Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, the Disney Believe, opens to general booking on Monday, Oct 19, 2026. The maiden voyage already sold out during Castaway Club early booking, but the rest of the 29-sailing inaugural season was still showing availability. Here's every date, what each itinerary includes, the payment rules, and how to book without overpaying (as of Oct 18, 2026).
The Disney Believe at a glance
- First sailing: Dec 18, 2027, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale (Source ↗).
- Ship class: the fourth Wish-class ship, joining the Disney Wish, Treasure and Destiny (Source ↗).
- Where it goes: 4- and 5-night sailings to The Bahamas and the Caribbean, stopping at one or both of Disney's islands, Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (Source ↗).
- New on board: the first-ever stage version of Encanto, Tangled: The Musical, Oaken's Table (a Frozen family dining venue), Gazelle (a Zootopia entertainment hub), plus the AquaMouse water coaster (Source ↗).
- Staterooms: 70% have a verandah and there are more than 450 connecting doors for bigger families (Source ↗).
Every inaugural-season sailing
Disney announced 29 sailings between Dec 18, 2027 and May 6, 2028, all from Fort Lauderdale. Rates below are the lowest published starting prices for two guests in an inside stateroom, including taxes, fees and port expenses, as reported Oct 8; they change with demand (Source ↗).
| Itinerary | Departures | Lowest starting rate (2 guests, inside) |
|---|---|---|
| Maiden voyage, 5 nights: Lookout Cay, Castaway Cay, Nassau | Dec 18–23, 2027 (sold out as of Oct 14) | $6,444 |
| 4 nights: Nassau + Lookout Cay | Jan 20, Feb 3, Feb 17, Mar 2, Mar 16, Apr 13, Apr 27, 2028 | $2,683 (Jan 20) |
| 4 nights: Castaway Cay + Lookout Cay | Dec 27, 2027; Mar 30, 2028 | $3,220 (Mar 30) |
| 4 nights: Castaway Cay + Nassau | Dec 23, 2027 | $5,211 |
| 5 nights: Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay, Nassau | Jan 10, Jan 24, Feb 7, Feb 21, Mar 6, Mar 20, Apr 3, Apr 17, Apr 22, May 1, 2028 | $3,444 (Jan 10 & 24) |
| 5 nights Western Caribbean: Cozumel + Castaway Cay | Dec 31, 2027; Jan 15, Jan 29, Feb 12, Feb 26, Mar 11, Mar 25, Apr 8, 2028 | $3,180 (Jan 15) |
The cheapest way onto the new ship is a January or early-February 4-night Nassau/Lookout Cay sailing. The holiday departures (Dec 23, Dec 27 and the Dec 31 New Year's sailing) start at roughly twice that (Source ↗).
Booking dates and payment rules
- General public: Monday, Oct 19, 2026, starting at approximately 8 AM ET. Disney recommends booking online (Source ↗). Castaway Club members booked first (Pearl Oct 12, Platinum Oct 13, Gold Oct 14), then Silver, eligible Disney Vacation Club members and Adventure Insiders on Oct 15 (Source ↗).
- Maiden voyage: sold out during Castaway Club early booking on Oct 14. BlogMickey reported that all other sailings appeared available at that time (Source ↗). Individual rooms can still pop back up: on Oct 17, The DCL Blog spotted stateroom 13000 open for booking on the maiden voyage (Source ↗).
- Deposit: the rest of the inaugural season follows Disney Cruise Line's regular booking terms (Source ↗). For the maiden voyage, Disney listed a non-refundable 10% deposit due by 11:59 PM ET on the booking day. Final payment is due 120 days before sailing for suites and Concierge, 90 days for everything else. Check the terms on your sailing before you pay (Source ↗).
- DVC members: a separate DVC "First Wave" 5-night sailing departs Jan 5, 2028, bookable by phone from Nov 21, 2026 at 10 AM ET (Source ↗).
How to book it smart
- Pick two or three dates before Oct 19. Popular dates can go fast. The maiden voyage sold out before public booking even opened (Source ↗). Knowing your backup sailings saves you from settling.
- Want the maiden voyage anyway? Check back often. Holds expire and plans change, so single rooms reappear (Source ↗). BlogMickey expects more to open around final-payment time, about 90–120 days before Dec 18, 2027 (Source ↗).
- Choose the itinerary for the islands you want: the 4-night Castaway Cay + Lookout Cay sailings and the 5-night Bahamian sailings (including the maiden voyage) visit both Disney islands. The Western Caribbean sailings visit Cozumel and Castaway Cay with two sea days (Source ↗).
- Keep watching the price after you book. Starting rates move, and a lower fare or new offer can sometimes be applied before final payment. That's what a price-drop check is for.
Already sailing sooner? See our Disney Cruise Line dry docks & deals page for current offers and onboard changes, including Palo's switch from prix-fixe to à la carte dinner, rolling out ship by ship Oct 22–26, 2026.