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Disney Cruise Line will sail from New York City next year for the first time since 2023, with the Disney Wish arriving in late September.
The Wish will sail seven cruises from the Big Apple ranging from four to seven nights. The ship will sail to Bermuda or New England/Canada, with one cruise visiting both Bermuda and Halifax.
The Wish's final cruise from New York will be a one-way voyage to San Juan with a stop in Bermuda; the ship will depart New York on Halloween.
"We are delighted to return to a guest-favorite port in New York," said Tracy Wilson, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Cruise Line Operations.
The Disney Wish will sail two cruises from San Juan before moving to Florida's Port Canaveral for the winter and spring. It will be one of three Wish-class ships homeporting there beginning in November; the Disney Destiny and Disney Treasure will be based there, too.
The Treasure will sail seven-night voyages in the Eastern and Western Caribbean. The Destiny, homeporting in Port Canaveral for the first time, will sail three- to seven-night cruises to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean.
The Wish will sail three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas.
Two ships will homeport in Fort Lauderdale: the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
The Disney Magic will sail two repositioning cruises through the Panama Canal, the first in November 2027 from San Diego and the second in March 2028 from Galveston, Texas. The 14-night cruises will include maiden calls in Fuerte Amador and Colon, Panama. The ship will spend the winter sailing from Galveston.
The Disney Wonder will spend the winter sailing three- to seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises from San Diego.
The Disney Adventure will remain in Singapore through the end of 2027; select sailings that will include a new port of call: Langkawi, Malaysia.
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Looking beyond the traditional rivers for cruises. Low water levels continue to be a problem on the Rhine and Danube, with parts of the rivers reaching their lowest points in 30 years. The issue has plagued river cruise operators, forcing them to divert itineraries, rely on ship swaps to complete cruises and, in some instances, cancel trips outright.
That begs the question: What else is out there for clients interested in a river cruise right now? We offer some options:
Domestic offerings
American Cruise Lines and Viking both offer U.S. river cruises. Viking plies the Mississippi, while ACL also operates on the Mississippi and launched Arkansas River sailings this year. The line also offers a Columbia/Snake rivers cruise in the Pacific Northwest. That cruise gives clients a chance to take a break from the summer heat.
Both lines have enjoyed increased demand for their U.S. cruises; looking ahead, Viking will offer Ohio River cruises beginning next year in conjunction with some Mississippi itineraries.
Consider a canal cruise
If your client is set on Europe but is wary of the uncertainty on the Danube and Rhine right now, canal cruises are operating as normal.
European Waterways offers barge cruises on canals in England, Scotland, Ireland and France.
French Waterways, which operates luxury barge cruises, positioned its offerings a "safe bet" due to canals relying on water from reservoirs, rather than being at the mercy of natural river levels.
Embrace the heat with South America
While escaping the heat might not be a reason to consider South America cruises, the rivers there are flowing normally and offer clients a change of scenery from Europe.
South American river cruises are growing ever stronger in popularity. The Amazon is a bucket list destination for many travelers, and an expedition cruise there gives them a taste of a jungle adventure.
For those who still want to embrace a luxury experience onboard a more traditional ship, AmaWaterways has two vessels on the Magdalena River in Colombia, both emulating a floating resort. The cruise is something in between a standard European river cruise and an expedition sailing, giving them a light adventure experience.
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The Douro River's port authority has alerted river cruise lines that the Portugal waterway has reached its ship limit.
Is that bad news? Not according to some travel advisors, who say the decision could protect the Douro from overtourism. Meanwhile, the cruise lines are saying very little about the decree.
The authority, the Administracao dos Portos do Douro e Leixoes, sent a letter to river cruise lines in March saying the maximum capacity for "hotel ships" had been reached. About 30 river ships are currently sailing the Douro.
Additional river ships cannot be permitted until the Douro authority completes an assessment of operational capacity, the government agency wrote, muddying the fate of forthcoming ships. It did not respond to a Travel Weekly inquiry about the letter to river lines or its study.
A river in demand
The Douro flows through Portugal's wine and agricultural region of the Douro Valley, where cruising has exploded in popularity in recent years. River cruise lines have built more ships to accommodate high demand.
Just last year, Riviera Travel launched a ship there, the Riviera Rose, and AmaWaterways introduced the AmaSintra and Viking the Gyda on the river. Next year, Scenic, Emerald, Uniworld and Tauck plan to introduce new Douro vessels.
In 2028, AmaWaterways plans to launch its fourth Douro ship, and Amadeus is slated to debut its first ship in the region.
Uniworld, Viking and AmaWaterways each said they do not anticipate that their Douro operations will be impacted. Riviera and Amadeus declined to comment on the letter, while Tauck and Scenic Group did not respond to an inquiry.
During a Cleveland Research discussion about river cruising on YouTube in July, Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh briefly addressed the Douro situation, saying that the river authority was halting approval for new ships. She said that other destinations in Europe could set limits to combat overtourism.
"I think you're going to see a lot more policy backlash," she said. "I think you're going to see a lot more taxes and other implications that are going to impact both river and land programs across Europe."
River cruise sellers contacted by Travel Weekly were pleased by the decision to cap Douro capacity.
The downside to river cruising's rocketing popularity is that the Rhine and Danube are packed with dozens of ships.
It's fairly normal to see two or three ships lashed together at docks due to limited port space. If their ship is not the one tied directly to the pier, passengers must walk through the other vessels to get to and from land.
That isn't the case on the Douro.
The Douro still has breathing room -- and that's a selling point, said Angela Hughes, CEO and founder of Trips & Ships Luxury Travel.
"I would not describe the entire river or the Douro Valley as overcrowded," she said. "Porto can certainly feel busy, and there can be congestion when several ships arrive in the same place at once. That is different from saying the destination has been ruined by tourism. Much of the experience still feels scenic, intimate and very special."
She hailed the Douro authority's decision as a responsible approach to managing tourism.
Lena Arcedo of Seven Heaven Travel in New York said the authority was "protecting what makes the Douro special."
"The Douro is such a unique river, and part of the appeal is its size and the smaller towns along the way," she said. "At some point, if we keep adding ships, we risk taking away from the experience people are going there for in the first place."
Thumbs-up from shipbuilder
The Douro authority's decision to pause newbuilds as it evaluates long-term operational capacity is the right one, said Scylla CEO Robbert Verbeek.
Scylla, a builder and operator of river ships for Tauck, Viva and Riviera, received the letter in March, Verbeek confirmed. He said it demonstrates the authority's commitment to preserving the region for future tourism growth -- whatever that may look like. "I think their approach is very good," he said, adding that the Douro authority was taking a "holistic" approach to assessing capacity.
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What about ETIAS? When will that launch?
The European Union said that it will announce the specific date for the launch of ETIAS closer to the start of the requirement. But even once it is activated, there will be a transitional period of at least six months, during which travelers will be asked to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization but won’t be refused entry without one. That will be followed by a six-month grace period, during which first-time travelers to Europe will be permitted to enter without an ETIAS as long as they meet border control entry requirements. But those who are not entering Europe for the first time will not be permitted without an ETIAS authorization during the grace period.
Once it launches, U.S. citizens as well as travelers from 60 other countries who want to travel to the 29 member countries of Europe’s Schengen area (listed above) plus Cyprus (an EU member that is not yet part of Schengen) will need to register for an ETIAS authorization and pay a nonrefundable application fee of 7 euros (approximately US$8) before entering Europe. Travelers under 18 or over 70 will be exempt from the fee, although they will still need to have ETIAS approval.
In the meantime, international travelers arriving in Europe do not need to register in advance.
The U.K.’s ETA authorization is already in effect
The United Kingdom, which is no longer part of the EU or the Schengen area, last year rolled out its own electronic travel authorization program, known as the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). U.S. travelers must apply for United Kingdom’s ETA via the ETA app (available through Google or Apple). Travelers will need to provide some basic personal information, including passport details and a valid email address. They will also upload photos of their passport and of their face and pay a £16 fee (about US$13)—which is increasing to £20 (USD$27) on April 8, 2026. Applicants should be granted approval within three working days, and the approval is valid for two years.
There’s no limit on how many times you can enter the United Kingdom during that time frame. Those with an ETA can spend up to six months in the country at a time and can visit any part of the U.K. You will, however, need to reapply for a new ETA if you get a new passport. Passengers connecting through the U.K. will only need an ETA if they pass through border control.
“You do not need an ETA to travel to the U.K. if . . . you’re transiting through a U.K. airport and you will not pass through border control,” states a government explainer about when an ETA isn’t required. Travelers who leave the main airport building for any reason or need to collect their bags and check them in for an onward flight will pass through border control. Authorities recommend that you check with your airline to find out if you’ll pass through U.K. border control and will therefore need an ETA.
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Some of the Caribbean nations that require US Citizens to apply for a visitor card, immigration and/or customs form in advance of travel. Most are free, some are not.
For the British Virgin Islands and all of Great Britain and it's territories, you must obtain an electronic travel authorization visa by downloading the UK ETA app to your phone and applying.
Aruba - https://edcardaruba.aw/
British Virgin Islands - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta#apply-for-an-eta
Curacao - https://dicardcuracao.com
Dominican Republic - https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/Home/
Jamaica - enterjamaica.gov.jm
Saint Lucia - https://travelslu.govt.lc/
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