A Very MerryTime Cruise with the Disney Cruise Line may be a great new tradition for your family to explore. A Disney Cruise is always a special time spent with family and, add to that, the festivities of the holidays and you have the opportunity to make great family memories. On a Very MerryTime Cruise, there are often multiple generations of families on-board sharing the holiday experience. Very MerryTime Cruises typically begin in early November and run through the week of Christmas. Reach out to The Magic for Less Travel about specific Very MerryTime sailings across the fleet.
What makes a Disney Cruise Line Very MerryTime Cruise special?
Very MerryTime Decorations
From the moment you enter the Atrium or Grand Hall on your Disney Cruise Ship, holiday decorations greet you. The tree is waiting to be lit. Garland graces the railings throughout the space. The smell of gingerbread fills the air. As soon the Halloween on the High Seas cruises are complete, Disney Cruise Line begins the transition to Very MerryTime Cruises. The Disney Cruise website marks sailings that are Very MerryTime Cruises.
A large, decorated tree is setup in the Atrium/Grand Hall. A special tree lighting ceremony on the first night of the cruise kicks off the Very MerryTime activities. Be sure to check the time on your Navigator app so you don’t miss this once a cruise event. After the tree lighting, the tree remains lit for the rest of the cruise. This makes a great place to take your family Christmas portraits.
Be sure to take in the gingerbread display on your ship. The chefs on each ship in the fleet design their display. There is a friendly competition between the ships to determine who has the best display. The Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy often feature large gingerbread houses in their Atrium. The Wish takes a slightly different approach in its Grand Hall. All feature a range of Disney characters and make great photo opportunities.
Throughout the ship there are festive decorative touches with garland and trees tucked into the various lounges, cafes, hallways and dining rooms.
Once you book your Very MerryTime Cruise, you can check-out the special items for purchase on the Navigator App or Disney Cruise Line website. Items include small trees and room decor that includes a blanket, pillow and hanging decor. Or just bring your own. Don’t forget the magnets to decorate your cruise ship door!
Very MerryTime Cruise Characters
No Disney Cruise is complete without our Disney friends. Throughout the cruise there will be opportunities to meet and greet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Chip and Dale dressed in their holiday finest. Again, these are great photo opportunities with your family dressed in their holiday best or consider matching pajamas. Matching holiday pj’s are common on a Disney Very MerryTime Cruise (even the parents take part).
Also, don’t forget to see Belle dressed for the holidays as well. Of course, the rest of your favorite characters will be around for meets and greets – just check the Navigator app.
Very MerryTime Cruise Special Activities
In addition to the Tree Lighting, there are many other holiday related activities during your cruise. Look over the activities on your Navigator App soon after boarding your Disney Cruise ship. Mark the activities you want to take part in so you don’t miss out on any of the fun. Some of these activities occur once on your cruise while others will be offered on multiple days.
Holiday tunes replace the various Disney tunes you normally hear while walking through the halls and stairways. Just enough to get you in the holiday mood.
Note: All of these special Very MerryTime activities are in addition to the normal activities Disney Cruise is famous for having on board: kid, family and adult-only activities and entertainment, Pirate-Night deck party and fireworks (where allowed), character meet and greets and rotational dining.
Santa Sightings
On any Very MerryTime Cruise, there will be ample chances to meet with Santa Claus in front of the Christmas Tree. Disney Cruise Line photographers are on hand to capture the moment. Be sure to take the opportunity to get the whole family in the picture, after all this is Disney and everyone is a child at heart. Also, look for the hot cocoa and cookie station that accompanies Santa’s meet and greets.
Storytime with Santa is another special activity. This activity takes place in the Grand Hall or other venue such as D-Lounge. Santa, and sometimes Mrs. Claus, share a couple of their favorite holiday stories. Stick around after storytime as Mickey and some of his friends make a festive appearance. This is fun for the whole family.
Holiday Crafts and Trivia
In addition to the usual activities one can find on any Disney Cruise, there are special craft activities for both kids and families. Again, the Navigator App will guide you to these activities. Look for the Holiday Craft activities. In the kids’ clubs, kids make ornaments and decorate cupcakes (allergy free cupcakes are available – be sure to ask). Family craft activities are also available for the whole family to do together and include making holiday ornaments or drawing holiday characters. These activities take place in one of the lounges during the day.
For trivia fans, look for a special Winter Holiday Trivia session. This is open to the whole family. Be sure to brush up on your holiday knowledge and get ready to learn about other holidays celebrated around the world.
Holiday Deck Party
Join Mickey and the Gang for a Holiday Deck Party on the high seas. This high energy dance party is sure to get everyone in the holiday mood. The great thing is that this deck party is in addition to the Sail Away and Pirate Deck Party that are part of every Disney Cruise.
Special Food and Drink Offerings
Check out the various cafes for special holiday concoctions. For example, the Cove Cafe features specialty hot cocoa and latte.
Also, drop in to the sweet shop on your cruise to find special holiday treats as well. Check out Gingerbread Gelato or Holiday Oreo cookies to name a couple.
If choosing to cruise over a holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, there are special menu offerings on the rotational dining menus that includes traditional holiday cuisine.
Specialty offerings may vary by cruise ship.
Merchandise and Popcorn Buckets
There is a small selection of holiday merchandise to purchase on-board such as holiday spirit jerseys, holiday ears, Christmas ornaments and magnets that you can use to decorate your stateroom door.
At Preludes, outside of the Walt Disney Theater, and near the cinemas you can find holiday-themed popcorn buckets, sippers, and drink cups. The popcorn buckets can be refilled throughout your current cruise and future cruises for a couple of dollars each.
All merchandise is limited on each cruise as restocking only occurs before the start of each cruise.
Very MerryTime Cruise at Castaway Cay
Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is not left out of celebrating the holidays. Garland decorates buildings surrounding the pier and holiday swag lines the tram route. Checkout the photo opportunity as you get off the ship: a special holiday tree, sleigh and snow people! Disney photographers will be there for pictures. Be sure to take your pictures as you get off the ship, photographers will move around the island throughout the day.
Very MerryTime Cruise at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
Not to be outdone, Disney Cruise Line’s newest private destination, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point joins in on the holiday celebrations as well. Lookout Cay decorates with swags and garland adorned with seashells, sea turtles and other aquatic life. Once you get off the tram and enter the central hub there are several Bahamian-inspired Christmas trees in vibrant hues.
Plan Your Very MerryTime Cruise
Disney Cruise Line Very MerryTime Cruises run from early November through late December. Note, not all decorations are guaranteed to be completed for the earliest Very MerryTime Cruises. With 5 ships currently visiting destinations in the Caribbean and Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale and Galveston, Texas, as well as Disney’s Wonder sailing in Australia, there are plenty of options for families to choose from for a special holiday cruise. Next year Disney will be adding 2 more ships, including one sailing from Singapore. Reach out to The Magic for Less Travel to see which Very MerryTime Cruise is best for you and your family.
