South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Disney Cruise Line releases plans for next year
Disney Cruise Line announced plans for its shiny new fleet deployment for the winter sailing season next year, including its first time calling Port Everglades home.
Now with new ship Disney Wish, which joined the fleet this summer, the line has to shuffle five vessels. Both Wish and Disney Fantasy will remain parked at the line’s main home at Port Canaveral, but Disney Dream, which left the Orlando-area port for Miami for its first-ever new home port this summer will be changing its return address several times.
First up, Dream will shift to Europe in summer
2023, which marks the first time the cruise line will sail one of its larger vessels in that market. After that, the
4,000-passenger ship will sail out of New York for
the first time on four-, fiveand six-night voyages to Bermuda. The ship will also sail one special four-night trip to New Brunswick, Canada.
Beginning Nov. 20, 2023, Disney Dream will return to South Florida, but instead of Miami it will migrate up the
coast to begin year-round service from Fort Lauderdale, where the cruise line is building out its second home away from Port Canaveral.
Disney had been sailing from PortMiami to some degree since 2012, but did not want to have to share a terminal at the full-up port, so they
pursued the Port Everglades deal, which gives them use of Cruise Terminal 4, one of the terminals closest to Fort Lauderdale’s convention center, massive renovated parking garage and a hotel. The port’s proximity to Fort Lauderdale International Airport was also seen by officials
as a bonus.
From Port Everglades, the ship will offer four- and fivenight Caribbean and Bahamas sailings.
Disney Magic, the line’s original ship that debuted in 1998, which will take over Miami sailings while Dream is in Europe during summer 2023 will continue from that port until October, after which it will cross the Panama Canal to sail from San Diego on two- to -sevennight voyages to the Mexican Riviera.
Disney Wonder, which will do its normal Alaska service in summer 2023, does not yet have fall 2023 itineraries listed.
New ship Disney Wish, which debuted this month, will keep sailing three- and four-night Bahamas voyages while Disney Fantasy will continue its seven-night Caribbean duties from Port Canaveral.
Wish, Dream, Fantasy and Magic are all tapped to offer the line’s Halloween on the High Seas mid-September through October 2023 and Very Merrytime Cruises from early November through December.
Bookings opened to the public on Thursday at disneycruise.com, or travelers can call 888-325-2500.