Ahoy, Joanne!
Thanks for sailing by planDisney to ask about
departure ports on the east coast of the United States. I live in Virginia, and we typically sail out of ports on this side of the country for convenience, time savings, and travel costs so I’m glad to share my experience to help you plan. There’s nothing like a
Disney Cruise Line vacation, so I hope you can find an itinerary that’s convenient for you from New Jersey and takes you to fabulous destinations!
Port Canaveral, Florida is a wonderful departure port that is easily accessible from flights to Orlando when you add Disney Cruise Line’s
ground transportation for a personalized, seamless ride to the coast. Disney has many sailings out of this home port throughout the week, so you’ll find a variety of cruise lengths, ships, and destinations from here. Whether it’s a 3-Night sailing on the gorgeous Disney Wish or a luxurious 7-Night sailing on the Disney Fantasy, you can’t go wrong with this classic Disney Cruise Line port. It typically features a stop at Disney’s private island,
Castaway Cay, and if you’re looking ahead to 2025 it may also feature the brand-new private island,
Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the beautiful islands of the Bahamas.
My family has sailed out of
New Orleans, Louisiana twice and it may be our favorite departure port! It’s also an easy flight from the mid-Atlantic and allows you to explore the many exciting activities, museums, and dining experiences in this energetic city before sailing. I find the process to board the ship especially efficient out of this port, and I love sailing down the unique Mississippi River that first afternoon before we go into the Gulf of Mexico. These itineraries often go to sunny Mexico or the western Caribbean for a tropical escape.
Be sure to check out sailings from the
new terminal at Port Everglades in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida – this port just opened to new sailings for Disney and offers a variety of sunny destinations on the gorgeous Disney Dream (for now, perhaps more ships to come by 2025).
Disney Cruise Line has sailed from New York City, New York in recent years but there is currently nothing planned for 2024. I encourage you to keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog and the Disney Cruise Line website for any future plans to sail out of this port that’s very convenient to your home of New Jersey.
You can search for cruises by departure port when using the handy search tool at the top of the
Disney Cruise Line website. I often search using only the parameter of "Departing From." You can then enter your party of nine to find the right staterooms for this adventure together.
I hope this information helps you investigate more details for planning a very special vacation, Joanne. Please let us know what other questions you have as you begin digging into the options – we'd love to help!
Wishing you smooth sailing and happy planning,
Amy