2021 Disney Cruise Schedule – Sail Dates, Ports & More

LAST UPDATE: 1/9/20

Itineraries for 2021 Disney Cruises are listed below, along with the complete 2021 Disney Cruise Line schedule.

If you’re thinking about taking a Disney Cruise in 2021, you may also want to read our comprehensive Disney Cruise discount guide and Disney Cruise planning tips pages.

Jump to:

• 2021 Itineraries
• Get On the Early Booking List
• New!2021 Holiday Cruises, Themed Cruise & Other Special Cruises
• 2021 Adventures by Disney Pre- and Post-Cruise Escape Packages
• 2021 Drydock Plans

Sailings for Winter/Spring 2021 (January through May) were announced on September 28, 2019. They went on sale for Platinum Castaway Club members on September 30, 2019, Gold members on October 1, Silver members and DVC members on October 2, and everyone else on October 3.

New!Marvel Day at Sea 2021 cruise dates (January through March) were announced on January 9, 2020.

Disney Cruise 2021 Itineraries

Jump to:

• Disney Fantasy
• Disney Dream
• Disney Wonder
• Disney Magic

Disney Fantasy

The Disney Fantasy sails 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral for early 2021.

Complete 2021 Disney Fantasy Cruise Schedule

Download a Disney Cruise Line brochure with details on the itineraries above.

Disney Dream

The Disney Dream sails 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral, visiting Nassau and Castaway Cay, for 2021.

Complete 2021 Disney Dream Cruise Schedule

Download a Disney Cruise Line brochure with details on the itineraries above.

Disney Wonder

Schedule in a nutshell:

• January: Galveston — 4- to 7-night Bahamian and Western Caribbean cruises, then reposition (without passengers) to New Orleans
• February: New Orleans — 4- to 7-night Bahamian and Western Caribbean cruises, then reposition through the Panama Canal to San Diego
• March – Early May: San Diego — 3- to 7-night cruises to Mexico, then reposition to Vancouver, BC

Complete 2021 Disney Wonder Cruise Schedule

Download a Disney Cruise Line brochure with details on the itineraries above.

Disney Magic

Schedule in a nutshell:

• January – Early May: Miami — 3- to 5-night Western Caribbean and Bahamian cruises

Complete 2021 Disney Magic Cruise Schedule

Download a Disney Cruise Line brochure with details on the itineraries above.

Get On the Early Booking List

Interested in booking a cruise for a date or itinerary that hasn’t been announced yet? You can submit a booking request for a Disney cruise, even before Disney Cruise Line releases the schedule. Save yourself some stress and email Small World Vacations in advance and they’ll book your preferred cruise the first day you are eligible, at no cost to you! Plus, you can get up to $1000 in FREE onboard credit courtesy of Small World Vacations! (All staterooms and cruises are subject to availability at the time of booking.)

Disney Cruise Line announces their cruise dates and itineraries for only a few months at a time: January through April, then May through September and finally, September through December. Once the new itineraries come out, booking begins just a day or two later, first to Castaway Club members (people who’ve been on a previous Disney cruise) and then to the general public.

The people who book earliest almost always get the lowest possible price. Sometimes there will be last-minute deals via the restricted guarantee fares or Florida Resident fares, but only a small percentage of cruises ever have those fares, and those fares aren’t always cheaper than opening day fares. In addition, early bookers get first dibs on staterooms, making it the best way to land one of the hardest-to-get staterooms like the Secret Porthole and Secret Verandah rooms. Lots of people know about these advantages, so on the days the new itineraries become available for booking, both the phone lines and website get slammed.

There’s an easy way to avoid the scramble to book on the first day the bookings open: submit a request to Small World Vacations now. You just need basic information like where you want to go (Caribbean, Alaska, Norway, Europe, etc.), the date range you want, the kind of stateroom you want (inside, outside, verandah) and the names and ages of the people going. Let them know if you are a Castaway Club Member by including your Member Number and Level (Platinum, Gold or Silver). You can add other preferences or priorities as needed – early dining, lower deck, upper deck, not over a nightclub – whatever is important to you. Their agents will review your request, contact you to confirm they understand your priorities, and then you can relax and let your personal agent book your cruise when the time comes. Your agent will provide their direct phone number, so you can discuss your options and preferences.

On the day the itineraries become available for your Castaway Club level, your agent will be up bright and early while you sleep in (or go about your usual day). If Disney releases a cruise that fits your criteria, your agent will typically go ahead and put a hold in place, thus reserving your stateroom(s), then email you with your cruise details and deposit information. You’ll be able to have your choice of room type and location and will lock in the opening day price. If later on you decide to change rooms on the same sailing, Disney will give you the opening day price on the new room, even if the price has gone up in the intervening days or months. 

Even if you aren’t 100% sure whether you’re going to be able to go, there’s no real risk in getting a cruise booked early. Disney Cruise Line deposits for any stateroom types other than Concierge are fully refundable up to the Payment In Full date, which is 120-75 days before sailing, depending on the specific cruise and time of year. You have lots of time to figure out whether that cruise will work for you. If it doesn’t, you can get the deposit back or just transfer it to a different sailing date that works better.

The agents who handle cruise bookings for Small World Vacations have collectively sailed on more than 400 Disney cruises, and know a truly astonishing amount about all four ships, the various Disney ports of call, shore excursions and all the common itineraries (and many uncommon ones). Many of them are Platinum members of Disney’s Castaway Club, meaning that they have personally been on 10 or more Disney cruises! They’re happy to share their firsthand experience with the kids’ clubs, dining, character meets, entertainment, transportation, etc. In our experience, the travel agents at Small World Vacations are great at finding the best fares. They know all the tricks that will save you money, and they know the Disney Cruise Line inside and out. We’re confident that once you work with a really great travel agent, you’ll never want to book a cruise any other way. Read more about why we recommend using Small World Vacations to book your cruise!

2021 Holiday Cruises, Themed Cruises & Other Special Cruises

Jump to:

• Holiday Cruises
• New!Themed Cruises
• Double Dip Cruises
• Repositioning Cruises
• Unique Cruises
• Adventures by Disney Cruise Packages
• Disney Vacation Club Cruises

Holiday Cruises

Jump to: 

• Independence Day
• Halloween on the High Seas
• Thanksgiving
• Very Merrytime Cruises (Christmas)
• New Year’s Eve

Independence Day

On sailings that include July 4th, there is usually a special celebration with characters dressed in red, white and blue outfits. There has not been a special fireworks show in the past, but sometimes on sailings in the Caribbean or Bahamas they move pirate night to July 4th so they will have fireworks on Independence Day. (There is no pirate night or fireworks on sailings outside the Caribbean and Bahamas.)

Halloween on the High Seas

During this period there will be special Halloween events onboard, including Halloween-themed parties, storytellings, movies and elaborate décor, including The Pumpkin Tree, which magically transforms throughout the cruise. You will also find characters dressed in Halloween costumes, as well as a costume party for families and, just for adults, a costume contest and a Villainous Takeover on the dance floor in the nighttime entertainment district.

In the past there has not been any special menu for Halloween night itself, over and above what they do on all the Halloween themed cruises during the whole period, but there will be some special Halloween-themed treats.

Thanksgiving

In the past there has been a special menu on Thanksgiving Day, and pictures with Pilgrim Mickey and Minnie. The Christmas decorations will usually be fully up by Thanksgiving, and there will be a full set of holiday activities and events.

Very Merrytime Cruises (Christmas)

Typically, Christmas decorations will be up from early November through the final New Year’s sailing, and there will be special holiday events during that whole period, including meet and greets with characters in special Christmas outfits. Some of the more elaborate Christmas decorations, including a huge, real gingerbread house, will not be up until later in November.

Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, will be transformed with “snow” flurries, a Christmas tree and more. Be on the lookout for Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, dressed in their island attire. Plus, the island’s tram is decorated to resemble a reindeer, complete with antlers and a tail.

There are unique special events and a special menu on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

New Year’s Eve

In the past there has been a special party with countdown and balloon drop on New Year’s Eve.

Themed Cruises

Jump to:

• New!Marvel Day at Sea
• Star Wars Day at Sea

Marvel Day at Sea

Marvel Day at Sea is a special all-day celebration of the Marvel Universe. Special features have included multiple Marvel character meet-and-greets, Marvel-themed activities for families, Marvel movie screenings, special merchandise and food, and an exclusive Marvel deck party. Star-Lord, Gamora and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have made appearances during this day-long celebration.

New!Marvel Day at Sea will take place on 5-night Disney Magic Western Caribbean and Bahamian cruises departing from Miami in early 2021. The Western Caribbean cruises are January 9, 23; February 6, 20 and March 6. The Bahamian cruises are January 18; February 1, 15 and March 1.

Star Wars Day at Sea

Star Wars Day at Sea cruises generally feature a full day of Star Wars celebrations, including a deck party, meet-and-greets with favorite characters, Star Wars-themed youth activities, at-sea screenings of Star Wars films, unique food and beverage offerings, and special merchandise. The night before Star Wars Day at Sea, Darth Vader and Stormtroopers march into the ship’s atrium for an Imperial takeover.

Guests are encouraged to bring their costumes and participate in the costume celebration held in the ship’s atrium. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique offers special makeovers on Star Wars Day at Sea. Kids ages 3-12 can transform into Rey, Kylo Ren, Leia and Poe. Adults and teens, can get a Rey makeover that includes a stylish dress, makeup and hair style or choose from one of four Star Wars-themed T-shirt options. All come with  a personalized name tag, lanyard with medallion and magnet set.

Star Wars Day at Sea dates have not yet been announced for 2021. In the past it has taken place on select Disney Fantasy 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises departing from Port Canaveral in January and February.

Double Dip Cruises

A “Double Dip” sailing is one that visits Castaway Cay twice on the same cruise. Many people (including us) feel the Castaway Cay day is the highlight of a Bahamian or Caribbean cruise, and this gives you a double dose! The Castaway Cay days are usually not consecutive. Most commonly you go first to Castaway Cay, then Nassau, then back to Castaway Cay. Both days follow the typical Castaway Cay schedule: off the ship at 8:30 am (depending on sea conditions), and all aboard at 4:45 pm. The same excursions and activities will be available both days, though if you want to do the same activity or book a cabana for both days, you’ll need to book each day separately. If you want, you can run the Castaway Cay 5K twice!

In the rare event that the ship visits Castaway Cay two days in a row, the ship will not stay docked overnight. It will leave the island at the usual time on the first day and come back the next morning.

No Double Dip cruises have been scheduled as yet for 2021.

Repositioning Cruises

Repositioning is when a cruise starts in one port and finishes in another. These cruises can be a good deal, as they usually are cheaper per day than conventional round-trip cruises. They also tend to go to more unusual locations. The longest repositioning cruises are the Panama Canal and Transatlantic cruises, which are almost always the cheapest cruises (per night) of the whole year. All repositioning cruises (so far) are on the Magic and Wonder, because the Dream and Fantasy stick to round-trip cruises from Port Canaveral.

Unique Cruises

Unique cruises have an itinerary that is different from other cruises that ship is sailing around that time. They either visit an unusual location or locations or visit a unique combination of common locations. Repositioning cruises are all unique as well.

Adventures by Disney Cruise Packages

2021 Adventures by Disney Cruise Packages are available for select Disney Cruise Line sailings on the Disney Magic to Europe, on the Disney Wonder to Alaska and on the Disney Fantasy to the Caribbean.

The Adventures by Disney Cruise Packages include 2 Adventures by Disney guides available onboard and in port; special VIP privileges; private onboard receptions; unique onshore activities; early debarkation at each port; all meals, snacks and water while in port; a photo CD with all ship photographer pictures, all Adventures by Disney guide photos and an Adventures by Disney slideshow.

Disney Vacation Club Cruises

The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member cruise for 2021 has not yet been announced.

DVC member cruises are only open to Disney Vacation Club members who have purchased at least some of their vacation points directly from Disney (rather than from another member via resale). Members can use their vacation points to book the cruise or can pay cash rates. Typically DVC cruises are significantly more expensive than similar cruises for the general public, but guests will be given a wide variety of DVC special gifts and will get to experience some exclusive member events including talks by special guests including artists, imagineers and/or actors from classic Disney movies.

Whether the DVC member cruise is worth booking is a personal judgment call. The extra events are difficult or impossible to experience any other way. The various DVC gifts are usually a mix of the usual kinds of tote bags, pens, and so forth you can get by attending a DVC meeting or buying a new DVC contract, plus at least a few special and unique items. Some people love the DVC member cruise and try to go on each one. Others go once and feel it’s not worth the extra money.

2021 Adventures by Disney Pre- and Post-Cruise Escape Packages

Adventure by Disney Pre- and Post-Cruise Escape Packages take place before and after select Disney Cruise Line sailings. These 2- to 3-night Escapes include 2 Adventure by Disney guides; hotel accommodations; multiple, daily excursions; special VIP privileges; all transportation during the trip and a photo CD with all the Adventure by Disney guide photos.

2021 Drydock Plans

No drydock plans have been officially announced for 2021 yet.