CruiseStar
Disney Cruise Line's newest ships, Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, share the same platform but lean into different themes onboard. For a first Disney cruise, the choice between them usually comes down to theming preference and which one fits your travel dates, not a meaningful gap in quality.
Disney
Disney Wish
Open the ship page for ratings, hearts, and reviews.
Wish: fairy-tale forward
Disney Wish leans into classic Disney fairy-tale theming across its signature venues and entertainment. It was the line's newest ship for several years and set the current template for Disney's next generation of vessels.
Treasure: adventure themed
Disney Treasure is the newer of the two and shifts the theming toward adventure, drawing on a different slice of the Disney and Pixar catalog for its headline venues and decor. Under the theming, the layout and scale closely follow its sister ship.
Disney
Disney Treasure
Open the ship page for ratings, hearts, and reviews.
What matters more than the theme
For a first Disney cruise, homeport and itinerary length usually matter more than which ship you pick, both run family-friendly Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries, and both include the line's signature character experiences and family-first design. Check current sailing dates and ports before letting theming alone decide.
Packing and expectations for first-timers
Disney cruises lean more formal on rotational dining nights than many lines, so pack at least one nicer outfit. Character interactions and kids' clubs are a bigger part of the daily schedule here than on a typical mega-ship, so plan port days around them rather than around adult-only excursions if traveling with young kids. Keep medication, documents, and day-one clothes in your carry-on, one of the practical lessons in our first-time mega-ship mistakes guide.
CruiseStar rating
Disney Wish
See the live score on the ship page.
Bottom line
Either ship is a reasonable first Disney cruise. Pick the theme you like more, then let itinerary and homeport make the final call, and rate the ship once you have sailed it so other first-timers have a real comparison. Before the trip, use our first-time mega-ship mistakes checklist to avoid the common day-one problems.