NEWS: Disney Cruise Line Releases Details on 2022 Halloween and Holiday Cruises

The magic of the holidays returns to Disney Cruise Line in the fall of 2022 with Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises across the fleet, including the first fall season on the all-new Disney Wish. With cruises departing from Florida, New York, Texas, and California, guests will have many opportunities to experience holidays at sea with Disney Cruise Line. Learn more below.

1 – Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises

“With five ships setting sail in fall 2022 from different homeports around the country, we are excited to offer more ways than ever before for families to make special memories with Disney Cruise Line,” said Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Cruise Line.

Halloween on the High Seas returns to Disney Cruise Line in mid-September through October 2022. On select sailings across the fleet, guests can dress up and join Disney characters in their Halloween costumes at Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party; enjoy themed food, beverages and crafts; and immerse themselves in a ghostly ship takeover with elaborate decor and a magical Pumpkin Tree.

From early November through December, the Disney Cruise Line fleet is decked from bow-to-stern with holiday cheer and entertainment during Very Merrytime Cruises. Holiday magic is unwrapped for the whole family with festive holiday decor, favorite characters in their finest holiday attire and a special visit from none other than Santa Claus.

Bookings open to the public on June 24, 2021. More details can be found on disneycruise.com.

2 – Tropical Escapes from Florida

In fall 2022, the Disney Wish and Disney Fantasy will embark on guest-favorite itineraries out of Port Canaveral, Florida, while the Disney Dream continues to sail from Miami.

The Disney Wish will continue its inaugural season with its first-ever fall and holiday sailings, offering a series of three- and four-night voyages to the Bahamas, while the Disney Fantasy will offer six-, seven- and eight-night vacations to the eastern and western Caribbean.

The Disney Dream will take guests on four- and five-night Bahamian itineraries and five-night Caribbean cruises to either Grand Cayman or Cozumel, Mexico.

All sailings from Port Canaveral and Miami will include a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island paradise outfitted for family fun and relaxation and brimming with special Disney touches.

3 – Caribbean Cruises from San Juan

The Disney Magic will sail out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, for two special itineraries in early November. A seven-night southern Caribbean sailing will visit Antigua, St. Lucia, Aruba and Bonaire, while a following six-night voyage will feature stops in St. Thomas and Falmouth, Jamaica.

4 – Baja Penisula Voyages from California

Spooktacular sailings return to California in late September with Halloween on the High Seas cruises to the Baja Peninsula from San Diego. The Disney Wonder will host three-, four-, five- and seven-night vacations from southern California, allowing guests to celebrate the Halloween season at sea while taking in the mesmerizing beauty of Mexico.

5 – Sailings to Bermuda and Canada from New York

The Disney Magic returns to New York in late September for a series of Halloween on the High Seas sailings to Bermuda and Canada. Guests can visit Bermuda’s pink sand beaches and colorful coral reefs on five-night vacations or set their sights for a special six-night cruise to the Canadian ports of New Brunswick and Halifax that includes a stop in Bar Harbor, Maine.

6 – Vacations to Bahamas and Caribbean from Texas

The Disney Magic will visit Galveston, Texas, in late November for a variety of five- and seven-night Very Merrytime Cruises. Guests can experience the magic of the holidays on western Caribbean itineraries with ports of call that include Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact their travel agent.

RELATED ARTICLE: Very Merrytime Cruise – Our Review and What You Need to Know

Unwrap a holiday adventure for the whole family: a cruise aboard the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy, all decked out with holiday cheer. From early November through December, Disney Cruise Line adds sparkle to each ship during Very Merrytime Cruises. These holiday-themed cruises feature exclusive offerings for the whole family to enjoy. We recently enjoyed a Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream! Keep reading for what you need to know about these fantastic cruises.

1 – Preparing for Your Very Merrytime Cruise

We had a lot of fun getting ready for our holiday cruise. We packed matching holiday shirts and brought our own stateroom decorations, along with ordering an in-room décor package. Check out our article on packing for a Very Merrytime Cruise by clicking here.

2 – Holiday Decorations Around the Ship

When you step aboard the ship during your Very Merrytime Cruise, you’ll find it decorated for the holidays. Decorations include a life-sized gingerbread house that smells amazing, garlands, poinsettias, and lights all around the ship. They really do make the ship even more magical. Finally, you’ll find a 24-foot Christmas tree in the atrium.  The tree stays dark until the first evening, during a special tree-lighting ceremony.

4 – Mickey’s Tree-Lighting Magic

On the first night of your cruise, you don’t want to miss “Mickey’s Tree-Light Magic,” a short show in the atrium lobby. During the show, Disney characters lead holiday carols and the lighting of the three-deck-tall tree. It was an entertaining show that set the stage for a great holiday cruise.

Click here to see a short video of the tree lighting ceremony!

5 – Santa’s Winter Wonderland Ball

Also on the first night of the cruise, is “Santa’s Winter Wonderland Ball” in the atrium lobby. In this short show, cruisers welcome the guests of honor, Santa and Mrs. Claus. The show is a grand celebration featuring Broadway-style entertainment, favorite Disney characters, and classic holiday tunes. This evening is made complete when a particular pair of royal sisters joins the party and causes a flurry of “frozen” fun as a magical snowfall overtakes the atrium.

6 – Dickens-Inspired Carolers

Throughout the cruise, be on the lookout for Dickens-inspired carolers. They carry the spirit of the holidays throughout the ship while singing holiday classics, sometimes with the help of favorite Disney friends. At the end of the cruise, children will have the opportunity to join the carolers onstage for a special farewell show.

7 – Family Holiday Activities

During the cruise, there are plenty of holiday activities for the whole family to enjoy. Chad and our daughter had a lot of fun decorating Christmas cookies. Santa Claus is also available in the atrium for holiday photos with guests. Finally, children and teens have holiday-themed activities in the youth clubs such as decorating stockings and gingerbread men cookies, making holiday cards and creating holiday animation cells.

8 – Holiday Fun on Castaway Cay

When the ship stops at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, during the holidays, the celebration continues with “snow flurries,” a decked-out Christmas tree, Disney character meet-and-greets, and holiday island music. The extras added some extra magic to the island.

9 – Holiday Greetings with Disney Characters

A highlight for many during a Disney cruise is the opportunity to meet your favorite Disney characters. Throughout the cruise, the characters will appear in different outfits. On embarkation day, you’ll usually find Mickey and the gang in their cruising outfits. On Castaway Cay, you’ll find them wearing holiday island attire. During a Very Merrytime Cruise, you’ll be able to meet them in holiday outfits as well! It was so much fun going around the ship to meet them and get pictures. Their outfits are really unique, so a photo with them an extra special keepsake to take home.

10 – Holiday Merchandise

No Disney vacation is complete without shopping for some merchandise, right? Disney Cruise Line offers a wide variety of items with different themes to guests. During our holiday cruise, I was most looking forward to seeing the Very Merrytime Cruise merchandise items, and I wasn’t disappointed. For the holiday season, they created a small holiday shop. Disney Dream’s Merchandise Manager told us that this was the first year they had dedicated store for the holiday items. You’ll find some items from the parks, but many items are exclusive to the Disney Cruise Line. One difference between shopping on your cruise and shopping at Walt Disney World is that on the ship, they are limited in how much inventory they can store. When something sells out, it will not be restocked during your cruise. So, if you see something you like early in your cruise, best get it then. Disney Cruise Line takes Disney Gift Cards. Disney Vacation Club members receive a 10% discount.

Click here to get a look at the exclusive holiday merchandise on the Very Merrytime Cruises.

11 – Storytime with Mrs. Claus

On the last day of our cruise, we were able to enjoy Storytime with Mrs. Claus. There was a great turnout. Many children were eager to hear from Mrs. Claus, who was sitting in her rocking chair in front of the Christmas tree in the lobby atrium. She read-aloud two stories, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “The Night Before Christmas.” At the end of the storytime, Mrs. Claus was joined by some surprise guests: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy! There was a brief time of mixing and mingling with the characters for photos, including Mrs. Claus herself. It’s a lovely holiday offering, especially for young children.

12 – See Ya Real Soon

On the final night of every Disney cruise, you can enjoy a short farewell show, ‘See Ya Real Soon,’ in the lobby atrium. We enjoyed a special holiday edition of the cheerful farewell celebration with beloved Disney characters and the ship’s crew in a musical finale led by Mickey Mouse. The end of a Disney cruise is always so sad, but the final show makes it a bit easier to say goodbye!

13 – Thanksgiving Day Extras

If your cruise includes Thanksgiving Day, you will enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving Day feast and visits from Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse dressed in traditional Thanksgiving attire. Also, during the special Thanksgiving voyages, NFL football games will be broadcast live on the ships’ outdoor, jumbo LED screens – Funnel Vision – located near the family pool.

14 – Christmas Day Extras

On Christmas morning at the atrium lobby tree, Santa Claus and his helpers will have a surprise for all the kids, and you’ll enjoy an exceptional musical performance from the children. A traditional Christmas dinner is served that night in the dining rooms. Christmas services will be held on Christmas Day with a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Hanukkah services will be held for eight days, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev.

15 – Overall Thoughts

We really enjoyed our Very Merrytime Cruise. The ship was beautiful, and the holiday-themed extras were fun and added extra magic to our cruise. We always love greeting the characters in unique outfits, and so we were thrilled to get photos with them in unique outfits. We would love to sail over Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day one year. I can only imagine how magical waking up on the ship on Christmas morning would be. If you’re looking for some extra holiday magic on an already fantastic vacation, then a Very Merrytime Cruise is for you!

If you’re thinking about booking a holiday Disney Cruise, now is the perfect time to do so! 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.

Editor’s Note: Walt Disney Parks & Resorts provided us a complimentary Very Merrytime Cruise and special media-specific events during the cruise. However, as always, the thoughts and opinions contained in this article are entirely our own.