By Contract 5, I thought I’d seen it all onboard Disney Cruise Line—until I stepped onto the brand-new Disney Wish cruise ship. It was so fresh it practically had that “just unwrapped” smell. I joined the ship right after its Maiden Voyage, and suddenly my life looked like a real-life Pinterest board: sparkling chandeliers, a glowing Cinderella statue, pastel gelato shops… and drumroll please—a cabin with no bunk beds. For the first time ever, I had my own bathroom and didn’t risk head butting the ceiling each morning. Dreams really do come true, folks. ✨
Contract Log
Contract: 5
Year: 2022
Ship: Disney Wish
Countries Visited: United States – Bahamas – Mexico
First Impressions of the Disney Wish
From the moment I entered the Grand Hall, I was completely enchanted. With its glittering chandelier and iconic Cinderella statue, the Disney Wish is pure magic. Add in the new “Aladdin” Broadway-style show, the Frozen-themed Arendelle restaurant, and a fancy Jack-and-Jill bathroom in my officer cabin, and yep—this became my new favorite ship in the fleet. (the Crew cabins got an upgrade too! Not a bunk bed in sight!)
Bonus perk: Disney Cruise Line launched shiny new name tags for the 25th Anniversary! Sleek, silver, and absolutely Instagram-worthy.
Learning the Ropes on a Brand-New Disney Cruise Ship
Much of my contract was spent exploring the ship, getting our Print Shop set up, and diving into new venues and entertainment. Some of my personal favorites?
🎉 Let’s Set Sail – the new welcome deck party
🎭 Seas the Adventure – the high-energy main stage show
🍦 Joyful Sweets – the gelato shop I visited way too often
❄️ Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure – a full-on themed dining experience
That One Time COVID Finally Got Me
After dodging COVID for years (through multiple contracts and port adventures), my luck ran out. A routine crew test came back positive, and I was moved to isolation in a guest stateroom. Honestly? Not the worst way to recover—tea, Kindle time, and some epic sunset views from my porthole.
Halloween on the High Seas 🎃
When spooky season arrived, the Disney Wish went all out. The Grand Hall’s pumpkin tree sparkled, character meet-and-greets multiplied, and I helped run onboard trick-or-treating—always a Guest favorite.
For our Crew Halloween party, a bunch of us dressed in inflatable dinosaur costumes. Zero regrets. Maximum laughs.
Hurricane Detours = Surprise Disney Park Days! ⛈️🎢
Cruising in the Caribbean during hurricane season? Expect the unexpected. One storm extended a 3-night cruise into a 6-night voyage, giving us a bonus day docked at Port Canaveral—aka, Disney park day!
It happened again later in the contract, rerouting us to Cozumel, Mexico. After endless loops of Nassau, this felt like the ultimate win (minus the natural disaster factor of course!)
Christmas on the Disney Wish 🎄
Holiday season aboard the Wish? Pure magic. The entire ship shimmered with festive decor, from twinkling lights to a golden Christmas tree in the Grand Hall. A few favorite holiday highlights:
🎁 A crew-exclusive character meet-and-greet
🎁 Buying myself a Harry Potter Funko Pop advent calendar to countdown until the end of my contract (because, why not?)
Contract 5 Highlights 🎉
- 🌟 Joining the Disney Wish—the fleet’s newest and most dazzling ship
- 😷 Catching COVID (memorable, but not recommended) and staying in an isolation cabin
- 🦖 Crew Halloween Party in inflatable dinosaur costumes
- ⛈️ Hurricane detours = surprise Disney park days
- 🐠 Swimming with stingrays at Castaway Cay
- ✏️ Receiving a sketchbook gift from a sweet Guest family
- 🇲🇽 Bonus port stop in Cozumel
- 🦒 Quick morning trip to Animal Kingdom on embark day
- 📚 Publishing my 4th children’s book
- 🎄 Experiencing the magic of Christmas on the Wish
Disney Wish = A Dream Come True 💫
Between catching COVID (finally), dodging hurricanes, celebrating Halloween in a dinosaur suit, and enjoying surprise Disney park days, Contract 5 was wild in the best way. I made new friends, swam with stingrays, launched another book, and yes—ate a lot of gelato! 🍨
The Disney Wish didn’t just live up to the hype—it handed me a sketchbook, an advent calendar, and whispered, “You’re gonna want to remember this one.”
Disclaimer: Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line I’ve worked for, so I can’t speak of the experience with other cruise lines. All opinions in this post are my own and not affiliated with Disney in any way.
🚢 More Ship Life Posts
Check out more of my contracts from life at sea:
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Jess at Sea 
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