Disney Wonder cruise ship arrives in New Orleans for first excursion
It’s carnival season in New Orleans, and Mickey Mouse has joined the celebration.
The Disney Wonder cruise ship arrived Friday in The Big Easy to launch the cruise line’s first season of excursions.
And just like Mardi Gras is around for a limited time, these initial cruises run only February and March this year. The Wonder will return in January and February of 2021.
Disney Cruise Line’s website lists 11 types of excursions from New Orleans this inaugural year.
Prices start at $1,851 for two adults including taxes, fees and port expenses for a four-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. The cost depends on whether passengers book an inside or ocean-view cabin, a veranda view and concierge service.
The price also includes live shows, pools and other recreation, dining that’s available 24-hours a day, plus amenities for adults-only and activities just for kids.
Other options are a five-night western Caribbean Cruise to Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico, from $2,557, a seven-night Bahamas cruise for two starting at $3,608 and a 14-night cruise through the Panama Canal, ending in San Diego, from $5,101.
“With Disney Cruise Lines, their prices increase the closer you get to the cruise,” said Rachelle Murphy, a master planner for Marvelous Mouse Travels.
She is based in Ocean Springs and has an insider perspective of Disney travel.
“I am a former cast member at Disney,” she said, and worked for the company for years.
Travel agent services like she provides are paid by the cruise line and are free to the customer.
“You’re paying for it anyway so you don’t see a difference in the price,” she said. Murphy said she knows things that can help passengers, like a Disney state room accommodates five people while most cruise lines can fit just four to a room, when themed cruises are scheduled and what documents passengers will need depending on their destination and ports of call.
Her customers favor Disney cruises, she said, because of the service, the interaction with the characters and the extras. “They do the fireworks off the ship,” she said.
Passengers from the Gulf Coast previously had to travel to Port Canaveral on the east coast of Florida or Galveston, Texas, to board a Disney cruise. Disney added cruises out of New Orleans to gauge the interest and those first trips sold out quickly.
Murphy said there are still openings in February.
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines now also sail out of New Orleans seasonally, she said, while Carnival cruises depart through much of the year.
