No doubt about it, for some people, the cost of a Disney trip can be overwhelmingly expensive. Once you add up travel, park tickets, accommodation, food & drink and all that into the mix.
So, why not try a Disney Cruise? Pretty much everything above is included in the price AND more than you might get in a Disney Parks holiday!!
If you’re a Disney fan, you will absolutely LOVE these cruises, whether travelling with children, as an all adult group or by yourself! Let’s dive in!! (But not literally though… stay onboard!!)
THE DISNEY DIFFERENCE!
What makes the Disney Difference on board these ships? So many things! For a start, the service is absolutely second to none, but here are just a few other things that stand out to me!
IMAGINATIVE DINING
Sometimes called Rotational dining, this is unique to Disney Cruise Line and is a really fab feature. Each ship has not one, but three themed dining rooms. On your first night you will be booked into one, and you will rotate around them throughout your cruise. Not only that, your service team comes with you, so you get to know them and they get to know you, your group and you definitely bond with each other!! Even on a short trip!
Depending on which ship you choose, you could be dining in King Triton’s, with Rapunzel, attending Anna and Kristoff’s engagement party, on mission with Ant-Man and the Wasp or having a turtle-y good time with Crush! To name just a few!
My favourite part about the dining rooms? The food is all included. I mean ALL included!! Do you want 3 starters, a main and a dessert? Go for it! Want ALL the desserts??? Have it your way! Get a taste of everything you want. Just…. start the cruise with your tightest clothes and make your way to loosest by the end – just trust me!!
Speaking of FOOD – on every ship you will also find quick service dining included, all you can eat soft-serve ice cream as well as 24hr room service available to your stateroom! Want a Mickey ice cream bar and pizza at 3am? You can have it!!
There are some restaurants and snacks that come with an extra cost, but these are not obligatory by any means. You can totally eat and drink (soft drinks with meals and from vending machines are all included. Alcohol is an additional price) to your hearts desire within the cost of your cruise!
YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT
I really can’t call them “Kids’ Clubs” even though everyone does, because these are MORE than just kids’ clubs. In what other Kids Club can you fly the Millennium Falcon? Or hang out in Andy’s Room with the actual Toy Story gang with no waiting in line? What about chilling with your fellow teens in a fully dedicated deck area at the front of the ship, with your own pool and hot tub?
Children are catered for from the age of 6 months to 17 years in five distinct entertainment groups (plus an unofficial 18-20s group too for when you’re too cool for both the adults and the teens!) and the schedule is jam-packed with stuff to do. Whenever I would look at the days events, the last thing going on at night was always something for the teens!
Your young ones might not be interested in visiting these areas at all, but rest assured that if they are, or if they change their minds, they will have a great time! And a safe one! With an app for parents and bands for the kiddos, so they can keep in touch and keep an eye out for their kids too!
CHARACTERS!
If you and your family love meeting characters, you will probably never see as many characters in one place with such regularity as on a Disney Cruise. They are EVERYWHERE!
For example, on my recent cruise on the Disney Dream, Donald Duck (my favourite!) was out every single day for meet and greets – in different outfits that I had NEVER seen in the parks!! The same can be said for all the characters! And then on any given day at random times, you could be walking around the ship and just bump into a princess on a stroll! Or Captain Hook out checking the mizzen mast (and being disappointed that there isn’t one!)
And even better than this? The characters can REMEMBER YOU! An example – a group of 4 of us happened upon Princess Ariel walking around and she complimented my earrings! (my whosits!! if you know you know!) I told her I had more and would show her. The next time she saw me she asked and looked at my earrings again!
Now for me, as an extremely over-excited Disney adult, this was amazing, but seeing children being remembered by their favourite princess or character? There’s nothing more magical!
Look out for Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel Days at Sea too, where there will be even more of those characters to meet
ENTERTAINMENT
There is so much to do on board a Disney Cruise, you’ll never want to get off!! Not only are there character meet and greets, but there is always something going on in the lounges like trivia, gameshow-type events, arts and crafts, tours of the ship, the Midship Detective Agency, the on board cinema and the big screen in the funnel (Funnel Visions!) showing old releases AND brand new (sometimes before they are available on land!)
If exercise is your thing, there is a walking/jogging deck and a gym. And a stunning Spa with treatments available (for an additional cost)
Not all of the above is available on every ship but you will never lack for something fun to do!
And EVERY ship has deck parties and fantastic Broadway / West End calibre evening entertainment. Grab some popcorn, take your seat and enjoy full length Disney shows designed especially for Disney Cruise Line! And on some sailings – fireworks at sea and Pirate nights!
ATTRACTIONS!
Okay so you’re not going to find rollercoasters on the Disney cruise ships, that is true – BUT you get several really great swimming pools without having to head back to your resort to use them. Plus you have got a really cool water slide on every ship, or in the case of the Disney Wish, the world’s first Disney attraction at sea in the form of the Aqua Mouse!
There’s a fantastic Finding Nemo inspired Splash Pad too for the littlies that aren’t quite ready for the big pool!
And if you don’t have kiddos with you, there are adult only pools as well!
DESTINATIONS
I would honestly say, with a lot of cruise lines, the destination is the thing that helps you decide which cruise to go for. With Disney, you’re choosing Disney first, and the destination comes after. That’s not to say that Disney doesn’t have some AMAZING itineraries!
If you want to head somewhere hot, then take a flight to the US and do a Caribbean or Bahamian cruise – this will almost invariably include Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay (pronounced Quay/Key) or their new island Lighthouse Point, where the ship extends out – food is included from the quick service restaurant there and you’ll find characters dotted about too!
If you want to stay closer to home, we have some fab itineraries on board the Disney Fantasy for 2025 without having to leave the UK to set sail, as they depart from Southampton! From 3 nights all the way up to 12 if you fancy a full holiday!
Excursions are available at all ports for an additional fee and there’s usually something for everyone! But if you are on a budget and like to make your own way, there is very often some kind of local shuttle to the destination too.
Or, if you fancy having a Disney ship almost to yourself, a port day is a great time to do that too!
ADULT ONLY SPACES
We’ve mentioned the kids’ spaces and there’s plenty to do as a family on board, but don’t think for one minute if you’re an adults only party that you’ll be stuck! There is a whole lot that’s almost entirely dedicated to you! Find the Senses Spa, the adults only sundeck and pools, lots of delightful bars and the fantastic restaurants Palo, Remy and Enchante (depending on which ship) Not to mention, when you get to Castaway Cay you’ll find Serenity Bay, the adults only beach for you to relax!
Last but definitely not least:
ACCOMODATION
I’ve left this until the end, because honestly, with so much to do, you won’t be in your stateroom all that much!
No matter which ship you choose, you will be staying on board a world-class cruise liner! From the moment you step aboard any of the 6 ships (currently! So many more on the way!) , you will instantly be immersed in classic Disney imagineering, design and service. They will even announce you onto the ship by name! It’s so much fun!
With exquisite staterooms, starting from an Inside Stateroom with a magic porthole to a Family OceanView stateroom with Verandah, and even Concierge – Disney Cruise Line’s club level if you want to take it up another notch – you will be sleeping in comfort! And I do literally mean just sleeping, because as I’ve already mentioned above, there is so much to do on board, you’ll only be heading back to your stateroom for sleep!
And with a dedicated stateroom host, you’ll have another crew member that gets to know you and your family, and look after you as if you were a part of theirs. Plus their towel animal skills are no joke!
ENJOY!
I really can’t recommend a Disney Cruise enough, especially if you have little ones who aren’t quite big or old enough for the actual parks yet. Or if you think that the full on “Disney all the time” of Disneyland Paris of Walt Disney World might just be a bit too much for any member of your group, a cruise is a superb choice for the whole family. You can all do everything together, or easily split up for the day and meet for dinner and all have a fantastic time. Why not combine a cruise and park stay?
Have questions? To talk more or to try your own one virtual Disney Cruise, get in touch! Call 01430 331665, email emma.gibson@mytc.com or send a WhatsApp to 07951 742867
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