The Disney Cruise Line continues to work to conserve the world and the waters in which its fleet sails. Recently, it reached an impressive milestone with its conservation efforts. The Disney Cruise Line eliminated more than 99% of all guest-facing, non-essential, single-use plastics on both its ships and island destinations. This was achieved as of the end of the 2025 fiscal year. This was achieved through the efforts of a dedicated team of cast and crew members who are committed to the efforts of sustainability.

The real magic on deck and at our island destinations is the dedication of our cast and crew,” Barry Compagnoni, vice president of safety, sustainability & medical operations, shared. “They are the ones bringing our sustainability goals to life every single day, and their impact is visible everywhere you look.”

Sustainability in Dining

These efforts can be seen throughout the Disney Cruise Line fleet, particularly in the dining rooms, quick-service venues, and buffets. There, the culinary and food service teams have rethought the traditional dining service. Single-use items are being replaced with reusable and refillable alternatives.

Previously, Disney Cruise Line eliminated single-use staples like plastic straws, merchandise bags, cutlery, and individual condiment packets fleet wide. Throughout the fleet, teams continue to tackle everday packaging and more. This can be seen on recent sailings as initiatives across food and beverage locations move away from invidual single-use packaging for more bulk containers and using reusable serving ware.

These efforts allow for guest to enjoy the same favorite flavors that they have loved for years with the elevated dining experience found aboard the Disney Cruise Line ships with just a fraction of the waste.

On the Islands

On Disney’s island destinations in The Bahamas, there also have been innovative ideas with waste can be minimized through operational changes.

One example of this is how the guest experience for Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point was designed. Food and beverage teams saw an opportunity to do things differently here. This led to a process that included plenty of collaboration and forward-thinking to create an environment where there isn’t any guest-facing single-use plastics utilized. This is done by using reusable dishes, flatware, and cups for every meal that is served.

On Castaway Cay, island operations have introduced redesigned trash cans. These have separate receptacles for recycling and food scraps that are seamlessly integrated into the experience guests have on the island. This allows for Disney’s crew to be able to sort and manage waste more effectively and efficiently than ever before.

Small Changes With Big Results

In both the food and beverage locations, individual use items have been left in the past in favor of a more sustainable approach. This is done in the following ways:

• Retail Teams: By transitioning to reusable shopping bags, our merchandise crew has successfully eliminated the use of nearly 1 million plastic bags annually.
• Food & Beverage Teams: Teams have replaced plastic water bottles with recyclable aluminum options, managing refill stations across both guest and crew areas. They’ve also adapted to serving specialty coffees and drinks at 24-hour beverage stations in plastic-free, paper cups.

“The culture was there to push us forward as a team,” Gary Latouche, director of hotel operations, merchandise, photography and spa, shared. “We made the lists, but it’s a real team effort to find solutions and put them into practice.”

Behind the Scenes

There are also conservation efforts being made beyond the guest-facing areas to influence the supply chain. Disney now buys guest room towels in bulk to eliminate the excess single-use plastic wrap before it ever boards a ship.

Reusable pallet covers are also now replacing plastic wrap at the loading docs in Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, and Singapore. These new protective covers do the same job as the single-use plastics did to protect new merchandise inventory. They do this without the same negative environmental impact.

Staterooms

Aboard the ships in staterooms, host are at the heart of the onboard experience. They directly lead the implementation of waste-reduction efforts in ways the guests feel the most.

Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club loyalty gifts are now distributed by hosts in paper-based packaging rather than plastic sleeves. This includes the lanyards and other amenities. This transition has removed over 3 million plastic sleeve from operations since 2024. By transitioning to refillable bath product dispensers in staterooms, housekeeping teams have helped eliminate the distribution of over 2.2 million plastic amenity containers every year.

“We’ve been working toward this for years and we are all really invested in meeting our goal, and the results show that,” Shelley Gold-Witiak, director of hotel operations & guest experience integration, said.

Strength in Togetherness

The strenght of these initiatives comes through the team members and crew of Disney Cruise Line sharing a goal and looking to find solutions. With this togetherness comes great strength. Melanie, a manager of spa and operating participants, hopes people will take away how they can be a part of the solution. This can be done even in small ways every day.

“To make a change, it takes every single one of us on this planet. It’s not one person, it’s not one team, it’s not one company. Whatever we do, we just hope that it’s inspiring,” Melanie said.

As the Disney Cruise Line continues to reach more milestones of sustainability, the goals of conservation come to life. These goals and milestones reflect the Disney Cruise Line crew’s shared passion to protect the environment so that it can continue to be enjoyed and appreciated for years to come!

What do you think of these efforts by Disney Cruise Line to preserve our planet? What do you think of these milestones that have been reached? Have you been on a Disney cruise? What did you like most about it? Did you notice these efforts? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!