Disney cruise fares look lower at first glance because the full cabin total now shows up only at the last step. Plus, a fake Royal Caribbean tipping notice and Carnival’s new restaurants.
If a Disney cruise suddenly looks cheaper online, take a closer look.
Disney Cruise Line changed its booking site to show prices per person for most of the booking process, WDW News Today reported Wednesday, Oct. 21. Before, the site showed the total cost of the cabin up front.
Here’s what changed, plus four more cruise stories to know this week.
How does Disney Cruise Line show prices now?
As an average price per guest. When you search for a sailing, the price you see now covers just one person, no matter how many people are in your party, WDWNT reported.
Promotions show up as savings per person, too. You’ll only see the total price for the whole cabin, with every guest included, once you reach the final step of choosing a stateroom.
That means fares can look a lot lower at a glance than they used to. Disney hasn’t commented on the change.
Why did Disney Cruise Line make the change?
Disney hasn’t said. The switch came right after Disney Cruise Line opened bookings for the Disney Believe to everyone on Oct. 19, WDWNT noted.
Believe fares have drawn plenty of attention. Starting prices for its five-night maiden voyage ran from $6,444 for an inside stateroom to $17,074 for Concierge, for two guests, as PNP reported. The last Concierge room left on that sailing was later listed at $66,034.
Did Royal Caribbean change its tipping rules?
No. A press release claiming guests could no longer adjust daily gratuities once on board was fake, Cruise Hive reported.
One clue: it used Royal Caribbean’s old “International” logo, which the line retired in September 2024, according to Cruise Hive.
There was a real slip, though. A Royal Caribbean FAQ briefly said drinks and specialty dining carried a 20% automatic gratuity. It’s still 18%.
“We recently identified an error in an FAQ that incorrectly stated gratuity information,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement to Cruise Hive.
“To clarify, there has been no change to our gratuity rates,” the cruise line added.
The updated FAQ now adds that those gratuities “are optional and may be adjusted or removed at the guest’s sole discretion.”
What are Carnival’s new restaurants?
Four new spots are coming to Carnival’s next Excel-class ships, Festivale in 2027 and Tropicale in 2028, Cruise Industry News reported. They’re part of a dining overhaul called The Next Course.
Emeril’s Coastal Seafood, from Carnival chief culinary officer Emeril Lagasse, with dishes like jumbo lump crab cakes.
Uku Lei Lei, mixing Hawaiian and Asian flavors.
Fetaccine, blending Italian and Greek food.
Bistro Musicale, with croissants, quiche, French onion soup and steak frites.
Carnival is also changing things across its current fleet. There’s a shorter three-course Express Dining option, plus new main dining dishes like Beef Wellington and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. Chicken and waffles are coming to the Lido Marketplace.
Which cruise ships changed course because of storms?
Three ships are pulling into Southampton, England, early because of Storm Austen, Cruise Hive reported. P&O Cruises’ Arvia and MSC’s Preziosa and Virtuosa were due in late Thursday, Oct. 22, instead of Friday or Saturday.
The UK’s Met Office warned of wind gusts up to 60 to 70 mph in parts of southwest England on Friday.
Closer to home, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas sailed to Canada instead of Florida and the Bahamas on its Oct. 18 trip from New Jersey. It was steering clear of the weather that became Subtropical Storm Josephine.
What is the Queen Mary 2’s 500th crossing?
A milestone trip for Cunard. The Queen Mary 2 will make its 500th trans-Atlantic crossing on a 21-night round trip from New York, Cruise Industry News reported.
It stops in Hamburg, Southampton and Liverpool. It’s the first time since 2015 that Cunard passengers can leave Liverpool on a trans-Atlantic crossing.
It’s part of Cunard’s 2028-29 season, with 93 voyages between October 2028 and May 2029.
So if you’re pricing a Disney cruise this week, do the math for your whole family before you book. The number on the first screen is now just one person.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDW News Today, Megan K (Oct. 21, 2026), Disney Cruise Line’s per-person pricing
Cruise Hive, Melissa Mayntz (Oct. 21 and 22, 2026), the Royal Caribbean gratuity notice, Storm Austen and Oasis of the Seas
Cruise Industry News (Oct. 22, 2026), Carnival’s The Next Course and Cunard’s 2028-29 season
Pirates & Princesses (Oct. 8 and 21, 2026), the Disney Believe fares
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