Pirate Night on the Disney Cruise Line – What You Need to Know

“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!” Disney is known for its fantastic entertainment, and that extends to Disney Cruise Line. An offering that you’ll find on no other cruise line is Pirate Night! On most itineraries, guests will eat, dance, and party like a pirate on the high seas. We’ve enjoyed four different pirate nights on the Disney Magic, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy. All four were fantastic evenings we enjoyed very much. Keep reading for what you need to know about Pirate Nights on the Disney Cruise Line.

1 – A Pirates Life for Me

The very popular Pirate Nights are on select itineraries on the Disney Cruise Line. If you are sailing to the Caribbean, your cruise will almost surely have a Pirate Night. Not surprisingly, you won’t find a Pirate Night on an Alaskan Cruise. When searching for a Disney Cruise, you can check the itinerary to see if a Pirate Night is offered.

2 – Dress the Part

Before our cruise, we received word from the cruise line that we would be enjoying Pirate Night. Disney highly encourages guests to dress up and participate. On our first cruise, I was able to scrounge up an old Pirate Mickey T-Shirt I had. For other cruises, I stepped it up and found a white and blue striped shirt to go with some jean capris for a decent Mr. Smee outfit. You’ll find that guests’ costumes will range from nothing at all to unbelievably elaborate. So, if your next cruise includes a pirate night, you may want to do some shopping ahead of time to prepare. But if you don’t, no worries, Disney provides each guest a pirate bandana that can be tied on for some pirate flair. This way, every guest has a little something to wear.

3 – Consider The Pirates League in Advance

The Pirates League packages are available at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the Disney Cruise Line, and they are only available on Pirate Nights. There are packages for both adults and children. If you are interested in booking one of these, our tip is to do it as soon as possible, as they are popular and will likely sell out ahead of your cruise.

Here is the latest offering from the Disney Cruise Line website. Note that offerings may change:

Those with a saltier side, fear ye not: Channel your inner outlaw with your own timber-shivering transformation.

All packages below take approximately 30 minutes to apply and are designed for Guests ages 3 and older. Please also note that all Pirates League packages are available on Pirate Party Nights only.

Pirate Costume (Youth)

• • • Choice of pirate costume
    • Makeup application
    • Cinch bag
    • Accessories

Swashbuckle

• • • Pirate vest and waist belt
    • Makeup application
    • Cinch bag
    • Accessories

Pirate Makeup and Accessories

• • • Makeup application
    • Cinch bag
    • Accessories

All package components and related information, including costume sizes, experience duration and prices, are subject to change without notice. Guests must be 3 years of age or older to participate. Children between the ages of 3 and 12 must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older during the entire experience.

4 – Family Trivia & Games

Get the party started early with a fun family game show in the afternoon. Kids can enjoy pirate-themed activities at the youth clubs, such as crafts, games, scavenger hunts, and Pirate Prep.

5 – Pirate Character Greetings

Another exclusive offering for Disney Cruise Line is the ability to greet Disney characters in pirate attire. We had an absolute blast meeting our beloved characters in their pirate costumes. It was great. The character greetings were offered twice throughout the evening to allow everyone time to meet the characters in their pirate attire. Other character greetings include pirate favorites such as Peter Pan, Captain Hook & Mr. Smee, and Captain Jack Sparrow. Be sure to check the DCL Navigator app for character greeting times, as not all characters listed are available on all cruises.

6 – Eat Like a Pirate

The Pirate Party extends to a fabulous pirate-themed dinner at each main dining restaurant. On the Disney Magic, we enjoyed a menu that looked like an old treasure map that included options such as Davy Jones’ Locker Rock Crab Cakes, Master Gibb’s ½ Pint of Shrimp Cocktail, Jack’s Treasure-of-the-Seas, and King George’s Roasted Privateer Strip Loin. There was also a bit of entertainment included with dinner, including some visiting pirates and a limbo! Offerings may vary depending on which ship you are on.

7 – Mickey’s Pirates IN the Caribbean Deck Party

You don’t want to miss Mickey’s Pirates IN the Caribbean deck party, a family-friendly interactive show featuring famous Disney characters. Guests become members of Mickey’s Pirate Crew as they participate in a series of pirate-themed musical numbers. We noticed that the show on the Disney Magic was a bit different than the show on the Disney Dream. However, both were a lot of fun.

Tip: Ensure you arrive early to get a good spot for the deck show. Even 10-15 early should give you a decent viewing location. There is usually a reserved spot for younger children to watch the show just in front of the stage.

Watch Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean Show from the Disney Dream below:

Enjoy some short video clips from the show on our more recent voyage on the Disney Fantasy:

8 – Fireworks at Sea!

Later in the evening, Jack Sparrow from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films makes a special appearance on deck looking for a new crew. A few guests are chosen to be on stage for some fun antics. The show leads right into fireworks at sea called Buccaneer Blast! These fireworks were an industry first and are classic Disney Cruise Line. Disney does amazing fireworks on land, but nothing beats fireworks on the high seas. Disney does a great job with the show. It was truly incredible to be in the middle of the ocean and getting to watch a pretty fantastic fireworks show!

Tip: The fireworks are always launched off the starboard side of the ship (right side if you are facing forward). We think the best place to watch is on the upper deck on the starboard side for an unobstructed view of the show. Watching “Buccaneer Blast” from the upper deck also gives you a good spot for the show, and then you’re all set for the fireworks.

9 – Club Pirate

After the fireworks, a high-tech, open-air dance party on the ship’s upper decks heats up as guests unleash their inner pirate and dance their boots off during “Club Pirate.” Many people were dancing, and it was a lot of fun.