First Cruise help with itineraries - Early Summer 2026

[Mardigras2025]

Hello!

This forum was amazing in helping me plan the trip of a lifetime with my kids - Disneyland and Aulani during Spring Break 2025. Thank you! Well, now we are in a bit of a Disney phase of our lives and think we want more in 2026. My daughter will be 7 and my son will be 5.

I am looking at itineraries for a first trip in late-May, early June (hoping to avoid hurricane season mostly by not going later in the summer). I have heard great things about Eastern Caribbean, as well as the Fantasy. I have also heard that a stop at Castaway Cay is essential. I have also heard differing opinions - longer is better (7 nights) vs. shorter to get used to the idea of a cruise. No one in our family has been on a cruise, but we have heard such great things and I think my wife and I can handle it for the sake of the kids! We don’t necessarily plan on going again, so if that means we should do longer we will.

With all of that in mind, here are some itineraries I was considering:

May 29 - 5 night Bahamian (Nassau, Castaway, Lookout, 1 day at sea) on the Fantasy

June 1 - 5 night Bahamian on Destiny (same itinerary)

June 3 - 4 night Bahamian on Fantasy (Castaway, Lookout, day at sea)

June 6 - 7 night eastern (Tortola, St. Thomas, Castaway Cay, 3 days at sea) on the Treasure

Any thoughts on ships for my age group? Itineraries (should I also be looking at Western Caribbean)? Length of trip for first timers who aren’t particularly nervous and want to soak it in? Hurricane season?

Thanks so much!

 

[holula]

If you are just doing the cruise and no parks, I’d pick the Destiny as she sails from Fort Lauderdale and those cruises tend to be a little cheaper per night than from Port Canaveral. (This may not hold true as these cruises have been on sale for a while and this is her inaugural season.) The cruise terminal is also a lot closer to the airport than flying into MCO and sailing from PC.

I think 5 nights is a good spot to tell if you like a cruise or not and it hits both private islands.

However I tend to only book 7+ night cruises now unless I have no other choose because longer really is better.

 

[Mardigras2025]

If you are just doing the cruise and no parks, I’d pick the Destiny as she sails from Fort Lauderdale and those cruises tend to be a little cheaper per night than from Port Canaveral. (This may not hold true as these cruises have been on sale for a while and this is her inaugural season.) The cruise terminal is also a lot closer to the airport than flying into MCO and sailing from PC.

I think 5 nights is a good spot to tell if you like a cruise or not and it hits both private islands.

However I tend to only book 7+ night cruises now unless I have no other choose because longer really is better.

Thank you! I was considering stopping at Magic Kingdom only for a day if we left from Port Canaveral, but really saving Disney World for a later trip. If we did a shorter itinerary, I could add on a night or two either in Ft. Lauderdale or Cocoa Beach.

Definitely torn between 5 & 7 nights!

 

[o&smom]

Highly recommend 7 night on Fantasy. It just gives you more time to get used to where things are on the ship and settle in to the vacation. We have done both Eastern and Western. Would not say one was better than the other. Do a little research on the different ports as well as shore excursions offered in each one to see what appeals to you and your family. I had heard for years that there was a different energy on shorter cruises, because there is just so much to do and see and no one wants to miss out on anything. A couple of years ago we tried a 5 night because “it must be similar to 7 and not a short cruise”...we will stick with 7 or more. It as definitely a little more high strung. Also, remember that you CANNOT do everything. Do not even try. Pick and choose some things that look fun or interesting and do those. Just let yourself enjoy your cruise and time making memories with your family! Have a great cruise!

 

[CamColt]

Personally I would pick the 5 night Fantasy for myself, but for your family, I would lean towards the 7 night Treasure. This being possibly your only cruise, longer would be better and with young kids you wont care so much about the adult areas (my biggest complaint with the new ships).

 

[Mardigras2025]

Thanks all!

The 7-night options would be:

May 30 - Treasure Western Caribbean (Mexico, grand cayman, Jamaica, Castaway, 2 days at sea) from Port Canaveral

June 6 - treasure eastern Caribbean (Tortola, st. Thomas, castaway cay, 3 days at sea) from port canaveral

June 20 - Destiny Western Caribbean (lookout, castaway, Mexico, grand cayman, 2 days at sea), from Ft. Lauderdale

I like that the 5/30 trip is earliest in hurricane season. I like that the 6/6 option has 3 days at sea. I like that 6/20 has both private islands.

The ships are kind of a wash to me without knowing much - our kids would love Frozen on Destiny (vs. Beauty and the Beast), and Moana on Treasure (vs. Hercules). Lion King dining on Destiny probably ranks higher than Coco dining on Treasure. But the differences seem negligible! And I don’t know if anyone will know which is better until Destiny has been running.

 

[hardcorestitch]

Hello!

This forum was amazing in helping me plan the trip of a lifetime with my kids - Disneyland and Aulani during Spring Break 2025. Thank you! Well, now we are in a bit of a Disney phase of our lives and think we want more in 2026. My daughter will be 7 and my son will be 5.

I am looking at itineraries for a first trip in late-May, early June (hoping to avoid hurricane season mostly by not going later in the summer). I have heard great things about Eastern Caribbean, as well as the Fantasy. I have also heard that a stop at Castaway Cay is essential. I have also heard differing opinions - longer is better (7 nights) vs. shorter to get used to the idea of a cruise. No one in our family has been on a cruise, but we have heard such great things and I think my wife and I can handle it for the sake of the kids! We don’t necessarily plan on going again, so if that means we should do longer we will.

With all of that in mind, here are some itineraries I was considering:

May 29 - 5 night Bahamian (Nassau, Castaway, Lookout, 1 day at sea) on the Fantasy

June 1 - 5 night Bahamian on Destiny (same itinerary)

June 3 - 4 night Bahamian on Fantasy (Castaway, Lookout, day at sea)

June 6 - 7 night eastern (Tortola, St. Thomas, Castaway Cay, 3 days at sea) on the Treasure

Any thoughts on ships for my age group? Itineraries (should I also be looking at Western Caribbean)? Length of trip for first timers who aren’t particularly nervous and want to soak it in? Hurricane season?

Thanks so much!

I would do the May 29 cruise… and if at all possible, try sneaking in a few days in WDW right after you disembark. Not a heavy risk of hurricane in May and June but I would go May to err on the side of caution. Plus side of tacking on WDW post-cruise… is that you have something magical to look forward to the minute you leave instead of sobbing at the airport.

 

[Mardigras2025]

I would do the May 29 cruise… and if at all possible, try sneaking in a few days in WDW right after you disembark. Not a heavy risk of hurricane in May and June but I would go May to err on the side of caution. Plus side of tacking on WDW post-cruise… is that you have something magical to look forward to the minute you leave instead of sobbing at the airport.

This was my original choice, but now wondering if too short. Heard such great things about the Fantasy, and I love that it goes to both islands and begins in May.

Was definitely considering two nights at a Disney hotel with a full day in Magic Kingdom as well! Does sound like the perfect way to cap a trip if we can swing it. Was also wanting to save it for a future full WDW trip, and a little worried about June mugginess in Florida, but it is still on the table! Might do Cocoa Beach or Ft. Lauderdale as trip extenders instead, we’ll see…

 

[asgur5]

Definately do not do fantasy. The only appeal of the fantasy over the other ships is the bigger adults pool area (which will be reduced during the dry dock) and more room in the clubs.

But the kids will far far more enjoy the destiny or treasure. So much more magic to the ship. Better kids club with more things to do (they can also slide into the kids club), kids love the aqua mouse slide more than the aquaduck due to the mickey shorts. There is the big adventure zone on the newer ships, the dinner shows entertain the kids (and adults) whereas my kids got bored on fantasy restaurants except for animators plate. The main lobby is also more magical in the newer ships.

 

[Mardigras2025]

Definately do not do fantasy. The only appeal of the fantasy over the other ships is the bigger adults pool area (which will be reduced during the dry dock) and more room in the clubs.

But the kids will far far more enjoy the destiny or treasure. So much more magic to the ship. Better kids club with more things to do (they can also slide into the kids club), kids love the aqua mouse slide more than the aquaduck due to the mickey shorts. There is the big adventure zone on the newer ships, the dinner shows entertain the kids (and adults) whereas my kids got bored on fantasy restaurants except for animators plate. The main lobby is also more magical in the newer ships.

Great to know! I’m a total novice… may need to get the book. I guess that further pushes me to a 7 day itinerary!

 

[DCLMP]

Great to know! I’m a total novice… may need to get the book. I guess that further pushes me to a 7 day itinerary!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/whats-your-favorite-dcl-ship.3970037/

Fantasy seems to be the favorite on these boards.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

We loved the Fantasy. I'd choose the 5 night on May 29. I wouldn't worry about hurricanes that early in the season, but it is a nice time right before most schools are finished. The later you push it, the more schools are out, so the more full it will be. Parents are usually not willing to pull their kids out of school right at the end of the school year, so it could be really nice from a crowd perspective. I think the stop at both islands would be nice, if your kids enjoy the beach. We loved Western Caribbean, but our kids were 11 and 9 at the time and I felt like that was a good age to do some more of the adventurous excursions (stingray city, Dunn River falls, rafting). I think do the 5 night on the fantasy, and if you enjoy it plan a Western Caribbean a few years later.

 

[DCLMP]

We loved the Fantasy. I'd choose the 5 night on May 29. I wouldn't worry about hurricanes that early in the season, but it is a nice time right before most schools are finished. The later you push it, the more schools are out, so the more full it will be. Parents are usually not willing to pull their kids out of school right at the end of the school year, so it could be really nice from a crowd perspective. I think the stop at both islands would be nice, if your kids enjoy the beach. We loved Western Caribbean, but our kids were 11 and 9 at the time and I felt like that was a good age to do some more of the adventurous excursions (stingray city, Dunn River falls, rafting). I think do the 5 night on the fantasy, and if you enjoy it plan a Western Caribbean a few years later.

It will be sold out in May. Schools in Florida and the south are out of school before Memorial Day.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

It will be sold out in May. Schools in Florida and the south are out of school before Memorial Day.

Oh that's too bad, we were so lucky to get one in early May when our kids were in year round school, it was amazing. Our friends in FL don't get out until early June. And we are in the south and not out until around June 10. But yeah, enough kids somewhere or another are out by memorial day.

 

[DCLMP]

Oh that's too bad, we were so lucky to get one in early May when our kids were in year round school, it was amazing. Our friends in FL don't get out until early June. And we are in the south and not out until around June 10. But yeah, enough kids somewhere or another are out by memorial day.

In my state in the southwest they get out mid May and go back the last week of July or first week of August. It probably won't be as kid heavy as July when the whole country is out. I just did a July cruise and it was packed with kids.

 

[asgur5]

Great to know! I’m a total novice… may need to get the book. I guess that further pushes me to a 7 day itinerary!

These boards are frequented with older cruisers who have nostalgia for the older ships and often have no kids or kids are all grown up. They will suggest the older 4 ships. The pros of the older ships is they have a walking track without stairs, bigger adults only pool area (which is about to be reduced in size on the Fantasy), animators rotation restaurant (although the fantasy has the bad version of animators) a 9 hole mini golf course, slightly bigger adult bar rooms and some say more space in the bedroom storage space (although we noticed no difference).

My kids are only a couple of years older than yours now and we only started disney cruises 3 years ago when they were 5 and 8. Had no cruising background before then and thought we would hate cruising. We have done fantasy, wonder, wish and Treasure now. All of our family clearly like the new ships more, with Fantasy our least favourite.

The new ships are aimed a bit more at a non cruise crowd who want to have special disney experiences. Better disney themed restaurants and bars (haunted mansion bar is amazing), the atriums are more magical with modern tech, better pirate night, better themed kids club (we found it very hard to drag our kids away from the kids club they loved the activities so much and they dont usually like kids clubs), more modern spa, better pool deck food and waterslide, the newer ships are more asthetically pleasing (while the Fantasy looks quite old and worn with lots of scuff marks on chairs, tables and lighting effects not working in restaurants (although hopefully the dry dock fixes some of that up).

In saying all that, you will probably have a great time on all of them. We just did a 12 night on the Fantasy and loved it and going back on the Wonder next January. Really a great way for the kids to have a great time and the adults to also have some alone time without feeling guilty about the kids being bored with a babysitter. Also great shared family experiences. Dancing on the top deck with your kids at night, going to broadway calibre (or very near) shows which both adults and kids can enjoy equally, running into characters randomly with your kids in the hallways and seeing their eyes light up, doing treasure hunts through the ship, watching your servers do magic tricks for your kids etc.

Tip: Try to book palo or enchante/remys if you think your kids are ready to spend a couple of hours at the kids clubs. Really great adult dining experiences and worth the extra money.