Disney Cruise Line continues to base two largest ships at Port Canaveral through 2019
Dave Berman
Disney Cruise Line's two biggest ships — the Dream and the Fantasy — will remain based at Port Canaveral through the end of 2019, the cruise line announced this week.
Port Canaveral is an attractive cruise port for Disney because it is the closest port to the Walt Disney World theme park complex in the Orlando area. Many Disney Cruise Line passengers combine their cruises with a visit to Disney World.
“Port Canaveral is proud to be the home port for Disney’s two largest ships,” Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray said. “This announcement by Disney Cruise Line and the long-range plans for our region underscore their confidence in our partnership and commitment to growth in this region.”
Disney Dream: During Disney's fall of 2019 sailing season, which runs from September through December, the 4,000-passenger Disney Dream sails three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas. Its ports of call will be Nassau and Castaway Cay, which is Disney's private island. The cruises will sail out of Port Canaveral on Fridays and Monday.
More:All aboard! Disney Cruise Line to set sail to 7 new ports in Europe in summer 2019
More:Port Canaveral passengers seeking 'something new' board new Norwegian Sun cruises to Cuba
Disney Fantasy: Its sister ship, the 4,000-passenger Disney Fantasy, will offer a variety of seven-night sailings to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral, with Saturday departures. All of the Fantasy's cruises also include a stop at Castaway Cay.
• The Fantasy's Eastern Caribbean itineraries visit the Virgin Islands of Tortola and St. Thomas
• Its Western Caribbean cruises call on Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman; and Falmouth, Jamaica.
The Disney Fantasy also will have a few special itineraries.
• In October, an eight-night Southern Caribbean cruise will stop at St. Kitts, Antigua and San Juan, Puerto Rico, while a six-night Western Caribbean itinerary includes calls on Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Both itineraries will include a day at Castaway Cay.
• In December, two seven-night itineraries include one cruise to San Juan, Tortola and Castaway Cay, and another voyage featuring two days at Castaway Cay after visits to Cozumel and Grand Cayman.
Disney Wonder: The 2,700-passenger Disney Wonder will be based in San Diego starting in September, with sailings to Baja and the Mexican Riviera.
The Wonder will reposition to San Diego from Vancouver, British Columbia, where it will sail on Alaskan cruises during the summer of 2019.
The Wonder will be based in Galveston, Texas, starting in November, with sailings to the Western Caribbean and the Bahamas.
Disney Magic: The 2,700-passenger Disney Magic will be based in New York starting in September, with various itineraries to Bermuda, the Bahamas and Canada. Two seven-night sailings from New York to the Bahamas will include a day at Port Canaveral, where passengers receive a one-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and round-trip transportation to the Disney theme parks.
The Magic will reposition to New York from Europe, where it will sail during the summer of 2019.
The Magic will be based in Miami, starting in November, with sailings to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean.
Bookings for Disney's fall 2019 cruises open to the general public on May 24.
Disney is one of Port Canaveral's four major cruise lines. The others are Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.
Disney Cruise Line in March 2016 announced plans to add two ships to its four-ship fleet — one in 2021, the other in 2023.
In July 2017, Disney announced plans for a third new ship that will go into service in 2022.
Disney has not announced where those ships will be based.
Berman is government editor at FLORIDA TODAY.
Contact Berman at 321-242-3649
or dberman@floridatoday.com.
Twitter: @bydaveberman.
Facebook: /dave.berman.54
Support local journalism: To sign up for a digital subscription of 99 cents for the first month, then $4.99 each month after that for a year, visit floridatoday.com/digitalunlimited