My first cruise might have spoiled me rotten and I can’t imagine cruising any other way! Our disney girls crew + a few fun friends traveled to the Bahamas aboard the Disney Wish a few months ago! I shared the trip on my Instagram here but wanted to answer your questions with a blog post as well. The Wish is the newest ship in the Disney lineup sending out inaugural cruises until September 2022!
There’s so much to share about the ship and I’m not a DCL expert but I’m happy to share my experience! You’ll want to do your own research and of course, hire the Mouse Counselors to help plan your vacation!
The ship is a celebration of 100 years of Disney magic. Filled with unique experiences based on Disney, Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel, the Disney Wish truly embodies the spirit of innovation and storytelling inspired by Walt Disney himself. The designers managed to incorporate all of our favorite childhood stories in the most elegant way! Unlike what you’d expect at the Disney parks, the cruise ship is perfectly luxurious in every way! While I’ve never been on another cruiseline to compare, I’m pretty confident the Disney Wish is my favorite!
The stern of the ship features rapunzel and you’ll find more Tangled inspired details throughout. Greatly appreciated this touch because I’m forever complaining about the lack of Tangled theming in the Disney parks! It’s the little details like this that set Disney cruise ships apart from the others!
Day One
BOARDING & EXPLORING
We boarded the ship in Port Canaveral. As concierge guests we had priority boarding which I didn’t realize was a major perk until I saw the lines to board the ship! We handed over our luggage to crew members and then met a concierge guide that led us straight to a special concierge boarding zone.
Once boarded we walked into the beautiful grand ballroom, waved at a few of our favorite princesses and made our way up to the concierge level lobby to relax for a bit and grab a few snacks. Our rooms weren’t quite ready but we did get to peek inside and drop off a couple of our bags.
Half of our crew enjoyed lunch at 1923 (the Walt Disney inspired restaurant on board) and the other half explored the spa! Our 1923 meal was the only lunch we had in one of the main dining rooms (most days we grabbed a quick lunch or concierge snacks!) and I really enjoyed it.
A huge concierge perk is boarding the ship early, giving you plenty of time to explore the ship before the remaining guests flood in. We took an afternoon dip in the hot tub just in time to hear the ship horn play it’s beautiful melody as it departs. After lunch we checked out more of the ship. It’s HUGE so we weren’t able to see everything this trip but we definitely got our steps in trying. While the entire ship is a stunner, my favorite spaces are the grand hall, the bayou and the crazy cool kids clubs!
I was *so* excited to check out the Hyperspace Lounge and it did not disappoint. No we didn’t get the $5k cocktail but we did love everything else we tried. If you too are a sucker for great theming, this is a must-visit!!!!
SHOWS
After exploring we changed for dinner and headed downstairs for our evening show! The night one show “Seas the Day” might have been everyone’s favorite. Definitely no dry eyes in our group when Captain Minnie came on stage! Another concierge perk is priority seating + free popcorn at the shows. The shows are pretty spectacular and I recommend you prioritize watching them all.
MARVEL RESTAURANT
Dinner on night one was a memorable one! The Marvel restaurant is the most popular of the three rotational dining restaurants so we were excited to kick off with a fun one on night one. It’s very interactive and full of cool tech features. Even if you’re not a marvel fan (hi, I am clueless when it comes to the world of marvel) you’ll appreciate this one. 1923 is the only rotational dining experience without live entertainment so if you’re planning to skip one dinner, make it that one! I got asked a few times about wine at dinner. While it’s not included, you’re welcome to grab a complimentary glass from the concierge lounge (happy hour from 5-10pm daily!) and bring it to dinner with you! You can also bring two bottles of wine per person onboard the ship. If you bring the bottle to dinner there will be a corkage fee. And of course you can pay to order a drink from the dinner menu if you choose!
Day Two
POOLS
Our first morning aboard we woke up in Nassau! Instead of hopping over to the beaches with the masses we chose to stay onboard the ship to enjoy all of the amenities ! This was our “chill” day with plenty of time spent lounging poolside on the concierge deck. I took a nap. I took a bubble bath. I listened to an audiobook. It was dreamy y’all. We noticed that the main pool deck filled up quickly, even though we were at port, so we were happy to have our own little oasis on the concierge deck. However if we were traveling with kiddos I don’t think you’d have to hang on the main deck because that’s where the splash pads, smaller waterslides, stage shows and main pools are. The concierge deck only has a very small lounge pool and two hot tubs.
AQUAMOUSE
Natalie and I took a ride on the ship’s water rollercoaster, the Aquamouse and had a blast! This waterslide is unique because there’s a fun movie playing as you slide. Definitely worth checking out if you love a waterslide! Best to do on one of the port days if you stay on the ship OR when you first board to avoid the lines. The wait time can get pretty long if you don’t time it well. The height requirement was around 40″ if I recall correctly so littles won’t be able to ride this one but there are a few other slide options for that age group.
PIRATE NIGHT & ARRENDALE
That evening we dressed in our best pirate gear. I looked more like a flight attendant but I did wait in line for a photo with captain hook so you can’t say I didn’t try! Such an appropriate themed night for a Disney cruise! Everyone dresses up for special character meet & greets, and a few fun parties – one that includes an amazing fireworks show!!!! In addition to the pirate night festivities we enjoyed The Little Mermaid show and dinner in Arrendale with the frozen crew. TLM was our least favorite of the three shows but dinner was a dream! We had the most fun singing along to our favorite Frozen songs with Elsa, Anna and the gang! I enjoyed the dishes in this restaurant more-so than the Marvel restaurant. Such a fun dinner spot for littles too of course!
The highlight of day two was surprising Courtney & Baby George with a little boat themed baby shower! Thankful for our sweet concierge team helping us put this together. Pablo pouring champagne while crouched down to hide is a core memory. So much fun!!!!
Day Three:
CASTAWAY CAY
Castaway Cay day was DREAMY. I had low expectations of what Disney’s island in the Bahamas might be like but I was truly blown away! Absolutely gorgeous and immaculately cared for. Our group rented one of the cabanas and spent most of the day on our own end of the island soaking up the sunshine. We did do a bit of exploring to check out the kids area, dining options and other beach spots. If you’re traveling without kids, there’s a special beach spot for you. If you’re traveling with kids and want to enjoy the beach together, there’s a special spot for you. If you want to enjoy both beaches you can drop the littles off in the kids club for a bit!
CABANA
The cabana was a hot topic in my question box so I’ll dive a little deeper into that! The Mouse Counselors shared that it’s pretty difficult to reserve a cabana do to demand. Your best bet for reserving one is to sail Concierge level and book asap! We rented the Family Beach Cabana which is a good fit for 6-10 guests. We split the cost of course so it was a great value for our group. If it were just my crew traveling we’d opt for the smaller $399 cabana fit for four. I do think it’s worth the added expense. The island itself is beautiful but the cabana is a lovely cherry on top! The Cabana comes stocked with a few drinks, snorkel gear, floats, rental bikes, sand toys and towels. You’ll also have access to private beaches. Alcoholic drinks are available for an additional fee and the Cabana Concierge are just a call button away! I especially enjoyed the shaded lounge area inside our cabana. The perfect spot to cool off or even to let a baby nap!
PALO STEAKHOUSE
Our grand finale was dinner at Palo! This meal is a-la-carte and you’ll have to skip one of your included dining rotations if you choose to dine here. We skipped dinner at 1923 because we had already dined there for lunch. I guess technically you could grab dinner at your rotation and dine at Palo but I recommend you come on an empty stomach! It was a splurge but worth every penny. We had the dreamiest night in a private room (we had a big group!) with spectacular service. We still talk about our amazing server, Alvero! We wined and dined and had the very best time going around the table saying what we loved about each other. The best thing about girls trips is the loooong slow dinners.. So glad we spent our last night together around this table!
Day Four
Sad day! It was time to head home after a few days of nothing but fun. We enjoyed one last breakfast in the concierge lounge, packed up our bags and said goodbye to our favorite cast members! Leaving the ship was a bit more hectic/hurried than boarding the ship so you’ll want to do some prepwork the night before to avoid a rush.
Q&A
“Are you a cruise person now?”
I don’t think I’d be down for just any cruise but the Disney Wish is definitely a must-do. I still might prefer a really luxurious disney resort trip over a disney cruise but I’d love to go on another one! My husband isn’t too keen on cruising so booking another cruise isn’t on our radar right now. I don’t think I’d cruise again without booking concierge. It’s a completely different vacation! But like I mentioned earlier, some of the concierge ammenities may not be as appealing when travelling with kiddos.
“Was it a weird cruise to go on without kids?”
Not the way we did it! Perfect girls trip! I don’t think I’d ever sail solo or with my only my husband though. Lots of people do and they really enjoy that but it’s not appealing to me.
“How’s the coffee onboard?”
The coffee in the concierge lounge was the only coffee I tried and it was exceptional!
“On average, how much are cocktails?”
Standard vacay prices! Alcoholic drinks ranged from about $6-$17 dollars give or take.
“Ideal ages to go on a cruise? Does youngest need to be at least 3?”
I want to wait until ours are even older to cruise. The splash pad / kids pool area is on the other side of the main pool and I don’t believe kids under 3 are even allowed in the main pool so your fam would be split up a good bit. Mine are 2 & 4 right now and I think we’ll stick to disney resorts for family trips until they’re older.
“Do you think our 1.5 year old would have a good time? Or will we rip our hair out?”
I truly believe you can make just about any trip work with a baby in tow but I think I would wait until they’re a bit older. Perfect age for a disney resort trip though!!! Of course if you’re dying to go and don’t want to wait, baby will have a blast!
“Did you all share one room?”
We had two combined rooms! Four in each and we all had plenty of space.
“If you traveled with your kiddos would you be worried about leaving them in the kids club?”
I think AG would do fine and I’d feel safe leaving her for short periods. She’s almost five. I trust the staff and trust that she’d have a blast but always worry about the other kids! What will they say, how will they behave, what will she pick up?
“Did you take a copy of your birth certificate or did you use a passport for your second form of ID?”
Passport! But some of the girls traveling with us used copies of their birth certificate.
“Was this your first cruise?”
It was!
“What are the concierge perks?”
So many!!!! This post has a great breakdown of all the perks.
“Are the concierge staterooms worth it?”
I say absolutely! They were spacious, beautiful and came with the best perks! Really didn’t feel like we were on a ship.
“Can you shop on the ship?”
There are a few luxury shops and a souvenier boutique! Not tons of shopping but there’s definitely something for everyone.
“Was a three night cruise long enough?”
For me, yes! I was ready to get back on land by day four.
“Anything you would have done differently?”
I wish I would have packed a few more outfits! I know that’s funny to hear me say but I was committed to packing light for the sake of saving space and then realized that we had plenty of room!
“Was Jan a good time of year to sail?”
Yes! Fun to escape the cold in Jan and travel somewhere tropical. But my brother in law mentioned something about the waters being rougher in Jan/Feb so you may want to keep that in mind. I don’t think our ship was at capacity either.
“How was your vertigo? What did you use to manage it?”
I was so worried about this but in the end I was fine! I started taking allergy medicine and applied Scopolomine patches three days before we departed, per my doctors instructions. I felt the movement of the ship but never once felt sick which is a miracle! I also had a Zofran & Mecclazine prescription just incase which helped ease my worries.
“Did you take advantage of room service?”
We did not! Our room was literally right across from the Concierge Lounge so if we were hungry we just walked over.
“Do they do fireworks every night?”
The big fireworks show only takes place on Pirate Night! It was such a great show!!!!
Hope y’all found this helpful! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything else you’re wondering about!
