Christmas Cruise from Florida 2026: Aboard on Christmas Day

A Christmas cruise from Florida 2026 starts with one question: do you want to be on the ship on Christmas Day, or home by Christmas? Disney Cruise Line has five Very Merrytime sailings from Florida that are aboard on 25 December: Disney Treasure (Port Canaveral, 19–26 Dec), Disney Dream (Fort Lauderdale, 21–27 Dec), Disney Fantasy (Port Canaveral, 23–27 Dec), Disney Destiny (Fort Lauderdale, 23–28 Dec) and Disney Wish (Port Canaveral, 24–28 Dec). If you want to be home for the holiday, the Disney Wish 3-night from Port Canaveral is back on the morning of 24 December.

Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity and Princess also sail from Port Canaveral in Christmas week (below). Coco matches the sailing to who is going at /match. No fares on this page. Space is not held.

Christmas Day aboard vs home by Christmas

Christmas Day aboard means the ship is your Christmas morning: holiday programming, a day at sea or on an island on 25 December, and getting home between 26 and 28 December.

Home by Christmas means a short holiday sailing earlier in December, or one that is back by Christmas Eve, so Christmas Day is at home.

Disney Cruise Line’s holiday sailings are called Very Merrytime cruises. planDisney (Disney’s own Q&A, 13 July 2026) notes that sailings embarking on 26 December 2026 or later are not Very Merrytime sailings.

Disney Very Merrytime cruise 2026 schedule from Florida: aboard on Christmas Day

All five were checked on disneycruise.disney.go.com on 19 October 2026.

Disney Treasure, 7-night Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral, 19–26 December 2026. Christmas Day is on Disney Castaway Cay, after St. Thomas (22 Dec) and Tortola (23 Dec).

Disney Dream, 6-night Bahamian from Fort Lauderdale, 21–27 December 2026. Christmas Day is at sea; Castaway Cay on 22 and 26 December, Lookout Cay on 23 December.

Disney Fantasy, 4-night Bahamian from Port Canaveral, 23–27 December 2026. Christmas Day is on Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, after Castaway Cay on Christmas Eve.

Disney Destiny, 5-night Bahamian from Fort Lauderdale, 23–28 December 2026. Christmas Day is at sea; Lookout Cay on 24 December, Castaway Cay on 27 December.

Disney Wish, 4-night Bahamian from Port Canaveral, 24–28 December 2026. You board on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day is at sea, and Lookout Cay is on 26 December.

If Christmas Day ashore matters most, the Treasure (Castaway Cay) and the Fantasy (Lookout Cay) put you on an island on the day. The Dream, Destiny and Wish have Christmas Day at sea.

Home by Christmas: earlier Very Merrytime sailings

Disney Wish, 3-night Very Merrytime Bahamian from Port Canaveral, 21–24 December 2026. Castaway Cay on 23 December; you are off the ship on the morning of Christmas Eve.

Disney Fantasy, 4-night Very Merrytime Bahamian from Port Canaveral, 9–13 December 2026, with Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay. Disney Dream, 4-night Very Merrytime Bahamian from Fort Lauderdale, 14–18 December 2026, also with Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay.

These have the same holiday décor and characters, and you get Christmas at home (all checked on disneycruise.disney.go.com, 19 October 2026).

Christmas cruises 2026 from Port Canaveral by line

Non-Disney Port Canaveral departures from 19 to 24 December 2026, each checked on that line’s own site on 19 October 2026:

Royal Caribbean: Star of the Seas, 7-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Holiday, 20–27 December. Costa Maya, Roatán and Cozumel, at sea on Christmas Day, then Perfect Day CocoCay on 26 December.

Carnival: Carnival Venezia, 7-day Western Caribbean, 20–27 December, with Celebration Key, Cozumel and Isla Tropicale (Roatán).

Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Apex, 7-night St. Thomas, St. Kitts & Puerto Plata Holiday, 19–26 December. At sea on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Princess Cruises: Sky Princess, 6-day Eastern Caribbean with Celebration Key Holiday, 21–27 December. Celebration Key, Amber Cove, and Grand Turk on Christmas Day.

Norwegian Cruise Line also sails from Port Canaveral that week on the port’s schedule; we could not confirm it on ncl.com, so it is not listed here. Royal Caribbean and Carnival have more Christmas-week departures from Port Canaveral; check the line’s site for your date. CHEERS! does not work ashore at Celebration Key (see CocoCay vs Celebration Key).

By port: Port Canaveral vs Miami vs Fort Lauderdale

Port Canaveral is the drive-to door from Orlando and Central Florida. Three of the five Disney Christmas Day sailings leave from here (Treasure, Fantasy, Wish), plus the Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity and Princess weeks above. Disney mostly uses Cruise Terminal 8; the Wish’s 24 December sailing is listed at Cruise Terminal 10 on the port’s master schedule. Confirm in your documents.

Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) is the fly-in door near FLL airport. Disney Dream (21–27 Dec) and Disney Destiny (23–28 Dec) are aboard on Christmas Day from here.

Miami is a fly-in door with the most lines, and it is where adults-only Virgin Voyages sails (18+). We have not listed Miami Christmas sailings on this page; confirm dates on the line’s site.

Drive vs fly matters more than which ship is best for most families. If you can park and board without a red-eye, Port Canaveral usually wins.

Christmas cruises 2026 from Florida to the Bahamas vs a 7-night Caribbean

Bahamas (3 to 6 nights): the Disney Fantasy, Destiny, Wish and Dream Christmas sailings are all Bahamian, built around Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay. Less time off work, and a good first holiday cruise. A short trip feels a dropped island day hardest if weather moves the ship.

7-night Caribbean: Disney Treasure (Eastern Caribbean), Star of the Seas and Carnival Venezia (Western Caribbean), and Celebrity Apex (Eastern Caribbean). More ports, more sea days, and more room if one port is swapped. It takes the whole Christmas week.

What changes on a Christmas cruise week

Holiday sailings add décor, shows and character events. They also mean fuller ships, earlier booking pressure, and less flexibility if you need to change cabins late.

Flights and hotels around Christmas sell out. Book a later flight home on disembark day when you can, and keep the pre-cruise hotel refundable if the policy allows. Buy insurance when you pay the deposit.

Match with Coco

Tell Coco who is sailing, which Florida port you can reach, and whether Christmas Day must be on the ship. Match at /match (Port Canaveral family: /match/canaveral-family).

No fares on this page. A human only prices after you Match. Space is not held.

FAQ

What happens on a Disney Very Merrytime cruise?

Disney Characters appear in holiday attire, Santa hosts a holiday celebration, and the ship has a gingerbread house and a 24-foot Christmas tree. planDisney adds Mickey and Minnie’s Merrytime Tree Lighting on the first evening and holiday touches on Disney’s islands.

Is a Disney Merrytime cruise worth it?

Yes, if holiday programming and characters matter to your family: it is the same ship and island days, with Christmas added. If you only want a warm December break, sailings that leave on 26 December or later have no Very Merrytime programming.

Are there Christmas cruises from Florida to the Bahamas in 2026?

Yes. Disney Cruise Line has Very Merrytime Bahamian sailings aboard on Christmas Day from Port Canaveral (Fantasy 23–27 Dec, Wish 24–28 Dec) and Fort Lauderdale (Dream 21–27 Dec, Destiny 23–28 Dec). Carnival and Princess Christmas-week sailings from Port Canaveral also call at Celebration Key in The Bahamas.

What cruise ships sail from Port Canaveral at Christmas?

From 19 to 24 December 2026: Disney Treasure, Disney Wish and Disney Fantasy, Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, Carnival Venezia, Celebrity Apex and Sky Princess, among others. Check the line’s site for the exact sailing and the port’s schedule for your terminal.

What are the best Christmas cruises from Port Canaveral?

It depends on where you want Christmas Day. Disney Treasure is on Castaway Cay and Disney Fantasy is on Lookout Cay on 25 December; Star of the Seas suits families who want a Royal Caribbean water-park ship and CocoCay the day after.