Disney Cruising Tips

If you've never been on a Disney Cruise it is one of the best vacations you could decide to take! To me, as far as Disney vacations go, cruises are second only to Tokyo Disney. I've been on a bunch of Disney Cruises and have learned a lot about them. With all this experience, I've come up with some tips for those new to Disney Cruising and those just looking for some helpful information! I hope these tips come in handy for you and enhance your cruising experience. Enjoy!

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Let's get this started!

When you're going on a Disney cruise you're allowed to check bags so you don't have to lug them around. You drop them off when you get to the port and they are delivered straight to your stateroom on board! This is a wonderful service, however it does take some time for them to get to your room, understandably so. This is where tip number one comes in: since it'll take time before you'll have your bags, you'll want to be sure you bring a day bag or a carry on! I recommend a bag with wheels so you don't have to lug a bag around on your shoulders. Why would you need a day bag? So you can squeeze as much enjoyment out of every second of your cruise! If you have a day bag full of essentials to get you started, you don't have to worry about waiting for your suitcase! You can start your vacation right away and have even more fun! Some essentials to get you started would be: a bathing suit, door decorations, a book, headphones, and sunscreen. That's right! As soon as you're on board you can be prepared to go to the pool and immediately be in vacay mode!

Tip1: Pack a carryon bag! This can be a small suitcase or a backpack. I recommend a suitcase because then you don't have to carry a heavy bag around with you all day! You'll want to have a day bag just in case it takes a while to get your suitcase, so you can enjoy the ship from the second you step on board! What should be in this carry on bag, you ask? - A Bathing suit and cover up - Door decorations - A Book - Headphones - A reusable cup - Sunscreen Optional: - Alcohol or any Beverages you choose to bring - Anything you're afraid might get broken in your checked bag - Anything that didn't fit in your checked bag (if you're an over-packer like me lol)

Before you leave for your cruise be sure to download the Disney Cruise Navigator app! This will be your lifeline on the ship. You will find all the schedules for character meet and greets, the hours of the pools, the movie times, the show times, the menus for the restaurants, the hours for all of the food locations, and more. There is also a chat function, so if you get separated from your group you can use the app to communicate or you can chat with guest services if you have any issues. On to tip number two! Once on your cruise, every night before you go to bed you'll want to look at the schedules for the next day. Make note of the things you'd like to do and come up with a plan so you don't miss out on anything! Doing this the night before, saves you time in the morning and maximizes the time you have for more fun!

Tip 2: Before you go to bed each night, take a look at the next days schedule and come up with a plan. This will help minimize stress and help keep you from missing something you might really want to do. Having a plan in place maximizes how much you're able to do and how much fun you'll have!

Something that I learned after cruising on the Wish is that the older ships have less outlets near the bed. The Wish comes equipped with USB outlets and regular outlets as well as a European outlet. The older ships do not have the USB outlets, so for tip number three, I would pack a European outlet adapter so you can maximize the outlets by the bed and elsewhere in your stateroom. For my European friends, just do the opposite, I guess!

Tip 3: Pack a European plug adapter to help maximize your outlets in your stateroom!

When you are first boarding the ship they have a special way of welcoming each guest, especially if you're one of the early ones on board. Tip number four is: be sure you have your camera ready and recording as you board the ship! You'll capture your special welcome on board. That is such a fun memory to have saved for the future!

Tip 4: When you're getting on board, have a camera ready! They will, most of the time, announce your family name and welcome you on board. Such a fun memory to have saved forever by recording as you walk on board!

During the cruise they have two dinner times. An early dinner and a late dinner. My personal preference is late dinner because then I have more time to do other things during the day and can end with dinner. When you board the ship that first day, until a certain time, they have an area set up for any dining changes and making reservations. Tip number five is: If you have a dining time that you're not thrilled with, you can go to that area and ask about switching dining times. There's no guarantee that they'll be able to accommodate you but it's worth asking! It is better to do this earlier because it'll be more likely to happen if you get there before others have a chance. This is something I would do before eating lunch when I board the ship, because that's how important it is to me.

Tip 5: If you want to switch dinner times or make any reservations they will have an area set up for you to go and make these changes. Head there once you get on the ship. The sooner the better because you are not guaranteed the ability to switch. All of that is first come first served.

Once you've boarded, the urge to explore the ship will be strong. You will feel overwhelmed and excited and you will feel like you need to go see everything right away. Trust me, and remember, you will have the entire cruise to explore the ship and see everything. Tip number six- The first thing you want to do is go eat lunch! Go find the buffet lunch locations, on all ships except the Wish there is Cabanas (on the wish it is called Marceline Market). They have a ton of options, indoor and outdoor seating and my favorite part, all you can eat shrimp! Delicious! Find a spot and eat your first "free" lunch of the cruise and get excited about all the food you're going to enjoy for the rest of the vacation.

Tip 6: Once on board, remember, you'll have your whole cruise to explore the ship. Don't waste your first hours on board exploring. Go eat instead! Find the quick service locations- Cabanas or Marceline Market and get that buffet style lunch! All you can eat shrimp is my favorite part!

When it is time to leave port, all of the ships have a "sail away" show. It's a welcome to your cruise show and it usually has a ton of Disney characters. It is such a fun show to catch and really boosts the vacation excitement! This show usually takes place up on the pool deck under the large Funnelvision screen. This area is not very large and there will be a lot of people cruising wanting to see this show. My tip number seven, is to be sure you get a spot early! Find the best spot for you and your group and then just get comfortable. It will be worth it when you have a great spot and can really start to enjoy your cruise.

Tip 7: Get a spot for the sail away show early! That whole area around the stage outside will get VERY crowded and you want to make sure you have a view of the show. Get a spot early enough and just hang out until the show, I promise it will be worth it!

Disney cruises have broadway style shows almost every night while you're cruising. Which brings me to tip number eight: You do not want to miss any of these shows! They usually have two showtimes per night so that regardless of your dinner time you can catch a show. On longer cruises they have other talent and shows, like magicians or comedians. I personally, have never checked those shows out because I use those nights to do some other things I haven't had the chance to do, like seeing a movie in the theater. The positive about having the later dinner is the flexibility. If you watch the show and love it and want a chance to watch it again, you can skip dinner (I only advise skipping dinner if you have eaten or will be eating at that restaurant at least once.) and enjoy the show again. Then just catch quick service or room service for dinner afterwards.

Tip 8: Whichever dinner seating you have, you'll be able to see the nightly show either before or after dinner. Do not miss any of the shows. If you have the later dinner seating you'll have a chance to enjoy the show twice if you love it!

There are drink stations set up in various locations around the ship. It is helpful to bring a reusable water bottle with you, which is tip number nine part one. This way you don't have to worry about paper cups and you can have water with you no matter where you are, especially when getting off the ship and overnight! Tip number nine part two is that I always bring a separate reusable cup or two to use for Coke floats! All you do is get some ice cream, I like chocolate floats best, and then go to the drink station and add Coke. Then you have a Coke float to walk around the ship with and enjoy!

Tip 9: Bring a reusable cup with you and a water bottle. The water bottle can be refilled anywhere there is food and drink. The reusable cup can be used to make Coke floats! Just put some chocolate or vanilla ice cream in your cup then head over to the drink station and add Coke. Enjoy! This is one of my absolute favorite things to do on a cruise!

One of the best things about a Disney cruise is the food. You can eat as much food as you want and all of it will be delicious, I promise! You definitely want to try every restaurant on your cruise, if you're on a longer cruise you must try out each restaurant at least once. If you are on a shorter cruise keep in mind you can order as much as you want of anything on the menu, and that's tip number ten! Are there multiple appetizers you want to try and you can't decide? Order more than one and share with the table! More than one entree sounds delicious? Order both. This is extremely helpful on shorter cruises where you'll only get to eat at each restaurant once and you don't want to miss out. It is important to note that I am not encouraging wastefulness, so don't order that many things if it will all get thrown out. Also if none of the entrees sound like your thing, or you have a longer cruise and have already tried everything once, you can order an entree portion of most appetizers. If you order anything and don't like it, you can always let your server know and ask for something different!

Tip 10: At dinner you can order as much as you want of anything on the menu. Obviously you don't want to be wasteful but if there are multiple things that sound delicious, why pick? If you want to try every appetizer, get them all and share with the table or just enjoy yourself! If you can't choose between entrees and you only get to eat at that restaurant once? Order them both! Also, if none of the entrees sound good or you've eaten at the restaurant already and want to do something different, you can ask for an entree portion of an appetizer. This is a good way to mix things up on a long cruise or in a restaurant that isn't really your taste. Oh! and don't miss out on any of the restaurants! Eat at each one at least once. Trust me.

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I just love Disney cruises! I hope these tips help you with your upcoming cruises and I look forward to sharing more in the future! This is just the tip of the iceberg, heh heh, but this will give you a good foundation and start your vacation on the right footing! Keep an eye out or subscribe for more! Feel free to leave a comment and ask questions, I'd love to answer anything you're curious about!

Stay sparkly my lovelies!