I cannot say enough good things about the Disney Cruise line from our first arrival at the Galveston Port to our return. The staff is not only friendly but overly helpful. They are committed to making sure your trip is enjoyable. Upon arriving at Galveston port, terminal 28, you are kindly directed to the porters that can help with your luggage, and then to the proper line to get checked in. We always cruise concierge so we are quickly expedited and on the ship poste haste where we enjoy a lovely welcome lunch. From there it is the one lovely event after another. I've noticed on this trip that a few passenger accidents have happened like the spilling of popcorn in the lobby. The staff have it cleaned up immediately. Everything is clean and inviting and there are plenty of activities to choose from for young and old alike. Plenty of wonderful food and top notch entertainment. We are currently on our fourth cruise and are ready to book another. read more

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Let me preface this review by saying Disney Cruises are not for adults looking for a quiet getaway. My husband and I joined our daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren on a 5-day cruise to Progreso. My anxiety started with booking the cruise. There are so many things you have to do. We joined a Facebook group for our particular cruise. It was helpful but at the same time confusing. You'll need to know about fish extenders, pixy dust, keys to the world and so much more! Checking in for your boarding time, having all your documents, pictures, knowing which excursions and activities you want to do in addition to the included shows and character appearances can all be overwhelming. Do you want to prepay for gratuities? Do I? It's a lot. We were lucky to have a helpful travel agent, Abby McSpadden. She answered all our questions and was so knowledgeable. Don't forget about parking! Flights & Hotels if coming from out of town. There are so many decisions to be made! Once you're on board, things do start to settle down, but there's always something going on. With the Disney Magic, there were a few options for breakfast & lunch, but dinner was scheduled. We had the same dinner staff for all our meals. They really got to know us and our preferences. It made it really personalized. I won't comment on the food. I think everyone is different, but I will say they had something for everyone. The staterooms are small, but I actually thought they would be smaller. We had an excellent host, Imade, who made sure all our needs were met. Even when I was under the weather, he came by to check to make sure I was ok. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. They truly wanted to make all our cruise dreams come true. read more

Disney Cruise Line - Disney Magic - Tours Near Me - Galveston, Texas

A wonderful cruise and great experience I love cruises and this trip on Disney Magic in Jan 2025 was most excellent. The food was spectacular with lots of seafood, shrimp and crab in the buffet lunch everyday. The dinners were great with an adequate amount of entertainment especially with Rapunzel's Table. Nice decor and the live music and show was good. Vegetables were done really well, any vegan would be impressed. The entertainment at night was a bit light, but I was exhausted most of the evenings. The live musicals were top notch entertainment - except with the limited seating. I liked how the kids clubs were very engaging for my kids they wanted to go all the time. Which gave me a good break from parenting. The only regret is that the buffet was not open for dinners as Disney focuses on the main dining room experience.. but there was plenty of food on board including pizza and burgers and shawarma. Ice cream was delicious. And I think I had tried a sundae every day. I'll definitely consider Disney Cruise line again for my next cruise as the food is most excellent for this foodie. read more

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Disney Cruise Line always seems to impress me. I've been on 11 cruises with Disney Cruise Line and stayed a total of 67 nights onboard. I've never have had a major complaint with DCL, because whenever there is an issue onboard, they will take care of me the best way they can. It is really comforting to know how much the crew will try to comply with your requests. A common misconception is about DCL being for kids, which is wrong. It is meant for the whole family. They have super fun kids clubs for the kids and the adults can go to an 18+ year old show. Plenty of activities onboard the ship that you never feel bored. The food is really good onboard, the only thing I will say about it, is toward the end of a long cruise you get sick of the same options and eating too much. Which this is a problem on every cruise ship, and not specific to DCL. Themed dining does make it much more enjoyable. I also went on my favorite ship across the fleet on my most recent cruise, which happens to be the oldest one. It is smaller, so there is less people and crowds. It is similar to being at a Disney Park with barely anyone there. DCL is truly amazing. You can drastically tell the Disney difference onboard it compared to other cruise lines. I highly recommend trying it. read more

Disney Cruise Line - Disney Magic!! - Tours Near Me - Galveston, Texas

Be carful of hidden fees. There are no convenience stores on board. You want a Gatorade in the middle of the night, oh well. Want a bag of chips, oh well. You tip your server extra from the 18% already added... they will give you another tip fee on the last day worth hundreds of dollars. Want to go to a theatre for a show other than a Disney movie, oh well. Want to stay a little late at a bar/grill, oh well. The one amazing thing is that every single solitary person I came across on board was delightful. I'd never do Disney again, but they have certainly selected great workers. read more

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We set sail from Galveston on a 4-night Disney cruise in January 2024- No regret at all! As Disney Cruise Line's first vessel, the Magic is small and feels kinda old, but small and old doesn't mean bad! We indeed had a wonderful time on the Magic! Food was great. All crew members were happy, friendly and accommodating. Our Verandah stateroom was on the 7th floor, within walking distance to the Cabanas buffet and the pool deck where the free self-service beverage bars and other fast food places were located on the 9th floor. The elevators were slow and small- people would just walk up and down the flights of stairs. All 3 of the main dining rooms on board- Lumiere's, Rapunzel's Royal Table, and Animator's Palate were very nice, and our server, Kamel, and his helper, Angelia, who rotated with us were amazing and the best! The personalized service made us feel like being treated like family! Lots of onboard activities and entertainment for kids- the kids clubs, the Broadway-style shows, character greetings, the swimming pools and water play areas, etc. My four- and seven-year-old girls sure did have a busy schedule every day while aboard. We are soooooo looking forward to our next Disney cruise vacation- the Wish or the Treasure would be awesome! read more

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We had an amazing time on the Disney Magic!! Make sure you arrive to the port terminal at your boarding time or you will have to wait. Porters are available to take your luggage to your stateroom for you. Download the DCL navigator app ahead of time and bring your online check-in form and boarding documents for security. Don't forget that adults can carry on 2 bottles of wine or a 6 pack of beer. As soon as we boarded the ship we went to guest services to load money on to our stateroom account (we buy gift cards ahead of time) - highly recommend buying them at a discount from Sam's club or target to help with cost. Each days activities and dining info will be listed in the app. Remember that room service is available 24/7! Highlights from this cruise were palo brunch, the art of the theme walking tour, bingo, hot stone massage at senses spa, dinner at animator's palate, the anyone can cook culinary series, and the Disney dreams show. My partner also enjoyed the alcohol tastings on board. Luckily we were still able to have fireworks for the pirate party even though it was windy out. One of the biggest contributors to our positive experience on the ship were the staff! We loved our stateroom host, Made, from Indonesia who provided us with turndown service twice a day, and made us beautiful towel animals every night. Our server team, Romy from India and Juviani from Brazil, were incredibly efficient and made sure we had everything we needed for dinner. We had a few issues with our room and guest services addressed it right away and were very helpful. The Disney Magic is the original ship and is still so beautiful and well maintained! The art deco theme throughout is stunning and you really get the feel that you are on a classic ship. The trip was truly so wonderful! The only con was that we couldn't dock in Progreso due to the weather and high waves, however, the priority of safety was much appreciated and we still had a fun day at sea. With the stormy sea, we did experience some rocking the last two nights. If you are prone to motion sickness I recommend getting a room midship and with a verandah so you can get fresh air. If you're a Disney fan or just want the best when it comes to service, try Disney cruise line! read more

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My family just returned from our 1st cruise & we set the bar high by choosing Disney Cruise Line (DCL), which leaves from Galveston for a few months each year. Spoiler-alert: we had a great time & will be on another DCL trip as soon as we can afford it. Living in Austin, we either need to make a long drive or take on the added expense of flying to a coastal port. Galveston was the obvious choice, and of the 3 outfits sailing from there, only DCL met our needs. While we're not extreme Disney fans, we're pros at doing the theme park routine & there is no comparison when it comes to Disney's idea of hospitality. We knew if we ever overcame our aversion to the potential perils of cruising, it would be DCL that won our cash. Going with DCL means that you'll pay more than with other lines but you'll deal with less people, fewer service snafus, & a pristine environment at all times. We found all of this during our week-long Caribbean cruise in January 2020 & were satisfied enough to put down a deposit on our next one before we left the ship. Before departure, there is much to decide. After reserving a guaranteed verandah stateroom (a lower cost option in which DCL picks our final room, but it will have a private outdoor space), we could join the online groups for our dates, start to meet people, & gain intel from pro DCL cruisers on how everything works. Just as in planning a Disney Parks vacay, insider tips help with understanding the flow, what activities are good for which family members, & how to minimize frustration. We had to decide whether we'd do a "fish extender" group (a kind of "secret Santa;" we instead did a relaxed version called "pixie dusting"), whether to decorate our door (we did, w/ a low-effort array from teacher supplies), & whether to reserve extras like adult-only dining or DCL excursions at ports-of-call. We found that senior cruisers ("Castaway Club" members) and those with Concierge-level rooms had filled up any of the extras we wanted before we even bought our cruise. This was a bummer, but we found alternatives. For dining at Palo (the only extra cost dining on the Wonder, one of the smaller ships), we had to go to the listed location as soon as we boarded the ship to request our brunch reservation, obtained without issue. It seems that DCL holds a few slots back, in addition to those released when the senior cruisers cancel. For excursions, since we're familiar w/ both ports of call from past trips (Cozumel & Grand Cayman), we opted to do our own thing, visiting lesser known snorkeling beaches where we expected few cruisers to venture. Onboard, adults found enjoyment in pursuits like enjoying free room service on our verandah, running laps on the 1 third of a mile oceanview track, using the gym & locker room at the spa, chilling in the adults-only Quiet Cove whirlpool & deck areas, & visiting some of the lounges for a cocktail-of-the-day. Our son loved the teen & tween clubs (Vibe & Edge) where he made several new friends, played video games, & joined group activities. Together, we took in a few first-run films in the theaters, watched one of the Broadway-style shows, laughed at a few live game shows, & attended a couple deck parties featuring most of the classic Disney faces. Speaking of characters, if you really love Disney, you will have ample opportunity (scheduled almost every hour, 8:30a - 10:30p daily) to meet & have a pic taken with your favorites. We saw almost every princess, all the OG mouse-dog-duck-chipmunk guys, Captain Hook & Smee, & a few newer ones like Stitch, Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, & Captain Jack Sparrow. We never waited in line at any of the scheduled photo ops, but I still managed to get a pic with Goofy when he appeared on Deck 4 during one of my A.M. runs. Would this even be a Yelp review if I didn't talk about food? DCL has a system in which you rotate through the 3 family-dining spots, assigned to either 1st (5:45p) or 2nd (8:15p) seatings at a reserved table (which may be shared with another group). Service was great & food was fine, but we didn't like 2nd seating. By that hour, we're too tired to really enjoy the drawn out pace of a 4-course meal & themed show that kept going until almost 10p. Next time, we'll reserve early enough to get the 1st seating; if not, we'll go to guest services upon boarding to request a switch. BTW, rotational dining is included in the cost of your cruise & you can ask for as much of the menu as you wish, so if you wanna try one of everything, go for it! Just know that the portions are often large. I always felt stuffed & worried about all the waste. We preferred the excellent buffet at Cabanas (available before 5p, except for one late night buffet on Pirate Night). With that & the 4-5 other walk-up options, we had freedom to come & go, adding food we wanted to our plates. All of these are also included in the base cost. Next time, we'll opt-out of some of the repeated rotational dinings for the walk-ups. read more

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