The Best Times To Go on a Disney Cruise in 2025

Is 2025 the year of cruising for you? If so, we’re here for it and want to help you plan your vacation to be the best it can be.

©Disney

While you may not realize it, there are better times to sail with Disney Cruise Line than others, but for different reasons! Some seasons have lower crowds, others have better weather, so how can you decide what’s best for you? We’ve broken down the absolute BEST times to sail and why below to help you plan your trip down to a T!

Keep in mind that prices do change for Disney Cruise Line depending on what season you’re traveling, especially during the warmer months. We won’t be talking a ton about price in this breakdown otherwise, but just keep that in mind when you’re planning your trip.

Disney Wonder

Winter

While winter may seem like the LAST choice for sailing on a cruise, the benefits often far outweigh the con of it being colder outside. However, keep in mind that many cruise destinations are on the southern hemisphere, meaning that while your port of call may be chilly, once you’re at your destination(s), things have warmed up, and it may actually be a more pleasant temperature than summer would be, as sometimes summer can be TOO hot.

Worlds of Marvel on the Disney Wish

Additionally, because of the chillier weather and needing to bring layers, winter cruises are often MUCH less crowded than spring and summer cruises. Folks are getting back to their jobs and classrooms following the holiday season in the winter, but Hawaii’s tourism season does tend to pick up around the beginning of the year, so if your cruise is taking you to the South Pacific, just prepare for slightly heavier crowds on land!

Hyperspace Lounge on Disney Wish

If you’re not into the colder season, don’t worry, there are other options!

Summer

While summer will be the busiest time for cruising, so not the best when it comes to cruising with fewer crowds, but you will find that there’s a LOT more availability when it comes to booking your cruise. For Disney Cruise Line, you’ll especially find more that travel to Disney’s private islands, Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay (and sometimes both!), but some of these cruises will also take you to far away places you’ve never thought to explore before!

Disney Wish

And if you’re looking for those 80-90 degree temperatures, this is certainly the time to travel! However, occasional rainfall is certainly still possible, especially in the Bahamas where many of these cruises travel to. Be sure to check out what port activities Disney Cruise Line is offering at your different ports of call so you don’t spend the whole day just wandering around (especially if you’re NOT at Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay) — really take advantage of these adventures in a safe and reliable way!

Disney’s Private Island Castaway Cay

However, hurricane Season for the Carribeans and Bahamas runs from June to November, with late August to early September usually being when you’re gonna see the PEAK of that hurricane activity, so this is also something to keep in mind. Now, worst comes to worst, you can’t participate in a port of call and you get a full refund from Disney (as long as you booked it through them!), or the cruise as a whole if a hurricane does happen, and then you can use that money towards another cruise or port of call in the future!

Really Think About What Works Best For YOU

What’s most important here is deciding what works best for YOU and your family, and remembering why you wanted to cruise in the first place. For example, if you’re really looking forward to tanning and swimming in cool water on a hot summer day, then cruising in the winter isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you’re wanting lower crowds to more comfortable enjoy the ship’s amenities or want to do more activities at your ports of call that are indoors, then winter may be a good fit.

Mickey and Goofy at Castaway Cay

It’s also important to keep in mind why you’re choosing a Disney Cruise over a Disney World vacation. Disney Cruise Line has so many offerings for kids, teens, and adults to safely do individually, it’s sometimes hard to all meet up before bedtime, whereas in Disney World it’s a lot easier to spend time all together (and often times actually harder to split up, though it is possible!). Do you want to travel with your family and make memories in new locations you may never have been to otherwise (or where you don’t have to do a ton of the planning yourself)? Then a Disney Cruise may be a fantastic fit!

The Disney Dream

It’s a big decision to decide if a Disney Cruise is best for you and your family, but that’s why we’re here — to tell you the pros and cons and help you decide if it’s a right fit for you! The answer will be different for each and every family, and that’s the beauty of individuality. If you would like help planning your Disney Cruise, why don’t you talk with our friends at Small World Vacations? They help thousands of families every year with their cruise vacations — and their services are free to you!