When will Disney cruises start in Fort Lauderdale? Here are details on dates and ships

Vinod Sreeharsha
·2 min read

Disney is bringing its cruise ships to Fort Lauderdale. Port Everglades will be the second Florida home port for the company after Port Canaveral, on the state’s Space Coast.

Here’s what to know about the expansion:

When will Disney start sailing from Fort Lauderdale?

The Mickey Mouse pool (foreground) on the pool deck of the Disney Dream.
The Mickey Mouse pool (foreground) on the pool deck of the Disney Dream.

Date: The first ship will set sail on Nov. 20 from Fort Lauderdale, the beginning of a minimum 15-year agreement between Disney Cruise Line and Florida’s second busiest port after Miami.

READ MORE: Disney is bringing ships to South Florida. What that means for cruising and the port

What Disney ship will be based at Port Everglades and what is the itinerary?

Disney Cruise Line will set sail from Port Everglades for the first time in 2023.
Disney Cruise Line will set sail from Port Everglades for the first time in 2023.

Trips: The 4,000-passenger Disney Dream will sail a five-night trip to the Caribbean. Then it will do four-night and five-night trips until next spring when another ship, the Disney Magic, will replace it for three, four- and five-night cruises. Trips will also include stops at Disney’s private island on the Bahamas.

Will the ships have their own space at Port Everglades? What does it look like?

▪ Terminal: Disney has been granted exclusivity to the terminal. But the berth can also be used for cargo or yachts. The new dedicated terminal at Port Everglades festooned with colorful murals of characters from Disney and Pixar’s “Finding Nemo.”

▪ Photos of the terminal:

The new Disney cruise terminal at Port Everglades on Nov. 11, 2023.
The new Disney cruise terminal at Port Everglades on Nov. 11, 2023.
New Disney cruise terminal at Port Everglades on Nov. 11, 2023.
New Disney cruise terminal at Port Everglades on Nov. 11, 2023.
New Disney cruise terminal at Port Everglades on Nov. 13, 2023.
New Disney cruise terminal at Port Everglades on Nov. 13, 2023.

What travelers should know about booking a Disney cruise

(Jan. 4, 2011): The Disney Dream, Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, arrives Jan. 4, 2011 for the first time to her home port of Port Canaveral, Fla. after traveling approximately 6,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Bremerhaven, Germany. The 4,000-passenger Disney Dream will welcome guests on her maiden voyage on Jan. 26, 2011, and is scheduled to sail three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island Castaway Cay, from Port Canaveral. (David Roark, photographer)

The fleet: Disney has a fleet of five ships. Two of them — Disney Wish and Disney Fantasy — sail out of Port Canaveral.

To book: For information on all cruises Disney will offer, readers can consult their travel agents or Disney’s website at disneycruise.disney.go.com. Or call 800 951-3532 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern time; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call.

Port information: Contact Port Everglades at porteverglades.net/cruise/