The next Disney Believe cruise ship now has a launch date, a price tag and a booking window. Disney Cruise Line said Wednesday that its newest ship will make its maiden voyage on Dec. 18, 2027, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
Disney made the announcement during a livestream aboard the Disney Wish. Cruise line leader Tracy Wilson confirmed the date, according to Parade. The ship is still being built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, so there is plenty of time to save up. It also arrives as Josh D’Amaro takes the helm at Disney, which makes this an early test of the new era.
What a Disney Believe sailing will cost
For now, Disney has posted 29 inaugural sailings that run from December 2027 through May 6, 2028. Starting prices are for two guests in an inside stateroom, per the Disney Cruise Line Blog. Oceanview, Verandah and Concierge rooms cost more, and Concierge fares on some 2028 sailings run from $6,699 to $11,880.
The maiden voyage is a five-night Bahamian cruise, Dec. 18-23, 2027. It stops at Disney Lookout Cay, Disney Castaway Cay and Nassau. Fares start at $6,444, according to WDW News Today.
That is a premium for being first. By contrast, the cheapest announced fare is $2,683 for a four-night Bahamian trip leaving Jan. 20, 2028. Holiday sailings also carry a markup. The Dec. 27-31 cruise starts at $5,476, and the Dec. 31 to Jan. 5 Western Caribbean trip starts at $6,030, per WDW Magazine.
In short, the calendar sets the price. January and late April 2028 are the bargains. Christmas week is not.
The Disney Believe booking date
Bookings for the new Disney cruise ship open to the general public on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Castaway Club members get tiered early-booking windows before that, Parade reports. However, Disney’s specific pre-sale dates were not available at publication time.
Disney has not yet posted sailings after May 6, 2028. It also has not announced transportation or terminal details for Fort Lauderdale. Because of that, prices and booking details could change.
What is onboard the new Disney cruise ship
Disney is leaning hard on its movie catalog. The ship will carry the first stage adaptation of “Encanto,” a Zootopia-inspired entertainment hub called Gazelle and a Moana-themed Grand Hall, according to Disney Parks Blog and Cruiseline.com. Disney knows nostalgia sells, and it is betting that a Disney Believe cruise ship stuffed with franchise favorites will do the same, much like the studio’s push to revive Home Alone with Macaulay Culkin.
Families can book a Frozen dinner show, Oaken’s Table: A Frozen Family Feast, and a Snow White lounge called Wishing Well. Meanwhile, adults get Sea Notes, a Little Mermaid piano lounge, and a Haunted Mansion Parlor bar.
Here’s the thing about the Disney Believe cruise ship
This ship is the ninth in the fleet and the fourth in the Wish class, after Disney Wish, Treasure and Destiny. It will sail year-round from Port Everglades, so the Disney Believe sailings should be easy to find all year.
So who is the target? Families who plan a year ahead and do not flinch at a $6,444 starting fare for two. The “from” price also assumes an inside room, and the nicer rooms climb fast.
The real question is whether you book on Oct. 19 or wait. Last year’s launch pattern says the cheap dates go first.
