Why I did NOT book the New Disney Treasure’s Maiden Voyage

I love sailing the high seas with Mickey and his friends. After sailing twelve times, with two more on the horizon, is it surprising that I did not book the Maiden Voyage for the Disney Treasure? Why not?

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line was founded in 1995.  The first ship of the fleet was the Disney Magic. Five other ships have set sail since their debut on the high seas. These include the Wonder, Fantasy, Dream, and the Wish. Currently, two additional cruise ships are in the works.

The Disney Treasure will sail its Maiden Voyage in December 2024, and the newly announced Disney Adventure is a previous ship that was acquired. Its home base will be in Singapore.  

Most recently, the Disney Wish sailed from its home port, Port Canaveral, in the summer of 2022. Although I (Marisol) was not on the Maiden Voyage myself, I did get to sail on its third voyage. Want to learn more about the Disney Wish? CLICK HERE to read about the Quick Service locations onboard.

Disney Treasure

Although the Disney Treasure is a replica in size and layout of its sister ship, the Disney Wish, this ship’s theme will revolve around “adventure.” Until recently, not much information had been announced about the ship. But, when Disney announced a couple of weeks ago that a special live stream would take place, Disney Cruise Line fans, among myself, were intrigued and excited. We would finally learn more about this adventurous ship and, most importantly, know the Maiden Voyage itineraries and dates.

To learn more about the many announcements from the live stream, CLICK HERE.  Much to our surprise, we also learned that the Disney Treasure’s Maiden Voyage will set sail in December 21, 2024, on a seven-night sailing from Port Canaveral.

The Eastern Caribbean itinerary will visit Tortola, St. Thomas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.  The Maiden Voyage will also be sailing over Christmas! How magical is that?

You best believe that when I heard the news, I called my husband and told him I knew where we would spend Christmas 2024. Sailing over Christmas on a Disney Cruise ship is a magical experience. We have experienced two Christmas sailings.

Disney Treasure Inaugural and Maiden Voyage Sailings 

The Disney Treasure’s Inaugural Season first began its bookings for select Castaway Club members starting on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, for Pearl Members. These guests have sailed on DCL more than 25 sailings.  Following the Maiden Voyage, the itinerary will change to a seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral. These will include:

• 7-night Western Caribbean Cruise, visiting Cozumel, Mexico, George Town, Grand Cayman, Falmouth, Jamaica and Disney Castaway Cay
• 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise, visiting Tortola, British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and Disney Castaway Cay
• 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise, visiting Tortola, British Virgin Islands, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Disney Castaway Cay 

Platinum Castaway Members, those who have sailed on more than ten sailings, could book the Maiden Voyage on the 13^th of September.  That morning, I logged into the Disney Cruise Line website to find what I thought I would be booking for our family.  I quickly saw the reality of the prices of this particular sailing. I immediately decided not to book the Maiden Voyage.

So, what brought me to the ultimate decision of not wanting to book a Maiden Voyage over Christmas? My answer is three-fold.  For our family of four in a Verandah Stateroom of 243 square feet, the starting price is $17,101.  The Deluxe Family Verandah stateroom of 284 square feet starts at $18,052.

The cheapest option to sail on the Maiden Voyage for a family of four would be an Inside stateroom. The starting price begins at $14,277. Have more money to spend?  Concierge verandah rooms start at $34,905.

To put into perspective how expensive this cruise is, the Concierge Tomorrow Tower Suite, the largest stateroom on the ship that sleeps eight at 1,966 square feet, was booked for a whopping $97,131.62.

Not to mention there is a 20% non-refundable deposit paid during booking. That’s almost a $20,000 deposit! Someone is about to have a magical Christmas! 

Christmas Sailings

The last Christmas Disney Cruise that my family and I sailed on two years ago (a seven-day trip in a Deluxe Family Verandah Stateroom) cost less than what it will cost for someone sailing on the Maiden Voyage in an Inside stateroom!

The cost is why we will not sail on the Maiden Voyage. I had already anticipated the markup in price because it is sailing over the Christmas holiday.  Other cruises that have a premium cost are the New Year cruises.  Prices are always going to be higher for these two cruises. However, I did not think they would go to this extreme.

Additionally, I thought to myself, what makes a Christmas sailing is because of how festive the ship looks during this time. DCL’s Very Merry Cruises offer holiday-themed entertainment, activities, and décor. This made me think that they will not decorate the ship for the holidays as it will be the Maiden Voyage, which will be debuting and showing off the brand-new ship.  Holiday décor would take away from that.

I imagine they will have Disney characters in their holiday outfits, themed activities and crafts, and even a visit from the big guy in the red suit. However, I cannot imagine having a 24-foot Christmas tree, garlands, poinsettias, and the traditional gingerbread house. On the other hand, I may be wrong. We shall see.

Waiting At least Six Months Before Sailing

When my family and I sailed aboard the new Disney Wish, we were on the third inaugural sailing. We booked a back-to-back trip as one of the sailings was a three-day and the other a four-day. As much as we enjoyed the sailing, many elements, entertainment, and activities were not offered.

For example, Disney Uncharted Adventure, the immersive family experience, uses guests’ mobile devices as an “enchanted spyglass” as they embark on different adventures around the ship while battling a Disney villain to “restore the Wishing Star’s magic.”  This activity was not available until two months after our sailing.

Another example of what was not available during our sailing was one of the Broadway-style musicals onboard. Disney’s Aladdin- A Musical Spectacular was never offered. Additionally, many food offerings and adult beverages were unavailable as servers mentioned that they had a delay in shipment.

Therefore, my new rule of thumb is to wait at least six months before sailing on a brand-new Disney ship.  By then, they will have the bells and whistles working, and the kinks will have been worked out correctly.  We look forward to sailing on the Disney Treasures in the summer of 2025.

Final Thoughts on the Maiden Voyage Bookings

With the high prices, it is unsurprising that Pearl, Platinum, and Gold members have access to booking the Maiden Voyage, and it is nowhere near being sold out.

As a reference point, the Maiden Voyage for the Disney Wish that sailed in July of 2022 sold out to Platinum Castaway Club members within days.  Gold Members never even had the chance to book the Maiden Voyage!  The Pearl Castaway Club Membership level did not exist at this time, as it was introduced this year to commemorate DCL’s 25^th anniversary.

An inside room for a family of four on the 5-day Disney Wish Maiden Voyage cost $9,308. Compare that to the Disney Treasure’s 7-day Maiden Voyage at $14,277.  The price difference between the two days is $5,419! 

It will be interesting to see the availability after bookings have opened to the general public on Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

What are your thoughts on the pricing and availability for the Maiden Voyage on the upcoming brand-new Disney Treasure? Will you be booking your stateroom? Please share with a friend who loves to sail on the high seas with Mickey and his friends!