Intro
Ever since I went on my first cruise when I was about 12 years old, I was hooked. There is just something so special about cruising with Disney and I cannot wait to be back on board very soon!
While on my last cruise, I booked a placeholder cruise on board. For more information on what a placeholder is and how to book one, check out my Disney Cruise Line Tips. We were so excited to find a great deal on a weekend cruise in January and have been counting down the days ever since!
Follow along with our plans for the 3-night Disney Cruise on the Wish! As always, I will do a post after the trip, to see how well we actually stuck to our plans.
Breakdown
- Theme: Disney Cruise on the Wish
- Length: 3 nights
- Age and Group: Two adults
- Spending: $$$
Travel Day
As any experienced cruiser would tell you, you never want to risk traveling in on the day of your cruise. Travel (especially now) can be so unpredictable, so it is always best to come in at least one day before Embarkation Day.
We are flying in the night before and staying at a hotel near the airport. Surprisingly, we will not be going to Disney World before or after this trip. With the timing being so close to the holidays, it is not in the cards for this cruise. Luckily I will be back in February for the Princess Half Marathon weekend, so I won’t be away for too long!
The hotel we are staying at has a shuttle from the airport, so we plan to hop on that shuttle and make our way to the hotel after we land. We hope to get a good night’s sleep to be ready for the big day!
Embarkation Day
Getting to the Port
We were lucky enough to get a great boarding time, so we will start our day nice and early! We’ve booked transportation with Disney and those buses leave regularly from the Orlando International Airport.
As a side note, if you are pairing your cruise with a stay at a Disney Resort, the bus will pick you up right at your resort. You also don’t have to worry about booking a Port Arrival Time*. They make it so simple, it really makes it tempting to book a stay prior to your cruise (believe me, it really was so hard to resist!).
The morning will include having breakfast at the hotel and taking the shuttle back to the airport. Then, we will catch the Disney bus to Port Canaveral!
Check-In
Once you arrive at Port Canaveral, it really is such an easy process to check-in and board the ship. Disney even has their own private terminal! On my last cruise, the COVID protocols were different, and even that experience was made to be super simple! Currently (as of January 2023), there are not any restrictions or testing requirements to sail with Disney Cruise Line. If you are cruising soon, be sure to check your emails and the Disney Cruise Line website for the most up to date information.
We will check-in, go through security, then wait in the cruise terminal for our boarding group to be called (which is done based on the Port Arrival Time*). Once our group is called, we will get in line to officially board the Disney Wish!
Boarding
One of the cool things about cruising with Disney is that they really do so much to make you feel special. A perfect example is that when you board the ship, they welcome you and your family over the speaker. There is also a short welcome show in the atrium with characters and cast members, that is truly something you and your family will never forget. I cannot wait to hear that welcome for my family!
Lunch
After I am finally able to pull myself away from just staring at the Atrium and how beautiful it is (it might take a while), we will grab a quick lunch from Marceline Market. Marceline Market is the equivalent to Cabanas on the other ships and serves as the main buffet for the ship. You can also eat lunch at one of the sit down restaurants, however I really prefer doing something quick and then enjoying the ship before it is at full capacity!
Exploring the Ship
Exploring the ship is one of my favorite things to do and right after boarding is really one of the best times to see it all! We will explore the decks, the entertainment areas, and probably the new sweet shop, Joyful Sweets. If you followed along with my last cruise, you probably remember that I could have spent the whole vacation at Vanellope’s (the sweet shop on the Dream). So, I cannot wait to check out this new spot!
Typically, the rooms should be ready sometime in the mid-afternoon, so while we are exploring, we will also check out our room! We got an inside stateroom for this cruise and are excited to see how we like it. Something to remember on Embarkation Day is that your luggage may not be brought to your room right away. Cast Members will drop it off at your room at some point during the day, so that you don’t have to worry about it during check-in and boarding, which is amazing! With that, be sure that you have anything you might need packed in your carry ons. I recommend bringing a swimsuit, in case you want to take advantage of the pools when they are a little less crowded.
Sail Away Party
Once we are done exploring, we will head up to the pool, before heading to the Sail Away Party. The Sail Away Party is such a fun celebration and just one more example of what makes a Disney Cruise so special. When the ship is finally getting ready to pull away from the port, there is a huge party on the main pool deck, with some of your favorite characters! It is the perfect way to start your cruise and really kick off your vacation.
Dinner
Our dinner for this cruise will be the Early Seating, which we are really excited for. Disney does Rotational Dining and has two different dinner seating options; Early which is at 5:45pm and Late which is at 8pm. Rotational Dining allows everyone to experience each of the three different sit-down restaurants on board the ship.
We won’t know our dining schedule until we are on the ship, but for the sake of planning, I am going to take a wild guess and see if I am correct. Be sure to read my follow-up after we are back to see if I was right!
Night one’s dinner will be at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure! I am not going to lie, this is definitely the restaurant that I am most excited for. I am a huge fan of Frozen and can’t wait to dine in Anna and Elsa’s Castle! Without giving too much away, the general idea of this restaurant is that Oaken (the shop owner in Frozen) is hosting a celebration in the castle and we will get to interact with all of our favorite Frozen characters.
After Dinner
Something that Disney Cruise Line is especially known for are the broadway-caliber shows that are performed on board! These shows are truly spectacular and I cannot wait to enjoy them all. Right now, the shows being performed on the Disney Wish are the Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Disney Seas the Adventure (an original production). Two performances of the same show occur each night, so that you can see these amazing performances no matter which dinner seating you have! Since we have the early seating, we will see the shows after dinner each night.
Tonight will be the perfect night to explore the shops on board the ship! Browsing the shops (even the ones we will never be able to afford), is always a fun thing to do. We will definitely come away with at least a few souvenirs!
We’ll finally make our way back to our stateroom and call it a night. Before finally going to bed, I will most likely order a Mickey Premium Bar as a late night snack! One of the absolute best pieces of Disney Cruise Line advice I have is to utilize room service. Especially for those late night Mickey Bars (breakfast is pretty great too)!
*Port Arrival Time: 30 days prior to your cruise, you can do Online Check-In and select your desired Port Arrival Time. Depending on your situation, I would typically suggest getting the earliest time possible. This will allow you to be on the ship longer and start your vacation sooner! If you are staying at a Disney Resort prior to your cruise, you will still need to do Online Check-In, but will not be prompted to select a Port Arrival Time. You will need to book transportation through Disney ahead of time and will receive information about your pick up time on your resort door the night before.
Nassau Day
It’s our first full day on the ship and I cannot wait to get it started! Today’s stop is at Nassau, which was also the first stop on our last cruise. Since we have already checked out Nassau pretty recently, we plan to stay on the ship today. There is so much to explore on board, so we really will need this whole day!
Breakfast
Marceline Market is the perfect place to stop for a quick, but delicious breakfast. It’ll be served buffet style, making it easy for everyone to find something they like. While there is fresh coffee at Marceline Market, I really love stopping at the coffee shop on board, Cove Cafe. This shop is in the Adult’s Only section and has specialty coffees, teas, and pastries!
Exploring the Ship
After breakfast, we will walk around the ship a bit to keep exploring. There is just so much to see that I definitely don’t want to miss anything. We also may try to pop in one of the Open Houses for the kids clubs! These are a great chance for everyone on the ship to see the kids clubs, while they aren’t officially open (so you aren’t disturbing any of the fun).
Quiet Cove
The main agenda for the day is going to be to relax in the Adult’s Only area, Quiet Cove. This area is perfect for adults who want a quiet escape. We will enjoy some drinks, take a dip in the pool, and read on the extremely comfy lounge chairs!
Dessert Experience
Enchante is one of the signature dining locations on board the Wish and is inspired by Lumiere, from Beauty and the Beast. I am so excited that we were able to book a Dessert Experience later in the afternoon at this location with Chef Arnaud Lallement. It is a chance to experience a five course dessert menu and hear from the Chef himself. This is an experience that we had booked on our previous cruise and it was unfortunately canceled. So, we are extra excited to take part in this one!
Dinner
1923 is the dinner location for night two and I am sure it will be very impressive! This restaurant celebrates the early days of the Walt Disney Company and has decor that honors classic Disney animation. This location is the only one of the three restaurants that does not include a show and it will be nice to have a different, more elegant environment for our dinner tonight!
After Dinner
Disney Cruise Line always goes all out for entertainment and that includes the opportunity to see first-run movies on the ship! Last cruise, we were able to see the Eternals just a day or two after it came out. It is so amazing to be able to watch movies that are brand new and experience them in this unique way. We will definitely watch at least one movie on board the Wish and can’t wait to see what will be playing during our cruise.
After watching a movie or show, we will explore the ship some more. We can’t wait to check out some of the lounges on board. Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge is definitely a must for me on this trip! We also love going to the different trivia and games that are always happening around the ship. Your Navigator App will always have a long list of various activities going on all times while on the cruise.
Finally, it will be time to head back to the room and get a good night’s sleep!
Castaway Cay Day
Castaway Cay
Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is a spot only for travelers on a Disney Cruise. Making this location extremely special and pristine. I absolutely love stopping at Castaway Cay and enjoying all this island has to offer.
The ship usually gets to the port around 8:30am, so we will eat an early breakfast at Marceline Market to make sure we have plenty of time on the island!
Serenity Bay
We will disembark and head straight to Serenity Bay, the Adult’s Only beach. This location is a bit of a trek from the port, but there is a tram to get you there. This beach is usually a lot more quiet and relaxing. It’s a great way for anyone traveling with just adults to start their day on the island!
Port Adventures
Port Adventures or Excursions are one of the most exciting parts of cruising! Any port that you stop at on a Disney Cruise will have tons of fun Port Adventures to choose from and there will be something for everyone. For this cruise, we were able to book a Parasailing Port Adventure and we cannot wait!
Lunch
After our Port Adventure, we will head to Cookies BBQ for lunch. Lunch on the island is pretty standard, including hot dogs, ribs, and burgers. There are also places to get some soft serve, along with a few bars and a frozen drink stand (Olaf’s Summertime Freeze).
Exploring the Island
After lunch, we will explore the island a bit. There are a few shops to check out and usually some characters you can run into around the island! On a future cruise we really want to rent bikes and get the chance to truly explore the entire island. But, for today, we will walk around and see what we can find on foot, before getting back on the ship.
Dinner
Our final dinner will be at Worlds of Marvel. This is another restaurant that I am really excited to check out! This spot features dinner and a show, starring Ant Man and the Wasp. I got pretty into the Marvel movies during the pandemic (what else was there to do besides watch all the movies in chronological order), so this is going to be such a fun experience!
After Dinner
It’s our last night on the ship, so we will be checking out anything and everything that we haven’t had the chance to see yet! We may see a show, do some game shows or trivia, or get in some last minute shopping. I also really enjoy walking around the ship and the decks late at night, really just taking it all in. It’s very relaxing and a cool opportunity to see the ship in a new light!
The night before you debark on a Disney Cruise, guests are asked to leave their suitcases outside their staterooms if they want to utilize the luggage services. It can be tough to pack everything up the night before, but it is really nice not worrying about our luggage the next morning!
Debarkation Day
Leaving is always the hardest part of any vacation, but this holds especially true on a Disney Cruise! Something that makes leaving a lot easier is that we will definitely be booking another placeholder on this cruise, so we know we will be back soon. Also, Disney Cruise Line makes checking out and debarking extremely simple. Since our luggage was already picked up, we aren’t lugging around suitcases with us to breakfast.
Breakfast
Breakfast times this morning are determined by which dinner seating we had. Early dinner guests will have breakfast at 6:45am and late dinner will eat breakfast at 8am. Since we had early dinner, we will be up bright and early for breakfast back at Worlds of Marvel.
Breakfast is pretty quick and afterwards, we will be called to debark the ship based on the character on our luggage tags.
Debarkation
The process of leaving the ship is extremely simple! We will get off the ship and pick up our luggage, which will be organized by luggage tags. There will be porters to help you with luggage, but you should give them a tip if you use their services! After retrieving our luggage, we will go through customs and make our way to the Disney buses. The bus will take us back to the airport and then we will be heading home!
Have you been on a Disney Cruise? Is cruising with Disney on your Bucket List? Let us know in the comments and be sure to keep following along for more exciting Disney trips!
Overview
- Travel Day
- Embarkation Day
- Food: Marceline Market, Joyful Sweets, Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure
- Extras: Sail Away Party
- Nassau Day
- Food: Marceline Market, Enchante Dessert Experience, 1923
- Castaway Cay Day
- Food: Marceline Market, Cookie’s BBQ, Worlds of Marvel
- Port Adventures: Parasailing
- Debarkation Day
- Food: Worlds of Marvel
