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

Over the past three decades, the Disney Cruise Line has grown into one of the most important divisions of the Disney Company, with millions of passengers sailing on its ever-growing fleet, and more and more first-time cruisers each year.

However, there are some things those first-timers need to keep in mind, and some rookie mistakes that they should do their best to avoid.

“Flying in the Morning of the Ship’s Departure”

If you live far enough from the port-of-call, your Disney Cruise is set to depart from that you need to fly in — or drive a long distance for that matter — then it’s imperative you give yourself an extra arrival day cushion. After all, you’d HATE to miss your vacation just because your flight’s 8:00 AM landing was delayed or traffic was inexorably backed up.

“Booking Excursions Too Late”

Whether it’s heading to the spa, going fishing, taking classes, or even exploring once you’re off the ship at different ports of call, excursions are some of the most fun you’ll have on your Disney voyage. 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!

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.

Eligibility to book is based on the following scale:

• 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

“Thinking Alcoholic Beverages are Included”

This one is especially true for those who’ve cruised on other lines in the past. While rotational dining, the lunch buffets, and room service are all included, alcoholic beverages are NOT. There’s no drink package or bar update. Keep that in mind, and budget accordingly.

“Trying to Bring a Prohibited Amount of Alcohol on Board”

Now, you CAN bring your own alcohol on board. However, there are some strict rules. Disney Cruise Line Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened wine or sparkling wine (no larger than 750 ml) or 6 beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call.

These beverages must be packed in their carry-on (not checked) bags or luggage. Guests who bring wine or sparkling wine on board and then wish to consume it in one of the dining rooms will be charged a corkage fee of $29 USD per bottle.

In addition to this strict alcohol policy, the DCL has further prohibited and restricted items, including:

• Weapons & Firearms
• Marijuana & Illicit Drugs
• Blenders
• Bottle Sterilizers and Warmers
• Coffee Makers
• Coolers
• Diffusers
• Electric Blankets
• Electric Irons and Steamers
• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB)
• Extension Cords, Power Strips, Multi-Plugs and Purge Protectors
• Ham Radios
• Heating Elements
• Heating Pads
• Hookah Pipes
• Hot Plates
• Metal Detectors
• Microwave Ovens
• Power Tools, Hand Tools and Toolboxes
• Remote-Controlled Airplanes, Drones, Toy Vehicles, Star Wars Droids
• Rice Cookers
• Toasters and Toaster Ovens
• Seasonal and/or Strands of Celebratory Lightbulbs
• Streaming Devices (Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, etc.)

“Not Dining at One of the Non-Rotational Dining Restaurants”

Each sailing on a Disney Cruise includes Rotational Dining. Essentially, this concept means each passenger eats in one of the ship’s three themed rotational dining restaurants at least once.

For example, if you’re sailing on The Wish, you’ll have at least one night at The Worlds of Marvel, Arrendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, and 1923. Depending on how many nights your cruise lasts, you will experience at least one of the restaurants a second time, usually as part of a themed night with a different menu.

However, each ship also offers up-charge dining experiences, such as the adult-exclusive Palo restaurants present on several of the ships, which are definitely worth trying.

Bear in mind,  you’re interested in eating at one of these restaurants but still want to experience each of the rotational dining experiences in full, it’s best to try to book a Palo-style restaurant reservation on one of the nights where you’re scheduled to have a repeat rotational dining experience. We’d recommend calling a Disney Cruise Line Representative to try to slot everything into place correctly.

“Planning to Do Last Minute Souvenir Shopping Just Before Disembarking”

Finally, if you’re a late shopper who was planning to pick up some gifts or souvenirs for yourself, on the final morning of your trip, you are out of luck. The ship’s stores will be CLOSED on the final morning. This is due to several factors, including maritime rules for ships in port, as well as the need to prep the ship for the next voyage. So, if you’ve put your shopping off until close to the end of the trip, make sure to do it the night before!

If you’re getting ready for your first Disney Cruise – or first in a LONG time – refresh these in your mind to make sure you avoid these mistakes on your sailing. As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney Cruise tips and tricks!

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Are you heading on a Disney Cruise soon? Let us know in the comments below.

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