headers_200_square_DCL

DCL Gold and Red logo vertical

Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line with 4 captains: The Ship’s Captain, Captain Mickey, Captain Hook, and Captain Jack Sparrow.

Disney Cruise line launched in 1990 after 10 years with Premier Cruise Line and was known around the industry as The Big Red Boat.  Disney then branched out on its own, wanting one thing: to be the best cruise line in the world.   Disney built their boats first and foremost to be a family cruise, that the whole family could enjoy which is why you won’t find a casino anywhere on board. Disney introduced some industry firsts like rotational dining, ships horn plays “When You Wish Upon a Star”, water coaster better known as Aqua Duck, split bathrooms and magical portholes for interior rooms.  Disney Cruise Line has 4 ships with 2 additional ships to be completed 2021 and 2023.

Get Onboard Credits for your Cruise! Up to $1,000

I-4 Travel Company is proud to offer Onboard Credits for guests that book their Disney Cruise with us. The Credit can be used on things like Shore Excursions, Spa Visits, Gift Shop, Alcoholic Drinks, and other items.

Your Content Goes Here

Get the Details

Interested in getting a Quote? Click the Button to get a FREE, NO OBLIGATION Quote for your Disney Cruise Line Vacation.

Get a Quote!

What is included in a Disney Cruise?

Entertainment like live Broadway Disney shows, pool side movies, fireworks at sea, and Disney character experiences are all included on a Disney Cruise. Dining is included which includes main dining, casual dining, buffet, quick service and room service.  Also your choice of soda, juice, coffee, milk and tea are included. There is no drink package to purchase.
Disney Cruise line has a navigator mobile app to help you navigate around the ship. You can download this before your cruise. Personal Navigators are delivered to your stateroom and lists the activities for every day of your cruise. Every event and location is clearly listed so that you can plan your day. Entertainment events are also posted at various spots around the ships.
At Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, you can enjoy a barbecue buffet lunch, self-serve ice cream, family beach, adult only beach, and children only activities and beach as well.
Disney provides cell-phone-style “Wave Phones” in every stateroom that you can carry with you on the ship to stay in touch with the other members of your party. You get two phones per regular stateroom and a charger. You can receive text or calls with the Wave Phones.

Disney also has special theme cruises during the year. There are Halloween, Christmas, and Star Wars cruises.

Click Here for a detailed list.

Click Here for DCL Reservation Date Calculator

See our Blog post on do you need a Passport to go on a Disney Cruise.

The Ships

Disney cruise line has four ships.  The Magic, which started it all in 1998. Then the Wonder followed in August of 1999, Dream in January 2011, and the newest ship, Fantasy, in March 2012.
All Disney ships are painted in Mickey Inspired colors – black hull, yellow accents, white structure, and 2 giant red funnels with the DCL Mickey Mouse logo.  Disney is the first cruise line to have yellow life boats.  Disney was given special permission from the U.S Coast guard for the colors.
Every cruise ship has an atrium lobby statue celebrating a Disney character.  The Magic has Mickey, the Wonder has Ariel, the Dream has Donald, and the Fantasy has Minnie Mouse. The ships are decorated art deco style with geometric design bold solid colors.
The Buena Vista theater (on all ships) is designed to look like elegant movie houses from the 1920 and 1930’s. Swimming pools on Disney ships are heated when the water temperature drops below 75 degrees. There is Wi-Fi on the ship in your stateroom and in public spaces.
Disney, being concerned with the environment, uses condensation from the shipboard air conditioning units and re-uses the water to wash decks, saving 22.3 million gallons of fresh water per year.
On special nights, all Disney ships become Pirate ships, on Pirate night with themed dinners at your rotation and much more.
Fun fact about the Magic and Wonder, both these ships are both longer than Main street U.S.A at Walt Disney World.

Staterooms

All stateroom options offer spacious room, relaxation, superb service, and incredible attention to details.  Disney Cruise Line staterooms come in several categories ranging from Concierge level suits, Deluxe family ocean view rooms with some having verandah’s, and inside staterooms that offer “magical portholes”.  Disney even offers staterooms that have split bath options.  The split bathrooms on Disney ships consist of one room with a sink and toilet, and another with a sink and tub/shower.
Stateroom doors are magnetic, so feel free to decorate these.  Doing so will help you find your stateroom among all the other ones.
Included in your room are soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotions which is the high quality Disney good stuff!!!  Also there is a room safe and mini refrigerator.
More than half of all Staterooms on DCL have a view of the ocean.

Children’s Activities

Nearly an entire deck is dedicated to age-specific children activities.  Before getting on the ship, check your child into the activities area for them to receive their band. Infants from 6 months to 3 years’ area is called it’s a small world nursery or Flounders Reef on the Wonder.  You will need to go ahead and book this as early as you can because this area tends to book fast.  A charge of $9 per hour and hours vary so look at your Personal Navigator.
Children ages 3-12 have access to the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab.  Here your child can watch movies, play games, dress up, make an experiment with a crazy scientist, dance with Disney Characters.
Tweens ages 11-14 can go to Edge where they can watch movies, play games and do crafts with other tweens their age.
Teens 14-17 will love Vibe.  This is an exclusive space for teens with group games, TV, music, and even their own pool.
With DCL being a family centered cruise line children’s meals are served first during your dinner.  During the 8 pm dining rotation, counselors from the kid clubs will walk around the dining room to let parents know they are there and you meet up with them at the entrance to the restaurant.  They ask that you sign a form giving them permission to take your child to the kid club area where you can pick them up later. This allows you to finish your dinner and pick your children up later.

Parents can allow their kids to get in and out of the club by themselves, just fill out a special form.  With these bands, parents come to the Oceaneer club or lab, the counselors can tell you exactly where your child is to go get him or her.  Please make sure you remember your secret word when you go to pick them up.  Parents take their kids to the Oceaneer Club and “check out” a band. Once the cruise is over, parents need to return the bands or face a charge on their account. This makes these bands difficult to obtain.

If you choose not to have your child be able to check themselves out, the counselors will contact you on the Wave Phone to let you know your child is ready to be picked up.
An open house will be available the first day of your cruise along with other posted times, which will be posted in the Personal Navigator.  This is the perfect opportunity for Guests of all ages to see the areas and try it out before staying.

Dining

Eating on your cruise can be one of the best highlights of your trip, and yes there is a walking track on the ship for those who want to walk off their meal. The great thing about Disney, is all meals are included along with soda, coffee, milk, juice and tea.  If you buy drinks at the bar, concession, or Room Service, it will cost you.
Room Service is free and offers meal choices that you cannot find anywhere else on the ship.  One thing we always do is go up and fill our drink mugs with drink before room service arrives.  You can order breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks 24 hours. Also included is self-service ice-cream with various flavors and toppings to choose from. You have various choices for breakfast from buffet, room service and main dining rooms. Also you have the same options for lunch or pool side meal offerings. I-4 Travel likes to eat at Cabana’s for breakfast and lunch. One time due to an early shore excursion we filled out the room service sheet the night before for breakfast to be delivered that morning. Snacks can be eaten poolside or even by room service
Dinner on Disney Cruise Line is at two different times. Main dining time is 5:45 pm and second seating is at 8:15pm.  Each night on your cruise you will rotate around to the main dining rooms along with your Server and Wait Staff.  This way they will get to know you and you will get to know them.  A lot of times, they will go ahead and have your drink waiting for you when you sit down.  On 7 night cruises you will visit the restaurants more than once.
Another dining option for adults are Palo and Remy, which require a sport jacket or suit for men and for women dress or pant suit (there is an additional fee for these restaurants).
If you choose to do Second Dining, there is an option for your kids called Dine and Play.  The kids will get their dinner first and during that time Kid Club counselors will walk around the restaurant to let you know it is time.  You will take your children to the front of the restaurant where you will give them permission
to take them.  This offers your children more time to play and the adults to have a meal just with them.
Other options for dinner is the buffet, pool side, and room service.

On-Board Fun

Disney is the only cruise line to run feature films, including 3-D movies, premiering at sea the same day that they are released on land.
If Broadway shows are more your style, Disney Cruise Line offers exciting musicals that are fun and exciting.  The shows are scheduled as not to interfere with the two main dining times and the doors to the shows open 30 minutes prior.  If you really want to see a show but for some reason you can’t, have no fear the shows will be on the TV in your Stateroom.
Make sure to play at least one of the on-board activities.  Winners often get free DCL gear.
On select nights on each ship there is a special deck party. It’s Pirates Night.  You can eat, dance, and dress like a Buccaneer.  A special Pirate bandanna will be given to each guest.  Also the store on the ship will sell gear for the night for everyone in the family including your stateroom door.  Your dining crew will also be dressed for the night along with the menu which becomes an old treasure map. As of June 2016, you can pre-book 2 meet and greet opportunities with Disney Characters through the My Disney Cruise section on DisneyCruise.com.

See our Blog Post on Adult Life aboard a Disney Cruise Ship

Fireworks on a Cruise Ship!

Castaway Cay

Disney has their own private island and is the first in the industry to have the ship doc at the island so guests do not have to ride tender boats. Once there, make sure you visit the islands Post Office to send a postcard back home for a unique souvenir when you get back home. There is family only beaches, adult only beaches, and kids can even enjoy Oceaneer Club activities while on the island. Enjoy a special island buffet and all you can eat ice-cream as well.
You can also find character meetings, special shopping for Castaway Cay gifts and souvenirs, and even find Port Adventures for the whole family.

Castaway Club Membership

The Castaway Club is Disney Cruise Line’s version of a loyalty program for return cruise passengers.  Disney Cruise Line’s benefits increase based on the number of cruises you have sailed regardless of cruise length or destination. After your first cruise, you will be a Silver Castaway Club member. Gold Castaway Club member after your fifth cruise and Platinum Castaway Club member after your tenth sailing.
Benefits of this membership include ability to do early bookings, member only boarding process, welcome back gift depending on membership level, and even merchandise discounts.