I expected prominent Halloween decor and atmosphere but the theming was very light.
We didn't get our itinerary of Halloween activities ahead of time, which made planning difficult.
Disney Cruise Line's Halloween on the High Seas cruises are themed voyages that take place on select sailings in September and October.
The fleet-wide celebrations include themed decor, events, and activities. Recently, I went on one of these voyages with my husband and two 12-year-old kids.
Although we had a great time, there were also some surprises.
First off, we didn't know our cruise would be Halloween-themed when we booked it
If you don't see the Halloween on the High Seas artwork, don't assume you're booking a Halloween-themed cruise.Jill Robbins
We booked our cruise about a year out and it wasn't labeled as being Halloween on the High Seas at that time.
We received an email two months before sailing letting us know we'd be celebrating Halloween at sea. We were also encouraged to bring costumes.
That said, I don't think our cruise not originally being listed as a Halloween one is the norm. These cruises are typically easy to spot on Disney Cruise Line's website. Disney Cruise Line's website currently has several of next fall's cruises marked as Halloween on the High Seas.
There were near-constant changes in the cruise industry when we booked our trip in 2021, so that might be why our listing changed later on.
I expected prominent, in-your-face Halloween decor and atmosphere, but the theming was very light
If you've been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World during the Halloween season, you know that the parks really go all out. I expected the same level of immersion on the Halloween on the High Seas cruise but that wasn't the case.
Fortunately, if you're not into Halloween you don't need to worry about being overwhelmed by the decor and theme. The pumpkin tree in the atrium was the most prominent Halloween decoration on the ship and it was very well done.
The pumpkin tree had lights in it.Jill Robbins
Other decorations included jack-o'-lantern clings in the portholes and spiderwebs on the lobby bar. There was Halloween music playing softly in the hallways and elevators throughout the cruise.
The port holes had fun faces stuck onto them.Jill Robbins
The buffets had Halloween-inspired signs, whether the food was actually themed or not. Most of it wasn't.
There were a few Halloween-themed labels with food.Jill Robbins
The only Halloween-themed treats I noticed were in the Concierge Lounge.
A few Halloween-themed treats were available, but not many.Jill Robbins
I'm very neutral on Halloween and can take it or leave it. Although I was surprised by the subtle amount of decor and atmosphere, it didn't disappoint me.
We didn't get the Halloween schedule of events until we were on board, which made planning a bit challenging
All of the Halloween events were listed in Disney Cruise Line's Navigator app, which can't be fully accessed until you board the ship.
One night out of our five-night cruise was designated as Halloween, which is when most of the themed activities would take place. Since we didn't know that ahead of time — all we were told was Halloween would be celebrated and we should bring costumes — we'd already had something special booked.
Unfortunately, the night designated as Halloween conflicted with a reservation we'd made for specialty dining at Remy, one of Disney Cruise Line's signature restaurants.
The booking was important to us so we decided to skip the Halloween festivities and stick to our plans.
Some people left candy out on their doors.Jill Robbins
Other themed activities included costume contests, mini parties in the kids' clubs, Mickey's Mouse-querade party, and a Halloween-themed deck party.
The 'Sanderson' sisters and 'Hocus Pocus' movies stole the show
There was a showing of "Hocus Pocus" in the ship's main theater on "Halloween." Later that evening, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Clarabelle Cow dressed as the Sanderson Sisters made their first appearance.
The line to meet them was wrapped around the atrium. I spoke to someone in the line and she shared she'd been waiting for over an hour — I estimated most people waited about 90 minutes.
People went wild over the extra-Disneyfied Sanderson sisters.Jill Robbins
I saw three other time slots to meet and get pictures with these characters dressed as the Sanderson Sisters. "Hocus Pocus 2," which was released to Disney+ while we were on board, was shown several times during our sailing.
You really could participate as much or as little as you like
Costumes were not required for any of the festivities. I estimate that about half the passengers were in costume on the ship's Halloween.
We saw lots of Halloween-themed stateroom door decorations and a lot of Disney Halloween shirts.
There was a small selection of Halloween on the High Seas merchandise for sale in the gift shop for anyone inspired to add a little Disney Halloween flair to their look.
Our family's Halloween on the High Seas cruise ended up being a fun surprise.Jill Robbins
I didn't have a costume or any Halloween-themed clothes or accessories but didn't feel out of place. Parents of younger kids will also be happy to know that nothing on board was overtly scary.
Overall, the attempted Halloween theme didn't do much for me
It was honestly easy for me to ignore the fact that this was a Halloween-themed cruise — it seemed like a regular one with a few Halloween decorations and activities thrown in.
I can easily see where someone super excited about a Halloween cruise might have seen this experience as a letdown. Aside from a cool pumpkin tree and some creative costumes, my experience was the same as it's been on any other Disney cruise — which is a big thumbs up for me.
I'd take another Halloween on the High Seas cruise if the itinerary was one I wanted to experience but I wouldn't select this cruise solely for its theme.
Bestselling author and faux hillbilly J.D. Vance is officially Donald Trump’s pick for vice president, God help us all. And even though it’s only been a few days, the nation has collectively forgotten all the sycophantic vice-presidential hopefuls left behind.But I haven’t.All the potential veeps were embarrassing in their own way. Marco Rubio: always a twerp, somehow became even twerpier when kissing up to the former president. Tim Scott shall always be remembered for totally coincidentally get
Nothing has been provedPrince Philip’s name appeared in top-secret FBI documents about one of the greatest British sex scandals of all time: the so-called Profumo affair, according to the Mail on Sunday. The documents relay that the FBI had heard a rumor that Philip—Queen Elizabeth II’s husband—was “involved” with two women at the center of the early 1960s scandal which eventually led to the downfall of a government.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals d
Pierce Brosnan made quite the appearance at Wimbledon last week, however, when the former James Bond star shared photos from the event, fans all thought the same thing
As calls from some Democratic lawmakers for President Joe Biden to pass the torch have grown this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested Sunday that such a move might lead to legal trouble. Johnson, R-La., told "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz that it would not be possible for some states to switch out Biden for another candidate ahead of the presidential election in November. Election law expert Richard Hasen wrote that there is "no credence" to the notion that the Democratic Party could not legally replace Biden on the ticket, as he is not the nominee yet -- the nominating process generally takes place during the Democratic National Convention.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office with the election just four months away. It was a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.
"Sometimes, unintentional or even well-meaning comments from grandma and grandpa can 'create an environment where grandkids feel uncomfortable or insecure.'"
"I don't want to be doing what I've been doing the last 64 years. I want a better, cleaner, cooler, more exciting way to knock out the last 20," Bertinelli tells PEOPLE
After the first presidential debate for this election year, there have been concerns whether President Joe Biden is fit to run for office against former President Donald Trump. Many in the Democratic...