10 Thoughts About The New DCL Itinerary Release

We’ve had a few days to process the newest itineraries from Disney Cruise Line, and here are some things that jumped out at me!

1. No New Ship in Galveston – Despite all the rumors and claims that Galveston was getting a new ship, they didn’t. In fact, the oldest ship in the fleet is going back to Galveston. No shade to the Magic; it’s still a great ship, but I know many Galveston sailors were hoping for something different! It’s also not sticking around in the summer when it will go through the Panama Canal again and presumably spend the summer of 2028 in Alaska. Maybe another ship will show up for the summer? We can hope!

2. No Believe Information – Not surprisingly, we did not get information on the itineraries or Maiden Voyage for the Disney Believe. Disney generally releases new ship itineraries all by themselves for the first go-round. There’s a big reveal event for the Believe on October 7th, so I suspect we will have itinerary bookings right after.

3. Believe in Fort Lauderdale – Is it possible the Believe will be sailing out of Fort Lauderdale? It definitely is. Disney likes to put new ships in standard itineraries to renew interest in them, and the Destiny is leaving Fort Lauderdale at the end of November. Just in time for a new ship to fill that spot.

4. Believe at Christmas – If the Destiny leaves Fort Lauderdale in time for the Believe to sail in December, are we looking at another Christmas maiden like the Treasure? My hope? NOOOOOOO! My word, I hope they don’t do that to us again. A Christmas maiden was difficult and expensive. And for that matter, didn’t sell well. I’m really hoping Disney doesn’t do that again. Ever.

5. NYC is a Trial Run – Everyone is super excited about New York City itineraries, but there are only 6 roundtrip sailings, and one repositioning to San Juan. This looks like a very limited trial run. I think Disney wants us to put our money where our mouths are. We begged for it to come back, so let’s see how it does. If it doesn’t sell well, we may not see it again for a while!

6. Barrier for NYC – Unfortunately, Disney didn’t change what, in my opinion, makes NYC a harder sell. The timing. The seas can be a little rougher in the fall when heading to Bermuda, and Canada is getting colder if you’re going in the other direction, but both those concerns are manageable for most of us. It’s the fact that the sailings are during the school year that makes it hard for most families. Taking kids out of school is hard anytime, but the beginning of the school year can be especially rough. For a family cruise line, it’s not surprising that it didn’t sell well last time! It is surprising that they’re doing the exact same thing again.

7. The Treasure Didn’t Add Dates in May – This one is total speculation. Often, when a ship has predictable itineraries like the 7-night sailings on the Treasure, Disney releases the sailings for the entire period. The Treasure has nothing listed that begins in May, as its new itineraries only run through April. Does that mean the Treasure will change it up starting in May 2028?

8. The Adventure Needed a Port – I was so glad to see the Adventure added a stop in the port of Langkawi, Malaysia on some 4-night sailings. I get the whole “ship is the destination” thing, but it was time. Maybe past time. It’s very interesting that Disney also added the port to some existing 4-night sailings with no warning. Bold move, Cotton. And I like it!

9. A Different Bermuda Option – Disney isn’t just visiting Bermuda from New York City; there’s also a great 8-night itinerary from Fort Lauderdale with an overnight in Bermuda and a stop at both Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay. It’s in March of 2028, and I love that itinerary! That may be the one for me.

10. There Are A Lot of Southern Caribbean Options – Disney is offering more Southern Caribbean options than ever before. It’s exciting to see! For anyone who’s done multiple Caribbean cruises to the same islands – you should be looking at this one. The Dream, Fantasy, and Wish all have options in the next 18 months.

What did you think about the new release? Are you booking anything this week?