Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser – An immersive vacation that’s out of this world

In 1977, we were first invited to see what happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. With the opening of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser 45 years later, we were finally able to climb aboard and become a part of our very own Star Wars story. Every moment was even better than the most epic scenarios we had invented for our action figures back in the day.

Conceptual Overview

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is an experience unlike anything offered by Disney Parks and Resorts in the past. Guests experience a two-night “voyage” aboard the Halcyon, a luxury 100-cabin starcruiser crewed by the interplanetary travel group Chandrila Star Line. In true Disney theme park storytelling fashion, what is supposed to be a seamless journey to the planet of Batuu and back turns into an interactive galactic adventure. Guests can choose their own path, forge alliances, and interact with crew members and surprise guests to create unique experiences and Star Wars memories to last a lifetime.

Planning for the Voyage

Much like an Earth-based cruise, preparations for our journey began months in advance. My husband and I wanted to be part of the March 1, 2022 maiden voyage of the Halcyon, so I made our reservation when everything first became available on October 7, 2021. We reserved a Standard Cabin that sleeps up to 5 passengers, but more deluxe options were a Galaxy Class Suite that sleeps up to 4 or a Grand Captain’s Suite that sleeps up to 8.

At the time of booking, we needed to select our dinner seating. We chose the second seating rather than the first to match our usual preference when we cruise. It turns out that this decision affects more than just your meal time, but in hindsight, we were happy with our choice. Although I called to make the reservation right when the phone lines opened, the Captain’s Table was already sold out by the time we got to that point in the conversation. This reservation carries an additional charge on top of the voyage fare. Those who were lucky enough to score this table received additional menu items and had a chance to interact more closely with certain crew members. Perhaps we will be among that group next time!

There are no courtesy holds, so we had to pay our 20% deposit in order to lock in our voyage at the time of booking. Final payment was due 90 days prior to our arrival. We were reminded to link the reservation to our My Disney Experience accounts, and it was emphasized that we each needed to have our own account, as this would affect game play once onboard.

We were able to book a few extras 60 days in advance, much like when planning a typical Walt Disney World Resort vacation. We made a point of reserving Oga’s Cantina for our day at Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu, also known as “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Savi’s Workshop (where you can craft your own lightsaber) and Droid Depot (where you can craft your own droid) were also available options, but these do not really affect your game play. Oga’s Cantina, on the other hand, proved integral to our missions, so we were glad we had that reservation.

Since the time of our maiden voyage, other options have been added. These include Image Design and a CSL Portrait Experience. I think these will go a long way toward helping guests commemorate the voyage, as you can get a Star Wars makeover and have a photo session so you’ll always remember your carefully curated look. These options can also be booked in advance of your voyage.

Speaking of your look, costumes that do not include a mask are encouraged, but are certainly not required. We saw fellow passengers run the gamut between Earth-based clothes (Star Wars-themed T-shirts and the like) and full-on cosplay-quality costumes like you would see at ComicCon. If you are the cosplay type, it’s a great idea to plan your outfits far in advance!

Welcome Aboard the Halcyon

We signed up for a boarding group using the My Disney Experience app and made our way to the port. Valet parking is included in the cost of each two-night voyage, so we carefully unloaded everything we would need since we wouldn’t see our car again until check-out morning. In keeping with the aesthetic of the Star Wars franchise, the entrance to the port is a bit stark. In fact, sleek and stark is the aesthetic onboard the Halcyon as well, as the ship is designed to emulate the mega space-yachts of the ultra-rich.

Before we boarded our transport to the Halcyon, we were issued special white MagicBands that are unique for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser passengers. We also received instructions for our Datapads. These were Disney-issued iPhones that were preloaded with the PlayDisney app. More recent cruises have allowed guests to use their own devices, but some glitches during the media previews resulted in our being encouraged to use Disney’s Datapads instead.

We were welcomed into the lobby of the port, where we watched a safety/orientation video. Due to the fact that cabins do not have windows into the world of Central Florida, they carefully explained what to do in an actual emergency as opposed to the “emergency” situations that could spring up as part of the storytelling. We learned that each room has an emergency rescue area hidden behind a panel. (In other words, there are windows and doors — unlike the Stretching Room of the Haunted Mansion — but these are not designed to be visible to the average guest.)

At the conclusion of the video, a crew member invited us to the launch pad. There we boarded a vehicle to take us straight up with a real-time view of the outdoors, then into hyperspace, and then into the docking bay of the Halcyon. From there, we entered the ship’s atrium and received a brief orientation before being shown to our cabin.

I thought the cabin was the perfect blend of Star Wars and an ocean cruise stateroom. I had to laugh because I found myself closing the toilet lid every time I went to flush; a cruise behavior that has apparently become ingrained for me!

But First, FOOD

At this point, I was more than ready for lunch, so we made our way to the Crown of Corelia Dining Room to see what was available. Oh my goodness! I had heard from those who attended previews that the food was a major part of the experience, and they were not exaggerating one bit. I loved the attempt to make common foods sound exotic, with “red fruit” tomatoes and “dipped tip yip chicken” nuggets. The plating and presentation were also unique, with extra bright colors and an otherworldly flair. Everything tasted just as good as it looked — and in some cases, even better. (For example, I wasn’t too sure about blue shrimp until I tasted them!)

I have a YouTube playlist here, where you can find videos of each meal along with the cabin tour posted above. I didn’t highlight it much in the videos, but I was thrilled to discover unlimited Blue Milk and Green Milk were self-service options during the buffet lunches and breakfasts. This is on the expensive side in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, so having it for “free” certainly added to the value of the Starcruiser experience.

Let the Games Begin

After lunch, we were free to explore the ship until it was time for our muster drill. I immediately started pushing buttons, tapping my MagicBand to every reader I possibly could, and seeing what I could do within the PlayDisney app’s Star Wars: Datapad section. Our in-room link to our logistics droid, D3-O9, also led to some game play. I highly recommend the approach of trying everything in the beginning. It also helps to interact with crew members as much as possible. The crew got down to business for the muster drill, however, and once again, this reminded me of being on an ocean cruise. We were introduced to the cruise director and the captain even came by to host a toast to our voyage.

After the welcome reception, cruisers dispersed according to the itinerary items listed in their Datapads. When the first-seating diners were having dinner, many of the second-seating diners were invited to Bridge Training. Again, typical of Disney storytelling, this was not as straightforward as it seemed and we had to enlist our newly learned bridge skills to help bring Gaya, a famous singer, on board the Halcyon. I later learned that the guests who had Bridge Training after dinner had a different mission, which makes sense since Gaya performed during each dinner seating.

Next on our agenda was Lightsaber Training. We were taught to use the Force to anticipate where the laser blasts were coming from before attempting to block them with our lightsabers. Not to worry if we missed, however, because we had other trainees positioned behind us with shields. I found wielding the shield to be a pretty fun workout and am proud that we saved the training room and ourselves from permanent damage.

As I alluded to earlier, dinner was quite the experience. The food was as delicious as it was exotic-looking. And Gaya’s performance was stellar. However, a bit of chaos ensued when the First Order boarded the ship. It was time for each of us to determine our alliances and agree to missions on behalf of the characters we supported. I chose to support the Resistance while my husband was all-in on the First Order. I’m glad we chose different paths, as this led to unique experiences for each of us.

Not Your Typical Day in the Park

The next morning we found ourselves docked at Batuu for our planet excursion. Having been to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge many times, I wasn’t sure that this would be a memorable part of our Halcyon journey. However, this is where many of our missions took place and we found ourselves using our datapads often to scan the QR codes that would help us accomplish our goals.

Before boarding our transport to the planet, we were invited to the Climate Simulator to get a feel for what conditions were like on Batuu. This was a clever concept and a nice way to get fresh air and sunlight after being inside the ship since the prior afternoon. Since this “simulator” is available to guests throughout the voyage, I would imagine this area comes as a huge relief for anyone experiencing claustrophobia due to the lack of windows to the outside world.

Speaking of the outside world, we didn’t actually see that until we stepped foot on Batuu. We entered our shuttle to the port via airlock, which really helped with the illusion that we were space travelers. Before our arrival on the planet, we were given enamel pins that would identify us as Halcyon passengers. This really made our day something special. The Cast Members at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge all knew what the pins meant and interacted with us as if we were truly visitors from a starcruiser. Our daughter was a Cast Member at the time and was able to join us for part of the day, which really added to the fun as well. We made up a backstory that she lived on-planet and we had taken this voyage just to be able to see her when we were in port. Our bartender at Oga’s Cantina was particularly happy to play a role in our reunion — and also to play a role in some of our missions!

While our focus on Batuu was to complete our assignments for our self-selected allies, it wasn’t all work and no play. We were issued anytime Lightning Lane access for both Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Of course, riding these attractions also helped us accomplish a mission or two.

A quick-service meal credit was added to each of our accounts for use at Ronto’s Roasters or Docking Bay 7. I’ve heard that some passengers were able to use their credits at other restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but we didn’t try this. In fact, since we’ve eaten at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge many times, we chose to go back to the ship to have lunch on the Halcyon instead. (Don’t worry, our credits didn’t go to waste since we were able to redeem them for our daughter to enjoy on-planet!)

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (er, Halcyon)

Our onboard lunch was worth leaving Batuu early for. The menu is so creative and I am hopeful Disney will eventually release a Galactic Starcruiser cookbook. While waiting for other passengers to return, we entered a Sabacc tournament and lost quite handily. I was glad we didn’t have to wager actual credits to play!

Our game play continued, with several instances of double-crosses and surprise twists. My husband and I were each invited to separate events multiple times based on the allegiances we had shown throughout the voyage. He may disagree, but I sincerely believe I made better choices and had the ultimate payoff with one of the private events I was invited to witness. I don’t want to give too many spoilers here, but drop me an email if you’d like to hear more about it.

The dinner theme was “Taste of the Galaxy” and featured that blue shrimp I mentioned earlier. Check out the videos in my playlist to see the unique way it was presented. Truly something memorable! However, even dinners don’t go as smoothly as planned when Disney storytelling is involved. We had just barely finished dessert when the ship’s alarms sounded and everyone needed to gather in the atrium. I was thankful that our orientation video had indicated the difference between a game “emergency” and a real-world event, so we all knew there was no need to panic.

I don’t want to spoil the culmination of the evening, but let’s just say we were witness to a showdown between two very powerful characters from the most recent trilogy of movies. The real working lightsaber that was wielded by Josh D’Amaro in a recent promotional video came into play. And multiple special effects made our jaws drop. It was truly a memorable evening and a great way to cap off our adventures.

The next morning did not have any game play, but we did get to enjoy one last meal in the dining room. Everyone needed to be off the ship by 10:00 AM, but early departures could be accommodated. Luggage assistance was provided for those who tagged their bags and placed them in the hallway by 8:00 AM.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Having worked as a Merchandise Cast Member back in the day, I thought the gift shop concepts were quite clever. The shop onboard the Halcyon featured high-end items like cloaks, headgear, lightsabers, and other regalia, typical of the high-end gift shops on certain cruise lines. All of the items with logos featured “Chandrila Star Line” or “Halcyon.” There was nothing on board that said “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” because that was not a part of the story. It’s just the name of the overall experience. Once you are onboard the ship, you are strictly a passenger of the Halcyon.

However, in true Disney Parks and Resorts fashion, you exit through the gift shop! I was thrilled to be able to find “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” merchandise after we debarked the ship and found ourselves back at the port.

A Few More Out-of-This-World Links

As you may imagine, our particular voyage was full of social media influencers, podcasters, vloggers, and members of the traditional press. My husband and I even managed to be cover models for an article that appeared in the Sunday magazine section of the Los Angeles Times! Apologies for the paywall, but you can read the article here if you are a subscriber.

I was a bit starstruck when I realized one of my favorite podcasters was on board. Here is his entertaining review — complete with a few spoilers — of his Halcyon experience. What makes his review a bit unique was that he experienced Galactic Starcruiser along with his sister, who had never seen a single Star Wars movie, television show, or animated series in her entire life. (Yes, those people do exist!) My absolute favorite part of the podcast was where they described an incredible experience that was available to only a select few who went down the Light Side story line path. I was fortunate to be in that group as well. It was very well done and quite moving, but I don’t want to spoil anything for you here. They both agreed that in that storytelling moment, they were willing to die for the Cast Member who was leading the experience — even though the sister had literally no idea who the person was supposed to be. To me, that summarizes what makes Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser worth every precious penny.

Why The Next 6 Months May Be the Best Time to Visit

As you may imagine, Disney has had a lot of pushback regarding the price point of these two-night voyages. After experiencing the practically 24/7 immersive game play, however, I feel the value is there. It’s just hard for most of us to see past the initial sticker shock. To Disney’s credit, they have decided not to cheapen the experience in order to discount the Starcruiser itself, but there is now a Special Offer for those who’d like to combine their voyage with a one- or two-night stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Visit the link to see terms and conditions. For those who need to travel from “far, far away,” a longer vacation that includes the rest of Walt Disney World can certainly make it worth the trip.

The Bottom Line

When I first emailed my clients about this “living adventure hotel” in early 2021, I referred to it as a bucket-list destination. Once we learned more about pricing, I described it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Now that we’ve experienced it for ourselves, however, my husband and I have frequent conversations about what we will do “when” — not “if” — we return. While there are some naysayers out there, we are definitely not among them! If you’d like to live out your own Galactic Starcruiser adventure, email or call me so we can get you on your way to a galaxy far, far away.