How often does Disney switch up itineraries?

[chloe1733]

I'm sailing the Treasure in about a month with my husband - we're both big Disney fans, in our 40s, no kids, first time on DCL. We're sailing concierge, and I'm prepared to totally love it. To the point that I may well want to buy a future cruise certificate onboard, for a placeholder reservation.

BUT - we like to see new places/ports on a cruise, and ideally without having to fly to Europe to do so. Of the current itineraries, really only the Magic has an itinerary that would be new to us in the Western Hemisphere (having sailed on a lot of other lines), and I'm concerned that after sailing on the Treasure, the Magic won't feel quite so...magical.

So I'm curious how often Disney switches up the itineraries? What's the likelihood we'll see a Triton class ship doing something new and different before May 2027? Are there official drop dates for new cruises?

 

[Calantha]

What's the likelihood we'll see a Triton class ship doing something new and different before May 2027? Are there official drop dates for new cruises?

Here's the schedule for the past: https://disneycruiselineblog.com/cruise-planning/itineraries/itinerary-announcement-history/
No promises that's what it will look like for the future.

Probably unlikely that the new ships will be doing anything different than what they are doing now. Dream/Fantasy only just started going to Europe in the last few years...so I can't imagine the 3 new ones going there.

 

[jwalk03]

They almost never switch up the itineraries. I mean 3 new ships have been added and basically no new itineraries came with them. The wish took over doing exactly what the dream was doing. The treasure took over doing exactly what the Fantasy was doing and the Destiny is going to all the same ports as the other 2 just from FLL instead of PC.

If you are more interested in new ports than the ships- Disney isn’t your cruise line.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

They will occasionally throw in some longer Southern Caribbean itineraries and have ventured out to Australia. With a bigger fleet, once they are all online, they may get a little more adventurous but expect it to be the Classics and Dream class ships to begin with. They will want the newer ships doing the bread and butter money runs at least until they are paid for.

 

[Flossbolna]

The good news is that on DCL the placeholder is fully refundable. So, if you don’t find a cruise that you like, you can just get your 250$ back.

 

[n2mm]

They don't switch them enough. I don't even get off the ship now. I've been booking b2b cruises and calling them beach cruises. If they would offer more 10+ night cruises, that would be great. But in the summer, yuck. I've done it twice but canceled this year. Give us some spring and fall longer cruises out of Florida.

 

[DCLMP]

Rarely.

 

[jwalk03]

They don't switch them enough. I don't even get off the ship now. I've been booking b2b cruises and calling them beach cruises. If they would offer more 10+ night cruises, that would be great. But in the summer, yuck. I've done it twice but canceled this year. Give us some spring and fall longer cruises out of Florida.

The economics of that just don’t make sense. It’s too hard to fill a ship for a long cruises when kids are in school.

I’m absolutely the type of parent that will pull my kids from school for a week for a vacation- but a week is the limit. Just no way I could pull them out to take a 10-14 day cruise during the school year.

Just look at the prices for things like the transatlantic cruises. They are significantly cheaper per day than a standard 7-day cruises. So why would Disney trade higher priced 7-day or less cruises for lower priced longer cruises in the spring and fall?

Families are the cash cows that pay the bills at Disney- that’s just never going to change.

 

[Liastaob]

Treasure concierge is amazing, by the way. There'll probably be less annoying kids (like mine) before summer break too.

 

[SnowWhite2]

The economics of that just don’t make sense. It’s too hard to fill a ship for a long cruises when kids are in school.

I’m absolutely the type of parent that will pull my kids from school for a week for a vacation- but a week is the limit. Just no way I could pull them out to take a 10-14 day cruise during the school year.

Just look at the prices for things like the transatlantic cruises. They are significantly cheaper per day than a standard 7-day cruises. So why would Disney trade higher priced 7-day or less cruises for lower priced longer cruises in the spring and fall?

Families are the cash cows that pay the bills at Disney- that’s just never going to change.

One way cruises are always cheaper because of the flights. The cruise lines need to position their cruise ship in a new location and having some sailing passengers is better than sailing empty. Longer cruises do sell out. Panama canal 14 day cruises usually sell out before they open to the public to book. My Hawaii 10 day cruise in September is almost sold out. My CM DD has a 3nt cruise leaving Good Friday that she got a phenomenal price for that that is during spring break. It still has open cabins. I think there is a market for longer cruises but DCL prefers the shorter cruises with new cruisers.

 

[Skippyboo]

As stated , the itineraries don’t really change very much. You do get holiday theme cruises for the sailings around Halloween and Christmas months. The Destiny has a 7 night next year going to some different Caribbean ports.

 

[tvguy]

The economics of that just don’t make sense. It’s too hard to fill a ship for a long cruises when kids are in school.

I’m absolutely the type of parent that will pull my kids from school for a week for a vacation- but a week is the limit. Just no way I could pull them out to take a 10-14 day cruise during the school year.

Just look at the prices for things like the transatlantic cruises. They are significantly cheaper per day than a standard 7-day cruises. So why would Disney trade higher priced 7-day or less cruises for lower priced longer cruises in the spring and fall?

Families are the cash cows that pay the bills at Disney- that’s just never going to change.

The other economic factor, 3 and 4 days cruises generate more profit because you are carrying twice as many passengers in a week as a 7 day cruise. That adds up to twice as many Tee Shirt, and Mouse Ear sales, and twice as many Wine Tastings and other extra cost options.

 

[DMMarla07860]

Most likely will be a few years, but Dream and Fantasy might be a better chance

 

[Dug720]

To be fair, most lines hit pretty much the same ports - a few variations on Eastern cruises. They just have more ships.

For example, Celebrity often has 2 ships alternating Eastern and Western where ship A does Eastern and ship B does Western, then the next week ship A does Western and ship B does Eastern.

 

[jwalk03]

To be fair, most lines hit pretty much the same ports - a few variations on Eastern cruises. They just have more ships.

For example, Celebrity often has 2 ships alternating Eastern and Western where ship A does Eastern and ship B does Western, then the next week ship A does Western and ship B does Eastern.

There are tons of other variations available particularly on the Eastern Caribbean.

Now to be fair the trend lately is a lot more ports that are purpose made and only available to the line that develops them like Amber Cove, Celebration Key, Grand Turk, Harvest Caye, etc. but even without those there are plenty of other ports Disney could visit if they wanted to add some variety- but I guess they don’t have to since what they are doing is clearly working.

We all just have to keep hoping with more ships coming maybe that will mean more variety soon. Maybe a ship could do alternating 6 & 8 day cruises for example instead of just the standard 7. Or maybe a year round west coast ship in Southern California.

 

[Dug720]

There are tons of other variations available particularly on the Eastern Caribbean.

Now to be fair the trend lately is a lot more ports that are purpose made and only available to the line that develops them like Amber Cove, Celebration Key, Grand Turk, Harvest Caye, etc. but even without those there are plenty of other ports Disney could visit if they wanted to add some variety- but I guess they don’t have to since what they are doing is clearly working.

We all just have to keep hoping with more ships coming maybe that will mean more variety soon. Maybe a ship could do alternating 6 & 8 day cruises for example instead of just the standard 7. Or maybe a year round west coast ship in Southern California.

I do know that many of the ports can only take one or two ships, so that probably enters into it.

 

[JM_97]

Disney isn't super creative with their itineraries. The Wonder was in Port Canaveral for the longest time, and did nothing but 3 and 4 night sailings to Nassau and Castaway Cay. Same with the Dream. Fantasy is just now doing different sailings, but it's a lot of the same places still.

The Magic and Wonder are going to be your best bets on a more unique sailing. They are older/smaller and Disney moves them around a lot more than the Dream, Fantasy, Wish, and Treasure.

 

[shb5007]

I just saw the other night (looking at past years), that Disney went to Key West in the past.

Anyone ever do that itinerary? What was it like?

 

[JM_97]

I just saw the other night (looking at past years), that Disney went to Key West in the past.

Anyone ever do that itinerary? What was it like?

Never went but I've heard it was a great stop. Disney stopped going because Key West is very strict now about what cruise ships can stop there.

 

[European]

One way cruises are always cheaper because of the flights. The cruise lines need to position their cruise ship in a new location and having some sailing passengers is better than sailing empty. Longer cruises do sell out. Panama canal 14 day cruises usually sell out before they open to the public to book. My Hawaii 10 day cruise in September is almost sold out. My CM DD has a 3nt cruise leaving Good Friday that she got a phenomenal price for that that is during spring break. It still has open cabins. I think there is a market for longer cruises but DCL prefers the shorter cruises with new cruisers.

Longer repositioning cruises usually don’t sell out and IGT/OGT/VGT will be on sale for weeks/months. There may be some exceptions if it is a new itinerary or one that hasn’t been around for a few years. Like Panama 2026. Just goes to show DCL needs more variation in their itineraries.
These are indeed cheaper because of the flights, but also because not everyone can get off that long and are often outside of school holidays.