Disney Cruise Line

The standard for family cruising!

Disney Cruise Line is what you get when you add Sorcerer Mickey, Tiana, Black Panther, Goofy, Spiderman, Kermit and about 300 other characters on a cruise. The end result? Amazing, of course. Just close your eyes and imagine Disney World on the ocean with endless pixie dust. You can open your eyes now and maybe start packing.

Disney Cruise Line is the best cruise line for children, plain and simple. They feature seven ships, with more on the way, and specialize mainly in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska and Europe (and Singapore soon with the Disney Adventure). Each trip with them always brings something new to the table, since each single vessel has three stage shows and three restaurants. And, yes, they are all Disney themed.

Ever wanted to see a puppetry show on a cruise ship with Elsa singing Let it Go? Or a Lion King restaurant where You Just Can’t Wait to Be King? How about a cruise with private islands where you disembark and can give Jack Sparrow a high five right before you sit down to get a tan? Disney provides all this. Disney Cruise Line is slightly more expensive than mainstream cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, but the entertainment they provide is basically unmatched in the industry.

Families with children up to… 90 years old… will have the time of their lives onboard these ships. They are filled with cool places to visit, like a Haunted Mansion or Star Wars themed bar, exclusive spots for adults, waterslides that could very well be a Disney World attraction and more. The Oceaneer Club stands as the cruise industry's best kids club, featuring Marvel and Star Wars activities, character meet & greets, video game challenges, a nursery and much more.

Dining is also pretty good onboard Disney Cruise Line. They actually have some of the best specialty restaurants at sea, like Palo and Rémy/Enchanté. Both are multi-course meals that cost at least $50 per guest, but are highly recommended.

DCL also offers a unique feature called Rotational Dining. This means that there is a different main dining room each night, all included in your fare. Often, the restaurants are actually shows in disguise, so you can enjoy your meal while watching Ant-Man fight a bunch of bad guys or Elsa sing next to Anna and Olaf. Stage shows are Broadway quality and very well done. They usually last around 40 minutes and are highly elaborate productions that bring Disney characters like Aladdin, Hercules, and Moana to life in creative ways, with excellent songs.

Two private islands are also waiting for you when traveling with Disney: Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Both are fun spots with great beaches, small water parks, splash zones and free food. There’s also a chance you’ll see Disney characters in their beachwear. Ever imagined how Smee looks at the beach? Yeah, neither did I.

Disney Cruise Line is, in a few words, awesome. It’s truly magical and a great choice for basically every traveler. Prices are a bit higher than mainstream cruise lines and its approach rivals what is offered by Celebrity Cruises and Holland America. If you are traveling with children though, nothing beats the feeling or watching classic Disney stories as you cruise across the Caribbean. It’s definitely the Happiest Place on… the Ocean? Oh yes.