A Disney Cruise for Halloween or Christmas?

There’s just something about Disney Cruise line that has us hooked. Maybe it’s the food, the service, the fact that we can actually relax while traveling. Or maybe it’s the beauty of their beautiful fleet, activities and port options; frankly, we can’t seem to get enough. And with so many itineraries, and special themed cruises, the options for enjoying these cruises seems endless! One thing we commonly get got asked is which holiday cruise we’d pick. Would a Disney Christmas Cruise or Halloween Cruise be better?

A Disney Holiday Cruise is always magical. But there are some big differences between a Halloween and a Christmas cruise. If you’re wavering between the Halloween on the High Seas Cruise or Disney’s famous Very Merrytime Cruise, here is our comparison of each.

Disney Cruise for Halloween

Disney’s Halloween Cruise is called Halloween on the High Seas, and offers a variety of holiday activities, treats and decorations onboard. From characters in Halloween costumes, to Halloween snacks, and even Halloween performances onboard, there are plenty of extra things on the ship to make the spooky season special. Read more about Halloween on the High Seas Cruises and what to know before you go. 

Disney Cruise for Christmas

A Disney Christmas Cruise is all about the very merry. A Disney Very Merrytime Cruise includes seasonal snacks, performances and decorations. Everything from Mickey Mouse in his Christmas sweater to Christmas Cookie Cocktails at the bars and lounges, there is plenty of ways to get merry on this ship. 

Disney Cruise Decorations

We are all about the decor for these themed cruises! The atrium is magically transformed for these cruises and it really sets the tone for the entire trip. During a Halloween on the High Seas cruise, generally, just the atrium is decorated. The adorably spooky Pumpkin tree, pumpkin garlands, and jack-o-lantern pumpkin faces on the atrium portholes will greet you upon arrival.

Many people will bring their own decorations for their doors which adds a lot of spooky fun to the stateroom hallways, but outside of that, you’re really only going to find full decor in the atrium. We highly recommend decorating your door and joining in on the fun! It not only adds some festivity, but also will help you find your stateroom later. 

The Very Merrytime Cruise is also beautifully decorated in the atrium, complete with garlands and a grand Christmas tree, but they also have decorations throughout the ship. Christmas trees and wreaths can be found all over the main decks. Trees are often found near restaurant entrances. And even the theater has some festive touches. It’s the perfect setting to help you get into the holiday spirit! 

Does Castaway Cay Get Decorations for the Holidays?

In addition to the decorations onboard, Castaway Cay gets in on the fun.  If you are sailing to Castaway Cay during the holiday season, the island will also have a fun holiday display waiting to greet you as you disembark the ship. There are a few little holiday decorations throughout the island as well to help keep your Island holiday spirit up. Our Halloween cruise didn’t sail to Castaway Cay, but as of the date writing this post, there are currently no Halloween decorations on Castaway Cay during Halloween on the High Seas. 

Disney Cruise Characters

If you’re someone who loves characters, then a Disney Cruise is for you! Character meet and greets on a Disney Cruise are really unmatched. Whether you’re a Disney World or Disneyland fan, you’ll likely be in for a treat when you see just how fabulous meet and greets are on a Disney Cruise. Not only do characters free roam, which is always fun, but there are also just so many opportunities. With generally much lower wait times than you’d find in the Parks. And during the holiday cruises, they are dressed in their best! For a Halloween cruise, you can often find your favorite Disney friends dressed in the cutest Halloween costumes. And during a Christmas Cruise, you’ll find them in festive outfits, that were newly refreshed. You really can’t go wrong with either Disney holiday cruise when it comes to the characters. 

Disney Cruise Entertainment

If you’re familiar with Disney Cruise Line, then you probably know that their entertainment is first class. This is especially true if you’re a Disney fan.  Their Broadway-style shows are often a highlight of every cruise. They are a must-see in our opinion. And while the Broadway shows are amazing in their own rite, they don’t really have any holiday-themed Broadway shows.  Never fear though, there is plenty of other themed entertainment to enjoy. From parties to storytelling, the entertainment is always top notch. We’ve highlighted our favorite Very Merrytime must do’s on a Disney Christmas Cruise and Halloween on the High Seas must do’s .  These highlight some of our favorites.  Overall, we preferred the entertainment on the Very Merrytime Cruise as we thought they really just offered more. 

Disney Cruise Activities

One of the best things about a Disney Cruise is that you can do as little or as much as you want! From craft making to trivia, wine tasting to anyone can cook events, there really is no shortage of fun to be had. 

Halloween on the High Seas had a super cute Anyone Can Cook Spider Cake demo while we were onboard and one Halloween craft during our 5 night cruise. On the other hand, Very Merrytime offered Gingerbread Cookie decorating, several different Christmas crafts, a special Christmas themed trivia session, 2 Christmas themed Anyone Can Cook demos and Christmas themed drawing classes. And that was on a shorter, 3-night cruise. 

Overall, the Very Merrytime Disney Christmas Cruise just offered a lot more in the activities department! It could be argued that there are really just more Christmas things to do in general. And this translates to what’s available on the cruise; but we are pretty big Halloween fans too, so we would dare to say Halloween on the High Seas could have offered more activities than they do. Keep in mind, this is dependent on your specific cruise! Some of the activities really depend on who the activities director is, so keep that in mind.

Disney Cruise Holiday Treats and Menus

By now you probably know we are big fans of Disney snacks. Whether we are enjoying them in the Disney Parks or making some of our own at home, we love a good treat and are always on the lookout for them. So when we board a Disney Cruise, we are always looking forward to what kind of snacks and treats they will have in store. 

It’s important to keep in mind that a lot of what snacks and treats you will find onboard will depend a lot on your specific trip. Your itinerary and the actual ship itself may lend to more or less themed treats. So even if you see some cute holiday-themed treats on Instagram or other online sources, that doesn’t always mean that’s what you’re going to find on your cruise. In general, The Dream and The Fantasy have more since they are bigger ships. We are excited to see what the Disney Wish has to offer!

Both Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime have a great selection of holiday-themed treats. Again this is a hard one to judge since it’s mostly going to depend on your ship.  We call this category a tie, because, well, we can. And in all honesty, it’s one that’s going to change from year to year and ship to ship.  And that’s what keeps it interesting!

Disney Cruise Cost: Which is Cheaper?

First and foremost, it’s important to realize that both cruises are themed cruises. And as such, this leads to fairly different pricing than non-themed cruises. Halloween on the High Seas and Disney Very Merrytime Cruises will generally be a little more expensive than a standard Disney Cruise. We have found that cruising earlier in the season tends to be a bit cheaper. But these cruises will often run you a bit more than a similar cruise not offering the holiday theme. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to business. Before we get too involved with our opinion, let’s start with the facts. 

While a regular Disney Cruise costs about $2300- $5600 for 4 people on a 3-4 night cruise. A themed cruise for the same number of people and nights is closer to $2600-$6300 depending on which room you choose, for non-concierge guests. This will be largely dependent upon what ship you choose, your destination and your itinerary.  The price also depends on demand. Be prepared to pay more during those highly desired times. 

Is a Disney Cruise Cheaper than Walt Disney World?

Another question we get asked a lot, this is a good one to ponder! Whether Disneyworld or a Disney Cruise is cheaper depends on a lot of things. The length of stay, where you’re staying, the number of people traveling, and the time of year are all important factors to consider. As an example, traveling to Walt Disney World in the month of September with 3 people for 5 days, with the dining plan will cost you around $4500 at a moderate resort. Taking a similar length cruise during that same time of year is closer to $3700. Now shift those dates to “high season” for cruises, and it’s easy to see that Disney would be the cheaper choice. 

These prices are also “rack rate” prices. Meaning this is before any kind of discount or deal that you may be able to find or use to save you some money. Disney doesn’t often have a ton of discounts available for Cruises, but you can generally find a great deal on sailings they’re having a hard time filling with Guaranteed Room Rates.  In addition to Guaranteed Room Rates, if you plan to sail during the cheapest times of year for a Disney Cruise, you can also find better deals during this time. 

In addition to that, if you’re a Value Resort type traveler who really just needs a room, spends most of your time at the parks, and don’t generally tend to think it’s worth it for your family to have the Disney Dining Plan, then Disney World will be cheaper than a cruise for you.

Disney Cruise Comparison: Holiday Sailings

Is the Disney Halloween Cruise or Christmas Cruise Better? Our conclusion to this showdown is that the Very Merrytime is the overall winner if you’re looking to get the most “theme” out of your buck. As I mentioned earlier, it can be argued that in general there are more Christmas activities, decorations, and entertainment options in general and that may be why the Very Merryime on Disney Cruise Line is the clear winner. But either way, Halloween on the High Seas does leave a little bit to be desired if you’re hoping to be fully immersed in the spookiest season on the seas.  The Very Merrytime is pretty much all Christmas, all the time and we are here for it. 

Sailing on a Disney Cruise for Halloween or Christmas

We love both cruises, and would recommend either. But if you’re trying to decide between these holiday cruises, Christmas is our pick. Much like how we prefer Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in the Parks over Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, they’re both good. And a lot of it is really just personal preference. In this case, we just think Christmas is done better. With more to see and do. That’s not to say that Halloween on the High Seas isn’t great. Because it’s absolutely fang-tastic! And we are excited to see how both cruises evolve over time. What about you? Have you done either cruise or both? Let us know your thoughts!