Before deciding on our next travel destination, many of us do research on everything we need to know. This post is all about what you need to know to enjoy a Disney Cruise Line cruise in 2023.
You may not even know about them, or only know the fact that they exist, but fear not! Disney cruises can fit into many different budgets and are often a great way to combine with a resort stay to unwind after several days at the parks.
In this guide, I will share with you all the details about the amazing Disney Cruise Line.
Disney Cruise Line 2023: All You Need To Know
Ships and Departing Ports
There are three categories for the Disney Cruise Line ships:
- Magic Class: it includes the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder ships.
- Dream Class: the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ships are part of it.
- Triton: it has the Disney Wish, which sailed for the very first time in 2022.
In this article, I am going to detail specific information about the Dream Class trips, but the amenities and activities are similar for every cruise.
All staterooms and common spaces have WI-FI. A very interesting fact about DCL is that first-run movies are shown on the same day as in theaters on the mainland. The ships also have heated pools and water games.
There exist four room categories: interior, oceanview, verandah (private balcony), and concierge. You can also request connecting rooms for larger families or groups traveling together. Interior rooms have magical portals that simulate a window in which you will see waves and some Disney characters swimming.
Each room has a split bathroom, refrigerator, wardrobe, hair dryer, TV, and safe. All rooms are serviced twice a day: during the day and during dinner.
All ships also have a laundry room, so you can have clean clothes whenever you need them.
During your trip, you will be able to use the Navigator App, which includes all the details of your itinerary and reservation information.
Disney Dream
Its Port of departure is Port Canaveral, in Florida. This makes this one of the closest cruises to the Walt Disney World resort, and therefore one of the most popular ones.
You can enjoy 3, 4, or 5-night itineraries, and one of its main attractions is the AquaDuck, a water coaster within the ship. In the Disney Drey, you will find 12 food locations, 11 family areas, 6 youth areas, and 15 adult areas.
Disney Fantasy
Its port of departure is Port Canaveral, it has a 7-day Caribbean itinerary and on this ship, you can also find the AquaDuck. The Disney Fantasy has 13 food locations, 11 family areas, 6 youth areas, and 15 adult areas.
What’s Included?
The great thing about Disney Cruise Line is that once you pay for your trip, you have almost everything included:
- Trip
- Accommodation (staterooms)
- Character meet & greets
- Attractions
- Unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages
- Fireworks at sea
- Internal phones
- Broadway-style shows
- Entertainment on board: treasure hunt, Goofy’s Sports Deck, and more.
- Rotational dining concept: a strategy in which you will always be dining with the same waiting staff. The waiters will change their dining locations, depending on your reservation. This is to make sure everyone visits all restaurants at least once, and guests will have a fully personalized service.
- For Caribbean cruises, the itinerary includes a stop at Disney’s private island: Castaway Cay. This island has characters’ meet & greets, water areas, and several attractions to spend the day. You will also have lunch included in its exclusive BBQ restaurants.
At Castaway Cay, you’ll also find youth zones, kayaks, water sports, two water game zones, and even child care.
Disney Cruise Line 2023 Prices and Itineraries
The most popular itineraries are the ones for 3 or 4 nights, but you can also extend your experience for a week or more. Here are some examples with detailed prices (there are many more options for dates and prices):
3-Day Bahamas Cruise (Disney Wish – May 5-8, 2023)
Itinerary:
- Day 1: Departure from Port Canaveral
- Day 2: Nassau, Bahamas
- Day 3: Disney’s Castaway Cay
- Day 4: Return to Port Canaveral
Prices:
- 2 Guests: Interior USD 1913, Oceanview USD 2105, Verandah USD 2333, Concierge USD 4673.
- 4 Guests (2 adults, 2 children): Oceanview USD 3470, Verandah USD 3907, Concierge USD 6604.
Western Caribbean 7-Day Cruise (Disney Fantasy – May 6-13, 2023)
Itinerary:
- Day 1: Depart Port Canaveral
- Day 2: Day at Sea
- Day 3: Cozumel, Mexico
- Day 4: George Town, Grand Cayman
- Day 5: Falmouth, Jamaica
- Day 6: Day at Sea
- Day 7: Disney’s Castaway Cay
- Day 8: Return to Port Canaveral
Prices:
- 2 Guests: Interior USD 3,491, Oceanview USD 3,925, Verandah USD 4,317, Concierge $9,959.
- 4 Guests (2 adults, 2 minors): Interior USD 6035, Oceanview USD 6469, Verandah USD 6931, Concierge USD 13888.
If you wish to make a reservation for a Disney Cruise Line 2023, you can make monthly payments through an authorized agent (that’s me!). Just fill out the form at the end of this post to receive a travel quote.
Disney Cruise Line Check-In
Check-in for Disney Cruise Line must be done 30 days prior to the departure date. To do this, you must attach all the documents and select a port time of arrival. All passengers must select an arrival time without exception.
Passengers are not allowed to enter the terminal or the parking lot before their arrival time. Those who arrive earlier will have to return whenever their time is, and those who arrive late may be delayed. Online check-in can be modified up to one day before the departure date.
Once the online check-in is complete, you will receive a port arrival form that you will need to bring with you to expedite your entry.
It’s always a good idea to check Know Before You Go articles before your departure date to make sure you have everything you need for boarding. If you make a reservation for the cruise with me, I will make suer you receive all the information and the updates that are published.
Extra tip: you can sign up for the Fish Extender. This is a community that is formed before the trip, in which everyone agrees to bring a small present for the rest of the travel groups in the group (crafts, candy, collectibles and even toys). Members of this community decorate their stateroom doors with magnets and leave hanging bags to receive gifts from others. It can be super fun if you’re into it!
Disney Cruise COVID Information
Starting September 2, 2022, full vaccination is required for guests ages 12 and up on all cruises departing from the United States or Canada.
Effective September 23, 2022, for Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish: Fully vaccinated guests will not be required to present a negative COVID test.
Travelers who are not fully vaccinated must present a negative test from 1 to 3 days prior to the day of departure. They are no longer required to be tested a second time at the ship terminal. Only PCR tests are accepted (and not antigen rapid tests).
Before boarding, all passengers 12 years and up must upload a vaccination certificate to the Inspire Diagnostics Safe Passage (even if they are minors). They will have time to upload the information until midnight of the day of departure. In the case of documentation for minors, a legal guardian must upload the information on behalf of the child. Once the documents are confirmed, passengers will see the message Clear to Arrive or Clear to Sail on the Safe Passage portal.
Guests should also carry a copy of the documentation at the time of boarding.
Masks or mouth covers are optional, but their use is recommended and encouraged for guests who do not have a complete vaccination schedule.
