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This special holiday gathering featuring Broadway-style entertainment (per Disney–we’d say that’s overselling it), classic holiday tunes, Mickey & friends, and snow in the atrium. We recently did a Very Merrytime Christmas sailing aboard Disney Cruise Line and thought it’d be worth sharing photos, info, and our review of the voyage. Our cruise was a 4-night trip from Port Canaveral, Florida (near Walt Disney World) on the Disney Dream, but these holiday cruises are offered fleet-wide in November and December. With cruises from Florida and California, adults and children alike will discover the wonder of the holidays aboard Very Merrytime sailings in 2023. Disney Cruise is complete with a souvenir shirt to remember the occasion.
Disney Characters in Holiday Attire
The Disney Very Merrytime Cruises are a great way to experience everything Christmas. So, bring your Christmas List and your camera to capture all of the memories of the season. And if you’re sailing somewhere colder, here is what we recommend packing for a cold weather Disney Cruise. The atrium may additionally host a surprise snow flurry as previously summoned by none other than Queen Elsa from “Frozen,” gathered among all her other Disney friends and cast. The entire stage company gets in on the act caroling and dancing to classic Christmas tunes, magically activating the ship’s central gathering space.
Disney Cruise Disembarkation Time and Options
However, there are several itineraries available on the different Disney Cruise Line ships. While the characters still wear their popular cruising costumes (including the pirate costumes), they also wear some festive attire. On our last night, we loved seeing the fab five (plus Daisy, Chip, and Dale), wearing holiday sweaters. As soon as we boarded the ship, we could tell that we were on a special Disney Christmas cruise. The Disney Cruise Line staff greeting us at the gangway of the ship were all decked out in festive scarves, and the atrium lobby of the ship had a beautiful tree, as well as Christmas tree garland around the railings. I love the Christmas events at Walt Disney World, so this year, I was excited to experience the holidays at sea on a Disney Christmas Cruise.
Special Activities for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Disney Christmas Cruise
My latest Very Merrytime Cruise was the very first Disney Christmas Cruise of the season. As a result, they were decorating the ship for the Christmas season in a few places as we arrived. During the cruise, there will be many holiday-themed events to look forward to, from tree lightings to holiday parties. Families sailing during the holiday season from late November to New Year's Eve are treated to ships decked out from stem to stern with traditional Thanksgiving fanfare, Christmas festivities, and snow flurries. Mickey’s Tree-Lighting Magic – When you walk onto your Disney Cruise Line ship on day one, the Christmas tree and garland lights aren’t yet on. This is because there’s a show featuring Disney characters, Christmas music, crew members, and more in this tree-lighting ceremony that makes these festive lights twinkle.
Special Events on a Very Merrytime Cruise
New Entertainment for 2023 Very Merrytime Christmas Sailings on Disney Cruise Line - Disney Tourist Blog
New Entertainment for 2023 Very Merrytime Christmas Sailings on Disney Cruise Line.
Posted: Wed, 14 Jun 2023 16:14:06 GMT [source]
And if you're a fellow character hunter like me, Mickey and the gang all have Castaway Cay exclusive outfits, which are adorable and make for great family photos. This makes getting around the island with all of my beach gear easy. One of the biggest perks of Castaway Cay is that the ship docks right at the island. Erin Foster is an original member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (now PlanDisney), a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com, and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line.
If you are looking for a festive time to hit the high seas, this is a great option. Here’s our experience with Disney Cruise Line’s Very Merrytime Cruises, and what to expect on a Disney Christmas cruise. When the ships stop at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, the celebration continues with a decked-out Christmas tree, Disney character meet-and-greets, and holiday island music.
Q: Can You Do a Disney Cruise in December?
These are not proper shows, they’re mostly character greetings with a mild musical component. If you’re expecting Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration or even A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, lower your expectations. Three shows might sound like a decent amount, but that would be really overselling each. The tree lighting is pretty short and the See Ya Real Soon is a modified version of a normal (also short) goodbye.
I only book a Disney cruise if it's going to the company's private island, Castaway Cay
And, before I head back to the ship, I stop at the Castaway Cay post office to send postcards back home. I always make a point to stop in at the various shops near the family beach to see the Castaway Cay merchandise. On a recent trip, the shops had everything from spirit jerseys and T-shirts to Christmas ornaments and swimsuits. Plus, just off Serenity Bay Beach is a fun beachside bar serving up drinks and snacks. This peaceful chair-lined beach is a quiet spot away from the family beach, where I can sit back and enjoy the view or take a chair down to the water and let the waves crash over me. One thing I love about Disney Cruise Line and Castaway Cay is that there are plenty of adults-only spaces where kids are strictly not allowed.
Character Costumes on the Very Merrytime Cruises
If your primary concern is meeting a range of characters in rare costumes, you’ll probably leave very satisfied. It’s nice to see the atriums of the gorgeous Disney Cruise Line ships decorated, but disappointing that these are generic Christmas ornaments, garland, and lights. They look nice, but there’s nothing on-theme about them, which is a bit of a letdown if you’ve been to the resorts at Walt Disney World around the holidays. This show also provides another opportunity for guests to meet the characters, in a rushed-but-efficient process. Castaway Cay – Disney Cruise Line’s private island is decked for the holidays with a tropical flair. An icon Christmas tree, holiday island music, garland, and even snow flurries greet guests arriving to the island.
Disney Cruise Line offers a number of special sailings, with enhancements above and beyond the normal cruise experience. Two of the most popular special sailings are Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime. Excepting only Alaska (as a summer destination), DCL's Caribbean Holiday deals are among the most popular. On each of these voyages, passengers will be visiting the most famous of all private islands in the world - the line's Castaway Cay island in The Bahamas.
In addition to holiday decor, you’ll also get to experience some fun special events on a Disney Very Merrytime Cruise. The first night, you’ll find a special Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on the schedule. Hosted by your favorite Disney characters, this ceremony is not to be missed. The Disney Magic will set sail to Baja and the Mexican Riviera from San Diego for holiday sailings before wrapping up the season in Galveston, Texas with Very Merrytime cruises to the western Caribbean. While some events we write about are easy for us to say “do it once” or “pass it all together”, a Disney Very Merrytime Cruise can really be a once-in-a-lifetime trip or an annual holiday tradition depending on your family.
Check out the extra holiday magic you can enjoy for Christmas at Castaway Cay on Disney’s Very Merrytime Christmas Cruise. Guests on a holiday themed Disney cruise are able to enjoy their favorite Disney characters dressed up in their holiday best. You’ll have lots of opportunities to pose for photos with Mickey Mouse and the gang in their festive Christmas outfits no matter which of the Disney ships you choose to sail. With festive holiday decor, themed food, Christmas activities, holiday merchandise, and more, the Disney Christmas cruises in November and December are a great time of year to set sail. There’s almost certainly more to come for Very Merrytime Christmas cruises next year. The sixth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Treasure, will set sail in 2024.
She's been to WDW, DL, DL Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Aulani, DVC Vero Beach, and DVC Hilton Head. She's a Platinum DCL cruiser and veteran of 10 Adventures by Disney trips. Erin lives near New York City, where she can often be found indulging in her other obsession - Broadway theater. If you choose to walk the path to Castaway Cay instead, then you’ll see the Santa buoys. These little buoys are turned upside to make Santa’s face and beard cheerily decorated for the season.
It’s never too early to start planning for next Christmas, and Disney Cruise Line has also confirmed that the holiday magic of Very Merrytime cruises will also return as part of the just-announced itineraries in Late 2024. I think younger children (elementary-aged or younger) would especially appreciate the Christmas-themed activities and events. To learn more, visit the Disney Cruise Line Very Merrytime Cruise page. Our Very Merrytime Cruise was a 3-night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Dream the day after Thanksgiving day.
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