Welcome aboard, Sian! It's always nice to hear from another family from Ohio that is excited to book a magical family vacation with Disney Cruise Line! My family and I love sneaking away from our Ohio home to head south for the waters of the Bahamas or Caribbean with Disney Cruise Line in the fall and winter, but summer is such a fun time to sail with Disney too! The Magic is typically sailing in Europe in the summer and the Wonder is usually on the West Coast for California coast sailings and the fabulous Alaskan sailings! The Dream and the Fantasy continue to sail from Port Canaveral each summer for Bahamian and Caribbean sailings. I'd expect that the summer 2018 itineraries would see the ships around those same locations too, but Disney always has some surprises up their sleeves, so I'm looking forward to hearing about the new ports or itineraries they may offer!
The
early 2018 itineraries were just released last week, and I'd expect to hear about the summer 2018 itineraries this coming spring. In April of this year, Disney Cruise Line announced the 2017 summer itineraries, so hopefully this coming April will bring news of the summer 2018 sailings! Keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog as well as the Disney Cruise Line website, as those are two of the first places you'll see the new itinerary announcements, Sian!
It's a great idea to book as soon as the itineraries are released. That will give you the best pricing options and best selection for your sailings! Usually, a 20% deposit is required at the time of booking, and the cruise then can be paid off however you'd like, as long as it is paid in full by 75 days prior to sailing. I hope those details help as you look forward to your cruise with Disney, Sian! Stop back with any other questions you might have as you continue planning this magical voyage!
Marcy