Disney Treasure Cruise Ship Review – What’s Good & Bad About Disney’s Newest Ship

This is our Disney Treasure review. This is Disney's newest cruise ship. The ship brings to life stories of adventure from across Disney movies and, for the first time, the Disney theme parks.

We had the opportunity to experience the ship ahead of its debut. First we got an early preview of the Disney Treasure in New York City and now I just got back from a three-day preview cruise onboard. The photos that I took and shared here are just some of the highlights of the new ship. In this review I'll aim to share the best parts and worst parts of the new ship. You can see a ranking of the best Disney Cruise ships here.

The new stories told on the ship through themed spaces, shows, and restaurants set this ship apart from the others in the Disney fleet. These themed spaces help the ship to overcome some of it's problems. Like the Disney Wish, the layout is a bit hard to navigate and there are some design decisions that go against the good aspects of other ships in the Disney fleet.

Disney Treasure Review – Best Parts of Ship

The best parts about the Disney Treasure ship are the incredible themed spaces and finishes used to bring the Disney stories of adventure to life. So many of the offerings onboard clearly benefited from being personal passion projects for the Disney Imagineers designing them.

Each one of the spaces onboard packed a punch and each element brought new levels of detail beyond anything we've seen before on Disney Cruise Line.

Some of the elements that I loved were highly promoted and others were surprising offerings that I didn't really get to enjoy until I was onboard.

Tale of Moana

The Tale of Moana is a fantastic stage show that brought to life this new-age Walt Disney Animation classic. This is the first Disney stage adaption of Moana anywhere. The show combines impressive physical effects, projections, and puppetry. You can see a photo of the super impressive Te Fiti puppet from the finale of the show above.

I've now seen some parts of this show two times and there are multiple moments where I still can't quite tell how they pulled off the impressive scene in the show.

The Tale of Moana show contains references to the cultures of the Pacific Islands where the story takes place in its set design, featuring songs in a mix of languages, including Tuvaluan, Tokelauan, and Samoan.

The best parts of the movie were elevated and restructured in a way that makes sense for the stage. The timing of some songs was shifted and side characters were cut. All of the changes in addition to the amazing choreography make this one of the highlights of the new ship.

Indiana Jones “Choose Wisely” Show and Storytellers Generally

READ MORE – 13 Spooky (and Somewhat Disturbing) Secrets of Disney’s Haunted Mansion You Don’t Know

One night the ages 18+ adults-only Serabi lounge transforms into the Serabi Supper Club with special drinks, jazz singing, and a fantastic comedy show to retell the story of the Indiana Jones movies. Featuring crowd interaction and everyday items as props, two comics rush through a retelling of the movies with plenty of Disney inside jokes. The show isn't really adult beyond some references to Indiana Jones being attractive. This was a great relaxed atmosphere that allowed the crowd to let out some late-night energy.

This show goes above and beyond what we've seen in adult spaces on the other ships. I loved the entire experience that they put together here.

Coriander and Sage, who perform in the Indiana Jones show, put on comedic shows throughout the voyage. They also lead the final evening farewell show that lights up the Grand Hall from the magic lamp. I loved the energy that these two brought. Their characters seem to be based on the traveling storyteller from the opening scene of Aladdin. They were a wonderful addition to the entertainment onboard.

Oceaneers Kids Clubs

These spaces are on every single Disney Cruise ship, but they are worth mentioning every time. I love the designs of the different spaces. When I have gotten the chance to come in here for an open house – there's one on every sailing so that adults can check this out too – I wished that I could settle in and play too.

There are also other great kids' clubs and spaces. In the Hero Zone, it was a ton of fun to see the blow-up Incredi-Games obstacle course for the entire family to come and race and play here together.

Haunted Mansion Parlor

For the first time ever, Disney created a Haunted Mansion-themed bar. The Haunted Mansion Parlor delivers an incredible amount of detail and storytelling in a small space. I was amazed at how many different special effects there are.

From changing portraits to ghosts appearing in the mirror to props coming to life around the room, there was always something happening. When we shared our first look at the Haunted Mansion Parlor with tons of photos, it was difficult to even capture all of the details.

The bar draws inspiration from the original Haunted Mansion with several references to the attraction and elements paying homage to the work of Imagineer Rolly Crump like a bust referencing the “Candle Man” and a spooky fish aquarium. Pictured above is the mirror above the bar which changes as iconic ghosts like Madame Leota and the Hitchhiking Ghosts materialize. The story of the Haunted Mansion Parlor continues the legacy of the beloved attraction with a new storyline following the fate of a jovial sea captain and his bride-to-be.

This is a space that was clearly designed by teams with a passion for the Haunted Mansion. There are just so many layers here. The space looks even better in person than the concept artwork that was released. We kept coming back here again and again to enjoy the ambiance and find a new detail. The emptiest I saw it was during a period when half the ship was at dinner and the other half largely was in one of the stage shows.

Jungle Cruise Bar

The Disney Imagineers took an open lounge space and brought in so much detail and fun to make it into a notable themed space. The Jungle Cruise Bar is another highlight of the ship that pays tribute to the famous attraction and its skippers.

The lounge is designed with camp-style furnishings in natural colors and is filled with fun decorative touches like a canopy of tropical foliage overhead, parrot-shaped chandeliers, and references to the attraction like the vintage-style luggage with travel stickers depicting locations from Jungle Cruise attractions around the world. This fun space plays Disney Parks music including spiels from Jungle Cruise skippers from around the world speaking in a variety of languages like English, Dutch, French, Cantonese, and more.

You can see our more detailed tour of this Jungle Cruise lounge on the Disney Treasure and all of the details added into this space.

Periscope Pub

Periscope Pub is a new space themed to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The lounge features big windows that appear as if you are looking into the deep sea with different animals fish and sharks by throughout the time in here.

The space has great details and is a perfect place to stay later into the night. I loved the Haunted Mansion Parlor but it's easier to talk and see the person you're talking to in here.

This space also features various artifacts, drawings, and books used by Captain Nemo and his crew during their explorations. There are several interesting references to the film and attraction throughout the space, like the numbers on the dial behind the beer taps that are representative of all the current ships. You can see our article with a photo tour of this new 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea bar.

The lounges onboard the Disney Treasure are really what set this ship apart from the Disney Wish ship. The attention to detail and clear care that went into every single one of these is just fantastic.

Stateroom Themes

All throughout the ship were these stunning rugs with big bright colors evoking Aladdin. I love this color palette and the richness that comes with that. The same style is carried through to the staterooms.

My room was themed to Aladdin and had a big painting above the bed of the city from the movie and a magic carpet with Aladdin and Jasmine. The rugs and finishes throughout the room also featured the same great purple color. There's also a map of the land of Agrabah from the movie.

A hidden detail in the stateroom – there's a painting with Genie on the ceiling of the pull-down bed space with text reading “Phenomenal cosmic powers, itty-bitty living space.” As someone who has slept on the Disney Cruise pull-down beds on a family vacation, I connect with that sentiment.

Check out a more in depth tour of the different staterooms onboard the Disney Treasure to see the different designs. Don't miss the look at the Royal Suite and the EPCOT-themed Tomorrow Tower Suite.

Restaurant Dining Onboard

There are three restaurants onboard for rotational dining. The three restaurants are themed to Marvel, Coco, and classic Hollywood with Disney Animation references. Rotational dining is where your entire wait staff rotates with you every single night so that they can get to know your preferences and make the entire dining experience more personalized. This concept was introduced by Disney Cruise Line and is a key factor in what makes Disney sailings so special.

The Marvel restaurant features cute shows on screens located around diners which feature trivia and little show elements. There are two shows. One is new featuring baby Groot and another is the same Spider-Man-themed show that already happens on the Disney Wish.

Disney Treasure Dining Best Food

Across the board, the food was great. Of all the menus I liked the food at Worlds of Marvel and 1923 the best. They delivered quality offerings at each one of the restaurants. Though the Plaza de Coco foods didn't quite deliver on the same level, the dinner show experience was the best of the trip.

There is also so much more food even beyond the dinner restaurants. Throughout the day I was impressed by the foods available at Marceline's, the buffet area open throughout the day for other meals, as well as the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods which consists of different food stalls near the pool area. The foods there include BBQ (very good, and sweet potato fries available), pizza, burgers, Mexican at a Chipotle-style station. Of course, you'll also find unlimited soft-serve ice cream up here. There's also an upcharge gelato place, themed to Zootopia, called Jumbeaux's Sweets which is super cute and quite tempting to stop in and enjoy.

Coco Restaurant

The Coco restaurant was a highlight from the sailing. More so than any of the food items, the experience stands out as a great celebration of Mexican culture and the fantastic Coco movie. I loved all of the references and details in the restaurant itself. The show performed here is also fantastic.

The live music and character interactions make this dinner show a standout as one of the better dinner show experiences on Disney Cruise Line. You can read more about the secrets of the Coco restaurant we learned from Imagineers and the Pixar director of the movie.

Concierge Lounge With Private Pool

The concierge lounge on the Disney Treasure is both indoors and outdoors. The lounge is stocked full with slightly nicer foods than you'll find at Marceline's at all hours of the day.

The lounge is both indoors and outdoors. The second level has its own outdoor section with a private bar and pool area. The bar is complete with a Dole Whip machine though it's more of a slushee than the classic Dole Whips in the theme parks.

Hook's Barbery and Untangled Salon

The Disney Treasure is also home to two salons onboard. One is themed around Tangled and another around Captain Hook. The Captain Hook-themed barber shop also has a secret whiskey bar.

During my cruise, I got a haircut, shave, and facial here. The entire experience was very relaxing and quite intense. The facial in particular removed layers of skin I didn't even know I had on my face. Quite an intense yet relaxing experience.

Disney Treasure Review – What Isn't As Good

When Disney launched the Disney Wish, it was the first cruise ship in their new Triton class of ships. Unfortunately, that ship design introduced some layout issues that remain onboard this ship. Things like the placement of gift shops or the removal of a midship elevator don't seem like a big deal, but they can impact the way that guests experience the ship.

Many of these layout issues couldn't be changed here. Where they could change things, spaces were opened up and design elements were enhanced to mask issues.

Disney's next ship, the Disney Destiny which will be themed to heroes and villains, will also have this same layout. Here's some of what doesn't quite work about it for us. Almost all of these things are more of a heads-up than a recommendation not to go for any reason.

No Large Pool on Main Deck

There are lots of small pools scattered throughout the main deck area and then a large open space for deck chairs where it feels like there should be a main pool. The entire time on the ship I kind of felt like I was missing something about where the main pool onboard was.

The smaller pools are nice to enjoy lounging in for adults, but for kids, these give way less opportunity for swimming around and splashing in one space. The lack of pool may be partially made up for by the Aqua Mouse water roller coaster which loops around the top of the ship. This attraction features all different storylines throughout the cruise. There's a new story that debuted specifically for the Disney Treasure.

Different Kids Areas Split Up

The different pools that are most appealing for kids are all split into different areas of the ship on the top decks. One splash pad for kids is at the far end of the ship on another level than the main pool area. The splash pad, which is themed to Toy Story, is super cute but it's just too bad that it's in such a separate space.

There's also a kids' pool, the Chip ‘n' Dale pool, located far away from the others which was apparently intentional to give kids impacted by crowded spaces a place to escape with their parents. I like the concept, but the reality of having to trek up here down some winding corridors means that the space was not crowded when I arrived at this “secret” pool.

The pool areas split up also impacted some of the adult spaces.

Adults Areas Layout

The adult's spaces are also impacted by the ship's layout. The popular Cove Cafe and Cove Bar spaces are pushed all the way to the back of the ship in a far corner with only one way in. It restricts traffic and doesn't make this area very inviting to hang out in. The main pool here is also disappointingly not a hot tub but instead a shallow infinity pool. The only hot tub up here that I could find was in a corner part of the way along the pathway.

Beyond the pool area, it's also a bit frustrating that the nighttime adult spaces are all spread out around the center floors of the ship which makes it unnecessarily difficult to navigate. There are lots of luxury shops in the midship that were often empty and would have been far better off as expanded space for the Haunted Mansion Parlor. It would have also been great to have those shops consolidated into one area. On the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, the adult venues are all in one space as are all of the teen venues.

No Track Around Ship to Walk or Run

Unfortunately there isn't a proper track onboard the ship like there is on all of the older ship classes. The track here is between two floors with steep stairs interrupting the loop. I wish that there was a proper track here in the same way that other ships have it. The track is great for guests and also, I would imagine, for crew who need a place to get workouts in while at sea.

Some have suggested that the lack of a track isn't something that would disappoint a cruise audience, but I've heard from multiple other passengers how much they missed it. On the plus side, the workout facility here was very nice as seen above. We also just learned that Peloton Bikes are headed to all the Disney Cruise ships.

Three Days Isn't Enough

There is just so much to see on this ship. I wanted to have multiple visits to each of the new spaces as well as to enjoy the different entertainment programming. There are also the premium dinner offerings which I didn't even consider trying out on this sailing. There just wasn't enough time to take it all in during our three-night preview sailing.

Walking away, all that I could think was “wow I wish we had more time.” Thankfully for those who opt to book the Disney Treasure, the itineraries are all seven-night sailings so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy all of the new offerings along with stops at Disney Cruise Line's private islands.

Should You Sail on the Disney Treasure?

Hopefully, throughout this review you can get a sense of how much I enjoyed my time on this new cruise ship. The ship is purpose built for guests who have some interest and connection to the most classic Disney stories.

I was thrilled with all of the details of the different spaces and the entertainment that I saw. The offerings were clearly labors of love for so many who worked on the ship.

Overall I was very pleased with this ship. I definitely ranks as one of the best Disney Cruise Line ships now based simply on all of the incredible details, thoughtfully created themed lounges, wonderful entertainment, and other new offerings onboard. The ship raises the bar on what fans can expect for new Disney ships.

Be sure to check out our overall review of Disney Cruise Line from a theme park fan. Let us know your thoughts on Disney Cruise Line below.