Hey there, hi there, ho there, Michelle. It’s so good to see you back here at planDisney! And I’m equally honored and excited that you brought your question about your first Disney Cruise to me. There’s nothing I love more than spreading the love about cruising with Disney, so let’s just say you’ve got a friend in me for this journey.
My first cruise was also for
Halloween on the High Seas (and we’ve done several more since), so you are in for a spooktacular treat. While the exact details of what will be offered each night of your cruise are not available yet, they are typically released 150 days before your sailing, so feel free to check back with us at the beginning of June.
That being said, I can tell you that on most
4-Night Bahamian Cruises, either the second night will be your
Pirate Night and the third night will be an Optional Dress-Up Night, or vice versa. Obviously, that only covers two of the four nights of your voyage, so the other two nights are completely up to you!
It’s not uncommon to see people dress up every night of a Halloween on the High Seas cruise, but because you’ll actually be sailing over Halloween, I expect you’ll see even more costume creativity on board. Most of the dressing up will happen in the evening for dinner, shows in the Walt Disney Theatre, Deck Parties, and Character Greetings. That’s also when you’ll find some fun backdrops for professional photos (you can also book a private photo session for your group at Shutters Portrait Studio without any obligation to purchase prints).
Speaking of photo ops, one of my other favorite photos to capture every time we’re on a HOTHS cruise is sitting in the large circle windows in the hallway outside of Royal Palace with the jack-o-lantern overlays. This is also where you’ll find some of your favorite Disney Pals dressed in Halloween costumes. If you download the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app before your trip, you’ll have the entire daily schedule in the palm of your hands, including the times and places to meet Characters.
The most important thing to remember is that this is YOUR cruise, so anything is possible! I love a great Disneybound outfit or matching family t-shirts. Because my kids are young adults now, we typically start our cruise with matching t-shirts and then coordinate colors for Formal Night. If you like wearing costumes, you’ll be in good company as well; many families like to create group costumes.
While there may not be any other official “theme nights”, you will find plenty of festive fun throughout the cruise for sailors of all ages. If you have younger scalawags joining you, I like to bring a small photo album that I use as an autograph book for meet and greets and then fill with photos from Character Greetings after the cruise (you can also bring a large, blank photo mat to have the Characters sign). I also like sprinkling pixie dust to other Guests, especially on Pirate Night, with small items I pick up at a dollar store (such as glow sticks). And finally, don’t forget to decorate your stateroom door with magnets to show off your Disney Side.
I hope this gives you a ton of fun ideas for your first cruise, Michelle. I wish I was sailing with you, but since I can’t, just remember I’m here with my planDisney pals to answer any other questions that might come up before you set sail!
Embrace the magic,
Sami