Embarking on your first Disney Cruise? Here are our BEST Disney Cruise Tips for Total Beginners. Much like any Disney Vacation, the more you know before you go, the better. This list will help you navigate dining, boarding, activities, money, ports, and more. Here are some Disney Cruise tips to know before you go!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission for purchases made at no cost to you, see our disclosures.
Disney Cruises have become some of our favorite types of vacations. Every Disney cruise we’ve taken has been nothing short of magical! But there is a bit of a learning curve for first time Disney cruisers, especially if you’ve never cruised at all before this. We’re sharing some of our favorite tips for beginners on Disney Cruise Line. We have been lucky enough to have sailed on all five Disney Cruise ships. So we hope this post helps you feel more prepared for your next Disney cruise. Here are a few basic Disney Cruise Line tips to help you navigate the waters of being prepared for your cruise!
Book your Disney Cruise through a Travel Planner
Booking through a travel agent is one of the easiest ways to make the trip planning process go smoothly. They can help you choose an itinerary, choose a stateroom, help you prepare for your trip, offer tips and suggestions and best of all, travel agents are free to use! They will also monitor the price of your cruise so that you get the best deal possible.
And many travel agents offer extra perks like onboard credit. There’s really not a lot of reason not to use a travel agent, even if you’re someone who prefers to do most of the planning yourself. You’re paying for a travel agent with your cruise fare whether or not you actually use one. So you might as well take advantage of their services.
Know what to Pack for your First Disney Cruise
Knowing what to pack for a Disney Cruise may seem a little overwhelming, but we’ve got you covered! You can find a full packing list here. Many of the items on this list are things you’d usually pack, but with consideration for cruise staterooms and events. You’ll also want to make sure you pack a few door magnets to decorate your stateroom door!
If you’re sailing somewhere less traditional than a Caribbean Cruise, you can also find other packing lists for Alaska and cold weather destinations in these links.
Join your Cruise Facebook Group
Even if you’re not a Facebook person, hear me out. Cruise Facebook Groups can be incredibly helpful when planning your cruise. And if you’re a social person, it can be a great opportunity to meet some of your fellow cruisers beforehand. These groups are full of information from cruisers who have done this same itinerary, those who have been able to book excursions before you based on their Castaway Club status and Fish Extender Groups.
Plan to arrive at least a day before your cruise
Unless you live near port, there is absolutely no reason not to arrive a day before your cruise leaves. Though this does create an additional expense, I cannot stress how important this fact is. With today’s flight schedules constantly changing and being cancelled, you do not want to take the risk that you’ll miss your cruise due to circumstances outside of your control. The cruise will not wait for you if you miss it. There is an all-aboard time for every single itinerary and all guests must be on by that time or they will be denied boarding.
If your cruise is sailing out of an international destination for you, you should really plan to be there even earlier, with 2-3 days usually being an adequate cushion.
Prepare for Embarkation Day
Embarkation Day is an exciting day! But if it’s your first Disney Cruise, it can definitely be a bit overwhelming. You can see this video on our channel for what to expect on Embarkation Day. We also have an entire post dedicated to Embarkation Day on a Disney Cruise here.
You’ll want to make sure you have a day bag with everything you’ll need for the first few hours onboard, as all packed luggage won’t arrive until 4 or 5pm. Have a plan with what you want to do once onboard, like getting lunch, touring the ship or hitting the pool.
Bring a Refillable Water Bottle
You can bring your own water onboard a Disney Cruise. Or you can purchase water while on the ship. But the free water from the drink stations is actually really good. And I am a complete water snob, no shame. Though Disney does offer disposable cups at the drink stations, they are very small and, in my opinion, can be a bit wasteful.
Bringing a refillable water bottle will cut down on your trips to the drink station and save you money on bottled water. Sometimes there are signs stating that you cannot use refillable bottle at the drink stations. But that’s ok because we just take a fresh disposable cup and use that to refill our bottle. Less waste and more water, just with a different method fo filling the water bottle.
Get to know the layout of the Ship
You will likely be walking a lot on your cruise. So, it’s important to know where things are! There are many ways you can learn the layout of the ship. One of our favorites is by playing the Midship Detective Agency onboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. This game takes you all over the ship and you’ll be learning the layout in no time.
Tours of the ship are also available in the onboard fun section of the DCL Navigator App, so be on the lookout for those as well! No matter how you choose to learn the layout, getting a lay of the land on your first day will make your cruise experience much more pleasant. Check out our Disney Cruise Guides for each ship, for deck maps, and what you can find on each.
Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App
The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will be your go to for all things Disney Cruise Line while on your cruise. Before your cruise you can book excursions, adult only dining and do your online check in through the app. Once onboard, you can connect to the cruise ship’s WiFi, turn your phone in airplane mode and access everything the app has to offer.
This includes activity schedules, your dining rotation, the cruise itinerary, character meeting times, opportunities to book onboard fun and more.
Know what’s included on your first Disney Cruise
Disney Cruises can be pricey. But after paying all that money, there are some things that will still cost you extra. We have entire post dedicated to what’s included and what’s not included on your Disney Cruise that you can reference here.
Get to know your Waitstaff and Stateroom host
During your cruise, you will be waited on by the same team of cast members. Your stateroom host will care for and clean your room. And your waitstaff will serve you dinner in each night in the main dining rooms. Take the time to get to know these cast members! It will make your Disney Cruise experience that much better. They are always willing to help!
We hope these Disney Cruise tips have been helpful. And have helped you get excited about your next adventure with Disney Cruise Line. Have a magical cruise and Bon Voyage!
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she’s not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she’s seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip
