Why you need to plan a week-long Disney cruise

This is your sign to plan a week long trip on Disney Cruise Line. If you haven’t had the chance to sail for more than three or four days, the experience is going to change how you look at vacations.

Last fall I sailed with my family on the Disney Dream on a one way trip from New York City to Puerto Rico. We had six nights on board, with three days at sea, and stops in King’s Wharf, Bermuda and Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Compared to our first two trips, the extra time on board made a big difference, and it was one of the best vacations.

While Disney Cruise Line doesn’t have plans to sail out of New York City for a while, they may sail from the port again down the road. If they do, I highly recommend taking a look. The city is a great place to start a vacation, but Disney does have other ports with sailings to and from Puerto Rico.

There are lots of great ports t check out, and where you can start your cruise, but Old San Juan in Puerto Rico was amazing, and we spent a day in the city after our cruise to explore a little. It’s a lively city, the food is so incredible, and there’s a lot of history and culture to check out.

And if you’re thinking about visiting Puerto Rico, there’s a 7-night southern Caribbean cruise from San Juan, with stops in St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados, Dominica, and Antigua this November that sounds amazing, as just one suggestion. I’d recommend arriving a couple of days early, or leaving two days after the cruise ends so you can take in all that the city has to offer.

Beyond the destinations though, and our excellent excursions in both ports on our cruise, I really loved the pace of a seven day cruise. For the days at sea especially, you could get up when you wanted, have breakfast at Cabanas, or enjoy the sit down breakfast, and then take a stroll, jump on the Aqua Duck, before sitting and relaxing by the pool.

The excursions are also amazing. We went snorkelling, and saw lots of fish and sea life, we had some great views of Tortola and King’s Wharf, and learned about the areas and their history. It was wonderful, and those moments really made the trip.

But having time to do what you want on a cruise is really the best gift you can give you and your family. Especially if you usually never have any spare time when you’re at home.

Our daughter spent a lot of time at the tween club, so my wife and I enjoyed everything we could. We sat and relaxed, I tried the Moka Experience at the Cove Cafe, went to brunch at Palo, had a tour of the ship where they taught us about the way Disney styles their spaces to set a mood and a tone, and so much more.

And when we had time with our daughter, we had a blast as a family, riding the water slide, going to the theatre for shows, doing trivia together, and so many other things. Even the meals were fun.

With six nights on the cruise, my family and I really had the time to do so much more, at a slower pace than most vacations. On our last night on board I even had the chance to go to the premiere screening of a Marvel movie, and it was so much fun with a crowd of real fans.

So if you’ve been waiting to plan a longer cruise, and make the most of your vacation, definitely consider booking that longer Disney cruise. DCL has dozens of upcoming cruises that are 7 nights or more, including Alaskan and Mediterranean cruises, and sailings with a stop at the new Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the Caribbean.

The cruise schedule is out until late September 2025, and there are so many options, between now and then, including new routes with the Disney Treasure.

Watch Part 1 of my Disney Dream vlog at the top of the story, or on YouTube, and stay tuned this Saturday for Part 2, where I’ll cover the days at sea, Tortola, and getting off in San Juan. Part 3, coming up by April 27, will cover our stay in Old San Juan, with some of the highlights and why I loved the city so much.

Follow me on YouTube to catch every video when they premiere, and leave any comments or questions below or on my channel if you’d like to find out anything about our trip, and sailing on a Disney cruise.

All photos by W. Andrew Powell/The GATE.