Disney Cruise Line Continues to Improve Sustainability Practices
While the Disney Cruise Line is world-renowned for its customer service, immersive environments, and unparalleled experience, it has also become known for its commitment to sustainability.
Over the past several years, Disney Cruise Line has implemented numerous initiatives to reduce waste, protect the environment, and encourage sustainable practices.
Photo: Disney
In fact, Disney Cruise Line has eliminated more than 99% of all guest-facing, non-essential, single-use plastics on its ships and island destinations.
Delivering such results has been a team effort.
Photo: Disney
“The real magic on deck and at our island destinations is the dedication of our cast and crew,” Barry Compagnoni, vice president of safety, sustainability & medical operations, shared. “They are the ones bringing our sustainability goals to life every single day, and their impact is visible everywhere you look.”
Rethinking the Dining Experience
If you have ever dined aboard Disney Cruise Line, you may have noticed that the company has moved away from single-use items and replaced them with reusable, refillable alternatives.
This is the direct result of the culinary and food service teams rethinking the traditional dining experience.
Photo: Disney
While Disney Cruise Line has previously eliminated single-use items such as plastic straws, bags, and cutlery, beverage locations are also transitioning away from single-use packaging and leaning into reusable serving ware.
Conservation on the Islands
On Disney’s island destinations, food and beverage teams have rethought the entire dining experience.
Photo: Disney
These locations now operate entirely without guest-facing single-use plastics, opting instead for reusable dishware, flatware, and cups for every meal.
On Castaway Cay, the island operations teams have also introduced redesigned trash cans.
Photo: Disney
By separating food, recycling, and trash, the crew can sort and manage waste more effectively.
Retail Changes
Across Disney Cruise Line, a culture of conservation and sustainability has continued to emerge.
Retail teams, for example, have transitioned to reusable shopping bags, eliminating nearly 1 million plastic bags annually.
Photo: Disney
Food and beverage teams, on the other hand, have replaced plastic water bottles with recyclable aluminum options and managed refill stations across guest and crew areas.
“The culture was there to push us forward as a team,” Gary Latouche, director of hotel operations, merchandise, photography and spa, shared. “We made the lists, but it’s a real team effort to find solutions and put them into practice.”
Changes in the Staterooms
Finally, stateroom hosts have helped lead the implementation of waste-reducing efforts.
Photo: Disney
When delivering Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club loyalty gifts, hosts now distribute lanyards and amenities in paper-based packaging instead of traditional plastic sleeves.
This change has removed more than 3 million plastic sleeves from operations since 2024. Additionally, Disney Cruise Line now utilizes refillable bath product dispensers in every stateroom, eliminating more than 2.2 million amenity containers every year.
Photo: Disney
“We’ve been working toward this for years and we are all really invested in meeting our goal, and the results show that,” Shelley Gold-Witiak, director of hotel operations & guest experience integration, said.
Together, the Disney Cruise Line team continues to make a difference.
Photo: MickeyBlog
