All About Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise

Disney Cruise Line Pirate Night is one of the most popular events on a Disney Cruise! With activities, special food and entertainment, this is one party you don’t want to miss. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise.

There’s so much to do on Pirate Night! Whether you’re looking for a dance party, some fun trivia or a good movie night, there are plenty of Disney Cruise Pirate Night Activities on a Disney Cruise!

Disney Cruise Pirate Night Activities

On the day of Pirate Night, you can find a variety of activities happening throughout the ship all honoring pirates. Pirate Trivia, Pirate Crafts, and even fun pirate activities happening in the kids’ clubs are all part of the day. And if you’re traveling with younger travelers, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique offers appointments Pirate Makeovers on Pirate night too.

There’s a Pirate Deck Party, special Disney Characters in Pirate Costumes meet and greets, Fireworks at Sea and even a Pirate Night Specialty Menu. After the fireworks, you can watch the Pirates of the Caribbean Film on either on the upper decks FunnelVision, or on your stateroom TV. And really, it’s such a busy and fun day that a movie is a perfect way to end Pirate Night!

And if you’re sailing on the Disney Wish, the chandelier in the atrium will light up a bright red color at night to help set the ambiance. Be sure to stop by at some point during the night to check it out!

Disney Cruise Pirate Night Deck Party

Depending on which ship and itinerary you sail, your pirate party may be a little different. Some ships have different shows, and sometimes shows get revamped but they all have one thing in common, pirates. There are often 2 Deck Shows on Pirate Night and a Club Pirate Dance Party before the Pirates of the Caribbean film takes over the FunnelVision screen. And on the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure ships you can take part in the Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party. Here are all the Pirate Night Party details.

Disney Cruise Pirate Party

The Pirate Deck party includes live musical performances, Disney characters in pirate costumes, and plenty of reasons to enjoy the pirate life. This is a show you don’t want to miss. You can sing along to your favorite Pirate shanties and watch the fireworks after the show. There’s even a special pirate themed Disney Cruise Drink of the Day (for grown ups, with rum) you can grab while you watch.

Club Pirate Dance Party

The Club Pirate Dance Party happens after the Pirate Party and fireworks. If you love to dance, this party is for you! With a club-like atmosphere, or as much of a club-like atmosphere as Disney can provide, there is dancing, light up drinks and a great way to end your Pirate Night fun! It usually lasts until around 11pm, which is when the movie Pirates of the Caribbean will start on funnel vision.

Disney Cruise Pirate Party Times

For the little ones there is usually an earlier pirate dance party around 7:15 PM or 7:30 PM, between the two main dining times. This deck party features Disney Characters and is especially fun for younger voyagers.

The main Pirate Deck Party will usually happen right after the second dining rotation, around 10:15 PM or 10:30 PM. This can occasionally change though. So just be sure to check the Disney Cruise Navigator App for the time on your specific cruise.

Now, we have found this to vary from ship to ship and between itineraries as well. Sometimes there is only the one deck party later in the night. But on our most recent cruises, two has been the standard. And if you’re in the second dining rotation, never fear. The servers do an excellent job of making sure the meal is completed in a timely manner so that you can get up to the top decks for the second party in time. And if you have any concerns, just let them know at the beginning of the meal.

Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party

Offered on the Disney Wish, Treasure and Destiny during Caribbean sailings, The Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party is a pirate-themed deck party. Filled with a live music performance, special effects, fireworks, Captain Redd and even Captain Jack Sparrow himself. Just head to the upper decks to get a great spot to watch the show and the fireworks, set to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.

Party time is usually 10:15 PM or 10:30 PM, and lasts about 20-30 minutes, but be sure to check the My Disney Navigator App for all the details on party times for your Pirate Night.

Disney Cruise Pirate Night Characters

One of the most fun things about Pirate Night is seeing all of the unique Disney characters in pirate costumes! Many times during pirate night, rare characters like Captain Hook and Smee come out to greet guests. You can also meet Captain Jack Sparrow as well as all of your favorite characters dressed in their pirate best.

To find out who you can meet on Pirate Night, just check the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app for meeting times and locations. And as always, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any surprise guests! Disney Cruise Line is famous for its roaming characters and you never know who might show up to the party!

Disney Cruise Pirate Night Menu

The menu for Pirate Night is always the same. It actually never changes! So, if it’s your first sailing, or your 20th, during Pirate Night, you can always expect the same food. And it doesn’t change from ship to ship either. This will be served at whichever restaurant is on your Dining Rotation the evening of Pirate Night.

The Pirate Night Menu includes Caribbean Inspired Dishes like Mango curry soup, samosas, jerk chicken and more. We love that the vegetarian options here are delicious and that there’s a ton of variety on this menu as a whole. All spiced with Caribbean flavors. For dessert, you can grab Rum soaked cake, Macadamia nut cheesecake, and Pirate’s Treasure sundae.

Some avid cruisers like to skip the main dining room during Pirate Night due to the menu always being the same. But we say, if the menu isn’t your favorite, why not grab food from room service, but still head to the main dining room for dessert and/or drinks! The serving team is always dressed up for Pirate Night and the atmosphere is a lot of fun!

Disney Cruise Fireworks During Pirate Night

Our favorite thing about Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise is the fireworks! Disney is the only cruise line with permission to shoot off fireworks at sea, so it’s a really special thing to be able to experience. The fireworks will generally happen around 10:15 PM or 10:30 PM but on Pirate Night this time can change based on the when the party happens. Check the exact time in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App.

Almost always, the fireworks will be launched from Starboard side, or the right side of the ship when facing the front. So if you want the most panoramic view, plan to watch the Disney Cruise Fireworks from the Port side! You can also view them from the Starboard, but you may not be able to see them fully as intended since the fireworks are launched from the both forward and the aft. We like watching them just above the main pool deck for the best view.

Occasionally guests with verandah rooms on the Starboard side can also watch the fireworks from their balconies. This is not guaranteed and is location dependent, so if you see a note that states not to use your balcony during the fireworks, be sure to heed this message. Additionally, you can always confirm with your stateroom host to make sure your balcony is safe to watch the fireworks from on Pirate Night.

Disney Cruise Pirate Night Outfit Ideas

What should you wear for Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise? From shirts to full costumes, there are a lot of options for Pirate Night outfits! Some people will go all out with a full costume or cosplay, while others will keep it casual with a fun pirate night tee and a few pirate-y accessories. Our friends over at Once Upon a Wardrobe always come up with the most creative outfits for every Disney occasion, so you know they have ideas about Pirate Night! You can watch their video about outfit ideas for Pirate Night one Disney Cruise here.

Disney Cruise Pirate Night Shirts

If you’re looking to keep things simple and avoid packing too much, we’ve got you covered with our selection of Pirate Night shirts over at Polka Dot Pixie Shop! On some itineraries, you may receive a Pirate Night bandana as well, so this is an easy way to dress up your tee a bit. Add a bandana, hoop earrings, some loose striped pants and you’re all set!

Disney Cruise Pirate Night Costume Ideas

Now, if you’re planning to go full pirate, that’s always a great option as well! You can find tons of Pirate Costumes on Amazon, or you can even check out secondhand sites like Mercari, DePop or Poshmark for pieces to mix and match to make your perfect pirate costume. We’ve seen so many unique pirate outfits on our Disney Cruises, so let your imagination run wild and have fun with it.

Disney Cruise Pirate Night FAQ

From the parties to the menu, and the outfits, there is a lot to consider for Pirate Night. As such, we thought we’d share some common questions we get, to help you out.

Does Disney Cruise Line do Pirate Night on every cruise?

They don’t! If you’re sailing to Alaska, Disney Cruise Line will instead do a Freezing the Night Away deck party. If you’re sailing on one of the Disney Cruises in Europe you will have a deck party that varies, but almost never pirate night and never with fireworks. And most cruises that sail to and from or around the west coast will usually also not have Pirate Night.

How do I know if there is a Pirate Night on my cruise?

Almost every cruise that sails in to the Bahamas and the Caribbean will host a Pirate Night, unless there is a special reason for them not to. And sometimes itineraries outside of the Caribbean too, though it is rare. The easiest way to find out if there is a Pirate Night is by looking at this page which describes the dress code for Disney Cruise Line! If you see the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is offering Pirates League makeovers, then your cruise will definitely be having a Pirate Night.

Do you have to dress up for Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise?

Nope! But it definitely makes the night a bit more fun. Many families do dress up though, so if you’re worried about feeling out of place, or feeling silly- don’t! This is completely optional. But it does make for some fun memories and photo ops.

What Day is Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise?

This depends a lot on your sailing! On 3-night cruises, Pirate Night is almost always on the day you stop in Castaway Cay. On 4-night cruises, it is often on your one sea day. for 5-, 6-, and 7- night Caribbean cruises, it can vary depending on your cruise ships’ exact schedule.

To be sure, you can check onboard activities in the Disney Cruise app or on the website with your cruise linked, and if you see the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique offering Pirates League makeovers, then that is when your pirate night will be as that is when those special appointments are offered.

Disney Cruise Line Pirate Night Review

Pirate Night is one of our favorite nights on a Disney Cruise! There are so many fun things to do, characters to meet and overall the whole vibe is like a huge party. This is a unique experience and nothing like what you’ll see on any other cruise line or even in the Disney Parks. We always look forward to Pirate Night on our Disney Cruise adventures and we hope you love it too!