Plan Your Disney Cruise Line Vacation
With the launch of Disney Cruise Line in 1998, families were offered yet another reason to take a cruise. The magic of a Walt Disney resort vacation plus the romance of a sea voyage are a tempting combination, especially for adults who discovered Disney movies and the Mickey Mouse Club as children. Mixed with traditional shipboard activities, who can resist scheduled opportunities for the young and young-at-heart to interact with their favorite Disney characters?
Although Disney Cruise Line voyages stuck to tried-and-true Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries in their formative years, and sailed exclusively from Port Canaveral, Florida, where a terminal was designed especially for Disney ships, the line has branched out to other regions, including Alaska and Europe.
Key Disney Cruise Line Tips
Are you a first-time cruiser? View our helpful hints and tips on Your Shipmates, Dress Code, Junior Cruisers, and much more! See Tips
Top Reasons To Cruise
- Character Interaction Disney characters make frequent appearances.
- Classic Ships Classic ship design (Disney's are the first passenger ships since the 1950s to have two funnels).
- Entertainment Some of the best entertainment at sea for guests of all ages.
- Fireworks Among the few ships that are allowed to host fireworks at sea.
- Kid Stuff Excellent facilities for children and teens.
Is This Line Right For You?
Choose This Line If
- You want to cruise with the entire family—Mom, Dad, the kids, and grandparents.
- You enjoy having kids around. (There are adults-only areas to retreat to when the fun wears off.)
- Your family enjoys Disney's theme parks and can't get enough wholesome entertainment.
Don't Choose This Line If
- You want to spend a lot of quality time bonding with your kids. Your kids may not want to leave the fun activities.
- You want to dine in peace and quiet. The dining rooms and buffet can be boisterous.
- You want to gamble. There are no casinos, so you'll have to settle for bingo.
What To Expect On Board
Food
Don't expect top chefs and gourmet food. This is Disney, and the fare in each ship’s casual restaurants is all-American for the most part. A third restaurant is a bit fancier, with French-inspired dishes on the menus. Naturally, all have children's menus with an array of
favorite sandwiches and entrées. Vegetarian and healthy selections are also available in all restaurants. A bonus is complimentary soft drinks, lemonade, and iced tea throughout the sailing. A beverage station in the buffet area is always open; however, there is a charge for soft drinks ordered from the bars and room service.
Palo, the adults-only restaurant serving Northern Italian cuisine, requires reservations for a romantic evening of fine dining. Although there's a cover charge for dinner, it's a steal and reservations go fast. A brunch also commands a surcharge. More upscale and pricey, Remy on Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy serves French cuisine in an elegant atmosphere.
Entertainment
Shipboard entertainment leans heavily on popular Disney themes and characters. Parents are actively involved in the audience with their children at production shows, movies, live character meetings, deck parties, and dancing in the family nightclub. Teens have a supervised,
no-adults-allowed club space in the forward fake funnel, where they gather for activities and parties. For adults, there are traditional no-kids-allowed bars and lounges with live music, dancing, theme parties, and late-night comedy, as well as daytime wine-tasting sessions, game shows, culinary arts and home entertaining demonstrations, and behind-the-scenes lectures on animation and filmmaking. This is Disney, so there are no casinos.
A giant LED screen is affixed to the forward funnels of both the original ships and their newer fleetmates. Passengers can watch movies and special broadcasts while lounging in the family pool area.
Fitness and Recreation
Three swimming pool areas are designated for different groups: children (Mickey's Pool, which has a waterslide and requires a parent to be present); families (Goofy Pool); and adults (Quiet Cove). Young children who aren't potty trained can't swim in the pools but are invited
to splash about in the fountain play area near Mickey's Pool. Be sure to bring their swim diapers.
The salon and spa feature a complete menu of hair- and nail-care services as well as facials and massages. The Tropical Rainforest is a soothing coed thermal suite with heated tile lounges. It's complimentary for the day if you book a spa treatment or available on a daily or cruise-long basis for a fee. SpaVillas are indoor–outdoor treatment suites that feature a veranda with a hot tub and an open-air shower. In addition to a nicely equipped fitness center and aerobics studio are a jogging track and basketball court.