7 Mistakes That Scream “This Is My First Disney Cruise”

By Emma Kenner
Posted on Posted on April 25, 2025

We are huge fans of the Disney Cruise Line!

There’s something special about hitting the waves with Disney on ships like the Disney Wish, Disney Dream, and more! We’ve been lucky enough to sail with Disney quite a bit, so we’re here to share the 7 things that scream “this is my first Disney cruise”! 

There is nothing like hitting the high seas with Disney! It’s a more relaxing vacation than the parks, but you still get those magical moments that we all love. If you’ve never set sail with the Disney Cruise Line, you need to make sure you aren’t making these 7 mistakes on your trip.

The first is flying in the morning of your cruise! This is truly a rookie mistake because you can start the boarding process as early as 11:00 AM. While we want to have faith in our favorite airlines, sometimes flight delays are inevitable, and cruise ships will not wait for you! 

Don’t trust that your flight will land exactly when you need it to. Yes, it might mean paying for a hotel the night before, but it’s better to make sure you get on that boat than not! Second, once you’re on board, if you’re skipping the shows, people know it’s your first Disney cruise. 

The Disney Cruise Line puts on several Broadway-style productions during your cruise, and oh my goodness, they aren’t to be missed! Depending on the ship you’re on, there are so many amazing shows, some of which are based on films like Moana, Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, and more! The actors are incredible, and the vocals will blow you away.

The different boats also have several original shows that will surprise you. (Twice Charmed on the Disney Magic has burned itself in my brain in a positive way.) They’re unique to each ship and a wonderful way to spend your evening on board.

Third, if you’re forgetting your sunscreen on any Disney vacation, we can tell it’s your first time. You will absolutely fry if you aren’t careful, and it can ruin your trip!

Not only will you burn, but you’ll be seriously mad at yourself for paying the sunscreen prices on board rather than just bringing your own. (Speaking from experience here!) Plus, they might not have your brand preference, you’re spending too much money on sunscreen you don’t even like. The moral of the story: just bring your own. 

Next mistake? Not booking your excursions as soon as you can! There are so many different things you can do (for an extra fee) on the Disney Cruise Line, like heading to the spa, going fishing, taking classes, and even exploring once you’re off the ship at different ports. Most of these things have super limited availability, and if you miss the booking window, you might be out of luck.

When it comes to port adventures, you can book them based on your status with Disney Cruise Line!

• • First-Time Guests: 75 days prior to sail date
  • Silver Castaway Club Members: 90 days prior to sail date
  • Gold Castaway Club Members: 105 days prior to sail date
  • Platinum Castaway Club Members: 120 days prior to sail date
  • Pearl Castaway Club Members: 123 days prior to sail date
  • Concierge Guests: 130 days prior to sail date

While not everything will fill up, a lot of activities will!

To book reservations in advance, you can follow these steps!

• • Log in to My Reservations.
  • Go to the “My Plans” tab.
  • Select the day you’d like to reserve an activity on your day-by-day itinerary.
  • Select “Add Activities” and choose from the options provided.
  • Once you’ve selected all your activities for that day, review your choices and add them to the cart.
  • Repeat the same steps to add other activities on other days.

For on-board reservations, you can make them the day of your sailing on your navigator app or with guest services.

Now that you’ve got your reservations booked, don’t make the mistake of thinking adult beverages are included! Unlike other cruise lines, Disney doesn’t offer a drink package.

Every alcoholic beverage you purchase on board will cost you extra, and that can add up quickly! While we love treating ourselves on board, we know we’d be pretty disappointed if we expected a drink at every meal for no extra charge. It’s many adults’ biggest complaint about the Disney Cruise Line, but we get it!

As long as you’re aware, it isn’t a bad thing. You can bring your own alcohol on board if you follow the rules! Guests 21 years or older may bring 2 unopened bottles of wine or champagne or a total of 6 beers at the beginning of each cruise and at each port of call. They must be packed in your carry-on, and if they’re in your checked bag, Disney can and will remove them without compensation.

Next up, missing one-time events can be a big mistake! Each Disney Cruise has a handful of one-time events that, if you miss, you miss. There’s no going back! Events like the Sail Away Party are such a fun part of the Disney Cruise Line experience.

Events like Pirate Night are also one night only, so get in on the fun, no matter how old you are! You’re on a Disney Cruise, and we think you should embrace it while you’re there. It gives you so much to do on board in between ice cream cones. (Our favorite part of the cruise!)

Finally, assuming that the Disney Cruise Line is just for kids is a mistake! While it is family-friendly, that doesn’t there aren’t some adult-only spaces on board. Each Disney Cruise has several adult-only spaces like the Quiet Cove Pool area.

One of our favorite big kid spots is Cove Cafe, where you can go grab a fancy coffee in this spot that is only 18+. You can also dine at adult-only restaurants like Palo and Enchante on different ships throughout Disney’s fleet.

The spas are quiet, and we really don’t see many kids in the gym either, so there are several spots to go and relax without any interruptions. There are also several lounges and bars on each ship for adults to enjoy. With Disney adding 4 new ships to its fleet, we can’t wait to see how the adult-only spaces evolve with each boat.

If you’re worried about making mistakes, don’t be! Let someone else handle the planning.  

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

If you do anything of these (or have done them), that’s okay! Now you know how to avoid these Disney Cruise mistakes, which will make your cruising even more relaxing. As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney Cruise tips and tricks!

Disney Cruise Line – What You Need to Know

Join the AllEars.net Newsletter to stay on top of ALL the breaking Disney News! You'll also get access to AllEars tips, reviews, trivia, and MORE! Click here to Subscribe!

Have you ever been on a Disney cruise? Tell us in the comments!