By Dennis and Lamar, The Travel Clarks
When Disney Cruise Line launches a new ship, we pay attention, and when we get the chance to sail on her, we take it. Our Disney Destiny video, filmed on embarkation day and the start of our sailing, is one of the most watched cruise videos on our channel. A new ship carries a special kind of excitement, and you can feel it from the moment you walk into the terminal.
Disney Destiny is the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, built around a heroes and villains theme, and that theme shows up everywhere, in the spaces, the shows, and the details Disney is famous for.
Embarkation day sets the tone
People ask us all the time what the first day on a Disney cruise is really like. Our honest answer is that it feels organized in a way that takes the stress out of it. Disney runs embarkation like a show they have performed a thousand times. You check in, you board, your name gets announced as you walk into the grand hall, and just like that, you are on vacation.
Our advice is to treat embarkation day as a real vacation day, not a travel day. Arrive at the port area the night before, get to the ship at your boarding time, have lunch on board, explore the ship while your stateroom is being prepared, and be on deck for the sail away. The trip starts the minute you step on the ship, not the next morning.
Why a new ship is worth planning around
Every cruise line's newest ship gets the best of everything that line has learned, and Disney Destiny is no different. The entertainment, the dining rooms, and the family spaces all reflect the newest ideas in the fleet, and the heroes and villains theme gives the ship a personality that is different from her sister ships.
New ships also book up. Sailings on a ship in her first year or two carry strong demand, which means the best staterooms and the best prices go to the people who book early. Waiting for a last minute deal on a brand new ship is usually a way to pay more for whatever is left.
You can watch our Disney Destiny embarkation day video on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@thetravelclarks to see the ship through our eyes.
What we would tell anyone thinking about sailing her
Book as early as you can, especially if you need a specific stateroom location or you are traveling with a group that wants cabins near each other.
Pick your sailing date with school schedules in mind. The same ship on the same route can feel very different on a holiday week than it does a few weeks earlier or later, and the price moves with it.
And let embarkation day breathe. Do not plan it down to the minute. Board, eat, wander, and let the ship introduce herself.
Disney cruises are one of the things we plan most, and Dennis's history as a Walt Disney World cast member means Disney is personal around here. If Disney Destiny is on your wish list, send us your dates and the size of your group, and we will help you find the right sailing and the right stateroom.
www.thetravelclarks.com
youtube.com/@thetravelclarks
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