For generations, Disney has enchanted the young and young-at-heart. With their newest cruise ship, the Disney Wish, they’ve redefined what luxury at sea looks, feels and tastes like. From the stunning grand hall to the elevated adults-only experiences, forget everything you think you know about a cruise vacation.
Disney Wish accommodations
The majority of the ship’s staterooms (1,254 in total) have an ocean view, with 877 staterooms featuring a private verandah. Each stateroom is equipped with luxurious amenities including a premium plush Euro-top mattress, 43″ LCD flat-screen TV with remote, and H20 Plus spa, bath and shower products. A Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah on board the Disney Wish boasts 243 square feet of space (including verandah), ensuring a roomy and comfortable home base to unwind in while at sea.
Cruise Tip: Think of a verandah as your private sanctuary where you can watch the sun rise, bask in ocean breezes and enjoy your morning coffee or an evening glass of wine. Verandah rooms are typically only a few hundred dollars more than Inside or Oceanview staterooms. Splurge. Trust me.
New: The Wish Tower Suite, a first-of-its-kind accommodation for the cruise industry, is a 1,966-square-foot penthouse ensconced in the forward funnel of the ship and offers accommodation for up to eight guests. It boasts a total of four bedrooms (including two main bedrooms, a children’s room and a library/bedroom), and four-and-a-half bathrooms inside the suite. The dining area and living areas give breathtaking views of the ocean with two-storey tall floor-to-ceiling windows.
Dining on the Disney Wish cruise ship
The Disney Wish debuts three new main dining rooms: 1923, Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure. Guests rotate through the dining rooms during their sailing, allowing them to experience the unique flavours and spectacular settings that have been curated specifically for the new ship.
1923 is designed as an elegant celebration of the company’s legacy with a nod to classic Hollywood glamour. The menu incorporates fresh flavours of California, with tantalizing appetizers such as Alameda Porcini Spiced Ahi Tuna and Kingswell Duck Confit Pastilla. For your main, try the 1923 Peppered Filet Mignon with buttered beans, smoked bacon, crushed fingerling potato hash and pink pepper café au lait. Finish your spectacular meal with the Churros Calientes.
Worlds of Marvel is a larger-than-life dinner show, featuring Ant-Man and The Wasp as they take diners through a special presentation of the most powerful Superhero technologies. The Steamed Bao is the clear appetizer must-have, followed by impressive mains such as Berbere Spiced Pork Chop or Shiitake and Tofu Udon. For dessert, order the Pym Doughnut Sundae – even if you’re not a sundae person. It’s THAT good.
Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure celebrates the royal engagement of Queen Anna and Kristoff with an enchanting dining experience. The Scandinavian menu features Norwegian-inspired dishes with a touch of contemporary flair, such as Pan-seared Chilean Sea Bass or Arendelle Kjottkake (braised meatballs, rosemary cream reduction, egg noodles and lingonberry chutney).
Cruise Tip: In addition to the main dining rooms, guests can make reservations for two premium restaurants – Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement and Palo Steakhouse. Additional fees apply. The menus are specially crafted by 3 Michelin-starred Chef Arnaud Lallement, and both restaurants offer an adults-only experience.
New: Need to satisfy your sweet tooth? Pop into Joyful Sweets, a decadent dessert shop which features hand-scooped gelato, cake pops, handcrafted truffles, designer cookies, chocolatey brownies and assorted candies.
Entertainment aboard Disney Wish
Known for their Broadway-calibre shows, the nightly entertainment on board the Disney Wish is nothing short of spectacular. Currently in rotation, “Disney Seas the Adventure” and “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” musicals, as well as “Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular”, give audiences a chance to see iconic scenes reimagined for the stage, sing along to acclaimed music and be reunited with some of their favourite characters.
Also check out Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party, which is the classic Disney Cruise Pirate Night, elevated. Captain Redd and her band – the Head-Bangin’ Buccaneers – play familiar rock hits which are perfectly synchronized to the booming fireworks.
Cruise Tip: Ride the AquaMouse, Disney’s first-ever attraction at sea. It’s a two-seater water coaster which offers encounters with curious sea creatures, familiar Disney friends and more than 60 water effects – all perfectly synched to an original musical score by Emmy-nominated composer Christopher Willis. Yes, you will get wet.
New: The cruise ship debuts two cinemas, Never Land and Wonderland, which feature current and classic Disney movies during the duration of the voyage.
Port of Call
Exclusive to Disney Cruise Line is Castaway Cay, their private island in the Bahamas. The pristine beach – dotted with colourful umbrellas – is bordered by crystal clear, turquoise waters. Whether you want to sail, paddle, kayak, swim or snorkel, spend a morning in paradise before heading to Cookies for a buffet barbecue on the beach.
Cruise Tip: Serenity Bay is the adults-only beach, the most distant beach on the island. Compared to the other beaches, it is much, much quieter, and a great place to escape to if you’re traveling without children.
New: Disney Cruise Line will be developing a second private island in the Bahamas, called Lighthouse Point. Construction began in March 2022.
The Disney Wish will sail year-round from Port Canaveral, Orlando, offering a series of three- and four-night Bahamas cruises to Nassau and Castaway Cay. For more information or to book a Disney vacation at sea, visit disneycruise.com.
Photos courtesy of Disney and Lena Almeida
