How to pick the best themed Disney Cruise for your family – Chron

Disney Cruise Line is known for its acclaimed family-friendly cruises, where casino slot machines arent blaring, drink packages arent marketed to the masses and late-night dance parties don't really rage that late. But one thing that does set a Disney Cruise apart from its competitors is its themed cruises that set sail throughout the year, allowing travelers to be immersed in the worlds of Pixar or Marvel, or make holidays like Halloween and Christmas the focus of their voyage.

So how do you book a Disney themed cruise? Are they really worth the cost? And how do you pick the right one for your family? Were answering all of your questions, so keep reading.

Booking a themed Disney Cruise vacation is as easy as booking a regular Disney Cruise. You can do it online on the Disney Cruise Line website, or talk to a travel agent about what you want from your trip. If you choose to book online, you can pick the type of themed cruise you want to sail and see dates and prices from there.

Alternatively, you can use Disneys Find A Cruise feature to filter your cruises by month, departure port and sailing destination, then see all of the cruises that match your preferences. Cruises with themes will have a banner across them saying what the theme is.

Minnie Mouse poses in her cruise gear in front of Disney Cruise Line's Disney Wish ship. Seeing characters in themed garb is part of the fun of a Disney Cruise.

There are currently four different themed Disney Cruises that travelers can choose from.

Every September and October, all five Disney ships get decked out with spooky decorations and Mickey and his pals put on their best costumes for Halloween on the High Seas. Cruises with this theme range from three- to eight-night sailings and include an abundance of frightfully fun activities, including a costume party, movie nights and trick-or-treating on the ship. The best part? Guests are encouraged to dress up in their favorite costumes yes, even the grown-ups.

Disney Cruise Line adds sparkle to each ship during Very Merrytime Cruises, with Disney characters dressed in festive attire, special stem-to-stern holiday events, traditional "turkey day" fanfare, Christmas feasts, "snow flurries" and New Year's Eve galas. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

Seasonal delights can be found fleet-wide on the Very Merrytime Cruise in November and December. Each ship has a towering Christmas tree and other festive decorations in the atrium, which make for beautiful family photos. Around the ship, youll spot Disney characters in their finest holiday outfits, and may even see Santa Claus himself greeting guests. No Disney Cruise is complete without fireworks at sea and, during holiday sailings, there is a deck party with special holiday-themed fireworks that glitter and sparkle over the dark ocean.

Disney Cruise Line's Pixar Day at Sea is a themed cruise that sees the ship filled with characters from beloved Pixar movies like "Monsters Inc.," "Toy Story," "The Incredibles" and "Inside Out."

Starting in 2023, guests can sail away on a brand-new Pixar adventure. Disney Cruise Lines newest themed voyage, Pixar Day at Sea, will start its first sailings January through March. The 7-night sailings will take place aboard the Disney Fantasy from Port Canaveral. During the week-long cruise, there will be one dedicated day where the entire ship will be taken over by characters from beloved Pixar movies like "Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc." and "The Incredibles." The day will include character dance parties, a "Toy Story"-themed breakfast, a dinner where dishes are inspired by the commissary at Pixar Animation Studios and a nighttime fireworks display where you may need to assist the superpowered Parr family.

On the Disney Magic, kids get a special visit from Captain America. Marvel Day at Sea is one of several themed cruises Disney Cruise Line offers.

Heroes from around the multiverse can gather together on the Disney Dream for Marvel Day at Sea. Sailings with this superhero theme also run from January through March 2023. The 5-night cruises allow guests to interact with their favorite Marvel characters like Captain America, Black Panther and Captain Marvel while on the ship, along with Mickey Mouse and the gang dressed as their favorite Marvel characters. Marvel Day at Sea has a plethora of activities, toofrom movie screenings and trivia, to costume contests and shows. The Marvel-themed cruise also includes one of Disney Cruise Lines most exciting nighttime spectaculars where stunts, more than a dozen characters and, of course, fireworks, are all combined into one epic show at sea.

The cost of a themed Disney Cruise is generally the same as a normal Disney Cruise, so if you want to sail on a themed cruise you can rest assured that you wont be facing a huge upcharge just to see your favorite characters. The cost of themed cruises includes all taxes, fees and port expenses, plus dining, entertainment and your stateroom.

If your family really connects with the special theme of a cruise being offered, it would absolutely be worth the cost. Also, if you're a seasoned sailor with Disney Cruise Line, these themed sailings can let you experience something totally new as you travel with the company again.

Sadness and Joy from Pixar's "Inside Out" are shown aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship. The characters can be found on the themed Pixar Days at Sea voyage.

Picking the right themed Disney Cruise for your family is fairly simple, especially if you already know when you want to travel, because all of the themed cruises run during dedicated seasons. You can also pick your cruise based on which of the five Disney Cruise Line ships you want to board, with the Disney Wish being the newest in the growing fleet. If you dont care about timing or which ship you set sail on then just go with whatever theme you think sounds like the most fun. If your family loves Pixar movies or Marvel superheroes, obviously go with one of those, but if your crew is nuts about Halloween or Christmas, celebrate your favorite holiday on the high seas with those themes.

No matter what ship, sailing date or themed cruise you choose, a Disney Cruise Line vacation is a one-of-a-kind experience where youll most likely be ready to book your next voyage as soon as you stepoff the ship.

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How to pick the best themed Disney Cruise for your family - Chron