Of course we expect great, magical, innovative things from Disney, but still, we were bowled over by the Disney Dream when she debuted in January 2011. Like her two sisters, the Dream’s design blends elegant Art Deco motifs with fun Disney whimsy. Mix in a bunch of mind-blowing new features and the ship’s a winner.

Here are the highlights:

• AquaDuck Water Coaster – Disney debuted a cruise-industry first: a shipboard water coaster called the AquaDuck. This high-speed flume ride has twists, turns, drops, uphill acceleration and river rapids – all while traversing the upper decks of the ship. AquaDuck stretches 765 feet in length – more than two and a half times the length of a football field – and spans four decks in height. Guests slide 13 feet over the side of the ship in a translucent swing-out loop allowing them to look down on the ocean 150 feet below. Experience coaster-like thrills as high-powered water jets push passengers upwards and forwards at 20 feet per second. AquaDuck continues through the forward funnel, encounters a 335 foot stretch of river rapids and splashes down to an end on Deck 12.
• A Virtual Porthole for Inside Staterooms. All inside cabins aboard the Disney Dream have a virtual porthole that offers guests a real-time view outside the ship. High-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each virtual porthole. Of course, expect some animation to be a part of the scene ala Peach the Starfish from the Disney*Pixar hit film “Finding Nemo” or Mickey Mouse.
• A Magical Oasis for Children. Nearly an entire deck is dedicated to youth areas, with two main spaces for children ages three to 10. Both venues feature interactive animation via 103-inch plasma screens, so kids can joke, chat and play with characters such as Crush, the sea turtle from “Finding Nemo” and Stitch, the alien from “Lilo and Stitch.”
• Disney’s Oceaneer Club invites children to play among larger-than-life characters from Disney*Pixar’s “Toy Story” in Andy’s Room; explore the Laugh Floor with lovable monsters Mike and Sully from “Monsters, Inc.;” dive under the sea with Nemo and friends; or visit Tinker Bell’s fairy forest.
• In Disney’s Oceaneer Lab children can pretend they’re embarking on a great seafaring adventure in a room filled with maps, maritime instruments and swashbuckling artifacts; and try their hand at animation, become a pop star, or navigate ships through digital seas.
• Chill-Out Zones for Tweens and Teens. Located inside the forward funnel is Edge, a lounge just for tweens ages 11 to 13. Hi-tech entertainment ranges from making and staring in photo postcards to video karaoke using green-screen technology.
• Vibe is a trendy indoor/outdoor space for the 14 to 17 set. A “teen-only” swipe card provides access to the nearly 9,000-square-foot club. Teens can create and edit videos, play computer games, access the onboard social media application or try their hand at spinning and mixing dance tracks. Teens have their own private outdoor deck area with chaise lounges for sunbathing, two wading pools, misters and pop jets for cooling off, and deck games like ping-pong and foosball.
• Rotational Dining. Just as aboard her two older sisters, the Dream features innovative rotational dining between three different restaurants for dinner. Servers accompany diners, offering friendly, familiar, personalized service each night. The rotational dining restaurants include Animator’s Palate, a signature Disney restaurant featuring Disney animation; Royal Palace, an elegant restaurant inspired by the classic Disney films “Cinderella,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Sleeping Beauty;” and Enchanted Garden, a casual venue inspired by the gardens of Versailles and featuring a dining environment that magically transforms from day to night.
• Just for Adults. Of course it’s not just the kids who will have a great time aboard the Disney Dream, adults will get pampered too. The District is a nighttime entertainment area with five sophisticated venues, each with its own unique design, look, feel, and theme. Senses Spa & Salon offers its brand of bliss in 17 private treatment rooms; spa villas with indoor treatment rooms and private outdoor verandahs; and Rainforest, a special section of the spa where guests can enjoy the relaxing and restorative benefits of steam, heat and hydrotherapy. Palo is an intimate adults-only restaurant featuring ocean views and soothing sounds of a pianist.

The Disney Dream sails alternating three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. During summer months, the ship alternates four- and five-night itineraries with two stops at Castaway Cay.

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Family vacations can take one of two tacks: Either they are full-on disasters, or they go down as one of the “best vacations ever.” Cruise vacations are “best vacation ever” opportunities in the making.

Quite simply, my kids (and yes, your kids too) love to cruise. And why not? After all, where families are concerned, a cruise ship is little more than a floating, self-contained family resort, with all the features and activities that adults and kids could ever wish for.

I’ve put together a roundup of the best cruise lines and ships for families. Ranking is based on my experience of traveling with my children and experiencing the ships first-hand. I also considered input from others, advice from travel agents, and of course, the final word from the experts: kids.

You won’t go wrong choosing any of these cruises:

Cruising is the best vacation choice for families. Modern cruise ships offer wonderful accommodations, multiple dining options, and award-winning children’s programs. The key to planning a successful vacation is matching the right product to the needs of your family.

Happy family cruising!

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Prominent at Disney‘s private island since July 2006 is the Flying Dutchman, the pirate ship used in filming the first of two sequels to Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“It brings a piece of the film to the island,” Jason Lasecki, PR director for Disney Cruise Line, told us during one of two stops at Castaway Cay on a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise on Disney Magic.

My kids, ages 9 and 11 (and fans of Pirates) were awed by the 175-foot ghost ship that dominates a lagoon near where Disney ships dock. But because the ship was designed for filming and not for sailing, it provides little more than a picturesque backdrop (the ship is not durable enough to sustain foot traffic, Lasecki says).

Still, nearly everyone we saw clutching a camera stopped to snap photos of their kids in front of the ship. From the shoreline, details of the barnacle-encrusted ship, only 100 yards or so away, are remarkably visible, from the ragged sails to the monstrous bow featuring menacing eyes and shark-like teeth.

My kids were not disappointed by the larger-than-life spectacle.

There are other tie-ins to the film, including a convincing Captain Jack Sparrow look-alike offering photo ops on Castaway Cay. He also appears at the Pirates IN the Caribbean deck party, which ranks as the best top-deck party we’ve ever experienced, complete with stage performances, dancing, fireworks, and the original Pirates movie airing on the jumbo screen.

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1. Cruise lines offer holiday cruises of all lengths on all types of ships, including the world’s newest and largest, in all parts of the world, from Africa to the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to Antarctica.
2. When quality family time counts the most, a holiday cruise offers flexibility and choice in recreational activities, entertainment, relaxed dining and fun for travelers of all ages.
3. With special pricing, an abundance of diverse activities and plenty of entertainment, cruising for the holidays is the ideal choice for multigenerational groups or groups of families and friends.
4. Holiday cruisers do not need to worry about planning and preparing menus, doing the dishes or cleaning the house. On a cruise, you can leave holiday chores behind and concentrate on enjoying time spent with loved ones.
5. In times of stress, the chance to totally escape is just what the doctor ordered. Vacationing has been proven to be healthy and good for one’s well-being.
6. With a caring ship’s staff doing all the work, including the entertaining, a holiday cruise means more time to celebrate and enjoy the festivities.
7. With so many different cruises and cruise ships to choose from, there is a holiday cruise for every budget.
8. Featuring inclusive pricing, incomparable comfort and convenience, and travel to some of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, no holiday celebration offers more value for money spent than a cruise.
9. What better or more-appreciated gift could there be than the lifetime memories of a holiday cruise with family or friends?
10. It’s not too late; many cruise lines are waiting to welcome last-minute cruise shoppers for the holidays.

For a sampling of what cruise lines are offering this year during the holidays, read on.

• AMAWATERWAYS. The festive, traditional Christmas Markets of Vienna, Regensburg, Cologne, Prague and Paris are among the highlights of AMAWATERWAYS’ winter holiday voyages on the great rivers of Europe. Strolling through bustling village squares decorated with lights and Christmas trees, passengers can shop for everything from home-made gingerbread to hand-carved wooden toys, returning at the end of the day to a ship festooned with a holiday décor. In addition to such special touches as a formal Christmas Dinner and New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner, the company is offering “wonderful winter savings” with “Companion Cruises Free!” pricing. Passengers traveling in single accommodations may elect to waive the single supplement charge.
• CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES. Throughout the Carnival fleet, the winter holidays are celebrated with Christmas trees, wreaths and mistletoe, seasonal music, holiday entertainment, Christmas-themed movies and more. Santa Claus always makes an appearance toting a bag of gifts and an elaborate production show enables children to participate onstage, showcasing decorations they have made in Camp Carnival. Holiday menus feature such traditional favorites as oven-roasted turkey and pecan pie. On New Year’s Eve, guests are provided with party favors, noise makers and Champagne.
• COSTA CRUISES. With Costa Fortuna and Costa Atlantica sailing the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Costa offers a warm and festive Italian style winter holiday experience. The ships are completely decorated with Christmas trees, twinkling lights and beautiful ornaments and, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Santa Claus makes special visits with keepsake gifts. Special holiday dinner and lunch menus offer a mix of the Italian cuisine and traditional favorites. A special New Year’s Eve “gala” night provides the opportunity to dress up for the holidays.
• CRYSTAL CRUISES. This Christmas and New Year, Crystal Symphony will be cruising Antarctica and South America, allowing guests to experience both the South American spring and a white Christmas in Antarctica and Cape Horn. For a warm-weather Christmas, Crystal Serenity will be in the Caribbean for the holidays, sailing roundtrip from Miami. Ports include Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Barts, Turks & Caicos, Bonaire and Miami. All Crystal Holiday voyages feature more than $100,000 in seasonal décor, handcrafted decorations, lavish feasts and parties and a black tie New Year’s Eve gala. They also offer the Crystal Family Memories program, with special savings, shipboard credits, free fares for children and more for groups.
• CUNARD LINE. Imagine the winter holidays in picture-perfect Copenhagen and other Scandinavian capitals filled with antiquity and charm. Roundtrip from Southampton, this Scandinavian itinerary includes overnight stays in Hamburg, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. Both Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 will hold Hanukkah services and will have kosher culinary offerings available to guests. The ships will also be festooned with greenery, including trees and wreaths, ornaments, nutcrackers, gingerbread cottages and twinkling lights for Christmas, and kids will be delighted to find Father Christmas handing out gifts.
• DISNEY CRUISE LINE. The spirit of the season surrounds guests of Disney Cruise Line during the winter holidays. Starting with Disney characters in their finest holiday attire welcoming guests at the decorated cruise terminal in Port Canaveral, the festivities include: “King Triton’s Tree Lighting” ceremony; family crafts such as stocking decorating and building gingerbread houses; holiday storytellers sharing tales of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwaanza; traditional holiday feasts in three themed dining rooms and “Til We Meet Again,” a special holiday edition of the line’s cheerful farewell on the final night of the voyage. Disney Magic sails on seven-night eastern and western Caribbean holiday cruises; Disney Wonder offers three- and four-night Bahamian holiday cruises.
• HOLLAND AMERICA LINE. Holland America offers 20 holiday cruises. The Caribbean beckons with 11 holiday sailings from Fort Lauderdale and Tampa that range from seven to 14 days over one or two holidays. In a new offering, ms Maasdam will sail a 10-day Western Caribbean itinerary and an 11-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Most sailings feature a visit to Half Moon Cay, the line’s award-winning private Bahamian island. Holland America also offers roundtrip seven-day holiday cruises from San Diego to Mexico, three Panama Canal transits between Fort Lauderdale and California, a 15-day Circle Hawaii itinerary and longer cruises in Australia, New Zealand, South America and Antarctica.
• MSC CRUISES. MSC celebrates the winter holidays with an international flair, with festivities and traditions practiced around the world. In the Caribbean, MSC Poesia will offer a seven-night “Happy Holidays, Caribbean-Style” Eastern Caribbean voyage from Fort Lauderdale, and a seven-night “Caribbean & Confetti New Year’s” Western Caribbean. In the Mediterranean, from Genoa to Egypt, guests can celebrate on MSC’s two newest ships, the MSC Splendida and the MSC Fantasia, on Eastern Mediterranean and Western Mediterranean holiday itineraries. Children 17 and under sail free with MSC when sharing a stateroom with two adults paying full fare.
• NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE. Norwegian makes Christmas at sea an unforgettable experience. All ships are festively decorated, crew members stage an interactive holiday show in the ship’s theater, cruise directors and staff sing carols and Santa takes time out of his busy schedule to hand out gifts on Christmas Day. Holiday-themed menus feature dishes such as honey-glazed black forest ham with sweet potato mash, roasted turkey with apple and apricot stuffing, pumpkin soufflé and a pear and chestnut torte. Hanukkah is celebrated with kosher menus and the lighting of a menorah each day to commemorate the eight-day celebration. While kids enjoy Norwegian’s youth program, parents enjoy the high-energy, festive White Hot New Year’s Eve party.
• PRINCESS CRUISES. Princess’ 17-ship fleet offer a wide range of sailings in the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, South America, Hawaii and South Pacific for Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s. Whatever the destination, guests will find Yuletide carolers, waiters wearing Santa hats, festive décor, live seasonal music and films, and special holiday feasts featuring all the traditional favorites. Popular with families, the holiday voyages offer young travelers parties, sing-a-longs, arts and crafts, and the chance to help decorate the ship’s Christmas tree. They also may participate in a holiday theatrical production and, on Christmas Day, Santa Claus makes a surprise appearance, bringing gifts and joy for all.
• REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES. The ships of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, beautifully decorated over the holidays with trees, garlands, bunting and ginger bread houses, will be in the Caribbean, French Polynesia and transiting the Panama Canal over the winter holidays this year. A 10-night voyage roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale features many of the Caribbean “Saints”: St. Thomas, St. Barts, St. Kitts, and Saint Maarten as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Panama Canal is the featured attraction of sailings between Fort Lauderdale and California and Papeete is the departure point for sailings in Polynesia. The voyages also offer an ecumenical religious service over the holidays for those guests wishing to attend, and a special Christmas dinner menu in the main dining room.
• ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL. Families will have the opportunity to sail the newest, biggest ship in the world this holiday season when the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas departs from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean. In addition to seasonal decorations, the entire RCI fleet will offer such holiday favorites as classic movie screenings, caroling, cookie decorating, festive music and readings of classic Christmas stories. The sailing of Independence of the Seas, also from Fort Lauderdale, will combine the Jewish Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, with an eight-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. RCI offers holiday sailings from 10 domestic ports, including Bayonne, Baltimore, Port Canaveral, Miami, Port Everglades, Tampa, Galveston, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• SEABOURN CRUISE LINE. Seabourn Legend welcomes guests to a warm, sparkling Caribbean Holiday voyage this winter. Holiday revelers can choose from a seven-day “Legendary Christmas” voyage departing Fort Lauderdale and ending at Barbados, or a “Legendary New Year’s” cruise from Barbados ending at Fort Lauderdale. Or, they may combine the two voyages and sail on a 14-day round trip voyage to enjoy both the holidays’ festivities and fun. 
• SEADREAM YACHT CLUB. SeaDream I and SeaDream II, the company’s twin luxury mega-yacht cruisers, will make four Caribbean holiday sailings this year. Offered as a roundtrip voyage from San Juan or one-way between St. Thomas and San Juan, the five-, seven- and nine-day voyages all feature an overnight stay at St. Barts in the French West Indies. Late evening stays in several other Caribbean ports of call allow for holiday shoreside festivities. Ports of call include islands in the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, the French West Indies, the Grenadines, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, depending on the cruise chosen. SeaDream fares include all meals, wine with lunch and dinner, open bar with selected premium brands, plus use of “water toys” from the vessel’s Marina, and gratuities.
• SILVERSEA CRUISES. The six globe-trotting Silversea ships, including the brand new Silver Spirit, celebrate the holidays from Antarctica to Zanzibar on itineraries ranging from eight to 17 days. Silver Spirit will holiday in the Mediterranean and North Africa, offering an 11-day maiden voyage from Barcelona to Lisbon. Silver Wind will spend 14 days in Africa and the Seychelle Islands, departing from Mahe. Prince Albert II departs Ushauaia on a 17-day expedition to Antarctica. Silver Shadow departs from Barbados on a nine-day Caribbean itinerary, and on a 15-day roundtrip voyage from Fort Lauderdale through the Caribbean. Other voyages over the holidays feature South America and the South Pacific.
• UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES. Cherish all the glory and magic of the season in grand European style as you cruise along the magical rivers during this festive time of the year. Cruises include: elegantly appointed riverview staterooms, meals with complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks, celebratory events and entertainment, fully escorted shore excursions, and all transfers on arrival and departure days.
• WINDSTAR CRUISES. Windstar Cruises offers special rates on holiday and New Year’s cruises in the Caribbean and Costa Rica. Wind Spirit’s holiday sailings feature a new seven-day St. Martin itinerary that includes the British Virgin Islands, St. Barts and Jost Van Dyke. Wind Star offers an in-depth discovery of Costa Rica, and Wind Surf sails roundtrip from Barbados, calling on such islands as St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Iles Des Saintes, St. Kitts, Bequia and St. Barts. The ships are decorated with beautiful holiday decorations and feature a special holiday menu prepared by the executive chef. New Year’s cruises include a festive New Year’s Eve party including party favors, live music, an official countdown by the captain and a Champagne toast.

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With two new ships in the pipeline for 2011 and 2012, it makes perfect sense that Disney is expanding its horizons and cruising Alaska in 2011. This news comes on the heels of the announcement a few months back that the line is also heading back to the Med in summer 2010 and offering fist-time calls on Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Warnemunde, Germany, the gateway to Berlin and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Me and about a zillion other fans are thrilled the line is bound for The Last Frontier. Along with my husband and twin boys, who were four at the time, I sampled Disney’s new Mediterranean itinerary two years ago from Barcelona, and it was awesome. Before that, at 18 months old, we did Disney’s classic Bahamas route. Can’t wait for Alaska; at eight my boys will be the perfect age to enjoy all those hands-on, get-your-feet-wet family-friendly excursions like kayaking, hiking, fishing, biking and dog mushing. Not to mention the thrill of spotting a humpback whale and seeing giant glaciers close up. Oh, and what about those great playrooms on board, open all day until midnight at no extra charge.

The Disney Wonder will spend four months in the summer of 2011 doing 7-night sailings round-trip from Vancouver (a very family-friendly city, by the way) calling on Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. The first-ever Alaska cruise will depart on May 3 with the last cruise of the season scheduled for Aug. 30.

Before and after the 2011 summer season in Alaska, the Disney Wonder will sail 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises from the Port of Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.

Meanwhile, sister Disney Magic will offer 10- and 11-night cruises sailing out of Barcelona in 2011. For the rest of 2011, the Magic will sail out of Port Canaveral on 7-night alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries, both including a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

“We’re excited to offer this incredible choice of itineraries for 2011, with cruise vacation options for every family – whether that’s outdoor adventure in Alaska, the beauty and culture of Europe, folklore and pageantry of Mexico or tropical fun in the Caribbean,” said Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz.

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Watch out Sarah Palin, Captain Mickey Mouse and the gang are bringing the magic of the 83,000-ton, Disney Wonder to Alaska for the 2011 season.

The Disney Wonder will offer roundtrip Alaska cruises from Vancouver to Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Tracey Arm Fjord before returning to Vancouver.

This is, unquestionably, one of the more anticipated deployments in the cruise industry.  Not necessarily among all cruise aficionados, but certainly among Disneyphiles in general and loyal Disney Cruise Line guests in particular.   With the exception of a handful of West Coast and Europe/Mediterranean departures, Disney Cruise Lines has consistently sailed in the Caribbean and Bahamas since its inaugural cruise in 1998.  There is a tremendous amount of pent up demand for new itineraries, and according to Disney Cruise Line President, Karl Holz, Alaska was Disney’s most requested future cruise destination.  The decision to go to Alaska was based on guest feedback.

The Disney Wonder’s visit to the Land of the Midnight Sun will be a huge boost the State’s tourism industry which has recently been hard hit not only by the economy, but also by recent decisions by some cruise lines to redeploy three ships from Alaska to other destinations.  In 2006, the Alaska Travel Industry Association reported that over 1.6 Million people visited Alaska – 950,000 of them by cruise ship.   According to the Alaska State Department of Commerce, over 1.7 million people visited Alaska in 2008, but only 835,000 by cruise ship.  We don’t have 2009 stats yet, but it is expected that 2010 will show 140,000 fewer cruise passengers as a result of reduction in ships.   Royal Caribbean, Norwegian & Carnival all cite the costs of operating in Alaska and a $50 per person Alaska Cruise Passenger Head Tax implemented by a 2007 referendum as the primary reasons for redeployment.   While one ship doesn’t replace three ships, Disney’s presence will bring some much needed positive attention.

Behind the Caribbean and Europe, Alaska is the third largest cruise market.   People go to Alaska to see thundering glaciers, whales, wilderness, mountains, and wildlife.  They want experience a culture influenced by Native American and Russian history and the turn-of-the-century gold rush.  They want to embark on high adventure excursions like dog sledding, zip-lining, white water rafting, and kayaking.  They want to see bears in the wild, fly over glaciers in a helicopter, ride on a train, hike, go salmon fishing or live the “World’s Deadliest Catch.”  Alaska is one of those “life-long” dream destinations and is listed in the book, “1,000 Place to See before You Die.”   It’s “America’s Last Frontier” and “the Land of Wonder.”   It’s no wonder why Disney would want to cruise there.  Pixar Studios couldn’t create more colorful backdrop of dramatic scenery.

Peter Yesawich of Ypartners.com in Orlando, Florida is an expert in travel marketing.  His company’s studies show an increasing trend in Family Reunion Travel and report that “a special occasion” is one of the top motivators for people to take a vacation.  If this is the case, I predict that Disney Alaska cruises will one of the most popular if not THE MOST POPULAR 50th Anniversary Cruise options in 2011.   Alaska has something for everyone and Disney is the quintessential “multi-generational” cruise line.  This combination will give grandparents, parents, kids, grandkids, young adults, teenagers, and toddlers the opportunity to share in a unique family event where they will all see and do some amazing things and experience a magical vacation they will never forget.

Details regarding Alaska shore excursions, activities, special events and entertainment on the ship have not been announced. It is unknown if Captain Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean will change their name to the Pirates of the Inside Passage.  Stay tuned for more info as we get it.

Disney ships have 10 decks and pay homage to the grand era of the ocean liner, with Art Deco and Art Nouveau themes featuring touches of Disney magic.  They have 877 staterooms and accommodate 1,750 passengers.  Staterooms are configured especially for families – many of which are able to accommodate 4 or 5 guests in one stateroom.  They all have plenty of extra storage and most have scenic ocean views, balconies and split bathrooms to make getting ready for the day or dinner much easier.

Several youth activities and clubs promise age-appropriate fun for kids from 3 months to 17 years old.  There is a multitude of dining options, and Disney’s unique Rotational Dining system offers a fun way to enjoy most of them.  Entertainment includes original Disney Broadway-style musicals and the latest Disney Digital 3-D movies.  Adults get a taste of nightlife with nightclubs and lounges that offer dancing and entertainment.

And, if that was not enough to whet your appetite, Disney currently has two ships under construction at the Meyer Werft Shipyards in Germany.  The two, 122,000-ton ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, will each have 1,250 staterooms carry 4,000 passengers.  They will be two-decks taller than the Disney Wonder and are scheduled to arrive in 2011 and 2012.

At D23, Disney Cruise Line Presidet Karl Holz kept us in anticipation while speaking about DCL’s amazing Mediterranean and Northern Europe itineraries. Then called on Donald (Fauntleroy) Duck to help unveil Disney Cruise Line’s new destination – a life-size ice sculpture of the word “ALASKA”.  The Disney Wonder will depart Vancouver and visit Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, and Tracy Arm Fjord. These are ports of call you’d find on most cruises to Alaska… but the key difference here, is the Disney Magic that sets it apart from the rest.

All this week there have been quite a few unofficial announcements of Disney Cruise Line headed to Alaska – of course none of them from the mouths of Disney Execs and the like. The biggest development prior to the official announcement was last night (09/10/09) from the Vancouver Sun stating “Disney Cruise Lines will introduce departures from Vancouver to Alaska…”.

The low-down is that there’s still availability on select last minute Disney Cruise Line sailings, and we’ve got a magical kind of deal going on when you book yours today. Book your last minute Disney Cruise to the Bahamas or Caribbean by August 23rd, and receive up to $125 in shipboard credit. Whether it’s a long Caribbean retreat, a Disney Cruise & Disney World package, or a Short Bahamas getaway, we’ve got spending money to give to make your Disney Vacation even more magical! Check out the details here.

I’m not sure what your idea of Disney is these days, but they are incredibly versatile with their brand and are able to cater to the needs and wants of a diverse market. Whether it’s couples on a honeymoon, families big or small, or a group of friends – a Disney Cruise is a great way to spend your vacation.

Disney Magic and Disney Wonder have got some the coolest public rooms. Their staterooms are pretty spiffy as well, personally I love the Disney Cruise Line stateroom decor. We’ve got some of the best 360 virtual tours of them:
Disney Wonder Staterooms
Disney Magic Staterooms

Hoping to be able to go back soon and get some 360 shots of the public rooms like Animator’s Palate and Cadillac Lounge.

ºoº Don’t forget to check out our Last Minute Disney Cruise Sale. ºoº