It's great to hear from you again, Candace.
I know, right? I'm also dreaming about a future Disney cruise. Now, please don't judge. But my family may or may not have four Disney Cruise Line vacations booked for the next year. Just let that be a warning to you as a first-time cruiser.
When our family went on our first cruise aboard the Disney Wonder over a dozen years ago, we certainly expected to have a nice time sailing to Alaska. But we were also pretty sure it would be our first and last cruise ever. Oh boy! We were simply blown away by how amazing the entire experience was. The food, the entertainment, our favorite characters, and the amazing Cast Members got us hooked. Now, let's just say that we are well on our way to becoming Pearl level members of the Castaway Club. Don't say I didn't warn you! But I'm sure you'll love it.
My family had a similar question to yours before our New Year's Eve cruise on the Disney Fantasy. But we sort of had the opposite preference. Our second Disney cruise (also aboard the Wonder, but that time sailing out of Galveston, Texas) was a Very Merrytime Cruise. Although our recent Fantasy cruise wasn't designated as an official Very Merrytime Cruise, we were feeling nostalgic for that previous cruise on the Wonder. So we were hoping we could still see the ship's atrium decked out in holiday decor. Of course, we didn't expect to see Santa Claus at all. But we still hoped to see some holiday decorations on Disney Castaway Cay too.
Of course, I respect the preferences of others. But we were thrilled to still get to take some photos of the Christmas tree, gingerbread house, and other holiday trimmings in the ship's atrium before it was all eventually dismantled during the course of our cruise. And we even saw some of the holiday decorations on Castaway Cay during our stop there on January 5th. Our favorite was snapping some family photos with the iconic "snowpeople" made of sand, with the "snowwoman" sporting a fashionable shell bikini and the "snowman" wearing a stylish Disney Cruise Line cap, ready for the warm Bahamian sun. Being made of sand, I don't think they exactly melted. But I suspect they were likely not seen much longer on the island after our visit.
As I said, that cruise wasn't an official Very Merrytime Cruise. So such things are likely subject to availability and the timing of the Cast Members' schedules to set up and take down seasonal decorations. But I hope that gives you an idea of the approximate timing of when holiday decorations might be present on the ships and on the Disney island destinations.
No matter when you take your first Disney cruise, I hope you have a most magical time, Candace.
~Tony