Get ready for new Disneyland and sea vacation opportunities! Disney Cruise Line and the Port of San Diego announced today a new agreement that will approximately double the number of Disney cruises departing San Diego each year through at least 2031. Here are the full details, along with our comments on why we're excited about the news.
For Disney Cruise Line guests, the extended agreement doubles the number of sailings, which means more opportunities to vacation on Catalina Island, Baja and the Mexican Riviera, with a wider range of seasonal itineraries and more frequent departures.
“San Diego has been an important part of our West Coast business for more than a decade and is a place our guests love to sail,” said Jose Fernandez, vice president of port strategy, development and operations for Disney Cruise Line. “This new agreement supports our long-term growth and helps us continue to contribute to the region’s economy.”
“We are pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Disney Cruise Line,” said Ann Moore, chair of the Board of Port Commissioners of the Port of San Diego. “This agreement not only strengthens business operations between the Port, Disney and all of our cruise partners, it also supports the booming cruise industry, injecting millions of dollars into the region’s economy and welcoming thousands of visitors to our waterfront each year.”
The agreement secures Disney Cruise Line non-exclusive priority use of the north and south berths at the Port of San Diego’s B Street Cruise Terminal, enhancing the passenger arrival experience while helping the port better plan and maximize the use of its cruise terminals. The news comes as cruise ship calls and passenger numbers at the port are on the rise.
More than 1 million Disney Cruise Line passengers are expected to pass through the port during the agreement. This is the first time in more than 20 years that a cruise line has offered a minimum annual guarantee at the Port of San Diego. Disney Cruise Line’s seasonal calls to San Diego will continue to provide meaningful economic benefits to the region, supporting local businesses and adding jobs related to cruise operations, tourism and port activities.
Since first sailing from the Port of San Diego in 2012, Disney Cruise Line has been a proud member of the San Diego community and remains committed to making a meaningful and positive impact in the region. This work includes partnering with local nonprofits focused on youth empowerment and environmental protection.
Most recently, Disney Cruise Line provided career development and financial literacy opportunities to local students at Junior Achievement San Diego and partnered with San Diego Coastkeeper to help protect the natural beauty of California’s coastline.
The agreement represents the latest wave of an unprecedented period of global growth for Disney Cruise Line and ensures that San Diego remains DCL’s primary gateway. Speaking of which, San Diego will soon welcome two Disney cruise ships for the 2026-2027 season, expanding the cruise line’s West Coast sailing options.
The Disney Magic arrives in October and offers sailings of 3 to 7 nights through November before sailing to Galveston via the Panama Canal for 14 nights. The Disney Miracle will be homeported in San Diego from October 2026 to April 2027, offering three- to seven-night itineraries to destinations including Catalina Island, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada and Puerto Vallarta.
It's not surprising that San Diego is getting more boats. They have to go somewhere! Disney Cruise Line has long said it would more than double its fleet to 13 ships by 2031. The recently launched Disney Adventure will be homeported in Singapore, and Disney Believe will enter service in late 2027. As part of OLC's expansion plans, at least one more Wish-class ship will join the fleet in 2029, sailing from Japan. Disney will then introduce a new class of cruise ships, which will debut in 2031.
our review
A common refrain in our reviews of Disney Cruise Line itinerary announcements is basically: Fair enough to anywhere but Florida. This is the majority of the Florida fleet, sailing to the Bahamas and Caribbean. As new ships come online, I hope we'll start to see more fun and unique itineraries, but it's basically the same.
As I've said repeatedly over the years, I find the lack of flights to San Diego a little confusing. California is a large state with a large population and a huge Disney fan base. The demographics of DCL are definitely very favorable, so it's crazy to me that Disney Cruise Line doesn't want more flights out of California.
Not only is this a massive demonstration for California families, but I'm guessing there are also a lot of former Disneyland annual pass holders willing to take advantage of the cruise to get their “Disney fix.”
This is a common dynamic we hear fans discussing on DCL routes in Florida, so it stands to reason that the same applies to Southern California. If anything, I bet this is even more pronounced because AP at Disneyland is worse than AP in Florida.
With all of this in mind, doubling Disney Cruise Line's presence in San Diego makes sense. I'm selfishly excited about this news; we're still a few months away from preschool, when our travel options will be even more limited.
Those 3-4 night long weekend cruises will become critical for us, as will the short drive to San Diego, and the cross-country flights require two travel days that are basically a waste of time. I'm also interested in a couple of itineraries out of San Diego, and to be honest, I'm a little “tired” of the Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries out of Florida.
Less selfishly, I am very excited about the Disneyland and ocean vacation opportunities this could bring! Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World have done this very well, working together to create seamless packages that simplify both park travel and cruise travel.
I sincerely hope Disney does something similar with Disneyland and San Diego Voyage because frankly it makes more sense in Southern California than it does in Florida.
The main reason for this may be obvious to Disney diehards: You can spend more time at Walt Disney World than at Disneyland. Other than that, I think Southern California, especially between Anaheim and San Diego, has more to do than Central Florida.
The good news is that even if Disney doesn't make seamless packaging, it's easy to DIY. Grab a one-way rental car in Anaheim and drive down the PCH, maybe spending a night somewhere between Laguna Beach and La Jolla to enjoy some of the stunning coastal views you won't experience on a cruise ship. Or, take the Pacific Surfliner from Anaheim to San Diego.
There are many possibilities for organizing a great 7-10 day trip that includes Disneyland, a Disney Cruise Line, and everything in between. Hopefully these types of packages will grow in popularity and give us even more reasons to sail from Santiago!
Planning to set sail on one of Disney Cruise Line’s ships? Read our roundup Disney Cruise Line Guide Prepare for your trip, plan entertainment and other activities, and find out what to expect from your Disney cruise! If you need personalized recommendations for Disney cruise itineraries, ships, and more, Click here to get a cruise quote from a free authorized Disney vacation planner. They can find you all the current discounts and help you plan the details of your cruise!
your thoughts
What are your thoughts on DCL doubling its routes to Santiago? Would you choose the Disney Parks and Sea package that includes a park and a cruise? Wish Disney could put together something like this, or are you more of a DIY person? Any other tips or suggestions you’d like to add? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendations? Have any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback (even if you disagree with us) is both fun for us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts in the comments below!
