Why You Should Take a Disney Cruise

Including the Disney Adventure, Disney Cruise Line has doubled the size of its fleet during the 2020s.

The company has also more than doubled its cabin inventory in less than four years.

Remarkably, some questioned whether the cruise industry would survive the pandemic.

Nonetheless, here we are on the other side with Disney Cruise Line excelling.

You may wonder why Disney is expanding from four ships in 2021 to 13 ships in 2031.

The reasons are pretty straightforward. Here’s why you should take a Disney cruise.

Theme Park Experiences…

Why do you visit Disney theme parks?

It’s a nuanced question, but we can distill the explanation to two primary reasons.

You want to experience some rides, and you want to hang out with some of your favorite Disney characters.

At some point, Disney realized that guests could do exactly the same thing in the middle of the ocean.

Some mad scientist stuck a water coaster on the deck of a Disney cruise ship.

Since then, the concept has evolved into the AquaMouse, a theme park water ride by a different name.

Technically, it’s more of a water park ride, but I’m splitting hairs when I say that.

You hop into a raft and glide through a bunch of tubes, splashing your way to the end.

As for the characters, you can meet 20 or 30 of them during a Disney cruise, and I’m not speaking hyperbolically.

Disney often offers a rotating series of characters in and around the Grand Hall.

Fans of character greetings can greet their Disney faves throughout the entire cruise.

My wife once made me stand in line for the same Stitch three times.

Simply stated, Disney has copied the high points of a theme park visit and made them available on the high seas.

But a More Relaxed Vibe

Here’s the thing, though. Your vacation will work much differently when you’re on a cruise versus at the parks.

I know that when I hang out at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, I’m in go-go-go mode the entire time.

I have walked the equivalent of 15 miles in a day at a Disney theme park more than ten times in my life.

Honestly, it’s probably MUCH more, which speaks to how active and aggressive I am in trying to experience everything I can in a single day.

On a Disney cruise, you can go at your own speed, whatever that is. It’s important to understand that.

You can visit any Disney cruise forum and learn that some people want to know exactly which gym equipment is available on each ship.

Others want to know the exact size of the jogging track and how busy it is during active hours.

Then, we have the people like me who grab a drink and sit by the pool for hours on end.

The difference in itineraries is stark, but this flexibility also embodies the genius of Disney cruises.

You can go at your own pace, as you’re spending several days at sea and have all the time in the world to do whatever you want.

The vibes are immaculate as you sip coffee, chug boat drinks, and enjoy the festivities.

Disney has somehow meshed all the components of a luxury cruise with the most popular activities from a theme park visit.

You’ll never run out of things to do, but you also don’t HAVE to do anything.

Your vacation can be as aggressive or tranquil as you please.

The Appeal of International Travel

Many of my friends are worldlier than I am, which causes me a bit of insecurity.

Whenever we discuss all the countries we’ve visited, my numbers stubbornly remain in single digits.

However, I recently added the Bahamas to the list and will toss in some other European locations soon, at least if my wife has anything to say about it.

That’s because the Disney Wish recently announced 2027 itineraries in England and other Western European countries.

Her eyes lit up like she was the villain in a sci-fi movie, which is actually the normal reaction when DCL posts new itineraries.

Disney fans get to explore a bit more of the world, but it’s in a relaxed setting.

In 2026 alone, you can update your passport to include countries in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.

Then again, you may be perfectly satisfied staying in the Bahamas, which is what I did last time.

Disney cruise fans will love this because…

Private Beaches Are Just Plain Better

Disney owns not one but two private islands in the Bahamas.

Castaway Cay is the established classic, a lived-in paradise that’s fully formed.

Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is only a couple of years old now.

Since it’s newer, it’s not as fully formed, but its vibrant experiences make for a kinetic visit.

You’ll love spending a day at either of these private beaches, but you don’t necessarily have to choose.

Some itineraries include visits to both private islands.

However, I’ll alert you to the fact that some cruises don’t include private beach itineraries.

That’s okay, though. You’ll simply experience more countries during your vacation.

Broadway-caliber Shows Each Night

When you visit Broadway, you’ll pay hundreds of dollars to experience the pinnacle of live entertainment.

Of course, you don’t need to visit New York to enjoy similar high-quality presentations.

You can take a Disney cruise and experience Broadway entertainment at sea.

Each Disney cruise ship hosts three different Broadway shows that rotate nightly.

You can watch performances based on Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, and Moana, just to name a few.

You may think I’m overstating their quality, so here’s proof.

This is a Frozen performance that Disney posted during the pandemic.

As you can see, this show is every bit as good as one you’d watch on Broadway.

Disney offers it as free entertainment every night of your cruise.

Constant Entertainment Options

I’ll never forget my amazement the first time I took a Disney cruise.

I pulled up the Navigator app to check for available entertainment over the next couple of hours.

The list was multiple pages long.

We had our pick of Disney trivia, music/movie trivia, wine tastings, deck activities, and oh-so-much more.

Disney cruises host so many simultaneous activities that you may need to narrow down your priorities.

As I said, you decide how much you’ll do on a given day. If you’re active, you can stay busy from dusk ‘til dawn.

I’m not exaggerating, as Disney hosts activities 24/7 during your cruise.

For night owls like me, it’s stunning to discover such vibrant nightlife while on vacation.

Tasty Cuisine and Bottomless Ice Cream Cones

When you take your first Disney cruise, you’ll naturally feel a bit behind once you board.

I say this because some people have taken 50 plus cruises – no joke – and know what to do.

They’ll be in fifth gear, while you’ll feel like you’re driving in reverse, which is part of the fun.

You’ll notice people with full plates of food and wonder how they’re so far ahead of you.

Well, they know the tricks of the trade, many of which involve cruise ship buffets.

You can eat whenever you want on your cruise, and I include room service in that.

Cast Members will bring food to your room any time of day.

If you need a Mickey Mouse Bar at 2 a.m., room service is happy to indulge you.

Also, calories don’t count in the middle of the ocean. Everyone knows this.

At night, Disney treats you to rotational dining at the equivalent of Table Service restaurants.

Some of these meals even include dinner and a show, one of which may seem familiar.

Animator’s Palate employs the same technology as Turtle Talk with Crush.

That’s right. Crush will keep you company while you eat on some Disney cruises.

On every Disney cruise, you can experience the magic of bottomless ice cream cones.

I didn’t know I needed this until the first time I boarded a cruise ship and noticed how many people already had one in their hand.

After a couple of days, I realized that on Disney cruises, you basically summon ice cream cones like Thor does with Mjolnir.

That’s when you know you’re on vacation: That time you realize you’ve had more ice cream cones than adult beverages.

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