disney cruise stateroom split bath

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Stateroom Categories: Explained

It’s just as simple as booking a stateroom, right? As you start to shop for your next cruise, options abound and seriously confuse. Let’s make some sense of ‘all that is stateroom’ on Disney Cruise Line.

There are four general stateroom categories : Concierge, Oceanview with Verandah, Oceanview and Inside . Within each category and within each ship, there are different options to choose from.

Inside (Categories: 10, 11)

• Located on the Interior of the ship
• No exterior views *Dream/Fantasy “Magic Portholes”
• 169-204 sqft

Oceanview (Categories: 8, 9)

• One large or two small portholes
• Exterior/ocean views
• 204-241 sqft

Verandah (Categories: 4, 5, 6, 7)

• Private balconies
• Floor to ceiling windows
• 246-299 sqft

Concierge (Categories: V, T, S, R)

• Suites with balconies
• Some with separate living/sleeping areas
• 306-1781 sq ft
• Concierge services

There are now  six stateroom types : Standard, Deluxe, Deluxe Family, Deluxe Family Concierge, 1- or 2- Bedroom Suites, Royal Suite. Your family size and space preferences typically play a major role in selecting stateroom type. Listed below are the stateroom type differentiators:

Standard (Inside Category: 11)

• Traditional bathroom

Deluxe (Inside Category: 10, Oceanview Category: 9, Verandah Category: 5, 6, 7)

Deluxe Family (Oceanview Category: 8, Verandah Category: 4)

• Sleep up to 5

Deluxe Family Concierge (Concierge Category: V)

• Concierge service

1- or 2- Bedroom Suites (Concierge Categories: S, T)

• Split living/sleeping
• Large balconies

Royal Suite (Concierge Category: R)

• Each ship has 2
• Luxurious, spacious
• Large balcony with private whirlpool tub (Dream and Fantasy)

What’s the difference between a Category 4A and 4E? The letters A, B, C, D, and E generally distinguish where on the ship the staterooms are located, with the letter A being the most desired location, for example, midship on a higher deck.

Navigator Verandah’s Category 7A

The Magic and Wonder category 7A staterooms only sleep 3

The Fantasy and Dream category 7A’s sleep 3-4

But what about this Category 8A on the Dream & Fantasy? There are 12 of these rooms on each ship. These are different as they are larger than the average Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom, have a split room set-up BUT no split bath .

Just to keep things interesting, there are a small number of very specific stateroom categories boasting distinct features:

Obstructed/Limited Ocean Views: These rooms have portholes with – you guessed it – partially obstructed views. These rooms are less expensive than their unobstructed-viewed counterparts. Found: Oceanview Category 9C and 9D on the Disney Dream/Fantasy

Oversized Verandah Rooms: Extra balcony space and people rave about these staterooms in our Facebook group discussions. Found: Verandah Category 4E and 5E on the Disney Dream/Fantasy

Navigator’s Verandah: Enclosed verandah with open air porthole. Found: Verandah Category 7A

Whitewall Verandah: The verandah has a solid white wall from deck to railing instead of the standard clear view throughout. Found: Verandah Category 5E, 6A, 6B

Booking with Restrictions? We Got You

IGT = Inside Stateroom with Restrictions OGT = Outside Stateroom with restrictions VGT = Guaranteed Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

When booking these restricted-fare category staterooms, please note the following:

• New bookings only. Existing reservations cannot be modified to these new categories.
• You are reserving a stateroom within the selected stateroom type: Inside, Oceanview or Verandah*.
• Disney Cruise Line will assign your specific stateroom at a later time, based on remaining availability.
• Specific stateroom requests will not be accommodated.
• Full payment is required at the time of booking for all Guests and is non-refundable.
• Sail date and stateroom category changes are not permitted.
• The stateroom offer cannot be combined with any other discounted or promotional offer.
• Full legal names of all Guests are required at time of booking and no name changes are allowed.

* Most Verandah staterooms include a private verandah with a clear plexiglass wall; some may include a solid white wall depending upon location. A limited number of Oceanview and Verandah staterooms may include a partially obstructed view.

Selecting “Choose Guaranty” guarantees the ship, sailing date and rate. A Category XXX stateroom will be assigned by the time documents are received. Selecting “Choose Guaranty” does not guarantee the stateroom will be on a particular deck or, for multiple staterooms, that the staterooms will be located near each other.

GTY reservations have no restrictions as it is a normal booking. Same rules apply as they do to any booking that has an assigned stateroom.

**Also note that you can be assigned an accessible stateroom without a split bath.

Official DCL link:  https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/staterooms/stateroom-categories/

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What Is a Split Bathroom on a Disney Cruise?

A split bathroom on a Disney Cruise is a unique feature that sets these luxury liners apart from other cruise ships. But what exactly is a split bathroom, and how does it benefit passengers on a Disney Cruise? Let’s dive in and explore this innovative design.

A split bathroom on a Disney Cruise is a unique layout where the bathroom is divided into two separate areas – one with a bathtub and sink, and another with a toilet and sink. This design allows multiple people to use the bathroom facilities simultaneously, offering greater convenience and privacy, especially for families or groups sharing a stateroom. However, it’s not standard in all staterooms, such as the Standard Inside Staterooms.

Defining the Split Bathroom

A split bathroom is a layout where the bathroom is divided into two separate areas. In most staterooms on Disney Cruise Line ships, the split bathroom design consists of one room with a bathtub (which also has a shower) and a sink and another room with a toilet and a sink.

This design is intended to make it easier for multiple people to get ready at the same time. For example, while one person is taking a shower or bath, another person can use the toilet or wash their hands in the other room, without disturbing each other. This is particularly useful for families or groups sharing a stateroom.

How Does It Differ From Standard Cruise Ship Bathrooms?

The split bathroom design on Disney Cruise Line ships is a departure from the typical bathroom layout you might find on other cruise ships. Most standard cruise ship bathrooms combine the toilet, sink, and shower/tub in a single room. While this design is functional, it can be inconvenient when more than one person needs to use the bathroom facilities at the same time.

Why is a Split Bathroom Beneficial?

The split bathroom design offers several benefits, particularly for families or groups traveling together. Not only does it allow for simultaneous use of the bathroom facilities, but it also offers a greater level of comfort and privacy.

The presence of a tub is also a notable feature, as most other cruise lines only offer tubs in their suites. The split bathroom design enhances the comfort and convenience of the stateroom experience for passengers on a Disney Cruise.

Are Split Bathrooms Standard in All Disney Cruise Staterooms?

While most staterooms on Disney Cruise Line ships are equipped with a split bathroom, there are exceptions. The split bathroom design is not standard in all staterooms, such as the Standard Inside Staterooms.

Potential Drawbacks of Split Bathrooms

While many guests appreciate the convenience of split bathrooms, they do come with a few potential drawbacks. For instance, you may find yourself needing an item from the other bathroom, which can be inconvenient. Also, the lowest-cost staterooms on Disney Cruise Line ships do not have split bathrooms.

Final Thoughts

The split bathroom design on Disney Cruise Line ships is a thoughtful feature that enhances the comfort and convenience of the stateroom experience. Whether you’re traveling with family or a group of friends, the ability to use the bathroom facilities simultaneously can make a big difference in your cruise experience.

Remember, when choosing your stateroom on a Disney Cruise, consider how important the split bathroom feature is to you and weigh it against other factors such as room size and cost. Happy cruising!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all disney cruise line ships have the split bathroom feature.

Yes, all four Disney Cruise Line ships – Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy – feature the split bathroom design in most of their staterooms.

Are there any additional costs associated with choosing a stateroom with a split bathroom?

No, there are no additional costs associated with choosing a stateroom with a split bathroom. However, staterooms with the split bathroom design are typically not the lowest-cost staterooms on Disney Cruise Line ships.

Is the split bathroom design unique to Disney Cruise Line?

While the split bathroom design is a standout feature of Disney Cruise Line, it is not entirely unique to these ships. Some other cruise lines also offer similar designs, especially in family or suite staterooms.

Are the split bathrooms on Disney Cruise Line ships accessible for guests with disabilities?

Yes, many staterooms on Disney Cruise Line ships, including those with split bathrooms, are designed to be accessible for guests with disabilities. However, it’s always best to check the specific details and accessibility features of each stateroom when booking.

Can I request a stateroom with a split bathroom when booking my Disney Cruise?

Yes, when you book your Disney Cruise, you can select your preferred stateroom category. Most stateroom categories on Disney Cruise Line ships feature the split bathroom design. However, availability may vary depending on the ship and the specific cruise.

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Ashley is a true theme park veteran, with insights gleaned from multiple visits to every park in the US. Her goal is to provide an insider's guide to making the most of your visit to any theme park.

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Disney Cruise Line Stateroom Categories Explained

Front, back, top, bottom, left, right, somewhere in the middle? There are so many choices when choosing your stateroom (like a hotel room, but on water) on a Disney Cruise. No worries though, I explain all of the various categories and help you choose the best stateroom for your family’s magical vacation!

As of right now, there are 4 Disney ships in their fleet. The Dream and Fantasy are sister ships with the same layout and the Magic and Wonder are sister ships with the same layout. When selecting a cruise itinerary, you want to make sure you know which ship you will be sailing on because the stateroom categories are different.

There are 2 main things you have to consider when choosing a stateroom: what type of stateroom do you want (floor plan) and where on the ship do you want to be (category). The Dream and Fantasy have 9 floor plans and 28 room categories. The Magic & Wonder have 10 floor plans and 22 room categories. That’s a lot! I have broken it down into 4 easy steps to pick your perfect stateroom!

Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy Deck Plans

Disney Magic and Disney Wonder Deck Plans

4 steps to choosing your stateroom:

Determine how many people are in your party. This decides what type of room you need. When you go online to look at availability, select the total number of adults and children (with their ages) the rooms will be filtered down to the ones that will fit your party size.

Dream & Fantasy: If you have 1, 2, 3, or 4 people in your party you have free access to all rooms and categories on the ship. If you have 5 people, you can choose from 5 floor plans on the ships. If you have more than 5 on the Dream & Fantasy you will need 2 staterooms.

Magic & Wonder: If you have 1, 2 or 3 people in your party you can choose between all room floor plans and categories on the ships. If you have 4 people you can choose from 9 floor plans. 5 people, you can choose between 5 floor plans and there are 2 floor plans that can sleep up to 7!

Choose 1 of 4 floor plans. Do you want a room with a view?

1.     Inside: no windows (however, the Fantasy and Dream have Magical Portholes; a LED TV screen over the bed with real-time views of outside)

2.     Oceanview: Dream & Fantasy: 1 or 2 large portholes, Magic & Wonder: 1 large porthole or 2 smaller portholes

3.     Verandah: There are 3 types of verandahs (balconies):

•  The  standard verandah  features an open-air balcony skirted by an acrylic wall, allowing for a full view of the horizon even while seated.
• The  whitewall verandah  offers open-air lounging with a solid wall from the deck to the railing. Most of these staterooms are located in the back (aft) portion of the ship.
• The  navigator’s verandah  is enclosed for greater privacy while still affording a stunning view and sea breezes through a large, open-air porthole above the railing.
• Verandahs differ by size and style depending on the ship and stateroom type, and the view on some verandahs may be obstructed.
• On connecting verandah staterooms, the partitions can be opened to create an even more spacious balcony.

• Concierge: Personalized assistance in planning every cruise detail, including:

Pre-reserve many of your onboard activities and services online, up to 120 days prior to your sail date.

• Port Adventures
• Reservations for  Palo or Remy , spa treatments or nursery stays
• Dining room seating requests
• Special occasions and celebrations
• Any other special requests, from pre-arrival to post-cruise

Shipboard Services

• Priority check-in and boarding at a dedicated check-in station
• Private welcome reception
• Exclusive access to dedicated areas on the ship, including the Concierge Lounge and sun deck via a private entrance.
• Down Duvets
• Choose from pillow options including hypoallergenic, feather and therapeutic memory foam
• Personal robe and slippers
• Access to the media library in the Concierge Lounge
• Complimentary Wi-Fi internet service (length of cruise)

Room preferences to consider:

What specific stateroom type do you want?

• Suite: Royal, 1 bedroom, or 2 bedrooms
• Deluxe family: sleeps 5
• Deluxe: split bathroom
• Standard: single bathroom
• Guaranteed: Disney will select for you your stateroom and guarantee that it will be in the category chosen or a higher category. This is a restricted-fare category.
• Wheelchair accessible

Where on the ship do you want to be? Forward (front), midship, or aft (back)

Do you get seasick? There are different theories to this, but generally, if you get sea sick you will want a stateroom with a verandah so you can breathe in fresh air or a room with a porthole. Focusing on the line where the sky meets the sea can help alleviate nausea. Also, having a stateroom in the middle of the ship helps with the rocking feeling.

Are you on a budget? The higher the deck the more expensive the stateroom is. Also, the closer you are to mid ship the more expensive the room is. You will also pay more to see the ocean. Inside staterooms with no windows on a lower deck either near the front (forward) or back (aft) are the least expensive.

Pick your room

In this step, you actually get to choose your specific room number. You can also select staterooms that adjoin if you are going with another stateroom. If the room connects, you will see an arrow next to the room number. The direction the arrow is going in is the room it connects to. You can still select one of these rooms even if you are not traveling with another party, you just don’t want to unlock the door 🙂

Do you want to be next to the elevators? The elevators midship are generally busier and therefore are louder, but on the other hand, you also have close access to the stairwell & elevators to get to other decks quickly.

When you have made your selection, you will be given a category #. For example, it will look like this: (Category 04E).

You’re done, celebrate!

But what does that number and letter mean?

If you want to dig in deeper to the room categories and find out what the number and letter means, you can keep on reading. I am giving you fair warning, there is a lot of information below.  For planning purposes, my suggestion is to print out the list below and make notes or cross off which ones do not fit your needs.

Disney Dream & Disney Fantasy Category Specifics

These are the larger ships in Disney’s fleet with 1,250 staterooms each. There are 14 decks (or levels); 9 have staterooms on them, with 28 categories and 9 room layouts! 

9 Stateroom Layouts on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy

1. concierge royal suite with verandah.

• Category R: There are only 2 of this type of room on each ship. Both are on deck 12 at the very front of the ship (forward). One is on the left (port) the other is on the right (starboard).
• 1,781 square feet, including the verandah
• One master bedroom with queen size bed
• One wall pull-down double bed
• One wall pull-down single bed in the living room
• Two bathrooms with rain shower
• Whirlpool tub
• Living room
• Dining salon
• Walk-in closets

2. Concierge 1-bedroom suite with Verandah

• Category T: There are 19 of these type rooms on each ship. They are located on decks 11 and 12 near the front of the ship (forward). Located on both sides of the ship. 1 is wheelchair accessible.
• 622 square feet including verandah
• One bedroom with queen size bed
• Living area with double convertible sofa
• Private Verandah

3. Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

• Category V: There are 20 of these types of rooms on each ship. They are located on decks 11 and 12 near the front of the ship (forward). Located on both sides of the ship. 1 is wheelchair accessible.
• 306 square feet including verandah
• Queen size bed
• Double convertible sofa
• Upper berth pull-down bed
• Full bath with round tub and shower
• Additional half bath

4. Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

• 04 A has 128 staterooms with 64 on deck 9 and 64 on deck 10. All are located midship to back (aft).
• 04 B has 62 staterooms all on deck 8. All are located midship to back (aft). 4 are wheelchair accessible.
• 04 C has 64 staterooms all on deck 7. All are located midship to back (aft).
• 04 D has 63 staterooms all on deck 6. All are located midship to back (aft). 2 are wheelchair accessible.
• 04 E has 44 staterooms all on deck 5. All are located near the front (forward) or back (aft). 1 is wheelchair accessible.
• 299 square feet including verandah
• Single convertible sofa
• Wall pull-down bed (in most)
• Upper berth pull-down bed (in some)
• Split bath with round tub (in most) and shower

5. Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

• There are a total of 3 categories each broken down: 05 (A-E), 06 (A & B), & 07 (A)
• 05 A has 168 staterooms on deck 9 & 10. All are located midship to the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 05 B has 78 staterooms all on deck 8. All are located midship to the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 05 C has 82 staterooms all on deck 7. All are located midship to the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 05 D has 88 staterooms all on deck 6. All are located midship to the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 05 E has 29 staterooms on deck 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10. All are located at the very back (aft). All have white wall verandahs. 2 are wheelchair accessible.
• 06 A has 10 staterooms on decks 8 & 9. All are located back (aft). All have white wall verandahs.
• 06 B has 20 staterooms on decks 5, 6, & 7. All are located back (aft). All have white wall verandahs.
• 07 A is a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Navigator’s Verandah. There are 24 staterooms located on decks 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9. Mainly in the front (forward) or back (aft)
• 246 square feet including verandah
• Upper berth pull-down bed (if sleeping 4)
• Split bath with tub and shower

6. Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom

• 08 A has 12 staterooms located on decks 5 & 6 in the front (forward). The shapes of these rooms are squarer versus rectangular and each stateroom has 2 large portholes! 1 is wheelchair accessible.
• 08 B has 22 staterooms located on deck 9, either in the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 08 C has 44 staterooms located on decks 7 & 8, either in the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 08 D has 30 staterooms located on decks 7 & 8, either in the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 241 square feet
• Split bath with round tub and shower (in most)

7. Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

• 09 A has 10 staterooms located on decks 5, 6, 7, & 8 all either in the front (forward) or back (aft). 4 are wheelchair accessible.
• Things to keep in mind when booking this category: the main lobby atrium is the deck above and the tender lobby is the deck below, so it might be noisy
• 09 C has 10 staterooms located on decks 7 & 8 at the very front (forward) of the ship. 2 are wheelchair accessible.
• 09 D has 11 staterooms located on decks 6, 7, & 8 all at the very front (forward) of the ship. 3 are wheelchair accessible.
• 204 square feet

8.    Deluxe Inside Stateroom

• Category 10 A has 19 staterooms sporadically located on decks 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9

9.    Standard Inside Stateroom

• 11 A has 64 staterooms located on decks 8, 9, & 10. There are some located front (forward), midship, and back (aft)
• 11 B has 40 staterooms located on decks 5, 6, & 7. Most are located near the front (forward) and back (aft) of the ship.
• 169 square feet
• Bath with tub and shower

Disney Magic & Disney Wonder Specifics

These are the smaller ships in Disney’s fleet with 875 staterooms each. There are 11 decks (or levels); 6 have staterooms on them, with 22 categories and 10 room layouts!

10 Stateroom Layouts on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder

1.    concierge royal suite with verandah.

• Category R: There are only 2 of this type of room on each ship. Both are on deck 8 at the mid to front of the ship (forward). The one on the left (port) is the Walter E. Disney Suite and the other, on the right (starboard) is the Roy O. Disney Suite.
• 1,029 square feet, including the verandah
• Two bedrooms with queen size bed the other has two twin beds and two pull-down upper berths
• Two and a half bathrooms with whirlpool tubs
• Media library with wall pull-down bed

2.    Concierge 2-bedroom suite with Verandah

• Category S: There are 2 of these type rooms on each ship. They are located on deck 8 near the front of the ship (forward). One on each side (port and starboard).
• 945 square feet including verandah
• Living area with convertible sofa
• Two and a half bathrooms

3.    Concierge 1-bedroom suite with Verandah

• Category T: There are 18 of these type rooms on each ship. They are located throughout deck 8. 4 are wheelchair accessible
• 614 square feet including verandah
• Two bathrooms

4.    Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

• Category V: There are 10 of these types of rooms on each ship. They are located on deck 8 throughout.
• 304 square feet including verandah
• Pull-down upper berth bed (in most)
• Privacy divider

5.    Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

• 04 A has 32 staterooms on deck 8. All are located midship to back (aft).
• 04 B has 32 staterooms all on deck 8. Located front (forward) and back (aft).
• 04 E has 6 staterooms all on deck 8. All are located near back (aft). 1 is wheelchair accessible.
• Wall pull-down bed
• Pull-down upper berth (in most)
• Private verandah

6.    Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

• This floor plan is broken down into 2 categories 05 (A-C) & 06 (A)
• 05 A has 58 staterooms on deck 7. All are located midship
• 05 B has 106 staterooms: 46 are on deck 7 in the front (forward) or back (aft) and 60 are on deck 6 all located midship.
• 05 C has 56 staterooms 46 are on deck 6 in the front (forward) or back (aft) and 10 are on deck 5 all located near the back (aft).
• 06 A has 32 staterooms on decks 5,6, & 7. All are located back (aft). 6 are wheelchair accessible.
• 268 square feet including verandah

7.    Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Navigator’s Verandah

• Category 07 A has 30 staterooms located on decks 5, 6, & 7 all in the back (aft) of the ship.
• Enclosed private verandah with limited views

8.    Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

• 09 A has 58 staterooms located on decks 5, 6, & 7 in the front (forward). 2 are wheelchair accessible.
• 09 B has 66 staterooms located on deck 2, all are mid-deck.
• 09 C has 80 staterooms located on decks 2, either in the front (forward) or back (aft).
• 09 D has 25 staterooms located on decks 1, all are mid-deck to the front (forward) and on the left (port side). All rooms in this category have 2 small portholes.

9.    Deluxe Inside Stateroom

• 10 A has 19 staterooms located on decks 5, 6, & 7. All are located in the front (forward) of the ship. 1 on deck 7 is wheelchair accessible.
• 10 B has 48 staterooms located on deck 2. Mainly midship.
• 10 C has 17 staterooms located on deck 1. All are mid-deck to the front (forward) and on the left (port side).
• 214 square feet
• Upper berth pull-down bed (in some) Privacy divider

10.  Standard Inside Stateroom

• 11 A has 66 staterooms located on decks 6 & 7. There are some located front (forward), midship, and back (aft). 2 are wheelchair accessible.
• 11 B has 81 staterooms located on decks 6 & 7. All are located near the front (forward) or back (aft) of the ship.
• 11 C has 37 staterooms located on deck 2 & 3. All on deck 2 are located near the front (forward) of the ship and those on deck 3 are located in the back (aft).
• 184 square feet

If you made it this far, hi and thank you!

Happy Travels!

Let’s book your magical vacation today!   As an agent with Key to the World Travel , I can help you with everything from Disney Destinations, a cruise, a beach getaway or even a trip to Europe. Contact me today for your free, no-obligation quote at [email protected]   and follow me on Facebook   to hear about the latest Disney updates and travel tips! Or, you can fill out and submit the form below.  I look forward to helping you plan the most magical vacation for you and your family.

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Set Sail in Style: The Ultimate Guide to Disney Cruise Staterooms

Jill Robbins

Suppose you’re considering a Disney Cruise for your next family vacation. In that case, you’ve probably clicked around a bit on Disney Cruise Line’s website to find the perfect ship and route that aligns with when you want to go on the ultimate Disney vacation.

Perhaps you’ve made it to stateroom selection, and now you’re stuck. What to choose? Choices can be intimidating and confusing, especially when you’re making decisions about high-dollar vacations, and yes, Disney Cruises are among the most expensive cruise vacations out there. How do you decide what’s the best stateroom – or staterooms – for your travel party? Do you go cheap and put the savings into another part of your vacation, or do you play that YOLO card and splurge on the most expensive?

Only you can decide how much money you’re willing to part with, but hopefully, I can make the decision-making process a little easier by breaking down the different Disney Cruise staterooms.

I’ve sailed on four of the five Disney Cruise Line vessels : The Disney Magic , the Disney Wonder , the Disney Dream , and the new  Disney Wish . My family is booked on the Disney Fantasy  for spring break 2024, bringing us to what’s known in Disney Cruise Line circles as a Grand Slam.

We’ve booked a variety of cabins, from the least expensive inside stateroom to a concierge 1-bedroom suite. I prefer concierge – because of course I do – but our budget doesn’t allow us to drop that kind of money every time we go on a cruise. I’ve found something to love about all the Disney Cruise Line staterooms we’ve stayed in, so let’s take a dive into the different room types.

About the 10 Different Categories of Staterooms

Disney uses numeric categories to classify their staterooms. It can be confusing for newbies who read cruise stateroom reviews to try and decipher what “Category 1A or Category 7 means. I’ll provide a brief key below for reference:

• 1A – Royal Suite
• 1B – Concierge 2-bedroom Suite With Verandah
• 2A or 2B (there’s some variation between ships) – Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite With Verandah
• 3A – Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah
• 4 – Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
• 5 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah
• 6 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah (Undersized, Obstructed View, or White Wall)
• 7 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Navigator’s Verandah
• 8- Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom
• 9 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom
• 10 – Deluxe Inside Stateroom
• 11 – Standard Inside Staterooms

Essentially, the lower the category number, the more expensive the stateroom. When you’re on the Disney Cruise website browsing rooms, you’ll see the square footage listed, which includes the bathroom space as well as the verandah.

Concierge Rooms

Concierge rooms are not only nicer, more spacious rooms with more amenities but there are also extended services that go along with the extra room. Concierge services include shoreside services, such as assistance with booking shore excursions and onboard activities. Concierge guests also get an early booking window to get their first pick of activities and coveted extras like cabanas at Castaway Cay.

Concierge guests also get access to the ship’s Concierge Lounge. Lounge perks include private sundecks, near round-the-clock access to nibbles, bottled sodas, bottled water, juices, and specialty coffees, and an open bar in the evenings.

Concierge Royal Suite

Each ship has at least one Royal Suite. These luxe accommodations sleep six and have separate living areas and dining areas, and private hot tubs. The newest Royal Suites on the Disney Wish  are Sleeping Beauty-themed. If you want the highest of high-end and are prepared to pay the price, these suites are the ultimate experience on board a Disney Cruise.

I recommend booking with a travel agent who can help you navigate the availability of these suites. Since they’re in limited numbers, they tend to book up fast, so if you’ve got your heart set on staying in a Royal Suite, a travel agent has a better view of availability across the fleet.

One and Two-Bedroom Suites

These suites offer space to spread out at a more affordable price than the Royal Suite, although affordable is a relative term when it comes to concierge staterooms.

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My family and I stayed in a one-bedroom suite on the Disney Dream,  and we enjoyed the extra space and privacy. The king-sized bed had pocket doors that separated our sleeping space from the rest of the room, and we had two full baths, one with an oversized bathtub. Our kids slept on a pullout couch and a Murphy bed in the living room.

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah

The Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah is the least expensive concierge room. The room is very similar to a non-concierge oceanview stateroom with a verandah and is essentially a category 4 or 5 stateroom with concierge room decor and amenities and access to concierge services, such as the lounge and pre-arrival assistance. If you want the white glove VIP service but don’t need a bunch of extra room, this is the way to go.

Oceanview Staterooms

If you want to see the water from your stateroom, Oceanview is the stateroom for you. There are several categories to choose from here. The big decision to make is whether or not you want a balcony, AKA verandah. If you decide to go with a verandah, there are some nuances regarding views so if unobstructed ocean views are a must, make sure you’re reading carefully when you book or specifying exactly what you want when you talk to your travel agent.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms and Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

When it comes to Disney Cruise Line staterooms, the word “family” is going to mean a larger room that sleeps more people.

Think of the oceanview as the middle-of-the-road choice between a room with a verandah and an inside room. The rooms have porthole windows where you can see outside and get that natural light. The oceanview stateroom is more money than the inside staterooms but not as costly as the verandah or concierge rooms, so, if you want to land somewhere between those two options, this can be a good choice.

The oceanview stateroom may also be a good compromise for parents of young children. Sometimes parents have the worry that their little ones are going to try and climb the balcony and fall overboard, so the oceanview sans balcony eliminates that situation.

The verandah staterooms do have high locks on the doors to the balcony, though, so it’s easy for parents to manage, safety-wise.

The balconies are about 45 square feet – not huge, but large enough for three to four people to comfortably stand on to look out. There are two chairs and a small table, quite comfortable to sit in and enjoy a drink or your morning coffee.

Oceanview Staterooms With Verandah

As you can see from the list above, there are many variations and multiple categories listed for rooms with a private verandah. The difference between the verandahs in Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah and Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah is going to be the size of the stateroom and the number of people it can sleep, five versus four people. Categories 4 and 5 have the same type of unobstructed verandah.

When you get into categories 6, 7, and 8 on Disney Cruise ships, you get smaller verandahs, potential obstructions, or a white wall verandah. Most of the verandahs are acrylic, where you can see ocean views even while seated. A Navigator’s Verandah is a mostly enclosed verandah that has a large, circular hole for viewing. The smaller or obstructed view verandahs will be priced lower than categories 4 and 5. The differences are very minor, so if you have an opportunity to save or your selection of verandah rooms is limited, consider how much time you’ll spend on the verandah and decide from there.

Inside Staterooms

Inside staterooms are the cheapest staterooms. Depending on availability, you’ll be able to choose from a standard inside stateroom and a deluxe inside stateroom.

Inside staterooms are exactly that – inside. There’s no porthole window or balcony to let in the natural light or ocean breezes.

Deluxe Inside Stateroom Vs. Standard Inside Stateroom

The big difference between standard and deluxe is that the deluxe has a split bathroom. The split bathroom means a toilet and vanity separate from the shower and second sink. It’s a great feature and allows someone to be in the shower without holding someone up if they need to use the toilet. The extra square footage in the deluxe – about 50 feet – is all the split bathroom.

We stayed in a deluxe inside stateroom on the Disney Magic . We initially booked the standard inside stateroom, but Disney upgraded us shortly before we left for the port, and we appreciated the extra space in the bathroom. Otherwise, I thought the inside cabin was just fine. I thought I would miss the verandah but didn’t. The dark cabin was great for sleeping. Also, many of the inside staterooms are on the lower decks. When we were in an inside stateroom on Deck 2, catching the stairs and bypassing the crowded elevators was easy.

Inside staterooms on the Disney Fantasy  and Disney Dream have a virtual porthole, which is a digital screen that shows real-time views of the ship’s exterior with the occasional visit from a Disney character. You can turn off the virtual porthole if you choose.

Standard In-Room Amenities

The Inside and Oceanview staterooms are all very similar, and the main differences between the stateroom categories are verandahs and split bathrooms versus single bathrooms. Regarding the available beds and storage space, there’s not much difference between non-concierge rooms.

The rooms typically sleep four, with a few sleeping five, so larger families or groups may want to consider adjoining cabins if not comfortable splitting up. When you enter the room, you’ll see a queen bed, a couch, a coffee table, and a combination desk/storage unit. There’s a curtain divider guests can use to close the bed off from the rest of the stateroom.

The couch converts into a bed, and there’s an additional bed housed in the ceiling. The stateroom attendant will convert the couch into a bed and handle the pull-down bed during nightly turndown service. Although the quarters are pretty close, this setup does well for a family of four, with the kids sleeping on the bunk beds and the parents sleeping on the queen bed. The curtain provides a small amount of privacy.

Staterooms have a small flatscreen TV that’s mounted on a swivel so they can be positioned to be seen from the bed or the couch. Although no one goes on a cruise to watch TV, there are a variety of channels that include information about the ship’s route and activities as well as Disney programming and news.

Bathroom Amenities

In addition to towels and soap, standard DCL bathroom amenities include shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, lotion, and soap. Concierge staterooms have elevated toiletries. The Disney Wish  provides bathrobes as part of the standard stateroom amenities but on the other ships, they’re only for concierge guests.

Storage Space

Storage space in a Disney Cruise Line stateroom is adequate but tight. If you have four people in a cabin, storage space is more at a premium, but unless you’re big over-packers, everyone has enough space to store their belongings.

There’s a bit of closet space – if you have a lot of hanging garments, I recommend travel hangers – and storage cubbies and drawers in the bathroom and the main part of the cabin. The under-bed area has room for suitcase storage.

Best Advice When Choosing Staterooms

Budget is going to be most people’s driving factor when choosing a stateroom. Depending on the length of the cruise, there’s usually a several thousand dollar difference between an inside stateroom and the cheapest concierge stateroom.

Cruise ships are so filled with activities and other things to do, and guests aren’t meant to spend a ton of time in their stateroom, so don’t think you’ll be shortchanging your experience if you book an inside stateroom. If you have a larger budget and prioritize that extra level of elevated service, concierge is a fun splurge.

I also recommend you look at a deck plan before you lock in a stateroom to see where you’ll be in relation to everything else on the ship. If your cabin is directly below the sun deck, you might be woken early by the sounds of the deck crew setting up the chairs for the day. If your cabin is near the elevators, you might hear lots of foot traffic, although the upside is that being near the elevators means it’s faster and easier to get around the ship.

Midship staterooms on a high deck are generally the most stable, so this might be a necessary choice if you’re prone to seasickness.

Travel Agents Can Be Excellent Advisors

When it comes to choosing a stateroom, a travel agent can be a great resource, especially if you’re a first-time cruiser. They’re familiar with the ships, deck plans, and what the passengers want and need, even when the passengers may not fully know.

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Disney Wish: Stateroom Layouts

I recently received a printed Disney Wish deck plan which featured the same information you can find on the current digital deck plan along with new to me stateroom layouts on the backside.

These are conceptual layouts of the various stateroom categories. The actual staterooms are likely to vary slightly depending on stateroom location and final configurations. Plus as the fine print states, these are subject to change. The images are not perfect, as they were scanned from the printed deck plans. If and when digital versions become available, the they will be updated.

Concierge 2-Story Royal Suite with Verandah

Category 1B | Sleeps 6 | 1,759 sq.ft. including verandah

Large living area, open dining room, pantry, and a private whirlpool the verandah. Two main bedrooms with king beds, plus a double convertible sofa in the living room. Three full bathrooms: two main bathrooms with double sinks and a guest bathroom with a shower. One main bathroom features a bathtub with rain shower and the other has a walk-in rain shower.

Concierge 1-Story Royal Suite with Verandah

Category 1C | Sleeps 6 | 1,507 sq.ft. including verandah

Large living area, open dining room, pantry, and a private whirlpool on the verandah. Two main bedrooms with king beds, plus a double convertible sofa in the living room. Three full bathrooms: two main bathrooms with double sinks and a guest bathroom with shower. One main bathroom features a bathtub with rain shower and the other has a walk-in rain shower.

Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah

Category 2 | Sleeps 5 | 608 sq.ft. including verandah

Once bedroom with king bed, living area with double convertible sofa and single wall pull-down bed. Two full bathrooms, main bathroom with double sinks, a rain-style shower and tub, wet bar and walk-in closet.

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

Category 3A | Sleeps 5 | 296 sq.ft. including verandah

One king bed, single convertible sofa, upper berth single pull-down bed. A “split bath” a bathroom with a vanity, sink, tub with glass door and a half bathroom with a vanity sink and toilet. ( Please note, the following image appears incomplete missing the bathroom, but this is how it is represented on the original print )

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom

Category 3B | Sleeps 4-5 | 357 sq.ft. including verandah

One king bed, single convertible sofa, upper berth single pull-down bed (if sleeping 5), floor-to-ceiling windows, “split bath:” a bathroom with a vanity, sink, tub with glass door and a half bathroom with a vanity sink and toilet.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

Category 4 | Sleeps 4-5 | 284 sq.ft. including verandah

Queen bed, single convertible sofa, upper berth single pull-down bed (if sleeping 5). A “split bath:” a bathroom with a vanity, sink, tub with glass door and a half bathroom with a vanity sink and toilet.

Category 5, 6 and 7 | Sleeps 3-4 | 243 sq.ft. including verandah

Queen bed, single convertible sofa, upper berth single pull-down bed (if sleeping 4). A “split bath:” a bathroom with a vanity, sink, tub with glass door and a half bathroom with a vanity sink and toilet.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom

Category 8 | Sleeps 4-5 | 237 sq.ft.

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

Category 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D | Sleeps 3-4 | 218 sq.ft.

Categories 9A, 9B and 9C: Queen bed, single convertible sofa, upper berth single pull-down bed (if sleeping 4). Category 9D: Queen bed and sleeper sofa. A “split bath:” a bathroom with a vanity, sink, tub with glass door and a half bathroom with a vanity sink and toilet.

Standard Inside Stateroom

Category 11 | Sleeps 3-4 | 169 sq.ft.

Queen bed, single convertible sofa, upper berth single pull-down bed (if sleeping 4), full bathroom with a vanity, sink, shower and tub with glass door. (Note: a toilet is not mentioned in the description, but is shown on the layout.)

The various stateroom layouts displayed here have been added to our stateroom explorer .

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3 Replies to “Disney Wish: Stateroom Layouts”

Nice staterooms to be sure. The two story is very nice indeed but it would be way too much for just my wife and I… that being said, we would certainly give it try if we could. My wife would never leave the hot tub on the veranda.

While those royal suites look really nice, I can’t justify spending whatever the cost is going to be. I guess I’ll have to wait until the Trackers Vlog about it.

Question about the Deluxe Family w/ Veranda that sleeps 5 – it says there is a single sofa bed, a pull down bed and Q bed. Where does the 5th person sleep?

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The Staterooms on the Disney Dream – What You Need to Know

More than just a place to sleep, the staterooms on the Disney Dream offer comfort, conveniences, luxury, and of course, some of Disney magic. What can you expect from your stateroom on the Disney Dream? Here’s everything you need to know.

1 – A Variety of Staterooms

The four main categories are Concierge, Verandah, Oceanview, and Inside. There are 1,250 staterooms and suites on the ship. Nine hundred one staterooms and suites include verandahs – that’s more than 70 percent of total staterooms. Another 199 staterooms have an ocean view. To accommodate larger families and groups traveling together, 500 connecting doors adjoin staterooms. And on connecting verandah staterooms, the partition between verandahs may be opened to create a larger shared balcony.

2 – Magical Porthole

For inside staterooms, the ships feature the Magical Porthole, a video monitor with the appearance of a porthole that offers a “window” to the world with a real-time video view outside the ship. High-definition cameras on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each Magical Porthole. The view corresponds to the stateroom location – either port or starboard…forward, midship or aft. Animated Disney characters may pop by the Magical Porthole, including Peach, the starfish from the Disney•Pixar film “Finding Nemo,” Dumbo the flying elephant, or even Mickey Mouse.

3 – Split Bathrooms

The staterooms themselves have been well thought out. We absolutely love the Disney Cruise Line signature bath-and-a-half design that is featured in nearly every stateroom on both the Dream and Fantasy. Conveniently, one bathroom includes a vanity, sink, and full tub/shower, while the “half” bath has a vanity, sink, and toilet. It makes getting ready in the morning much easier with the split space. Also, since many guests are traveling with younger children, having a bathtub is such a great feature.

4 – Extra Space

Because families tend to travel with more luggage, bed frames are elevated to provide generous under-bed storage space. Since staterooms are much smaller than a standard hotel room, this is a great feature to free up clutter in the room. For an added pinch of pixie dust, pull-down beds open to uncover a celestial scene. In artwork overhead, constellations of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Wendy soar through the night sky.

5 – Design and Function Blended Perfectly

Staterooms feature a contemporary, art deco-inspired design. Meticulous attention to detail is evident in the elegant nautical theme with beautiful wood finishes, custom fabrics and carpets, stylish furnishings, original artwork, and genuine teak accents.

First-class features and amenities in all staterooms include a 22-inch LCD flat-screen TV on a swivel arm, two Wave Phones for use as onboard mobile communicators, iPod docking station, mini-refrigerator, mini-safe, premium toiletries, queen-size pillows, plush Frette 100 percent Egyptian cotton bath towels and Frette 100 percent Egyptian cotton 300-thread-count bed linens and duvet. There were also plenty of USB ports for charging devices.

Check our deluxe oceanview stateroom with veranda on the Disney Dream:

6 – Suites

The Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have twenty-one suites on Decks 11 and 12, each lavishly appointed and designed with upscale furnishings.  Most suites can connect to another stateroom, creating an exceptionally spacious living area for larger groups and families.

Each suite has two bathrooms designed with opulent granite and marble finishes. The master bathroom features a whirlpool bathtub, a rain shower, double sinks, and a television built seamlessly into the mirror.

Suites have a generous private verandah, walk-in closets, living room and Blu-ray disc player.  Both the living area and master bedroom have a 42-inch, high-definition LCD television, and guests are provided Wave Phones for use as mobile communicators while onboard.

7 – Concierge Service

On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, all-suite, and concierge stateroom guests enjoy the benefit of the ship’s Concierge Level providing special services and exclusive access to dedicated areas.

The Concierge Lounge is located among the concierge suites on Deck 12.  Guests may relax in quiet comfort, access the Internet, watch the news on a large-screen TV and enjoy complimentary food and beverage presentations offered throughout the day, including specialty coffees and pre-dinner cocktails.

The concierge team will provide guests with personalized service and assist with a variety of shipboard requests, such as making reservations for spa treatments, specialty dining, shore excursions and nursery care for children.

Concierge guests may borrow an iPad to use during their cruise and receive 100 free minutes of onboard Wi-Fi access.  For children, Nintendo DS gaming devices are available to use throughout their voyage.

One deck up on the private sun deck, concierge guests can soak up the sun in an exclusive area. This private oasis offers comfortable, cushioned lounge chairs, complimentary suntan lotion, cool face cloths, and a dedicated concierge pool deck host.

8 – Tips for Choosing the Right Stateroom

Just as you would expect when choosing a room for a resort in Walt Disney World, the cost of a room varies with what kind of room it is and its location on the ship. There are four main categories that encompass 10 different room types. The four main categories are Concierge, Verandah, Oceanview, and Inside. When booking a room, you will choose and category and then be guaranteed this type of stateroom. Disney Cruise Line will assign the actual stateroom at a later time based on availability for all guaranteed staterooms of that type. However, you’ll also be able to choose if you want your room mid-ship, aft, or forward, and the deck level.

The price might be the biggest factor in choosing a room, but there are other things to consider. When choosing a room type, consider how many are in your party? Most rooms sleep four, although there are some options for five. For more than that, you’ll likely need two rooms for your party. What kind of views do you want? What deck would you like to be on?

Looking for some help? We highly recommend booking with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner to ensure you are well taken care of and get all the discounts available to you. For more details and help booking your vacation, call (407) 442-0227. You can also get a no-obligation, FREE vacation quote by clicking here . Their services are free to you, and they can answer any questions you may have about Disney Cruise Line and selecting the right stateroom.

For a no obligation, FREE Quote on a Disney vacation package, please contact our travel partner Magical Vacation Planner at 407-442-0227 (407-442-0215 for Spanish). You can also request a FREE quote online by Clicking HERE.

Chad & Cindy Nykamp

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Pros and Cons of an Inside Stateroom on Disney Cruise Line

It can be difficult to choose the right stateroom for your family. When my family of five sails together on Disney Cruise Line we prefer to book two staterooms, so cost is always a factor, but so is comfort and convenience. Each time we have cruised at least one, and sometimes both of our rooms, have always been an inside stateroom. These rooms have lots of benefits, but a few downsides as well.

Two Types of Inside Staterooms on Disney Cruise Line

An inside stateroom on Disney Cruise Line is a room that is on the interior of the ship, so they have no porthole windows or balconies. When you book an inside stateroom, you have two choices:

• Standard Inside Stateroom
• Deluxe Inside Stateroom

The difference? A Standard Deluxe Stateroom has a single bathroom with a toilet, sink and tub/shower unit. While a Deluxe Inside Stateroom has a split bathroom configuration where one bathroom has a toilet and sink, and the other has your tub/shower unit and another sink.

This is a Standard Inside Stateroom Layout.

This is a Deluxe Inside Stateroom layout.

Pro: Inside Staterooms Cost Less

The main perk of an inside stateroom is the cost. If you aren’t as interested in scenic views or extra square footage, and mainly use your room to sleep and shower, then this might be the perfect room for you.

Con: You Will Not Have an Exterior View

Inside staterooms have no windows and no balcony doors (I read that in the voice of your Ghost Host from the Haunted Mansion ). So, you will have no private view of the scenery as you sail through the Caribbean or the shoreline of Alaska .

On some itineraries, I am fine with this, specifically on a Bahamian or Western Caribbean cruise – both of which I have sailed multiple times. However, there have been times when the view was worth every penny.

If this is a once in a lifetime cruise for your family, I recommend getting the balcony.

Pro: Magic Portholes

Your inside stateroom may lack a real view, but Magic Portholes (exclusively on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ) offer real-time views of the ship, and from time to time special visitors like Mickey, Donald or Aladdin will sail or fly by your window.

Pro or Con? Inside Staterooms Have No Natural Light

This is a pro for some, and a con for others. For us, this is a big pro! 

My husband works odd hours. This means his daily schedule is independent of when the sun rises or sets. Having no natural light in the room allows him to sleep in and relax a little longer each morning. We also have three young adult children who like to sleep in on vacation.

And Like Anna in Frozen , when the sun is up, I am up, so I have had some of the best sleep of my life in these darkened cave-like rooms. Talk about relaxing!

Pro: Two Rooms are Better Than One

Sure, our family of five could technically sail in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom (with or without a verandah), but we prefer to sail in two rooms. Inside staterooms may be some of the smallest rooms on the ship, but when you combine two, you get excellent space for the money, and more importantly, two rooms means we get two full bathrooms.

And with three kids, no one has to share a bed.

Update: Inside Staterooms on the Disney Wish

At this time, Disney Cruise Line only lists Standard Inside Staterooms in the Disney Wish’s stateroom inventory . There are no Deluxe Inside Staterooms on the ship. These rooms are approximately 169 square feet – which is the same size as on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

The artist renderings of these rooms do not show Magic Portholes, though the deck plans do list them as a feature (which could be old programming from room features on other ships). Instead, over the queen bed, we see a painting depicting Cinderella’s approach to the ball at the castle.

Another notable difference is the location of the television. Instead of residing in a movable frame next to the desk, it is mounted to the wall next to the bed, which could make for uncomfortable tv viewing.

The Standard Inside Staterooms have a three-piece bathroom that includes a tub/toilet with a glass door, toilet, and sink.

While the bedding and decor are updated, the overall layout is similar, with a few notable changes. The closets have been moved next to the vanity/desks, and the bathroom door opens out to the main room area – not sure if that is a choice I would have made. But as an avid inside stateroom cruiser, I am excited to experience a cruise in one of these beautiful rooms.

The Biggest Pro of an Inside Stateroom: The Disney Service Standard is the Same!

When you book any stateroom on Disney Cruise Line, you can expect the same gold standard of service. Your amazing Stateroom Host (or room steward) will visit your room twice a day for housekeeping, turn-down service and to replenish towels and toiletries. You still have the same access to shows, dining and all other on-board activities as guests booked in more expensive rooms. 

As avid cruisers, we like that having an inside stateroom frees up a little extra cash to spend elsewhere on our vacation. That’s not to say we don’t splurge on a verandah from time to time, but we know that we are perfectly happy no matter the category of room we book.

Need help choosing the right stateroom for your family. This episode of the DCL Show will help.

About Post Author

Melanie Clatfelter

Melanie is the mom of three young adults. She is a native Floridian who now lives in North Carolina. She is a Gold Castaway Club Member who has sailed on all four of the current ships at least once and is ready to set sail on the Disney Wish this fall.

See author's posts

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A Complete Guide to Disney Fantasy Cruise Rooms

By Wendy Leave a Comment

AAAHH , the Disney Fantasy ! Following a magical day of sunning, splashing, and dining aboard this beautiful Disney Cruise Line ship, the only thing left to do is settle into your stateroom to dream about the next day’s adventures!

The Disney Fantasy

Now, as far as I’m concerned, ANY stateroom on the Disney Fantasy is a great one… because it means you’re on the Disney Fantasy! That said, there are a LOT of stateroom options to choose from. And depending on the size of your group as well as your personal preferences, it’s best to know and understand all of the options and features of each room before you book your “home away from home” at sea.

To that end, we’re taking a look at ALL of the staterooms onboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship. But first? A quick overview…

Disney Fantasy Stateroom Overview

The Disney Fantasy joined the Disney Cruise Line fleet as the fourth Disney Cruise ship, and it’s the sister ship to the Disney Dream (hence, it is known as a “Dream Class” ship). The Disney Fantasy’s maiden voyage set sail on March 31, 2012.

Did you know that Disney Cruise Line ships offer some of the largest staterooms in the cruise industry? From inside cabins to verandah views to luxurious concierge suites, you may be surprised at the sheer amount of booking options available to you for the Fantasy. Here’s a quick glance from a numbers perspective:

• The Disney Fantasy is 1,115 feet long, and 216 feet tall;
• The Disney Fantasy can carry 4,000 passengers;
• 150 — or 12% — are inside staterooms;
• 1,100 — or a whopping 88% — are outside staterooms:
• 199 of the outside staterooms offer ocean view windows;
• 901 staterooms offer verandahs (including 21 suites)

That said, even within those numbers, there are still more specific room categories. Let’s break it down, starting with the Concierge Level rooms.

BTW, you’ll notice a small series of letters or a number (or a combination of both) after the name of each style of room . These are the Room Categories on the Disney Fantasy for booking purposes.

Concierge Level

Concierge royal suite with verandah (category oor).

• Size: 1,029 sq. ft. including verandah
• View: Private verandah

The Concierge Royal Suites with Verandah are the largest and most luxurious suites aboard the ship. There are two on the Fantasy: one named after Walt Disney and the other after his brother Roy Disney.

©Disney Cruise Line

Concierge Royal Suites with Verandah have two bedrooms (one with a queen-size bed; and one with 2 twin beds and 2 pull-down upper berths).

Guests will find 2.5 bathrooms (including whirlpool tubs), a living room, a media library complete with a wall pull-down bed, a “dining salon,” (ooh, la la!), a pantry, and a wet bar. The Royal Suites even boast walk-in closets!

(P.S. We recently took a look at the Royal Suites on the upcoming Disney Treasure cruise ship , which are themed to two beloved Disney felines. If you’d like, you can check them out here !)

Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah (Category OOT)

• Size: 614 sq. ft. including verandah

Concierge 1-Bedroom Suites with Verandah offer guests one bedroom with a Queen bed in the bedroom, along with an additional double sofa bed and a Murphy bed in the living room. Each of the two bathrooms have a rain shower, while the Master Bath has a whirlpool bath. The 1-Bedroom Suites also feature a walk-in closet.

There are six Concierge One Bedroom Suites with Verandah on Deck 11, and thirteen on Deck 12 of the Disney Fantasy.

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category OOV)

• Size: 304 sq. ft. including verandah

Concierge Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah feature a Queen-size bed, a double convertible sofa, an upper berth pull-down bed, a full bath (complete with a vanity, sink, round tub and handheld shower), and a half bath (with a vanity, sink and toilet).

This option can comfortably accommodate a family of five. (And a bonus is that the kiddos will very likely LOVE the upper berth pull-down bed!) Additional room features include a couch, a TV, and a desk (with upgraded furnishings). Another appreciated feature is the heavy privacy curtain that separates the seating area from the sleeping area.

All of these particular staterooms are located on Decks 11 and 12 (with 14 staterooms on Deck 12 and 6 on Deck 11).

Guests sailing concierge in all room categories, of course, have access to exclusive services and dedicated areas on the ship, as well as a sun deck available only via a private entrance. We discuss much more about sailing Concierge in this post .

Is Concierge Level Worth It on Disney Cruise Line?

Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah

Deluxe family oceanview stateroom with oversized verandah (category 4e).

• Sleeps: 3-4
• Size: 299 sq. ft. including verandah

Offering a Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, and a split bath* with tub and shower, the Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Oversized Verandah boast larger balconies, and are only located on Deck 5. They are the same size and configuration as all of the Deluxe Oceanview Family Staterooms on the Disney Fantasy, BUT be aware that this particular room category only sleep 3 to 4 guests.

*Disney Cruise Line’s innovative “split bath” concept features a bathroom with a vanity, sink, shower and round tub, and a half bathroom with a vanity, sink and toilet. This offers travel groups the opportunity for two people to have their own space to get ready at one time.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category 4A-D)

With a Queen-size bed (which can be converted into 2 twin beds, if preferred), a single convertible sofa, a wall pull-down bed, and an upper berth pull-down bed, Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah can sleep up to 5 people. Because they are so spacious, this is possibly one of the best options for a family that likes to spend some downtime in their room as well as exploring the ship.

This category also features the popular split bath (as discussed above), and the breakdown of Deck locations is as follows:

• Category 4A are located on Decks 9 and 10
• Category 4B are located on Deck 8
• Category 4C are located on Deck 7
• Category 4D are located on Deck 6

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Oversized Verandah (Category 5E)

• Size: 246 sq. ft.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Oversized Verandah offer a Queen-size bed (or 2 twin beds), a single convertible sofa, a wall pull-down bed and upper berth pull-down bed, as well as the split bath feature with a tub and shower (where the shower and toilet area are conveniently separate). Up to 5 passengers can share this space, and this is another great choice for families that plan to enjoy some time in their room.

These staterooms, by the way, are identical to the other Category 5 staterooms, but they offer a larger balcony. (Be aware, however, that some of the balconies have a white wall, as opposed to clear plexiglass.) Staterooms in this category are located on Decks 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category 5A-D)

• Size: 268 sq. ft. including verandah

Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah offer a Queen-size bed (or 2 twin beds), a single convertible sofa, a wall pull-down bed and an upper berth pull-down bed.

The split bath with tub and shower is also a feature here, and these staterooms will also sleep up to 5 people. Note that these staterooms are identical to the Category 6 Staterooms, except they have a clear Perspex Verandah wall.

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Category 6)

• Sleeps: 3 or 4

Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah offer a Queen-size bed (or 2 twin beds), a single convertible sofa, an upper berth pull-down bed (if sleeping 4), and a split bath with tub and shower.

The only difference from the higher (and typically more expensive) Category 5 is that these staterooms have a white wall balcony, while the others have a clear Perspex balcony wall. So, the practical difference is that you cannot see the ocean when you are sitting down on a white wall verandah, but you can on a verandah with a clear wall.

Now, does this make a difference? Well, from an enjoyment perspective, only you can make that call. But from a budget perspective, you may pay hundreds of dollars less for a white wall verandah as opposed to a clear one.

• Category 6A are located on Decks 8 and 9;
• Category 6B are located on Decks 5, 6 and 7.

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Navigators Verandah (Category 7)

Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms With a Navigators Verandah offer a Queen-size bed (or 2 twin beds), a single convertible sofa, and a split bath with tub and shower. While there is little noticeable difference between Category 7 and Categories 5 and 6, it’s important to note the difference in the verandah. Though the verandah itself is the same size, it is enclosed with a very large, open air porthole to look through.

These staterooms are located on Decks 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Ocean View Staterooms with Porthole Windows

Deluxe family oceanview stateroom (category 8a-d).

• Sleeps: 3 or 5
• Size: 241 sq. ft.
• View: One large porthole window

Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms offer a Queen-size bed (or two twin beds), a single convertible sofa, an upper berth pull-down bed (if sleeping 4), and the split bath with tub and shower. Here is a look at a stateroom with a large Porthole Window.

The Category 8 Staterooms are located either aft (in the back) or forward (at the front) of the ship. Locations are as follows:

• Category 8A are located on Decks 5 and 6;
• Category 8B are located on Deck 9;
• Category 8C are located on Deck 7 and 8;
• Category 8D are located on Deck 5 and 6

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom (Category 9A-D)

• Sleeps: 4 or 5
• Size: 204 sq. ft.
• View: One large porthole window OR 2 small porthole windows

Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms offer a Queen-size bed (or two twin beds), a single convertible sofa, an upper berth pull-down bed (if sleeping 4), and the split bath feature with tub and shower.

The Category 8 and 9 rooms are considered deluxe outside staterooms (which means that they have a large porthole window.) However, the Category 9 staterooms that are located on Deck 1 have two smaller porthole windows. At 204 square feet, these staterooms sleep 3 passengers (with some sleeping 4). And it’s especially helpful to know that these are among the first categories to book on the ship!

So, the Category 9 Staterooms all have a window, but there are differences to be aware of:

• Category 9A Staterooms have One Porthole Window and are located on Decks 5, 6, 7 and 8;
• Category 9B Staterooms have One Porthole Window and are located on Deck 2. These are noteworthy for their terrific location close to the inside amenities of the ship. (If you’d prefer to be closer to the pool decks, though, you’ll want to choose a higher deck.)
• Category 9C Staterooms have One Porthole Window with an Obstructed View and are located on 6, 7 and 8. The extent of the obstruction will vary, but be aware that you will have a view of at least part of a lifeboat out of your window.

Inside Staterooms

Deluxe inside stateroom (category 10a).

• View: No exterior view (but does feature a Virtual Porthole)

Deluxe Inside Staterooms on the Disney Fantasy offer a Queen-size bed (or 2 twin beds), a single convertible sofa, an upper berth pull-down bed (if sleeping 4), and split bath with tub and shower.

Though Inside Staterooms do not offer any exterior view, these cozy staterooms on both the Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream have Virtual Portholes! Disney Cruise Line’s Virtual Portholes were a cruise industry first, offering real-time virtual views for the ship’s exterior reflecting your staterooms actual location on the ship! This unique (and frankly brilliant) feature serves a practical function in helping to alleviate potential claustrophobia. But wait… there’s more…

Virtual Portholes also enhanced as “Magical Portholes.” This means that, at any given moment, an “enchanting surprise” featuring a beloved Disney animated character or two may suddenly appear in the Porthole! (It’s SO! FUN!) And no worries about catching a little shut-eye with this feature, as this option can turned on or off with a switch.

Deluxe Inside Staterooms are located on Decks 5, 6 ,7, 8, and 9. Generally speaking, the higher up in the ship that your stateroom is positioned, the higher the price.

Standard Inside Stateroom (Category 11A-C)

• Sleeps: 3 or 4;
• Size: 169 sq. ft.

Standard Inside Staterooms offer a Queen-size bed (or 2 twin beds), and a single convertible sofa. Some offer an upper berth pull-down bed. These are the lowest priced staterooms on the ship… and are likewise the smallest. The other major difference between this category and the other available categories is that these staterooms do not have the split-bathroom design of the others. (Though each bathroom does have a tub).

The fabulous Virtual Portholes (I’m a little biased, because I LOVE THESE!) are included with Standard Inside Staterooms, as well.

• Category 11A are located on Decks 8, 9 and 10;
• Category 11B are located on Decks 5, 6 and 7;
• Category 11C are located on Deck 2

Before we sail away, it’s worth noting that Accessible Rooms are also available in the various categories. And while we’ve discussed the main room differences, ALL staterooms aboard the Disney Fantasy offer amenities including — but by no means limited to — an in-room safe, full-length mirrors, a refrigerator, a hair dryer, premium bedding, bath products, a flat-screen TV on swivel arm, and MUCH more.

And with that, I’m sure ready to SAIL AWAY on the Disney Fantasy! How about you?

Click HERE to Get Our Free Downloadable Cruise Packing List

Learn more about disney cruise line’s entire fleet here, what you need to know about disney cruise line, learn all about disney cruise line and its various ships, explore disney’s mega cruise ship – the wish, a full list of what you can’t bring on a disney cruise, these are the best times to book your disney cruise, the best ways to save space in your tiny cruise cabin, 10 things you need on your next cruise (that you won’t think to pack), what it’s like to live on a cruise ship for 6 months, join the dfb newsletter to get all the latest disney news delivered right to your inbox click here to subscribe, trending now.

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10 Things You May Want to Know About Disney Cruise Staterooms

Are you wondering what your stateroom will be like on your Disney cruise ?  What does it have, what does it not have?  I am here to help!  Here’s 10 things you may want to know.

3. Bathrooms – Maybe even more important than beds! And I have more good news. The bathrooms are great! They’re small (small rooms remember), but they’re great. On all ships, with the exception of accessible staterooms and category 8A’s on the Dream and Fantasy, everything in categories 4- 10 have split bathrooms. Split bathrooms are genius! A split bathroom means there essentially two bathrooms which is so helpful with multiple people getting ready. One has a sink and toilet, and the other has a sink and tub/shower. You heard me bath loving people, Disney has a tub in their bathrooms. On most other lines, you’ll have to get to the suites before a tub is an option. In categories 8D, 8C, 8B, 4 and V on the Dream and Fantasy, there are actually round tubs! With rainfall shower heads! The V on the Magic and Wonder, and R, S and T on all ships have a whole ‘nother level of bathrooms and tubs. The tub in the 1-bedroom suites on the Dream and Fantasy is more like a small pool.

5. Storage – For a small room, it’s surprising how much storage there is! As I mentioned above, there is a lot of space under the bed for suitcases. Then there are two closets with some built in shelves, and a set of drawers and a shelf next to the closet. There are small end table type shelves with small drawers next to the bed. There’s also some space under the desk, as well as steamer trunks in some rooms on the Wonder (though these seem to be disappearing) and a nice dresser where steamer trunks used to be in some rooms. The Dream and Fantasy also have coffee tables that open up for even more storage! And finally there’s a desk with drawers and some cabinets over that. As with some of the other items, concierge rooms have even more storage space than normal rooms.

7. Desk – You’d probably like to know what is in your desk too! There are actually some handy things. There are hair dryers in the drawers so you don’t have to bring your own! For anyone that hates the vacuum cleaner type hairdryers in the bathrooms on the Magic and Wonder, they now also have hairdryers in the desk. In one of the drawers you’ll also find stationary, postcards, a pen, and room service menus. The room service menu is hidden rather well inside the large Disney Cruise Line book. The room service menu for breakfast foods is also in the drawer, but it’s printed on some paper door hangers. If you would like room service breakfast any night but the last night, you use this order form and hang it outside your door the night before. On top of the desk you will also find your Wave Phones if you use them. Underneath one side of the desk you will also find a small refrigerator.

9. Television – There are nice televisions in all the rooms, on all the ships. Some of the concierge rooms have three! They are all similar, but they are different based on which ship you are on. On the Magic and Wonder there are several channels, a few of which have Disney movies and new(ish) releases playing all day long. There’s also a view from the bridge, and an information channel showing where you’ve been, where you’re going, what’s the weather, etc. You’ll also find some popular network channels like ESPN, CNN, the Disney Channel and ABC when they are available. On the Dream and Fantasy, the TV’s have more features added, like an excellent selection of On-Demand Movies. There’s a channel with just about every Disney or Pixar animated movie ever made, a channel with new releases (I may or may not have watched Jurassic World through about 6 times in October onboard the Dream) and a channel of classics. The beauty of On Demand is that you can start and stop the movies every time you’re in the room. I don’t think we’re doing it right if we don’t have a Disney movie (Jurassic World totally counted) playing at all times when we are in our room and awake. You can also view your bill on your TV on the Dream and Fantasy, although it’s glitchy at times.

What did I forget? Is there anything else you’d like to know about your stateroom?

Tammy Whiting  is the owner of Storybook Destinations . Did you know Storybook Destinations offers a  complimentary subscription to TouringPlans with qualified Disney and Universal bookings? Click here for a no-obligation quote on your next vacation.

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Tammy Whiting

Tammy has been a lover of all things Disney for most of her life. There’s nowhere on this Earth she’d rather be than on a Disney cruise with her family. She’s a Space Force wife and proud mom of two wonderful children and one beautiful daughter-in-law . She fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2008 and became a travel agent specializing in Disney vacations. She now owns her own travel agency - Storybook Destinations. You can reach Tammy at [email protected].

15 thoughts on “ 10 Things You May Want to Know About Disney Cruise Staterooms ”

Hi I’m taking my adult autistic daughter on a Disney Cruise soon and wondering what kind of room is the accessibility room

Accessible rooms are booked on the Disney Fantasy cruise we want to go on to celebrate a big 50th anniversary with grandchildren, etc. Are there any grab bars in the bathrooms? Especially the shower/ tubs? Do the tubs have a side on them big enough to sit then swivel into the tub? Is there a lip on the entrance to the bathroom someone could trip on? Thanks for the help.

That’s a wonderful celebration, congratulations! We did the same with my parents on the Fantasy. There are not any grab bars in the standard rooms. The side on the tub is fairly standard size, so not very big. The sides of the tubs in the staterooms with a round tub is a little wider! That would be easier to get in, but it’s not a huge side. There is a lip to get into the bathroom that you could trip on if you weren’t expecting it. One bedrooms have a huge tub with no lip to get into the bathroom if that was doable for you!

What are the dimensions of the shower/bath? We are a tall (6’4) family of 3 and my spouse has a very large shoulder width. This is our first cruise and we are thinking about a room with verandah for the extra square footage.

I don’t know the exact dimensions, but they are not huge. Having said that, they are bigger than any other standard shower on any other cruise line I’ve been on. The shower width would be big enough for most people!

A category 4D and up would give you a round tub. It’s not a huge tub, but it would give you much more shoulder room for the shower!

What is the length of the sofa bed (ie: how tall can someone be before hitting their head on the arm)?

They are fairly close to standard twin size mattress length! The couch arms would be at either end making it feel a little smaller.

Actually, my growing teenager stretched out, and slept on it without any problems…I’m thinking it may even be an extra long twin?

Good to know, Tia!

We are sailing on the Dream in June and have a Category 5a stateroom. No coffee maker in the stateroom, right? What is the best way to get my early morning caffeine?

That is correct, Julie, no coffee makers. Order it from room service! You could order it the night before (most people report it stays hot in the carafe they deliver it in), or have it delivered the next morning. Order it the night before with the breakfast cards in the drawer. You can pick a time (within 30 minutes) you would like it delivered. If you would like specialty coffees, you could also venture up on deck to the Cove Cafe, but that will cost a little bit.

Category 11 inside standard staterooms do NOT have a split bathroom.

You are correct, Tammi! That was a typo that I will now fix. Thank you! 🙂

I always find there are a lack of shelves. I bring a folding set of shoe shelves that I can hang in the closet. And a pop up laundry basket is really helpful for keeping your room tidy.

That’s a good tip, Michelle! I bring a pop-up laundry hamper myself!

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Meet the Panelist: Tracie, Florida

Ahoy! Just like Moana, I feel the irresistible call of the sea. I think the best vacation is aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship – thankfully, my family agrees. Whether savoring gelato in Italy, snorkeling in Mexico, or basking in the sea breeze on deck, each destination fills us with memories to last a lifetime. I look forward to helping your family plan a Disney Cruise Line adventure brimming with cherished moments!

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The ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line ships and itineraries

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After decades of success making families smile and laugh at its theme parks, Disney dipped its toes into the world of cruising in 1998. Disney didn’t just copy another cruise line’s model for success or slap its name on the side of an existing ship. It created its own brand of cruising.

Disney went so far into charting its own path as to get special approval from the U.S. Coast Guard for its ships’ lifeboats to be yellow instead of regulation orange, to tie into the colors of Mickey himself — black, red, white and yellow.

Now, Disney Cruise Line has five ships sailing in those signature colors, along with three more on order. In a normal year, those five ships take tens of thousands of families on sailings to the Caribbean , Mexico, Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, Bahamas, through the Panama Canal and even to Australia and New Zealand.

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

Having sailed four of Disney Cruise Line’s five ships, I can say the experience is indeed special — especially if you have kids. But Disney’s not a one-trick cruise line that’s only good for one age group. It offers kids clubs and activities to suit babies through teens and has several adults-only areas of the ship . Its newest ship, Disney Wish , provides more cool spaces for adults than any previous vessel.

Disney’s attention to detail transfers to its voyages on the sea. But unlike at the Disney theme parks, which can be a bit complicated to navigate, long lines and complex strategies are rarely a part of the Disney cruise experience.

Get the free planning help of a Disney vacation planner via TPG’s partner, Mouse Counselors .

What TPG loves about Disney Cruise Line

• Broadway-caliber shows and first-run movies.
• Disney-level service and attention to detail.
• High-quality Disney character interactions and kids clubs.
• Innovative, included rotational dining.

What we could do without

• Disney cruises are expensive.
• The onboard Wi-Fi is not the fastest, especially on ships that haven’t been upgraded. And it’s not cheap.

Disney Cruise Line fleet

While Disney may be a household name, Disney Cruise Line is actually a small line. It currently sails just five ships, compared to 27 at its family-friendly competitor Royal Caribbean .

Of the five, two are smaller ships, and three are larger.

The largest ships in Disney’s fleet are Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, at 1,115 feet long and 14 decks high, and Disney Wish , at 1,119 feet and 15 decks high.

These three ships each have a passenger capacity of 4,000 people spread out across approximately 1,250 cabins. The overwhelming majority of cabins on these ships have an ocean view or private verandah, with only 10%-12% being windowless inside cabins. (On its oldest four ships, these interior rooms have a “magical porthole” that displays a live feed from outside to replicate a window.)

Disney Treasure , expected to join the fleet in 2024, will be in the same larger Triton class of ships as Disney Wish.

Disney Wish is currently a workhorse of short three- and four-night sailings from Port Canaveral , Florida, to the Bahamas, home to Disney’s private island , Castaway Cay.

Disney Fantasy often sails weeklong cruises out of Florida. With the addition of Disney Wish to the fleet, Disney Dream now spends its summer across the Atlantic, offering European cruises from May to September, then spending much of the rest of the year based out of Fort Lauderdale.

The smaller two ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet are Disney Wonder and the line’s first ship, Disney Magic .

These two ships are 984 feet long and 11 decks high, and each has the capacity for 2,713 passengers across 875 staterooms. On these two smaller ships, 70% of passenger cabins have ocean views or verandahs.

Disney Wonder is often on the move and currently splits its time among Alaska , the South Pacific, Hawaii, California, Mexico and beyond. Disney Magic spends part of its year based out of Galveston, Texas, or New Orleans and much of the rest based out of Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Related: Best destinations you can sail to on a Disney cruise

Disney Cruise Line destinations and itineraries

Disney Cruise Line has about 370 annual departures scheduled that range from two- to 15-night sailings. Many new-to-Disney itineraries have recently become available as the line is adding new ships for the first time in a decade.

Disney Cruise Line destinations include:

• New Zealand
• Pacific Coast
• South Pacific

Disney Wish has, by far, the highest number of annual sailings, with 105 three- and four-night cruises departing from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas. These sailings all go to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay; some also stop in Nassau, Bahamas.

Some Disney cruises do what’s called a “double dip” and make two stops at the private island, where you can step ashore without leaving the Disney bubble.

Pro tip: If you go to Castaway Cay, rent a bike for a little exercise and a self-guided tour of the island. Or, you can run the at-your-pace 5K that morning around the island.

Coming in summer 2024 , Disney will have a second exclusive beach destination in the Bahamas — Lighthouse Point.

This won’t be an entire private island like Castaway Cay, but it will be an exclusive beachfront space designed for Disney Cruise Line with many similar offerings to Castaway. Disney Magic, Disney Wonder and Disney Fantasy will call on this new destination for the first time in 2024.

Related: Best tips and tricks for sailing with Disney Cruise Line

Who sails Disney Cruise Line?

Let’s start with the obvious: Families love Disney Cruise Line.

The ultimate sweet spot for taking a Disney cruise starts when a child is at least 3 years old and potty trained (the criteria that get them into the included kids clubs) and lasts until they outgrow their love of Disney characters. Remember, Disney now includes the “Star Wars” and Marvel brands and offers themed cruises featuring those characters, too.

A Disney cruise costs more than a similar cruise on a line like Royal Caribbean , so it’s easiest to justify the expense when your kids love Disney the most.

So, yes, the stereotype that Disney Cruise Line is full of families is 100% correct.

You’ll see many families with kids in those preschool, elementary and middle school years. But you’ll also see families with little babies (the minimum age is 6 months on most sailings, 1 year on Panama Canal and transatlantic sailings), tweens, teens, college-age kids and even grandparents who have made a Disney cruise an enjoyable multigenerational travel tradition.

Related: Comparing Disney, Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruises for families

You’ll also see cruisers who love Disney regardless of age and are proud to wear their Mickey ears while hearing the first seven notes of the “When You Wish Upon a Star” melody blown from the ship’s massive horn.

Just like you don’t need kids to have a great time at Disney World or Disneyland, you can happily cruise as adults without offspring on Disney Cruise Line. All the ships have active adults-only sun decks, pool and lounges. Disney Wish especially invested in its adult offerings with an infinity pool, along with more bars spread around the ship instead of being clustered into one main area.

Disney Cruise Line cabins and suites

At a basic level, Disney Cruise Line offers five main types of cabins across the fleet. In its simplified version, the types of cabins on a Disney cruise include:

• Windowless inside cabins
• Ocean-view cabins
• Verandah cabins (with private balconies)
• Verandah cabins with concierge service
• Suites with concierge service

These cabins start at 169 square feet for a standard inside cabin and go up to a two-story, 1,966-square-foot Tower Suite on Disney Wish .

Unless you are OK with the smallest space on the ship or have a budget for the largest, the sweet spot for price and comfort on Disney Cruise Line vessels is probably the cabins that are around 204 square feet and usually come with a queen bed, single sleeper sofa and upper-berth pull-down bed and a split bath.

This split bathroom situation places a sink and the shower/tub combo in one bathroom and the toilet and another sink in the other. Each has its own separate door, so someone could use the toilet/sink room while another takes a shower, all in private and at the same time.

You’ll find this cabin layout within the Deluxe Inside Staterooms, Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms and Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah categories.

The Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms and Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah add about 40 more square feet to the equation. If you want the largest within those room categories, search for rooms that can hold five people on the Disney Cruise Line website.

Pro tip: You can ask your cabin host for cartoon bedding for the kid’s bed if you think your child will be excited to come back from dinner to one of their Disney favorites.

You can connect many of the cabins on the ship , which is often a much more economical solution for a family looking for more sleeping space (and bathrooms) than upgrading to a multibedroom suite. Roughly speaking, a family of four will pay about 50% more for two cabins than they will for everyone to stay in one cabin of the same size.

Related: 7 nights. 4 people. 1 cruise ship cabin. Can we survive?

If you are going all-out on a particular trip, or are simply working with a larger budget, Disney concierge suites are special.

The smallest available room with this service is the Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, which isn’t all that different from the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, other than the included concierge service. From there, you can go up to the one- or two-bedroom suites.

Be prepared for sticker shock, though, as these suites will almost certainly be near or over five figures on many sailings.

While pricey, Disney concierge service eliminates almost all of the potential pain points of a Disney cruise (not that there are many pain points to begin with).

Disney concierge service gets you access to the Disney Concierge Lounge, which has food offerings multiple times per day and a fully stocked fridge with sodas, juices and bottles of water.

In the evenings, you’ll find included beer, wine and spirits in the lounge — which you can also take with you as you head out to dinner or to enjoy the view from the deck.

The Concierge Lounge also has its own private deck, and Disney characters have been known to make a private appearance there during the cruise. (Don’t worry, you’ll get a heads-up.)

Related: Is Disney Cruise Line concierge service worth it?

You also have your own check-in area at the port and are among the first to board the ship, which can mean extra time to enjoy having the waterslides to yourself. At the end of the cruise, you can have a private elevator that takes you down to be some of the first off the ship — which should protect you from a long line to say goodbye.

There are other perks of the concierge level, too, such as early front-row seating at shows, included popcorn and the ability to submit your request for meal reservations at Palo or Remy, cabanas on Castaway Cay, spa treatments, character meet-and-greets or whatever else you wish before other guests. These can be made for you starting 120 days before your sailing, which is before all other guests except those with the highest elite status tier in the Castaway Club .

Passengers on their first Disney cruise don’t get to make those reservations until 75 days out if they aren’t in the concierge level. The reality is the hottest items are often booked up by then, especially on shorter cruises when there’s less time to do everything.

Those in the concierge level in one-bedroom suites and higher can also order room service from the restaurants to their cabin, which means you can have a hot breakfast on your verandah if you wish instead of the regular continental options available to most guests.

If you are on the fence about concierge service, it’s arguably most valuable when you are on a shorter cruise, have some specific popular must-have items on your reservation wish list or want someone else to take care of everything. You can also inquire about discounted upgrades at the port, assuming rooms are left unsold on your voyage.

Pro tip: Regardless of your cabin, bring magnetic Mickey or nautical-themed decor for the entrance, as most of the cabin doors are magnetic. Decorating is a fun tradition on a Disney cruise.

Related: Review of sailing in a suite with Disney concierge service 

Disney Cruise Line restaurants and dining options

You will not go hungry on a Disney cruise. From room service to evening dinners, meals are (mostly) all included.

Rotational dining

On each Disney ship, three main dining rooms serve as dinner restaurants that participate in rotational dining. Each ship has its own lineup of themed rotational restaurants, but the concept remains the same on each.

Each night, your tablemates and servers will move from one restaurant to the next as a team. This way, the servers get to know that you always want to start with a glass of red wine, or your kids’ food needs to come ASAP so you can take them to the kids club as soon as they finish, or (in my case) your daughter wants a side of barbecue sauce with … everything.

You must choose between an early and a late dinner time, with your showtime opposite your dining time. Some restaurants, such as Animator’s Palate, are found on multiple ships, while others are unique to one ship, such as Tiana’s Place on Disney Wonder and all of the rotational restaurants found on Disney Wish .

Included restaurants on Disney Magic

• Animator’s Palate
• Rapunzel’s Royal Table

Included restaurants on Disney Wonder

• Tiana’s Place

Included restaurants on Disney Dream

• Enchanted Garden
• Royal Palace

Included restaurants on Disney Fantasy

• Royal Court

Included restaurants on Disney Wish

• Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure
• Worlds of Marvel

At these restaurants, you can order whatever you want on the menu at no extra charge, with a few exceptions (for example, alcohol and specialty drinks cost extra).

While many guests dress up a bit for dinner (compared to their afternoon pool deck attire), most stay relatively casual for the rotational dining restaurants. Disney does not impose a specific dress-up requirement.

Disney cruise ships offer many other dining options beyond the three included themed restaurants — most included, some not.

Room service

Room service is mostly free (other than sodas or alcohol), though the menu is limited if you aren’t staying in a concierge-level cabin. Still, it’s free room service, so I’m not one to complain.

Pro tip: Fill the breakfast card out the night before and hang it on your stateroom to get breakfast exactly when you want it the next morning.

And you haven’t lived until your kids learn how to call and order free Mickey ice cream bars to the cabin … every night (just be sure and add a tip).

Buffet and grab-and-go

Your Disney cruise will also include a buffet known as Cabanas on the original four ships and Marceline Market on Disney Wish. The buffet is usually open for breakfast and lunch, though not in the evening hours.

In addition to the buffet, a few grab-and-go quick-service restaurants on the pool deck serve salads, chili, pizza, barbecue and more, depending on which ship you’re sailing.

Don’t miss these options, as some are quite good. They are typically open from late morning until later into the evening.

Room service, the buffet and the on-deck food counter dining options don’t cost extra and are available to you in addition to or instead of your rotational dining.

You’ll also find included ice cream on one of the upper decks. A pro-level hack is to get Mickey churro waffles from the buffet in the morning (only available some mornings) and add vanilla ice cream for a vacation-worthy breakfast.

Extra-cost, adults-only restaurants

At the top of the “costs extra” list are the restaurants Palo (found on all five ships, though it’s Palo Steakhouse on Disney Wish), Remy (on Dream and Fantasy) and Enchante (only on Disney Wish).

Remy is a fancy adults-only French restaurant that costs $125 per person for dinner (more if you order drinks). This is the type of place where men need jackets and women are expected to wear dresses, pantsuits or a skirt and blouse. Enchante on Disney Wish is similar — you’re dressing up for these meals.

Palo is also fancy, though a notch less fancy than Remy. You’ll see jackets and dresses in Palo, but you can also get by with nice jeans if you want. This adults-only restaurant serves Northern Italian fare and starts at about $45 per person for a multicourse brunch or dinner, though you can also order a la carte for dinner, which could cost more or less, depending on your order.

I can say with 100% certainty that if you enjoy a nice meal, this is worth the extra $45 once during your cruise . From the breadbasket to the dessert, it’s all amazing. You’ll gain 5 pounds, but you won’t regret a bite.

These reservations are hard to get, especially for brunch, so you’ll want to make them the second you are eligible and keep checking back for cancellations if you miss out the first time.

Coffee shops and snack shops

On a Disney cruise, the snacks and pastries you’ll see in the coffee shop or kiosk are all included, but the specialty coffee will cost extra. Drink prices are roughly similar to Starbucks, if not a notch lower. Be sure and ask for the Cafe Fanatic card if you’re a regular, as your sixth drink will be free.

In addition to the included soft-serve ice cream and Mickey bars available via room service, your ship may have some shops with extra-fee ice cream. This can confuse kids, so I want to warn you beforehand. On Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish, you’ll find an ice cream shop stuffed with candies, gelato and ice cream — all for an extra charge.

Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy also have a juice bar that costs extra.

The exact bars will vary by vessel, but you can expect spots like a wine and Champagne bar, a pub, a laid-back lounge and a bar with live entertainment.

These bars are a lot of fun and are not to be missed if you like live music or a nice drink at the end of the day. Keep an eye out in your app for when and where the happy hours are on board if you want to save a few dollars on your drinks. Some bars also offer a sommelier bin where you get a nice glass of wine at a discounted price — as long as you put the bartender in charge of choosing your drink.

Some of the drink-tasting classes that you book in advance can be a good value if you’re a fan of the drink on offer and are interested in learning a little bit while you sip. You’ll want to book these before sailing, as many do sell out.

Food on Castaway Cay

If your cruise takes you to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, you’re in luck, as there’s plenty of included food to eat there, too.

Just like on board, some of the food on Castaway is included, while alcohol and specialty drinks are not. The Cookie’s and Cookie’s Too lunch shacks on the island are both included, so load up on hot dogs, barbecue, hamburgers, fries and all the fixings. Vegetarian options are available.

While the food options here are somewhat basic, they still make for a fun and free meal.

Entertainment and activities on a Disney cruise

A valid reason to want to sail with Disney is the onboard fun that awaits — especially for those who love Disney characters and stories.

Theaters and shows

Each Disney cruise ship features two theaters. In the massive Walt Disney Theatre, you’ll enjoy Broadway-caliber evening shows such as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Disney Dreams,” “The Golden Mickeys” and more. If you want a good seat, arrive about 30 minutes early since seating is first come, first served.

The Buena Vista Theatre screens first-run Disney films. These will be the same films still showing in theaters on land. If you happen to be at sea when a new Disney movie premieres on land, you’ll also get that same first look at sea.

Pirate Night is a staple on many Disney cruises in the Caribbean. On that themed night, expect everyone to be dressed in their pirate-y best for the evening, so pack accordingly. Your dinner will also have a pirate theme, followed by a fun show up on deck, complete with fireworks.

Pro tip: If you plan to stay up late for Pirate Night, try to work in a nap that afternoon so you don’t miss out on the nighttime fun.

Game shows, karaoke, bingo and more

The extensive lineup of interactive game shows, trivia, karaoke, dance parties, bingo and more listed in the Disney cruise app are worth checking out. Some of these are adults-only, while others are fun for the whole family. Most are included in the price of the cruise, though bingo does cost extra — and you could win real money.

Other interior attractions and activities

Meeting Disney characters is a fun part of a Disney cruise.

You can make reservations to meet the popular princesses, but most characters are easy to walk up to and meet via a short line. Or, even better, you often see them roaming about the ship at unexpected times.

You can work off some of those treats and drinks at the onboard fitness center on each ship.

The Senses Spa & Salon is a full-service spa with everything from massages to pedicures and hair care. Promotions are available if you book more than one treatment. If you have a Disney Visa card , you can also save 20% on select onboard services.

Pro tip: The showers in this part of the ship are full-size, in case you are getting a bit claustrophobic in the shower in your cabin.

If you like getting away to relax, look at purchasing access to the Rainforest Room for heated stone loungers, aromatherapy showers and even hot tubs on the larger ships. You can buy a one-day or full-cruise pass to this area of the spa, but get a tour first as the layout and inclusions in this space vary dramatically from ship to ship.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Little cruisers can be transformed into a princess or pirate at sea at the onboard Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, which does themed kid makeovers and sells costumes as part of the package. You’ll need an appointment; expect to pay $100 to $200 for most packages.

This is a fun thing to do before meeting a princess, before a more formal night or anytime you want to see a huge smile on your kid’s face. If you have a princess dress or outfit from home you want to use or reuse, you can purchase a cheaper package at Bibbidi Bobbidi.

Decktop attractions

Waterslides.

All of Disney Cruise Line’s ships have some kind of waterslide on board.

The AquaDuck waterslide on Dream and Fantasy takes riders in single or double tubes 765 feet from Deck 12 up and down, through the forward funnel and on a four-deck drop. It’s pretty epic. AquaMouse on Disney Wish is also an inner tube-based ride and is not to be missed.

These lines can get long, so I recommend riding first thing when you board if the port is warm enough. Nighttime rides usually have short waits, too.

Disney Magic has the most thrilling waterslide in the fleet, called AquaDunk, and Disney Wonder has its own waterslide in the AquaLab splash area.

Each Disney ship has multiple pools, though if you’ve never been on a cruise, you may be initially shocked at how small they are — and how busy they can get.

As with the waterslides, we recommend enjoying these first thing when you board if you want to try them without crowds. Otherwise, you won’t find so many people in the pools on port days, early in the morning and right before dinner. There are thousands of people on the ship and only a few small pools, so plan accordingly.

Each ship has a pool and hot tub area for adults 18 and up. It can also get busy, but typically less busy than the family area. Select ships also offer an in-pool bar area for adults.

The adult sun deck is a nice place to grab a chair and relax, even if you have no intention of getting in the water.

Splash pads

Your little one has to be potty trained to use the onboard pools. The option for those still in swim diapers is some splash areas, such as Nemo’s Reef and Dory’s Reef.

Sports deck

If you want to be more active, head to your ship’s sports deck to play basketball, foosball, miniature golf and more. You may even have some sports simulator options beyond your traditional in-person fun.

Children’s programs

As a parent, my favorite part of a Disney cruise might be the included kids programs that children actually want to attend. If the kids are happy for a few hours, the parents can actually relax, too.

Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab for children ages 3–12

All five Disney ships have amazing spaces for kids in the 3-to-12-year-old range in the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab.

Here you’ll find video games, an indoor slide, fun programs and games with the staff, arts and crafts, surprise character visits and more. Your kids need to be potty trained to stay in this club, so use that as motivation for a kid approaching 3 years old before your next cruise.

Your kids don’t need an appointment to pop in here; they can come anytime from open to close — and the club stays open pretty late.

Parents can stay with kids and play during open hours on the first day and select times on other dates, but most of the time, the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are kids-only. Your kids will check in and out by scanning a special MagicBand that also tracks where they are within the kids clubs.

Disney Wish has the added perk in the kids club of a slide that takes the kids straight from the main atrium and into the fun.

Know that once your child turns 8, you have the option of giving them self-checkout privileges. While kids up to 12 are welcome in the main Oceaneer Club, they may start moving up to the tween club by the time they are 10 years old.

Edge tween club for children ages 11–14

When your kid outgrows the fun in the main kids club, don’t worry. Edge is waiting just upstairs.

Technically, Edge is for kids ages 11-14, but you can get your 10-year-old in with permission — and once they figure that out, it’s probably all over for the “little kid club.”

Edge is a much smaller space, but tweens have tons of fun playing video games, having dance parties, doing crafts, playing trivia games and more with their newfound cruise friends.

This club does not utilize parent sign-in and -out, so you need to trust your kid if they are coming to Edge. If your 10-to-12-year-old child visits Edge, they can also play at the Oceaneer Lab and Oceaneer Club, so they have options.

Vibe teen club for children ages 14–17

Get ready to be jealous of this one. On Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, the teen club has its own set of small pools at the front of the ship.

Inside all versions of the teen club, Vibe, you’ll find a tech-friendly world with loungers, dance parties, smoothies and other teen-approved fun. Some of the coolest inside space on Disney cruise ships is dedicated to teens ages 14-17, but you can request for your child to attend this club starting at 13 years old.

‘It’s a small world’ nursery for children 6 months to 3 years old

While the three previously mentioned kids clubs are free and do not require reservations, the nursery operates differently. You will need to make reservations, and the fee is $4.50 per half-hour for the first child and $4 per half-hour for each additional child.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

The specific documents you will need will vary by cruise destination. Having a passport is always a good idea, but it’s not technically required on all Disney cruises. For example, round-trip cruises originating in Port Canaveral, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, San Diego, New Orleans, New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, often do not require a passport.

Passports, when required, must be valid for at least six months. For cruises from international ports, you’ll need a passport. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

Related: Tips for getting a child’s passport

Disney Cruise Line adds a service gratuity of $14.50 per person per day to final bills. If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can lower this amount. Of course, you can visit guest services and adjust it upward, too.

To give an idea of the cost, a four-person family on a four-night cruise would pay $232 in recommended tips. The amount is split among your team of dining room servers who quickly learned your kids’ preferences for dinner and your cabin hosts who made your room look like magic while you were out enjoying yourself.

An 18% gratuity is added to onboard spa, bar, beverage, wine and deck service tabs. You can always add an additional gratuity for any of your services or servers.

While room service is free, it’s customary to add a few dollars of tip when you sign the “bill.”

While some gratuity is included at Palo and Remy, you’ll likely want to add an additional tip if you enjoyed the service. If you stay in a concierge-level room or suite, it is customary to tip the Concierge Lounge hosts at the end of your cruise a recommended amount of $8 per night per guest.

Related:  Everything you need to know about tipping on cruise ships  

Disney Cruise Line’s Wi-Fi, Connect@Sea, is in the process of being upgraded, so speed, bandwidth and cost vary by ship.

If you are on a ship that charges by day instead of by the amount of data used, expect the prices to vary from $12-$36 per day, depending on the speed you select. There are often discounts for buying Wi-Fi access for the length of the cruise.

If you are on a ship that still charges by the amount of data used, we recommend not doing that and connecting either when you are in port or via a plan from your cellphone provider.

Related: What’s the best international phone plan right now?

Carry-on drinks policy

Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of two bottles of unopened wine or Champagne (no larger than 750 milliliters) or six beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call. These beverages must be packed in carry-on (not checked) bags or luggage. You can keep drinks chilled in the small fridge in your cabin.

Guests wishing to consume wine or Champagne that they have brought on board in one of the dining rooms will be charged a corkage fee of $26 per bottle.

Smoking policy

Smoking is permitted only in designated deck areas. It’s forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies, and those who violate this rule will face a $250 cleaning fee.

For an additional fee, Disney ships offer full-service laundry and dry cleaning services that will pick up and deliver clean clothes to your cabin.

Ships also provide 24-hour, self-service guest laundry facilities equipped with washers and dryers, along with detergent and complimentary ironing equipment. You pay for the facilities by using your Key to the World card. These services can get busy during sea days on longer cruises, so plan accordingly.

Electrical outlets

All cabins are equipped with multiple 110-volt outlets, which are standard in the U.S. and Canada. Cabins on Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are equipped with a combination of 110- and 220-volt (European) outlets.

Small electrical appliances such as electric shavers, curling irons and flat irons with standard North American plugs will function on board; 110-volt items should not exceed 1,500 watts, and 220-volt items should not exceed 2,000 watts. A hair dryer is provided in every cabin for your convenience, but you may bring your own as long as it meets the guidelines above.

The currency on Disney Cruise Line ships, regardless of location, is the U.S. dollar.

When you are on the ship, you will not need cash or a credit card — all incidentals, purchases and services will be charged to your cabin folio. Your Key to the World card (or your DisneyBand+ on Disney Wish ) serves as your onboard payment method. The only exception is if you want to tip a crew member in cash.

In port, you may wish to carry cash or a credit card to buy snacks and souvenirs or to tip your tour guide.

Drinking age

For most Disney sailings, the drinking age on board is 21.

However, on round-trip cruises departing European countries with a lower drinking age, passengers 18-20 years of age can drink alcohol on board with signed parental consent. For round-trip cruises from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Brisbane, guests 18 years of age and older may purchase and consume alcoholic beverages without parental consent.

During the day, people dress casually. If it’s a sea day in a warm-weather destination, and you’re bound for the top deck, that means looking like you’re going to the beach. T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits (with a cover-up to go inside) are fine.

During the evenings, dining attire in the three main dining restaurants is “cruise casual,” meaning no swimwear or tank tops, but you don’t have to put on a party dress. That said, many guests do dress up a bit in the evening, but it’s not required unless you are dining in Palo, Remy or Enchante.

Cruises that are seven nights or longer schedule one “formal night” — though even then, it’s only encouraged, not required. On that night, you will see suits, sports coats, cocktail dresses and similar from some guests.

Pro tip: Be sure and pack that pirate gear for Pirate Night.

Related:  What to pack for your 1st cruise

Disney Cruise Line loyalty program

Disney Cruise Line has a simple loyalty program, the Castaway Club , with four “elite status” levels that you earn based on how many cruises you’ve taken with Disney. A three-night and 10-night cruise both count as one sailing for these purposes.

• Silver: One completed cruise
• Gold: Five completed cruises
• Platinum: 10 completed cruises
• Pearl: 25 completed cruises

Related:  The TPG guide to cruise line loyalty programs

This isn’t the kind of loyalty program where you earn free cruises the way you earn free flights with airline miles. Instead, as you go up in status, you earn perks and earlier access to booking cruises and activities — which is key for getting those hard-to-snag adult dining or Castaway Cay cabana reservations

Silver members

• Book new cruise itineraries one day before the general public and book onboard activities 90 days before sailing.
• Get a “welcome back aboard” gift (such as a bag), have access to a Castaway Club members-only line when boarding and access to a Castaway Club direct phone number.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 33 days before the general public.

Gold members

• All of those perks, but you can book new sailings two days before the general public and can book onboard activities 105 days before sailing.
• On eight-night and longer voyages, Gold Castaway Club members are also invited to a private reception with special entertainment. There are also select merchandise discounts available to Gold members and higher.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 35 days before the general public.

Platinum members

• All of those perks, but you can book new sailings three days before the general public and can book onboard activities 120 days before sailing.
• Priority check-in at the cruise terminal.
• Complimentary evening dinner at Palo or Palo Steakhouse for themselves and everyone in the cabin age 18 and older.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 38 days before the general public.

Pearl members

• All of those perks, but you can book new sailings four days before the general public and can book onboard activities 123 days before sailing.
• Exclusive cruise terminal check-in (where available)
• Unlimited Digital Photo Package.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 40 days before the general public.

How much does a Disney cruise cost?

Magic ain’t cheap, and Disney cruises are expensive. They aren’t the priciest voyages out there, but they will cost more than cruises with family-friendly competitors such as Royal Caribbean by a noticeable margin.

For a family of four, the cheapest Disney cruise currently available (not counting the two-night cruises in Australia and New Zealand) is about $2,500. An ocean view will add about $90 and a verandah will add about $500.

On these shortest cruises, concierge-level cabins and access start at a little over $5,000 for a family of four.

Those sorts of prices will only be available during the offseason, such as in mid-to-late January and early February or for repositioning cruises as the ship moves from, say, Puerto Rico to Florida. That same cruise during spring break can cost double or more, so the more date flexibility you have, the better.

A seven-night cruise in the Caribbean will likely start around $5,000 for a family of four. Expect Alaska and Europe cruises to start at $5,000 to $6,000 for inside cabins for a week, and prices go up for longer sailings and upgraded cabins.

You can save money on your next Disney cruise by putting a $250 deposit down while you are at sea on a previous Disney cruise. It’s a popular way to get 10% off your next cruise.

Another way to save on a Disney cruise is to look at a one-way repositioning sailing , as those often price lower than other similar cruises. For example, the cruise line may need to end a cruise in a particular port to reposition the ship to do some sailings from there. You’ll have to get yourself back home from that port, but you may save on the cruise in the process.

Related:  15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on a cruise

How to book

You can book your Disney cruise directly with Disney Cruise Line either over the phone or online, but I’d argue you shouldn’t.

Cruises are easy to enjoy but can be complicated to plan if you are new to this type of travel. This is an industry where a travel agent is still a good call. You want someone who can help you pick the right cabin type and location for your group and keep track of when you can snag those onboard activities you really want.

When the wave of pandemic-related cruise cancellations hit in 2020, I was so grateful to have a travel agent — instead of me — spending time dealing with the cruise line.

Related:  How to book a cruise with points and miles

Another reason to consider going through a travel agent is to get onboard credit. Some travel agents will offer onboard credit based on the amount you spend on your Disney cruise. This is credit you can use toward drinks, spa treatments, excursions or anything else you can charge to your room.

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR DISNEY CRUISE, CHECK OUT TPG’S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

Generally speaking, the sooner you book a Disney cruise after it goes on sale, the better, as prices usually only go in one direction — up.

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points  when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases and maybe even offers some built-in travel protections .

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 3 points per dollar on travel and dining and an annual up-to-$300 travel credit.
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 2 points per dollar on travel.
• The Disney Premier Visa Card is also a good option, specifically with Disney Cruise Line, as it gives you access to a 0% introductory annual percentage rate for six months following the purchase date on eligible Disney vacation packages, such as a Disney cruise (then a variable APR of 18.99% to 27.99% applies). The card also gets you 10% in savings on some onboard activities and packages while at Castaway Cay.

Related: How to save money on booking a Disney cruise

Bottom line

Whether you are on a three-night trip to Castaway Cay or a bigger crossing to the South Pacific, a Disney cruise is a special vacation that actually feels like a vacation.

The classic styling of the original four ships, the modern storybook styling of Disney Wish, the vast number of inclusions, the rotational dining, waterslides, private island, fun kids clubs, Disney characters, high-caliber entertainment and Disney service shine through.

You’ll certainly pay more for the privilege of sailing with Mickey and Minnie than with some other family-friendly lines. But for those with kids in that Disney age range, or for adults who know and trust the Disney brand, it’s hard to go wrong in choosing Disney Cruise Line for your next vacation.

More stories to help you plan your next cruise:

• Best Disney ships for everyone
• Everything we know about Disney Treasure, joining DCL in 2024
• Everything you need to know about Disney Wish
• Best credit cards for booking a cruise

SPONSORED:  With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.

And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free. 

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.

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Staterooms – Frequently Asked Questions

What are the stateroom categories on the 4 different ships and how do they differ?

When you book your cruise, you’ll have 4 general stateroom categories from which to choose. Within each category, a variety of stateroom types are offered that differ slightly from ship to ship. You can view and compare photos of the different stateroom types when you make your reservations.

Concierge: Concierge Suites provide the most opulent and spacious onboard accommodations for parties of 5 to 7 Guests. Choose from a number of Suite options—all with verandahs. In addition to Suites, you may choose a Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. All Concierge-level staterooms offer the convenience and personal attention of dedicated Concierge Services.

View and compare Concierge staterooms on the Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Magic and Disney Wonder .

Oceanview with Verandah: These spacious staterooms for 3 to 5 Guests offer private verandahs for enjoying scenic vistas and refreshing ocean breezes. Note that there a number of different Verandah styles available.

View and compare Oceanview with Verandah staterooms on the Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Magic and Disney Wonder .

Oceanview: Beautifully styled, these rooms for 3 to 4 Guests provide a stunning ocean view through the in-room porthole.

View and compare Oceanview staterooms on the Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Magic and Disney Wonder .

Inside: These spacious staterooms are perfect for 3 to 4 Guests and are outfitted with stylish nautical fittings, natural woods and imported tiles.

View and compare Inside staterooms on the Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Magic and Disney Wonder .

View and compare staterooms aboard each Disney Cruise Line ship: Disney Dream Disney Fantasy Disney Magic Disney Wonder

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Related Questions

Can I reserve connecting staterooms?

I've booked my cruise. Can I still change or upgrade my stateroom?