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Disney is just as magical at sea as it is on land and with six cruise ships to choose from – plus two more to start sailing soon – there are plenty of ways to hit the waves with Mickey and co.
You will find all your favourite characters aboard a Disney cruise ship including princesses and Marvel superheroes. Passengers also get access to exclusive Broadway-style shows featuring fan favourites such as Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel on some ships.
There may not be any Disneyland or Disney World park-style rollercoasters but thrill seekers can enjoy waterslides on some of the ships as well as the Goofy pool to relax in.
Disney Cruise Line ships have their own buffet where you can enjoy the infamous Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes but dinner is a whole new world. Rather than a main room, guests are on a “rotational dining” system where you visit the ship’s three main restaurants and the staff follow you. This is a great way for you and the waiting staff to get to know each other and means you get a variety of meals and immersive entertainment, plus you don’t have to keep repeating your dietary requirements.
Each ship has its own exclusive restaurants but Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy all feature Animator’s Palate. This unique dining venue lets guests draw pictures drawing the meal that are then brought to life on the walls, making you a Disney animator by the time you have finished dessert.
A Disney cruise is a great way to spend time with the family but parents can also give themselves break in adult-only spas and bars while children can enjoy the Oceaneer kids’ club. Themes include Star Wars on Dream and Fantasy, Andy’s room from Toy Story on Magic and Frozen on Wonder, plus Avenger action on Wish and the newly launched Treasure.
Disney sails in most parts of the world and even has its own private Caribbean island.
It has launched a new ship – Adventure – for the Asian market, plus the eighth member of its fleet will be Disney Destiny, which is set to make its maiden voyage around the Caribbean in November 2025.
Here are some of the best sailings to get your Disney fix on the deep blue sea in 2024 and 2025.
Best Disney cruises
Disney Magic: Very Merrytime Western Caribbean Cruise
Galveston – Progreso – Galveston
Spend Christmas with your favourite Disney characters on Disney Magic’s Very Merrytime Western Caribbean Cruise.
This four-night round-trip sailing Galveston in Texas visits Progreso in Mexico where you can discover ancient artefacts at the Museum of the Mayan people. There are also two sea days to enjoy the ship.
Don’t let the one stop put you off though as there will be plenty to do onboard, especially as its Christmas. Mickey, Minnie and Donald will be dressed in their festive attire and you can enjoy a tree lighting ceremony for the 24-foot tree as well as a life-size gingerbread house.
Beyond the Christmas decorations, the 2,713 capacity ship – the oldest in the fleet after launching in 1998 – is packed with plenty of features such as the three-storey almost vertical drop AquaDunk water slide. Guests can also enjoy an exclusive Tangled: The Musical theatre show as well as character drawing classes.
You can get moreTangled action with an immersive show and dinner at Rapunzel’s Royal Table, an exclusive main dining room that you will only find on Disney Magic.
From £1,089.34pp. Departs 24 December 2024. Flights not included.
Read more: The best European river cruises
Disney Wish: Bahamian Cruise
Port Canaveral – Nassau- Port Canaveral
Who better to spend the new year with than Mickey and Minnie? Departing from Port Canaveral, this four-night Bahamian Cruise on Disney Wish will give you some much-deserved winter sun and you can spend New Year’s Eve on the private Disney Castaway Cay private island before celebrating the end of 2024 and start of 2025 onboard.
Guests can let it go when it comes to relaxation, especially if you are a Frozen fan. There is Frozen-themed theatrical dining in the Kingdom of Arendelle restaurant and you can have a picnic with Olaf and friends.
The ship will also appeal to superhero fans who can enjoy the Avengers Quantum Encounter dinner experience hosted by Ant-Man and the Wasp. Diners take part in an Avengers missions and even get to meet Spider-Man.
Beyond immersive eateries, guests can go on the AquaMouse water ride around the side of the ship, which features 760 feet of twisting tubes before splashing down into a lazy river.
From £2,055.24pp. Departs 30 December 2024, flights not included.
Read more: A look inside Disney’s new $1 billion cruise ship
Disney Dream: Western Caribbean Cruise
Fort Lauderdale – Cozumel – Disney Castaway Cay – Fort Lauderdale
Disney Dream is one of the largest vessels in the brand’s fleet with space for up to 4,000 passengers. Departing from Fort Lauderdale, its five-night Western Caribbean cruise will visit Cozumel in Mexico and includes a day at the private Disney Castaway Cay.
But while you can relax off the ship in the Caribbean, there is plenty of action onboard from your favourite Marvel superheroes.
Guests can enjoy a Marvel Day at Sea that includes training sessions with Captain America and Iron Man as well as plenty of stunts, shows, movie marathons and chances to dress up as your favourite comic book character.
Unique features include the Fairytale Wonderland Disney princess-themed restaurant or the more adventurous AquaDuck high-speed waterslide.
Prices from £956.65pp. Departs 1 February 2025. Flights not included.
Disney Wonder: Alaskan Cruise
Vancouver, Stikine Icecap – Skagway – Juneau – Ketchikan – Vancouver
With a capacity of 2,713, Disney Wonder counts as one of the brand’s smaller ships.
But that can mean fewer crowds as you gaze at the sites of Alaska and Australia, where the ship will be sailing for the rest of 2024 and early 2025.
Guests can view glaciers during a seven-night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver. The round-trip includes glacier viewing by the Stikine Icecap, a stop in the Alaskan state capital of Juneau and a chance to observe salmon spawning in Ketchikan.
Onboard, the Disney Wonder is a great ship for Princess Tiana and Little Mermaid fans.
It is the only vessel in the fleet that features Tiana’s palace, a live jazz music venue serving Louisiana-style food inspired by Disney film The Princess and the Frog.
You will also only find Tritons aboard Wonder, which is an upmarket restaurant featuring stained glass and ornate chandeliers in the style of the sea palace of Ariel’s dad King Triton.
Departs 12 May 2025. From £1,333.90pp for an interior stateroom. Flights not included.
Read more: Exploring an icy island best discovered by sea
Disney Fantasy: Spain cruise
Southampton – La Coruna – Bilbao – Southampton
Brits don’t have to travel far to experience the magic of a Disney cruise.
Disney Fantasy will be based in Southampton next summer. Its itineraries between July and October will visit UK ports as well Belgium, France, Spain and a transatlantic cruise ending in Port Canaveral, Florida.
There isn’t far to go if you want to hit the sun with Disney Fantasy though. Its five-night Spain cruise from Southampton visits La Coruna and Bilbao and also gives you two sea days to enjoy your time with Mickey.
Disney Fantasy is the sister ship to Dream so has similar features when it comes to dining and water slides. There is also the Europa Adult District where guests can escape the kids on board and enjoy live music, bars and nightclubs including a 1970s London area called The Tube.
Departs 31 July 2025. Prices from £1,573.84pp.
Disney Treasure: Western Caribbean Cruise
Port Canaveral – Cozumel – George Town – Falmouth – Disney Castaway Cay – Port Canaveral
You could be one of the first guests to sail on the newest ship in the fleet, Disney Treasure.
Its christening was only this week and its maiden voyage on 21 December is sold out.
But guests can embark on a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral in the new year.
Sunny port stops include Cozumel in Mexico and George Town in the Cayman Islands where you can visit Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.
The ship also visits Falmouth in Jamaica, providing a chance to swim with dolphins at Dolphin Cove or see how rum is made at Appleton Estate. The final port before sailing back to Port Canaveral is Disney’s private Castaway Cay island.
There is plenty to explore on the ship. New features onboard Disney Treasure include a Coco-themed Mexican restaurant and two Marvel dining experiences – one with Groot, from Guardians of the Galaxy, and the other called Avengers: Quantum Encounter, which includes a special appearance from Spider-Man.
Disney Treasure also debuts The Tale Of Moana, a broadway-style musical inspired by the film.
The onboard bars include the Haunted Mansion Parlour that aims to scare you as you sip on spirits. Alternatively, there is a Skipper Society cocktail lounge that pays tibute to the Jungle Cruise park attraction.
Departs 11 January 2025. From £1,819.93pp for an inside stateroom. Flights not included.