10 Disney Cruise Essentials to Buy Before Your Cruise

A Disney Cruise Vacation can be tough to plan. There are so many things to remember, from cruise documents to booking your excursions and choosing the right check-in time. Between packing for your cruise, especially if you’re packing for multiple people, and making sure you know how to get to the port, who has time to buy all of those last-minute things? Well never fear, because we are here to help you get it all on Amazon Prime! Consider this your list of all the Disney Cruise Essentials to buy before your Disney Cruise Vacation.

So much of your Disney Cruise Packing is dependent on where you’re sailing. As such, we have loads of Disney Cruise packing lists to help you on your way, no matter where you’re going. However, these Disney Cruise Essentials are needed no matter where you’re going! So settle in and take a look at our packing list and these 10 things to be sure to add to your Disney Cruise luggage before you leave. 

What to buy before a Disney Cruise Vacation

If you’ve never cruised before, it can all seem a little overwhelming. But with a little bit of planning, your cruise can be a breeze. Here are some of the things we’ve found to be very helpful to have onboard in the past.  This is not your all-encompassing type of packing list. Instead, it’s a list of things you should buy before your Disney Cruise, that you likely wouldn’t just have on hand normally and may not think to bring. Here are our Top 10 Disney Cruise Essentials to pack for your Disney Cruise. 

Cruise Card Holder and Lanyard

Your Key to the World card will be the key to well, everything. So a lanyard is pretty essential, especially if you’re a first-time cruiser. Silver Castaway Cay members will receive a lanyard at check-in, but we prefer these Mickey Lanyards because the complimentary ones are pretty cheap and tear easily. 

Some people prefer to carry a small bag or fanny pack during their cruise to hold their key to the world card but keep in mind this card is what you need for even the smallest of purchases like coffee from Cove Cafe and to get into your room, so if you don’t feel like carrying a bag around on the ship, a lanyard will be your best friend. 

Sea-Bands for your Disney Cruise 

One of the most important Disney Cruise Essentials is something for sea sickness. Whether or not you are someone who is prone to motion sickness, being prepared for seasickness is crucial. We’ve been on several cruises at this point, in different bodies of water, at different times of the year and we have never had the same experience twice. 

We like Sea-Bands because they are affordable, take little to no room in your bag, and don’t have the side effects of something like Dramamine. You can also try motion sickness patches if that’s more your thing. Of course, if you prefer Dramamine or something similar for motion sickness, you can get that on Amazon too. 

Packing Cubes

If you’re traveling for 3-4 days on a Disney Cruise, you may be able to get away with just stuffing everyting in your suitcase. But if you’re traveling more than 4 days, or with a room full of people, it pays to have packing cubes; one of our Disney Cruise Essentials. Why? Because staterooms onboard the Disney Cruise Line ships are great, but they can be a little cramped, especially if you’re traveling with a full party. To help keep things organized, we always recommend packing cubes. These come in a variety of sizes and will help save space while keeping your stateroom organized.

Emergen-C Vitamin C Powder

Disney Cruise Line prides itself on a clean track record for onboard illness. They hand out sanitizing wipes every time you enter a dining room and you will see cast members constantly cleaning. That being said, don’t underestimate other passengers onboard. You are still in a shared living space with strangers for the duration of your voyage and can easily pick up any germs they may have decided to bring on board. 

In general, we don’t travel anywhere without giving our immune systems a boost with Emergen-c prior to, during, and for a couple of days after our trip. We aren’t doctors and this is definitely not medical advice, but we are pretty sure Emergen-c has some sort of magical powers and hasn’t let us down yet. 

Cell Phone Portable Charger Battery Pack

As much as we love a Disney Cruise Vacation for relaxing, unwinding, and unplugging if you plan to take pictures or videos with your phone, a portable charger is going to be a must. This is especially true if you’re trying to access the ship’s onboard WiFi, which can drain your battery life FAST. Add in the fact that your DCL Navigator app will be your best friend during your cruise, and the fact that you’ll likely communicate with your family or friends this way, and well, I think it’s safe to say you need to keep your phone charged during your cruise.

Aside from your stateroom, there aren’t many places on board to plug in. Having a portable cell phone charger can be a huge lifesaver and we highly recommend grabbing one of these from Amazon. 

Sunscreen

Ok, so we know this is kind of a no-brainer. But is it really? As much we like to take for granted that everyone knows you should have sunscreen on your cruise, every cruise we always see lots of passengers buying sunscreen on board, and guess what? It is expensive. And if you’re on a cruise, whether it’s to the Caribbean or Alaska, you’ll likely be on the upper decks during some of your cruises and you’ll want to make sure you have sunscreen. 

A Small Day Bag

Every day you’ll leave your room and head out onto the decks, or into the lounges. As such, it’s important to have a small bag that you can tote about with your things. while you most likely won’t need cash, because no one accepts it on a Disney Cruise, you may need other things like wipes, lotion, lip balm, your camera, a water bottle, etc. As such, be sure to have a day bag. 

Cruise Shoes

Whether you’re heading to the pool or trivia, or the bar, you’ll want to be in comfortable shoes. Since it’s not Disney World and you won’t be walking 15 miles a day, these shoes just need to be comfy. Flip flops are great, when weather permits, Birkenstocks, furry sandals, whatever you love works best. 

Formal Wear

Bet you didn’t think that you would see formal wear on our Disney Cruise Essentials list! Believe it or not, Disney Cruises have an array of formal, semi-formal, and dress up nights that may be part of your cruise depending on the length. Be sure to check which may apply to you and pack accordingly. From simple sundresses, to full blown ball gowns, we’ve seen it all on the special evenings when people dress for dinner. Don’t get left out of these special dress up evenings. Check out the Disney Cruise Formal Nights on your Disney Cruise before you go. 

Zip Up Sweatshirt

Sure, you could be sailing to the sunny islands of the Caribbean, but that doesn’t mean you should skip out on the layers. The air conditioned ship during the day, and ocean breezes at night will have you wanting a Zip Up Sweatshirt or Hoodie for your trip. And it’s by far one of the Disney Cruise Essentials you will be missing most when you realize all you’ve brought are bikinis and shorts. So, do yourself a favor and skip having to buy the $70 sweatshirt from the gift shop. Just bring your favorite sweatshirt to tie around your waist and use as needed! 

Disney Cruise Essentials 

There you have it! Disney Cruise Essentials to help you sail prepared. We tried to keep this list small and manageable and we hope it helps you when trying to figure out what you need to buy before your next Disney Cruise Line vacation. Happy Sailing!