Disney Western Caribbean Cruise – What You Need to Know

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Are you thinking of sailing on a Disney Western Caribbean Cruise? Here we share information and tips on how to make the very best of your Disney Cruise.

We look at the itineraries available, how to save money and give you the low down on how to get the most out of your Disney Western Caribbean Cruise.

Disney Western Caribbean Cruise

Disney are regularly voted the top rated cruise lines in the industry for families. There is a whole lot to do on a Disney cruise for every member of the family, no matter what their age.

We have sailed on a Disney Western Caribbean cruise a number of times in different staterooms. Every time it has been an amazing trip which we highly recommend.

What Choices Do You Have of Disney Western Caribbean Cruise?

If you want to sail the Western Caribbean you have a number of choices. There are 4, 5, 6 and 7-night cruises available.

The majority of the Disney Western Caribbean Cruises are 7-night itineraries sailing from Port Canaveral on the Disney Fantasy. The Fantasy is Disney’s newest cruise ship.

However,if you are wanting to book a Disney Cruise Western Caribbean cruise there are a number of options. The Disney Dream is the only ship which does not offer any Caribbean cruises. The Disney Dream only sails the Bahamian cruises.

Here we will explore exactly what the Caribbean itineraries are available on the different Disney ships. Then we will look at why you might choose one over the other for your Disney Caribbean cruise.

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Disney Western Caribbean 4 Night Cruise Sailing on Disney Wonder

The 4 night Western Caribbean cruises are rare for Disney cruise lines. For  2019 they sail from Galveston. In 2020 there will be 4 night Disney Western Caribbean sailings from New Orleans

The Disney Wonder sailed from Galveston on November 8th and 12th 2018.

The 4 night Disney Western Caribbean Sailings on the Disney Wonder for 2019 are on January 9th and 12th and 16th December 2019.

Day 1 Galveston, Texas
Day 2 At Sea
Day 3 Cozumel, Mexico
Day 4 At Sea
Day 5 Galveston, Texas

New for 2020 is the sailings of the Disney Wonder from New Orleans. There are only 2 sailings scheduled so far for 2020. These are on February 27 and March 2.

Day 1 New Orleans, LA
Day 2 At Sea
Day 3 Cozumel, Mexico
Day 4 At Sea
Day 5 New Orleans, LA

This is one of the few Disney Western Caribbean cruises which does not visit Castaway Cay. You may want to consider if this cruise is a good option as Castaway Cay is probably on your wish list.

Here you can see our complete Guide to Castaway Cay so that you can make a decision about whether or not this is important to you.

5 Night Disney Western Caribbean Cruise From Miami Sailing on Disney Magic

The Disney Magic  sails in 2019 on this itinerary on February 3rd and 17th, March 3rd, 17th, and 31st and April 14th

Friday Miami, Florida
Saturday At Sea
Sunday Cozumel, Mexico
Monday At Sea
Tuesday Castaway Cay
Wednesday Miami, Florida

These 5-night sailings include a port stop in Grand Cayman instead of Cozumel.

The Disney Magic sails in 2019 on this itinerary on December 21st, 2019. The 2020 dates are March 28, April 11 and April 25.

Sunday Miami, Florida
Monday At Sea
Tuesday Cozumel
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Castaway Cay
Friday Miami, Florida

There is a third variation of Disney Magic sailing from Miami on a 5 night Western Caribbean cruise. This includes Grand Cayman as a port stop. The Disney Magic will sail on 28th December 2018 and January 6th and 20th, April 28th and December 7th, 2019.

Sunday Miami, FL
Monday At Sea
Tuesday Grand Cayman
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Castaway Cay
Friday Miami, FL

6 Night Disney Western Caribbean Cruise From Galveston

This is an itinerary that the Disney Wonder rarely sails.

Friday Galveston, Texas
Saturday At Sea
Sunday Cozumel Mexico
Monday Grand Cayman
Tuesday At Sea
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Galveston, Texas

This will sail on 21st December 2018, The 2019 Disney Cruise 6-night sailings on the Wonder are on January 3rd and December 6th.

6 Night Disney Western Caribbean Cruise From Port Canaveral

This is a rare 6 night Disney Fantasy Western Caribbean sailing.

Sunday Port Canaveral
Monday At Sea
Tuesday Cozumel
Wednesday Costa Maya, Mexico
Thursday At Sea
Friday Castaway Cay
Saturday Port Canaveral

This will sail on January 3rd and October 27th, 2019 and March 29th, 2020.

6 Night Disney Western Caribbean Cruise From Miami

Saturday Miami
Sunday At Sea
Monday Grand Cayman
Tuesday Cozumel
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Castaway Cay
Friday Port Canaveral

There is only one sailing scheduled for the Disney Magic from Miami on this 6 night Western Caribbean cruise. It will sail on November 23rd, 2019.

6 Night Disney Western Caribbean Cruise From New Orleans

Friday New Orleans, LA
Saturday At Sea
Sunday Cozumel
Monday Grand Cayman
Tuesday At Sea
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Port Canaveral

There is one sailing for the Disney Wonder from New Orleans on this 6 night Caribbean cruise. This sails on February 21st 2020.

7 Night Western Caribbean Cruises from Port Canaveral on Disney Fantasy

These are the majority of the Disney Western Caribbean sailings. They set sail from Port Canaveral on the Disney Fantasy. Most of the sailings have these port stops in this order.

The 2019 dates are January 5 and 19, February 2 and 16, March 2, 16 and 30, April 13 and 27, May 11 and 25, June 8, July 6 and 20, August 17 and 31, September 14 and 28, October 12, November 9 and 23, December 7 and 21.

The 2020 dates released so far are January 4, 18, February 1, 15, 29, March 14, April 11, 25, May 9, 23

Saturday Port Canaveral Florida
Sunday At Sea
Monday Cozumel Mexico
Tuesday Grand Cayman
Wednesday Falmouth, Jamaica
Thursday At Sea
Friday Castaway Cay
Saturday Port Canaveral Florida

7 Night Disney Western Caribbean Cruise Sailings on Disney Wonder From Galveston 2018

There are two sailings in 2018 on the Disney Wonder from Galveston which are a 7-night Caribbean itinerary. They sail on November 30th and December 20th, 2018.

Friday Galveston, Texas
Saturday At Sea
Sunday Cozumel, Mexico
Monday Grand Cayman
Tuesday Falmouth, Jamaica
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday At Sea
Friday Galveston, Texas

7 Night Disney Western Caribbean Cruise Sailings on Disney Wonder From New Orleans 2020

Friday New Orleans, LA
Saturday At Sea
Sunday Cozumel, Mexico
Monday Grand Cayman
Tuesday Falmouth, Jamaica
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday At Sea
Friday New Orleans, LA

This is due to sail on February 14th, 2020.

Which Disney Western Caribbean Cruise Should You Choose?

Now you know all the dates and the possibilities you may be overwhelmed and not know which Disney Western Caribbean cruise to book. There are some questions that you can ask yourself to narrow it down so that you can make a choice.

Probably the first question that you need to ask yourself is, how flexible are you with your Disney cruise dates? Most people have a limited time frame that they can travel, so you need to look at this question first to see if this rules out any of the options.

Which port is it easier for your family to sail from? If you are combining a Disney cruise with a visit to Walt Disney World you will most likely want to sail from Port Canaveral as this is an easy transfer from the parks. However, if you live in the Western United States, Galveston may be easier to get to and start your cruise. Some people may also find Miami a better option for them.

Another very important question is which Disney ship do you want to sail on? They all have their own special personalities and features.

The newest ship is the Disney Fantasy. It has the Aquaduck which is a huge draw for many people.

It is the biggest ship and many would say that the Fantasy is the best. The Disney Fantasy also has the largest choice of dates for your vacation. The Fantasy has the most 7 night Western Caribbean sailings of all of the Disney ships.

To read more about the Aquaduck here is our guide:

Disney Fantasy Aquaduck

However, you may want to sail on one of the classic ships – either the Disney Magic or the Disney Wonder.

We love the Disney Fantasy, but always see the Disney Wonder as our “first love”. The Magic and the Wonder are smaller than the newer ships, but in some ways, we prefer this.

Both the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder are recently re-imagined and so have a number of new features.

Take some time to read about the different ships to see which you think would be best for you and your family.

Price is, of course, a very important factor in deciding which Disney Caribbean cruise to choose. The Disney Fantasy tends to be more money per person per night than the Magic and the Wonder.

This is very much a generalization and will depend upon which sailing you choose and how far ahead you book.

However, the lower fares are generally found on the classic ships of the Disney Wonder and Magic. This may be the deciding factor for you.

The next question is do you have a particular port stop that you want to see? Most of the itineraries include the same port stops, but there are variations.

If you are set on going to Key West Florida, your choices are going to be pretty limited as only the February 11th, 2018 sailing on the Disney Wonder has this port stop on a Western Caribbean sailing.

Most of the other choices are going to be rather easier for you as most of the sailings go to the same ports. It really doesn’t tend to matter which ports are in which order.

You need to ask yourself all these questions so that you can narrow down your choice and then decide upon the perfect Disney Caribbean cruise.

Which Stateroom Should You Choose for Your Disney Western Caribbean Cruise?

This is a very important decision because this will determine the cost of your Disney Western Caribbean cruise.

We have sailed in many different categories of stateroom on the Disney ships and we would say that we haven’t found that our level of enjoyment was directly proportional to the category of the stateroom we chose!

We have been just as happy in an Oceanview Stateroom as we have in the Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah.

Of course, it is nice to have a balcony and some extra space, but we think the Disney cruise staterooms are comfortable and spacious.

If you don’t want to spend that extra money on a larger stateroom and you think that your family can survive in a small space for 7 nights we think that you should go for the category that you can comfortably fit into your budget.

We have written a comprehensive guide to staterooms on the Disney Fantasy and you can find that by clicking on the link below:

Disney Fantasy Cruise Staterooms

Isn’t A Disney Caribbean Cruise Just For Kids?

We know that it is a very common misconception that Disney cruises are just for kids. They really aren’t.

Anyone who is already a fan of the Disney parks is probably already convinced that they can have fun, even as a grown-up on a Disney cruise. Disney brings out the child in all of us and that is a big part of the appeal.

However, Disney cruise lines have made very sure that they appeal to the adults as well as to the children. They have dedicated spaces and entertainment on the Disney ships which are meant just for the adults.

All of the ships have a very large amount of space and facilities which are childfree. The Disney Fantasy, in particular, has a huge amount of space which is for the adults only. The pool deck spaces are a sanctuary for adults looking for child-free time.

Still not convinced? If you want to bring back the romance in your life check out our guide:

Top 10 Romantic Things To Do on a Disney Cruise

What Makes a Disney Western Caribbean Cruise Worth It?

We think that Disney cruises offer amazing value for money. Of course, we know that their basic price per night is more than many other cruise lines.

However, we really do go by the saying “You get what you pay for”.

We have sailed on many other cruise lines and we still rate Disney the highest by a long way. This is not just because we are Disney fans, but because their cruises just offer a much higher quality of experience.

There are a number of important differences which we think makes Disney a much better value than other cruise lines. Here are some of the reasons which we think sets Disney apart.

Disney Cruise Ship Entertainment

Disney knows how to put on a very impressive show. You will experience Broadway-quality shows and this is all included in your cruise price. We know of no other cruise line which even comes close to this.

Of course, these are all Disney themed and if you are not a fan of the Mouse you will probably not enjoy the shows.

However, who is going on a Disney cruise who really isn’t a fan of Disney? If you even have a passing interest in the House of Mouse you will be impressed by the shows.

All of the Disney cruise ships have their own shows. If we had to pick a cruise ship with our favorite shows we would pick the Disney Wonder as it has “Golden Mickeys” and the new “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular”.

However, it is really difficult to choose a winner as all the Disney ships have amazing stage shows.

The Disney Magic has a number of stage shows including the newest “Disney Tangled: The Musical” and the always popular “Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic”.

The Disney Fantasy favorites include “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular”, which is also on the Disney Wonder.

Really Disney excels at the big production shows. No one comes close. Think about how much it would cost if you took your family of 4 to a Broadway Disney show.

You would not have change from $500 so we think of that as part of the value of a Disney cruise. It really is an excellent value for entertainment.

The Buena Vista Theater also shows a lot of great Disney movies. If there is a Disney premier it will be shown on the ship.

You can see classic Disney movies as well as new releases in this very comfortable setting. Again, if you think about how much a trip to the movies would be for your family. This all adds great value to a Disney Caribbean cruise.

Disney Cruise Dining

No one does it quite like Disney with the dining concept either. We admit that the food can be hit and miss. This actually seems to be the norm these days on most cruise lines as the standard of food declines.

However, what we really love about Disney cruise lines is Disney rotational dining. What this means is that you get to experience three different restaurants at least once, and you take your wait staff with you.

The rotational dining experience is unique to Disney cruises. We think it is genius. Instead of going to the same restaurant every evening on your cruise you get to “rotate”.

In other words, you go to a different restaurant every evening. As you can imagine, Disney restaurants are the most imaginative at sea.

Where else can you draw a figure and then see it animated on the wall at the end of your meal?

Animators Palate is one of the highest-rated restaurants on the Disney ships. If you sail on the Disney Fantasy you can even have a conversation with Finding Nemo’s Crush Turtle whilst you eat your meal.

The attention to detail in all of the Disney cruise restaurants is amazing. It is more than a place to dine. It is an immersive experience.

The attention to detail in all of the Disney cruise restaurants is outstanding. The food is sometimes very good. Other times it is a miss.

However, as an overall experience, you will look forward to dining in the rotational restaurants on your Disney cruise.

The best thing is that the food is all included in your basic Disney cruise rate.

Sure, you can upgrade to one of the Disney adult restaurants if you want a treat – they are really very good for a reasonable upcharge. However, the included dining is going to be more than enough.

Another great thing about Disney cruise rotational dining? The service. Your wait staff will follow you to each restaurant.

The great thing about this is that they get to know you very quickly. They are the best waiters we have ever experienced at sea. They get to know what you need and so you will arrive on your second day to your favorite drinks.

Nothing is too much trouble for your server and almost without exception (yes we have seen one bad waiter out of many) they will look after you as though they are family. We have never experienced that on any other cruise line apart from Disney.

Disney Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. It is paradise. There are no tender boats to get on the island.

Disney thought of everything and built a dock so that you can step right off the ship and on to the island. That kind of fundamental detail makes a very big difference from the very start.

They have pretty much thought of everything on Castaway Cay. There are separate idyllic beaches for the family as well as having a separate adult-only and supervised kids only beach.

You can not spend anything on Castaway Cay if you don’t want to. You simply walk off the ship and go to the beach.

Sure, you can spend money on activities, but you really don’t need to. A buffet lunch is provided and is included in your cruise fare.

All of the beaches are idyllic. The white sand and the incredibly pleasant ocean are all designed so that you have the ultimate island experience.

Cruisers consistently rate their experience on Castaway Cay as the highlight of their cruise. Other cruise lines have private islands, but none comes close to offering the Castway Cay experience.

Disney Characters

A Disney cruise is a great opportunity to see Disney characters. It is so much more of an immersive experience than at the parks. It is somehow exciting every time Mickey Mouse passes you in the corridor.

There are lots of scheduled character greetings each day. There are lines, but it is so much easier to see the Disney characters than it is in the parks.

Disney Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party

This is another very unique Disney cruise experience – The Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party. This is a whole lot of fun on your Disney cruise. The evening starts with a pirate-themed dinner in your rotational dining restaurant. Everyone is encouraged to join in the pirate fun. Some guests dress up as pirates and of course, there is plenty of pirate merchandise for you to purchase on the ship.

Captain Jack Sparrow and Mickey Mouse are an unusual, but highly entertaining combination. At the end of the deck party, the highlight is the fireworks which appear high in the sky at the side of the ship.

Disney is the only cruise line authorized to have a firework display on a ship. The end of the evening is a very lavish buffet – it is worth seeing the display even if you have had so much food during the day that you simply cannot have anymore!

Disney Kids Clubs

As you would expect, Disney cruises do this very well. There are kids clubs for every specific age group up to the age of 17.

Disney is one of the very few cruise lines with a babysitting service for the under 3s. The baby and toddler babysitting service does have a nominal extra charge, but everything else is free.

The kids themed spaces are excellent, with lots of organized activities for the kids. You will probably have a problem getting your kids out of the kid’s clubs!

A Disney Cruise is For Adults Too

When you think Disney cruises you tend to think that it’s all about the kids. Whilst it is true that there are many things to keep the kids happy, Disney definitely thought just as much about keeping the adults entertained as the young ones.

Every ship has an adults only area where the grown-ups can be child-free for a while. This takes up a lot of space on each of the ships, particularly the Disney Fantasy.

There is also adults only dining available. Palo is on all of the Disney cruise ships. For a small extra charge, you can enjoy a fabulous brunch or dinner.

The newer Disney Dream and Fantasy have the multiple award-winning gourmet restaurant, Remy, to keep the adults very happy. For an extra charge, you can enjoy Michelin 3-star restaurant quality food and service.

If you want to know more about what a great job Disney cruises do in making adults feel just as special as the children you can read our guide at:

Top 10 Romantic Things To Do on a Disney Cruise

Is A Disney Western Caribbean Cruise Worth It?

In our opinion, we absolutely think that it is. It is pretty obvious that we are huge Disney fans. However, this is not the only reason why we would choose a Disney Western Caribbean cruise over any other cruise line.

We are seasoned cruise travelers and we admit that we sail on non-Disney cruises. This is because we love the cruise experience and to be honest, many other cruise lines cost less than Disney.

However, given the choice between one Disney Western Caribbean cruise and two cruises with a rival cruise line we would choose Disney. Why? Because they are just of a higher standard.

When you have limited vacation time, as most of us do, you need to choose your experiences carefully. For us, Disney cruises win every time. We are careful where our cruise dollars go, but for us, Disney cruises win every time.

The Disney Fantasy Western Caribbean Cruise is our first choice. What about you? Let us know if you are thinking of your first Disney Western Caribbean Cruise or are already a veteran of the Disney cruise experience.