Cruises are wonderful choices for family travel—especially Disney’s fleet—but sometimes flying all the way out to a ship’s port first can take the wind right out of your sails. But good news approaches, future cruisers! Pretty soon New Yorkers will be able to hop on a Disney Cruise heading to its private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay straight from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in Hell’s Kitchen.
Beginning in fall 2018, three seven-night sailings will travel from New York to Walt Disney World near Port Canaveral, Florida before whisking passengers off to Castaway Cay. Each guest will receive a one-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and round-trip transportation to and from the theme parks. Bookings open to the public May 18, 2017, so hop on it before the ships fill up!
In addition to the new sailings to the Bahamas, Disney Cruise Line will offer trips to Bermuda for the first time. In October 2018, Disney will offer five-night sailings leaving New York City that will include two full days in Bermuda as well as six-night trips that will let you romp around those pink sand beaches for three whole days. With this news, vacation time in 2018 really can’t get here quickly enough.
Photograph: Courtesy Todd Anderson
If the family is more interested in escaping to another city rather than embracing their inner beach bums, Disney is also launching new cruises between New York and Quebec City, Canada beginning in September 2018. Seven-night sailings on the Disney Magic will give parents and the tots plenty of time to wander around the city’s ports, taste the local cuisine and trek out to Montmorency Falls, which is taller than Niagara Falls! It’ll feel like you’ve traveled to Europe minus the never-ending plane ride with rambunctious littles in tow.
For other cruises you can catch right in town, check out our best family cruises leaving from the NYC area.