The Best Cruise Line; My Disney Cruise Experiences & Favorite Ship
Back of the Disney Wish parked at Castaway Cay
A Disney Cruise?
Disney Wonder was my first ever cruise, and after that experience, there’s no other cruise line I’d want to sail with. My husband and I bought our cabin on the Disney Wonder in Dec 2022; we had just gotten married that November, and had received enough money from our loved ones for a nice honeymoon. Considering our wedding cost us a total of nothing, we figured we’d spoil ourselves and take this opportunity to see if life on the seas was for us. Our cruise on the Disney Wonder sailed from California to Mexico for a total of 4 nights. As someone with bad anxiety, this was the most relaxed I had been in my entire life. No worries, no phone, no responsibility, food included, just endless relaxation. Needless to say, we booked a second cruise for the very next year; we had been blown away by the experience and craved more. Our second ship was the Disney Wish, the newest of the Disney ships at the time (Nov 2023) as well as the largest. Both of our sailings were Christmas themed, but yielded very different experiences. There’s an endless amount of activities to do and ship to explore! I posted some of my must-haves at the end of the blog as well.
Disney Wonder’s main atrium at Christmas time
What’s Included
Disney Cruises tend to be on the more expensive side when compared to other cruises, but when compared to a standard vacation to Disney World, the value starts to shine! A cabin on a Disney ship includes: your cabin, Broadway-quality shows, games and lessons hosted by entertainment staff, a plethora of dining options, youth clubs for children, nightclubs for adults, pools, & so much more! We not only never ran out of things to do, but we were constantly prompted with choices on how to spend our time.
One thing that surprised us after our first cruise was the automatic tipping for your servers & room host. They are beyond deserved and are automatically charged to your room during the cruise. If you want to throw in extra, you can either bring along some cash or visit guest services to adjust the tip on your account. That should be the only surprise money getting charged to you; any other charge will come from extra purchases you make. These can include: mix drinks, lattes, popcorn, merchandise, room service, etc…
Nabbing Your Cabin
Disney Cruise Line’s website is incredibly easy to navigate. From filtering exactly when and where you want to sail, to selecting a room, the entire experience is quick and easy! We selected a simple and windowless room, the cheapest we could get. We learned the hard way that while there aren’t many ‘bad’ staterooms on a ship, the worst room you can get is one that is near the engine. We occasionally were given the rumble back massage from the engine while getting some sleep; while this didn’t bother me too much, I know it can ruin an experience for someone! On the Wish we nabbed a room right in the middle of the ship, so no rumbling for us on that trip. After you select your room, you’ll input all of your guest information followed by the option to select stateroom gifts you can buy for yourself. Fun fact: two guests cover the price for a stateroom, and a stateroom hosts up to 4; as long as you’re cozy sharing a room with 3 others, the last 2 guests will save around 50% on their tickets! There’s an option to hold a stateroom for 3 days if you’re not ready to commit right away and you don’t want to lose the exact room you picked out. Once you’re ready, you commit to a 20% down payment; the entire cruise cost is due 75 days before sailing for cruises 5 nights or less, and 120 days before for longer sailings. You’re able to pay as much or little as you want before the deadline, so there’s time to save up what you need or set a personal finance plan for yourself. For Disney Visa card holders, an automatic 6-month, 0%APR, finance option will apply to your cruise purchase (be sure to read the card’s terms and conditions to make sure this still applies when you make your purchase)!
Disney Wish statue of Cinderella
Preparing to Sail
After you have booked your cabin, there’s so much fun to look forward to, but also some dates you want to keep an eye on. Disney will send out a care package a month or so before your sail date; this super cute package has more information about your ship, as well as little freebies! You’re also able to order a special call from a Disney character; this is so magical for kids, but I honestly loved it more than I care to admit. Dates to look out for are: booking on-board activities around 3 months in advance, choosing your port arrival time around 1 month in advance, and booking your added port adventures before they all book up! We personally didn’t sign up for anything at the ports, we just like to walk around and explore, but I know there are some amazing exclusive experiences to be had with an adventure! It’s important to research the days you can book cruise activities and choose boarding time in advance and put them in your calendar. We didn’t realize there was a specific day to choose a port arrival time, so our arrival times for both our trips were past noon; there was a lot of ship time we missed out on! Last but not least, don’t forget to arrange flights, hotels, and parking as needed.
Yours truly with Donald Duck in his Disney Wish attire
Debarking Day
When you arrive at port, make sure to follow the yellow brick Disney signs! Whether you park or get dropped off, there will be porters ready to take your luggage for you; they are usually an outside company, so giving a tip is not required but appreciated. The bags you drop off will magically appear in your cabin in the late afternoon, so make sure to have anything you would need for your full cruise morning in a bag that you keep with you; this can include swimwear, sunscreen, your wallet, identification etc…. After dropping your bags off, you’ll head to security and customs where you will not be allowed to enter without proof of your boarding time! My husband and I have tried arriving early on the off chance we could board a little early, but they are strict with not allowing anyone on before their time; it’s not worth arriving early if you don’t have to. Once on board, download and log in to the Disney Cruise app and bibbidi bobbidi boo, the ship is yours to explore! Activities will show on the app and there are plenty to choose from.
Shows & Parties
My husband and I have seen traveling Broadway, and the shows on the Disney Cruise ships will give you that same amazing experience! We had the pleasure of seeing The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and many of the ship’s unique shows during our sailing. Every single one has performers that will blow you away as well as special effects that will keep you ooo-ing and aaa-ing the entire show. There are an endless amount of activities to take part in onboard, but some of our favorites included: learning to draw Disney characters, karaoke, couples game shows (these were so much fun to watch and play), trivia (you can win a special souvenir), and a special Wish show I will elaborate on in the Wish VS Wonder section!
Disney also throws little parties on deck; they seem mostly aimed at kids, but my husband and I had a blast regardless. On both the east and west coast cruises we took, Disney had firework shows during their deck parties! From what I’ve heard, Disney is the only cruise line with permission to have fireworks, and the fireworks are made out of fish food, aka, environmentally friendly. For pirate night, our room host left us quite shocked! We opened our cabin door and just saw two glowing yellow eyes reflect in the dark. I jumped back, but as we slowly looked inside and turned the lights on, we realized it was towel art with golden coins for eyes; super impressive! We were also left with free pirate bandanas, so we were able to fit right in with all of the pirates onboard.
Spooky pirate towel art in our Disney Wonder cabin
Shopping
Be ready to resist all of the super cute exclusive merch on board; Disney Cruises have a ton of things you can only get while on board! Our personal shopping spree on both cruises yielded me a Cruise Donald Loungefly, Compass Mickey Necklace (my husband surprised me for our honeymoon, and I wear it almost every day), Wish’s pin, and a Disney Wish Pandora charm! My husband nabbed some night pants (where the strings look like cruise rope), and a Disney Cruise Magic Band. We both wanted more but found the strength to resist until the next cruise.
Your Magic Room
Disney Cruise cabins are cozy as they come! We stayed in the cheapest cabin we could get, and it was still a luxurious experience. The bed is beyond comfortable, the room is completely spotless, the provided shampoo/conditioner/soap is addicting, and best of all: your cabin always has a surprise waiting for you when you get back after a long morning or evening. For us, they left a romantic swan towel and rose petals (I guess they saw it was our anniversary). Even the smallest cabin has lots of storage for your luggage; the beds are lifted up so your suitcase can slide right under, and there are closets and a dresser to put all of your belongings.
Romantic towel art and flower petals in our Disney Wish cabin
Food & Characters
The food on both ships were the best parts of sailing. For you out there who have dietary restrictions, I am vegan and was able to give a thorough accommodation test for you readers! Most of the food on the cruise is included with your cabin cost. I’m talking about the buffet, poolside munchies, and a sit-down dinner every night. The sit-down dinners were amazing! The chef always has something for you; appetizer, bread, butter, meal, dessert, and it’s never the same! I never felt restricted or disappointed with what they made for me. A breath of fresh air from constantly being offered a flavorless salad and a fruit sorbet. The buffets are accessible, but only via ordering or pre-ordering with a specialist. They are always happy to help, but it’s not as quick and easy as grabbing something from the buffet line. Buffet chefs will cook up fresh vegan Mickey waffles, omelets, pasta, fried rice, and anything you have your heart set on; I again, never felt restricted when it came to having yummy Disney food available. The poolside eateries will either have options for you to order, or will make you a fresh meal, though this does take some extra time. I never minded waiting, it’s a cruise so I’d just relax and watch the water go by. I do find it very cool that Pinnochio’s Pizza was willing to make me a whole dairy free veggie pie all to myself! Cafes do have dairy free milks for your latte; the cafe drinks were an extra charge, but the craft lattes were too good to pass up.
The hardest places to find accommodations were the nightclubs. They provided themed snacks and munchies, but almost none were vegan. We ate at Tiana’s Place on the Wonder, one of the included sit-down dining experiences, and I was served the classic beignets made vegan! There were beignets available at the pubs and clubs for purchase, but none were allergen friendly or vegan. The saving grace is, I didn’t have to pay for my beignets; quick hacks for saving money! Quick note, characters during sit-down dining do not stop for pictures, so be sure to either snap a photo when they get close or try asking for a quick selfie. We asked Spiderman as he was running around and he happily, but very quickly, obliged!
Vegan beignets from Tiana’s on the Wonder
Ports
Disney’s Castaway Cay is amazing! It took the cake for our favorite cruise destination yet! Not only is the main food and entertainment you find free, but you also get to meet Disney characters in their island exclusive outfits, explore the trails of a nearly untouched island, and even go to a private adult only beach. The beach was gorgeous and the sands were soft; since only Disney Cruise guests are allowed on the island, there was barely a crowd and it was peaceful. Tiny, curious, fish chased us through the waters and there were amazing shells to find. We had free BBQ at one of the 3 free dining locations on the island and it was delicious! I can’t really say the same for the other locations we visited. Our first cruise took us to a port in Mexico; getting off the ship felt like walking into a living computer virus. There were ads and people pushing things in your face left and right. Three kids ran up and threw Geckos on us and demanded we give them $20 each for taking a photo. The Geckos were super cute, and we gave them some money (not $60), but they were lucky I’m not my grandmother, or those little guys would have gone flying! The handmade knick knacks in the nearby flea market were really cool to see, but soon after getting off the ship, we got back in line to get back onboard. The line was huuuuggee and took about an hour to go through. We had read that the Bahamas stop on our second cruise was going to be more of the same, so we opted to not get off the ship. There are constant activities on board, and the kids’ clubs are open to everyone during port days, so we went and explored those instead. We have no regrets on either of our trips, but the hectic tourist life just isn’t what I’m looking for on a cruise vacation.
Value
Our first cruise was 4 nights and $1,800; this was our west coast cruise on the Wonder to and from Mexico. Our second cruise was 3 nights and $2,400; this was an east coast cruise on the Wish to the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, and back. Tipping is around $15 a person per night and as long as you’re strong, those will be your only charges! For my husband and I, we paid an average of $1,060 per person. A 3rd and 4th person will be paying almost half that since the stateroom is covered by 2 people.
To have a comparison, our last 3-night Disney trip cost us individually: $411 per person for hotel, $450 per person for 3 park tickets, $120+ per person for just two character-dining experiences, $25 per person for a lightning lane pass, plus any other quick service food expenses. That’s ~$1,006 not calculating food outside of the two character-dining experiences. It’s around the same price for a lot less stress and planning; I highly suggest giving a Disney Cruise a chance at least once. You might just get hooked like I did!
Side of the Disney Wish
Wish VS Wonder
Both the Wonder and Wish are Disney ships, but they have their many differences. Both cruises, while enjoyable, yielded opposite experiences for my husband and I.
The Wonder was the definition of a cozy mom & pop experience; the cast members were always involved and eager to get to know guests and their interests. The ship is smaller but has some of the best themed restaurants; the Wonder has Tiana’s, Tritons, and Artist’s Palette. A large section of the ship is dedicated to adults only and entertainment hosts a variety of fun after-hours games for adults to take part in.
Something the Wonder had that really set it apart for us was the real art lessons. The Wish will play a video for you to draw along with, but the Wonder had actual Disney artists show you how to draw these characters step by step. There was so much fun and life put into the experience, and it was a lot easier to follow. Another huge bonus of the Wonder is actually the fact that it is a smaller ship; smaller ship means less people. The Wish was absolutely pact with nowhere to sit at the buffet, and overly crowded parties and pools; it makes sense with a larger and newer ship, but it set in stone our opinion on which ship won our hearts.
The Wish was a grand, larger than life experience; there was so much to explore and take in. Something we missed and wish we hadn’t: the interactive app game! You were able to make a character and follow clues around the ship. Paintings would come to life as you find minigames to play and further proceed in your quests. Finally, there’s a huge show on the final day of the cruise, where you fight the final boss of the app, but together with everyone else who is playing. A cast member guides everyone in the different actions, and the best performer’s character would pop up on the screen to be recognized! My husband and I only caught the end of this experience but had so much fun and are going to make sure we do the entire thing next time we sail on the Wish.
The dining on the Wish was another grand thing. We ate with the Avengers, Frozen, and in a Walt themed restaurant. The shows at both Avengers and Frozen were huge! Tiana had entertainment, but the Wish gave a whole experience. I liked the food and theming of the Wonder better, but that’s just me! The Wish’s adult only area is a bit more excluded than the Wonder’s; while the infinity pool is very cool, the commute to the area had my husband and I not visiting it as much as we would have liked.
Overall, I think, like Disneyland & Disney World, Disney Wonder and Disney Wish are both unique and amazing experiences. If you’re looking for cozy, go Wonder, if you’re looking for grand, go Wish. We decided we prefer the cozy life and our next cruise to Alaska will be on the Disney Wonder herself. We can’t wait to see if that little slice of heaven still holds up; I’ll be sure to let you all know!
My husband and I before boarding The Disney Wish
My Packing Loves
Skylar Travel Parfum (vegan and hypoallergenic)
Morfone Travel Bottles (TSA Friendly)
Floss Sticks (biodegradable, eco Friendly, vegan)
Makeup Wipes (hypoallergenic, plant based)
Waterproof Makeup
A nice outfit for any formal nights/dining
Thank you so much for reading!
I hope this blog helps you, makes you smile, or both!
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More blogs are in the oven!
Last but not least, leave a comment letting me know if you’ve been on a Disney Cruise! Did you also have a great experience?
Bye Bye for now 🩷
About me:
I’m Eva, a twenty-something year old woman with an English degree riddled with dust. I have ADHD and believe that my strengths include noticing and listing details that others tend to miss; I hope this makes my content useful and helps others have the best experiences they can have! I work as a lobby host and want to start using my free time to creatively and mindfully create content for things I love, which of course includes Disney! I plan to share my experiences, game guides, crafts, recipes, and so much more; these things have done wonders for my mental health and I want to share them with you all in hopes that they inspire your lives! Thank you so much for taking the time to read,
~Eva
