Are Verandah Rooms Worth the Price on Disney Cruises?

While sailing aboard Disney Cruises, there are a variety of room categories, and each room may be enticing.  However, is booking a verandah stateroom worth the price? If you haven’t booked a verandah before, I’m hoping that I will be able to change your mind!

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. Currently, the ships provide a variety of itineraries to destinations around the world. Some popular itineraries include the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mediterranean, Alaska, and Northern Europe.

Disney Cruise Line has a fleet of five ships: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish. In 2024, they will add an additional ship to the fleet.

Sailing aboard Disney Cruise Line is a majestic adventure for more reasons than one, and selecting the best stateroom category should be a priority!

Choosing Your Stateroom Category

You’ve decided to book the Disney Cruise adventure of a lifetime.  However, which stateroom is the best to select? Not focusing on Concierge, will you book an inside room, an ocean-view room, or a verandah stateroom? Of the three possible choices, I argue that it is best to book the verandah stateroom. Why? You will have to read on to learn why!

Each category has a different price range and offers various amenities. An inside stateroom does not have a window or access to the outside world. Instead, some cruise ships offer magical portholes that simulate the outside world at seat. Staterooms featuring a Magical Porthole are available only on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Lastly, Oceanview staterooms offer one or two port holes that look outside. Of the three stateroom categories mentioned, verandahs tend to be the priciest due to the room’s square footage and the balcony access.

Why You Should Book a Verandah Stateroom

My (Marisol) family has always sailed in a verandah room for various reasons. First and foremost, I have a phobia of being locked in a room without having access to the outside world. Now, this does not mean that I’m going to jump overboard from our verandah, but just knowing that I can breathe in fresh air at any point during our cruise while in our room is comforting. I am prone to panic attacks, so if I am anxious, I sit on our balcony and watch the ocean go by.

One of our family traditions is that when we first enter our stateroom, we place our belongings in the room and go straight to the balcony. We like to see what is outside of our stateroom. We can see other ships and restaurants depending on what port we are at. In the San Diego port, it is beautiful to look out and have a mesmerizing view of the USS Midway Museum, a historical Naval aircraft carrier.

Each morning, my family and I enjoy going outside on our verandah to watch as we pull into port. Our favorite is when we pull into Castaway Cay! It is a beautiful and magical feeling to open the blinds from our stateroom to reveal the beautiful island.

Enjoying a Fresh Cups of Coffee and Cocktails

There’s nothing like enjoying a warm cup of coffee in the morning while going out onto our verandah, sitting on a deck chair with a magazine or book. The smells, sights, and beauty are genuinely worth this stateroom category. 

Pirate Tip: Before going to bed, order a carafe of coffee for your stateroom. It will stay warm throughout the night and into the morning. No need to wake everyone in your stateroom as you will already have fresh hot coffee in hand!

In the evening time, while the kids are at the kid’s club or enjoying the different amenities that the ship has to offer, my husband and I like to bring a cocktail back to the room and, yup, you guessed it, enjoy each other’s company while sitting out on our verandah. It always feels like a fun date when we have the entire ocean before us. Talk about romance!

When our kids were little, we would place them in bed, and my husband and I would “sneak out” onto the verandah. It was another peaceful moment where we were able to enjoy each other’s company without really having to leave our stateroom.

Speaking of kids, one crucial point is that verandahs include childproof locks. This feature alone provides assurance that young kids will not be able to open the door to get out onto the balcony. The railings and dividers are plexiglass.

Photo Ops on the Verandah

Some of my favorite pictures that I have taken during our Disney Cruise vacations are pictures of my kids and my husband looking out the verandah. It has unintentionally become a tradition of mine to take a picture of my husband out on the balcony. The same has occurred with my kids, especially when dressed up for Pirate’s Night, Formal Night, or even after a visit to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

One last note: each verandah includes patio furniture and deck lighting. For most adjoining staterooms, the partition between verandahs can be opened to create a more oversized balcony for sharing with access to adjoining staterooms. Guests can place a request with their stateroom host to unlock the partitions.

Have I convinced you to book a verandah stateroom aboard Disney Cruise Line? Please share this article with a friend who will be or is planning to sail the high seas with Mickey and his friends!