Every summer Disney Cruise Line sails one of its ships to Europe for one of the most special sets of itineraries available. Disney Cruise Line separates their European itineraries into Northern Europe and Mediterranean itineraries. My family was able to experience the unique 7-night repositioning cruise that connected these guest experiences. We started in Dover, England and ended in Barcelona, Spain and it was a vacation we will never forget and recommend to all interested in visiting Europe with their family.
Visiting Europe on a Disney cruise allows families to visit multiple countries and cultures in a short time while keeping a home base on the ship. The tours offered by Disney’s port adventures team allow for the interests of all ages with varying tour lengths to accommodate your needs.
On our particular cruise, we docked in Le Havre, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Cadiz, Spain with 3 full days at sea. All of these countries were new to our family so we took advantage of the tours to see all we could while we were in port. Le Havre is located in northern France and about a 2 ½ to 3-hour drive from Paris. With a 16 hour stopover, there was plenty of time to take an adventure into Paris and see the main sights of the city. Lisbon’s city tour showed us how important the city and its inhabitants were to navigation of the oceans and the discovery of the new world. Cadiz’s town square, just steps from the dock, allowed us a walking tour of the city that dates from the time of the Phoenicians, about 1100 BC. Another amazing sight was seeing Africa as we sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar late one evening.
Families of all ages can be found on Disney’s European cruises. If you have young children, exposing them to historical locations, introducing them to new languages, and giving them a fun time each day is a great introduction to Europe. Tweens and teens will get excited when they recognize places and people that they’ve studied in school and then when they are back on the ship the excitement doesn’t stop when they meet up with new friends in Edge and Vibe.
What makes Disney’s cruises so special to experience Europe is the fun, family-friendly atmosphere. From the shows to the onboard events, the age-appropriate port adventures, and the characters that dress in the native clothing of the ports, you will find everyone young and old enjoying each day of the cruise from morning until night.
Going on a European Disney Cruise Line vacation is one of the most memorable vacations that a family can have. Disney’s European itineraries are available for booking by contacting your Me and The Mouse travel agent.
