In early 2025, Disney Cruise Line will feature new and fan-favorite itineraries, bringing guests more options for fun in the sun from four home ports in the United States. From voyages that stop at one or both of Disney Cruise Line’s island destinations in The Bahamas, to the Disney Treasure’s inaugural season of seven-night voyages to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, to a tropical sailing to Hawaii or the South Pacific aboard the Disney Wonder, early 2025 will provide a myriad of adventures aboard Disney Cruise Line’s six ships.

Bookings open to the public on Nov. 6, 2023. Guests that are Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club and select other affinity groups may take advantage of the following extended early booking windows:

• Pearl Castaway Club Members: Monday, Oct. 30, 2023
• Platinum Castaway Club Members, Golden Oak and Club 33 Members: Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023
• Gold Castaway Club Members: Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023
• Silver Castaway Club Members, Disney Vacation Club and Adventure Insiders: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023
• Bookings open to all Guests: Monday, Nov. 6, 2023

Delight in Disney’s Island Destinations

In early 2025, the Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish, Disney Dream and Disney Magic will all offer an assortment of three- to five-night getaways from Florida to Disney Cruise Line’s Bahamian destinations – the new Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point and the beloved Disney Castaway Cay. The Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish will set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, while the Disney Dream and Disney Magic will voyage from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Aboard all four ships, guests will have the opportunity to experience one of the Disney island destinations, with each ship also offering at least one special itinerary that will sail to both Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point and Disney Castaway Cay.

Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Disney’s celebration of The Bahamas and its newest, one-of-a-kind island retreat located on the island of Eleuthera, will welcome families with breathtaking natural beauty combined with the magic of Bahamian storytelling and artistry. Purposefully designed to be a unique fusion of Bahamian culture and Disney experiences, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point will feature Bahamian art and music paired with signature Disney entertainment, sweeping architecture inspired by Bahamian natural wonders brought to life by Disney Imagineers and opportunities to explore Eleuthera through unique port adventures.

Meanwhile Disney Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island paradise in The Bahamas, will continue to provide guests of all ages with relaxation and adventure amidst its turquoise waters and lush landscapes. The whimsical tropical hideaway provides a hassle-free experience for a fun and relaxing beach day coupled with a picture-perfect setting with distinctly Disney touches.

The Disney Treasure’s Inaugural Season

Following its maiden voyage on Dec. 21, 2024, the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Treasure, will embark on an inaugural season of seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral. Eastern Caribbean sailings will take families to the beautiful island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, Disney Castaway Cay and either San Juan, Puerto Rico, or St. Thomas, while Western Caribbean sailings will bring families to destinations such as Falmouth in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. The week-long voyages will offer at least two days at sea, giving families more time to enjoy the unique spaces, immersive dining and world-class entertainment onboard the Disney Treasure.

Pacific Voyages Aboard the Disney Wonder

The Disney Wonder will conclude its second season in Australia and New Zealand in early 2025 with a special 15-night South Pacific cruise from Sydney, Australia, to Honolulu, Hawaii. Its return to North America will feature two more special sailings: a nine-night Hawaiian Island cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver, Canada in late February, followed by a five-night cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, California, in early March. From San Diego, the Disney Wonder will take guests on three- to seven-night adventures to the Mexican Riviera or the Baja Peninsula.

Adventures from Texas on the Disney Magic

Before homeporting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Disney Magic will also offer the opportunity to visit Mexico on a Disney Cruise Line vacation. For the first three months of 2025, the Disney Magic will sail to Progreso and Cozumel in Mexico and Grand Cayman from Galveston, Texas. In April, the ship will set sail on a special seven-night cruise from the Lone Star State to San Juan, Puerto Rico that will stop at both of Disney’s island destinations, before returning to the Sunshine State  for a series of three- to four-night sailings from Fort Lauderdale, followed by four- and five-night sailings from Port Canaveral to Nassau and at least one of Disney’s island destinations in The Bahamas.

Things I wish I knew before a cruise

Many people plan their cruise out a while in advance taking into consideration destination, ports of call, itinerary and time of year- rightfully so! When I took my very first cruise, we didn’t consider anything- we said, it’s a great price, it’s Disney, it’s soon, let’s do it! While my Disney cruise was AMAZING and I enjoyed every single bit of it, I do wish I had more time to prepare and know more about what Disney Cruises have to offer. Here are some of the things I wish I knew before our cruise on the Disney Dream.

DCL Navigator App

When we first got onto the ship, we were completely lost! While in a sense, it was nice because we looked at everything with a sense of wonder and exploring a ship was a great experience, we did feel like we lost valuable time on a short 3 day trip. The navigator app is an amazing tool that allows you to look at the schedule of events and locations onboard the ship for your entire stay. You can see which events are scheduled or available for different age groups. This is where I was able to find a toddler activity every morning for my daughter and some arts and crafts activities during the day. We were lucky enough to make it to those on the last day of the cruise. This is where we were also able to find our dinner time and location since you are scheduled to go to a different restaurant each evening. Another great thing we were able to look up on the app were the times the characters were going to be out and where! We were also able to see which movies were playing on the pool deck. I felt like such a pro and was ready for more by later in our second day. I only wish I had more time! As I look to our next cruise, I know exactly what to prepare for, what to look for and how to use the navigator app. It is such a wonderful tool for the things I listed and so much more!

Know more about the ship

There is so much information and blogs out there about cruises, I know I would have used some resources to get a little more acquainted with the layout of the ship and where things are in order to not feel so lost on the ship. On our first day, we did get lost a few times before finding our restaurant for dinner (which we arrived late to because we weren’t familiar with the Navigator app!). Don’t get me wrong, after the first day and exploring the ship and getting familiar with using the app, it’s very easy to make your way through the ship. Not to mention the cast members who go above and beyond making you feel right at home and are readily available for any questions or directions you may need! 

Choosing an earlier boarding time

When you complete online check-in ahead of time (highly recommended!), you are able to choose a boarding time. When I checked in, we had a variety of times available to choose from. When faced with this decision, we easily decided on a later boarding time to give us time to arrive at the port since we were driving into Port Canaveral from Miami. By choosing a later time, we realized we wasted time that could have easily been enjoyed onboard. By the time we boarded, people were already enjoying themselves in the pool and having lunch, which we missed due to late boarding time! Even if you’re flying in, it’s highly recommended to fly in the night before, so if you have a choice of when to board, make it earlier so you enjoy the ship sooner!

In retrospect, I do think having a travel advisor would have been very beneficial for something like a cruise where there is so much to do. I know I could have done the work myself, but I would have been much more comfortable talking to someone who is an expert on cruises and everything they have to offer.  I would have been much more prepared and could have enjoyed the cruise right off the bat!  Now that I’m a professional travel advisor, specializing in Disney destinations, I learn as much as I can so that my clients can avoid the mistakes I made! I can’t wait until our next cruise!

Cuising with Disney is a different animal than taking a trip to the parks. Here are 5 things you might not think to pack for your Disney Cruise Line vacation.

1. Battery-Operated Lights – If you’ve never been on a cruise, you might not know that the cabins can be pitch black without the lights on, especially if you are in an inside cabin. You can pack a couple of the battery-powered press-on lights to keep in your bathroom, so if someone has to get up in the middle of the night to go, they can easily find it, without turning on all of the lights and waking the entire cabin.
   
2. USB Splitter – Power strips are not allowed on cruise ships. They can overload the circuit and possibly cause a fire, so they are banned. There are plugs in your room but there might not be enough for all of the electronics we have these days. You can bring a USB splitter that turns one USB plug into 2, 3 or 4 more USB outlets. This is a great way to get your phones charged all at once.
3. Suction Cup Toothbrush Holder– This one sounds weird, I know. Cruise cabin bathrooms aren’t the largest spaces, and they really don’t have a ton of counter space. By bringing a toothbrush holder that suctions your bathroom mirror, you can save a bunch of counter space and keep everything tidier.
   
4. Laundry Pods – This might not be something you bring traveling with you normally, but it could come in handy on a cruise. The cruise ships all have laundry facilities and do sell detergent, but it does add an extra cost. If you bring your own pods, they are easy to pack and throw in with the wash. If you find yourself out of clean clothes on a cruise, doing laundry is just about your only option since there aren’t many places to shop while at sea.
5. Cups – Yep, you read that right. Disney Cruise Line offers free soft drinks on the pool decks all day and night. But, the cups they have to fill are small. To avoid having to leave your perfect spot next to the pool, bring a large cup with a lid on it, bonus points if it is insulated to keep the ice longer! You won’t be able to fill these cups up directly from the fountain, you will have to use the clean paper cups Disney provides to fill yours, but this will keep your drinks full and cold much longer!