New 2018 Disney Cruise Line Destinations

Disney Cruise Line will sail new itineraries and to new ports starting Fall 2018, including first-time visits to Bermuda and Quebec City, Canada.

In addition to these new itineraries, there will be special sailings from New York that take guests to Walt Disney World Resort and Castaway Cay. In case you’re concerned that these new ports mean an old one is on the chopping block, relax: Disney Cruise Line will continue sailing from California, Texas, and Florida in Fall 2018.

In this post, we’ll offer some general press release style info on the new Disney Cruise Line ports of call and destinations, followed by our thoughts and some tips for booking…

Quebec City, Canada will be featured on two new 7-night itineraries sailing between New York and Quebec City in September 2018. These sailings include two days in Quebec City plus stops at other Canadian ports new to Disney Cruise Line: Saguenay and Baie-Comeau.

For the first time, Disney Cruise Line sails to the beautiful island of Bermuda. Each 5-night sailing includes two full days in Bermuda, and one 6-night sailing includes three days in Bermuda.

Fall 2018 Disney Magic sailings from New York also include three 7-night voyages to Walt Disney World Resort. Each cruise includes a stop at Castaway Cay and in Port Canaveral, Florida, with every guest receiving a 1-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and round-trip transportation between the ship and the parks.

In September and October 2018, the Disney Wonder sails out of San Diego, California with voyages to Baja and the Mexican Riviera. Baja sailings visit Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. Mexican Riviera sailings stop in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas.

In November and December 2018, the Disney Wonder heads to Galveston, Texas with a variety of Caribbean and Bahamian itineraries. All cruises to the Bahamas include a stop at Castaway Cay.

In December 2018, the Disney Magic returns to Miami with sailings to the Western Caribbean and Bahamas, including stops at Key West and Castaway Cay.

Throughout late 2018, the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream sail a variety of Caribbean and Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida, with every sailing including a day at Castaway Cay.

As we mention in our 101 Best Disney Cruise Line Tips, DCL prices fluctuate based upon projected demand. In terms of a ‘strategy’ for booking these cruises, I’d say it really depends upon whether any of these are absolute must-dos for you. If so, you’ll want to play it safe and book early. Several of the itineraries listed are pretty limited, so it won’t take significant demand for them to sell out or increase in price.

Scarcity coupled with the number of diehard Disney Cruise Line fans might result in the lowest prices being early-on. If I were a betting person, I’d guess the Bermuda and Mexican Riviera cruises in particular will sell quickly, causing prices to increase. I could see this with even more of the itineraries, but those seem to have the right combination of coolness, scarcity, and the right timing.

I’m hopeful this is not the case, at least with the Quebec City itineraries in September. I’ve been wanting to visit Quebec City for the last couple of years (albeit for their famed Christmas markets), so it’s like Disney read my mind (well, partially…see the previous parenthetical) with these itineraries.

To me, these seem like pretty niche itineraries. That, couple with the fact that they are one-way cruises, so basically two repositioning cruises, seems like a recipe for low demand. I could see some New Yorkers doing both cruises to avoid airfare, but I think (and hope) there won’t be a ton of people interested in that. As a result, I could see these being cruises that offer solid last minute discounts.

We’d need airfare to do this either way, so I don’t really care where we start and end up (…although a flight to Quebec costs more miles than does one to New York). I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on those cruises for deals. For me, Quebec City is not a bucket list destination…more like a (I don’t know, what’s smaller than a bucket?) puddle list destination. 😉

Aside from this, the cruise that really interests us are the Mexican Riviera one from San Diego. This would mean no need to purchase airfare, which is really appealing. Plus, the Mexican Riviera looks gorgeous. I would even “settle” for the shorter Baja cruises.

Unfortunately, I’m betting these will be popular itineraries that will sell well (and probably cheapest early-on), meaning no last minute discounts. I don’t even want to do fall into the “trap” of researching that itinerary, because then I think it’d become a must-do. I love Disney Cruise Line, but am far too cheap to pay full price…

Planning to set sail aboard one of the Disney Cruise Line ships? Read our comprehensive Disney Cruise Line Guide to prepare for your trip, plan entertainment and other activities, and learn what to expect from your Disney cruise!

If you want assistance booking these cruises or need personalized recommendations for Disney Cruise Line itineraries, ships, and more, click here to get a cruise quote from a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. They can find you all of the best discounts, and help you plan the details of your cruise!

Your Thoughts

What do you think of these new and returning itineraries? Any that appeal to you? Any thoughts on which you think might have good deals come along later, and which you’d recommend buying now? Do you think Disney Cruise Line is worth the premium pricing? Any other tips to add or recommendations? If you have questions or thoughts, please share them below in the comments!

18 Responses to “New 2018 Disney Cruise Line Destinations”
  1. Manmauji July 6, 2019
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  4. Kent Service July 30, 2018
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