Disney Cruise Line has informed guests booked aboard this weekend’s sailing of the Disney Fantasy that their itinerary has been changed, dropping one port completely, adding two others, and rearranging the order of ports and sea days. This last-minute change is similar to changes made by other cruise lines as itineraries are adapted to meet evolving port requirements.
January 15 Itinerary Adjusted
Disney Fantasy was scheduled to set sail from Port Canaveral on an 7-night Eastern Caribbean voyage this Saturday, calling at St. Maarten, San Juan, and Castaway Cay.
That sailing has now been revised to a Western Caribbean itinerary, with St. Maarten and San Juan dropped from the planned ports of call. Instead, the ship will visit Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Nassau. This adds an extra port day to the cruise, removing one of the sea days.
The call at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, remains unchanged for Friday, January 21, 2022. The length of the cruise is also unaffected.
Disney Cruise Line informed guests of these revisions in an email sent January 13, just two days before embarkation. The email explains:
“Over the past few weeks, we have been in regular communication with the ports of call planned for your voyage. Given continued uncertainty regarding requirements and protocols for visiting some of these destinations, we’ve made the decision to modify your itinerary.”
There is no explanation given for which requirements or protocols at which ports have prompted this dramatic itinerary change, but both San Juan and St. Maarten have either denied multiple cruise ships or had multiple cruise lines remove calls from itineraries in recent weeks. Disney Fantasy itself was denied at St. Thomas just two weeks ago.
Port Adventures to Be Refunded and Cancellation Fees Waived
Guests who had already reserved shore tours in St. Maarten and San Juan will automatically have those fees removed from their stateroom accounts, while Castaway Cay tours have not changed.
Read More: Disney’s Castaway Cay, Bahamas: What You Need to Know
Because the sailing is just 48 hours away, guests will not be able to pre-book tours for Cozumel, Costa Maya, or Nassau. Instead, those port adventures will be able to be booked onboard the ship through the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.
The email continues by explaining that should guests no longer wish to sail with this revised itinerary, they will be able to change their cruise date or cancel altogether by contacting their travel agent on Friday, January 14. These changes can be made “without any Disney-imposed cancellation fees.”
Guests should note, however, that third-party change or cancellation fees, such as through airlines, hotels, or travel insurance, are not refundable, as they are not affiliated with Disney Cruise Line.
All Disney Cruise Line refunds, whether for shore tours or for the entire cruise, if cancelled, will be returned to the original form of payment.
Disney Fantasy Sailings
The Dream-class Disney Fantasy was the second in Disney Cruise Line’s small but amazing fleet to resume sailing when it restarted operations on September 11, 2021. The ship is currently offering 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral, and both itineraries include a stop at Castaway Cay.
The substitute Western Caribbean sailing for the January 15, 2022 cruise is not the same as the other Western Caribbean itineraries for Disney Fantasy, which would feature stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica.
