

• Entertainment: Broadway-caliber musicals, lively deck parties, character experiences, and fireworks at sea
• Spacious Staterooms: Designed for families with extra space and storage, sitting area, and split bath to allow more people to get ready at the same time.
• Dining: Rotational dinner dining with upscale offerings buffets, poolside snacks, 24-hour room service, soda.
• Youth Clubs: Kids can play in themed clubs for every age, staffed by specially trained Disney counselors.
• Pools & Recreation: Access to all the pools including the waterslides, hot tubs, and top deck pools.

Essentially, everything is included except alcoholic drinks, specialty drinks at the coffee bar and other lounges, popcorn and candy outside the theaters, dining at the adult exclusive restaurants, and any up charge experiences like exclusive character interactions, salon services, and onboard cocktail classes. And of course, all merchandise is excluded from the cost and port adventures. Guests that need to utilize the Health Center for emergency situations may also see charges although they do offer motion sickness meds at no cost if you forget to bring some! This is why you need to read our Disney Cruise packing list so you don't forget the essentials.

While your dining may be included, this doesn't usually include your gratuity. DCL gives you a couple of options on how to pay gratuity. We cover the best tips on handling gratuity along with other must know Disney Cruise Line hacks.

A Disney Cruise can average the same prices as a Walt Disney World trip or even less depending on the travel options you select. Read more about Walt Disney World vs. Disney Cruise.

For the best cost breakdown, read our full guide to how much a Disney Cruise costs and our guide on how to get the best discounts on a Disney Cruise. 

Disney Cruise Line Things to Do

The Disney Cruise Line ships all offer plenty of entertainment, recreation, dining experiences, and activities for every member of the family.

Recreation options feature multiple pools on the ship with most ships including a pool deck with a large screen to enjoy Disney movies while you swim. All ships feature water slides with some of the newer ships offering waterslides that are more like a dark ride attraction combined with the elements of a water slide.

Disney character experiences are frequently offered on the ships from meet and greets in the atriums to interactive Disney Princess meetings and Marvel characters on Marvel Day at Sea. 

Disney Cruise Line also offers the best in Disney entertainment in their Broadway-caliber shows which feature popular stories like Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, Frozen, Aladdin, and Moana. The shows take place in the evening and are often coordinated with your rotational dining.

All of the Disney Cruise Line ships feature some style of nighttime entertainment with the most common option being Pirate Night! Pirate Night includes pirate themed dining, a deck stage show including an appearance from Jack Sparrow and ends with fireworks at sea.

Disney Cruise Line also offers rotational dining which allows guests to experience every dinner experience on the ship. All of these restaurants are highly themed with some focusing on Disney animation while others may transport you to the setting of a serene conservatory. There are also Disney Cruise Line ships that offer theatrical dinner shows with characters from Frozen, Avengers, and Tangled.

Disney Cruise Line offers some of the best childcare and youth club options in the cruise industry for families to enjoy. These options vary from a nursery, a kids club, and an area for teens to enjoy. These spaces are highly themed and engaging for kids to enjoy. On some of the Disney Cruise Line ships, the teens club features its own private pool deck. And many of the kids clubs feature Star Wars themed interactive rooms. Kids won't want to leave these kids club, Disney does such a great job with the theming and activities. Read more about the youth clubs in our guide. 

Adults can enjoy a variety of adult themed lounges including some themed to Star Wars, classic nautical themed pubs, champagne bars with more coming soon later this year featuring a focus on Disney Park themes. Some of these lounges offer adult experiences like mixology classes, wine tasting, and other activities.

Adults can find plenty to do on the Disney Cruise ships with an onboard spa, private pool area, and adult exclusive luxury dining. Read more about everything that Disney Cruise line offers for adults in my review.

While all the Disney Cruise Line ships offer a variety of these experiences, the exact offerings like shows, dining options, and other activities may vary by ship. This is why choosing your ship is such an important part of a Disney Cruise!

Disney Cruise Line Fleet

The Disney Cruises Line Fleet is made up of five ships all with state of the art comfort, Disney quality service, dining, Disney entertainment and activities, and exotic ports to stop at. The Broadway-caliber shows, entertainment, dining, and theming will slightly vary from ship to ship. Disney's innovative Rotational Dining for its cruise ships means that you'll “rotate” to one of three different restaurants each night of your cruise with unique menus.

A big consideration for many guests planning a Disney Cruise is to decide which cruise ship they prefer. I will list them below in order of newest ship to oldest although some of the older ships are just as charming as the new ones, it really comes down to personal preference. You can see our guide to all of the Disney Cruise ship classes and which one ranks best here.

Each ship has something unique whether it is ship specific Broadway-caliber shows, themed dining, or water slide attractions. This makes the experience of enjoying multiple Disney Cruises so fun as you can explore different features on all these ships. The newest ships will usually be the most costly so that is also something to keep into account.

Disney has been working hard to expand their Disney Cruise Ship fleet including the current work on the Disney Destiny which will be the newest ship to debut in 2025.

Disney Treasure

The Disney Treasure is the newest Disney Cruise Line ship. The Disney Treasure is the sister ship to the Disney Wish meaning that it has a similar deck layout and restaurants. The theme of this Disney Cruise Line ship is inspired by adventure and incorporates designed elements from around the world. Disney Treasure will set sail for the first time at the end of 2024. Read our full guide to the Disney Treasure.

What makes this Disney Cruise ship special? The Disney Treasure is debuting a brand new Coco themed dining experience along with multiple Disney Parks-inspired lounges. These lounges are inspired by the Jungle Cruise, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Haunted Mansion. There will also be EPCOT high end suites available as well. These are just a few of the experiences that guests are most excited about but is especially a large draw for theme park fans. The Disney Treasure also has the AquaMouse which is the first ever cruise attraction that first debuted on the Disney Wish.

Where are the Ports of Call? Disney Treasure departs Port Canaveral and sails to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Disney Castaway Cay.

What special shows at on the Disney Treasure? The Broadway quality live shows on the Disney Treasure includes a brand new show exclusive to the ship Disney “The Tale of Moana.” This show will join existing favorites like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Disney Seas the Adventure.” Read everything we know about this new Moana Broadway-caliber show.

What dining options are on the Disney Treasure? There are two brand new dining experiences on the Disney Treasure: a Coco-themed theatrical experience and a Zootopia sweetshop. Read our full coverage of this brand-new Coco-themed theatrical dining experience. 

The Disney Treasure will also includes Disney Parks-inspired lounges and a suite for the first time featuring Jungle Cruise, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Haunted Mansion! EPCOT will be featured in one of the high end suites. Read more about these Disney Parks themes coming to the Disney Treasure in our guide.

The Disney Treasure is going to be a great addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet and many theme park fans are incredibly excited about these new park inspired lounges.

Disney Wish 

The Disney Wish is the sister ship to the Disney Treasure and is one of the newest Disney Cruise Line ships. The theme of the Disney Wish focuses on the stories of enchantment and tales of wishes coming true. Read our full guide to the Disney Wish. 

What makes this Disney Cruise ship special? The Disney Wish features the first ever cruise ship attraction, the AquaMouse, which is a combination of a water slide and dark ride in one. The main dining rooms also feature interactive character experiences with Frozen and Marvel characters providing more interaction than some of the other ships offer during dinner. This ship also features the newest Disney show featuring the story of The Little Mermaid.

Where are the Ports of Call? The Wish is currently offering three- and four-night voyages to Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay departing from Port Canaveral, Florida.

What special shows at on the Disney Wish? The Broadway quality live shows on the Disney Wish includes one of the newest shows creating exclusively for the ship “The Little Mermaid” which joins other favorite shows like “Disney Seas the Adventure” and “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular.”

What dining options are on the Disney Wish? The Disney Wish features a variety of interactive main dining options including Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure and Avengers: Quantum Encounter. The Frozen themed dinner is a theatrical dining experience that includes interactions with the Frozen characters. The Avengers experience is focused on Ant-Man and the Wasp with guests having the fun of their own interactive Quantum Core at the table to shrink and grow objects. The ship also features a Star Wars themed adult lounge with windows that look out to outer space.

The Disney Wish has been a hit with most guests although it has currently only been running shorter voyages, likely to allow more guests to experience this new Disney Cruise Ship, so if you are looking for a longer cruise you may want to opt for a different ship.

Disney Fantasy

The Disney Fantasy is the sister ship to the Disney Dream and is considered a masterpiece of design and engineering with Art Nouveau allure with modern touches. Read our full guide to the Disney Fantasy.

What makes this Disney Cruise ship special? The Disney Fantasy is one of the largest Disney Cruise Line ships and has been praised by many guests for its great layout and high quality dining experiences. The Disney Fantasy also features the AquaDuck, a twisting water coaster that extends over the side of the ship. The Disney Fantasy, along with the Disney Dream, are the only two ships that feature a private pool deck for the teens club.

Where are the Ports of Call? This cruise ship features Ports of Call in the Disney's private island Castaway Cay. the Eastern Caribbean, and the Western Caribbean.

What special shows at on the Disney Fantasy? The live shows on the Disney Fantasy includes “Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular,” “Tangled: The Musical” and “Disney’s Believe.”

What dining options are on the Disney Fantasy? The dining options on the Disney Fantasy included dinner dining options that celebrate Disney characters Animator's Palate with interactive character screens, the Royal Court which is inspired by Disney's fairytales, and the Enchanted Garden which is themed dining in a conservatory setting.

The Disney Fantasy is a fan favorite cruise ship and many guests praise the layout for being easy to navigate which is often one of the complaints the Wish has received which does not offer a midship elevator system.

Disney Dream

The Disney Dream is the sister ship to the Disney Fantasy and is considered a masterpiece of design and engineering with Art Nouveau allure with modern touches. These two ships are quite similar to each other with the main differences being in the available live shows. Read our full guide to the Disney Dream. 

What makes this Disney Cruise ship special? The Disney Dream is one of the largest Disney Cruise Line ships and has been praised by many guests for its great layout and high quality dining experiences. The Disney Dream also features the AquaDuck, a twisting water coaster that extends over the side of the ship. The Disney Dream, along with the Disney Fantasy, are the only two ships that feature a private pool deck for the teens club.

Where are the Ports of Call? This cruise ship features Ports of Call in the Bahamas, Mexico, and Disney's private island Castaway Cay.

What special shows at on the Disney Dream? The live shows on the Disney Dream includes “Beauty and the Beast,” “Golden Mickeys” and “Disney’s Believe.”

What dining options are on the Disney Dream? The dining options on the Disney Dream offer rotational dining that celebrates Disney characters Animator's Palate with interactive character screens, the Royal Palace which is inspired by Disney's fairytales, and the Enchanted Garden which is themed dining in a conservatory setting.

The Disney Dream is a fan favorite cruise ship and many guests praise the layout for being easy to navigate which is often one of the complaints the Wish has received which does not offer a midship elevator system. We loved the Disney Dream on our recent sailing to Castaway Cay.

Read our full guide to our experience on a recent Disney Cruise on the Disney Dream.

Disney Wonder

The Disney Wonder cruise ship's theme focuses on fantasy and the fantastical worlds Disney has created. This ship is known for its classic design with 11 decks filled with restaurants, pools, recreation, and entertainment options. This is one of the older Disney Cruise Line ships so it is smaller than the others listed above which average around 14 decks.

What makes this Disney Cruise ship special? This ship is celebrated for its on board dining experiences like Tiana's Place and entertainment options like “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular” and Marvel Super Hero Academy for Kids.

Where are the Ports of Call? This cruise ship features Ports of Call in the Bahamas, Alaska, and the Caribbean.

What special shows at on the Disney Wonder? The live shows on the Disney Wonder include “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular,” “The Golden Mickeys” and “Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic.”

What dining options are on the Disney Wonder? Dining dinner options on the ship include the popular Tiana's Palace which features southern cooking and live jazz music- along with appearances from Tiana. The other main rotational dinner options are Animator's Palate themed to Disney animation with interactive character screens and Triton's which is themed after The Little Mermaid.

The Disney Wonder is one of the smaller Disney Cruise Line ships but it is also still highly celebrated since a smaller ship has its own benefits making it easier to navigate and creates more opportunities to connect with others on the ship! Plus this is the cruise ship that departs on Alaska adventures which we rave about in our Alaska Disney Cruise review.

Disney Magic

The Disney Magic is the original Disney Cruise Line ship offering plenty of nostalgia for long time cruisers and traditional decor with a Disney theme.This ship is known for its classic design with 11 decks filled with restaurants, pools, recreation, and entertainment options. This is one of the older Disney Cruise Line ships so it is smaller than the others listed above which average around 14 decks. Read our full guide to the Disney Magic.

What makes this Disney Cruise ship special? This ship is celebrated for its onboard dining experiences like Rapunzel's Royal Table featuring interactions with the characters from Tangled and entertainment options like “Tangled: The Musical” and Marvel Super Hero Academy for Kids.

Where are the Ports of Call? This cruise ship features Ports of Call in the Bahamas, Alaska, and the Caribbean.

What special shows at on the Disney Magic? The live shows on the Disney Magic include “Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story,” “Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic” and “Tangled: The Musical.”

What dining options are on the Disney Magic? Dining dinner options on the ship include Rapunzel's Royal Table inspired by the Disney film Tangled and featuring interactions with Tangled characters. The other main rotational dinner options are Animator's Palate themed to Disney animation with interactive character screens and Luiere's serving American and French foods.

The Disney Magic has the charm of being the original Disney Cruise Line ship and featuring classical nautical cruise line atmosphere with Disney touches. The Disney Magic received a refurbishment in 2023 which greatly improved all the areas on the ship that were feeling outdated including a new “Soul” themed lounge.

Staterooms on Disney Cruise Ships

The Disney Cruise Line ships offer the same style and range of staterooms for guests to enjoy. Think of these as similar to hotel rooms with varying costs associated with upgrades to more space and better views.

Even the lowest priced option, the inside stateroom, has top notch amenities for guests. These standard rooms sleep up to four guests and comes with a TV, fridge, bathroom, couch, and all the amenities you'd expect in a standard Disney hotel room.

The neat part about the inside staterooms on the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish ships is they feature a Magical Porthole which provides guests with a real time view of the ship's exterior by reflecting your staterooms actual location. High-definition cameras feed live video to an LCD flat-screen monitor cleverly disguised as a porthole, with the help of a stylized frames. Watch for the Disney characters that may float by!

The next tier up is the Oceanview stateroom which offers at least one large porthole window. These rooms also offer more space than the Inside staterooms. Oceanview rooms are a good choice for guests that want a window but don't necessarily feel the need for a private balcony.

Verandah rooms are the most spacious non-concierge staterooms that come with a private verandah with chairs and a small table. This room is the best choice for large families and guests that want their own private outdoor space.

Concierge staterooms are the most luxurious accommodations with their own private verandahs and premium services. Sizes of concierge rooms vary and start with one bedrooms up to royal suites.

Disney's Personal Island Castaway Cay

A port of call on many Bahamian and Caribbean cruises, Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island paradise reserved for Disney Cruise Line Guests. Offerings include:

• A buffet-style barbecue lunch
• Coffee, tea and soda
• All-you-care-to-eat ice cream
• Beaches, including a family beach and adult-only beach
• Beach chairs, umbrellas and hammocks
• Beach towels
• Island entertainment
• Clubs for kids and teens
• Hiking trails
• Beach sports
• Yoga classes
• A splash zone
• Pelican Plunge waterslide
• Tram transportation
• Castaway Cay 5K with finisher medal

Castaway Cay is a place to enjoy tropical weather and world-class recreation on a Bahamian oasis with Disney hospitality. Everything needed for the beach is provided—from lounge chairs and beach umbrellas.

Read our review of Castaway Cay in our guide.

Disney Cruises Destinations