Ahoy, Teatta! Welcome to planDisney and the first step towards a magical vacation with Disney Cruise Line. Planning your first cruise can definitely be overwhelming, but let me give you a few suggestions of where to start to make things a bit easier.
If you are specifically looking to set sail in August 2027, then that will narrow down your itinerary options quite a bit. Start by clicking on the tab labeled “Plan a Cruise” at the top of the main Disney Cruise Line
website and then click on the first white box labeled "Leaving" and select August 2027. It looks like you should have around 50 different options to choose from that month based on the search that I just ran, so you still may want to make the list a bit more manageable based on the departure port.
In August 2027, Disney Cruise Line will be sailing from five different
ports: Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Port Canaveral, Florida; Vancouver, Canada; Southampton, England; and Singapore. Since it looks like you are a Georgia resident, I suspect that the two Florida ports would be at the top of your list. If you click on the third white box labeled “Departing from” on the “Find a Cruise” page, then you can select those two ports and that should bring you down to 25 different options. All 25 of those options include
Bahamian or
Caribbean destinations, but there are 3-, 4-, 5-, and 7-night itineraries to choose from. As you apply the different filters, you will be able to see the minimum price for each sailing on the far right side. Keep in mind that the search automatically defaults to two adults, but you can change your sailing party information in the fourth white box at the top to get more accurate pricing information.
Once you select the specific cruise that you want, you will then be able to choose a stateroom. Disney Cruise Line offers four different main
stateroom types: Inside, Oceanview, Verandah, and Concierge. If you will be sailing as a larger group, then you may want to compare the price points and sleeping arrangements found within each of those categories to decide what works best for your family’s specific needs. All staterooms are designed to accommodate at least three people, but the largest concierge-level suites can sleep up to seven guests. The exact offerings do vary by ship, which is why picking your desired cruise first is helpful. Also, be aware that the main bed in each stateroom cannot be split into two separate beds, but there is a convertible sofa bed if you need two different sleeping spaces within the same room.
I hope that will give you a place to start, but I know that you will have so many more questions as you plan an amazing birthday surprise for your son. You can find the latest “Information for Guests with Disabilities and/or Medical Conditions” guide
here and will find a section that specifically addresses guests on the Autism Spectrum Disorder, which may address some of your concerns. Since you are just getting your sea legs, remember that you are always welcome back here at planDisney and my friends and I are happy to answer your questions about sailing where magic meets the sea. Happy future sailing!
Catherine