My wife and I chose to close out 2025 aboard the Disney Treasure, Disney Cruise Line’s newest Wish-class ship that debuted in December 2024. While it was our first time sailing on the Treasure, it marked our third Disney cruise overall, having previously sailed on the Dream and the Magic.
This seven-night Caribbean itinerary included four ports of call, highlighted by a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Sailing during Christmas week into New Year’s Eve added an extra layer of energy—and cost—to the experience.
Ship Overview:
The Disney Treasure is part of Disney’s Wish-class fleet, making it one of the largest ships in the company’s lineup. Capacity is often cited between 3,500 and 4,000 passengers, though our sailing felt slightly less crowded, with approximately 3,250 guests onboard.
The ship spans 14 decks:
- Decks 2–5: Staterooms, dining, shopping, and entertainment
- Decks 6–10: Primarily guest cabins
- Decks 11–14: Pools, sun decks, and youth spaces
While comparable in length to other major cruise ships, the Treasure has just two main elevator banks. If you’re staying forward and using aft stairs or elevators, expect some long walks—something we noticed frequently as we had to take the stairs often to our cabin.
Dining: Dinner Service
Disney continues to stand out when it comes to dinner service with some of the best food options on any cruise line we have ever taken. While the fixed dining schedule—typically 5:30 PM or 8:15 PM—may feel restrictive compared to flexible options on lines like Princess or Norwegian, it serves a purpose.
Each guest is assigned a table for the duration of the cruise, and your dedicated wait staff follows you between the three main dining rooms. This creates a highly personalized experience. By our second night, our server remembered custom drink orders without asking. When I order soda, I usually ask for a half Diet Coke and half regular Coke, so I can feel good about the 27 calories I’m saving doing that, so by the second dinner service, our beverage waitress brought that over without having to ask what I wanted. These small touches elevate the entire cruise experience.
Food quality ranged from good to very good throughout the week, with a few standout dishes reaching excellent territory. Compared to other cruises we’ve taken, Disney consistently ranks near the top, rivaled only by our experience on the Regal Princess.
Menus are extensive:
- 4–5 appetizers
- Soups and salads
- 5–6 entrées (including seafood, meat, vegetarian, and pasta)
- Rotating desserts (always 4-5 options each day)
- Always-available classics
Guests are encouraged to order multiple dishes, making it easy to sample broadly. This makes it easy to try everything that you are interested in on the menu. Children have their own menu they can order from as well as you would expect.
Themed Dining Experiences
1923
Named for the year the Walt Disney Company was founded, this very elegantly designed restaurant showcases the animated movie history of the company. The overall design looks like it’s from the 1940s movie studio days and features a menu of the best of California cuisine. Inspired by the fusion of cultural flavors found throughout the Golden State, 1923 features a diverse menu showcasing the region’s unique blend of Asian, European and South American influences.
Plaza de Coco
Themed from the Disney movie “Coco,” walking into this restaurant looks like you’re outside in a large Mexican piazza, with pergolas, string lights and plantings growing up and over the pergolas, you dine on Mexican/Latin America flavored menus while you watch a Dia de los Muertos celebration featuring mariachi music and Mexican dancing in the center of the restaurant while you dine.
Worlds of Marvel
Looking like the headquarters of any Marvel movie you’ve seen, you are surrounded by screens that show a movie featuring Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Brie Larson and others that you interact with while dining. Expect interactive moments, on-screen storytelling, and even a brief appearance from Spider-Man.
Breakfast & Lunch Options
Your two options for breakfast are the buffet on deck 11, Marceline Market, named after Walt Disney’s small homewtoen in Missouri. The decor for the buffet was very Midwest farmhouse with touches of Disney throughout. Food wise it’s your fairly standard breakfast food, various choices of eggs, proteins, potatoes, pancakes and of course Mickey Waffles, which are better than you think they would be.
There is an omelette station in the back, where they take your order and bring it out. While especially busy on at-sea days, lines moved quickly and you’d find a table, although it may take a little searching at busier times. Main restaurants also serve sit-down breakfast at designated times but we stuck to the buffet. The Disney Cruise app is very helpful while you are on board to see what’s open and what menu items are available. The info on the app is not available until you are on the ship and connected to the ship’s network.
Lunch was my favorite part of the cruise. While the buffet was open as well as one restaurant, one of the best features of the Treasure is what they call “Mickey and Friend’s Festival of Foods.” Located outside (but covered) on the pool deck, this area consisted of five different food areas.
Located poolside, this quick-service area features several themed stations:
- Mickey’s Smokehouse: The standout, with flavorful brisket, ribs, jerk chicken and pulled pork (Fall off the bone ribs with exceptional seasoning)
- Donald’s Cantina: Build-your-own tacos and bowls with fresh ingredients (No extra charge for guacamole!)
- Goofy’s Grill: Surprisingly solid burgers, hot dogs, fries and Disney’s signature chicken tenders
- Daisy’s Pizza Pies: Limited variety and underwhelming overall- serves mainly cheese and pepperoni options
- Minnie’s Delights: Soft serve ice cream throughout the day (Soft serve calories on a cruise don’t count right?)
Lines could be long at peak times, but generally moved quickly.
Entertainment: Broadway at Sea
The Walt Disney Theatre hosts nightly entertainment, but the true headliners are the Broadway-style productions of Beauty and the Beast and Moana. Both productions rival professional theater productions, with impressive sets, costumes, and performances. Beauty and the Beast edged out as our favorite.
The drawback? Sightlines. The theater’s deep stage and overhanging balcony create obstructed views from certain seats. For the best experience, arriving at least 45–60 minutes early is recommended.
Bars and Lounges
The standout venue is the Haunted Mansion Parlor, themed after the iconic Disney Parks attraction. It’s immersive, cleverly designed, and surprisingly accessible despite its popularity. Without giving too much away, if you’re a fan of the ride you’ll get visual visits from many of the spirits and ghosts, set to songs from the ride.
Other notable spots include:
- Scat Cat Lounge: Great piano bar concept playing Disney classics, but often too noisy
- Skippers Society: Centrally located Jungle Cruise ride inspired but under-themed
- Periscope Pub: 20000 Leagues Under the Sea Theme – ideal for sports fans. Food items available at extra cost.
- The Rose: Elegant and scenic ocean views, inspired by Beauty and the Beast
Disney does not offer drink packages, but daily drink specials help keep costs reasonable.
Pools and Slides
As with most cruise ships, the pool areas aboard the Disney Treasure feel smaller than you might expect, especially during peak afternoon hours when much of the ship gravitates outdoors. The main pool deck features a handful of modestly sized pools that tend to fill up quickly, making them better suited for cooling off than for extended swimming. Lounge chairs around the deck can also become scarce on sea days, so arriving early is key if you’re hoping to claim a spot in the sun.
The standout attraction in this area is the AquaMouse, Disney’s signature water coaster. This ride combines a traditional waterslide with a short animated storyline starring Mickey and Minnie, adding a layer of storytelling that fits perfectly with Disney’s overall approach to entertainment. Riders board a two-person raft and are propelled through enclosed tubes, with brief visual segments interspersed along the way. It’s a fun, family-friendly experience, but its popularity means wait times are consistently in the 20–30 minute range, sometimes longer during busy periods.
For younger cruisers, the Toy Story-themed splash zone is a major highlight. Designed with smaller children in mind, it features colorful interactive elements, gentle water features, and a kid-sized slide, creating a safe and engaging space where they can play without the crowds of the main pool areas. Nearby, multiple hot tubs are scattered across the upper decks, offering a more relaxed alternative for adults and families alike—though these, too, can fill up quickly during prime hours.
Adults looking for a quieter escape will appreciate the ship’s adults-only pool area, which offers a more subdued atmosphere away from the energy of the main deck. While the pool itself is relatively small, the space tends to feel more relaxed and has a calmer overall vibe, making it a nice retreat for those seeking a break from the busier, family-focused areas of the ship.
New Year’s Eve
If you are looking at the Treasure or another Disney Cruise Line boat to ring in the New Year, here is what they did for our cruise. At the nightly turn down service, they put a special New Year art print and chocolates on our bed. For children onboard, there was a New Year’s countdown earlier in the evening. The kid’s countdown was inside in the main foyer and included a short show featuring the characters dressed up in evening wear and a countdown that ended with confetti being shot over the whole foyer.
There was also a special menu for the evening, that included items such as filet mignon and lobster ravioli. Later in the night there was music played out on the pool deck starting around 10:30 p.m. that went to just before midnight, when the characters all came out for the final NYE countdown, which led into a 2-3 minute firework display which was pretty impressive when you remember that we are on a cruise boat. The cruise staff also passed out free champagne and a non-alcoholic drink as well right before the countdown.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, we highly recommend a sailing with Disney Cruise Line. The dining experience was consistently very good, and the level of service lived up to Disney’s reputation—attentive, polished, and thoughtfully personalized. The primary drawback, as is often the case with Disney cruises, is the cost. While Disney Cruise Line typically commands a premium over competitors such as Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean, this particular sailing—falling during Christmas vacation week—was nearly double the price of comparable itineraries.
We have no regrets about the experience, but whether we would pay that premium again for a holiday sailing is less certain. That said, we do believe Disney Cruise Line offers a noticeably elevated experience overall. If pricing is even relatively close to other cruise options, Disney would remain our first choice—but at nearly twice the cost, it becomes a more difficult value proposition.
As with most cruises, the experience is largely shaped by how much you choose to engage with what’s offered onboard. Disney places a strong emphasis on themed experiences, including formal night, pirate night, and—in this case—a semi-formal New Year’s Eve celebration. For travelers who enjoy dressing up, immersive themes, and character interactions, these elements add significant value. However, for those with little interest in these aspects, a Disney cruise may not deliver the same return on investment.
Words and Photos By: Adam McCullough