I just got off the Disney Wish. I was prepared not to like Disney's newest cruise ship, but I loved our $5,300 3-night trip.

  •  My family of four did a three-night sailing on the Disney Wish in July for $5,300.
  • We've been on eight Disney cruises , and I heard a few negative reviews of the Wish before boarding.
  • But I loved the new ship, especially the themed adult lounges and fun new deck layout. 

Insider Today

My family of four recently did a three-night sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Bahamas on Disney's newest cruise ship, the Wish . 

We've been on eight Disney Cruises as a family, and I follow several cruise blogs and podcasts, so I consider myself an expert-level Disney cruiser . Before this trip, I'd read and heard enough Wish reviews to give me the impression I wouldn't like the new ship.

Our decision to sail on the Wish was last-minute. We booked a $5,300 voyage and boarded the ship with no reservations or excursions and no plans other than to explore.

Luckily, I ended up being wrong about pretty much everything I thought I'd dislike about the ship.

I was super impressed by the new Grand Hall on the Wish.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Disney's first ship, the Magic , set sail back in 1998, so embarking on the Wish, which had its maiden voyage in July 2022, was quite the upgrade. Passengers are immersed in everything new and dazzling on the Wish as soon as they enter the Grand Hall.

The other Disney ships have a central atrium where guests embark and are welcomed aboard. But the Wish's Grand Hall is open and airy — more of a multipurpose space with a stage and balcony.

The only criticism I had was that the welcome-aboard announcement from the crew could've been better. Whereas the other ships had a gauntlet of crew members clapping and cheering, there was only one crew member on the Wish's welcoming committee and little fanfare.

You won't miss this if you've never sailed with Disney before . But if you have, you'll probably notice a difference.

Our room also felt shiny and new.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

We booked an ocean-view stateroom with a veranda for our cruise on the Wish. 

There were upgraded touches in the stateroom , such as a larger TV screen and robes, compared to the older ships. 

The Wish doesn't have any midship elevators, but it didn't end up being an issue for us.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

All the other Disney ships have three elevator spots, forward (front of ship), aft (back of ship), and midship (middle of ship). Despite being Disney's largest ship, the Wish has no midship elevators.

I thought this might be inconvenient, but there are 16 elevators total, eight aft and eight forward, so the lack of midship elevators didn't actually bother me. We were OK with the extra walking as we take the stairs as often as possible anyway. 

What was annoying was the sensor-button panel on the elevators. If someone got too close to the buttons, the elevator would select them, causing most elevators we rode to stop at every floor. It was like having that kid who pushes all the buttons on your elevator every trip.

We're really familiar with the layout of the other Disney ships, so this took some getting used to.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Disney Wish is the fleet's first Triton Class ship, meaning it has a different layout from Disney's previous ships in the Magic and Dream classes. After three sailings on the Wonder, two on the Magic, and two on the Dream, we had those deck plans down pat. 

Because of this, I had to spend time discovering where things were located instead of immediately knowing my way around. But it actually ended up being part of the fun and not a negative experience. 

I'd heard complaints of a lack of adult-only entertainment, but that wasn't my experience.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

All the other Disney ships have a bar-and-lounge district that's off-limits to anyone under 18 after 7 p.m. 

On the Wish, the highly themed Nightingale's, Bayou, Rose, and Star Wars Hyperspace lounges were dotted throughout the ship versus being in an adult-only section. But the fact that kids were passing through didn't bother me.

Plus, there was still the adult-only pool deck and two adult-only dining venues if you wanted to escape.

The dining rooms may have been a little more crowded, but it didn't really bother us.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The three main dining rooms on the Wish are Arendelle, Worlds of Marvel, and 1923.

Before our trip, I'd heard fellow travelers complaining of big crowds, with the tables placed uncomfortably close together. Our sailing was near capacity, and the dining rooms were indeed crowded, but that's typical of all other Disney cruises we've been on.

The tables felt closer together than they've been on other ships, but it wasn't uncomfortable and didn't hamper our dining experience .

We loved the food at the new restaurants , especially the filet at 1923, but we'd probably skip Worlds of Marvel next time. The digital show is such a huge part of dinner, and although it was cute, I wouldn't want to sit through it again.

There were fun added amenities and entertainment options on the ship.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Pirate's Rockin' Parlay Party on the deck was a great entertainment addition, and the infinity pool in the Quiet Cove area was pretty sweet, even if it was always full of people.

The kid's clubs , especially the Oceaneer Club for kids 3 through 12, were next-level fantastic. I thought the teen and tween clubs were elevated, too, but my 13-year-olds said they liked one on the Magic better. 

My family loved our trip on the Wish, and we'd definitely sail on it again.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Wish isn't my top Disney Cruise Line pick — that's always going to be the Wonder — but I loved the ship and would book again if the itinerary and rates lined up with our travel needs .

If you're hesitant to book because of a negative review you saw online, I say go for it and try it for yourself. 

disney wish 3 night cruise review

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3 Day Disney Cruise Review (Is it worth it?)

Mickey ears on cruise ship

Are you considering booking a Disney Cruise vacation with a 3-day itinerary? Maybe you’re afraid 3-night cruises are too short.

Is a 3-day Disney cruise even worth it? Some experienced Disney cruisers will tell you that they would never cruise for less than 7 days and that a longer cruise is always the way to go. That may be true for some, but not everyone has the budget for an extensive Disney cruise vacation.

Maybe you aren’t able to take off work for a long enough period of time to enjoy a week-long cruise. Or perhaps you are worried a cruise isn’t the right type of vacation for your family, and you don’t want to commit to a long itinerary. Regardless of your reasoning for choosing a 3 day Disney cruise, it’s important to note that you will still receive the same amazing service, experience, and activities as those families sailing on Disney Cruise Line’s longer itineraries.

The post below will review my family’s time on a 3 day Disney cruise so that you can see all the reasons why we think a 3-night cruise is totally worth it! We’ll compare prices for short cruises vs long itineraries, and we will discuss the family-friendly entertainment that you’ll enjoy while cruising with Disney .

Disney 3 Day Cruise Price

Let’s be honest, a trip with Disney Cruise Line isn’t the cheapest way to travel. But like many things in travel, you get what you pay for. And the quality Disney provides makes up for the cost. If you are looking for a budget friendly way to sail on Disney cruise ships, the three-day cruises are typically cheaper than those with longer itineraries.

You can really trim down the extra costs by traveling on one of these shorter itineraries, especially if your sail dates aren’t during peak season. For example, my family’s 3-night Disney cruise on the Disney Fantasy was much more budget friendly than the longer cruises we have taken with Disney and other cruise lines.

Disney cruise ship, water slide, and toddler on beach with text overlay "Is a 3 Night Disney Cruise worth it?"

When you calculate excursions, tips, and items you buy onboard, this statement becomes even more accurate. There are several factors that go into the total price of a Disney cruise. Once you are aware of all the costs, you can possibly tweak your budget to save in some areas while maybe even splurging in others!

So, how much does a 3 day Disney cruise cost? In addition to the price you pay for booking your Disney Cruise stateroom, you will want to budget for some additional costs. We will cover these in more detail below, so you can better determine how much a 3 day Disney cruise vacation will cost you.

Port Adventures

Port Adventures (also known as shore excursions ) are those activities that you experience while you’re off the ship and while visiting ports of call. Many of Disney Cruise Line’s 3 day cruises are Bahamian cruises that visit Nassau and Castaway Cay. So, your port adventures would include the experiences you booked for those port stops.

For example, if you chose to book tickets to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, you would include this activity in your budget for port adventures . The total cost of a Disney cruise can largely depend on the shore excursions you book. If you’re looking to save money, Castaway Cay is a great place to stop on your Disney cruise.

Castaway Cay beach

Since Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, you can enjoy the beaches and many activities at no additional charge to your cruise fare. In fact, this is how my family and I saved on one of our 3-night Disney cruises. We booked a 3 day cruise that was classified as a double dip to Castaway Cay . This means we visited the private island twice on our cruise!

Since we chose to spend our two days on Castaway Cay just hanging out at the beach, this port didn’t cost us any additional money. Even if you aren’t able to find a double dip cruise, a 3 day Disney cruise only has time to visit a couple of ports. Therefore, you shouldn’t need to budget a ton of more money to pay for excursions on the islands you are visiting.

Another additional cost you will want to consider when budgeting for your 3 night Disney cruise is gratuities. Guests vacationing with DCL are charged $14.50 a day per person for gratuities. So, if you are traveling as a family of four, you would spend $58 per day on gratuities alone. This means that the total amount of gratuities at the end of a 3 night cruise would be $174 for a family of four.

Disney Fantasy cruise ship

When you compare this to the gratuity amount after a 7-night cruise, you can really see how much money you save on shorter itineraries. The gratuities for a family of four on a seven-night cruise totals $406, which is quite a bit more than the Disney 3-day cruise tip amount. As you can see, if you extend your cruise length, that tip money can add up quickly!

Additional Purchases

The more days and nights you spend on the Disney ship, the more you may feel enticed to make additional purchases. For example, when my family and I travel with Disney Cruise Line, we often spend extra money on things like popcorn for the live shows, adult beverages, and keepsakes from the gift shops.

Port Canaveral Disney Cruise Line terminal

These little items can add up, but the final bill for them typically isn’t that extravagant after only 3 days. On the contrary, if you make these little purchases each day for seven days, your final bill may end up coming with a bit of sticker shock.

If you’re someone who likes to plan and stay organized with your vacations, you’ll love this printable Disney cruise planner I created. While planning my family’s last cruise, I designed graphic organizers and spreadsheets for each step of the planning process.

↓↓ Visit My Etsy Shop ↓↓

Disney Cruise Planner

Originally, I created this printable cruise planner for my own personal use. However, I ended up making it “pretty” and deciding to share it with my readers. The 30+ page cruise planner includes organized sheets for the following:

  • hotel, flight, and transportation price comparisons
  • list of essentials for packing plus blank packing list
  • trip budget including many of the items discussed above
  • fish extender planner
  • planning timeline so you know what to do when

This planner also includes my daily itinerary complete with outfit planners. This REALLY helps in the packing process!

3 Day Cruise (but 4 Night Vacation)

As we discuss whether or not a 3 day Disney cruise is worth it, it’s important to point out that your vacation will (more than likely) be longer than three nights. If you are flying into the port for your cruise, I HIGHLY recommend getting there at least the day before embarkation day . Even if your travel party ends up making it to the ship, you will want to know your luggage has plenty of time to get there as well.

Flying into your departure port (at least) a day early allows for delayed flights, lost luggage, etc. This extra time allowance also extends your three-night cruise into a 4-night vacation! Similarly, you can extend your cruise vacation by adding an extra day to the end of your cruise.

Epcot ball and monorail

Sometimes flight times and prices don’t work out to fly home immediately after you leave the ship. Instead, you may consider booking a hotel room for the day you disembark the cruise ship. This way you have more flexibility with flight times on the following day. This is an especially appealing idea if your Disney cruise sails out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Since Port Canaveral is less than an hour’s drive to Walt Disney World, you could get off the cruise ship and arrive at a Disney resort by late morning. It is much easier to say goodbye to your Disney cruise vacation when you know you have Disney World to look forward to!

3 Day Disney Cruise Activities

One of the reasons many families are nervous to book a 3 day cruise is that they are afraid they won’t have time to enjoy the Disney ship. From personal experience, I have to share that even though a 3-night Disney cruise is a shorter itinerary, you will still have plenty of time to experience the activities available on board. Now, don’t get me wrong. You definitely won’t get to see and do all the things that are offered on your cruise.

BUT cruisers say that very same thing about 7-night cruises! No matter how long you choose to sail, you will always feel like you missed some sort of activity or entertainment option. However, you spend so much time enjoying the activities you do get to experience that those options you missed really don’t matter in the end.

Oceaneer Club on the Disney Magic

Our advice when planning a 3 day cruise is to go in super prepared. I like to look at personal navigators from prior cruises to see which activities are offered on a 3 day itinerary. From there, you can decide which activities are the most important to your family. More than likely, you won’t have a problem making time for each one.

As an example of what your schedule may look like and how much time you need for activities, I’m going to share my family’s first few hours onboard the ship for our 3-night cruise to the Bahamas. Once we embarked on the first day at around 11:30, we had time to complete all of the following activities before we even set sail:

  • meet Disney characters
  • buffet lunch at Cabanas
  • swim in ship pools
  • unpack and organize stateroom
  • visit guest services to request a stroller
  • order snacks from room service

Additionally, I want to include that Disney 3 day cruises feature the same magical experiences as longer cruises, including Pirate Night, Broadway style shows, character meet and greets, fireworks, swimming pools, and more!

Ways to Save Money

As mentioned above, many of the 3 day cruise itineraries visit the Bahamas. This means that you more than likely would be making a stop at Castaway Cay during your cruise. Being able to experience this beautiful private island in the Bahamas is reason enough to book a Disney cruise.

Castaway Cay Beach

Since guests do not have to pay an additional fee to use the beaches and many of the activities on Castaway Cay, this island is the perfect port of call for budget conscious travelers. The buffet lunch on Castaway Cay is even included in your cruise fare!

If you’re looking for an additional way to save money on a Disney Cruise Line vacation, you can book a future cruise onboard for a discount. This way your next Disney cruise vacation can be a longer, pricier one with possibly a less expensive price tag. Disney Cruise Line offers 10% off the price of your next cruise if booked onboard, which can add up to a significant discount.

Concierge Stateroom Disney Magic

I like to scope out the upcoming cruise itineraries before sailing so I have an idea of what I would like to book once onboard. If you decide not to take the cruise you booked onboard, you can cancel it and get a refund on your deposit as long as you are inside the cancellation window. So, it’s really a win-win situation!

There are a few restrictions on this deal, including that you must sail within 24 months of the onboard booking. If you aren’t sure which cruise to book on board, you can purchase a “placeholder” for $250. This holds the onboard booking deal until you choose the cruise to apply it to.

Also, you may receive a discount on TWO staterooms as long as you put down a deposit on each. (These two staterooms must be booked on the same future cruise.) So, you can entice your family or friends to join you the next time around, and everyone can save money!

Final Review of 3 Day Disney Cruise

We hope you can tell just how much we love sailing with Disney Cruise Line. The cost and time commitments associated with longer cruises aren’t always feasible for every family. So, if you have been holding back booking a Disney 3 day cruise because you weren’t sure if it was worth it, we totally think it is!

Although we prefer a 5 night cruise or longer, my family and I would never hesitate to take a 3-night cruise with DCL. No matter which of the Disney ships you choose to book (Disney Wish, Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Magic, or Disney Fantasy), you will truly have the time of your lives!

After your trip, come back and give us your feedback! Do you think a 3 day Disney cruise is worth it or not? Comment below to share with us!

Shari is an experienced planner and organizer for Disney vacations, cruising, and U.S. travel. Her family vacation information, reviews, and tips provide insight for moms and dads everywhere. You can read more about her story, including her journey through breast cancer, in the about me page.

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Hey, great read. I’m looking at the 2 or 3 night cruise from Sydney or Melbourne. On the 2 night cruise would it be worth it?

I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. A Disney cruise out of Australia sounds like an amazing experience! Personally, I think a 2 night cruise would be worth it for the same reasons mentioned above. Even though it’s not a long trip, you still get to enjoy the pools, shows, dining, and activities. Once onboard, you can book a second cruise for a discount and try a longer one then!

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The Traveling Twin Mama

The Traveling Twin Mama

Honest Disney Wish Cruise Review from a First-Time Disney Goer

Marquita’s Travels contains affiliate links and is a member of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. Read my disclaimer for more information.

As my twin boys started approaching 5, they began to ask to go to Disney World, as well as to go on “a big boat”, aka a cruise. Well, despite my travels to almost 40 countries, I have never been to Disney, and I have only been on one cruise. And honestly, I was absolutely okay if that never changed.

So when my kids made their birthday request, I thought of going with Disney Cruise Line, as that would “kill two birds with one stone”. We opted for the Disney Wish as it is their newest ship, which set sail in July 2022, and is still in its inaugural sail. And one thing I do know about Disney, is they know how to make things nice.

And that’s exactly what I was looking for. Because if I’m spending my money and taking my PTO, there has to be something in it for me. And boy was there! So let’s get into my honest review of the enchanting Disney Wish Cruise Line.

Disney Wish Cruise Review

disney wish 3 night cruise review

As we embarked upon the Disney Wish cruise ship, all of my nervousness and fears disappeared. The ship was absolutely stunning- the grand hall is pristine and massive, giving views of decks 3, 4, and 5. We felt as if we were walking into a magical wonderland as the hosts announced our entry to the crowd.

Immediately after our name was called, the kids received a Disney Wish Wand and we were off to explore all of the amazing adventures of the boat as it was an “open house” of the various areas of the boat while the staterooms were still getting ready.

Let’s just say the open house did not disappoint. There were so many spaces, restaurants, and bars that even after 2 hours of exploring, we probably only saw half, maybe three-quarters, of the ship. From that moment on, I knew that I was in for a good time.

Disney Wish Kid-Only Activities

Since we were sailing on a Disney Cruise Line ship, I knew there would be plenty for kids to do. But I was actually surprised by how many, and how many of them were kids only- which my kids loved.

Disney’s Oceaneer Club (Deck 2 and 3)

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Let me just say, Disney’s Oceaneer Club was probably the highlight of the cruise for both my boys and myself. I couldn’t leave a better review for Disney Wish Oceanner Club, if I wanted to!

My boys absolutely LOVED going to the Oceaneer Club, which is curated for potty-trained kids ages 3 to 12. The kids have the option to enter the Oceaneer Club via a curved, clear slide that immediately places them in front of a handwashing station. At the entrance of the slide are crew members checking kids in via their wristbands, while additional crew members are at the bottom of the slide ensuring everyone properly washes their hands.

The slide is located right off the Grand Hall on Deck 3, with the actual club being located on Deck 2.

During the open house, parents were allowed in. After that, it becomes kids only, and boy did my almost 5-year-old boys love the idea of having their independence. They would gleam with pride about how they were able to explore and play, without their parents in tow.

For safety reasons, each child’s wristband has an RFID chip inside that only works within the Oceanner Club. Thus, when we went to pick them up, we had to give them our secret code (despite them seeing our pictures on the screen), and they could see exactly which room each kid was in. This made for a quick and efficient pickup.

Now, let’s get into all of the spaces within Disney Wish Oceaneer Club.

Marvel Super Hero Academy

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Upon walking into the Marvel Super Hero Academy inside of the Oceaneer Club, you immediately felt like you were transported into a scene similar to the lab in Black Panther. There the superhero recruits are able to train and prepare themselves for battle. They can design their own superhero suit and test out their skills in an animation-type video game that projects their image, and skills on a large LCD screen. The kids absolutely got a thrill out of this.

Oh, and your kiddos shouldn’t be surprised if Ant-Man, Black Panther, and other Marvel characters make an appearance to ensure they are trained properly.

Star Wars: Cargo Bay

The design and feel of Star Wars: Cargo Bay is definitely from another galaxy. Throughout the dim room, which is lit by a variety of buttons and interactive activities on the walls, are creatures and animals from across the galaxy, ready to be cared for by the animal handlers.

Needless to say, upon entry, my boys immediately started touching each and every button on the wall, while proceeding to “examine” the creatures to decipher what type of animal they may be. I’m sure my boys stayed in this room for a while as there was such a variation of creatures to study, both hidden and in plain sight. And they received help, from Chewbacca himself!

Mickey and Minnie Captain’s Deck

Have a little one like me that loves playgrounds and needs to be physically active to get the wiggles out? Mickey and Minnie Captain’s Deck is for them! The space is filled with a variety of small slides, obstacles to climb through, and other activities that can keep your kiddo busy for hours.

Plus, my kids mentioned a dance party with Mickey and Minnie.

Walt Disney Imagineering Lab

This is where the “Disney magic” happens. Little Disney Imagineers are able to try their hand at creating the Disney world-known magic with hands-on activities and experiments. And Mickey may just stop by to help in the creation.

Fairytale Hall

Amongst the hallways that connect the various rooms within the Oceaneers Club is Fairytale Hall. “The Hall” is made up of three areas, Repunzel’s Art Studio, A Frozen themed room, and Belle’s Library. Each room has a variety of tables and chairs for kids to sit and do interactive activities, as well as play and listen to stories from their favorite characters.

Our Review of the Disney Wish Oceaneer Club

We absolutely loved the Disney Wish Oceaneer Club! Besides how seriously they took kids’ safety, with the ability to message us on the app, secret pickup password, and the RFID bands, I loved how late they stayed open. The Disney Wish Oceaneer Club is open from 9 AM to Midnight!

This gave my husband and me the freedom of having time to ourselves without feeling guilty about not being with our kids. Because believe me, we would pick up our kids from the Oceaneer Club around 1140 PM nightly, and they would ask us why we came so early. They were literally having the time of their lives!

Other Kids Clubs besides Disney Oceaneer

Have kiddos outside of the 4-12 years old age group? Don’t worry, there’s plenty to keep kids of all ages entertained upon the Disney Wish.

It’s a Small World Nursery (Deck 2)

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The nursery is perfect for little ones 6 months to 3 years old. There are plenty of toys and activities for little ones to do here. In fact, my boys started to play with some of the toys here during the open house.

If your little one starts to get tired, no worries as they have cribs. Plus Disney trained counselors are in the room to ensure everyone’s safety.

Edge (Deck 5)

Having a 12-year-old niece, I already know she would give the Oceaneer’s Club the side-eye because there’s no way she wants to hang out with her preschool-age cousins the entire cruise.

The Edge would have been her saving grace. Specifically curated for tweens 11-14, this space located on Deck 5, is designed as a New York City loft of sorts, with colorful, “Instagram-able” wall art. Tweens can come to hang with friends, enjoy time alone on their devices, as well as participate in the various activities offered by the club.

Vibe (Deck 12)

Similar to Edge, Vibe is a hangout destination for teenagers 14 to 17 which flaunts Instagram-worthy backdrops, including floor-to-ceiling windows with limitless views of the ocean, neon signs, and classic Parisian architecture with a retro twist. This is a great location for teens to watch movies, play their beloved video games, meet new friends, and participate in programming.

The Hideaway (Deck 12)

We can’t forget about The Hideaway. The Hideaway is for young adults 18-20 years old, technically old enough to go to the same adult-only activities with their parents, but way too cool to do so. Here cruisers can participate in karaoke, show off their dance moves as it’s outfitted with a dance floor and DJ booth, or just relax in this cute and fun location.

The Hideaway is also used as a flexible venue space. Being located next to Vibe, it can be opened as a teen club or even cut off for tween-only activities. On the daily itinerary, there was always something going on at The Hideaway, so much so that it made me interested in stopping by to join in on the fun.

Disney Wish Kid-Only Pools and Slides

Toy story splash zone (deck 12).

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Splash pads are always a hit for younger kiddos. Now imagine a splash pad designed after their favorite Toy Story characters and is located on a cruise ship! It’s definitely as cool as it sounds.

Toy Story Splash Zone is outfitted with two slides including one decorated after Woody’s Round-Up and another after Pizza Planet. Plus various statues including Woody, Buzz, Bullseye, Jessie, and Zurg- many of which shoot out water. To ensure the little ones are thoroughly entertained, there are various interactive elements to keep their little hands and minds busy.

Guests must be under the age of 6 and accompanied by an adult (which they strictly enforce).

Slide-a-saurus Rex Waterslide (Deck 12)

Continuing with the Toy Story theme, Slide-a-saurus Rex Waterslide, adjacent to the Splash Zone, is a bright yellow, double-loop waterslide. This slide is for preschoolers and kindergarteners as it has a height requirement of 38 inches. I did notice parents with some smaller kids, so it’s technically not kid-only if your little one needs a little adult support to enjoy the slide.

The interesting thing about this slide is participants have to climb about 30 or more, enclosed stairs to get on the slide. There are cameras at the entrance of the slide which allows the operator, who is located downstairs, outside of the slide, to change the “green/red” sign to indicate when it’s safe to enter the slide (basically when the kid ahead of them is down the slide).

One of my twins loved the slide, while the other called it “slow”. But he did just get off of the AquaMouse slide, which is for everyone, and wraps around the circumference of the ship.

Our Review of Kids-Only Activities Onboard the Disney Wish

I thought there were a good amount of kids-only activities, especially for my boy’s age, 5. They were young enough to go to Toy Story Splash Zone and Slide-a-saurus Rex Waterslide but old enough to enjoy the Oceaneer’s Club, unsupervised.

For my boys, the Toy Story Splash Zone and Slide-a-saurus Rex Waterslide were fun but if I’m going to leave an honest review about the Disney Wish water activities, I must say my boys were entertained for less than 1 hour. Plus an adult had to accompany them in the Splash Zone.

But the Oceaneer’s Club. I think it won all of our hearts.

Not only did the Oceaneer’s Club have a variety of rooms with character appearances, but they also had special events with the characters. For example, my boys did a scavenger hunt with Captain Hook and a dance party with Mickey and Minnie.

The smiles on their faces every time they went to the kid’s club were absolutely priceless. Plus, it gave mommy and daddy the opportunity to enjoy some kid-free time, without guilt (because we knew our boys were having a blast!)

Family-Friendly Disney Wish Pools and Slides

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Disney Wish Pools On Deck 11 and 12 Midship

Instead of having a few, larger-sized pools which may get fairly crowded, the Disney Wish has six pools in the family area on decks 11 and 12, all with varying depths and sizes. My kids personally loved Mickey’s Pool (deck 11) which is the largest pool and sits right in front of Funnel Vision, a large LCD screen that features different Disney movies and shows.

Swim and a movie anyone?

Likewise, deck 11 has 3 additional pools including Minnie’s pool, Daisy’s Pool, and Pluto’s Pool. All of these have views of the Funnel Vision so if Mickey’s Pool is too crowded, no worries, you have other options. Plus you can also make your way to Donald’s Pool or Goofy’s Pool, both on deck 12.

If my boys weren’t in Mickey’s Pool, you could find them in Donald’s or Goofy’s as they were the smaller pools.

Disney Wish AquaMouse Review

As previously mentioned, AquaMouse wraps around the upper deck of the ship, a breathtaking 760 feet long! One of the twins was extremely excited when he learned that he was indeed tall enough to pass the 42″ height requirement to ride with an adult (48″ to ride alone). The waterslide combines water elements like jets and water blasters with two animated shorts, accompanied by music.

And AquaMouse moves fast!

The other twin and I thought we had time to relax in one of the pools before my husband and his brother would be done. However, before we could get our big toes into the water, they were coming behind us saying how great the waterslide was.

Note to the wise, the line for AquaMouse can be long. My family went while everyone was at Castaway Cay; thus, waiting in line for only about 5 minutes. WIN!

Our Review of Family-Friendly Disney Wish Pools and Slides

I’m not a huge fan of crowds; thus, having pool options made me much more comfortable with exploring the pool area. Also being able to relax in a pool while watching some of your favorite Disney Movies was such a bonus for both kids and adults alike.

And for the parents like me, that may not actually get in the water, there is a spread of lounge chairs by each pool, so you can be close to your little one who is in the pool while you are sunbathing and sipping on your favorite cocktail. Do note that the majority, if not all of the pools are not covered so it can get very hot! I went to deck 13 which had some covered, comfy loungers to get a bit of a reprieve from the sun while my husband and sons splashed away.

Do note that we personally went to the pool area while the ship was docked in Castaway Cay, so the crowd was limited and we could freely explore each pool. I’d highly recommend doing the same if you don’t like crowds. The closer time gets to leaving the port, the more crowded the pool area gets.

Although the pool area was nicely laid out and offered variety, I’m grateful there were other kid and family-friendly entertainment as I don’t think the water activities alone would’ve entertained our family for the entire cruise.

Family-Friendly Disney Wish Entertainment

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The family-friendly entertainment on the Disney Wish Cruise is basically endless. We skipped going to Castaway Cay on the last full day so we had more time to explore all the boat had to offer. Despite the additional time, we still only explored a fraction of the family-friendly entertainment Disney Wish provided.

Disney Wish Stage Show Performances

If you love Broadway-style performances, then expect to be fully entertained with the 3 Broadway-style shows offered on the cruise- “Disney Aladdin”, “The Little Mermaid”, and “Disney Seas the Adventure”. All 3 performances take place in the Walt Disney Theater, a 1200+ seat amphitheater that spans over 3 decks, worthy of the grandeur you will experience.

On embarkment day, you can experience “Disney Seas the Adventure” which includes appearances from Mickey, Goofy, Princess Tiana, and other Disney and Pixar characters. The remaining evenings offer two shows nightly, either “Disney Aladdin” and/or “The Little Mermaid” around 7 pm and 9 pm. Be sure to check the Disney Navigator App to confirm show offerings, days, and times.

“Disney Aladdin- A Musical Spectacular” is a crowd favorite. It’s a perfectly executed reimagined musical comedy featuring our beloved Aladdin, Genie, Princess Jasmine, and more. You’ll be wowed by the set exclusively designed for the Disney Wish and the profound musical renditions of “A Whole New World” and other musical favorites from the classical Disney animation.

Similarly, “Disney The Little Mermaid” is specifically curated for Disney Wish based on the original Broadway adaption from the Disney Animation Film in 1989. The script is reimagined and includes wonderfully executed storytelling, state-of-the-art visual production, and world-class musical production of some of our favorite Little Mermaid songs like “Under the Sea”.

Disney Wish Atrium Live Entertainment

Fitting all of the Broadway-style performances is basically impossible if you want to do the sit-down dinners and/or take advantage of some of the adult-only evening activities. That’s why we were so happy they had live entertainment at the atrium throughout the evenings.

The singing and performances were excellent. Upon approaching the atrium you could witness kids dancing freely with their parents with smiles so big that they could fill the room. The ambiance it created was indeed something special.

Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party and Fireworks

The live performances don’t stop at the Walt Dinsey Theater or the Atrium. On the last evening, there’s a Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party and Fireworks show. Well, actually two of them. The first one is earlier in the evening around 730 pm, without fireworks, and the ultimate show with fireworks is closer to 1015 pm.

At first, we were going to pass on going to the party because honestly, after dinner it’s time to drop off the kids at the Oceaneers Club so we can have some adult time. But everyone on the cruise was hyping up the party, and more or less dressed for the pirate theme.

Needless to say, I’m glad that we didn’t miss it. Mickey and the crew’s performance was spectacular! And Captain Hook and the storyline did not disappoint. After the show, was a dance party. The kids had the time of their lives.

Later that evening, after dropping the kids at the Oceaneers Club, my husband and I made it to the fireworks show. I must say, it was pretty impressive.

Wonderland Cinema and Never Land Cinema

Located on deck 4, near the concession stand, are Wonderland and Never Land Cinema. These boutique theaters offer Dolby Atmos 3D audio along with comfy, oversized seats, and beautiful theme-specific decor. Both theaters offer a variety of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm movies throughout the day.

My boys thought it was so cool to watch a Disney movie on a Disney cruise with yummy, freshly popped popcorn.

Looking to burn some energy with your kids, indoors? Be sure to head to Hero Zone, a climate-controlled, indoor multifunctional sports area, which can be found on deck 12. Guests can enjoy sports like basketball to table games like air hockey and foosball. There is scheduled free time to play, as well as scheduled events.

Also, be sure to check out The Incredibles Incredi-Games. An Incredibles-themed, inflatable obstacle course. Guests must be 40″ to participate and wear socks.

Our Review of Disney Wish Family-Friendly Entertainment

Honestly, I don’t think one family can possibly experience all of the entertainment that Disney Wish has to offer in a single sail, especially on the 3-day sail option, which we did. There is literally SO MUCH TO DO!

If you have to prioritize some of the entertainment, it would be the live entertainment and the Pirate Party. Both truly make the experience special for the entire family.

Disney Wish Character Meet and Greet Review

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Disney Wish Character Meet and Greet was one of the key reasons why we went on the cruise. My boys wanted to meet Mickey and his friends. And boy did they!

I absolutely loved how many opportunities were provided to meet characters- both during the day and in the evenings. The Navigator App lists the character meet and greet times, so you can plan accordingly. The most challenging part is multiple characters’ meet and greets occur simultaneously, making it challenging to do two within the 30-minute timeframe of each meet and greet.

The good news is, you are not waiting in line for long. I think the longest we waited was about 10-15 minutes if that. Plus, the character meets and greets go beyond Mickey and Minnie. Some additional characters include Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Moana, Cinderella, and so many more!

Disney Wish Adult-Only Experiences

disney wish 3 night cruise review

I’m going to be honest, when we booked the Disney Wish Cruise, I kept asking myself “what’s in it for me?” My thought of a Disney cruise was Mickey and his friends, and nothing else. But boy, was I wrong. I was pleasantly surprised by all of the adult-only experiences on the Dish Wish Cruise Line.

Disney Wish Adult-Only Activities Review

When I logged into the Disney cruise line navigator app, I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the adult-only activities offered. From cocktail and spirit classes to nightly entertainment.

My husband and I took a reserved whiskey class. This was such a cool experience. The instructor chose 4 high-end whiskeys for us to sample and learn about their history. The class was intimate with only 5 participants, and an instructor whose knowledge of whiskey was impressive!

Similarly, they offered wine, champagne, cocktail making, and other classes. Most of the classes were scheduled at night, which is perfect as the Oceaneers Club stays open until midnight. Do note that there is an additional fee to participate in these types of classes.

But don’t fret, there are nightly activities that are free of charge as well. We particularly loved the “Match Your Mate” where they choose 3 couples from the audience. They separated each couple, asking one individual questions about their relationship, while the other individual was out of the room. Once the couple was reunited, they had to “match their mate.”

The laughs were endless. And the chemistry of the hosts was outstanding, top tier.

Additional adult-only activities include silent DJ parties, music trivia, and other game-show types of activities. Be sure to check your Disney Navigator App for the dates and time options.

Disney Wish Adult-Only Zones Review

Located on deck 13, Quiet Cove is the adult-only pool area. And it’s not just any pool area, it screams comfort and luxury. It contains Disney Cruise Line’s first infinity pool, as well as 2 whirlpools, a bar, a restaurant, and beautiful, comfy loungers.

Be sure to drop the kids off at the kid’s club so you can have some adult time in Quiet Cove.

Disney Wish Spa, Fitness Center, and Salons

So I knew that cruises had spas and fitness centers. But no way did I think they would be so nice and luxurious, especially on a Disney Cruise.

Senses Spa and Salon

I’ve been to a lot of spas in my life and Senses Spa is top-tier. Not only do they offer a wide range of services, including a Medispa doctor, but the ambiance is also breathtaking! During the open house, we were able to see two of the couples’ massage rooms. Romance overload.

Each couples’ massage room had beautiful, large hot tubs and top-of-the-line massage tables. I was highly impressed. If there was space in the budget and schedule, I most definitely would’ve opted for a couples massage in this room.

Similarly, The Rainforest Room is the epitome of relaxation. It’s an indoor/outdoor experience with a dry sauna, steam rooms, whirlpools, amazingly comfortable loungers, floor-to-ceiling windows, and unobstructed views of the ocean. In order to access Disney Wish Rainforest Room, you have to purchase a day pass. On our cruise, you actually had to purchase a day pass for all 3 days, no single-day passes were available.

Senses Fitness Center

I am a sucker for a beautiful gym with high-end equipment. So when I saw Senses Fitness Center, I knew I had to sneak a moment for myself so that I could work out. Not only is the equipment top-tier, but there are also two separate studios. One for yoga-like classes and another for spin classes. Do note that some of the classes have a fee.

And can you believe it, I purchased shoe insoles at the fitness center? They do a foot test and recommend insoles that help with joint pressure.

Untangled Salon and Hook’s Barbery

Never would I have thought that a cruise would have salons aboard- Untangled Salon for women and Hook’s Barbery for men. Untangled offers hair services, manicures, and pedicures, as well as lash lifts in a beautiful Rapunzel-theme ambiance. Likewise, Hook’s Barbery features heavy leather barber chairs as well as manicure and pedicure stations. We actually did our whiskey tasting at Hook’s Barbery, where they revealed the hidden high-end whiskey bar.

Disney Wish Lounges and Bars Review

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Another thing that I was pleasantly surprised about on the Disney Wish was the number of bars available throughout the ship. There are over a dozen bars on the Disney Wish. Yes, more than 12.

Below are some of them:

The Bayou (Deck 3)

Living in New Orleans (NOLA) for the last decade, The Bayou most definitely gives old NOLA, speakeasy vibes from Princess and The Frog. It’s located in the center of the boat, without any walls. So it’s great for people-watching!

Nightingale’s (Deck 3)

This Cinderealla-inspired piano bar is located next to the slide which leads to the Oceaneers Club. Depending on how the day has gone with your kiddos, you may or may not want to stop here for champagne, wine, or craft cocktail after dropping your little ones off.

Preludes (Deck 3)

Heading to experience a Broadway-style show at the Walt Disney Theater or a movie at one of the cinemas? Stop by Preludes to grab a drink or popcorn before heading in.

Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge (Deck 3)

Have you heard of the $5000 cocktail on the Disney Wish? Well, that’s at Hyperspace Lounge, decorated as a luxurious starcruiser. And don’t worry, all drinks aren’t $5000. Most are very reasonably priced.

Do note, a reservation is required.

Wishing Star Cafe (Deck 4)

This was one of my favorite cafes to stop for a coffee or drink on the cruise. Similar to Bayou, it’s located near the center of the ship, without walls. Great for people watching without necessarily being in the center of things.

Luna’s Libations (Deck 4)

As previously mentioned, several of the adults-only activities like game shows and silent DJ party takes place at the Luna Theater. And what type of adult-only activity would it be without a bar? Luna’s Libations not only offers great drinks but also popcorn. A 2-for-1 special in my book!

Keg & Compass (Deck 5)

Think upscale sports bar. Keg & Compass offers unique craft beers, cocktails, wine, and even an a la carte food menu, which includes wings, German pretzels, fish and chips, and more yumminess.

Enchanted Sword Cafe (Deck 5)

Similar to Wishing Star Cafe, grab a coffee, pressed drink, or cocktail while on the 5th deck.

The Lookout (Deck 11)

Located by Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods quick-service stations, The Lookout has a good selection of beer, wine, frozen cocktails, and liquor. Perfect when grabbing a meal or chilling at the pool.

Pool Bar (Deck 11)

I mean, what’s a pool without a bar? The Pool Bar only offers beer, wine, and water. Luckily for me, who loves tequila, The Lookout is right there as well.

Marceline Market Cafe (Deck 11)

Similar to The Lookout, Marceling Market Cafe offers an opportunity for guests to grab a coffee or adult beverage while grabbing food at the Marceline Market. I had an awesome coffee Old Fashioned with my breakfast one day. Delish!

The Rose (Deck 12)

Located at the entrance of the adult-only restaurants Palo Steakhouse and Enchante, The Rose is an elegant, upscale lounge. This is the perfect place to grab a drink and ocean view if you’re feeling fancy.

Cove Cafe and Bar (Deck 13)

Although two separate entities, with Cove Cafe inside with coffee, teas, and treats, and Cove Bar outside with beer, wine, and cocktails. When in Quiet Cove, an adult-only area, be sure to grab a drink.

Currents (Deck 14)

Look, after spending a few hours at Toy Story Splash Zone and Slide-a-saurus Rex Waterslide, this mama was in need of an adult beverage. Currents to the rescue as it’s located on a deck above the kid-only water activities and has large, comfy lounge chairs.

Would I go on Disney Wish Without Kids?

Surprisingly, I would go on Disney Wish without my kids because this cruise exudes luxury. The only downside is that most of the adult-only activities that piqued my interest like spa treatments, and adult-only restaurants, cost extra. So I’m not sure if my budget would like it.

Disney Wish Food Review

Disney Wish Food Review- rack of lamb at 1923 restaurant

The first thing my husband did when researching the cruise was, after checking the cost, looked at a Disney Wish food review. Because he refused to pay that much for a cruise that only had lackluster food. The good thing about Disney Wish Cruise is there’s something for everyone, with a variety of restaurants and food options.

Disney Wish Mickey’s Festival of Foods (Deck 11) Review

Mickey’s Festival of Food is a quick-service, food court-style “restaurant” with 5 themed food stations, including Mickey’s Smokestack Barbeque, Donald’s Cantina, Daisy’s Pizza Pie, Goofy’s Grill, Sweet Minnie’s Ice Cream. Feel free to grab a bite for lunch, dinner, or anytime throughout the day.

It’s conveniently located around the perimeter of the pool area. So you can easily plan to grab a bite before/after a swim or sit by the numerous tables that offer ocean views.

Touring such a large cruise ship on the first day, definitely worked up our appetite. So we headed to Mickey’s Festival of Food while we waited for our room to be ready. I was impressed by the overall quality and freshness of the food. My family had Mickey’s Smokestack Barbeque and loved the pork and baked beans. I’m pretty sure if one of my twins was giving a Disney Wish food review, Mickey’s Smokestack Barbeque would rank the highest.

I had a burrito bowl at Donald’s Cantina, which was pretty yummy. Despite the food being tasty, most of Mickey’s Festival of Food options were the more fast-food type of options (outside of the BBQ). And personally, my belly wouldn’t allow 3 days of this type of food without some punishment in return. So, I was grateful for the other restaurant options on Disney Wish.

Disney Wish Marceline Market (Deck 11) Review

Steps away from Mickey’s Festival of Food is its higher-class big brother, Marceline Market. It’s also buffet-style with a plethora of food stations that severe a variety of food. Like all of the food options on the Disney Wish Cruise, there is a hand washing/sanitizing station upon entrance and the food is served by the staff.

Marceline Market is open for breakfast and lunch for buffet-style serving and a sit-down dinner. We had both breakfast and lunch here and they were the best meals that I had on the Disney Cruise, especially the lunch. What I loved about the Marceline Market on the Disney Wish Cruise is they had food options from all around the world.

Breakfast ranged from the standard American breakfast with Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes with eggs, to European cheeses and croissants, and also Asian breakfast items like congee. There was literally something for everyone.

And not to be outdone, the lunch options were phenomenal. This was literally the meal that stood out in my head. There were so many options, that I ended up having three plates so I could taste the variety of options. My plates consisted of Mediterranean-grilled style lamb and chicken, perfectly roasted vegetables, Indian style curry, and rice, lightly sauteed shrimp on a bed of salad and quinoa, along with a flourless cake and ice cream.

Oh, and did I mention we enjoyed this meal while taking in the breathtaking views of Castaway Cay as we were sitting in the outdoor dining area of Marceline Market.

Disney Rotational Dining Review

disney wish 3 night cruise review

There was so much hype around the rotational dining on the Disney Wish Cruise, we couldn’t wait to experience all three options: Arendelle: A Frozne Dining Adventure, 1923, and Worlds of Marvel. So much so, we planned our cruise outfits accordingly.

Please note that all rotation dining experiences are included.

Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure

On our first night of the cruise, we were assigned dinner at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure. A dinner themed after the Disney animated musical, Frozen. And boy did the performance not disappoint!

When you first enter the dining area, you see the stage set in the middle, which made me immediately question where we were seated in relation to the stage. There are 2-3 rows of immediate seating around the entire circumference of the stage. We were not seated in that area but in the larger loop that’s separated from the immediate seating by an aisle.

Thus, I was concerned that we weren’t going to be able to see or hear the performance. From where we were seated, we could see the stage relatively well. It was a bit harder to hear the performance but we didn’t have to worry about that for long, because they took the show on the road.

All of the characters made their way throughout the dining hall, ensuring that each table had time to interact with them. And my boys LOVED meeting Elsa and Olaf as they wished them a happy birthday.

The menu was appropriately Nordic-themed, featuring split pea soup (which was delicious), chilled asparagus, roasted pork tenderloin, pan-seared seabass, and more! The food was tasty (not amazing) and the service was excellent.

Little did I know, the same servers rotate with you nightly- creating a great opportunity to bond.

1923 gives an old-world Hollywood vibe based on the year that The Walt Disney Company was founded in California. The mix of wood and brown leather gave it a very elegant feel. Plus, we were fortunate to be seated in front of one of the oversized windows with an uninhibited view of the sunset over the ocean. Hands down, best ambiance (at least for an adult) of the rotational dining options.

Of course, the menu had to complement the elegance of the theme. With a rack of lamb, filet mignon, duck confit, ahi tuna, and other higher-end food choices. I was hoping that this would be my favorite meal of the cruise.

My honest Disney Wish 1923 food review is the food unfortunately did not live up to the hype, for me. I ordered the rack of lamb and my husband had the filet mignon. Neither was as flavorful and tender as we were hoping.

Worlds of Marvel

disney wish 3 night cruise review

My boys LOVE Marvel, I mean LOVE IT!

Their faces lit from ear to ear as we walked into the Worlds of Marvel restaurant and they noticed that each table had an interactive Quantaum core and the walls were furnished with large screen TVs. The excitement continued to grow throughout the evening as they helped Ant-Man and The Wasp save the day against an unexpected villain.

Oh, and we cannot forget the real-life cameo of Spiderman who walked through the restaurant hugging and hi-fiving kiddos. The smile on my kid’s face could not be erased if you’d try.

The menu selection takes the theme after the various homes of our favorite Marvel characters, including the like of Wakanda, Africa, New York City, and Sokovia in Eastern Europe. As much as I wanted to love my chicken schnitzel, I just didn’t. It was rather flavorless to me. My husband had the beef tenderloin and he thought it was just okay.

Disney Wish Adult-Only Restaurants

I swear the Imagineers of the Disney Wish thought of everything, including high-end adult-only restaurants. Between Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement adults have the option to enjoy dinner or Sunday brunch (at Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement) sans kiddos.

Palo combines the best of both worlds, Italian cuisine, and steaks. If you’re a steak lover, you won’t be disappointed by the options, including some of the best steak cuts in the world like Japanese Kobe, Australian wagyu, and more!

If you’re looking for the ultimate opulence that Disney Wish has to offer, you must have dinner at Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement, a three-Michelin-starred chef. The curated menu gives you three dining options: Collection- a seasonally based menu curated with the best meats and options available, Passion- a six-course dining experience, or a la carte.

Please note that reservations are required for adult-only dining experiences and incur an additional fee.

Our Review of the Food on the Disney Wish

The dining options on the Disney Wish are plentiful. There is literally an option for everyone with the rotational dining experiences featuring both vegetarian and kids menus. Similar to the entertainment offered on the cruise ship, there are so many options that it’s impossible for anyone to dine at them all in a single voyage upon the Disney Wish.

If I had to give Disney Wish restaurants a review on the dining experiences, I’d rate the ambiance and entertainment factor an A+. Everyone was thoroughly entertained and loved the ambiance of each venue.

Unfortunately, I’d have to leave a review regarding the taste of the food on The Disney Wish a B, maybe a B-. I really wanted to love the food but the only dining experience that had me leaving with the happy tummy dance was the Marceline Market. The food in the rotational restaurants was blander than I’d like- but that’s my personal taste. Some people thought the food was excellent.

Disney Wish Stateroom Review

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Disney Wish has 4 main categories of staterooms: inside, oceanview, verandah, and concierge. Both oceanview and verandah staterooms have both deluxe oceanview staterooms and deluxe family oceanview staterooms. The difference between the two is the deluxe oceanview staterooms fit 3-4 and the deluxe family oceanview staterooms fit 4-5.

We originally booked a deluxe oceanview stateroom with a verandah and we lucked up and got upgraded to a deluxe family oceanview stateroom (I think because our travel advisor booked the cruise for us- as we have NO status with Disney). And man were we impressed.

The room was pretty spacious with a king-size bed, a couch that converts to a bed, a bed in the ceiling that converts to a bunk bed along with the couch bed, and a Murphy bed. It’s pretty cool how you leave for the day to explore the ship or The Bahamas and return to your stateroom prepped for the night’s rest.

Similarly, the bathrooms were well thought out as the shower and toilet were separated. Great for when toddlers need to go potty last minute while someone else is taking a shower.

Honestly, I can’t think of anything that I would improve my review of the staterooms on the Disney Wish. The beds were extremely comfortable, including the boys’ which came with bed rails. Everything was pretty spacious to be on a cruise, including our verandah.

Disney Wish Itinerary Review 

We took the 3 night Disney Wish Cruise which docked in Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay, a Disney-owned Bahamian Island. This was the best option for our family as it left on a Friday and came back on a Monday, reducing the number of days the boys would miss school. Plus, we didn’t know what we were getting into, so we wanted to put our toe in the water before taking a deep dive.

My honest review, I think the 3-night Disney Wish cruise is too short of an itinerary, especially to enjoy the destinations and the ship itself. In fact, we chose to skip Castaway Cay so that we could explore some of the ship’s water activities. And personally, I thought we made the right decision. Because I’m paying the premium of being on a Disney Cruise not to necessarily go to a nice beach with water activities but to enjoy the ship and the premium entertainment the cruise ship offers.

With that said, we left feeling like we only tasted a small portion of what Disney Wish provides. Not necessarily disappointment, but more wishing we had more time. Thus, if you have the option to take the 4-night cruise, I’d recommend that option so you can explore and do more.

Overall Disney Wish Review 

disney wish 3 night cruise review

I’m shocked to say it, but the Disney Wish Cruise exceeded my expectations! It literally was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. The cruise ship itself was beautiful, modern, and well-thought-out.

I personally loved how there was an endless amount of activities to do, no matter the time of the day. There’s literally no opportunity for your kids to say the dreaded “I’m bored”, while on the Disney Wish.

And to my pleasant surprise, the entertainment wasn’t just for kids. So much so I want to go back to the Disney Wish so I can explore the adult-only options like the Quiet Cove, spa, adult-only Sunday brunch, and more of the lounges.

The main thing I would change would be the flavor of the food at the rotational dining options. Personally, I thought the food was a bit flavorless. Like, pass me the salt and pepper, please. However, I didn’t feel that way at Mickey’s Festival of Foods or Marceline Market.

Since there was a variety of tasty food options outside of rotational dining and my boys enjoyed the ambiance and entertainment of said dinners, I didn’t leave the cruise feeling hungry or extremely disappointed.

We all left the cruise very sad that it was over, desiring just a few more hours to explore the cruise ship and soak in the Disney magic.

Disney Wish Cruise Review FAQ

disney wish 3 night cruise review

What are the Transportation Options to Port Canaveral for Disney Wish?

We flew into Orlando on a pretty good flight deal from our hometown, New Orleans. We initially were going to rent a car so we could explore Orlando and park at Port Canaveral. The drive from Orlando to Port Canaveral is about 90 minutes. There is the option to either park at the Port Canaveral cruise terminal for $17 per day or use off-site parking options for about half the price.

Since my husband’s family drove to Orlando from Miami , we skipped getting the rental car because they were able to drive us around Orlando and to the Port Canaveral cruise terminal. To return back to the airport, we looked into two options: shuttle or ride-share service.

The size of your party will determine the best transportation option to/from Port Canaveral. The shuttle from MCO airport to Port Canaveral cost $25 per person, one-way, or $50 roundtrip. If you aren’t flying in the day of the cruise (which I highly recommend flying in at least the day before), and there are only 2 or 3 of you, you’re going to want a shuttle that picks you up from your lodging accommodations .

Do note that those shuttles’ rates are per person. If you have four people, as we did, it may be cheaper and more convenient to take a private shuttle service , especially if your entire party can’t fit into a single ride-share service vehicle.

Since there were four of us, we were able to comfortably fit into a Uber, car seats and all. Our one-way from Port Canaveral to Orlando Airport (MCO) was $78.66.

What’s Free on the Disney Wish Cruise?

Unlike most cruises, soft drinks, Powerade, and Vitamin Water are free on Disney Wish. In fact, Mickey’s Festival of Friends has self-serve stations for guests to get soft drinks and water at their leisure. Similarly, room service is free on Disney Wish.

Oh, we can’t forget the free catalog of Disney movies on television. I don’t know but there’s something special about laying in your comfy bed watching a Disney movie on a Disney cruise.

Can you Bring Alcohol On Board the Disney Wish?

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Surprisingly, yes! Guests 21 and older can bring 2 unopen bottles of 750ml of wine or champagne on board during embarkation day, in a carry-on. Please note there is a $25 corkage fee if you choose to bring your own wine to a restaurant or lounge.

Personally, we brought 4 bottles of wine (2 per adult); however, we ended up only drinking 2 bottles because the drinks onboard were fairly reasonable, starting at $6-$8, and up (and I’m more of a tequila girl when relaxing at the pool).

How is the Embarkation and Disembarkation Process on the Disney Wish?

Disney wish embarkation process.

In the weeks leading up to the cruise, you will get the opportunity to choose a timeframe that you’d like to check-in. Check-in on the Disney Wish starts at 11. And embarkation begins around noon. Although we choose to check in at 1, we ended up arriving a little after 11. And I’m glad we did.

The check-in process was super easy and quick. We waited in line to check in for less than 5 minutes, causing us to get to the waiting area before the gangway a little after 12. We waited there for 10 minutes or so before we were called to embark on the cruise ship!

After a few welcome pictures with the Disney Wish background, we were on the gangway, and on our way to embark on the Disney Wish!

Disney Wish Disembarkation Process

Disembarkation on the Disney Wish can start as early as 730 AM, especially if you carry your own luggage off the ship. For those who use the porter service, you will be given character luggage tags to indicate when you can disembark. All luggage taken by the porter service must be set outside of the stateroom door the evening prior to disembarkation.

If you don’t like waiting in line, disembarking early is the best way to go.

We’re not early risers, especially on vacation, so we skipped the early morning disembarkation breakfast scheduled around 7 AM and disembarked closer to 830 AM. And there was a crowd!

If you used the porter service, you can grab your luggage and head to border control. This is what took the longest amount of time. We stood in line for about 30 minutes, waiting to get to the border control agent so we could officially disembark the cruise ship.

How much did the Disney Wish Cruise cost us?

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Of course, the cost of the Disney Wish will vary based on the stateroom category, when you decide to go, and how far in advance you booked. Our particular cruise was sold out (which it appears most of them are) and we only booked it 6 weeks in advance or so.

For 2 adults and 2 kids, with a verandah stateroom, our Disney Wish cruise cost $3885. On board, we spent about an additional $1000 with the tip package, unlimited photo package, Pirate night dress-up sessions in bibbidi bobbidi boutique, reserve whiskey sessions, etc.

In total, including 4 flights from New Orleans , an excursion when we docked in Nassau , and transportation, we spent around $6250 to make our Disney Wish dreams come true.

Would We Sail on the Disney Wish Again?

Definitely. To my pleasant surprise, there was so much to do on the cruise ship I feel like we only scratched the surface. Plus the planning was significantly easier than most family vacations.

I’m sure another Disney Cruise is in our future, especially the Disney Magic since it sails from our hometown, New Orleans. But if we sail the Disney Wish again, which the likelihood is high, I’d probably skip disembarking at the ports, at least for the full day. This way we can have more time to explore all the cruise ship has to offer.

Disney Wish Review Tips & Tricks

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Book Desired Activities Early

We didn’t book our cruise until 6 weeks before our embarkation day. At that time, there were already activities sold out, i.e. the Sunday brunch. Thus, I recommend, if an activity has piqued your interest, book it.

If necessary, you can always cancel or reschedule when on the boat.

The Early Bird Gets The Worm

If you don’t like lines or crowds, embark and disembark the ship as early as possible. Embarking early is fairly easy because that starts around noon. That gives your more time during the open house to explore the ship, with fewer people aboard.

Dress The Part

One of the cutest things about the Disney Cruise is seeing everyone dressed in their favorite Disney, Marvel, or Pixar characters, especially the kiddos. And the pirate night is next level. Some of the pirate costumes were out of sight!

Bring Lanyards

As a novice cruiser, I failed to realize how important it was to have a lanyard to hold our stateroom key card. You need it for everything. To get on/off the cruise ship, to purchase anything, to check your kiddos in and out of the Oceaneer’s Club, etc.

Let’s just say we lost a card more than once. Luckily they didn’t charge us for new ones.

✔️ Explore Disney-themed Lanyards ✔️

Disney Cruise Stateroom Door Magnets

Another thing I didn’t realize was a thing, stateroom door magnets . It’s a cute way to decorate your stateroom but an even easier way to help you (and your young kiddos) identify which stateroom is yours.

✔️ Explore Disney-themed Stateroom Door Magnets ✔️

Bring an Autograph Book

So many kiddos had books or items that the Disney characters could sign. What a cute souvenir! I most definitely will be doing this for our next Disney cruise.

✔️ Explore Disney-themed Autograph Books ✔️

Is the Disney Wish Unlimited Photo Package Worth It?

Yes! Each day there are numerous, unique opportunities to get your photo snagged with your family and or favorite characters. Varying from themed backgrounds, to dinner, and even just walking around the cruise ship, there are endless opportunities to capture your time on Disney Wish.

Plus the individual cost of photos is relatively expensive. And since so many are taken, you may end up spending around the cost of the unlimited package, on a few pictures.

Focus on the Cruise Ship rather than The Bahamas

When paying for a Disney Cruise, you’re paying for the amenities of the cruise ship, not necessarily the destinations it docks at, The Bahamas for the Disney Wish. I personally recommend not spending the entire time the ship is docked to explore Nassau or Castaway Cay. This is the perfect time to take advantage of the water activities and other entertainment that gets crowded when everyone is on the cruise ship.

Did Disney Wish make me want to go to Disney World?

No. The Disney Wish felt like a curated Disney experience. Outside of disembarkation, we literally didn’t wait longer than about 10 minutes for anything, including character meets & greets. The service was A+ and the overall experience was top-tier.

I can’t imagine having the same experience with tens of thousands of people, in the Orlando sun. However, I am interested in giving Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Tokyo a try.

Conclusion: Disney Wish Cruise Line Review

Overall, Disney Wish exceeded all of our expectations!

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of activities available for just kids, adults-only, and families. There was literally something for everyone. So much so, we can’t wait to go again!

disney wish 3 night cruise review

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All Aboard! Disney Wish – Disney Cruise Line Review

A lot of people have been asking, “How was the Disney Cruise?!”

I told them I’d write a blog post about it soon. There’s a lot to cover, and there’s a lot I won’t cover because we just didn’t have time to do it all!

Those who read my blog know I try to be very transparent, especially with finances. I’ll try to give you an idea of how much everything costs in case you decide to sail with Disney Cruise Line.

Which ship did you sail on?

We were on the Disney Wish for 3 nights and 4 days . The Disney Wish had its maiden voyage in the summer of 2022. It’s currently Disney’s newest ship.

This was our itinerary for our cruise:

We actually didn’t disembark at Nassau in an effort to make the most of our time on the ship. We got off the ship at Castaway Cay (pronounced “key”).

disney wish 3 night cruise review

What is Castaway Cay?

Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. It has an interesting history. Before Disney bought the island, the island was used as a base of operations by Pablo Escobar (of cartel and Narcos [Netflix] fame). If you run the Castaway Cay 5k, you actually run on the airstrip he used.

This island is worth getting off at (as opposed to staying on the ship). It’s basically a really long beach, and there are plenty of beach chairs. The water is clear, and occasionally, we saw schools of fish swimming around our legs.

For those who want to be more active, there are other paid activities you can do (e.g. stingray encounter, snorkeling, biking, etc.). You can also run the Castaway Cay 5k (for free). The 5k is no longer organized, so you just start and finish at the 5k sign when you want and pick up your medal at the finish. I ran it with my friend Eric, but we didn’t know we were supposed to run the loop twice, so we were about a mile short.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

How much did it cost?

For 2 adults and 2 children (7yo and 4yo), the cruise itself was $2,974.76. To be clear, we got an inside stateroom (no window) , but the room was still really nice. We decided to book with a travel agent ( Michelle Shumate of Fairy Godmother Travel ), and the experience was awesome. She provided us with a lot of information and was responsive to all of our questions, so we felt totally prepared. She provided us with an onboard credit as well. I would highly recommend her if you are booking a trip to Disney / Disney Cruise. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and you always have an expert to answer all your questions and email you about important things. ( UPDATE: I joined Fairy Godmother Travel because of my positive experience using Michelle as a travel agent (3 times). I can now help you book travel too! )

We paid a $500 deposit upfront and paid the remaining balance a little before the trip.

The room, food, room service, and entertainment is included in the price. Gratuities were an additional $174 ($14.50 per person per day). They give you a sheet with perforated slips for the head server ($15), server ($57), assistant server ($45), and stateroom host ($57) with the preset amounts. You can always tip more if you want. They provide envelopes for each person, and you put the slip into the envelope and give it to each person on the last night.

Alcoholic beverages, special drinks, photography, excursions, internet, and special activities are not included.

I think we ended up spending about $700-$800 on extras. I paid $24 twice for two 24-hour periods of internet (for work). We paid ~$200 for our daughter to do the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We paid ~$230 for unlimited access to all the photos Disney took for us. $174 was for the gratuities.

We also put a $250 refundable deposit on our next Disney Cruise. If you put a deposit down while on the cruise, you get 10% off your next cruise if you sail within 24 months. If you don’t book, the deposit is refundable.

All in all, I think we spent a little under $4,000 on things related to the cruise for our family of 4.

How was the food?

Overall, the food was excellent. Generally, we did breakfast and lunch on our own time, but we attended the scheduled dinners at the themed restaurants: Marvel, Arendelle, and 1923. We often ate on the 11th deck at Marceline Market, which is an expansive buffet.

The servers at dinner were excellent. On the last night, I wasn’t feeling great so I stayed in my room. The server walked all the way over to my room and delivered the food to me. Room service is free anyway, but this was our dinner server.

I learned from a friend that you can order any entree from any restaurant, even if it’s not on the menu. I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass from Arendelle a couple times. You can also order as many entrees, desserts, and appetizers as you want. It’s all included!

There are two seatings for dinner every night. We had the earlier 5:45 seating. You can show up later than 5:45 if you want, but I would try to get there before 6:30 so they have time to set up for the later seating.

Dinner was quite the experience at Marvel and Arendelle. At Marvel, it’s an interactive experience. At Arendelle, there’s live entertainment in the middle of the dining room, and some of the characters walk around and greet you during dinner.

I didn’t take many food pics, but it was good!

How was the service?

The service was excellent. Our stateroom host cleaned our room every day, opened and closed the sofa bed and ceiling bed, cleaned our bathroom, and gave us new towels.

We did room service a couple times, and they were always pretty fast. The dinner servers were very attentive and put in a lot of effort.

Overall, we experienced the level of service you would expect from Disney.

How was the entertainment?

Each night, there were two shows. If you had the early dinner, you can go to the later show (I think it was at 8:30). If you had the later dinner, you could go to the earlier show.

The shows were top notch Broadway-style shows. The first night was Disney Seas the Adventure, the second night was The Little Mermaid, and the last night was Aladdin. For me, these shows were one of the highlights of the trip. I would not miss these. I don’t have any photos or videos of the shows because any sort of recording is not allowed.

What do the kids do?

On Disney cruises, there is the Disney Oceaneer Club , which is basically a kids club (no adults allowed). They give the kids a wristband to check in and check out. You can drop off your kids and pick them up as late as midnight. The area is huge, and there are plenty of different rooms for the kids to explore and play. There are lots of Disney staff entertaining and playing with the kids.

We didn’t get to drop them off as often as they liked because there were just so many things to do.

The day we were docked at Nassau, the kids played in the pools on the main deck. We also got to try out the Aqua Mouse , which is a giant water slide that soars above the periphery of the ship.

How is luggage handled?

For the boarding process, Disney will have already mailed you luggage tags. When you arrive at the port (Cruise Terminal #8 for Disney at Port Canaveral), a porter will help you with the bags. You leave it with the porter on the sidewalk there, and they will magically appear in front of your stateroom door sometime before 4pm.

For the disembarking process, you will need to have your bags packed by 10:30pm the night before . You leave the bags with a different tag (provided in your stateroom) outside your stateroom. You can keep small bags or any bags you need with you.

How are the rooms?

We had an inside stateroom. It wasn’t huge, but it was well-designed, especially the bathroom. There was a small combination tub/shower in the bathroom. The handle for the shower had two knobs, one to control the temperature and one to control the water pressure. The glass shower door opened inside and out. There were two levels of light in the bathroom (night and regular) so you don’t disturb others if you have to get up in the middle of the night. There is a queen bed, a sofa bed, and a pull-down bed that your host packs and unpacks for you every day while you’re out. There’s a TV in each room with Disney movies and shows. There’s space to put your clothes and space under the bed to leave your luggage. There’s a safe to keep your valuables in.

Some of our friends with bigger families had adjoining rooms. The larger rooms also have a split bathroom, so one person can shower while another person uses the toilet.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

I didn’t know, but it’s a thing to put your names on the doors with magnets. My wife made ours, but everyone has different styles or ways to do it.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Was it worth it?

Yes, to me, it was totally worth the experience and the memories for us and the kids. I think it will be something that the kids remember as a happy memory. I’ve also been on Royal Caribbean cruises, and they are nice too and a bit cheaper. I had a pleasant experience with both cruise lines. Since I have younger children, I think the Disney experience was worth paying the premium. The kids club is also a nice place to drop off your kids if you want some time without the kids.

Do you get to meet Disney characters?

Yes! There are many opportunities to meet many of the Disney characters and take pictures with them. They are all around the ship at different times, and some will also be part of your dinner entertainment.

I took more video than photos, so if you want to see more, find me on Instagram @realtordannylee and @danny_fairygodmothertravel and give me a follow. I do wish I took some more photos, but I was trying to enjoy my time there and enjoy the food.

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2 thoughts on “All Aboard! Disney Wish – Disney Cruise Line Review”

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Disney Wish Cruise Ship Review

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Disney Wish is going to garner strong opinions from passionate cruisers and first-timers. The newest addition to DCL’s fleet will likely be your favorite or least favorite ship, with only a little middle ground in between reactions. This review of the Disney Wish cruise ship offers our big picture impressions on its highs and low.

Dubbed the “castle on the sea,” the Disney Wish heavily emphasizes some of the company’s MVP IPs. Star Wars, Marvel, Frozen, and more all have strong presences aboard the ship. Just about everything is tied to characters in some fashion, with the Wish feeling very much in line with some of Disney’s other recent additions in its theme parks.

In fact, I found myself noticing similarities to Shanghai Disneyland throughout the Disney Wish. That might seem like an odd comparison given that one is a theme park and the other a cruise ship, but the case could be made that the Wish has more in common with Disney’s newest castle park than the rest of its fleet. Well, once you get past the fact that one was built on solid ground and the other is a big boat (sorry Sarah, big ship ) sailing the seas.

We had the chance to spend 3-nights aboard the Disney Wish for its Christening Cruise. During this media cruise, we experienced a lot of what the new ship has to offer, including backstory and behind the scenes info about the ship’s creation.

We also bought our own cruise aboard the Disney Wish way back last summer when bookings opened and will return as paying guests to see how things differ then. ( Update: see our lists covering the  “Best of”  and  “Worst of” the Disney Wish to see what else we think the new ship gets right and wrong.)

disney wish 3 night cruise review

With that out of the way, let’s turn to some broad-strokes impressions of the Disney Wish. Much in the same way that Shanghai Disneyland largely eschewed the familiar castle park formula, so too does the Disney Wish opt for pretty significant twists on the DCL playbook.

Although the iconic exterior design of the Disney Wish matches that of its predecessors, much has changed on the inside. This starts with the layout, which I found a bit funky and downright counterintuitive at times. We never totally got our bearings on the Disney Wish, and know we’re not alone. Some of this could be attributed to a lack of familiarity with the Wish as compared to the other ships, but some odd choices were also made.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Beyond the layout, there are also major stylistic differences. The interior design no longer seems focused on evoking the glamour and beauty of the golden age of ocean liners. It largely opts against period-inspired Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles in favor of a variety of disparately-themed spaces.

Those varying themed spaces exist on the other ships, but the variety of styles is much more pronounced on the Disney Wish. To some degree, this impedes the flow of the ship.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

To the extent that there is a unifying interior design motif, the style can probably best be described as glam. Many of the spaces–particularly those for adults that don’t overtly integrate intellectual property–utilize sumptuous materials, touchable textures, and glistening metallics to create an air of opulence and extravagance.

In most of these venues, this works really well. The adult specialty dining area features glam flourishes, and sprinkles in Beauty and the Beast  characters and European stylization in a fashion that is surprisingly cohesive. This area is similar to Enchanted Rose Lounge at Grand Floridian, but miles better–more well-appointed, tasteful, and luxurious. Enchanté is the highlight, but this whole area is superb. As a whole, the speciality dining deck is an unequivocal upgrade on the other ships.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Same goes for the kids clubs, which offer huge improvements over the other ships and a ton of cool new things to do. Adults have long been envious of the fun, interactive experiences offered exclusively to children aboard Disney Cruise Line. To some extent, that has been directly remedied with new themed spaces for all ages.

However, the “problem” is that the kids clubs also got better and added awesome stuff…and now I want those things for adults. For all of the hype about Hyperspace Lounge, the coolest Star Wars space is far and away the Cargo Bay for kids. Also, is it really too much to ask for an Imagineering Blue Sky Bar where adults can imbibe and build/ride roller coaster simulations?! (Okay, perhaps that last part is a recipe for ‘protein spills.’)

disney wish 3 night cruise review

In other cases, whether the changes are improvements is more subjective.

The modified atrium, for example, has become a better canvas for live entertainment, character appearances, and more. In simple terms, its design serves more practical purposes than aesthetic ones. In so doing, it has made compromises for the sake of functionality, and lost a degree of elegance and sophistication in the process.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

This atrium and other parts of the ship also have the same style of Shanghai Disneyland. At times, that park feels like it’s shouting “OPULENCE!” while in actuality having a plastic-y or insubstantial feel. In other words, the substance doesn’t always adequately support the superficial style. (I apologize for the Shanghai Disneyland comparisons; I realize these are meaningless for the vast majority of readers, but some of Disney Wish’s parallels were uncanny and I found that interesting.)

Whether those changes to the atrium aboard the Disney Wish are “worth it” is really going to depend upon the guest. If you’re big on characters and cruise programming, they probably will be—the new approach opens a lot of doors as to what can be done there.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

That’s really the story of the Disney Wish as a whole. In several ways, it feels like the guiding light behind this project was bringing as much of the contemporary Disney theme park experience as possible to a cruise ship.

Obviously, this is easiest to see in the aspects involving Star Wars, Marvel, and Frozen. It also applies to AquaMouse and other venues, as well as the prevalence of IP and degree of interactivity aboard the Disney Wish. There are elements here that reminds me of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Galactic Starcruiser, and Avengers Campus.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

For the most part, those are favorable comparisons. There’s a lot that Imagineering and the creative entertainment teams behind the Disney Wish got really, really right. I want to focus on the big picture here—we’ll have separate posts to come about specifics.

In addition to the kids clubs, the dinner shows are fantastic and exemplars of themed design and/or storytelling. We loved all three, with some caveats about Worlds of Marvel.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Same goes for the food and beverage program as a whole.

The restaurants, fine dining, lounges, and even counter service are all the best of Disney Cruise Line. If your primary concerns are activities for kids, eating, or entertainment—there’s a strong chance the Disney Wish is going to be your favorite ship. It iterates upon or flat out reinvents all of that to great success.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

It’s a similar story with the staterooms. These offer an array of little form and function improvements that, in aggregate, make them a lot nicer and more comfortable than their predecessors. (Sarah has more experience than me with Disney Cruise Line, and she gushed about the staterooms.)

Everything from the art to the lighting to the utilization of space is more thoughtful than the other four ships that came before. As with so much of the ship, it seems like DCL learned from what worked and didn’t in the past, and made incremental improvements on those bases.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Given its emphasis on intellectual property and characters, you might be concerned for the nightlife. The Disney Wish also improves upon most of the lounges and bars really well. The lounges are interesting and varied, with drink options that are thoughtfully-crafted (read: not colorful sugar water with a splash of alcohol).

The bigger concern from my perspective is the size and capacity of certain venues, in general. Even on this Christening Cruise with only a portion of staterooms filled, some of these areas were woefully undersized for demand. It’s hard to say how that will shake out with normal demographics (and full slate of cruise programming), but I foresee it being a problem.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

I think this will actually work itself out over time. Some of the most high-profile venues were among my biggest disappointments, while ones that were barely featured in marketing ran circles around those.

I’d hazard a guess that DCL diehards will quickly learn this, and congregate in the “hidden gems” once they check off some of the one-and-done themed settings. Conversely, first timers will flock to the popular but underwhelming spaces.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

With all of that in mind, let’s offer early assessments and recommendations about which demographics might want to book the Disney Wish, and who might want to wait–or book another ship.

The group we’d expect to least enjoy the Disney Wish is experienced cruisers who see DCL as a brand unto itself, and have come to appreciate the style and unique personality of the fleet. Disney Cruise Line diehards are the ones most likely to come in with a certain set of expectations, and like cruising for the distinct DCL atmosphere and experience.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

I think there’s more than a mild possibility that these fans will be disappointed in the different direction the Disney Wish takes, and the way it does not comport with their expectations—and what made them fans in the first place.

This is really the first in DCL’s fleet to lean away from being a cruise ship or even strong nautical themes and motifs. It’s somewhat akin to a fan of the original Disneyland going to Shanghai Disneyland and seeing how much that deviated from the tried and true formula. Some may embrace the changes; others may feel it’s too substantial of a departure.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Disney Wish is perfect for first-timers who are planning a once in a lifetime voyage and want something that is distinctly  Disney,  featuring the characters and movies their kids love. It delivers that exceptionally well, offering a slice of newer additions to the parks while at sea. It also iterates and improves upon some of the biggest shortcomings of the other ships, offering a better overall experience for most mainstream audiences.

As with the other ships, the experience is more laid back and relaxing than the theme parks, thus also making the Disney Wish a good alternative to those for first-timers who want an actual  vacation rather than a trip. (There’s a huge distinction, and one people who haven’t done Walt Disney World may not realize exists.)

disney wish 3 night cruise review

However, the Disney Wish is not the ship we’d recommend to cruise newbies who are potentially interested in experiencing the other ships–or longtime Walt Disney World fans wanting to take their first cruise. That comes down to the expectations this particular ship creates that the rest don’t really match.

This is hardly criticism of the Disney Wish, but rather, acknowledging that it’s a bit of an outlier. It’s one that’s better in many ways, delivering exactly what some fans will want and making it difficult to go back to the other ships. By contrast, the things that the other ships do better are a matter of preference, and less make or break.

It’s difficult to articulate, but the best example I can give is that it’s easier to go from the Port Orleans Resorts to Caribbean Beach than in the other direction. The atmosphere of the former is arguably better, but transportation at the latter is hard to give up. Similar idea here, but obviously very different specifics.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Ultimately, we both really enjoyed our first experience aboard the Disney Wish. While this offers critique and criticism, that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to reviewing something. From our perspective, there are more hits than misses with the Disney Wish, but it’s far from flawless. Nevertheless, most of our complaints are relatively minor and some could be attributable to familiarity with the first four ships, a lack of that with the Wish, and personal preferences.

In the end, the Disney Wish is the ship in DCL’s fleet that I’m most eager to revisit and also one that I think has a lot of promise. While the others are already in their mature form, the Wish is going to continue evolving in the months and years to come and—hopefully—improving. There’s a ton of potential and a lot to like already, and it’s only going to get better as the company figures out how to leverage some of its ‘blank canvas’ spaces.

With that said, I doubt the Disney Wish will go down as my favorite ship or the one we’ll sail most in the long-term once that “new ship smell” wears off. For one thing, it’s a lot more expensive than comparable itineraries on the other ships and I’m not sure it’s worth the premium pricing–especially on repeat sailings. For another, I really like the layout, style, design of the other ships (save for the specialty dining and staterooms). Then again, I also prefer many of Walt Disney World’s older resorts to the newer ones, so your mileage–or nautical knots–may vary.

Planning to set sail aboard one of the DCL ships? Read our comprehensive  Disney Cruise Line Guide   to prepare for your voyage, plus plan entertainment, activities & excursions, and learn what to expect from your Disney cruise! For personalized planning & recommendations,  click here to get a cruise quote from a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner . They can find you all of the current discounts, and help you plan the details of your cruise!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What else would you like to know about the Disney Wish? Any specific spaces within the ship that interest you more than others? Does this have you more excited for the Disney Wish? Think this ship will appeal to you, or will you stick with the first four? Wishing you were under 12 so you could enjoy the Imagineering Lab–or hope the next ship has a Blue Sky Bar? Excited for the AquaMouse? Do you plan on booking a cruise aboard this ship, or are you awaiting more reviews and info from the actual guest sailings? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

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Written by Tom Bricker

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When do you go on your paid cruise? Curious when you will write more so I can decide if I need to change my plans completely. We are first timers and sort of fit the category of people who would enjoy it. But, still, I may not be able to unsee the cheap-plasticy glam. I do appreciate the “new ship smell” and decided it was worth the premium…but…

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How was the adult entertainment options if there were any? The quiet cove seems woefully small, poorly located, and inconvenient when wanting to grab a snack from the walk up options. Is there any kind of dance club like on previous ships? Seems like this is just themed to the max without consideration of wanting to get away from characters in your face.

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Sounds like an amazing big boat… Great review, Tom!

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Thanks Tom! We’re scheduled for a 3 night cruise in September. By the time we hit our 90 day reservation mark, all the adults only dining options and wine tastings were fully booked. This wasn’t terribly surprising, but do you know if it’s still possible to try and book some of these things as soon as we get on the ship? Also, do you know if the Wishes’ spa will do the Rainforest Spa daily passes? I don’t see any reference to it on the website.

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I would like to know how you feel about crowding and waits once you go on a full regular cruise since the Wish has higher capacity. We sailed the Dream and the pools and deck parties were unpleasantly crowded for our tastes, esp on days at sea. Also curious how they will manage Cabana reservations with so many more concierge guests.

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How are the staterooms on the other ships inferior to the staterooms on the Wish?

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Really looking forward to your opinions on the spaces for adults on the Disney Wish. Early word is they seem rather small and perhaps even an afterthought.

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Very informative post. Can’t wait for the disappointments post. I think I have adjusted my expectations but interested to see what your experience was. The Maiden will be our 29th DCL cruise most being on the Magic, we prefer the classic ship. The two things I haven’t found clearly explained is other than the four small closet shelves and hanging area of the closet, where do you store clothes. Are there any drawers for undergarments, etc? Also, is the market a buffet of do they plate for you? The breakfast review I saw showed menus with plated meals to pick from. I prefer buffet, especially for breakfast, which is why we choose not to eat breakfast in the restaurants.

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We initially booked the Wish for the end of October. Only our second ever cruise and frost for the kids (11 and 7). The four nights being the only option, we planned on doing 3 extra nights at WDW. But a few months ago, we chose to pass on getting to be some of the first people to enjoy the new ship and instead booked a 7 nighter on the Fantasy. We were hoping being able to enjoy a full week cruise would outweigh what could’ve been a much better experience on a newly imagined ship. Classic FOMO. I’ve been looking forward to your impressions, so far I’m thinking we made a good choice. Not that the fantasy is better. But the we aren’t missing out too badly by missing the Wish. I look forward to your next report when you get more full experience.

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You absolutely did. The Fantasy is a fantastic ship and there’s no way the Wish could justify its price right now over one of the best cruise ships in the world. Newer cruise ships always command a premium.

My recommendation would be to eat Palo brunch (the Italian adult restaurant) once, chill at Satellite Falls pool, go to all of the adult shows at the Tube (some can be outstanding), and encourage the kids to go to the Oceaneer Club for the younger ones, 11-14 to the Edge, and 14-17 for Vibe. They’ll love it, especially if they’re social and like to make friends and for the older ones run around the ship hanging out. Cabana’s has an awesome breakfast buffet. Also, remember you can order unlimited menu items at all the restaurants! Appetizers are typically better than the entrees, so I’ve even ordered multiple as an entree before. The coffee is weak on the ship, but the Cove Bar on the pool deck has great coffee and you can get a coffee pass which makes it cheaper as it’s ‘premium’ coffee. Definitely participate in the adult activities like Silent DJ as well. Just let loose and have fun! Don’t feel obligated to get off at every port either. The ship, unlike say Carnival, is the attraction.

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We are scheduled on a Wish cruise at the end of January, with our 4 year old granddaughter. When you are talking about space in the different areas, I was wondering about the pools. I have watched a lot of the videos posted (and it may look different when you are actually there)-but the pools looked small and crowded and chopped up into a series of shallow pools. I had heard that they were designed to be covered up when an event is happening on deck. Does the pool deck feel scrunched in? Also, can you describe in more detail what the Festival of Foods area is, and why it is needed in addition to Marceline market?

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Thank you for the early info! I love your site and recommend it to anyone going to anything Disney! We are DVC members who started our love of Disney with our honeymoon at Disney World 25 years ago. We will be there in September for our actual Anniversary (Food & Wine here we come and we are doing our first split stay, Bay Lake and Beach Club) , but we have also booked a vow renewal on The Wish in January 2023. They weren’t sure of venue options when we booked, but thought The Rose and Bayou would be options in addition to the atrium. We were leaning towards The Rose, but Bayou is looking like a very viable option as well. There will be about 40 of us, any thoughts?

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Happy 4th of July. Hope you all have a good one. Thanks as always for the excellent content

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Thanks, you too–and you’re welcome! 🙂

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Such a good teaser for the full review! Curious to see if some of my guesses are correct. I haven’t been obviously but have been watching some videos. I suspect the Bayou bar will be one of your “hidden gem” locations—I love the look and it gets bonus points for being out in the open as I feel like on prior ships the seclusion of the bars made me loathe to visit them with my kids with me (they love getting shirley temples as an afternoon treat, while mom and dad get a cocktail). I haven’t seen anyone talk about Luna even though that seemed like one of the more promising additions—was it not open for your preview cruise? The aquamouse, hyperspace lounge and adult infinity pool all seem to be shadows of their potential, which is a shame. But on the other hand, I really think I will like the Spa rainforest room, large balcony (aka “bump out”) rooms, multiple family pools (so if one closes due to an accident, it’s not a big deal), and all those new quick service dining locations. P.S. Don’t feel weird about visiting the kids clubs during open houses to play on the simulators—a lot of adults do!

I actually spent more time in Luna than anywhere else on the ship–it hosted all of the behind the scenes panels. Definitely has potential as a venue, but there’s absolutely nothing special about its design and the panels certainly didn’t put the tech that might exist in that space to the test. Strikes me as fairly utilitarian.

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I wish you had an adult cruise without kids.

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I have been on 9 DCL cruises and not once have felt overwhelmed by children. DCL does a good job of separating the adults.

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Disney and kids are like a glove is to fingers. If kids somehow mess up the Disney experience then maybe you are forgetting what Disney is truly about. There is nothing I like to see more than the kids reacting to everything Disney even though mine is an adult.

Not sure what happened to my last post but kids are to Disney what fingers are to a glove. They kinda go together and something would be lacking if kids were not a part of the landscape during a Disney experience.

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Would love to see photos of the bar menus! I’m looking for information about what mocktails might be available, and many of the menus I’ve seen online actually cut off that part as if it can’t be of any interest to anyone!

I don’t have those, sorry–but I do know there was an emphasis made on crafting unique “zero proof cocktails” for the Disney Wish. (That’s the specific term they used since “mocktails” is more juvenile according to the culinary team. I’m guessing “zero proof cocktails” also somehow justifies higher price points than what people would pay for mocktails! 😉 )

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We are sailing on the Wish in September and I’m really looking forward to it, though we ended up adding it to the front end of an already scheduled trip. So we will sail on the Wish and then after a weekend in Miami will sail on the Dream. That gets all the ships ticked for us, and saves us airfare by doing another cruise at a later date. However, it’ll be interesting to see how the two ships feel back to back. I’m going in with a very open mind, except when it comes to the Aqua Mouse, which I have very low expectations for. I saw a POV of the “attraction” on Youtube & was heartily disappointed. My initial reaction was “LAME” and felt the same way on a second viewing a few days later. Maybe it’ll be better in person, but… Did you experience it? Thoughts? Is it complete? There were a bunch of what I presumed were speakers between the screens (which featured that new style of animation which I despise!), but maybe they were screens that were missing displays? It certainly was underwhelming for something touted as the first Disney attraction at sea. Aqua Duck & Dunk are much more engaging right off the bat. The Aqua Mouse was just a slow conveyor belt crawling along until the water ride started. Or am I missing something?

C’mon now, don’t make me spoil the upcoming “Biggest Disappointments of the Disney Wish” post!

For now, I’ll just say this…adjust your AquaMouse expectations downwards. 😉

@ TomBricker: Yikes! Adjust my already low expectations downwards? Even with a winky face emoji, that is telling. Oh well, I’ll look forward to everything else, and the Aqua Mouse will be a one & done. Thanks for the first impressions post, btw. Always appreciate your thoughtful perspectives.

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I heard from one of the bloggers that the Aquamouse wasn’t running complete…that some special effects were still being worked on? We’re going in November…hopefully many kinks will be worked out a little more by then

I certainly hope what I saw online isn’t the finished product. I was sort of thinking it might be more along the lines of a water version of the Incredi-coaster at Disneyland, but we shall see. Thanks for your feedback Kathleen.

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We are booked on the wish for the Christmas cruise start of December (after 2 weeks in Orlando!). It will be our first time on a cruise ship so we felt 3 nights would be a good sampler to if we like it.

I’m curious Tom if the hidden gems you mention, we much rather those than the main ones as prefer quieter ambiance.

How was the food? Fine dining is not something we are used to but rather excited about along with usual ‘park’ fare?

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I can’t wait to read more. We recently took and Royal Caribbean cruise for the first time, after sailing DCL on several prior trips, I know it’s even more extreme, but we missed the classic, stylized nature of DCL, despite many new and fun amenities on RC.

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This was very informative, thank you! We’ll be sailing on the Wish in September. I’ve previously sailed on both the Wonder and Dream. The Wonder was much easier to navigate and had more “connecting” decks and walkways than the Dream. We caught ourselves having to go up and down to navigate around certain things on the Dream. Is the Wish similar to the Dream in this aspect?

“Is the Wish similar to the Dream in this aspect?”

I’d say it’s slightly worse. Accessing some areas (like Cove Cafe or the specialty dining area) requires a convoluted approach. Even the levels around the atrium have occasionally-confusing orientations. On the plus side, that can add a sense of intimacy.

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Our first DCL ship will be the Wish following Thanksgiving. We’re already a bit skeptical of the sizing of popular areas. The Star Wars bar has had super long waits to get into it from what we’ve been hearing. We’re also doing star cruise next month which means the Star Wars bar on the wish more than likely will be a let down anyways lol. We haven’t got our window for buying extras and excursions but lol forward to seeing what is offered there. Can’t wait to see your actual paid for cruise impressions. I’m sure this vessel is impressive though regardless.

The Star Wars bar started doing reservations after the first day, and I’d expect that to continue with actual guest sayings. Nevertheless, your suspicions about going from the Galactic Starcruiser to Hyperspace Lounge are pretty much on point.

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Review: Disney Wish

Stateroom with verandah on Disney Wish

Reviewed by Susan B. Barnes

What is the line? Disney Cruise Line

Name of ship? Disney Wish

Passenger occupancy?  4,000

Itinerary? Three- and four-night cruises to Nassau, Bahamas, and Disney Castaway Cay

Disney Wish , the fifth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, set sail in July 2022 from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and its private island, Castaway Cay, bringing with it all of the magic and hospitality we’ve come to expect from Disney.

Start out with the big picture—what is this cruise line known for?   Disney is all about the young and the young at heart, and that sentiment holds true for the entirety of the Disney Cruse Line fleet. From on-deck dance parties to dining with “Frozen” characters Elsa, Anna, and Olaf, and much more in between, passengers are invited to be a part of the all-ages fun on the Disney Wish .

Tell us about the ship in general. Disney Wish , which is slightly larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy , was built in 2022 in Germany and arrived in Florida in June. The ship’s 1,254 staterooms—most of which have ocean views (70 percent of those have verandahs)—can accommodate up to 4,000 passengers. Three family restaurants, two fine dining spots, myriad casual dining spaces, and numerous bars and lounges are found throughout the Disney Wish .

One of the greatly anticipated highlights of the Disney Wish is AquaMouse, the first Disney attraction at sea that immerses guests in “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse” by way of show scenes, and lighting and special effects, all in a 760-foot water ride that winds high above the ship’s upper decks.

Who is onboard? Board the Disney Wish and you’re sure to find everyone you can think of, from small families to multi-generational families to couples and groups of friends. Anyone and everyone who’s a fan of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars will find their place on the ship.

Describe the cabins. My two friends and I stayed in a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, which has a queen bed and a single convertible sofa, as well as a single pull-down bed; plenty of space for three women. The verandah had two chairs and was a quiet and lovely spot to watch the sunrise (if we were up early!) and the sunset.

One of the impressive key design features on Disney Cruise Line’s ships is its signature split-bathroom concept: one with a sink and a toilet, the other with a sink and shower; all cabins have bathtubs. Another is the cabins’ wealth of storage space, which is especially useful in smaller spaces that can easily become cluttered.

In addition to the Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms with Verandahs, which can accommodate up to four guests, Disney Wish also has its Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandahs, Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms and Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms that can accommodate up to five guests each; and Standard Inside Staterooms that can accommodate up to four.

Disney Wish ’s 76 concierge staterooms and suites, the most of any Disney Cruise Line ship, include seven exclusive ocean-view rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bow; they’re the line’s first staterooms located above the ship’s bridge. Other staterooms in the class include Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah and Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom, both of which sleep up to five guests; the Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah and Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Extended Verandah, both of which feature two full bathrooms and separate bedrooms and can sleep up to five.

The Concierge 1-Story Royal Suite with Verandah encompasses 1,507 square feet with two main bedrooms with walk-in closets, three full bathrooms, living and dining areas, three 43-inch LCD flat screen TVs, and a private verandah with whirlpool. The suite sleeps up to six guests.

Concierge 2-Story Royal Suites with Verandahs are 1,759 square feet with two main bedrooms with walk-in closets, three full bathrooms, living and dining areas, three 43-inch LCD flat screen TVs, and private verandahs with whirlpool tubs. The suites sleep up to six guests.

For those really wanting to splash out, the first-of-its-kind, Moana-themed Concierge Wish Tower Suite is perched high on the Disney Wish ’s funnel above the upper decks, accessible by private elevator. Within the 1,966 square-foot suite are two bedrooms with walk-in closets, a children’s bedroom with bunkbeds, and a library that can be converted into a bedroom; four-and-a-half bathrooms; a two-story living area with floor-to-ceiling windows; and a grand staircase connecting the spaces. The Wish Tower Suite sleeps up to eight guests.

All concierge guests aboard the Disney Wish are invited to enjoy exclusive access to the Concierge Lounge and a VIP sun deck on Deck 13 with whirlpools and a wading pool.

Accessible staterooms and those equipped with communication features are available in nearly all of the ship’s categories.

Tell us about the crew.   “Be our guest” is a sentiment the crew aboard the Disney Wish takes to heart, and they go above and beyond to make you feel right at home from the moment you step on board. From the cabin stewards to the lifeguards at the pools and beaches to the dining, bars, activities, and island teams, everyone is ready to make your cruise a memorable one.

What food and drink options are available on board? There is absolutely no chance of going hungry on the Disney Wish , starting with the casual Marceline Market and its 10 tempting food stalls for casual dining for breakfast and lunch, and table-service at dinnertime.

Another casual option is Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods, an open-air dining concept on the upper decks with poolside-friendly barbecue, tacos and burritos, pizza, burgers and hot dogs, and ice cream. Elsewhere on the ship is a gelato and candy shop, specialty coffee bar, a place for beignets and plenty more.

One of Disney Cruise Line’s traditions is its family dining concept in which families rotate through the ships’ three main dining rooms. The Disney Wish features three new restaurants, starting with 1923, an elegant celebration of the year The Walt Disney Company was founded, combining Hollywood glamor with the Disney whimsey.

Diners are in the middle of the adventure in “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” in Worlds of Marvel, the first Marvel cinematic dining adventure featuring Ant-Man and The Wasp. Get ready for an interactive dining experience as you help keep the the Quantum Core out of the wrong hands.

The third dining experience on the Wish is a Nordic one—Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, featuring Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and, of course, Olaf. During dinner, live musical performances in-the-round will keep everyone entertained.

Another of Disney’s family dining concept that really resonates with guests is that your dedicated dining team travels with you to each restaurant, welcoming you by name to the table, bringing your favorite beverage without having to ask, and remembering any special considerations when it comes to food preparation.

To that end, the Disney Wish offers vegetarian and vegan options at every meal, including in the dining rooms and grab-and-go spots, and pays close attention to any allergies or restrictions. For example, one of my friends is vegan, and Melissa, the lead of our dining team, made sure to point out the dishes my friend could enjoy for dinner.

In addition to all of this, the Disney Wish has two fine dining restaurants for which you’ll want to be sure to make reservations: Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté by Michelin-starred Chef Arnaud Lallement. Both spaces are intimate and elegant, and dining in either—or both—will be memorable.

After dinner, or before—or, why not both!—visit any of the Disney Wish ’s bars and cocktail lounges. Of note, The Rose is a chic lounge at the entrance of Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté. Aside from its signature Rose cocktail (Komos Reposado Rosa, Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis Alexandre and Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé served in an elderflower-smoked dome), another cocktail to try is the light and refreshing Monkey Spritzer (Monkey 47, Cointreau Blood Orange, Cranberry and Evian Lemon Ginger).

For the best old fashioned on the ship, stop into the not-so-hidden bar at Hook’s Barbery and have the barber/bartender craft a glass for you. The bar at Hook’s also features bourbons, vintage whiskeys and ports, aged rums and other premium spirits, served in an intimate setting.

Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge is the hottest ticket on Disney Wish , and it’s not surprising because it’s the first of its kind. Step into the luxurious yacht-class spaceship and sip out-of-this-world cocktails, wines, beers, and zero-proof drinks. Or, go all-in and order the $5,000 Kaliburr Crystal, considered “the galaxy’s rarest and valuable cocktail.” While inside, you may just find yourself traveling past the Millennium Falcon on your way to Batuu, Coruscant, Mustafar, or Tatooine.

And that’s just a small taste of the bars and lounges on the Disney Wish !

Is there a spa on board and is it worth visiting? Find serenity at Senses Spa with private treatment rooms and spa villas for couples to enjoy. Traditional spa services like massages, facials, and skin-enhancing treatments are on the menu, along with acupuncture and pain management therapies.

Just off of the spa is an expansion of Disney Cruise Line’s signature Rainforest experience, now with the line’s first ice lounge, in addition to sensory spa showers, and sauna, steam  and dry rooms. A dedicated outdoor relaxation space with day beds and loungers complete the relaxing setting.

Tell us about the activities and entertainment.   It’s nearly impossible to be bored on the Disney Wish , what with the ship’s daily schedule of fun-filled activities, and all of the space to explore, including its six pools.

One space that’s new to Disney Cruise Line is Hero Zone, a futuristic sports arena that combines athleticism and imagination that hosts game-show-style family competitions. It’s also open for one-on-one games of foosball, air hockey, and even basketball on a full-size court.

Disney Uncharted Adventure is a first-of-its-kind interactive experience that takes guests throughout the ship, uncovering constellations that take the shapes of iconic Disney and Pixar characters. Using a spyglass that’s accessible by the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, Captain Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse guide players to adventures with characters including Moana, Tiana, Tinker Bell, and Nemo.

Disney once again brings its energetic, Broadway-style performances to the Disney Wish with two brand new shows. “Disney Seas the Adventure” is an original musical that’s performed on embarkation nights and features popular Disney and Pixar characters like Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Tiana, Elsa, Moana and Merida. The second new show performed in the Walt Disney Theatre is “Disney The Little Mermaid,” an original adaptation of the beloved 1989 Disney Animation film developed exclusively for the Disney Wish . A reimagined Disney Cruise Line favorite, “Disney’s Aladdin—A Musical Spectacular,” rounds out the trio of live stage shows. In addition to its on-stage performances, the Disney Wish has two 80-plus seat state-of-the-art movie theaters, Wonderland Cinema and Never Land Cinema, that screen classic and first-run films from Disney, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, and more. The two theaters are the first in the cruise industry to feature Dolby Atmos 3D audio to enhance the movie-watching experience.

How was the experience for families? Families are the stars of the show on Disney Cruise Line, and it’s no different on the Disney Wish, with dedicated clubs for kids of all ages, starting with the Disney’s Oceaneer Club for kids ages 3 to 12. After their parents check them in, kids can ride the slide from the Grand Hall on deck 3 to the club on deck 2. There they’ll find the Marvel Super Hero Academy, New Adventures at Star Wars: Cargo Bay, Fairytale Hall, the Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, and A Celebration of Exploration at Mickey and Minnie Captain’s Deck for the youngest sailors.

Edge and Vibe is a space for kids 11 to 17 to chill on their own. Tweens ages 11 to 14 can hang out Edge, a space inspired by a New York City loft. Vibe is where teens 14 to 17 can watch movies, play games and make the Parisian artist’s loft-inspired space their own.

It’s A Small World Nursery provides baby-sitting services for kids ages 6 months to 3 years old, complete with play room with favorite Disney characters and even a toy train.

All kids’ clubs are overseen by Disney-trained counselors.

Where did it sail and how were the excursions? Did anything stand out? Our three-night itinerary sailed from Port Canaveral to Castaway Cay, Disney’s exclusive private island in the Bahamas. The expansive beaches are lined with plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas to accommodate everyone onboard the ship, and complimentary open-air dining spots and (not-complimentary) bars are at-the-ready for eating and sipping tropical umbrella drinks. There’s even exclusive Castaway Cay souvenirs available in the on-island shops.

Activities on Castaway Cay vary from snorkeling and a 5k running and walking course to boat rentals and Pelican Plunge, a 2,400 square foot elating platform complete with water-play area and two waterslides.

Adults (18+) who are ready for some quiet time can ride the tram to Serenity Bay with its own dining spot and bar, and open-air massage cabanas for even more relaxation.

Are there any stand out sustainability or green initiatives about this cruise?   On the environmental front, Disney Wish is powered by liquefied natural gas, making it nearly 30 percent more fuel efficient and reducing its greenhouse gases emissions by approximately 20 percent. Other ways the ship minimizes its environmental impact: biodegradable straws; washable dinnerware instead of single-use plastic utensils; and recycling condensation from a/c units to fresh water used in onboard laundry facilities and cleaning the ship’s outer decks that will save approximately 7.5 million gallons every year.

Anything we missed? For all of the family and adult-designed fun on the Disney Wish , the decor of the ship itself is elegant, starting in the Grand Hall and cascading down hallways and staircases. More than 4,400 works of art hang on the walls, and the ambient music gently complements the design.

Once you book a cruise on the Disney Wish , everything is taken care of, from transportation to and from the port, to every last comfy detail in your stateroom, freeing up your time to make lasting memories.

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Disney Cruise Line Disney Wish Deck Plans & Reviews

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Disney Cruise Line Disney Wish

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Activities & entertainment

  • Disney's Oceaneer Club - Kids Club
  • Marvel Super Hero Academy
  • Star Wars Cargo Bay
  • Fairy Tale Hall
  • Walt Disney Imagineering Lab
  • Mickey & Minnie Captain's Deck
  • It's a Small World Nursery *
  • Edge - Tweens Club
  • Vibe - Teens Club
  • The Hideaway - Youth Flex Space
  • Hero Zone - Sports Arena
  • Treasures Untold - Shop *
  • 3 Wishes - Shop *
  • Once Upon a Time - Shop *
  • Royal Regalia - Shop *
  • Enchanted Castle Jewels - Shop *
  • Mickey's Mainsail - Shop *
  • Shutters - Photo Gallery and Studio *
  • Guest Services
  • Port Adventures - Shore Excursions *
  • DVC - Disney Vacation Club *
  • Disney Vacation Planning *
  • Shopping Ambassador *
  • Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique *
  • Untangled Salon *
  • Hook's Barbery *
  • Senses Spa *
  • Rainforest Room - Thermal Suite *
  • Senses Fitness
  • Triton Lounge
  • Deck Parties
  • Dory's Forget Me Knots - Poolside Shop *
  • Whirlpools (3)
  • Toy Story Splash Zone
  • Water Slides (2)
  • Slide-a-saurus Rex
  • Character Events
  • Scavenger Hunts
  • Concierge Lounge - Suite Guests
  • Concierge Private Sun Deck - Suite Guests
  • Sun Deck - Adult-Only
  • Fairytale Fresh Laundry *
  • Grand Hall Stage
  • Walt Disney Theatre
  • Never Land Cinema
  • Wonderland Cinema
  • Funnel Vision
  • Film Screenings
  • Production Shows
  • Fireworks Displays
  • Preludes - Theater Snacks *
  • The Bayou - New Orleans-Themed Bar *
  • Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge - Star Wars-Themed Bar *
  • Nightingale's - Atrium Bar *
  • Luna Libations - Popular Bar *
  • 1923 - Rotational Main
  • Worlds of Marvel - Rotational Main
  • Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure - Rotational Main
  • Hook's Barbery - Speakeasy Bar - Speakeasy Bar *
  • Wishing Star Cafe - Coffee Bar *
  • Keg & Compass - Pub *
  • Enchanted Sword Cafe - Coffee Bar *
  • Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods - Poolside Eateries
  • Mickey's Smokestack Barbecue - Barbecue
  • Sweet Minnie's Ice Cream - Ice Cream
  • Donald's Cantina - Mexican
  • Daisy's Pizza Pies - Pizza
  • Goofy's Grill - Pool Grill
  • Beverage Station - Pool Sodas
  • Lookout - Pool Bar *
  • Inside Out: Joyful Sweets - Premium Ice Cream and Treats *
  • Marceline Market - Buffet
  • Marceline Market Cafe - Buffet Bar *
  • Wheezie's Freezies - Pool Bar *
  • Currents Bar - Scenic Bar *
  • The RosE - Adult-Only Bar *
  • Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement - Adult-Only French *
  • Palo Steakhouse - Adult-Only Steakhouse *
  • Cove Cafe - Adult-Only Coffee Bar *
  • Cove Bar - Adult-Only Pool Bar *
  • Room Service
  • Excellent 19
  • Very Good 5
  • All languages ( 40 )
  • English ( 38 )
  • Spanish ( 2 )

Upcoming itineraries

The map for this itinerary is not available at this time.

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Home » Cruise » Disney Cruise Line » Disney Wish » Disney Wish Cruise Review Scorecard

Disney Wish Cruise Review Scorecard

Find out if Disney Cruise Line's newest ship is right for your next family vacation with our exclusive Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

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Disney Wish is the first new vessel from Disney Cruise Line since 2012. This 144K gross ton ship offers a variety of activities, entertainment, and dining that is distinctly Disney. We have just returned from one of the first sailings on the ship and can’t wait to share our impressions with you. Get all the details about this magical vessel with our exclusive Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review.

BRAND NEW DISNEY WISH REVIEW VIDEO!

Embarkation/Disembarkation

We boarded Disney Wish at Terminal 8 in Port Canaveral. Prior to the cruise, we were able to secure a 12:15 PM port arrival time. However, we opted to purchase a Disney transfer from the Orlando airport. This gave us an even earlier boarding group (boarding group 2).

Our transfer arrived at the terminal around 10 AM. The entire process from screening, to security, and check-in took about 30 minutes. From there, we waited about an hour before we were allowed to board the ship.

Disney Wish Bahamas Cruise Review

The process was efficient, even though we did have to wait awhile.

On disembarkation morning, we did self-assist disembarkation and carried our bags off the ship. Again, we had a pre-paid transfer, but this time, it was to a Walt Disney World resort.

Our instructions were to depart the ship before 7:45 AM. So, we skipped breakfast and left our cabin around 7:15 AM. Again, the process was efficient and took about 30 minutes from our cabin, through CBP, and curbside to our bus.

However, we did have to wait about an hour on the bus before our transfer departed the cruise terminal. With stops at other hotels, it took us about 2 hours to get from Port Canaveral to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Though, the cost was significantly cheaper than the current pricing for an Uber.

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Score the Lowest Fares on Your Next Disney Cruise !

Disney Wish features the most pools and deck space of any Disney Cruise Line ship. In fact, the ship has a total of 8 pools.

The main pool decks, decks 11 & 12, have six pools. Granted, the pools are small, but they do help to disperse the crowds. The Mickey and Minnie pools are the larger of the group with one at each end of the pool deck. The other four pools are on cascading levels above the Minnie pool.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

Forward on Deck 14 is the Chip and Dale pool area. This space is a bit quieter and offers a standard size pool and loungers for families.

For the younger cruisers, there is the Toy Story Splash Zone on deck 12. This Toy Story themed play area features a splash zone and wading pool. There is also the Slide-a-Saurus Rex family waterslide on the portside.

For those looking for something a bit more exciting, the AquaMouse is a first of its kind water attraction at sea. We did test out this new raft ride for ourselves, waiting close to an hour. While the AquaMouse includes 760 feet of winding tubes suspended high above the upper decks, it honestly wasn’t as thrilling as we anticipated.

Finally, adults have a private pool area too. Deck 13 aft is home to the Quiet Cove with an infinity pool, bar, and coffee shop. During our sailing, this was one of the busiest areas on the entire ship!

Sports Deck

Unlike many contemporary cruise ships, Disney Wish does not have an outdoor sports deck. Instead, there is the Hero Zone. This two-story sports arena is located on the starboard side of decks 12 and 13 aft.

This indoor sports court is usually a basketball court that hosts free play and organized activities.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

Although, the Hero Zone does also house the Incredi-Games at certain times throughout the cruise. This inflatable obstacle course is a great family activity. The young and young at heart can test their agility as they navigate the challenges to see who comes out on top.

The upper level of the Hero Zone has table games like air hockey, foosball, ping pong, and more. All of these games are included on a Disney Wish cruise .

For adults, there is the Senses Fitness Center. This state-of-the-art exercise and wellness center offers plenty of complimentary cardio and strength training equipment.

Interestingly though, there is not a true dedicated jogging track. The outdoor promenade on Decks 4, 5, and 6 offers a space that can be used for a morning walk. Although, you will have to transverse several stairs and public areas to make a lap around the entire ship.

Daily Activities

Our 3-day Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review had an itinerary that included two ports of call. Among the stops was the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.

While no true sea days, Disney Wish still offered a variety of daily activities for cruisers of all ages. There were several character meet and greets that occurred throughout the ship. These included photo-ops with Disney princesses, Captain Minnie and Mickey, and even Star Wars characters.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

Further, there were other daytime, family-friendly activities including trivia, sing-a-longs, and arts and crafts occurring in the Triton Lounge and Luna’s. Additionally, there are two movie theaters showing first run movies. During our cruise, this included the latest Pixar animated film, as well as the two newest Marvel movies.

But, don’t expect to find some cruise classics like the belly flop contest. There is also no casino on Disney Cruise Line; though, adults may be happy to hear that there was Bingo and some up-charge tasting experiences.

The Oceaneer Club, dedicated to kids 3-12 years old, is perhaps the most intricate and well-designed area of the entire ship, so we recommend checking it out during “open house”. This kids area sometimes opens up for family events as well.

Not to mention, the cruise line’s private island is home to several complimentary and up-charge activities for a full day of fun in the sun.

When it comes to making memories, Disney is known for its top-notch service. So, we were ready to be wowed by the onboard staff. However, we thought the service on Disney Wish was pretty average and exactly what we expect from any contemporary cruise ship.

This is not to say it was bad, but we did not feel the service lived up to other premium or luxury cruise lines.

Our stateroom attendant was friendly and made up our cabin twice a day for the most part. However, there was one day he missed the morning service even though we were gone from our room for several hours.

What's Included on Disney Wish

Our dining team of Marvin and Jhoni accompanied us as we rotated through the three dining venues on Disney Wish. The waitstaff were friendly and fairly timely getting us out of the dining room in under two hours each evening. Though, we were mischarged for the entire table’s drinks on night 1, and it was never resolved despite multiple visits to guest services.

The bar service was quick, with plenty of staff taking drink orders, and the drinks were always well made. Yet, we didn’t seem to find any of that Disney magic. The one exception was our server at The Rose who was fun and informative.

At the casual restaurants, there were plenty of servers cleaning tables and helping guests find seats even during peak times.

Overall, the hardworking staff of Disney Wish made sure we had a comfortable and enjoyable cruise.

BOOKING BONUS: Get Exclusive Perks When You Book Disney Wish NOW !

Main Dining Room

For this Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review, we dined at each of the complimentary restaurants. Each of these rotational dining venues is themed with its own signature menu and décor.

Cruisers are assigned a rotation and move to each dining room on the reserved night. Our rotation was 1923, World of Marvel, and Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure.

Overall, our main dining room experience was mixed.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

In terms of food, we thought the best meal was night 1 at 1923. My filet mignon was cooked to a medium temperature, with just the right amount of seasoning. The burrata and prosciutto starter and apple cheesecake rounded out a top-notch meal.

When it comes to overall dining experience, the Frozen Dining Adventure was exactly what we were expecting on a Disney cruise ship.

This night 3 dinner started with a perfectly themed dining room enhanced with some live music, character appearances, and special effects. The food here was average, with the ham and cheese tart and the apple cake being the standouts.

World of Marvel was our least favorite dining experience, in terms of both food and overall concept. I did enjoy the fried shrimp appetizer and the desserts, but the ribeye was greasy. Further, the “show” didn’t integrate well with dinner.

Overall, Disney Wish offered exquisitely themed dining rooms with signature Disney elements. Yet, the food and service were mostly on par with other contemporary cruise lines.

Of note, there are two specialty restaurants on the ship; however, we did not have time to experience either of them this trip.

Casual Eats

It wouldn’t be a Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review if we didn’t test out all of the complimentary food options on the ship.

We are happy to report that we enjoyed the casual dining on this ship, particularly the Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods.

Located on deck 11 midship, this became our go-to spot for casual eats. Disney Cruise Line has taken the usual Lido Deck snack area and supersized it. There are a total of 4 different eateries offering some of the best quick service at sea. Cruisers can choose from pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken tenders, fresh BBQ, or Tex-Mex favorites.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Of course, we had to try them all. It was tough to pick a favorite, but the busiest was certainly Donald’s Cantina, offering tacos, bowls, and burritos with plenty of customizable options.

I was a fan of Mickey’s Smokestack, which is a new concept for the cruise line. Popular items here included the brisket, ribs, cornbread, and mac and cheese.

The Grill remains open for dinner, while the pizza station re-opens for late night snacks, so you can always grab a bite poolside.

Additionally, there is the Marceline Market at the aft of deck 11. This venue is a typical cruise ship buffet.

For breakfast, there were selections like eggs, waffles and pancakes, breakfast meats, and even custom omelets delivered to your table.

Disney Wish Bahamas Cruise Review

Lunch offered some chef selections, like roasted chicken, as well seafood options from grilled shrimp to a raw bar. There were also pre-made salads and sandwiches, along with the kids corner.

We dined here once for breakfast and once for lunch. We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast, but we were not impressed with lunch. Honestly, we are not fans of having a big meal in the middle of the day. Thus, we preferred the quick-service options at the Festival of Foods over the Marceline Market.

During our sailing, the Marceline Market was not open for dinner.

Main Theater Entertainment

There are three signature productions created exclusively for Disney Wish. However, Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, was not ready for our cruise.

With our early dining time of 5:45 PM, we attended the 8:30 PM showtime. The pre-dinner showtime for late seating was 5:30 PM.

On night one, The Walt Disney Theatre presented Disney’s Seas the Adventure. This 40-minute production felt like a show you would see at a Disney theme park, complete with Disney Princesses and some live singing and dancing. As Disney fans, we didn’t mind that Captain Minnie and Goofy were the main characters of this revue show.

Honestly, it felt like the perfect Welcome Aboard show for a Disney Cruise Line ship.

Disney Wish Bahamas Cruise Review

On night 3 of our cruise, we enjoyed a reimagined rendition of the Little Mermaid. This 60-minute production included a cast of talented signers, dancers, and puppeteers. It was entertaining, with great set pieces, choreography, and some Disney magic.  

We will be sailing on Disney Wish again in a few months, and we have our fingers crossed that the Aladdin show will be up and running by then.

Instead of a headliner act or another production show, the main theater featured a Marvel movie on night 2. This felt like a missed opportunity to showcase more of the great entertainers on the ship.

Nighttime Activities

The main theater is not the only venue offering nighttime entertainment.

Disney enthusiasts will be happy to know the Neverland and Wonderland theaters on Deck 4 offer continuous showings of movies day and night.

Pro Tip: If you have a refillable popcorn bucket from the parks, bring it along and you can get a discount on the freshly made popcorn.

Additionally, some of the bars and lounges on Disney Wish feature live entertainment. You can find intermittent musical sets in the Bayou and Nightingale’s on Deck 3. Although, it would have been great to have some live pub music at the Keg and Compass too.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

Luna’s on Decks 4 and 5 transitions to an adult-only venue in the evenings featuring some traditional cruise game shows and events.  

Among our favorites was the Match Your Mate game show (a version of the Love and Marriage show). There was also karaoke, the cruise line’s take on popular games like Name that Tune and Majority Rules, and even a Silent Disco. While these were “adult-only” shows, they were pretty tame. Still, we enjoyed popping in and watching the fun.

Further, there is also family-friendly evening fun occurring in the Triton Lounge on Deck 5.

One of the highlights of the nighttime activities on Disney Wish is the Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party on the pool deck. This signature event occurs on night 2, complete with a live rock show and fireworks. No matter your age, this is a fun outdoor party that you shouldn’t miss! You might even want to pack some pirate attire for the event!

Bars and Lounges

To ensure our Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review was complete, we sampled at least one drink from every bar and lounge on the ship. This was not an easy task given the number of venues with signature drink menus.

Nightingale’s is the piano bar on deck 3. This venue serves its own bubble-inspired libations that couple well with the glittering chandelier. Nightingale’s is a wonderful extension of the fairytale-inspired Grand Hall. Our drink selections here included the Step Mother and the Crystal Slipper.

Not far away is one of our favorite venues on Disney Wish, The Bayou. This New Orleans inspired midship lounge has live music, some lush surroundings, and a Southern-inspired menu. You can’t go wrong with a signature Hurricane while listening to some tunes.

Disney Wish Bahamas Cruise Review

Across the way, there is the Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge. Reservations are required and can be made once onboard the ship via the app. As a big Star Wars fan, I was bit let down here. The drink menu is fine, but the theming is a little lack luster. In fact, it is nowhere near as elaborate as the kid’s Cargo Bay area.

On deck 5 is the ship’s pub, the Keg and Compass. This nautically themed venue celebrates stories of the sea with its décor and theming. This bar has an extensive beer list, including exclusives found only on Disney Wish, and some English inspired snacks for an up-charge.

Next to the specialty restaurants on deck 12, you will find The Rose. Featuring champagne-inspired cocktails, this elegant space offers the perfect backdrop for a pre-dinner or post dinner drink.

Finally, you can get a “spiked” slushy or a dole whip at Wheezy’s Freezies while the kids enjoy the Toy Story Splash Zone. Is there anything more Disney than a Dole Whip with rum?

For this cruise, we booked a guaranteed deluxe oceanview verandah stateroom. About two weeks prior to our sailing, we were assigned cabin 8194.

Note, this aft cabin was a handicap accessible stateroom. So, it was more open than a traditional stateroom in this category. It also had a larger aft balcony.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

Not surprisingly, our cabin had plenty of space and storage for an entire family. There were three separate closets offering a combination of shelves and clothes bars with hangers.

On each side of the queen bed, there were USB and power outlets. Off to the corner of the bed was the flat screen television. It was minimally adjustable, so it was not the prime angle for viewing from either the bed or sofa.

The desk had additional storage with a shelving unit and a variety of outlets for charging all our devices. This cabin also had a single sleeper sofa and an optional upper-berth pull-down bed.

The balcony might have been one of the largest balconies we have ever had on a cruise ship as well. There was enough room for two chairs and a table, as well as two loungers. This outdoor space offered great views for sail in and sail out of our ports of call.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

Keeping in mind that this was an accessible stateroom, our bathroom was not your typical cramped cruise ship quarters, nor was it the traditional DCL split-bathroom setup.

We had a fully walk-in shower stall, with a shower curtain. There was also an oversized vanity and mirror including enough counter space for both his and her products. Like Disney resorts, the cruise line provides its signature H20+ bath products, so there is no need to pack your own.

For our next cruise, we are booked in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Verandah and are looking forward to comparing it to this room.

Overall Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review Recap

Surprisingly, this was our first Disney cruise ever. As big fans of cruising (obviously) and Disney, the Disney Wish was an enchanting combination of the two. It seamlessly blended Disney design with traditional cruise ship elements to offer something that is truly unique.

The interior spaces reminded us of a Deluxe Disney Resort. These public venues had a modern and elegant feel. Not to mention, the glamourous Grand Hall and all the other Disney touches throughout the ship.

Top Activities for Adults on Disney Wish

From the theming in the restaurants and bars, to the elaborate kids areas and the character meet and greets, Disney fans will enjoy all the extras that make this ship different than other family-friendly cruise lines.

Not to mention, there are plenty of entertainment options for both children and adults alike. Disney Wish features a number of activities that adults will enjoy as well . From the adult-only Quiet Cove, to the Senses Spa, to cruiser favorite game shows, trivia, and even a silent disco, the question becomes how will you fit everything into this short cruise.

Disney Wish’s main theater also features great Broadway-caliber productions. We enjoyed the two shows and would certainly watch them again on a future sailing.

Of course, if you are a big kids like us, you will be equally excited to see Captain Minnie and Mickey dressed as pirates and rock out at the Pirates Party complete with fireworks. You also will find yourself marveling at the Oceaneer Club during its open house hours.

When it comes to the cruise itself though, it was pretty much on par with other contemporary cruise lines. Yes, the youth areas are top-notch, and we really enjoyed the casual eats at the Festival of Foods.

Disney Wish Bahamas Cruise Review

However, the main dining room food was pretty standard, as was the service throughout the ship. The bars and lounges were well themed, with some excellent hand-crafted cocktails. But, with drink prices on the higher end, and no drink package, your bar tab can add up quickly.

When it comes to Disney, like anything, you are paying a premium for this cruise experience . The base fares are close to double its competitors. So, for those who are ready for that sprinkle of pixie dust, you will love Disney Wish.

However, if you don’t need all the magical touches that come along with a Disney cruise vacation, you can certainly find a comparable cruise on other lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, or Carnival at a much cheaper price point.

Do you agree with our Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review? Have you sailed with Disney Cruise Line? Drop us an anchor below to share what you love about cruising with DCL.

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The amount of work you put into this is incredible. Many thanks coreball !

It has excellent information the backrooms

Disney Wish Cruise Ship Scorecard Review

DB & The Princess

Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?

disney wish 3 night cruise review

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disney wish 3 night cruise review

Disney Wish: 9 things to know about Disney's newest ship

Summer Hull

It's official: Disney's "Wish" has indeed come true, as Disney Cruise Line 's first new ship in a decade has joined the fleet.

Disney Cruise Line describes itself as "where magic meets the sea" — and now that it's recently wrapped up a media preview sailing of the ship, we can confirm that it is not only magical but also absolutely beautiful and very different from the other four Disney ships .

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Since 1998, Disney has embraced many of the same skills it uses while making its captivating movies to create a real-life setting on its first four ships that transports guests to a world where almost anything feels possible.

With its original class of ships, Disney introduced "magic" portholes in interior staterooms, fireworks celebrations at sea, paintings that "move," rotational dining rooms that transform and four age-specific kids clubs where children actually want to spend time.

Given the opportunity to design the first all-new Disney ship in 10 years and ultimately set the stage for the next class of ships at Disney Cruise Line, Disney Imagineers had both an exciting opportunity and an almost Herculean task of creating a whole new level of magic on the first of these new ships: Disney Wish.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Sailing from Port Canaveral for three- and four-night itineraries to the Bahamas for the foreseeable future, Disney Cruise Line's fifth ship is a stunning departure from its sister ships, to say the least.

Here are nine things unique to Disney Wish that we feel really set it apart.

Upgraded rooms and suites

disney wish 3 night cruise review

I'll happily admit to being a sucker for a suite at sea and Disney concierge service amenities, but all of the cabins on Wish are a big step up for Disney Cruise Line.

Disney Wish cabins have a more subdued and upscale vibe than the cabins on Disney's four other ships, with a fairy-tale aesthetic featuring flourishes of gold and hidden surprises, such as special lighting effects over the pull-out bunk bed for kids.

In total, there are 1,254 rooms, 70% of which have balconies (or verandahs, as Disney calls them). Additionally, more than one-third (451) have connecting doors. There is a record number of concierge-level staterooms and suites, too, with 76 available (double the number of concierge-designated accommodations you'll find on other Disney vessels).

Each one-bedroom concierge suite has a separate living room, walk-in closets, two 43-inch TVs and two bathrooms, one of which features a rain shower, a bathtub and a double vanity.

Related: Review of a 1-bedroom suite on the Disney Wonder

New to Disney Wish are seven ocean-view rooms located over the bridge — a first for Disney Cruise Line. These rooms have an extended living area with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bow and ocean.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

And if all of that isn't enough, there are four royal suites with a "Sleeping Beauty" theme, two of which feature a wild, two-story floor plan. Hey, it's free to dream, isn't it? So, let's fantasize about the soaking tub, private hot tub, two master bedrooms, spiral staircase and two-deck-high stained-glass frieze.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

For cruisers who enjoy booking a room with access to the Concierge Lounge, Disney says it is more than triple the size of lounges on previous Disney ships, offering a "full bar, delicious light bites … an outdoor terrace with incredible views" and a special area for kids.

There is a private sun deck with two whirlpools, a wading pool and a bar, which is great news, as the main Disney pool areas tend to get pretty crowded.

If you want the best of the best, go for the almost 2,000-square-foot Wish Tower Suite, which is set in the forward funnel of the ship. It's hard to believe this is an actual place people can stay on a ship.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Related: Is Disney Cruise concierge service worth it?

All-new on-ship attractions

Star wars: hyperspace lounge takes you to another galaxy.

I'll spare you the "out of this world" puns to describe the adult-focused Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge on Disney Wish.

However, after watching (and feeling) the ship make multiple jumps to hyperspace, I can tell you this is a must-visit spot to grab a drink. You'll love sipping a space-themed cocktail at the bar while watching ships pass by — even if you don't go for the $5,000 "Star Wars" drink .

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Ships from all timelines of the "Star Wars" franchise fly across seven monitors that feature such insanely high resolutions that it really looks like Star Destroyers, TIE Fighters, the Millennium Falcon and more are right outside. The Imagineers worked closely with Lucasfilm to unlock the entire library of ships. Every ship that whizzes by has a name, a story and a place in the greater "Star Wars" universe. You can expect to take that jump through hyperspace to a different part of the galaxy every seven minutes or so.

To keep things as comfortable and immersive as possible, the direction you fly on the screens is indeed the same direction the cruise ship is heading, giving the experience an even more realistic feel.

But this space doesn't merely focus on what is happening "outside" — there's a whole lot going on inside the high-end, sophisticated lounge as well. While it's not as immersive as Disney's other "Star Wars" bars when you factor out the high-tech windows, it's still a cool — and very popular — space.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge is open to families during the day, but every night starting at 9 p.m., the yacht-style lounge transforms into an adults-only venue ideal for kicking back and enjoying galactic-themed cocktails.

You'll enter the lounge via a room that is dark and serves as a "palate cleanser" from the rest of the ship. Then, once inside, everything from the custom furniture to the liquor bottles and specialty cocktails to the tap handles for the beer is themed accordingly.

As a child of the 1980s who lived and breathed all things "Star Wars" growing up, I had a blast enjoying a few otherworldly drinks from this gold-laden lounge with views of the universe beyond. It's no "Star Wars" hotel , but it's still pretty memorable.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

And, fine, maybe on my next Wish cruise I'll bring my kids here during the day, too.

Related: Is Disney's new Star Wars hotel worth it?

The waterslide is more than just a waterslide

If you've sailed on Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy, you've likely experienced the AquaDuck waterslide .

Disney is calling the AquaMouse (the waterslide on Disney Wish) the "first-ever Disney attraction at sea," which is a big statement for a company that knows attractions.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The AquaMouse, which any cruiser who is at least 42 inches tall can ride, features show scenes, lighting effects, a dark tunnel, an original soundtrack and more than 60 water effects for a two-minute ride that spans 760 feet of tubing above the upper decks (and there are two totally different experiences available ).

The waterslide had a few issues on our preview cruise, so not all the effects were working, but my understanding is that the two storylines (Port Misadventures and Swiss Meltdown) will be available on a schedule of alternating days.

These shows are done in the same style as the newer Mickey shorts and what is featured at Hollywood Studios' Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. The cartoon scenes take place across multiple 85-inch screens during the 75 seconds you are traveling up the tunnel while you get soaked in a raft built for two.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

At the height of the show, you blast out of the tunnel and embark on a water ride around the upper decks. This ride also includes a series of speed blasters before its grand finale: a soaring loop over the edge of the ship. As an added bonus, you won't have to carry your own raft to the start of the ride.

I'm not sure the experience was so different than AquaDuck to label it a full-on attraction like you'd find in the theme parks, but it is certainly a waterslide worth checking out.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Lots of (really good) pools

One feature that was a bit under-hyped leading up to the first Wish sailing was the pools.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

There are more of them on Disney Wish than you'll find on the other Disney ships, and they are spread out, so you have a better chance of finding one that is tucked away and less crowded.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The adults-only pool is especially worth mentioning, as it is an infinity pool that looks off the back of the ship. That said, all of the pools are much better than others I've seen on Disney Cruise Line.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

New rotational restaurants

The first four Disney cruise ships revolutionized dinner at sea by introducing a trio of themed restaurants where you — and the serving crew and other guests — rotate together throughout the nights of your cruise.

Disney Wish retains the rotational dining format but with a lineup of all-new dining experiences.

Related: Preview of food to be served on Disney Wish

Worlds of Marvel

When it's your turn to dine in the Worlds of Marvel restaurant, which is the first-ever Marvel cinematic dining adventure, you'll have a role to play in saving the universe. As you eat at one of the 120 tables, you'll have access to a "quantum core" to use throughout your meal.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Between courses, all of which are inspired by the Marvel cinematic universe, there's a three-act event that starts off with Ant-Man and the Wasp doing a demonstration of what your quantum core can do.

During the main portion of the dinner service, the screens all around the room highlight the technology used by the superheroes, such as Captain America's shield and the vibranium that comes from Wakanda.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The real excitement begins toward the end of your meal.

I won't give away the ending, but you can expect a supervillain as well as some extra help from "good guys" like Captain Marvel and Captain America. You'll also need to use your quantum core in the battle against evil, so don't fill up too much on shrunken desserts until you save the ship.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure

Next up on our foodie tour around the ship is Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure . This is Disney's first "Frozen"-themed theatrical dining experience.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The show takes place immediately after "Frozen II" and celebrates the engagement of Kristoff and Anna with immersive live entertainment performed in the round of the dining room.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

The Arendelle menu is Nordic-influenced, though there are options from a little closer to home, too, should you prefer less-adventurous items. The food here was some of our favorite on the ship, and the show was also pretty top-notch. There's even a celebration line toward the end similar to what happens in Tiana's Place aboard Disney Wonder .

But seriously, don't miss this dinner unless you hate "Frozen," live music and all things fun. In that case, maybe consider booking Palo.

The last of Disney Wish's new rotational restaurants is 1923, which is named after the year the Walt Disney Company was founded.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Disney says this restaurant features the best of the golden age of Hollywood, with the style of the furniture inspired by what was actually in Walt's office. The menu pays tribute to the company's Californian roots, and the dining room has a more intimate feel thanks to being divided into two equal parts that mirror each other.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

While there are not any villains or live entertainment here, the more laid-back setting is much appreciated, especially if you're seeking a similar dining pace and styling to what's available on the first four Disney ships.

However, if you are on a shorter cruise and need to skip one or more of the included restaurants to try out one of the adults-only spaces, this may be the one to forgo, unless you prefer quiet dinners. You can also visit for breakfast or lunch on certain days if you're set on working it into your cruise.

Additional dining options

The list of places to eat aboard Disney Wish is actually even longer than the three previously mentioned rotational dining restaurants.

For those willing to spend a little extra (and lucky enough to snag a reservation), the adults-only restaurants on Wish shouldn't be missed. Options include Palo Steakhouse, which combines the best of high-end Italian cuisine with a steakhouse in a setting that features subtle nods to "Beauty and the Beast," and Enchanté, where French-inspired fare concocted by the same chef who was behind the food at Remy (an upscale restaurant on board Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy) is on the menu.

I tried out Palo while on Disney Wish, and it was over-the-top amazing when it came to the service, the views and, of course, the food itself.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Connecting both of these luxe dining options is The Rose, a lounge that offers wine, small bites and other adult-focused items designed for pre- or post-dinner enjoyment.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

These restaurants and the adjacent lounge are absolutely gorgeous, and the food ranks as some of the best I've ever had ... anywhere.

A meal at Palo will start at around $45 per person, though that's for the set menu. A la carte items where the price is not set are available, too. Meals at Enchanté cost $125 per person for the set menu or you can order a la carte dishes. At The Rose, drinks are by the glass, so you can pop in whenever you're free — and you should, as it's an incredibly elegant spot ideal for unwinding without kids.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

If you're looking for a casual venue to dine in with kids, be sure to check out the new version of the buffet: Marceline Market. Named after Walt Disney's hometown in Missouri, this eatery has 10 food stalls and a beverage center. Each station features a Disney movie theme, such as "Tangled," "Ratatouille," "Alice in Wonderland" or "Zootopia."

The food was delicious here, and I appreciated the addition of a place to order premium coffee and other beverages adjacent to the market. Know, though, that the seafood is a little hidden. You'll find it tucked away from the other stalls all the way in the aft.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

On the upper deck, you'll discover a number of poolside options, including Mickey's Smokestack Barbecue, Donald's Cantina, Daisy's Pizza Pies, Goofy's Grill and Sweet Minnie's Ice Cream.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

This food is vastly better than the pool deck food I've had on other Disney ships, so be sure to save time for at least one meal out on the deck. Don't skip the hot sauce bar, either.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Related: The 7 best meals at sea

A reimagined kids club

For families, one of the best parts of a family cruise with Disney Cruise Line is that kids often want to go to the complimentary kids clubs. This gives grown-ups a chance to have a drink, not rush through dinner and enjoy a few moments to themselves.

While this holds true on all the Disney ships, my 6-year-old never wanted to leave the kids club on Disney Wish.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

In a pure stroke of genius, Disney added a fun, unconventional way for kids to enter the Oceaneer Club. After checking into the kids club from the Grand Hall on Deck 3, children can zip down a magical slide that takes them straight into the space on Deck 2.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

In addition to the Oceaneer Club for kids ages 3 to 12, Disney Wish retains the cruise line's other kids clubs: Edge (for children ages 11 to 14) and Vibe (for teens ages 14 to 17). There's also the colorful Small World Nursery, which is a fee-based option open to the littlest baby and toddler sailors.

Kids club highlights include the Oceaneer Club's Marvel Super Hero Academy, where kids can design (and virtually fly in) their own super suit. This club also houses Rapunzel's Art Studio, Belle's Library and Anna and Elsa's Sommerhus, where there will be a variety of games with Olaf serving as the host. Additionally, there's a Disney Imagineering Lab that offers kids opportunities to design and virtually ride their own roller coasters and more — similar to how the real Imagineers take their concepts from the drawing board to actual attractions.

In Deck 5's tween club, Edge, kids can hang out in a New York City -inspired loft space with a faux-grass picnic area, photo walls and an entrance hidden behind a framed piece of art.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

And at the teen club, Vibe, the decor draws inspiration from a Parisian loft, offering lots of spots to lounge, watch movies, meet new people and play games. Honestly, this space looked so cool, I'd want to hang out there myself.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

New activities for the family

Olaf's royal picnic.

If your kids have always wanted to celebrate summer via a picnic with Olaf in Arendelle's Castle, they are in luck on the Wish. Set in an indoor space with a backdrop of a meadow of flowers, Olaf's Royal Picnic features Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and a song-filled picnic complete with a ton of goodies for the kids to keep.

Unlike the included rotational restaurants, this experience costs extra. Expect to pay a hefty fee of $220 per child and $69 per adult.

We weren't able to try it out during the media preview cruise, as it wasn't available for testing at the time, but we'll be sure to report back once we do.

Wishing wands

A Disney Cruise Line embarkation greeting was already extremely special, but the company has dialed up the magic for kids sailing on Disney Wish. Every child that boards the ship receives a wishing wand to make a "first wish" of the trip and to wish again in the Grand Hall on the final night of the voyage. The latter even features a special appearance by none other than the ship's Fairy Godmother, who kicks off a farewell show.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Inside Out: Joyful Sweets

If you've visited Vanellope's Sweets & Treats Shop on Disney Dream, you already know how big children's eyes can get over the massive sundaes and sugary concoctions.

On the Wish, there's a new dessert shop called Inside Out: Joyful Sweets, where about 40 flavors of gelato and ice cream are served.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

So far, I can vouch for the PB&J and Kit Kat gelato flavors — but really, you can't go wrong with any flavor you choose. There are even a few plant-based options available.

Should you crave a cupcake instead of gelato or ice cream, you're in luck: You'll have your pick of emotion-flavored cupcakes, such as Joy (lemon), Sadness (blueberry), Disgust (pistachio), Anger (red velvet) and Fear (bubble gum).

Fantastic adults-only spaces

While the kids are at the variety of clubs designed for them, adults can take advantage of spaces for the 18-and-older crowd. In fact, that's one reason why I love Disney cruises so much — the kids want to do the kids activities, which means adults get to enjoy amenities designed for us, too.

The adults-only spaces on Disney Wish are not clustered together in one area like they are on Disney's other ships. Instead, they are sprinkled throughout, with several located right next door to a kids club.

We've already talked about The Rose near Palo and Enchanté and Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, but on the same deck as the Hyperspace Lounge by the main kids club, there are two additional lounges worth noting: Nightingale's piano bar and The Bayou, a New Orleans -themed space inspired by "The Princess and the Frog."

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Both have delicious drinks, but Nightingale's offers a more upscale vibe than what you'll find at The Bayou, which features more of a full-on party setting, especially when live music is playing.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Additionally, this ship is the first in Disney's lineup to provide an outdoor space at its Senses Spa. It's an ideal place to relax while taking in the fresh sea air.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

For adults craving a pint, there is also the Keg & Compass pub, which draws inspiration from an 1800s Norwegian sailor's map room. It serves three custom craft brews you can only get on Disney Wish.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Lastly, there's a space made for adults seeking extra pampering beyond the spa. At the bright and airy Untangled Salon, you can treat yourself to a number of hair and nail services, including haircuts, blowouts and manicures.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

New Broadway-style shows and entertainment

Disney Wish has a full roster of new Broadway -style shows, along with several other new entertainment offerings.

On embarkation night in the Walt Disney Theatre, which now has an enchanted forest design, there is a "Disney Seas The Adventure" show that stars Captain Minnie, Goofy and other Disney and Pixar characters.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Disney Wish is also home to "A Treasure Retold – Disney The Little Mermaid," which is said to be an original Broadway-style stage adaptation of the 1989 animated movie — with a modern twist.

Additionally, the ship offers "Disney's Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular" on one night of every cruise. This show is a reimagined adaptation of the classic film, depicting it as a fast-paced musical comedy.

Don't forget to pack your eye patches and bandanas, as pirate nights are a go with a "Pirate's Rockin' Parlay Party." And yes, there are pretty substantial fireworks out on deck that night.

Related: Why now is a great time to take a Disney Cruise

A 'hidden' layer of magic

While it wasn't quite operational on our preview cruise, a few months ago, Disney gave TPG a sneak peek at an all-new way that guests can become a part of the story of the ship — and even control some of what happens on board — via the Disney Uncharted Adventure interactive game.

This game continues the Disney tradition of using technology to unlock new ways to tell stories. The technology may be complex, but what shines front and center is the story and the magic it creates.

Before you even leave home for your Disney cruise, you'll learn a bit about how your phone will transform into a "spyglass" from Captain Minnie herself. Then, once you are on your cruise, you'll be able to join an interactive adventure to help recover pieces of a fractured wishing star that have landed in the worlds of Moana, Peter Pan, Princess Tiana and Nemo. You can do as little or as much of this adventure as you want.

While you do need a smartphone to participate, this isn't a game you play by yourself as you stare down at your device.

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Instead, this adventure for the whole family takes you all around the ship as you complete parts of the quest. Using your spyglass, you'll see menu boards transform into messages from Princess Tiana, you'll find "hidden" constellations in the sky and perhaps even bring the glass slipper to life in the Grand Hall.

Those who participate in the Uncharted Adventure game will have the ability to unlock a hidden layer of magic all around the ship. This will all conclude with a big finale on the last night of your cruise when you help battle the evilest witch in the sea in an epic live event.

How to book the Disney Wish

You can book cabins on sailings starting in August 2022. Prices start around $3,000 for double occupancy or $5,000 if sailing as a family with two adults and two kids.

If you are not in a rush to board and are looking for a more affordable price, you can book a cabin for four people in early 2023 for about $3,000 or a cabin for double occupancy for about $1,700.

Disney Wish is based out of Port Canaveral and sails a mix of three- and four-night sailings to the Bahamas. Each includes a stop at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. If you want more time on the ship, you can book back-to-back cruises to create your own seven-night journey.

Related: Best credit cards for booking a cruise

disney wish 3 night cruise review

Bookings typically require 20% down, with the full amount due closer to sailing. TPG has an array of tips to save money on a Disney Cruise that you can use to keep costs under control.

You can book directly with Disney Cruise Line or via a travel agent and potentially get goodies like an onboard sailing credit . TPG also has a Disney booking partner in Mouse Counselors , should you want assistance with booking your cruise.

Bottom line

Walt Disney himself once said, "We don't look backward for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things."

The creation of Disney Wish embodies this forward progress by charting its own path with a new style for staterooms, all-new restaurants, a different layout, additional pools, new ways to unlock "hidden magic" and more.

Disney Wish doesn't leave the past completely in its wake, though. The exterior of the ship retains that same modern classic design, and you'll still have access to beloved Disney characters, Broadway-caliber shows and entertainment on board.

Without question, Disney Wish is in a class of its own for Disney Cruise Line — at least, until the next two ships join the fleet in the coming years. I can't wait to sail it all over again.

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Polka Dots and Pixie Dust

Disney Wish Disney Cruise Line Review

Disney Wish Disney Cruise Line Review

The Disney Wish Cruise ship is Disney Cruise Line’s most ambitious. With a new attraction at sea, new restaurants, lounges, stage shows, and entertainment, there is no shortage of magic to be had. We were recently fortunate enough to sail on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish ! The Disney Wish began sailing in July 2022.  Hurricane Ian impacted our cruise, which caused our trip to go from a 4-night sailing to a 6-night sailing. So we ended up having a lot more time on the ship than we had originally anticipated, so we got pretty familiar with it. Here’s our full review of Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish!

The Disney Wish Cruise Ship has a lot to offer. If you’re a first-time cruiser with Disney Cruise Line, be sure to take a look at our tips if this is your first Disney Cruise . Since the Wish has sparked many a family to take their first Disney cruise, it’s important to go prepared, because these cruises aren’t like any other. Check out the full Disney Wish Cruise Guide for all the details on where to find everything on board. 

And if you’re a seasoned Disney Cruiser, ready to try out a world of enchantment onboard the Disney Wish, you’re in for a few surprises! So many things onboard were different from the other Disney Cruise Ships we’ve sailed before. And if you’re like us it would have helped to know those things ahead of time! Check out the 10 Ways we found that a Disney Wish Cruise is Different . 

Okay, let’s dive into the nitty gritty of our Disney Wish Review! 

Disney Wish Review

  • 1 Disney Wish Inaugural Sailings
  • 2 Disney Wish Food Review
  • 3 Disney Wish Stateroom Review
  • 4 Disney Wish Ship Review 
  • 5 Disney Wish Entertainment Review 
  • 6 Disney Wish Itinerary Review 
  • 7 Overall Disney Wish Review

Disney Wish Inaugural Sailings

The Disney Wish Inaugural sailings started with the Maiden Voyage in July 2022 and will proceed throughout the rest of the inaugural year. A note on inaugural sailings though. They always tend to be more crowded and there are often changes made along the way. So if you see something that’s different than what you’ve seen online, don’t be surprised. A good example is the Frozen Ever After restaurant. In the media previews and even a few of the first sailings, Olaf was part of the show. However, during our sailing in September 2022, he had been removed from the show due to malfunctioning. When we asked our server about it, he actually said he didn’t know if Olaf would ever return. 

Another example is the menus in the rotational dining lineup. Some items had changed even between July and September. So you may have seen someone get a ribeye for their steak dinner, but by the time you sail, it could have changed to a tenderloin. This is all really common during the inaugural year, so just remember that everything may not be as it was shared online. Basically, be ok with being flexible!

1923 Walt disney Side

Disney Wish Food Review

A lot of people go on a Disney Cruise for the food! So let’s talk about it! Overall, the food was pretty much on par with the standard we are used to seeing on Disney Cruise ships. Maybe a little better. We’ll break down each category of dining and dive a little deeper. But just know that if you’re sailing on the Disney Wish, you can expect the same great food you are used to having on Disney Cruise Line. 

Marceline Market Review

Marceline Market is the ship’s staple fast-casual restaurant. If you’re familiar with Disney Cruise Line, it’s similar to Cabanas. However, it is not a self-serve buffet like Cabanas. The cast members serve you at different stations throughout the restaurant in an assembly-line-style fashion. You can still eat as much as you’d like, but it is much more portion-controlled. The atmosphere in here can be chaotic at times and depending what time you eat, the lines can get very long. So, plan to eat in the slower times of the day or be sure to bring a lot of patience with you. 

We ate here for breakfast and lunch, and the food was good. We felt that Marceline had more interesting options and the food stalls felt a little more like complete meals. I do think the quality was also a bit better. The scrambled eggs at breakfast are still a no for me here, but everything else we had was great! Also just like Cabanas, you can choose to eat inside or outside. 

Unlike Cabanas, Marceline Market that has coffee and alcoholic beverages available for purchase.  

Also unlike Cabanas, Marceline Market is not yet serving dinner. The press release for the Disney Wish stated that it would serve made to order entrees at dinner just like Cabanas does, however I have not yet seen a single cruiser mention that this has been the case on their sailing. And it wasn’t on ours either. So maybe in the future this will be something that is available. But it’s just not yet!

Festival of Foods on the Disney Wish

Mickey’s Festival of Foods Review

Mickey’s Festival of Foods was the real showstopper for us. We don’t really eat fast food, so we generally tend to avoid the quick service counters onboard Disney Cruise ships aside from the chicken tenders; but we were glad we tried these! This area contains 6 small restaurants serving barbeque, pizza, build your own tacos, ice cream, burgers and chicken tenders. You can also get coffee, cocktails, and beers at The Lookout. 

We tried every restaurant in this area except for The Lookout, and everything we had was good! I have to say this is a huge improvement for quick service restaurants onboard a Disney Cruise ship. The food tasted fresh and like it was made with higher quality ingredients than we had had on previous Disney cruises.  Our pizza was even fired up right in front of us! The lines for these counters can get very long during the lunch hour. So if you’re looking to avoid that, I highly recommend trying to time your food break a little earlier or later than everyone else. 

Another change that this area brings to Disney Cruise Line is that the ice cream is no longer self-serve. Personally, I think this is a positive change! Sure the line can get long at times, but in the past, the ice cream machines were always a mess. And now, you can just get perfect ice cream swirls instead. 

Rotational Dining on the Disney Wish Review 

There are 3 rotational dining venues on the Disney Wish: 1923 , World of Marvel, and Arendelle.  Overall, we enjoyed all of these choices and thought the variety kept things interesting each day. The menus weren’t really anything out of the ordinary, but the food was good as always. And our server always did a great job making recommendations. Check out how Disney Cruise Rotational Dining works.  

Coffee Shops on the Disney Wish Review

Can you believe that there are 6 places to get coffee onboard the Disney Wish! Crazy, right?! When compared to just the two on the larger Disney Cruise ships, and only one on the smaller ships, this is pretty impressive.  They are also spread out around the ship, which is great because it helps keep the congestion down a bit.  On Deck three, you’ll find The Bayou, which serves coffee until around noon. Wishing Star Cafe is located on deck 4 and is also a bar. Enchanted Sword is on deck 5.  And it’s basically set up the same as the Wishing Star Cafe. Inside of Marceline Market, you’ll find Marceline Cafe, which serves specialty coffees and alcohol. The Lookout offers coffee drinks in the Festival of Foods lineup on deck 11, and is also a bar. And Cove Cafe is on deck 13, and is set up like other Cove Cafes on the other Disney Cruise ships. They also offer alcoholic beverages as well. 

We tried coffees at every coffee shop except The Lookout and generally they were all great! We had the best service at The Bayou and Wishing Star Cafe, but this will really depend on who is working those locations during your sailing.  One thing that is somewhat notable is that all of the coffee shops had the ability to print coffee art for you. That’s not usually the case on the other ships. In the past, Cove Cafe has been the only coffee shop able to do this onboard; but you can tell Disney Cruise Line is trying to really up its Instagrammable moments on this ship. 

Why are there no pastry cases onboard the Disney Wish?

One big disappointment on the Disney Wish: none of the coffee shops have a pastry case. Why? We don’t know! But we wish we did. We actually asked just to be sure.  You can get a pastry in Marceline Market in the morning and have that with your coffee, but otherwise you are out of luck.  And you can settle for beignets with your coffee at The Bayou, but the beignets will cost you extra. 

Cove Cafe at Disney Wish

Lounges and Bars on the Disney Wish

One of our favorite parts of any Disney Cruise is the Disney Cruise Lounges . Beautifully themed, Disney Cruise Line really tried to step up their game in the presentation of these new drinks. Many are available with the use of the smoke gun, which I imagine is likely because they can’t use dry ice for the effect. The smoke didn’t really add anything in flavor that I could tell. But it was a nice touch! It’s a pretty quick effect but it’s fun while it lasts. 

The Disney Wish has plenty of lounges onboard! Our favorite ended up being Nightingales not only for the ambiance but also because we ended up meeting the most wonderful bartender, Marvy Lee. She was absolutely fantastic and was one reason we kept going back! There are also nightly piano shows that last around 45 minutes to an hour. But this space is small, so if you plan to see these, make sure to arrive a little early. Nightingale’s is located on Deck 3, and I was a little worried that it would be really noisy due to the atrium, but it’s actually soundproof! The ambiance here is calm, so I think that was a great choice to soundproof this lounge so that those inside could enjoy the music being played there.

We also very much enjoyed The Rose, which is a bit higher scale, and the details inside are absolutely incredible! Hyperspace Lounge had a great lineup of drinks, and we really appreciated the fact that they actually had a mocktail that could be appealing to someone over the age of 8. 

Cons of the Lounges and Bars onboard The Disney Wish

While we really enjoyed these new spaces, there are of course some cons which we need to mention. Many of the lounges onboard are a bit small. That’s not usually a problem unless there is live entertainment and then they can fill up pretty quickly. The Bayou is a gorgeous space, but with its open-air constructs, it can get pretty noisy if there’s a lot going on, or if people start lining up for the evening show.  And even though we loved Hyperspace Lounge, it can get pretty loud in there! Currents, which is a bar that can be found on all of the Disney Ships, looks directly over the Toy Story Splash Area which we found to be an odd choice. In the past, it was usually near the adult pool. So putting it overlooking a kids play area just seemed weird. 

One complaint that we had about the bars and lounges is that there aren’t really any non-alcoholic drinks on the menus that are actually geared toward adults. We would love to see more inclusive menu items from Disney Cruise Line so that those who are avoiding alcohol for whatever reason can also enjoy these spaces. On the Disney Fantasy, The Meridian actually carried Seedlip Nonalcoholic Gin, and we’d love to see more Disney Cruise Line ships follow suit.  The constant supply of “mocktails” that include ice cream really gets old and we’d love to see more inventive choices for those who don’t drink. 

Disney Wish Stateroom Review

The Disney Wish has 1254 staterooms. 877 of these have a verandah, making it the category with the most rooms.  These rooms have an updated look from other ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet and we will discuss the pros and cons below. 

Disney Wish Stateroom Pros

There is no denying that the staterooms onboard the Disney Wish are stunning. They are more updated, bright, and airy than the staterooms on the four other Disney Cruise ships. And you can tell that Disney is trying to really make a statement with these rooms. Each deck has a designated theme. We were on deck 6, so our theme was Cinderella. Absolutely gorgeous throughout! The artwork, the small details and the aesthetic of these rooms are just fantastic. Just like the staterooms on the other ships, the bathrooms are split into two rooms: one for the shower and one for the toilet.  This makes getting ready and showering super convenient.  When compared to the staterooms on the other Disney Ships, these really take the cake. Check out out review of the Disney Wish Verandah Stateroom . 

Disney Wish Stateroom Cons

However, as we love to give an honest opinion, we do have to point out a few flaws. First of all, let’s start with our exact room. We stayed in 6162 and we would NEVER recommend this room to anyone. Directly below our stateroom, there were emergency lifeboats. Not only are these super ugly and really kind of take away the beauty of having a verandah, but they also got a bit noisy during the couple of nights we had rougher seas. Which meant they kept us awake a bit. Not great. 

Also, if you’re someone who loves to unpack your luggage during your cruise, you won’t find much drawer space.  The desk area has one drawer and as far as where you can store clothing, that’s the only actual drawer.  There are shelves that are hidden in a closet, which is nice, but one shelf is for your life vest and another for the safe. This leaves you with just a few shelves, so if you are traveling with a larger party, there may not be enough space.  There is closet space, but again, this doesn’t leave much room for stuff that needs to be folded or things like socks and undergarments. 

Disney Wish Review

Disney Wish Ship Review 

If you’ve been interested at all in the Disney Wish, then you’ve likely seen plenty of photos! From heavy media coverage to large amounts of Disney bloggers and Instagrammers taking a cruise on the Disney Wish, there are lots of pictures to be seen. The Disney Wish is beautiful.  The details are absolutely stunning, especially if you take the time to look for them. The ship is light and bright, while also being warm and welcoming. 

Disney Wish Review

The Details of the Disney Wish

The details are really where the Disney Wish shines. A lot of thought and care was put into the creative aspect of the Disney Wish and it shows. Imagineers did an incredible job of representing Disney IP while also maintaining an elegant aesthetic, and not being too in your face Disney. The Disney touches are subtle enough that some people may not even notice them. But are a delight for those who do! 

Layout of the Disney Wish

There’s one thing that is important to remember if you are a big Disney Cruise fan. This is an entirely new class of ship. Not only is it bigger than any of the other Disney Cruise ships, but the layout is also a bit different. If you love the familiarity of the other boats, forget all of that before you board the Disney Wish. This is a different ship altogether and you really just need to be ok with that! The layout is definitely more confusing, as it is less linear and has more curves. This leaves a lot of blind spots which can make things a bit confusing because you may turn to see a gray wall with no indication of which way to go. 

The layout fell quite flat for us. Not only is it more confusing, but there are a lot of spaces that just kind of don’t make sense. I’m sure they make sense to someone , but to the average cruiser, it just feels weird. Sadly, we heard lots of complaining during this cruise and a lot of it had to do with the layout and certain spaces on the ship.  For example, Currents Bar is directly overlooking the Toy Story Splash pad. Why though? We couldn’t figure this design decision, along with many others, while exploring the ship. The layout just doesn’t flow well and had me asking so many questions. 

Deck 4 on the Disney Wish

A big pain point for us, and many other cruisers, is the complete dismantling of deck 4. If you’re a runner or a walker, or even just someone who enjoyed hanging out in the loungers on deck 4, this is going to take some adjusting. Deck 4 is not a continuous deck like it is on the other boats. Instead, it is very disjointed and broken up by stairs.  One end of deck 4 is completely blocked off to guests, so to get from one side of deck 4 to the other side, you need to actually go through the ship, which is why you’d need to go up the stairs if you wanted to complete the loop.  I’m guessing this may have something to do with engineering or mechanical needs, but it’s still very inconvenient, especially for those who are used to certain routines on the Disney ships. 

The Running Loop on Deck 4 of the Disney Wish

Runners… this means you’ll either have to be ok with running stairs multiple times, running to one end of the deck and turning around, or you’ll have to resign to running on the dreadmill…..err I mean treadmill.  The path takes you along one side of deck 4, then up the stairs to deck 5, and then up again to deck 6, where you will find the promenade and the hull of the ship. We did enjoy being able to see the front of the Disney Wish, but just wish it wasn’t such a hassle to get there.  So there’s not really a running loop like there is on the other boats. Which is really a shame for those who have come to appreciate it!

Aside from not having one continuous loop for deck 4, there are also almost no loungers. This is something that could be easily fixed by just adding more, but it was a shame to see almost no seating in an area that is pretty popular on other Disney Cruise Line ships. There are loungers on deck 5, but we only saw 3 in total, again bringing us to ask why.  All of that being said though, at least deck 4 still has the beloved shuffleboard games. 

Pools on the Disney Wish

There are a lot of pools on the Disney Wish! On deck 11/12, there are actually 6 smaller pools instead of one large one that we are used to. There’s also a small waterfall pool on deck 12 called Trixie’s Falls and a quiet pool on deck 14 named Chip and Dale’s Pool. These pools are all available for families. And they’re all quite little. We didn’t use the pools while we were onboard, and I don’t feel like a lot of other people did either. Between intermittently bad weather and well, the pools just being very little, I didn’t see a ton of people using them. 

The adult only area has an infinity pool that overlooks the ocean, but again it is tiny. There is also a Quiet Cove Whirlpool closer to the front of the adult only area on deck 13. And two smaller hot tubs by the infinity pool. A lot of people complained about this and it’s easy to see why.  For such a large ship, they really should have had bigger pool areas. 

Adult Only Spaces on the Disney Wish

The adult only spaces on the Disney Wish have been hotly discussed since the media previews. A few things we’d like to mention first. Many people were saying there is generally no seating on the adult only deck. And this is really just not the case. The entire area on deck 13 aft is 18+. And deck 13 is not continuous like previous adult only spaces are, so you really have to specifically wander to that area to get there. It’s very out of the way and I saw no children in this section at all, which is definitely different than the other cruise ships.  Probably because it’s pretty inconvenient. And we never had a hard time finding a seat there. Shaded areas can also be found on deck 13. You just have to be willing to walk around the other side of the deck to find them. 

The adult pool as we mentioned is far too small. And a lot of the other adult only spaces, including The Rose, Nightingale’s and even The Bayou are smaller, but we never noticed any of them to be too small. Unless there was an activity, but we’ll chat about that more below. 

Lord Leopold on the Disney Wish Cruise

Disney Wish Entertainment Review 

Entertainment on the Disney Wish is still new, and a little lacking, but with it being in its inaugural year, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise.  We are hoping as the ship gets a bit older, the entertainment improves. Even the funnel vision screen often had nothing on it, which is odd because it usually plays continuous movies and well on the Wish, it just didn’t. 

Disney Wish Activities and Spaces

The activities onboard the Disney Wish are pretty similar as the other cruise ships, although slightly lacking. This could be because the ship is new, or because the itineraries are short. Generally, the best activities are on longer voyages, or at least voyages with more days at sea. That being said, the activity spaces were not our favorite. They’re, well, not good. Even if you take away any comparison between ships, the fact is that these spaces are either too small for what they are hosting, or they are just awkward. Why they felt the need to get rid of D Lounge is beyond me, but it wasn’t a great choice. 

Spaces for activities on the Disney Wish

Triton Lounge, Keg & Compass, and The Bayou are all activity spaces and well, they’re all too small. With the exception of Keg & Compass, which generally tended to hold sports trivia, these other spaces are just not big enough for what they are hosting. Not only were people sitting on the floor for things like trivia and crafts, but also, those people felt lucky to even have room to sit on the floor. If you didn’t show up early, then you probably weren’t going to be able to get in. We hope they can do something about this because in its current state, the activities are just too big for these rooms. 

Luna Lounge is another activity space that is…. just ok? It’s two stories, which sounds great in theory but in reality, it makes things tough. There is a huge screen at the front of the room that spans the two stories, so depending on where you are sitting, you may not be able to see much. Generally things like Bingo and Karaoke were being held here and as the voyage went on, more things were added to this space.

Aside from Bingo, the activities that were hosted in here, due to the technology that was required for them were generally not the most popular activities. The whole thing just didn’t seem like the most well thought out plan. Which sadly makes attending some of these activities a little on the difficult side. 

Disney Wish Broadway Performances 

On the Disney Wish, you’ll get three Broadway style shows.  Seas the Adventure is a shorter show, and was cute, with a little forced IP in my opinion.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Disney characters as much as anyone when they make sense. Overall, it’s a cute show and we did like it. And it’s only a half an hour. 

Aladdin is the second show you’ll see and is the same show that you’ll see on the Disney Fantasy . This show is fantastic! The effects, the songs, the choreography, all incredible. Highly recommend seeing this one. 

The third show is exclusive to the Disney Wish, The Little Mermaid.  This show was also quite good and a must see in my opinion. Especially since you won’t be able to see it anywhere else! 

Pirate Night Onboard the Disney Wish

Pirate Night on the Disney Wish was very similar to other Pirate Nights we’ve experienced. The menu was the same, and Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean was still as fun as ever. Characters get dressed in their pirate-y best.  And you can catch them all throughout the night to get photos and interact with them. 

The Rocking Parlay Pirate Party was a huge miss for us though.  The talent is great. But the storyline is really meh. If you love 80’s rock bands, then you’ll probably love this! But it just wasn’t for us. It really seemed to play to a certain demographic, and well I don’t think we are in that demographic.  We were happy to see that Captain Jack Sparrow still showed up, but I think we all agreed that we all prefer previous pirate night shows. 

There was also no late-night buffet on our cruise for Pirate Night like there usually is at Cabanas. We don’t usually attend this because we are still full from dinner at this point, but it’s important to note because I know a lot of people who look forward to this. 

Live Entertainment in the Atrium on the Disney Wish

One thing we felt was very lacking onboard the Disney Wish was the live entertainment in the atrium. In the past, we’ve always enjoyed these shows on other ships. During this sailing, there was only one instance where there was live music in the atrium at all. We don’t know if this is just because it’s still a fairly new ship and they’re still working out the details. Or if the Wish just won’t have live entertainment as much as the other ships? We’re hoping it’s the former. We missed this!

Other live entertainment was available in The Bayou and Nightingale’s on select nights. So if you’re hoping for some fun piano or guitar music, be sure to check the navigator to see when they’ll be playing!

Disney Wish Cruise Guide

Disney Wish Itinerary Review 

The Disney Wish currently only sails to the Bahamas. Castaway Cay and Nassau are the ports that this ship sails to. And you can choose between a 3 night and a 4-night sailing. We have a feeling that after the first year or two, they will open up longer itineraries. The first couple of years are really just about getting as many cruisers on the ship, so shorter itineraries work well for that! Or so we’ve been told.  I feel like this ship large enough that longer itineraries in the future would make sense.  Once completed, I believe the Disney Wish is supposed to be sailing to Disney’s new private island, Lighthouse Point, which will likely make for longer voyages. But for now, if you are able, we definitely recommend the 4-night instead of the 3-night cruise. The ship is just so large, that if you have no days at sea, it almost makes more sense to take a less expensive cruise on an older ship that is going to the same destination. 

Adult Deck on the Disney Wish

Overall Disney Wish Review

The Disney Wish is truly a sight to behold. This ship really shines with the details that the Imagineers have instilled all around it. With its gorgeous aesthetic and details that make us swoon, we just wish it was more functional. However, I feel like everything was more difficult on the Disney Wish. Usually, life feels like a breeze on a Disney cruise! But with all of the little things that were missing or altered, this was definitely a different Disney Cruising experience.  It wasn’t bad by any means! Any time you can spend on a Disney Cruise is a blessing. But everything felt a little harder. Yes, we are fully aware this is a first world problem. But we have to be honest about the cruise experience, since that’s what this post is about.  As guests who have been on all of the Disney ships, and can generally navigate layouts pretty well, the fact that we kept getting lost was a little annoying. 

The food was great, but the cast and crew are really what make any Disney Cruise ship fabulous and they definitely did with this one! We highly recommend taking some time to talk or get to know the crew onboard your ship as we feel it makes all the difference. They can offer you helpful tips that can make your trip more enjoyable. 

Did we love the Disney Wish?

While we did end up loving this ship, I actually don’t think we would have if not for the extended days of being on our cruise. Having that extra time to get to know the ship really helped us learn more about it and have a greater appreciation for her. Not knowing when you’ll be returning from sea is an interesting situation, but definitely gave us more time to explore than the average cruiser. Our Disney Wish review would likely have been different if we had only sailed the original intended itinerary.  It takes some time to learn the layout, which still has us asking questions, as it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.  If you only plan to sail for 3 nights, you will most likely miss a lot. Even the 4-night cruises won’t give you enough time to fully enjoy all this ship has to offer.

The layout of the ship was one of the biggest issues we had with the ship itself. And leaves me questioning if whoever designed this actually has ever been on a Disney Cruise? After some research, I found out, that no she had not. A lot of the spaces just don’t make sense. And neither does the layout. And some of the things that were changed, well if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. 

Would we sail on the Disney Wish again?

We won’t likely be seeking out sailing on the Disney Wish in the near future, mostly because of her limited itineraries. The layout of the ship leaves a lot to be desired, and since you can find a less expensive Disney Cruise on another ship going to the same destination, we’d likely choose that over sailing on the Wish again any time soon. But we very much enjoyed this ship and very much appreciated how well we were treated on this unplanned extended voyage. The cast and crew are always the real magic on any Disney Cruise vacation. Remember that and any Disney Cruise vacation can be wonderful regardless of what ship you’re on. 

Is the Disney Wish worth the cost?

“Worth it” is always a “it depends” answer for us. But with that being said, just be aware that cruises on the Disney Wish are currently more expensive than other cruises with similar itineraries. And on top of that, there is really only destination the Disney Wish is sailing: the Bahamas and Castaway Cay. So in our opinion, we would actually say no in this case. However, for many people, the Disney Wish was the ship that made them want to try Disney Cruises in the first place. And if that’s you, then it might be worth it!

What is the best part of the ship to stay on the Disney Wish?

Since the Disney Wish currently only sails to the Bahamas and Castaway Cay, the starboard side will be the best side for anyone wanting that iconic view of the island. For the best central location, we are fans of midship on decks 7 or 8.  And if you’re trying to avoid seasickness, we recommend lower decks if possible and again, midship.  For those who want to be really close to the elevators, there are only two sets to choose from. And for those guests, we’d recommend choosing a room closer to the forward. 

Are there rides on the Disney Wish?

There aren’t rides in the traditional sense like you’d see at the Disney Parks. But there is the Aquamouse! The Aquamouse is a waterslide ride that incorporates storytelling from the animated world of Mickey Mouse.  

Does the Disney Wish include alcohol?

Nope! None of the Disney Cruises currently include alcohol, unless you sail concierge, which includes alcohol in the concierge lounge. Disney also doesn’t currently have any drinks packages for alcohol either. And all alcoholic beverages are purchased separately. 

We hope our Disney Wish review has been helpful! Have you sailed on this new ship yet? Let us know what you thought of it!

Disney Wish Cruise Line Review

Melanie Renee

Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .

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Personal Navigators: Disney Wish 3-Night Bahamian Very MerryTime Cruise from Port Canaveral – November 10, 2023

Personal Navigators, and other details from the Very MerryTime  3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral . The  Disney Wish  set sail from  Port Canaveral, Florida  on November 10, 2023. There are  additional  Personal Navigators from other sailings of this same itinerary for comparison.

Map Wish 3 Night Bahamian PCV NAS SEA

Day 1 – November 10, 2023 –  Port Canaveral, Florida

Guests Onboard : 3:45 pm Personal Navigator – Day 1

Attire : Cruise Casual

Drink of the Day : Captain’s Mai Tai •  Non-Alcoholic :  Princess Delight

Dinner Menus :

  • 1923 :  1923
  • Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure :  Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure
  • Worlds of Marvel :  Worlds of Marvel

Evening Entertainment :

  • Walt Disney Theatre Production –  Disney Seas the Adventure

Day 2 – November 11, 2023 –  Nassau, Bahamas

Guests Ashore : 9:30 am  Guests Onboard : 5:15 pm Personal Navigator – Day 2

Attire : Pirate or Cruise Casual

Drink of the Day :  Sunken Treasure  •  Non-Alcoholic :  Lava Smoothie

  • Walt Disney Theatre Production –  Disney The Little Mermaid

Day 3 – November 12, 2023 –  Castaway Cay

Guests Ashore : 8:30 am  Guests Onboard : 4:45 pm Personal Navigator – Day 3

Drink of the Day :  Stingray  •  Non-Alcoholic :  Coco Bali

  • Walt Disney Theatre Production –  Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular

Wonderland & Never Land Cinema Movies

  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
  • The Little Mermaid
  • The Marvels

Thank you  Dan Prietti  for sharing. If you have any navigators you would be willing to share, please send me an email. If you would rather upload the files you can use our  upload form .

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disney wish 3 night cruise review

The 9 best Bahamas cruises for every type of traveler

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Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information.

The best Bahamas cru ises take you away from the daily grind, transporting you to theme park-like private islands and beach-lined paradises. Cruise choices include new and jazzed-up ships sailing an array of short and weeklong Bahamas itineraries. Cruising to the Bahamas is so easy you may even be able to go without a passport .

Family-friendly lines, such as Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line, offer cruises focused on the Bahamas all year. So do newcomers Virgin Voyages, with its adults-only sailings, and Margaritaville at Sea, offering short two-night hops and longer cruise-and-stay packages. The winter and early spring seasons bring a handful of itineraries on premium lines like Celebrity Cruises and Holland America.

The only cruise lines that don’t regularly offer Bahamas cruises are the luxury lines. But don’t worry, luxe lovers: Many of the ships we included on our list of the best Bahamas cruises offer suites that come with concierge services, private enclaves or special spa privileges. If a luxury cruise to the Bahamas is your goal, look at the top suite options on a mainstream or premium line.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter .

Whether you’re looking for a quick and cheap getaway or a week at the beach, here are the best Bahamas cruise itineraries to start your search, in order from shortest to longest.

2-night cruises on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise from Palm Beach, Florida

Though cruising is relatively new to the Margaritaville travel and hospitality franchise, cruise line Margaritaville at Sea is essentially a rebranding of the old Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. Its refurbished ship, Paradise, originally debuted in the 1990s for Costa Cruises.

One Jimmy Buffett-themed makeover later, the ship is a perfect fit for the laid-back vibe of the Bahamas. Grab a drink or a bite to eat from the 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill, try your luck at the Par-A-Dice Casino and enjoy plenty of entertainment, including the musical production, “Tales from Margaritaville: Jimmy’s Ship Show.” There’s a kids club, a teen club, a spa and two pools stocked with beach balls and inflatable parrots.

The two-night cruise itinerary includes one day in Freeport, where you can shop, hit the casino, enjoy water sports or chill on the beach. The ship offers shore excursions, or you can explore independently. Margaritaville at Sea also offers cruise-and-stay itineraries of either four or six nights (including the two nights onboard the ship). These packages let you choose between two partner hotels in Freeport, where you’ll stay two or four nights on land, then hop back on the ship for your return night at sea.

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise carries around 1,300 passengers in an assortment of inside and ocean-view cabins, all around 176 square feet, which is larger than the average for those categories on most mainstream ships. Ten suites with balconies are also available, with 524 square feet of space.

Who should go? Obviously, Parrotheads are gonna want to try this ship, with all its Jimmy Buffett-inspired themes and decor, but it’s also a good trial run for anyone on the fence about cruising. Pricing makes this a great cruise to enjoy an escape without spending a fortune. We found weekday sailings that begin at $99 per person based on double occupancy for an inside cabin.

Related: Best Bahamas cruise tips for first-timers and repeat visitors alike

3- or 4-night cruises on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas from Miami

This itinerary may be the best overall short Bahamas cruise. Both the three- and four-night cruises have stops at Nassau and Royal Caribbean ‘s massive private island — Perfect Day at CocoCay . Those two stops combined give cruisers the opportunity to enjoy water sports, spend some time at the beach and experience a bit of Bahamian culture.

Freedom of the Seas has plenty of onboard fun to occupy travelers of all ages on sea days. It’s loaded with top-deck slides and water features, specialty restaurant choices and more entertainment options than you can take in on a short cruise. Carrying around 4,000 cruise guests, Freedom of the Seas is big enough to impress without being overwhelming.

Plus, logistics for cruising out of Miami are simple enough for even first-time cruisers. From flight choices to pre- or post-cruise hotels, it’s a city that caters to tourists, especially the cruising ones.

Who should go? From first-timers to veteran cruisers, anyone looking for a short but fun-filled hop to the Bahamas should give Freedom of the Seas a look. Families looking for a quick escape will find entertainment and activities for toddlers to teens. The ship is also ideal for family reunions, bachelorette parties and birthday cruises. Couples will love the adults-only Solarium with its extra-large hot tubs looking out over the sea.

Related: Bahamas cruise packing list: What to pack for the islands

3- or 4-night cruises on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas from Port Canaveral, Florida

When Royal Caribbean’ s giant Utopia of the Seas debuts in July 2024, it will offer a bevy of short sailings, including three- and four-night sailings from Port Canaveral, Florida. The 236,860-ton, 5,669-passenger vessel will be the second-largest cruise ship in the world and offer more exciting amenities than any other cruise ship sailing short itineraries in North America.

Why? The newest, biggest ships in the world typically sail longer cruises. Offering short cruises on its humongous Oasis Class ships is new for Royal Caribbean; sister ship Allure of the Seas will test out the concept before Utopia launches.

Families with kids will definitely go bananas over the choices on board the new ship. The top deck alone will feature three separate pool areas, a surfing simulator, a kiddie splash zone, a basketball court, two rock walls, a miniature golf course and even a zip line.

The ship will also boast an extensive selection of restaurants, bars, lounges and shops. Additionally, there will be an indoor skating rink, a spa and a showroom with Broadway-style shows.

Utopia of the Seas’ inaugural voyage is set for July 22, 2024, and will be a four-night cruise to Nassau and the line’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. The second sailing will be a three-night cruise to the Bahamas that departs on July 26, 2024.

Who should go?  Short sailings on this new ship will appeal to all sorts of cruisers. Historically, new ships are reserved for longer itineraries, so this is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a snack-size sampling of a brand-new ship without spending the money on a longer sailing.

Families craving a quick getaway where the entire brood is satisfied will not be disappointed. In addition to seemingly endless kid-friendly amenities and top-notch children’s programming, Utopia of the Seas will feature a casino and adults-only spaces.

Related: These 2 cruise lines are building new private destinations in the Bahamas

3- or 4-night cruises on Disney Wish from Port Canaveral, Florida

Disney waited a decade to build its next new ship, but Disney dreamers had their wish granted in 2022. Even better, the new Disney Wish cruises to the Bahamas. Designed to be the perfect complement to a visit to Orlando’s Disney theme parks, these short cruises visit Nassau and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. The four-night itinerary adds a sea day to enjoy the ship.

Disney Wish is designed to immerse cruisers in the various Disney worlds through technology. An onboard augmented reality game turns the Disney Cruise Line Navigator smartphone app into a virtual spyglass that lets cruisers participate in a fantasy adventure with Disney and Pixar characters. The AquaMouse waterslide combines a splashy tube ride in a two-seater raft with a pre-adventure tale told through screens at the beginning of the ride. Diners at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant take part in an interactive Avengers-themed experience through videos and special effects.

Wish carries 4,000 passengers in cabins and suites designed to simplify cruising with kids. But never fear, adult Disney fans; you’ll also find your spot on board. From the “Star Wars”-themed Hyperspace Lounge to the Quiet Cove adults-only sun deck, Disney manages to cater to grownups as well as kids.

Who should go ? This is obviously the best Bahamas cruise for lovers of all things Disney, including “Star Wars” and Marvel fans.

Related: Best shore excursions for Bahamas cruises

3- or 4-night cruises on Celebrity Reflection from Fort Lauderdale

Beginning in April 2024, Celebrity Cruises will sail three- and four-night voyages round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, year-round.

The 3,046-passenger Celebrity Reflection will offer a consistent rotation of three-night weekend cruises (departing each Friday and returning each Monday morning) and four-night weekday sailings (departing each Monday and returning each Friday morning).

Itineraries will include stops at Key West in Florida and Nassau and Bimini in the Bahamas.

Celebrity appeals mostly to the 40-plus set sans small children. It’s light on the kid-centric attractions (such as waterslides, go-karts and laser tag) that other big-ship lines include. The line offers instead lots of quiet and relaxing pool and lounge areas. (If you do have kids in tow, you can take advantage of the extensive children’s program, Camp at Sea. It provides supervised activities daily for children ages 3-12 in dedicated spaces.)

Celebrity Reflection is the line’s last and largest Solstice Class cruise ship. The Solstice C lass ships feature some of the most stylish outdoor pool decks at sea, with indoor, adults-only pool areas that, notably, are topped with glass panels embedded with solar panels that contribute to the ship’s power grid. You’ll also find large spas, casinos, showrooms and a nice selection of restaurants on board.

This ship also boasts one of the most spectacular suites in the cruising world — the 1,646-square-foot Reflection Suite. It was the first two-bedroom suite on a Celebrity Cruises vessel.

Who should go? This an ideal cruise for older travelers who are new to cruising and want to sample one or frequent cruisers who might prefer a shorter time at sea. Although Celebrity doesn’t draw many families with young children, the shorter Bahamas itineraries are also perfect for multigenerational family groups seeking an affordable cruise that appeals to all ages.

4-night cruises on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady from Miami

Virgin Voyages aimed to be a disrupter in the cruise market from the beginning — creating a product designed to please even those who claim they would never set foot on a cruise ship. Yet the itinerary for this four-night Bahamas cruise on Scarlet Lady is fairly ordinary. Ports of call include Key West and a private beach club on the Bahamian island of Bimini.

It’s the ship itself that sets this cruise apart from the pack. You’ll find unique cabins (with balcony hammocks), brash red livery and one-of-a-kind onboard activities, such as tattoo parlors, drag shows and ‘80s-themed fitness classes, to keep its 2,700 sailors (as Virgin calls its passengers) entertained.

Who should go ? This is the best Bahamas cruise for the non-cruiser who is either young at heart or young and eager to party aboard this glitzy ship. If you’re easily offended by loud music, round-the-clock partying or sexual innuendo, this is not your Bahamas cruise.

4-day cruises on Norwegian Jade from Miami

Norwegian Cruise Line offers four-day sailings from Miami aboard Norwegian Jade. Ports of call include Key West and Great Stirrup Cay, the line’s private island.

Port diversions consist of touring the Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum and the Key West Aquarium, shopping along Nassau’s Bay Street and exploring the white-sand beaches and pristine waters on Great Stirrup Cay.

The 2,402-passenger vessel is part of the line’s Jewel class of ships. Though the ship launched in 2006, it received a substantial refurbishment in 2017 that included a cabin remodel, new and expanded dining and a design overhaul.

Norwegian Jewel might not have the extensive top-deck attractions of newer ships, like Norwegian Prima, or as many restaurants and bars. However, passengers will find plenty to occupy their time onboard with scheduled activities, a casino, spa and pool areas.

Who should go? Families, couples and friend groups will appreciate the unstructured nature of a Norwegian cruise. The line’s “freestyle cruising” mantra — cruising without rigid dining schedules, dress codes and formal nights — is perfectly suited for short sailings. With a wide range of eateries and no assigned seating times, passengers have lots of flexibility for their limited time at sea.

Related: Best time to cruise to the Bahamas

5-night cruises on Carnival Sunshine from South Carolina

I am a huge lover of five-night sailings. They are long enough to scratch the cruise itch and short enough to account for travel time to and from the port without adding any extra vacation days. Plus, the slightly longer itineraries are less popular with hard partiers who can be disruptive on shorter Bahamas cruises.

Carnival Cruise Line offers 10 different five-night sailings from Charleston, South Carolina, aboard the 3,002-passenger Carnival Sunshine. It’s currently Carnival’s oldest ship (it debuted in 1996 under the name Carnival Destiny). However, in 2013, the line gave it a $200 million bow-to-stern glow-up and renamed it Carnival Sunshine. The overhaul produced a new top-deck WaterWorks water park, a comedy club and several bars, lounges and restaurants.

Depending on which itinerary you choose, you can chill out on the beaches of Bimini, shop Nassau’s iconic straw market or go horseback riding by the shore of Carnival’s private island, Half Moon Cay. Consider a pre- or post-cruise stay in Charleston to take in the city’s historic landmarks, epic dining and charming cobblestone streets.

Who should go? These cruises are the best Bahamas sailings for those who prefer the intimacy of an older ship and don’t care about flashy amenities and onboard attractions on newer vessels. Plus, they’re ideal for travelers who live north of Florida and are looking for a more convenient drive-to departure port.

8-night cruises on Carnival Venezia from New York City

The 4,090-passenger Carnival Venezia is a bit of an outlier in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet. Originally built for Italy-based Costa Cruises and launched in 2019, it joined the Carnival family in May 2023. (Carnival Corporation is the parent company of both Costa and Carnival.)

The ship was renovated to add many of Carnival’s signature venues. However, many of its Costa-aligned, Italian-themed designs remain, including a real gondola “sailing” down the middle of its main dining room and a pool deck built to look like a Venetian boulevard.

Guests might feel like they’ve been whisked away to Italy thanks to regional touches like the handmade Italian gelato at JavaBlue Cafe and the Italian liqueur-infused concoctions found at many bars.

Two eight-night voyages out of New York City include stops at Freeport, Nassau and Half Moon Cay.

Who should go? This Bahamas cruise is ideal for anyone looking for a different Carnival experience during a weeklong cruise. It’s almost like traveling to Italy and the Bahamas in one trip.

Bottom line

The best Bahamas cruises offer something cruisers can’t quite get enough of — whether it’s beach time or party time. While short sailings are still the most popular Bahamas itineraries, you can find options for almost every cruising style. The key is identifying the cruise that fits your style, preferred activities and vacation budget.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

  • The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
  • The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
  • 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
  • 15 ways cruisers waste money
  • 15 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
  • The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

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These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

The 9 best Bahamas cruises for every type of traveler

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Family fun on board; grandparents; Pirate Night; Main Deck

I’m on the Disney Wish, July 1-5. July 3 is pirate night, so is there a possibility of fireworks two nights in a row or will there be no fireworks on July 4? ”

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IMAGES

  1. Disney Wish 3-Night Very Merrytime Cruise Review 2022

    disney wish 3 night cruise review

  2. Disney Wish Itinerary, Current Position, Ship Review

    disney wish 3 night cruise review

  3. A Review of Disney Cruise Line’s New Disney Wish

    disney wish 3 night cruise review

  4. COMPLETE Disney Wish Cruise Ship Tour

    disney wish 3 night cruise review

  5. Disney Cruise Line Shares a Stunning First Look at its Newest Ship

    disney wish 3 night cruise review

  6. Disney Wish Tour: The Images That Will Leave You Breathless

    disney wish 3 night cruise review

VIDEO

  1. Disney wish cruise 2023

  2. Disney Wish Full Ship Tour, 2023 Review & BEST Spots of Disney's Newest Cruise Ship

  3. Disney Wish Cruise Ship Tour

  4. EMBARKATION DAY!!

  5. Welcome Aboard the Disney Wish!

  6. Disney Wish Concierge

COMMENTS

  1. Disney Wish 3-Day Bahamas Cruise Review

    Disney Wish is Disney Cruise Line's 5th ship. This 144K gross ton vessel is DCL's first new ship in over a decade and now the largest ship in the fleet. Carrying up to 4,000 passengers, this brand new vessel features a number of new dining concepts, onboard amenities, and one-of-a-kind features that kids and adults alike will enjoy.

  2. Family Went on Disney Wish Cruise, Worth It for $5,300 + Photos

    Aug 14, 2023, 4:36 AM PDT. My family has been on multiple Disney cruises. Jill Robbins. My family of four did a three-night sailing on the Disney Wish in July for $5,300. We've been on eight ...

  3. 3 Day Disney Cruise Review (Is it worth it?)

    Gratuities. Another additional cost you will want to consider when budgeting for your 3 night Disney cruise is gratuities. Guests vacationing with DCL are charged $14.50 a day per person for gratuities. So, if you are traveling as a family of four, you would spend $58 per day on gratuities alone. This means that the total amount of gratuities ...

  4. Honest Disney Wish Cruise Review from a First-Time Disney Goer

    Disney Wish Itinerary Review. We took the 3 night Disney Wish Cruise which docked in Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay, a Disney-owned Bahamian Island. This was the best option for our family as it left on a Friday and came back on a Monday, reducing the number of days the boys would miss school.

  5. All Aboard! Disney Wish

    For 2 adults and 2 children (7yo and 4yo), the cruise itself was $2,974.76. To be clear, we got an inside stateroom (no window), but the room was still really nice. We decided to book with a travel agent ( Michelle Shumate of Fairy Godmother Travel ), and the experience was awesome.

  6. Disney Wish Cruise Ship Review

    This review of the Disney Wish cruise ship offers our big picture impressions on its highs and low. ... We had the chance to spend 3-nights aboard the Disney Wish for its Christening Cruise. During this media cruise, we experienced a lot of what the new ship has to offer, including backstory and behind the scenes info about the ship's ...

  7. Disney Wish Cruise Review by SSaintclair

    Read the Disney Wish review by Cruiseline.com member SSaintclair from September 16, 2022 of the 3 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) cruise. Cruise review , rated 4.7 out of 5 stars by member SSaintclair

  8. Disney Wish

    Tell us about the ship in general. Disney Wish, which is slightly larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, was built in 2022 in Germany and arrived in Florida in June. The ship's 1,254 ...

  9. Disney Wish Cruise Review by LunaRozay

    Read the Disney Wish review by Cruiseline.com member LunaRozay from January 13, 2023 of the 3 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) cruise. Cruise review , rated 4.4 out of 5 stars by member LunaRozay ... Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night! Enter your email. Save Big.

  10. Disney Wish Cruise Review by Shay1920

    Read the Disney Wish review by Cruiseline.com member Shay1920 from January 06, 2023 of the 3 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) cruise. Cruise review , rated 4.7 out of 5 stars by member Shay1920 ... Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night! Enter your email. Save Big.

  11. Disney Wish Cruise Reviews (2023 UPDATED): Ratings of Disney Wish

    The least of my worries. The adult area a bit small, but I would go up early and it was nice. Mimosas only $6! That is crazy, Drink prices really reasonable on Disney compared to other cruise ...

  12. Disney Wish Cruise Reviews (2023 UPDATED): Ratings of Disney Wish

    Excellent. Overall. Aaron Saunders. Senior Editor, News and Features. The fifth ship to join the Disney Cruise Line fleet since its inception in 1998, the 4,000-passenger Disney Wish might look ...

  13. Disney Cruise Line Disney Wish

    Los Angeles, California 445 contributions 743 helpful votes. + 1. I Wish this Wish was Perfect. No other large cruise line comes close to the excellence of Disney Cruise Line. Period. Anyone who tells you otherwise, wants a casino, a "deal", more booze or could care less about the finer things in life.

  14. Disney Wish Cruise Review Scorecard

    Find out if Disney Cruise Line's newest ship is right for your next family vacation with our exclusive Disney Wish cruise ship scorecard review. Disney Wish is the first new vessel from Disney Cruise Line since 2012. This 144K gross ton ship offers a variety of activities, entertainment, and dining that is distinctly Disney.

  15. Thoughts on the Disney Wish (3-night trip review) : r/dcl

    Thoughts on the Disney Wish (3-night trip review) My wife and I just sailed the Disney Wish and can once again say we've been on every ship at least once. The TL;DR part of this post is that I think a lot of the negativity directed at the ship was overblown early on, and a lot of the ship exceeded expectations, but there were a few gripes that ...

  16. Disney Wish Cruise Review: What to Know Before Going

    Food: 7.5/10. Service: 10/10. Kids Activities: 10/10. Adult Activities: 9/10. Entertainment: 10/10. Cleanliness: 10/10. Read on for my Disney Wish Cruise review, including everything we loved and everything I wish I had known before we took our Disney cruise to help you plan the best experience.

  17. Disney Wish: What you need to know before setting sail

    If you are not in a rush to board and are looking for a more affordable price, you can book a cabin for four people in early 2023 for about $3,000 or a cabin for double occupancy for about $1,700. Disney Wish is based out of Port Canaveral and sails a mix of three- and four-night sailings to the Bahamas.

  18. Disney Wish Cruise Review by Mumstraf

    Ship Quality. 4 out of 5. Disney Wish is a beautiful ship that is let down by senior management. They have designed the ship for a small segment of cruisers. If you have daughters that are 10 and younger, ship was awesome. Unfortunately, my three kids (10 and 14 year old boys, 18 year old daughter) were bored!!!

  19. Disney Wish Disney Cruise Line Review

    Disney Wish Itinerary Review . The Disney Wish currently only sails to the Bahamas. Castaway Cay and Nassau are the ports that this ship sails to. And you can choose between a 3 night and a 4-night sailing. We have a feeling that after the first year or two, they will open up longer itineraries.

  20. Personal Navigators: Disney Wish 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port

    Personal Navigators, and other details from the Halloween on the High Seas 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral.The Disney Wish set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida on October 13, 2023. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings of this same itinerary for comparison. During this cruise, the ship was under the control of Captain Andy McRonald.

  21. Personal Navigators: Disney Wish 3-Night Bahamian Very MerryTime Cruise

    Personal Navigators, and other details from the Very MerryTime 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral. The Disney Wish set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida on November 10, 2023. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings of this same itinerary for comparison.

  22. The 9 best Bahamas cruises for every type of traveler

    For more cruise news, reviews and tips, ... 3- or 4-night cruises on Disney Wish from Port Canaveral, Florida. Disney waited a decade to build its next new ship, but Disney dreamers had their wish ...

  23. Disney Wish Cruise Review by qnzarieslala

    Read the Disney Wish review by Cruiseline.com member qnzarieslala from March 10, 2023 of the 3 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) cruise. Cruise review , rated 3.8 out of 5 stars by member qnzarieslala ... Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night! Enter your email. Save Big.

  24. 3 Night Bahamas on Disney Wish

    Age and Pregnancy Restrictions. Minimum age to sail: Infants must be at least 6 months to be eligible to travel. Pregnancy Restrictions: Disney Cruise Lines will not accept passengers who will have entered their 24th week of pregnancy as of their embarkation date. Traveling with minors: Guests under the age of 18 years must be accompanied in the same stateroom by a parent, grandparent, or ...

  25. I'm on the Disney Wish, July 1-5. July 3 is p...

    As you know, your Disney Wish sailing is scheduled to celebrate the Pirate's Rockin' Parlay Party on night three of your cruise, July 3. At the moment, no other fireworks are scheduled. Now, there is a possibility this could change since Disney Cruise Line loves to surprise Guests with special celebrations.

  26. Disney Wish Cruise Review by Lonestarcruiser

    Read the Disney Wish review by Cruiseline.com member Lonestarcruiser from December 29, 2023 of the 4 Night Bahamas (Port Canaveral Roundtrip) cruise. Cruise review , rated 4.3 out of 5 stars by member Lonestarcruiser