Sail Away Day is almost here! Excited is an understatement, huh?!?
Of course, every cruise will be different, and I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but on a high level, there are some things that I think you may want to know about so you know what to expect and not miss anything important. I’ll try to be as generic as possible about some things so I don’t spoil too much for you. This is listed by each type of day since there are some unique things in these days. If you don’t have time to read all of this, at least scroll down and read the bolded subtitles to get a quick idea of what to expect.
Embarkation Day
After all the months of planning and prepping, this is finally the day you set sail! Let’s go!
Gather Your Stuff – Make sure everyone has their passport or other ID certificate/card. Better yet, have one responsible person hold them for everyone in your party to make check-in easier at the port, and put them in a carry-on bag that you intend to bring on the ship with you, not in any bags you intend to “check”.
If you have big luggage that you intend to “check,” that is, leave them with the porters in front of the port for them to load onto the ship for you, put the long luggage tags that you were mailed on those bags only. If you never got the tags though, don’t worry, just ask the porters for tags when you arrive and write in your name and cabin room number. Be sure that you have nothing delicate or valuable in them. These bags will stacked with a ton of other bags, taken onto the ship, and then to your cabin rooms. You won’t see them again until after security and later on in the afternoon. I do recommend checking any big bags, though, so that you don’t have to lug them onto the ship and then all around the ship if you get on before you are allowed to go to your cabin room. They usually aren’t ready to go to until about 2pm. If you are taking bottles of wine, water, or any other big liquids, you must take those on the ship in your carry-on bags too. You cannot check those. Note that there is no limit to the number of luggage pieces you can check or carry on the ship, but don’t go crazy. Carry-ons need to be small enough to fit through the X-ray machines in the terminal that are the same size as the carry-on X-ray machines at the airport and most other places.
Also, have some cash accessible to tip the porters when you drop your bags off, customarily a few dollars per bag. Have some bills to tip the room service or bartenders on the ship too, if you intend to partake in those.
Be sure you also have your Port Arrival Form, either printed or screenshot/downloaded on your phone, with the QR codes for each person visible. Keep it accessible in the car, not in the trunk.
Ok, do a final check – phones, wallets, clothes, important docs?
Go To the Port – Let’s go! Hopefully, you’ve planned your transportation to the port ahead of time. If you’re driving, hiring a car service, or taking Uber/Lyft, confirm your timing, how long it’ll take, driving directions or your pickup location, etc. Factor in possible traffic congestion, as is usually the case near port areas, but don’t get there much more than 15 minutes before the Port Arrival Time you selected during your check-in. If it’s crowded, they may be stricter on arrival times, and you’ll get turned away if you get there too early. You can get there anytime after your selected time, though, as long as it’s before the last boarding time. Of course, this assumes you’ve adhered to the cardinal rule of arriving at the port area at least a day or two beforehand. Never fly in the morning of your cruise. I’m sure you’ve heard about all of the flight delays and cancellations lately.
I hope your drive to the port is smooth and you arrive at the perfect time. Everything you have to do below, from port arrival to boarding the ship, can happen within an hour, depending on your timing, so don’t fear all the text below. Disney makes everything pretty easy, but I just wanted to inform you beforehand.
Arriving at the Port – Nothing beats that first sight of the ship as you approach the port…actually, yes, there is; the moment you finally step onto the ship does top this, but this is still very, very cool! Get your camera ready. As you get close to the port, you should begin to see signs for the specific terminals for each ship. Look for the signs to the Disney ship that you’re sailing on and follow the signs to that entrance. There may be a person at the gate asking what your Port Arrival Time is, or even to see your printout/screenshot. Make sure it’s accessible in the car with you, not in a bag in the trunk.
After they let you in, follow their instructions. There will be people there directing traffic. The first stop will usually be to drop off any “checked” bags that you want to give the porters. Keep your security docs and anything you’ll want before this afternoon in a small carry-on bag that you bring yourself!
If you’re getting dropped off by a car service or Uber/Lyft this is also where you get off. Pay your driver here, drop off your bags, and then walk over to the terminal building entrance to go in.
If you are going to park at the port, follow the instructions to the parking garage. The Disney parking garages are usually right near the terminal building and not that much pricier than other lots, approx $15-$20 per day of your cruise. It’s worth it for the convenience of not having to take a shuttle back and forth to an off-site lot.
At Port Canaveral, it’s right across the lane where you just dropped off your luggage. If anyone in your party has mobility issues, they can get off where you dropped off your luggage too and wait in front of the terminal building entrance until you park the car and walk back over. Ensure everyone in your party is together before you enter the building since they’ll immediately check your security documents.
Take your parking garage ticket at the entrance and pay before you enter. Oh yeah, make sure you still have a credit card with you. Don’t leave your wallet with someone at the port if you are dropping off some of your party across the lane. The machines are already coded to the correct number of cruise days for that day’s sailing. If you’re doing back-to-back cruises or need to park for longer than the current number of cruise days, just ask an attendant for help. Once you go in, park the car, take your wallet and any remaining bags, lock up, and pin or take a picture of where you parked so you can find your car after the cruise.
You’ll see that the parking garage is literally across from the terminal building and the ship. Make your way to the floor with the pedestrian walkway across the road (I think it’s on floor 2 or 3, but just look for the signs), or go all the way down to the first floor and cross at street level. If you go over the walkway, there’s a great view of the ship from there.
Entering the Terminal Building – OK, time to finally go in! Have everyone in your party together, and whoever is responsible for holding your group’s Port Arrival Form and passports will lead the group. There will be a person checking them at the entrance. Then, once you go into the building, find the security line that corresponds to your Castaway Club level (if this is your first Disney cruise, you will not have a Club level yet, so go in the general line). At the security check, they’ll check your form and passport again. Once that’s done, you’ll go further in the building to the X-ray machines. Take everything out of your pockets and put all your bags through the security scanner, just like at the airport. Once you get through all that, you’re finally almost done! Yay! You can go up/over to the waiting area now!
Waiting To Board – Once you finally get to the waiting area, sit and catch your breath. You’re almost there! Repack all the stuff that may have been taken out at security check. You can pack away your passports now. You still need your Port Arrival Form going forward. Go to the bathroom, explore the waiting area, and take some pics. There is usually a professional photo op somewhere around the waiting area. Take your first cruise photo, whether you bought the photo package or not. You can always decide whether to buy it later, but you won’t have a chance to take that first cruise pic later. There are plenty of other photo ops on the ship, though, just not this first one. Also, at Port Canaveral, you can go out to a little patio in the back and get a cool outside view of the ship before you board. Take your first pic with the real ship in the background instead of a photo op picture, too.
At this point, you should be able to connect to the free Disney cruise wifi network and log into your Disney Cruise Line app. Hopefully, you and everyone in your party with phones have downloaded the app beforehand. Not everyone needs to create an account, though, if they don’t need to manage your reservation. They just need to have the app downloaded and be connected to the free ship wifi to see the onboard activities and create a Chat group with you to stay in touch on the ship now.
You should suddenly see a lot more in the app than you did from home. You will now see your cruise details, like which dining restaurant rotation you have, table number, safety drill spot, all possible activities scheduled for each day, etc. Click around and become familiar with all the new features. If you’re looking to book any other onboard activities or adult specialty restaurants, you can see if any new spots are available now.
Boarding the Ship – Usually, around 11:30am, they’ll start calling the boarding groups, a few at a time, to finally get on the ship. Again, gather your group to board together when your group is called. Don’t worry if you’re late. You can board after it’s called, just not before. Have your Port Arrival Form handy again. They’ll check it one more time after you enter the Mickey entrance. After that final check, you’ll finally go onto the gangway to go over to the ship! Yay!
Once you start going down the gangway, start recording video. If you have kids, have them go in front or aside you to record them as they board the ship. You’ll want to capture that moment when you step on the ship on video. Trust me! But, remember to be in the moment yourself, too, not just watch through the camera. It’s tricky but worth it.
The moment we finally step onto the ship still gives me goosebumps! It’s finally real! You’re on your cruise!! Take a moment to soak it all in. The Disney ship atrium areas are amazingly beautiful! Take some pics to capture these first moments, but since it’ll be crowded there with everyone else just getting on the ship, you’ll probably get better pics later on with fewer people around. If you’re sailing on the Wish, stay in the atrium for a little while, though. They usually do something cool there at boarding time. No spoilers; just stay there a few minutes to see. Look around that middle area and soak it all in for now.
What to Do First – The only thing you really need to do right away is get in line for dining changes if you need to make any changes since availability can fill up quickly. For example, if you didn’t get assigned to the same table as other groups you’re sailing with, need to change your dining time or rotation, book adult specialty restaurants, etc. It’s usually done in one of the restaurants or lounges, not at Guest Services. Check the app to see where.
Check if booking/modifying onboard activities like wine tastings and other bookable activities are done at a different location if you need to do those as well. If you need to book or modify port excursions, those can be done at the Port Adventures desk. There will also be a tech desk for issues with the app. The line for Guest Services for any other issues, such as issues with your cabin or reservation account, may be long on the first day. If it’s not urgent, I suggest waiting til later at night or the next day to visit them. In the app, you can now Chat with Guest Services if you just have a question or something that they may be able to handle via Chat.
If the cabin rooms are open, usually around 2pm, you can go to check out your cabin, drop your bags, and freshen up before proceeding to the fun stuff. If they’re not open yet, the hallways will be roped off so don’t bother going to the cabins. Just proceed to the fun stuff for now and check again later. A small sealed envelope with your key cards will be on the hook in front of your cabin door. Hang onto those to scan into your room and on/off the ship at ports going forward. Disney calls these your “Key to the World” cards, if you hear that term.
Your room steward will bring your checked luggage to the front of your cabin door throughout the afternoon. He/she will introduce themselves at some point when they notice you’re in the room. They are awesome and will keep your cabin immaculate throughout your cruise. Treat them well. They’ll come twice a day to make the beds up and down. You can ask them if you have any requests or needs, such as more hangers or blankets, within reason of course.
On to Fun Stuff – Time to eat! One of the first fun things we like to do after boarding is to go to the buffet for lunch. It’s a toss-up between eating and exploring the ship, but if you get on early enough, it’s better to hit the buffet before it gets crowded. You can explore the ship later. The buffet on the Disney ships is good every day, but they like to change up some of the food selections each day, and the first day sometimes has some fancier offerings. That’s why we always do the buffet first. The buffet is a U shape at the back of the ship with pretty much the same selections on the two sides of the U shape. Therefore, you only need to go down one side. Find the side with the shorter line. If you like to feel the sea breeze, there are usually free tables outside, too, or you can take your plate up to the pool deck. Utensils will be wrapped in napkins at the tables, or you can ask a staff member. They walk around the tables ready to help or clear your plates when you’re done. It’s usually crazier on the first day because most folks are still trying to figure out what to do. It’ll be less hectic here on subsequent days.
Drink machines are located at several spots around the buffet area. All drinks from the machines here and up on the pool deck are included. In fact, all water, soda, standard coffee, and teas that are not in sealed bottles or cans around the ship are included with your cruise fare. The only drinks you need to pay extra for are alcoholic drinks, specialty non-alcoholic cocktails, specialty coffees/teas, and canned/bottled beverages (you can ask for the free ones) from room service. You will see prices listed for those on those menus.
On the first day, servers will walk around asking if you want to buy water or alcohol packages. These are for actual bottles of water or alcohol for your cabin room. If you choose not to, just decline politely, and they won’t harass you about it. We’ve never had any issues with the fountain water and drinks.
From room service, you can ask for a free large carafe of cold water, hot water/tea bags, or coffee to have in the room to drink whenever you want. We like to order some at night (ask for warm cookies n milk too) and it stays warm til morning, so we have coffee and tea the minute we wake up!
Disney does not do drink packages for the bars like other cruise lines do. They do have a Beer Mug deal where you can buy a large beer mug from one of the lounges, then reuse that for cheaper refills throughout your cruise. Ask at a lounge if you’re interested.
If you would rather eat at a dining restaurant instead of the buffet, check the app or ask a cast member which restaurant is open for lunch. There is usually one each day open for breakfast and lunch, in addition to the buffet. There is no extra charge, and you don’t have to dress up for the standard restaurants. Check the app for hours, though. They have more limited hours than the buffet, but they offer a more relaxed atmosphere with some different food selections. We like to eat at a restaurant for some days and buffet on others or do “second breakfast” at the buffet. LoL
Ok, after eating, it’s time to explore the ship! We like to go all the way to the top deck and work our way down. Check out the view and everything you can do around the pool deck, the movies playing on the big funnel vision, the food counters up there for times when you don’t want to eat in the standard restaurants or buffet, and most importantly, find the free ice cream machine!
The three standard restaurants will be on decks 3-5. One is always in the atrium on deck 3, and the other two are in the back of decks 3, 4, or 5. You’ll rotate through each of these during your cruise, so you will get a chance to try each one. The app will tell you which restaurant you’ve been assigned for each night and your table number (same number at each restaurant). You just show up during your assigned dining time, and a server will bring you to your table. No need to make reservations.
There are also many lounges dotted around the ship to find, mostly in the front around decks 3-5, though. These are where most of the daytime activities will be held. During the day, kids of all ages are welcomed to go to them. At night, some will become adults only. The app will show what activities are held where.
Each ship has the main Walt Disney Theater at the front of decks 3 and 4, where you will go to see the nightly stage shows. There will be 3 main shows for each cruise. Don’t miss them! They are Broadway-style shows and always fantastic. Even if someone thinks they’re not “show people”, make them go. They’ll end up loving them. I think these are some of the key highlights of a Disney cruise.
Disney plans the show times to stagger with the dinner times. If you are assigned the first dining time (around 5:30pm), you will eat first, then go to the later show (around 8pm). If you are assigned the second dining time (around 8:15pm), you will see the early show (around 6pm) and then go to dinner. This is done to spread out the crowds, but you are technically not required to go to your scheduled showtime. No one checks for tickets or anything like that. You also do not have to make any reservations, you just show up a few minutes before showtime to find a seat. If you really can’t make it during your assigned showtime, you can see the show at the other time, but then you will also miss your dinner slot. You cannot just show up at the other dinner time at the restaurant. You will have to get food somewhere else in that case.
Be sure to go to the show on the first night of all nights. That’s when the cruise director introduces everything. There will be some time in between dinner and the show for the photo ops or other activities. The shows are usually about an hour long. If you reeeeally can’t make it to either show that night, there is usually a recorded version of that show that they play on the cabin TV. It won’t be quite the same but at least it’s an option. You’ll have to scroll through the channels to find which one it’s on.
Speaking of the cabin TV, there is a channel where the cruise director does a morning show each morning of the cruise to give you info about the day. It runs on repeat throughout the morning, so it’s a good channel to turn on whenever you’re getting ready to see if there is any vital info you need to know that day. Another favorite channel is the one that plays the camera view outside the ship. That way, if you’re in an inside room that doesn’t have a window, you can still see what it’s like outside. Otherwise, the TV also airs lots of Disney movies and shows throughout the day.
There are also one or two smaller theaters near the main theater that play recent Disney movies throughout the cruise. Check the app for showtimes.
Note: before each main theater show at night, and during some afternoon small theater movies, they open the popcorn/drink counter near the theater. That is the only time you can get popcorn around the ship, but know that it is not free. If you think you might get popcorn several times during this cruise and future cruises, it could be more cost effective to buy one of the reusable popcorn buckets. There are some fancy designs that cost more, but the standard round ones are about $10 and then refills are about $2. The buckets are reusable for refills on future cruises and even the Disney World parks.
Another place to find is the kids’ clubs – Oceaneers, Edge, and Vibe. Check the app to see which ones have Open Houses. They usually have some slots on the first day, and a few on other days sometimes, but that’s the only time adults can check out the clubs, too. They are really cool, especially the Oceaneers Club. If you have kids who are leery of going by themselves, the Open Houses are a good time when you can go in with them to get them comfortable.
The stores will be closed while the ships are at port. They usually open a little after the ship starts sailing off. If you want any popular merch, you may want to go shopping the first night before things sell out. Of course, that’s also when the stores will be most crowded, so if you don’t need a specific item urgently, you’re better off going later in the night or another day when it’s less crowded.
As you walk around the ship, note all the details and artwork. There are tons of cool items all around. Sometimes, the ship will have a tour of the ship that you can sign up for. Check the app for that too or ask at Guest Services.
The ships will also have a scavenger hunt type activity that kids of all ages can do. It’s called the Mid-ship Detective Agency on all ships except the Wish. You’ll see desks with the paper maps on decks 2 and 5 usually. On the Wish, it’s called Uncharted Adventure, and it’s all done in the app. You basically go around the ship following the instructions on the map/app and scan in various points around the ship to find clues. It’s a fun little activity that you can do whenever you have time on your cruise. It takes you all over the ship, so it’s a good way to explore the ship while doing that, too. You don’t have to do it all at once. It doesn’t cost anything, so you can always just try it out.
Do the Muster Drill – OK, by now, if you’ve even had time to do all the above, the cabin rooms should be open, and it’ll probably be time to do the Muster Safety Drill soon (usually around 4pm, but check the app). Drop off your stuff in the room and gather your group to go to the Muster Drill. Everyone MUST go, even babies! They will hunt you down. Don’t be late, or you’ll face the wrath of the other passengers because they can’t start until everyone is there. Your meeting spot will be noted on your key card or app. It’s usually a big letter, and the meeting spots are around the outside deck on deck 5, or in one of the lounges or restaurants. This is so everyone knows where to go in case of an emergency. Once everyone scans into their meeting spot and they can start, it only takes a few minutes to go over the safety instructions. The longest part is waiting for everyone to get there because there is always a straggler. Don’t be that guy!
Sail Away Party – Finally, after the Muster Drill, it’s time to officially kick off the cruise! I know! Can you believe that you haven’t even set sail yet at this point, and you’ve done so much already?!? The stairs and elevators will be jammed-packed, with everyone going up to the Sail Away Party right after the Muster Drill. Pack your patience.
Once you make it up on deck, find a spot with a good view of the big Funnel Vision screen and the stage under it to see the show. If you don’t need to be up front and center with the characters during the show, I would suggest going up to the very top deck to overlook the stage rather than being on the stage level. You’ll get a better view. This holds true for all subsequent deck shows and parties, too.
Even if you’re not a “party person” or don’t care about the characters, check out the deck parties anyway, esp this first one. No spoilers, but it’s when you finally kick off the cruise and meet some important “people”. Trust me. The shows are really cute and lots of fun to just watch from above. No one will make you dance if that’s not your thing.
Soon after the party, the ship should start sailing off. We like to go to the front and watch it sail out. This is when it’s really real. You’re finally sailing! Bon voyage!
Internet Access – Once the ship starts sailing away from the port, you will lose any remaining access to land Wi-Fi or cell service. If you need to remain connected to the internet back on land, you will need to buy one of the internet packages that the ship offers in the app. You will see them listed with their prices. Note that if you don’t need everyone in your group to be constantly connected at the same time, you do not have to buy it for everyone’s device. We usually just buy it for one device and we take turns logging in throughout the day with the same account just to do a quick text and email check.
Follow the instructions to connect to it properly. Usually you still leave your phone in airplane mode and connect to the ship network while you log into this ship internet site in a browser. Keep your phone in airplane mode so that you don’t incur high roaming charges and usage fees from your land cell service.
If you only need to chat with people who are also on the cruise with you, and use the cruise app to manage activities, you do not need to purchase the paid internet packages. The free ship Wi-Fi network will allow you to use the app. Again, make sure your phone is an airplane mode, then turn on Wi-Fi and connect to the cruise Wi-Fi network. If you haven’t done so already, set up a group chat with everyone in your party so you can stay in touch during your cruise. Just follow the instructions in the app. I found that you sometimes have to refresh the app or close it and go back in to get updated chat notifications. Make a point to do that during the day, especially if it seems like you’re not getting chat replies from folks.
Dinner & Show – The last scheduled activity for you will be your dinner/show or show/dinner combo, as described above, for the night. Go! However, don’t bother lining up too early. You already have an assigned table so it’s not like you need to get there early to get a good seat. Everyone goes at once in the beginning so there’s a line before they open the doors. Let the initial rush disperse first. Don’t be too late because that will throw off your servers, but maybe just show up 5 minutes after your scheduled time. By then, the doors will be open and the initial line will have started to dwindle.
You don’t have to dress up fancy to go to the restaurants. Most people show up in shorts and t-shirts. As long as you keep it family friendly, you should be fine. The Disney cruises are pretty relaxed.
The first dinner is where you’ll meet your server team. They will stay with you as you rotate through the restaurants on the rest of your cruise. They will get to know your preferences and any dietary restrictions, so you don’t have to explain them all over again each night.
We love the Disney restaurants. Go with what the servers recommend. They’ve never steered us wrong. If there are two dishes you’re on the fence about, get both, or get one for yourself and get the other to share with the table. This is your chance to try new things. All of the dishes in the standard restaurants are included and unlimited with your cruise fare, so you might as well try everything. Don’t waste food, of course. You can also get two appetizers or two desserts or anything else you see on the menu. If it turns out you don’t like what you ordered, see if your server can bring you a different dish. If there’s something not on the menu, but may exist elsewhere on the ship, you can ask your server if it’s possible to get that instead. For example, if someone is super picky and only eats plain noodles, you can ask for that. But again, here’s your chance to try new things. Get a safe dish and an adventurous dish.
If you really don’t want to or can’t go to the standard restaurants during your assigned time, you can also get dinner at the food counters up on the pool deck or with room service in your cabin. Room service is available 24/7 (except the last Disembarkation Day morning) for free unless you’re buying the few specified items that have an additional cost, such as canned drinks or alcohol. However, you should tip the server who brings your order to your room, usually about $5 – $10 or more, depending on how much you order.
Secret: You can order Mickey ice cream bars, subject to availability, from room service or at the dining restaurants even though they’re not listed on the menus. Just ask. You’re welcome!
Wrap Up – After your dinner and show, do any remaining must-do’s for today. If you still have any urgent needs for Guest Services, shopping, etc, the ship will be less crowded at night as folks start going to bed. I love walking around an emptier ship, esp up on deck. Something about the moonlight reflecting against the dark ocean is mesmerizing. However, check the app to see if there are any other scheduled activities you might like, too. The adult lounges are good spots to get a night cap and wind down the night. There will be movies playing up on the funnel vision or in the smaller movie theaters still.
After I get ready for bed, I also make a habit of checking the app to “heart” any activities for the next day that we may be interested in. That way, we’ll get reminders when they’re about to start and decide then if we want to go. Refresh your app every so often during the day though in case there are any changes or new events.
Phew, that was a long first day! Embarkation days are always a little crazy, but now you’re settled in on your cruise! I’ll take that! Have a good night and enjoy the next few days! They’ll be much less stressful! I promise!
Sea Day
My favorite cruise days are the sea days where we have the whole day on the ship. There is so much to do on the Disney ships. We almost sail them now for the ship activities and not worry too much about the ports.
Sunrise/Sunset – I am definitely not a morning person, but I make a point of getting up extra early at least once on each cruise to catch the sunrise. The sunrises and sunsets at sea are amazingly beautiful! Try to catch them!
Breakfast & Lunch – Breakfast and lunch will be available at one of the standard restaurants or at the buffet. Check the app for the hours. You can just show up anytime within those hours, no reservations needed for either location. Folks tend to sleep in on sea days. If you go early, it’ll be less crowded. The food counters up at the top deck will also be opened for the day around lunchtime as another food source. Drink machines are open 24/7.
Fun Stuff – There are no required activities. You can do whatever you like on sea days. Lay by the pool or do every scheduled activity. It’s up to you.
There are so many things that you can do. We usually have a problem getting to all of them because some of them overlap each other. Check the app to see if there are any activities you want to do. Check out the game shows. They’re hilarious. Do the trivias or cooking demos or drawing lessons or crafts. There’s something for everyone. You can always just pop in to check it out and leave if it’s not your thing. Trivias and Bingo games are very popular, so go early if you want a seat. If you see something called Jack Jack’s Diaper Dash, go early to get a good view. It’s hilarious!
If you want to meet characters, get in line about 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Lines get long fast, especially on the first day. Everyone wants to see them right away, but by the later days of your cruise, especially if you have a long cruise, most of the folks will have seen them already, and the lines may not be as long. Click into the character listing (or any other activity listing) to check the other scheduled times to see if it repeats on a later day.
We also like to just walk around the ship, get a snack, catch a movie, explore new areas (if you haven’t done everything I described above in the Fun Stuff section of Embarkation Day, this would be a good day to do them), and also check out other people’s cabin door decorations. Disney folks go all in on decorating doors. If you have kids with you, send them to the kid’s clubs, and you can go explore the adults-only pools or lounges.
Sea days are so relaxing. This is what cruising is all about. I love going out on deck and looking out at the open ocean with nothing else in sight. It’s so peaceful! Note that the walking track deck (usually deck 5 or 6) will be less crowded and noisy than the top pool decks. Good place to sit in the loungers and read or nap.
Dinner & Show – this will be the same as I described on Embarkation Day above.
Port Day
If you plan to get off the ship at this port, everything will be the same as the Sea Day descriptions above except for the port items below. If you are not getting off the ship, you can just stay on and treat this as a Sea Day. There will still be activities scheduled on the ship, or you can just chill by the pool with fewer people onboard.
Breakfast – Folks tend to get up early on port days so the buffet will be extra busy early on. If the hours work for you, this might be a good day to eat in one of the restaurants instead.
Disney Excursions – If you have a booked Disney excursion, you should have received your tickets and information about your meeting location and time before the port day. Bring those tickets and a day bag with any necessary items for the excursion with you to the meeting location. You will be led off the ship to your excursion from there.
Getting Off the Ship – If you are meeting a third party excursion or just exploring the port on your own, you can get off the ship whenever they start letting folks get off.
Be sure to bring each person’s key card to scan on/off the ship, even if you’ve been using a MagicBand+ on the ship. Bring a government ID for all adults, but check if you need to bring your passport for that country as well.
Don’t bring any open food. Most countries don’t allow it. If you want to bring food from the ship, ask for commercially sealed foods like Lunchables or small cereal boxes from the buffet. Ask them to leave them sealed. Likewise, you won’t be able to bring any open food you buy at the port back on the ship. That’s just the rule from Customs.
The app will say what the port start and end times are. Be sure to note the final return time so you don’t miss getting back on the ship. The ship will not wait for you if you’re late, especially if you’re not on an official Disney excursion. Check that your phone or watch is set to the correct ship time, not necessarily the country’s land time, especially if you’ve crossed time zones recently. Some devices don’t catch up correctly. To be safe, account for traffic and plan to return to the ship at least half an hour before the return time.
Getting Back On the Ship – To get back on the ship, you will have to scan back on with your key card. You and your bags will also need to go through the x-ray scanners again. The same rules apply as when you first got on the ship. Don’t bring back any open foods or other prohibited items. Any hard liquor bottles bought at the port will be held for you until Disembarkation. Each adult (21+) is only allowed to bring on up to two standard-sized bottles of wine or 6 cans of regular-sized beer for use on the ship from each port, just like you were on Embarkation Day.
Theme Day
As with all activities, if you do not want to partake in these themed events, you do not have to. There will still be plenty of other things to do around the ship. If you don’t dress up in theme, you don’t have to either. You do not need to be dressed in theme to go to the restaurants or events.
Pirate Night – This is a popular event on most Bahamian and Caribbean cruises. This won’t be listed as a specialty cruise like the ones below, but it will be noted in your activities schedule which day is the designated Pirate Night. There will be a Pirates Deck Party in the evening, usually around 10pm. That’s your best clue. Usually, folks will bring pirate themed outfits and change into them in the evening before their dinner/show times. It’s not required, but some folks get really elaborate. It’s fun just to people watch. There will be pirate themed photo-ops and deck parties after dinner. The main event is the fireworks show to cap off the night, usually around 10:30pm, but check the app. Get a spot up on the deck with a view of the stage and funnel vision screen to see the show. The fireworks shoot off the right side of the ship if you’re facing the screen. They’re visible from anywhere with a view of the right-middle of the ship. The deck dance party continues for a bit after the fireworks, too.
Formal Night/Semi-Formal Night/Captain’s Gala – On most of the 4-night sailings, there will be a Semi-Formal night, and on longer sailings, there will also be a Formal Night. The app will say what each night’s dinner theme is. If it says Casual, that means there is no theme. Like on Pirate Night, folks will usually dress in their semi-formal or formal attire before their dinner and show. Again, you do not have to partake in this and you can still go to the dinner restaurants even if you do not dress up on these nights. Dressing up can be defined in many different ways. I’ve seen anything from jeans with a nicer top to ball gowns. You do what’s comfortable for you. It’s just another fun opportunity to do something different on the cruise. There are no other special events on these nights other than dressing up and doing some fancy photo ops, so photos will be more crowded than usual on these nights. Sometimes, they will call one of these nights the Captain’s Gala. In that case, there is a little cocktail social around 7pm in the atrium where the ship Captain and other officers come out to greet the passengers. There may even be free champagne and non-alcoholic drinks passed around!
Theme Sailings – Some cruises will have themed sailings, such as Pixar Day at Sea, Marvel Day, Halloween on the High Seas, or Very Merrytime Cruises. They will be listed as such when you book your sailing or at least noted as such before your sailing if it’s a later designation. On these sailings, there will be extra decor and activities around the ship for that theme. There is usually one designated day for most of those themed activities, with a few scattered activities on the other days. Characters will be dressed in themed outfits. Passengers usually bring outfits to fit the them, as well. These themed cruises bring some extra fun to an already fun Disney cruise.
Last Night
This is the saddest night, but there are a few important tasks to do this night.
Book a Placeholder Reservation – Hopefully, you’ve had such an awesome cruise that you’re most likely going to do another one in the next two years. If so, go into the app and find the Future Sailing button. You can reserve a future sailing with a Placeholder Reservation. This means you don’t have to pick the exact cruise yet, this is just a placeholder. You just pay a $250 deposit for now and within the next two years, convert that to a specific sailing. The deposit will be credited towards that sailing’s deposit and you will get 10% off the entire cruise rate. This is a great deal. If it turns out that you cannot sail within the next two years, you will be refunded the entire $250, so there’s nothing to lose.
Even if there’s a slightest, remote chance you may sail again, book this for now to lock in the offer. You cannot get this once you get off the cruise. It’s a simple few screens in the app to book it. Just confirm your contact info, specify if you want to use the same travel agency that you booked your current sailing with for this new one (Expedia, Costco, etc, are considered agencies if that’s where you booked from) or change it to a new agent (Or say No or leave it blank. You’ll have 30 days after you get off the ship to contact an agent to transfer it to them. If you’re not sure, it’s easier to say No and add an agent later vs changing an existing agent to a new one), and the credit card to charge the deposit to. You are allowed to book up to two future cabins as a placeholder, but they have to be used together on one future cruise only.
If you would like to use me as your next agent, please contact me for the agency information that you’ll need to put down on your form either during the cruise or within 30 days after you reserve this.
About a day after you book it, you should get an email with your booking confirmation. If you’ve specified a travel agent, they will get a copy too, and you would go to them to convert it to a specific sailing date in the future.
I like to book our Placeholders on the last day or second to last day at most, so you have the most amount of future days to use it. You have to sail within two years from the day it’s processed. But, do it early enough to make sure that it gets processed before you leave the ship. If you don’t get the confirmation email or credit card charge before you leave, you may want to go to Guest Services to double check if it worked.
Check Your Photos – If you’ve taken any photos with the ship photographers during your sailing, stop at one of the photo kiosks to review them and decide if you’ll buy any. If you’ve already board a photo package, decide if you’ll keep it. If you haven’t downloaded any photos yet, you can get a refund by the last night. Just speak to one of the photo staff members around the kiosks. If you’re going to keep or buy any photos, do so by the last night as well. You cannot buy them after you leave the cruise and they will disappear off the app. If you bought a digital download package, make sure to get the instructions on how to download your photos. You have to do it yourself before you leave or wait a few days after the cruise after they get transferred to the website (they will only transfer if you’ve bought a downloadable package while on the cruise though). I find it safer to do it before you leave so you can get the assistance of the staff if you have any issues.
Check Your Onboard Account – Find the Onboard Account listing in your app and check that all of the charges look correct. If there’s anything of question, go to Guest Services to get it straightened out. Lines at Guest Services can get long on the last night. Go earlier in the day or very late at night. There’s someone there 24/7. If you want a printout of your charges for the future, download your Onboard Account listing before you leave. It’s not as easy to get after you leave the ship. Everything you see in the app now will disappear from the app after the cruise.
Prep Your Gratuities – If you weren’t aware, it is customary to pay certain cruise staff members a service gratuity after your cruise. Disney will give you a paper in your cabin on the last night with the designated gratuity amounts for the four main people who attended to you during the cruise – main server, assistant server, head server leader, and room attendant. They’ll charge the credit card on file those amounts if you do nothing else, unless you have already prepaid your gratuities before the cruise.
The amount currently works out to be about $14.50 per night for each person in your room. Then, they divide the total proportionally between the 4 people I listed above. So, for a 3 night cruise, with 2 people in your cabin, it would be ($14.50×3)x2=$87, divided between the four servers/attendants.
By default, they assign the assistant server less than the main server, but they do equally as much usually, so I like to increase the assistant’s amount to match and then do a big round-up of all four to give them all a little extra. They are amazing! You do what works for you, though.
If you want to change the default amounts, then you need to take that paper to Guest Services and ask them to change the amounts so that they give the new amounts to each person instead. They will then print you out a new paper.
Likewise, if you would like to use cash instead, charge a different credit card, or apply a Disney gift card to your account for the remaining charges, you can also go to Guest Services to have them do that.
The paper is perforated and will rip apart into four little pieces. You can put them into the four envelopes they’ll give you in your room too. Then, you can bring the three servers’ envelopes to dinner that night or to breakfast on the last morning, so that you have something physical to hand them to thank them. You can leave your room attendant’s envelope in the room or hand it to him/her you see him/her in the hallway. But, as long as you’ve told Guest Services the new amounts or stick with the default ones, then they will still get those amounts transferred into their accounts (which is what they prefer), even if you don’t give them those little envelopes. The envelopes and the paper slips are just so you have something physical to hand them, if you want to have something physical.
Pack – You have to leave your cabin by 8am the latest the next day. Try to pack the majority of your stuff the night before. If you want your room steward to take your luggage down to the port for you, you’ll need to have the bags packed and tagged with the luggage tags they’ll leave in your room on the last day. Ask your room steward if you need more tags, and take a picture of a tag to remember which one you have because that is your group for getting off the ship and the section where you will go to find your luggage. Put those bags in the hallway outside your cabin door by 10pm.
You will not see them again until you get off the ship and go down to the security area to pick them up, along with any confiscated items, before you leave the building. As with your checked bags on Embarkation Day, do not pack any delicate or valuable items in the bags.
Make sure to save a small bag for any remaining items you still need that night and also reserve an outfit for the next day. Any bags still in your room after 10pm will need to be carried off yourself the next morning, including lugging them to breakfast.
If you want to get off the ship as soon as it’s cleared, don’t send your luggage down since they may not get down there in time. You will want to keep everything with you and carry them off yourself.
Go to the Final Goodbye Show – OK, just fair warning. This show makes me cry every time, so bring tissues, but I recommend you go to this. It’s a cute show where all the characters come out and wish you a final goodbye. It’s very cute, but sad, but happy tears too. It’s a good way to put an official end to the cruise, just like how the Sail Away Party is the official start of the cruise. Look on the app for the time, but it usually takes place inside on the atrium stage around 10pm on the last night. Again, if you don’t need to be front and center, you’ll get a better view looking down from the deck above. Go early and get a good spot.
Note, before the final send-off, the characters will come out and scatter around the atrium for about 15 minutes for one last chance for you to snap a quick photo with them. If you don’t need to do this, don’t give up your spot if you already found a good one. If you’re going to want to take pics, then don’t bother finding a good spot in the beginning, and just wait around the perimeters of the atrium on deck 3. That’s where most of the characters will go.
Do the Feedback Survey – You will be given a paper feedback form or instructions to access a digital survey. Be sure to complete it. Disney takes the feedback results seriously to make improvements and do staff ratings. If a staff member provided great service, be sure to note it. It really helps them. If there’s not enough room to write additional notes in the survey, you can just write them on a separate piece of paper and put it in the dropboxes around the ship to collect the forms the last morning. If you don’t find the boxes, you can give it to Guest Services.
Disembarkation Day
Sad day…
Check around the cabin to make sure you’ve packed everything. Look under the bed and under all the blankets, too. Don’t forget any decorations you have outside your door. Keep your key cards accessible still because you’ll need them to scan off the ship one final time later. Don’t pack them. You’ll need to be out of your room by 8am, the latest. Take all your bags with you to breakfast. Once you leave, you cannot return.
Final Breakfast – If you had the early dinner time, you will be asked to go to breakfast in your last night’s dinner restaurant around 6 or 7am. Your server will tell you on the last night. If you had the late dinner time, you will go to breakfast around 8am. If you choose not to go to the restaurant, you can also go to the buffet at any time. It is your last chance to say goodbye to your server team in the restaurant on that last breakfast.
Leaving the Ship – After breakfast, once your luggage tag group is called, you can leave the ship. We’ve tried dawdling as long as we could, but there was nowhere to hide. Wish we could just live there, but alas, it was time to go… Take a final look around the ship and get ready to leave so they can prep for the next sailing. Just take solace in the fact that you’ve booked a placeholder reservation like I told you to above, and that means you will be going on another cruise again!
Once you scan off the ship, make your way down to the security area and find any bags that you gave the steward to take down for you. Then, have your passports handy and line up for the Customs check. Make sure to throw out any open food, meat products, or live plants before the checkpoint. After that, you will just walk out of the terminal building. If you parked in the parking garage, just walk across and find your car. If you need to take a rental car shuttle or car service, go to the designated areas to wait for them. There will be signs. That’s it. You have officially disembarked off the ship.
Hopefully, you had a great time, and I was able to help you in some way. I hope that you will sail on a future Disney cruise again! They are our favorites. Each ship has something different to offer. Check them all out!
If you booked a placeholder reservation without an agent, or have booked another cruise elsewhere within the last 30 days, and would like to transfer the booking to have me as your agent, let me know ASAP. We will need to complete the transfer form within 30 days of your booking. It’s an easy form, though. If I can help plan and book your next cruise, whether it’s with Disney or not, please contact me anytime. I hope I have inspired you to love cruising as much as I do!
Adventures By Anne 