disney cruise gym rules

PHOTOS: The Fitness Center on the Disney Wish

All Disney Cruise Line ships have an onboard fitness center where guests can exercise during their sailing. The gym on the Disney Wish may be particularly important to some guests because a full outdoor walking track, which exists on the Dream, Fantasy, Magic, and Wonder, does not exist in the same form on the Wish.

The gym on the Wish, officially called the Senses Fitness Center, is located on Deck 5 Forward, just past the Triton Lounge. Hours may vary, but typical operating times are 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., daily. For sailings originating in the United States (which is currently all Wish sailings), the fitness center is available to guests ages 14 and up. Guests ages 14 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult. “Proper fitness attire and athletic shoes” must be worn while you are in the gym. DCL does not codify what this means beyond that language.

Cardio and strength equipment is available. There is also a studio for yoga and fitness classes as well as a stationary bike studio. Check the onboard DCL Navigator app for the schedule during your trip. Some classes are complimentary and others are available for a fee. DCL also offers private fitness training sessions for a fee.

Towels (both cold and room temperature), water, and fruit are available whenever the gym is open.

There are locker and showers at the Senses Spa, which is next to the Fitness Center, but these facilities were not available during the time of our visit. Staff on hand was unsure whether this would be an ongoing policy or was limited to COVID restrictions. Please let us know if you use the gym and then have access to the showers and lockers.

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Erin Foster

Erin Foster is an original member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (now PlanDisney), a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com, and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. She's been to WDW, DL, DL Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Aulani, DVC Vero Beach, and DVC Hilton Head. She's a Platinum DCL cruiser and veteran of 10 Adventures by Disney trips. Erin lives near New York City, where she can often be found indulging in her other obsession - Broadway theater.

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Disney Cruise Gym

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Just because you are on a Disney Cruise does not mean that you have to skip the gym. All of the Disney Cruise ships have a gym so that you can make sure that you get your daily work out even when you are sailing.

Let’s explore some of the ways that you can make sure that you keep to your fitness routine while you are sailing on a Disney Cruise.

There are plenty of opportunities to work off some of those calories you may have consumed at the buffet!

This includes not just the Disney cruise fitness centers, but all the other opportunities to keep fit on a Disney Cruise.

All of the Disney Cruise ships have a fitness center. On the Disney Wonder and the Disney Magic, this is located on Deck 9 Forward. On the Disney Fantasy and Dream, the gym is on Deck 11 Forward.

On each of the Disney ships, the gym is part of the adult-only area of the ship and is right next to the spa.

The location of the gym on the Disney Wonder and Magic is a little better than the Dream and Fantasy. This is because on the Classic Ships the gym is right at the front, but on the Dream Class ships, it is to the side.

For me, it is always better to have a view out directly over the front of the ship rather than to the side.

The gym on the newer ships also feels just about the same size as the ones on the Magic and Wonder. I am not sure if this is an illusion, but the Fantasy and the Disney Dream gym just seem more cramped than the ones on the Magic and Wonder.

Whichever Disney ship you sail on you will find plenty of fitness equipment in the gym. You will find Treadmills, Bikes and Elliptical Machines.

There are also a number of weights machines and a small selection of free weights.

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Who Can Use the Disney Cruise Fitness Center?

The Disney Cruise Gym is only available for use by those 18 years and older.

I do understand this rule, but it used to be rather annoying when my daughter who is a professional ballerina, was not allowed to work out in the gym. She is now an adult so this is no longer a problem, but there was no way an exception was going to be made, even for a professional athlete.

What Are the Disney Cruise Gym Opening Hours?

Always check your Disney Cruise Navigator to find out the exact opening hours of the fitness center. However, usually, the Disney Cruise Fitness Center is open from 6 am until 10 pm on all of the ships.

The Fitness Center will be closed on Disembarkation Day.

Disney Cruise Fitness Center Classes

If you want to take a fitness class on a Disney cruise there are plenty of options. Free classes include Pure Form Pilates, Pure Form Yoga, and Tour de Cycle Spin Classes.

These are all subject to change so go to the gym on your first day onboard to see what is available.

There will be a list of the scheduled times of these classes in the gym. There is limited space available so you do have to sign up in advance.

The sign-up sheet for fitness classes usually goes out the afternoon before the class.

Even if you don’t manage to get a place on the sign-up sheet it is often worth seeing if there is any space available, as sometimes there are no shows.

If you are an early bird you should try the Wake Up Stretch class. This is free and is usually held on the sport’s deck unless the weather is not ideal, in which case it will be held in the Fitness Center.

This is a great way to start the day. I have also found it is a great way to meet your fellow cruisers.

There are also plenty of Fitness Seminars. 

These usually include such things as advice about losing weight and acupuncture seminars. They can be interesting to listen to, but just be aware that all of these seminars, although they are offered free, are given with an aim to sell you a fitness or spa service.

 Locker Rooms

The lockers in the changing room on the Disney Wonder

The Disney cruise locker rooms are conveniently located in the Senses Spa area close to the gym on all of the ships.

There are plenty of lockers to store all of your things. The lockers can easily be securely locked with your own 4 digit code.

Inside the locker, you will find a robe and slip flops. The robes are nice, but the flip flops are not the best, so I usually bring my own if I am going to the Rainforest (see below).

Even if you aren’t going to the gym it can be a great idea to use the showers in the locker rooms.

The Disney Wonder Sauna inside the Women’s Changing Room

There is also a Sauna in each changing room. This is a really nice free option if you don’t want to get a Rainforest Room Pass.

Disney Cruise Rainforest Room

The Rainforest Room is definitely not a place you are going to get any exercise, but it is one of the most relaxing places on the ship.

As a reward for your workout, why not get a Day Pass to the Disney Cruise Rainforest Room? Located in the Senses Spa on all of the Disney ships, the Rainforest Room is the place to go if you want the ultimate in relaxation.

Relax on one of the heated stone lounge chairs, recharge in the steam rooms or indulge in an aromatherapy shower.

You can get either a Day Pass or a length of cruise pass. All passes are limited in number so if you want to visit the Rainforest make sure you stop by the Senses Spa desk as early on in your cruise as possible as the passes do sell out.

You can get a length of cruise pass for the Rainforest for either a Single Person.

Couples passes are no longer available.

An 18% gratuity will automatically be added to the Rainforest Room Pass cost .

Disney Cruise Senses Juice Bar

The Disney Fantasy and Dream have Senses Juice Bar which is located between the gym and Senses Spa. This is one of the hidden gems of the Dream Class ships.

Senses Juice Bar is a great place to spend some time post-workout. Or just because you would like to enjoy some time with a healthy drink looking out through the large windows at the side of the ship.

The Juice Bar is one of the quieter places to relax on the Disney Fantasy and Dream. There are lots of options for a healthy juice or smoothie.

For example, Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice is available.

Or the X Press: Restore Harmony and Balance which is a blend of Strawberry, Avocado, Mint, Red Beets, Apple and Goji Berries.

If you want a Tropicale with Strawberry Mango and Orange this is a popular option.

Jogging Track

Each of the Disney ships has a jogging track on Deck 4 which is the promenade deck.

On the Disney Wonder and Magic, the distance one circuit around the deck is 0.3 miles and on the Fantasy and Dream it is 0.4 miles.

The track is rarely busy and it is great that you can run or walk all the way around the deck.

Most of it is pretty wide, but there are narrow sections where you do have to be careful to watch for others.

There is a specific direction which you are supposed to travel so make sure you follow the arrows which clearly show this.

This area is very well lit at night so you can even use this after dark.

For me, this is a much better way to get in some exercise than going on the treadmill. It is so peaceful being out in the fresh air and this seems to make the distance go that much more quickly.

You will also find Shuffle Board courts out on Deck 4.

Basketball Courts on a Disney Cruise

All of the Disney ships have a basketball court. This is located in the area known as the Wide World of Sports Deck.

On the Classic Ships, this is on Deck 10 Forward and on the Fantasy and Disney Dream, the basketball court is on Deck 13 Aft.

You will also find table tennis tables and foosball tables.

On the Disney Dream and Fantasy, there is also a miniature golf course on Deck 13.

Disney Cruise Castaway Cay 5K

If you want a challenge and you are sailing on a cruise which has a port stop at Disney’s Private Island, why not sign up for the Castaway Cay 5K?

The 5K has become one of the most popular Castaway Cay activities. It is open to anyone over the age of 10 who wants to either run or walk the 5K course which takes you on a 3.1-mile course around the island.

Guests younger than 10 can also participate but they will not be eligible to receive the medal for completing the course.

You no longer need to sign up – you just follow the course whenever you want. Ideally do this early as the heat soon makes it more challenging.

The Disney Cruise Castaway Cay 5K is a lot of fun and includes people with all levels of fitness. It gives you a great sense of achievement and you will also get a special medal if you cross the finish line.

The designs of the medals change a couple of times a year so you can keep collecting different ones.

Fitness on a Disney Cruise

There is no excuse not to keep up your fitness program on a Disney cruise, or even to start one. There are plenty of opportunities to burn off some of the extra calories that you will have consumed in the buffet!

Do you go to the gym on a Disney Cruise?

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Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando.  In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.

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Age requirements for gym/fitness center

• Thread starter Nola Girl
• Start date Jul 18, 2012

Mouseketeer

• Jul 18, 2012

We will be on the Dream next week and DS age 17 is very nervous about his workouts. He is a member of his high school varsity lacrosse team and lifts weights daily. If DH goes with him can he use the equipment. He is beside himself.  

PrincessShmoo

Dis veteran.

Nola Girl said: We will be on the Dream next week and DS age 17 is very nervous about his workouts. He is a member of his high school varsity lacrosse team and lifts weights daily. If DH goes with him can he use the equipment. He is beside himself. Click to expand...

This comes up once in awhile with people whose kids are athletes and unfortunately I think the answer will still be no. Of course you can ask when you are onboard but stated policy is that you must be 18 and I think it has to do with insurance reasons. MJ  

DIS Veteran

Do they check your age when you go through the door? I am just curious, I am certainly not saying to break the rules and just go in, but I am only wondering, if they would "card" a 17 year old to get in the gym?  

Little Cinderella's Mommy

People have posted suggestions including working out with resistance bands to allow teens to keep up with strengthening routines while on the cruise. There is sometime a time set up for the teen club to use the weight room. This is one of the things decided when they meet the first night to select the activities for the week.  

Resistance bands are good. Will he have a chance to talk to his coach? The coach or a personal trainer may be able to give him advice on resistance band workouts and good body weight workouts.  

When it comes to adult areas there is not an "almost" rule. You are 18 or you aren't. They can and do card people in those areas. Palo is off limits since you need to register each guest and those under 18 are not allowed.  

AAshleySEG said: Do they check your age when you go through the door? I am just curious, I am certainly not saying to break the rules and just go in, but I am only wondering, if they would "card" a 17 year old to get in the gym? Click to expand...

hLecky09 said: i think sometimes when you're close to being 18 they'll still let you in but i think you'll have to take that up people at the gym Click to expand...

PrincessShmoo said: If they feel he isn't 18, yes, he will be "carded". DS was 18 our our cruise and he was carded at least 3 times in the Quiet Cove pool area until they got to know him. And I've seen a table of not 18s carded and asked to leave Wavebands when the adult hours started. Click to expand...

The rules are pretty clear and they do require you to be 18. However, there is no card check upon entry and you are not required to swipe your card to use the facility. Just don't try to sign up for any spa appointments or group exercise classes. If DS minds his own business and acts like he belongs, they won't likely check ... But they might. If they do check and he is under age, he will most likely be asked to leave. While DCL policy is clear, sometimes a CM will look the other way. I am not condoning this nor do I expect anyone to even ask for it. Generally speaking though, unless you give them a reason to check you, they likely won't. Once asked to leave, he could try and very politely explain his situation and ask for dispensation, but he should be prepared to leave ... Politely. if he makes a fuss or continues to come back, he could be asked to leave the ship. If he looks or acts young, don't even try.  

cyclenut said: The rules are pretty clear and they do require you to be 18. However, there is no card check upon entry and you are not required to swipe your card to use the facility. Just don't try to sign up for any spa appointments or group exercise classes. If DS minds his own business and acts like he belongs, they won't likely check ... But they might. If they do check and he is under age, he will most likely be asked to leave. While DCL policy is clear, sometimes a CM will look the other way. I am not condoning this nor do I expect anyone to even ask for it. Generally speaking though, unless you give them a reason to check you, they likely won't . Once asked to leave, he could try and very politely explain his situation and ask for dispensation, but he should be prepared to leave ... Politely. if he makes a fuss or continues to come back, he could be asked to leave the ship. If he looks or acts young, don't even try. Click to expand...

On 7 night cruises, the Vibe (teen group) often has an hour in the fitness center after it has closed to adults for the evening. They must be participating with the group to use it for this time (although they don't have to do any other activities all day....just go on day one and be checked off on CM's log). It is a good idea to go to the first night session when they plan what they want to do--make it clear to the CMs that they want gym time. Otherwise the policy is clear--18 and over only. The enforcement sometimes varies.  

sambycat said: Flame, ban - but ugh! How come when and if one can reprint (if you will) DCL rules it's immediately followed by 14 suggestions on how to not follow the rules? GAH!!!! Click to expand...

May the road rise to meet you....May God hold you

My 17 year old 6'3 son is a competitive rower/sculler...he works out 10 hours a week just rowing, additional strength training. There are enough ways for an atlete to get a great workout...running the stairs, diamond push ups, swimming at the beach, running the beach...the cross training would actually be beneficial for his muscles! And you get to see amazing scenery!  

• Jul 19, 2012

I am sure he will find some way to work it out. I know he will run, but he can do that on his own on the decks. He is planning to check Vibe out as he is nearly 18 and this is his last chance so maybe he can talk to the staff about the possibility of visits as a group. I am a HUGE rule follower, so I am just going to ask him to come up with an alternate plan and be pleasantly surprised if it works out in the fitness center.  

You are aware that there is a sports deck where he is welcome to work out--right? And a running/walking track.  

Yes, he was also looking to lift weights,etc. You know the entire "you will lose your starting spot if you slack off for one day" thing.  

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Healthy Eating and Fitness on Disney Cruise Line

When you think of a cruise, you might think there wouldn’t be many opportunities to be active, or healthy eating options. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Disney Cruise make great trips for someone with a healthy, active lifestyle!

Fitness Opportunities

On-board when you download the Disney Cruise Navigator app , you’ll find a schedule of daily activities. Each day, you can find that there are fitness classes (such as Fab Abs and bootcamp classes). These group fitness opportunities are mostly complimentary, with a handful of classes having a fee. Aside from group fitness classes daily, you can enjoy fitness 24/7 on the cruise’s gym, which on Disney Dream is adjacent to Sense’s Spa.

The gym has weights and plenty of workout machines complete with TVs on the machines, but the best part? The machines face a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the ocean. I must say, it’s pretty fun to run while the ship is moving, it makes it feel like you’re going so fast!

Also on-board are recreation opportunities that are included in your cruise, such as basketball and virtual sports simulators. A very special one-of-a-kind fitness opportunity is the Castaway Cay 5K that’s on Disney’s private Bahamian island Castaway Cay. This event is free to register for, and happens at 8:30am the day the ship docks at Castaway Cay (if that’s on your cruise itinerary).

Running the Castaway Cay 5K

In addition, there are other opportunities aside from these free ones to have fun and fitness on your Disney Cruise, through a variety of port adventures , which vary by destination.

Healthy Eating

On the cruise, each restaurant has a good amount of vegetarian and gluten-free options on the regular menu. The options are never boring, and are different for each of the rotational restaurants and adult-only restaurants. And per Disney standard, each restaurant can accommodate any dietary need (veganism, allergy) upon request. The chefs always come up with something spectacular!

A menu noting vegetarian and gluten-free options at Animator’s Palette

Black bean corn cakes at Animator’s Palette (I apologize for the dim lighting)

Tofu, veggies, and barley at Royal Palace on Disney Dream

If you’re in the mood for a snack in-between, you can head to Senses Juice Bar on the Disney Dream, which has smoothies and juices, along with protein bars. The juice bar is in between the spa and fitness center, and has tables facing the ocean. I loved grabbing a Beginning smoothie post-workout while looking at Castaway Cay. The juice bar is open 6am-10pm.

For breakfast, you can head to either your assigned rotational restaurant or the buffet-style restaurant on your cruise. The buffet has extensive items, and if you ask the cast members working there they will gladly refer you to which items will fit your dietary needs. The buffet on your cruise along with poolside quick service restaurants and room service have items to fit your needs for lunch as well! (A little tip, room service is included in your cruise and is available 24/7!)

A veggie burger at Flo’s, a quick service poolside restaurant

Room service cheese plate

That’s a look at how for someone who loves fitness and is a healthy foodie can have endless experiences on a Disney Cruise!

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8 Ways to Stay Active During Your Disney Cruise

by Melissa Roden · June 22, 2019

For those that lead a healthy, active lifestyle- cruises are notorious for packing on pounds. From the plentiful buffets, caloric cocktails and lots of lounging it’s easy to understand why. But hitting the high seas with Disney doesn’t mean having to forgo your healthy routine. As a matter of fact, there are lots of ways to stay active during your Disney cruise. Here are 8 of our favorites. 

Start the Day Off Right With Morning Yoga

Yoga group lessons are available throughout your cruise at the onboard Fitness Center. You’ll also find a yoga class held at the adults only beach Serenity Bay while docked at Disney’s private island Castaway Cay .  You’ll be swept away by the peaceful ocean views which will help you unwind during this restorative and refreshing lesson. 

Head to the Gym

Onboard your Disney Cruise Line ship you’ll find a fitness center offering state-of-the-art equipment for those looking to continue with your cardiovascular and weight training.  Our favorite thing to do at the center is check out the views from the treadmills! 

Go for a Jog

Hitting the decks for a morning run is the perfect way to stay active while on your Disney cruise. Each ship in Disney’s fleet has a track for jogging and walking which encircles Deck 4.  The tracks aboard the Dream and Fantasy are .4 miles per lap meaning 8 laps would be the equivalent to a 5k!

Hit the Courts

Challenge your fellow cruisers to a game of hoops on the sports deck.  There’s a basketball court that also functions as a mini soccer pitch and a volleyball court!

Take a Class

In addition to the yoga classes mentioned above, the onboard fitness center offers other group classes. This includes spinning and Pilates.  

Step Up Your Workout With a Personal Trainer

For guests looking to stay active while at sea and take your workout to the next level with a one-on-one session with a personal trainer are available.  These sessions will cost an additional nominal fee. 

Run the Castaway Cay 5K

Start your morning at Castaway Cay with a 5K run through this tropical island paradise.  This is the perfect way to get a workout and see the untouched parts of the island!

For more information on how to sign up check out this article. 

Take To The Water

And finally one of the best ways to stay active and burn calories is to enjoy one of the many on-the-water activities at Castaway Cay.  You’ll find everything from cycles, paddleboats, paddle boards, kayaks, sailboats and snorkels.  Make the ocean your playground!!

Trying out all of these incredible activities for yourself by booking one of Disney Cruise Line’s incredible sailings.  Itineraries are currently available to book through until the end of 2020. Getting started is easy. Simply fill out our form below to get your FREE, no-obligation quote from MickeyTravels . 

Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to assist you with everything from finding your perfect package to helping you plan lots of special touches to make your visit truly magical. Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at  [email protected]  or follow along on  Facebook

Tags: Castaway Cay 5K Disney Cruise Line Fitness Center Stay Active Yoga

Melissa Roden

As an agent with MickeyTravels and a Blogger with MickeyBlog I enjoy sharing, tips, tricks and advice to help readers and clients get the most out of your time with Disney. When I'm not helping clients plan their perfect holidays or nab those hard-to-get discounts you can find me enjoying a Dole Whip at Disney World with my daughter! Reach out for a FREE, no obligation quote at 1.800.801.4025 or find me on Facebook !

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Gym equipment on Disney Magic?

By Tnittany10 , June 25, 2010 in Disney Cruise Line

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I am a personal trainer and I am working with someone who is taking a 10 (12?) day cruise on the Magic in a couple of weeks. I am trying to plan some workouts for her and cannot ascertain from Disney's website whether the fitness center has free weights, bosu balls, resistance bands, kettle balls, and/or weighted balls. If anyone knows, please let me know---it would really help me design some good workouts so she doesn't get killed her first week back (lol!).

Thanks ahead of time,

Kim in Houston

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I am a personal trainer and I am working with someone who is taking a 10 (12?) day cruise on the Magic in a couple of weeks. I am trying to plan some workouts for her and cannot ascertain from Disney's website whether the fitness center has free weights, bosu balls, resistance bands, kettle balls, and/or weighted balls. If anyone knows, please let me know---it would really help me design some good workouts so she doesn't get killed her first week back (lol!).   Thanks ahead of time,   Kim in Houston

I honetly dont know off hand. I would think, that due to the ship moving and potentally moving in a possibly unpredictable manner, that there would be no free weights onboard.At least not heavy ones.Though I could be wrong.

You could call 1800 9513532 which is the reservations number, and ask.They can find out for you.

Not sure about Disney but both RCCL and Carnival have very well-stocked gyms (including free weights and bosu/stability balls), so would expect Disney to be comparable... In fact, I've found them to be far superior to even the nicest hotel gyms I've been to, so you shouldn't have trouble designing a "challenging" program :)

Thanks! I think I will give Disney a call and if they can't be specific, I'll just plan a workout that uses basic equipment and personal bodyweight.

Yes they had free weights. They also have a variety of weight machines and aerobic machines. Quite a large number and I have never seen the room very busy.

I didn't notice if they had bosu balls, bands, etc. I mainly wanted to get some time in on the recumbent bike :)

Does anyone know if the fitness room is open when the ship is in port?

Does anyone know if the fitness room is open when the ship is in port?   Thanks!

It is open. There's no relation between port days and the spa/fitness center like there is with the merchandise/shutters.

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

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Disney Cruise Advice: Tips & Tricks Onboard the Ship

LAST UPDATE: 2/14/24

On this page we have collected some useful Disney Cruise advice, tips, and tricks that can help you save time and have more fun while you are on a Disney Cruise. Read the advice below and you’ll have a much better idea what to expect, even if you’ve never been on a cruise before!

Thanks to Marjorie Treger and to MouseSavers.com readers Jeff Evernham and Aileen B, who contributed some great tips.

Disney Cruise Advice & Important Things to Know

Embarkation, first-day bag packing list, staterooms and what’s in them, knowing what’s going on & planning your day, oceaneer club and oceaneer lab, edge and vibe, port days/shore excursions, useful things to pack, things you don’t need to (or should not) pack, disney cruise wear, phone and internet.

• Spa: Treatments, Products & Fitness Center

Disembarkation

Additional tips & tricks, trip reports.

Other useful Disney Cruise information pages:

• For discounts and tips on saving money on the cruise itself , visit our Disney Cruise Discount page.
• For tips and tricks that will help you plan your cruise , visit the Planning Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruises page.
• For advice that will help you with excursions, tours and activities  while in port, visit the Tips & Discounts for Port Excursions page.

“Embarkation” means getting on the ship for the first time during your cruise; “disembarkation” or “debarkation” means getting off the ship at the end of your cruise.

“Port” is the left side of the ship as you face forward; “starboard” is the right side as you face forward. “Forward” is obvious; “aft” is the rear of the ship.

Cruise lines are required to ensure that every passenger knows the safety procedures and has been physically shown where they need to muster in case of emergency. A mandatory muster drill is held in the afternoon of embarkation day, usually around 4:00 pm. Everyone must attend in order to learn the location of your lifeboat station and other safety information. The drill takes 20 minutes or less and you do not have to bring your life jacket with you.

Make sure you turn off the cellular service on your phone while you’re at sea, so you don’t end up paying through the nose for “cellular at sea” service . There is a Disney Cruise Navigator app that you can use on most iPhones and Android phones without needing to pay for internet access. The Navigator app includes activity schedules and menus, and has a kind of text message feature that seems to work much better these days. We found that notifications were showing up quickly when people messaged using the app (our experience was with iPhone, we don’t know how well Android works).

“Cay” is pronounced “key” by locals – so unless you want to sound like a novice, remember this for Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).

Disney asks you to select a P ort Arrival Time (PAT) when you do online check-in prior to your cruise. This arrival time was not rigidly enforced in the past, but lately, Disney has been enforcing people’s PATs pretty closely, especially during the early part of the boarding process. If you get to the terminal before 12:30, you will probably not be let in to the terminal until your time arrives. After 12:30 or so, Disney seems to just let people into the terminal as long as the check-in line isn’t completely full.

Bottom line: if you want to get on the ship as early as possible, definitely be ready to check in online on the morning your check-in opens! See below for when you can check in online:

• If you are staying at an official Walt Disney World resort or at Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport the night before your cruise, AND you booked that hotel as a package with the cruise, AND you are using Disney’s bus service to the port, your port arrival time is less important, and you may not even see an option to select one when you check in. From a Disney hotel, they’re going to assign you a bus, and generally you’ll just get there when you get there and the terminal staff will be ready to process and embark that whole busload of passengers. If you’re staying at the Hyatt, there will be multiple buses and you can take the first bus they’ll let you on. In either case, it’s rare to experience much wait no matter what your port arrival time is. But if you are offered the option to pick a port arrival time at checkin, pick the earliest reasonable time, just to be on the safe side. It can’t hurt, and it might save you some waiting.
• If you are staying in a concierge level stateroom or suite , you can check in and receive your port arrival time 40 days before embarkation day. That said, your shore-side concierge will likely offer to check you in on the first day you’re eligible, so effectively you can just let them handle it and they should get you the earliest arrival time (unless they know you won’t be arriving that early).
• If you are a Pearl member of the Castaway Club (25+ previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 40 days before embarkation day. 
• If you are a Platinum member of the Castaway Club (10-24 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 38 days before embarkation day.
• If you are a Gold member of the Castaway Club (5-9 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 35 days before embarkation day.
• If you are a Silver member of the Castaway Club (1-4 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 33 days before embarkation day.
• If you have never before taken a Disney cruise, you can check in and receive your port arrival time 30 days before embarkation day.

When you arrive at Port Canaveral, you’ll hand off your bags to the dock workers. Tipping is theoretically optional, but it’s customary to tip them at least $1-$2 per bag, and we tend to tip on the high side for very helpful or friendly porters. Keep your carry-on/day bag with you. Get in line to go through check-in (during which time you’ll show your port arrival document several times), then get in line to go through security (you go through a metal detector and your carry-ons go through an x-ray).

The first people who will get on the ship are Group 1, which will usually be concierge level guests. Shortly after noon, announcements will be made for general boarding by group number. You’ll present your port arrival document as you board, have a family photo taken (or bypass the photo and get on the ship that much faster), and then your family will be announced as you arrive in the atrium of the ship. After that, the ship is yours!

Most people will head straight to lunch, and if you’re hungry, that’s a great idea. If you’ve brought your swimsuits in your day bag, this is a perfect time to enjoy the pool (or AquaDuck on the Dream or Fantasy and AquaMouse on the Wish), because the ship is still relatively empty and a lot of people will not have thought ahead. If you still need to make spa appointments, change your dinner rotation, sign up for shore excursions, book Palo, Remy or Enchanté, or book any specialty character meals or tea parties, now is the time to do that. You can also get your kids’ wristbands for the kids club. If it’s your first time on the ship, this is a good time to get a map and wander around familiarizing yourself with everything.

If you are a concierge level guest, there is a special concierge embarkation lunch, or you can go to the concierge lounge, where you can relax and enjoy a snack. You’ll be personally assisted with any bookings or changes you’d like to make (dining rotations, spa appointments, etc.)

At about 1:30-2:00, your room should be ready. Your bags will be delivered at some point in the afternoon (up until about 6:00 pm).

On the embarkation day, you won’t get access to your room until 1:30-2:00 pm, and you may not get all of your luggage until 6:00 pm (or occasionally even later), so its recommended you carry a bag that contains everything you’ll need between boarding the ship and dinner. If you want to swim or ride the AquaDuck or AquaMouse, for example, you will need all your swim stuff.

Here’s our checklist for packing our day bag. Some people like to use a rolling carry-on, but we prefer a small duffel. It’s your call; whatever you feel comfortable lugging around for an hour or two. You can also pack a small backpack for everyone to spread out the load.

• Flip-flops or water shoes (the deck can get hot )
• Reading material, iPad, videogames or other entertainment
• Camera, if you aren’t using your phone
• Medications you might need between noon and dinnertime
• Change of clothes for dinner, if what you wear to board the ship isn’t reasonable (though it almost certainly is fine, as long as it’s not a swimsuit).

The TV in your stateroom offers limited live TV programming, but a pretty extensive selection of Disney-owned movie and TV content. There is the Disney Channel, ABC and ESPN, all owned by Disney, plus some 24-hour news channels (MSNBC & Fox) and a small selection of basic cable channels. You can watch a huge variety of Disney movies and a few other family-friendly titles “on demand” (no extra charge).

Disney no longer provides the cordless Wave Phones; if you need to contact other members of your party, you are expected to use the Disney Navigator app on your phone. If you don’t have a compatible phone or don’t want to carry your phone, you have to fall back on the tried and true “let’s meet in XXX at YYY” or put a magnetic white board on your room door to exchange messages. Note that the kids club staff will only be able to contact you via the Navigator app, so if you don’t carry it around, you can’t be informed of issues with your kids.

Fire codes prevent cruise ships from having irons in staterooms, but irons are available for your use in the laundry rooms. Speaking of laundry, you can charge the cost of self-service laundry to your room key by swiping it through the readers on the washers and dryers.

Inside staterooms have no window (except the “ secret porthole ” rooms on the Wonder and Magic that are classified as inside but have an obstructed porthole). Inside staterooms on the Dream and Fantasy ships do have the “virtual porthole” that provides some light. It can be turned off with a switch by the bed. Bear in mind that on the Wonder, Magic and Wish (or on the Dream and Fantasy with the virtual porthole turned off), inside staterooms have no external light coming in to wake you up in the morning or give you a sense of what time it is. So if you’re anxious to get up and go in the morning, make sure you set an alarm or request a wake-up call.

A portable hair dryer can be found in a bag in the bathroom or in a desk drawer (call Guest Services if you can’t find it). It must be plugged into a European (220V) outlet at the desk. If you happen to be in a stateroom that also has a built-in hair dryer in the bathroom attached to the wall, we recommend leaving it alone; they don’t work well. Use the one in the drawer.

There is no longer a paper Navigator schedule given out in your stateroom, or even available from the front desk. You can only get the activity schedule via your phone or via the TV.

You can download the Navigator app for Apple or Android devices before you arrive at the embarkation port and then, once onboard, connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi network—complimentary for app use only. Downloading the app does not enable general-purpose internet access – you have to pay extra for that. In addition to giving you the ship’s daily schedule, the app has some information that isn’t in the paper Navigator, including menus for the various restaurants and some other useful tidbits. 

The Navigator app also has the all-aboard time and the local number of the ship’s agent, who is your contact if you have an emergency or are running late and might miss the ship (or have missed the ship). It’s not a bad idea to write those things down on a separate piece of paper to carry with you when you’re in port, just in case you lose your phone or the Navigator app gets flaky. If you have an emergency and don’t have your phone or the info on paper, you can call the port and ask them who the port agent is for your ship, and then call Disney’s port agent to let them know what’s happening.

The Navigator app now has a FREE text messaging feature. The messaging feature is available on all five ships. You do not need to buy a data plan to send messages to other people in your party, assuming they also have a device that can run the app. We didn’t really use it much in previous years because there could be 20-30 minutes between sending and message and the recipient getting a notification on their phone, but on our most recent cruise everything worked fine. Also, if you get the newer internet service that you can leave on all the time (currently available on the Wish, Magic, Dream and Fantasy) it will work with iMessage, WhatsApp and other messengers, and it will work with SMS text messaging if everyone’s phone has Wi-Fi cellular enabled.

Onboard Entertainment & Activities Tips

If you’re curious to know what movies will be shown on your sailing before you get on the ship, call  Disney Cruise customer service (800) 951-3532 about two weeks before your cruise and ask.

Want to ride the AquaDuck water coaster on the Dream or Fantasy or the AquaMouse on the Wish? MouseSavers.com reader Bill V has this tip: “If you enjoy the AquaDuck during the day, find an EVENING to ride it as well! Riding it at night, with the red-and-white lights strobing around the tube at each of the supports, is a completely different experience than the daytime, not to be missed! Also, the lines are truly non-existent if you go during dinner or show times, far shorter than even the times when most passengers are ashore when the ship is docked–my daughter rode it one evening over a dozen times in less than 90 minutes, usually walking on with no line whatsoever.” (This advice would apply to the AquaMouse on the Wish as well.)

Some special activities require advance sign-up at Guest Services. For instance, “Tea with Wendy,” (or “Tea with Alice” or some other character) is sometimes offered on some 7-night cruises, but has limited seating, and on cruises near Christmas, there is a build-your-own-gingerbread house activity, but they have a limited number of kits available. Check for those activities (they’ll generally be listed in the Navigator app) and sign up as soon as you can. Certain popular character meetings are also now requiring advance sign-up, usually on the first day.

Theater snacks : the theaters where the movies and shows are presented have concession stands selling expensive goodies such as canned sodas, bagged popcorn and candy, which can be charged to your room key. If you want to keep costs down, go up on the pool deck to the self-serve beverage station and get FREE sodas (or lemonade, tea, etc.) to bring into the show with you. You can also usually get FREE cookies from one of the counter-service locations on the pool deck and bring those along (or order cookies from room service, for only the cost of a tip). Concierge level guests on the Dream and Fantasy can get snacks, including cans of soda and sometimes popcorn, from the lounge. The snack bar at the theater has a refillable popcorn bucket that can be refilled for the rest of your cruise at a much cheaper price, so if you like popcorn, it’s a good idea to get one at the beginning of the cruise. Some people have brought popcorn buckets from previous cruises or from Walt Disney World and had them refilled, though that may or may not be official policy.

Embarkation Day

Once you’re onboard on embarkation day, you can eat lunch in one of three locations (or the concierge lunch if you’re in a concierge stateroom): the buffet, the pool deck food outlets (burgers, pizza, etc.) or a dining room (on the Magic, the primary lunch dining room is Lumiere’s; on the Wonder, it’s Triton’s; on the Dream and Fantasy, it’s Enchanted Garden; on the Wish, it’s been 1923 or Arendelle). The primary dining room lunch is a la carte with a normal lunch menu similar to the menu served on sea days. It has a tendency to fill up pretty quickly, so if you want to eat there, get on the ship as early as possible. There is also a lunch just for concierge guests in a different dining room.

Note that if you head for the inside dining room, you will encounter multiple crew members who will try to herd you to the buffet, which can handle more people. Just tell them you’d prefer the interior dining room. 

Breakfast and Lunch

During the cruise, there are usually two or three breakfast and lunch locations with different hours (check the Navigator app for hours). You can choose from one or more full-service restaurants with open seating (just show up when you want during opening hours, and they’ll seat you), or eat at the buffet.

Dinner Rotations

Your dinner arrangements — meaning your restaurant rotation schedule, and whether you have the early or late seating for dinner — are assigned before you embark on the cruise. You can find your restaurant rotation by checking the “My Plans” section of the Navigator app. It will also show your table number and seating time, as well as the recommended dress code and menu. If you have trouble using the app, Guest Services or any of the dining locations can help you get that information. 

If you want to change your seating or your restaurant rotation, do that as soon as you embark. The location on the ship where changes can be made will be listed in the Navigator app, or just go to Guest Services and they can point you in the right direction.

If you go to your assigned restaurant for dinner each night, your servers will be the same for every night of your cruise. On longer cruises they’ll get to know you, and may even have your “usual” beverage waiting for you at your table. If you are served something you don’t like, tell the servers and they’ll bring you something else. And if you want to indulge, they’ll be happy to bring you two desserts (or two appetizers, or even two entrees)! In true Disney style, if you have a special event you are celebrating, make sure your servers know. You will get appropriate special treatment (usually a special dessert, and perhaps some singing).

We recommend not rushing to dinner. If you show up five minutes or so after they begin seating you’ll walk right in. If you show up early you’ll just have to wait in line! Don’t wait too long, though: in order to get everyone served in a timely manner, each server really needs to get all the orders from all their tables at once. If you come too late, it throws off their timing, necessitating multiple extra trips to the kitchen and long delays for everyone. Also, if you won’t be at the regular rotation dinner one night, it’s helpful to tell your server or head server in advance, so they won’t wait for you to arrive to start service for the other tables.

We also recommend having the Navigator app open to your dinner reservation and table number the first time you arrive at each restaurant, so you can be seated more easily. But if you remember your table number, you can just tell the servers.  

Each restaurant has a “special” menu that is only offered at that restaurant, which will be used on one of the nights you visit each restaurant (the same night as the show, if there is one for that restaurant). On the other nights, you’ll get “standard” menus that are the same at all three restaurants (they change every night, but each of the three restaurants gets the same menu). 

Dinner Shows

The following restaurants have special shows and menus on one night of your cruise . These shows are one of the unique entertainment experiences on a Disney cruise, so try to see them if you can! Ask at Guest Services or ask your server which night it will be for your rotation. Move your Palo, Remy or Enchante reservations or change your dinner rotation if you have to. 

• Animator’s Palate (Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy) — On the Magic & Wonder, this show allows everyone in the family to design a character and see it animated. It’s pretty neat! On the Dream & Fantasy, the show involves interacting with an animated character (Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo). On longer (7+ night) cruises on the Dream & Fantasy, they may also do a version of the “draw your own animated character” show on the second night you visit Animator’s Palate.
• Tiana’s Place (Wonder) — A rollicking dinner show with the characters and songs from The Princess & The Frog.
• Rapunzel’s Royal Table (Magic) — A fun musical show with characters and songs from Tangled.
• Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure (Wish) — An elaborate show where you’re a guest at an engagement party for Anna and Kristoff, hosted by Wandering Oaken. Enjoy songs and characters from the two Frozen movies.
• Worlds of Marvel (Wish) — A loud action spectacle involving Ant-Man and the Wasp (and some guest Marvel characters) takes place during dinner. Most of the action is ostensibly taking place elsewhere on the ship (you watch it on screens on the walls of the restaurant), but live-action Ant-Man and the Wasp appear near the end to wave at diners.

Premium Restaurants

If you enjoy fine dining, we definitely recommend making a reservation for Palo, Remy or Enchanté, particularly on a 4-night or longer cruise. There is a small extra cost (larger for Remy and Enchanté) but it is well worth it for the cuisine, the atmosphere, and the opportunity to enjoy a nice dinner without the kids. The Remy and Enchanté dinners are especially elaborate, and are similar to meals that cost much more at Michelin starred restaurants or Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World. Palo can be found on all five Disney ships, though the menu is slightly different (and more steakhouse-oriented) on the Wish. Remy is only on the Dream and Fantasy, and Enchanté is only on the Wish.

Alternatively, consider booking the Palo, Enchanté or Remy brunch (offered usually only once or twice on most cruises). We find the premium brunches particularly fabulous and might even prefer them to dinner in Palo.

Palo, Remy and Enchanté are very popular, so book them as early as you can . If you’re not able to get a reservation in advance, check the Navigator app or ask a crew member to find the location where you can go and request a reservation onboard.

If you want to skip one of the regular rotation restaurants in order to dine in Palo, Remy or Enchanté, our suggestion is to call Disney to find out the dining rotations for your cruise and pick a night that is the second visit to a restaurant, since the first night is very likely to be that restaurant’s special menu (and will have a show, if there is a show at that restaurant). For example, if your rotation is “Enchanted Garden, Rapunzel’s Table, Rapunzel’s Table, Animator’s Palate”, pick the third night, since it is the most likely to be a “standard” menu.

Keep in mind that the dinner rotations and timing of Animator’s Palate, Tiana’s, Rapunzel’s, Marvel or Arendelle shows are subject to change, and in our experience the folks at the Disney call center don’t always have accurate information about when the show will happen. The people actually on the ship know, so if you want to be sure your premium dining doesn’t happen on a dinner show night, go to Guest Services or the dining reservation location listed in the Navigator app on the first day of your cruise and ask. If there’s a conflict, they can either reschedule your premium dinner or put you on a different main dining rotation.

Alternate Dining Options

There are always plenty of options for food: check the Navigator app to know which restaurants are open at what times.

In the past, Disney has opened up the buffet area (Cabanas or Marceline Market) for dinner on most nights of the cruise (usually all but the first night), but as a table-service venue, not a buffet. There’s no specific time, you just show up and choose from a limited menu that includes some of the same foods served in the main dining rooms (but without all the hoopla). Of late they haven’t been doing it, but all indications are that this is a temporary post-pandemic measure because of logistics issues, so it could restart any time. If you’d prefer a quieter dinner at your own dining time, ask if it’s an option on your cruise.

There are fast-food locations up on the pool deck, serving kid-friendly fast food. We think the burgers and other sandwiches on a bun are edible, and the mini-wraps are quite good. The pizza is not a highlight – the toppings are fine, but the crust is sub-par, except on the Wish, where it is pretty good. The Wish also has a barbeque window, and a Mexican food window with choose-your-own ingredient bowls, tacos and burritos (think Chipotle), and both of those options are quite good. The fruit is fruit; nothing wrong with it. The soft-serve ice cream is not very creamy, but it makes a nice snack on a hot day, and they usually rotate in some unusual flavors like mango or strawberry over the course of the cruise.

On most ships, there are some small snacks available most of the day. In the adult coffee bar, there have generally been free mini-desserts available during the day, and little antipasto nibbles during the evening, but we didn’t see them on the Wish. In the adult lounge area on the lower decks, there is usually a (small) hot snack buffet available for part of the evening, either in the pub or the hallway between the various lounges. Usually there’s something like a build-your-own nacho bar, plus some sort of hot savory like pigs in a blanket or egg rolls. Again, this little mini-buffet has not been present on the Wish. In the pub on each ship, there are about 4-6 extra-cost hot snacks & entrees you can order. Typically at least one of the pool deck food stations will be open until midnight, usually pizza. From midnight until breakfast time (6:30 or so) room service is the only food option.

On Alaska cruises, there have usually been some snacks on the front of the ship on the pool deck on the glacier-viewing day , including hot soup in small bread bowls, cookies and hot cocoa. They also usually do a special barbecue lunch that day on the deck behind the buffet, typically sausage, fish, and steak. Sometimes they have been known to serve elk or another Alaska specialty. Make sure you go out to the deck to check it out; we met many people who had no idea the cookout was happening and just ate regular buffet food instead of the fresh-grilled options just a few steps away.

Concierge guests have access to snacks and beverages (bottled water, soft drinks, coffee drinks) in the concierge lounge.

Kids’ Meals

There are kid’s menu options at all the table-service meals , but children are not limited to eating from those menus. Your servers will bring your kids whatever they want, including full adult appetizers, meals and desserts, and in fact if there’s something on the ship they can get or make, they’ll usually try to accommodate you even if it’s not on the menu. In other words, if all your kids want is french fries, that’s not a problem, assuming you’re OK with it.

It’s worth noting that asking your server to bring you something from another restaurant is not a trivial undertaking . They will almost certainly do it, because they really want guests to be happy, but don’t spring a request on them unless you really can’t find anything else for your kids to eat. And if possible, let the service staff know early if your child has specific food issues. If they know in advance that your child will only eat french fries and chicken fingers, they can have those ready each night.

If you have kids in the Oceaneer Club, they will be offered lunch and dinner if they are in the Club at the appropriate time. There are not usually a lot of choices, but what they’ll offer is going to be pretty simple and kid-friendly, like chicken nuggets and apple slices.

Two key things to be aware of: one, they usually don’t serve the kids dinner on the first night of the cruise (the day of embarkation). So if you have Palo or Remy reservations for that night, you’ll need to feed your kids yourself. Fortunately that’s easy: all you have to do is get food for the kids before or after your reservation from one of the fast-food restaurants on the pool deck. Two: be aware of when the kids are served. Meal times may be too early for your liking if you leave your kids in the Club.

Also, keep in mind that the Disney crew members will not make your kids sit down to eat. They will make sure every child is informed that food is being served, but they can’t and won’t make your children stop playing to eat, and there is one opportunity to eat for each mealtime. There are no snacks served in the club between meal times. It’s a good idea when you pick up your kids to check if they ate and if they are hungry.

Dine and Play Program

Please note : The Dine and Play program is temporarily suspended, but may return at any time. Ask about it onboard if you’re interested.

The Dine and Play program allows children to get their meals quicker and adults to check in a child for Youth Activities without leaving the dining room. The Dine and Play program is offered for families assigned to second dining, and is open to children ages 3-12. 

Here’s how it works: You arrive in the dining room and inform the server that your child would like to participate in Dine and Play. The dining room team brings the child’s meal first while serving the adults at a more leisurely pace.

About 45 minutes after seating begins, Youth Activities Counselors arrive in the dining room and sign in the child to Disney’s Oceaneer Club, eliminating the need for you to escort the child to Deck 5.

Adults are then able to enjoy the full dining experience with the knowledge that their children are having a great time in a safe, fun and comfortable environment.

Alternative approach: You can ask your server to feed the kids as fast as possible, and then have an adult walk them over to the kids club and check them in. It only takes a few minutes to get to the club and back. Some parents have told us their kids prefer this method over using Dine & Play, as you can get the kids to the club whenever they’re ready and there’s less waiting around.

Room Service

Room service is not a strong suit on Disney Cruise Line. The food, in our experience, is merely adequate. It is free (though a tip is welcomed) and convenient, though. Selection is mostly very basic and very middle-American: sandwiches, basic soups, chicken wings, a few salads, a cheese plate, burger, pizza or topped flatbreads. 

If the buffet or top deck restaurants are open, we suggest sending someone to the buffet or top deck instead of ordering room service . The selection in the buffet is much better and the food better prepared. The top deck restaurants have a more limited selection, but sending someone to the top deck for food has always resulted in hotter, fresher food when we’ve done it. That said, if you’re worn out, or come back really late from a port excursion, it’s nice to know they will bring you food any time.

Mickey bars (Mickey head shaped ice cream bars) and Smuckers Uncrustables (packaged peanut butter & jelly sandwiches) are not on the menu, but have usually been available on request.

Special orders are limited , but if you want something simple that is not on the menu, but is made with components used in items that are on the menu, such as a grilled cheese sandwich, plain salad without dressing, plain hamburger patty with no bun or just an order of french fries, they will usually make that for you on request.

Room service breakfast in the regular staterooms is a very basic Continental offering of various baked goods, cereal, milk, hot drinks and juice. There is nothing hot and no real protein, so if you like eggs and bacon in the morning, head for the buffet or whichever dining room is serving breakfast (it’s listed in the Disney Cruise Navigator app). We do sometimes use room service to get coffee delivered in the morning. Though lately we just have them deliver hot water, because we prefer the Starbucks Via packets to the ship’s reconstituted coffee product.

Guests in concierge staterooms and suites can order dinner from the rotation restaurants during regular dinner hours . Ask your concierge staff for a menu. All courses of your meal are brought at once, which doesn’t do good things for the quality of the meal, but it’s still better than the regular room service offerings. Concierge level guests can order hot breakfasts in their suites and staterooms during the cruise.

Many common beverages (including sodas) are available FREE most of the time , but there are situations where you could be charged for them. Here are the basic rules:

• The self-service drink station on the pool deck offers milk , juice , tea (hot or iced) , coffee, hot cocoa , lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  at no extra charge 24 hours a day.
• The dining rooms (including Palo, Remy and Enchanté) offer milk , juice , tea (hot or iced) , coffee , hot cocoa ,  lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  at no extra charge with meals. All other drinks can be ordered, but cost money.
• Castaway Cay offers milk , juice , tea (iced only) , lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  for free. All other cold drinks (except iced espresso drinks) can be ordered at a bar, but cost money. No hot drinks are available. 
• Room service offers milk , juice , tea (hot or iced), plain water and  coffee free. All other drinks cost money. 
• All bars (including espresso bars) charge for all beverages , except plain tap water.
• Bottled water, canned and bottled soda and soft drinks , alcoholic beverages , mocktails , smoothies, shakes  and espresso drinks (and related drinks like chai lattes) always cost money no matter where you order them.
• The fountain sodas are all Coca-Cola products (which could change any time, but Coca-Cola has had a strong partnership with Disney for many years). The bars have a wider selection of canned and bottled beverages available, at a charge.

Consider bringing your own bottled water if you think you’ll drink a lot of it on shore excursions, Castaway Cay, etc. Bottled water on the ship or Castaway Cay is expensive. Consider packing a small carry-on suitcase with just bottled water. Then on the way home you’ll have room for all those things you didn’t plan to buy. (If you are staying on concierge level on the Dream or Fantasy, bottled water is provided in the lounge without cost.)

Disney allows each adult to bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or six 12 oz beers onboard at embarkation and at each port visited. Bottles must be sealed and they must be in your carry-on luggage.  Spirits (rum, vodka, whiskey, etc.) are not allowed (they will be confiscated and given back to you at disembarkation).

Sealed bottles or cans of non-alcoholic beverages can be carried on in any amount that will fit through the x-ray machines (carry-on bag sized, in other words). As for coolers, Disney officially says that you can only take aboard small (12″ x 12″ x 12″ max) soft-sided coolers for keeping things like insulin and breast milk cold. In practice, soft coolers can be any size that’s small enough to fit through the x-ray machine (again, basically the size of a carry-on bag), but no hard-sided or wheeled coolers.

Disney, like all other cruise lines, does not allow any beverages in checked bags , because checked baggage is stacked up and handled roughly during the loading process, which could cause containers of liquids to break and/or leak onto other people’s luggage. They do screen for those items. If they find disallowed items, the items will be confiscated and given back at the end of the cruise.

Coffee and Tea

Regular American-style coffee on Disney ships is unfortunately not good. The “drip” coffee they serve throughout the ship is made in a machine that looks vaguely like a coffee urn, but actually produces instant coffee on demand by mixing liquid concentrate and hot water. When it’s made in a properly-calibrated machine it tastes like OK instant coffee (not as good as Starbucks Via, but better than Folger’s Crystals). If the machine is out of calibration, it can be really weak or very strong.

If you like your coffee with cream and sugar or just aren’t picky about coffee, you may be fine with the reconstituted coffee . If you like quality coffee, you may want to order espresso drinks (at extra cost), which are available at most bars and sit-down restaurants and at the bar in the Wish, Dream & Fantasy’s buffets. You might also consider bringing Starbucks Via packets if you like them. In our experience the Via is much better than the reconstituted stuff.

If you’re a tea drinker, the news is better: there are a wide variety of Twinings tea bags (regular and herbal) at the main deck drink stations and in the dining rooms. And in the dining rooms, they almost always serve tea properly, with acceptably hot water and a small pitcher of milk upon request.

The iced tea served everywhere is unsweetened reconstituted iced tea from a soda machine (Fuze brand from Coca-Cola), but you can make your own iced tea by brewing fresh hot tea and adding ice and water, and that is much better. Our recipe: put two regular black tea bags in a cup of hot water, steep three minutes, stir in sugar if desired, then pour over a full cup of ice. Add water to taste.

Most bars on the ship have espresso machines , including the adults-only Cove Cafe on the pool deck and the all-ages Promenade Lounge on deck 3 (Wonder & Magic), Vista Café on deck 4 (Dream & Fantasy), and all bars and lounges on the Wish. Espresso is also available in the main dining rooms, the premium restaurants, and the Dream, Fantasy and Wish buffets. All espresso drinks cost extra, generally about the same price as on land. If you are a regular consumer of espresso drinks, be sure to get a coffee card. Each time you buy a latte, cappucino, etc. they will mark the card. Your sixth beverage is FREE! If you don’t fill your card during the cruise, hold onto it — it can be used on a future cruise, even on a different Disney ship!

Wine Packages and Refillable Beer Mug

Disney doesn’t have any “all you can drink” packages available. You don’t really need one for sodas, since they’re included (except at bars). Alcohol and other specialty beverages are always a la carte. There are, however, two programs that could save you some money (albeit with a few caveats).

Wine Packages

This is an opportunity to pre-pay for a certain number of bottles of wine, which you can enjoy at any of the sit-down restaurants. If you don’t finish one, you can get it recorked for the next night (and they’ll take it to the next restaurant in the rotation, or you can get it brought to you at Palo, Remy or Enchanté), or you can take it with you to your room. If you don’t end up drinking them all, you can take the remainder home. Your server will usually suggest buying one bottle per cruise night, but you can buy more or less if you like. The wines are all from a set list, which changes from time to time, and usually includes about 10-12 white wines and 8-10 red wines. There are two tiers, with the more expensive one including fancier bottles of wine. The wines on the list change regularly, but we think the choices are all pretty good, with a few real winners on each list. Disney pushes these packages aggressively: a brochure will be on the table your first night, and one of your servers will offer a sales pitch the first night.

We went to the trouble a few years ago to price out all the wines on the list and compare to the average cost per bottle from the packages . The price per bottle in the packages was about $2-3 cheaper than the average price of the bottles included in the package. However, the packages typically have only 5-7 selections that sell for more than the average price, and 12-15 selections that sell for less than the average price. So if you pick random bottles from the list, you’re very likely to end up spending more (or at least not much less) by buying the package. To come out ahead, you have to consistently order from the few bottles that are higher priced.

Frankly, our opinion is that it’s not worth the trouble, at least as a money-saving strategy . If buying your dinner wine in advance will help you relax, then go ahead; you certainly won’t lose much money unless you happen to always pick the cheapest wine on the list. And if you really love a particular wine or wines that you know are higher-priced, and you plan to only drink those, the plan will save you a few bucks per bottle.

Refillable Beer Mug

This is a large 21 oz glass souvenir beer mug that you can buy at any bar for $17 (last we checked). When you get it filled (at any bar or restaurant), you get 21 ounces for the price of a 16 ounce draft beer. One nice thing is that you don’t have to cart the mug around; they’ll give you a little token you can trade for a mug at any time. So you give the token to your server and get a mug of beer, and when you’re done you can give them the mug and ask for the token back. At the end of the cruise, just stop by any bar to get a nice clean mug to take home. The selection of draft beers is pretty good, and in addition to the standard American beers, there are always a few craft beers like Widmer or Full Sail and even sometimes a cider like Strongbow. (Disney Cruise Line advertises this as a 21 oz glass, but we heard from a reader who measured it and found it actually held 20 oz when filled to the rim.)

Purely as a money-saving strategy, it’s hard to get your money’s worth out of the mug unless you really like beer. However, if you like the idea of having a Disney Cruise Line souvenir beer mug, and the price seems reasonable, then the extra beer is basically FREE. Make sure to tell your spouse that when you buy it.

Disembarkation Day

Breakfast is served on the day of disembarkation. In fact, you’ll have an assigned restaurant and time for breakfast for disembarkation, or you can choose to eat at the buffet instead. It will be a much smaller selection than during the cruise: welcome back to the real world!

Regular guests do not have access to room service on disembarkation morning. Concierge level guests can order a standard Continental breakfast from room service on disembarkation morning.

Most kids find the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, for ages 3-10, to be the best part of a Disney cruise. There is a lot to do, with great hands-on organized activities going on all the time.

Signing in and out is a relatively easy process considering what needs to be done to protect the children. However, you may have to wait in line either to drop them off or pick them up. Plan at least 5 minutes for the pick up or drop off process. If your children are 8 years old or older, they can be given the ability to sign themselves in and out on their own.

The Navigator app will tell you what’s happening and where your kids are at any given time. Check the app to see if your children will be out of the Club at the time you want to sign them out – for instance, they could be up on the deck playing basketball. Using the app to plan will save you a wasted trip. Also, when the kids are moving from one location to another, they will not allow you to sign them in or out, so there can be a 10-15 minute window where you have to wait.

You can keep your child signed in to the Oceaneer Club while at Castaway Cay. They will take the kids off the ship to special play areas for supervised games and activities throughout the day. If you do this, be sure to bring your phone with you. The Wi-Fi covers much of Castaway Cay and the app tends to work OK. But if you want your kids to join you for some time on the island, make sure you know their schedule of activities. They eat lunch fairly early, and are taken back to the ship before the beach closes.

Edge is the “tween” club for ages 11-14. Vibe is the teen club for ages 14-17. A 14-year-old can access both Edge and Vibe, but they will have to register for both. Disney will sometimes be slightly flexible about the age groups for these clubs, and will sometimes allow a child that is a little younger than the target age into the older teen club if they have space in the club your child wants to attend, especially if they have a friend or sibling in the older club. This is not guaranteed, but it’s worth asking.

The Disney Cruise offers many opportunities to meet characters . You will see most of the popular characters at some point or another on the Disney Cruise. Greeting times are available in the Navigator app. The lines for character greetings usually start forming about 15 minutes before the scheduled greeting time, so if you can get there 10 minutes beforehand, you won’t have a long wait once the characters arrive.

Some popular character meetings and meals may require advance booking . There’s no charge for the character meetings, but certain breakfasts or teas with characters may have an additional fee. You should book these as early as you can online; the bookings open on the same schedule as  booking excursions and Palo/Remy/Enchanté . You can also call or stop by guest services on the first day and ask about tickets; they may hold back some slots for onboard booking. Thanks to Sarah B and Rachel P for info.

Bring your kids’ Disney costumes, if they have any. The cruise is a great opportunity to get pictures of your daughter dressed as Belle with the “real” Belle herself, without her having to wear the costume all day.

If you’re on a 7-night cruise, you may have an assigned Character Breakfast on one of the days of the cruise. You’ll get a chance for photos with all the main Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie!

Most of the character greetings will include a Disney professional photographer , so if your own photo doesn’t turn out you can still buy a memento from Shutters, the onboard photo location.

Read our tips, tricks and discounts on Port Excursions !

The list below is mostly based on reader suggestions. We have to admit, we have taken Disney cruises at various times without these, and everything went just fine. So don’t go too crazy with overpacking! But some of these are good ideas for specific needs.

• Water shoes – Always a good idea if you’ll be snorkeling or wading where there are coral reefs and sharp rocks. Also handy to protect your feet on hot sand, concrete or the pool deck; the sun can make the deck very hot and you’ll want some of these or some simple flip-flops while hanging around the pool. You can wear water shoes that are secure and not likely to come off on the AquaDuck, AquaMouse and AquaDunk, but flip-flops or water shoes that slip off easily will need to be stowed before riding.
• Safe Sea lotion – This is a lotion that protects against jellyfish, sea nettle, and seabather’s eruption , caused by jellyfish larvae that are sometimes called “sea lice.” There is actual independent research that backs this up – we’ve read it and are satisfied that it works. We want to reassure people that large jellyfish are kept out of the lagoon at Castaway Cay by netting under the water, so we’ve never heard of anyone getting a serious sting there, but people do occasionally get seabather’s eruption. At other beaches in the Bahamas and Caribbean jellyfish stings are not common, but they do happen. The peak season for jellyfish is summer (June-August) and they’re rare in winter. We actually had a very minor issue with seabather’s eruption on one trip to Castaway Cay (on some skin that didn’t have lotion; we failed to note that you need to apply some underneath the swimsuit for full protection), and we can attest that while it’s not the end of the world, it’s quite unpleasant and worth avoiding. Certainly the lotion is a cheap form of insurance, and there are formulations that include sunscreen, which you’ll need anyway. Another option is to bring some jellyfish after-sting gel  just in case, or some sources recommend hydrocortisone cream or antihistamine cream .
• Body Powder – If you’ve ever tried to wipe beach sand off your body, you know it tends to stick in an annoying manner. It turns out it sticks to your skin because of residual moisture, and if you just rub your skin with water-absorbent powder (i.e. scented cornstarch), the sand drops right off. We used to recommend a very useful little mitt that contained cornstarch-based body powder for wiping off sand. Apparently that mitt isn’t made any more, but you can get the same effect by just sprinkling the powder on a towel and wiping with that. Do make sure you’re getting plain cornstarch powder, or at least talc-free powder. Talc is not good to breathe.
• Robe – if you like to wear one in your room, you’ll need to bring your own unless you’re in a concierge room. Some people have had luck asking their stateroom attendant, but it’s not guaranteed they can get you one.
• Pop-up Hamper – We like the rectangular kind with a circular opening on the top, as opposed to the ones that look like a big round cloth-covered spring. The squarer ones seem to hold their shape better. They only weigh 8 ounces, fold down to a small circle, and fit nicely into hotel and stateroom closets.
• Dry box/case – Basically, a small waterproof box or pouch on a lanyard. Used by scuba divers and snorkelers, these are handy for any beach visit, because you can keep your ID and some money around your neck, instead of sticking valuables in your shoe and leaving them on the beach (yeah, everyone knows about THAT hiding place!)
• Clothespins – These have a variety of uses, from weighing down a shower curtain that wants to stick to you, to anchoring your beach towel to a lounge chair. You can clip your curtains together if you want to minimize light leakage in the morning. Oh, and you can use them to hang laundry up to dry, too (there’s a retractable clothesline in the bathtub).
• Night light – Particularly if you are staying in one of the Inside cabins on the Magic, Wonder or Wish, this is nice to have. It’s pitch black in those rooms when the lights are off. If you don’t want to use up a wall plug, you can get a USB light that plugs into an empty USB charger port. (It’ll also work in a laptop USB port, but not all laptops keep power to the USB ports when they go to sleep, so you’d want to check that first.) An LED flashlight or headlamp can also be handy if you need to get up in the middle of the night and don’t want to turn on lights.
• Magnets – The stateroom doors are metal (except for the doors in the concierge section of the Dream and Fantasy). You can stick magnets on them to decorate your door, and it makes it easier for your children (and you) to identify your room. Don’t bring anything you can’t bear to lose: these do get taken sometimes. Please note that you are not allowed to use any type of adhesive on your door, including removable gel adhesives that supposedly come off clean. You will be charged for any damage to the door.
• Multi-USB charger – When we have a lot of things to charge while travelling, normally we bring a  travel power strip , but as mentioned below, power strips are generally not allowed on Disney ships. Now we bring a multi-charger, which can charge 4 or more devices from one outlet. We’ve used Anker brand as well as Amazon Basics, and they’ve both been perfectly fine. You’ll need to also bring the USB cable for each device. We’d recommend getting at least a 40W model if you have anything more than just a phone or two. A 60W model typically has six outlets and might be just the thing if you have a lot of tablets and phones to charge, or you want a spare port to plug a USB night light into. Note that on the Magic and Wonder, they’ve installed a few more USA-type power outlets near the desk, and there are a couple of USB charging ports at the desk and on the alarm clock next to the bed. The Wish staterooms have tons of USB charging outlets at the desk and next to the bed, including two USB-C ports, so you can probably get by without a USB charger on that ship.
• Irons are NOT ALLOWED as they are a fire hazard. Fire is a huge danger on cruise ships. If you take an iron it will be confiscated from your luggage. Irons are available for your use in the laundry rooms.
• Rolls of quarters – In the past, these were needed for the self-service laundry onboard, but now you just swipe your room key for use of the washer, dryer, soap and dryer sheets. The cost is charged to your account.
• Over-the-door shoe organizer – Some people have used these to store toiletries or other small items. Disney now asks that you do NOT use them as they “scratch and/or disfigure stateroom doors and trim.” You will be charged for any damage.
• Seasickness medication – Unless you KNOW you get seasick on cruise ships, don’t bother bringing this. If you do get queasy, the ship’s health center or the guest services desk will give you FREE over the counter medication (generic meclizine, the ingredient in Bonine or non-drowsy Dramamine). If you get super-queasy the health center can get you prescription medication (for a fee).
• Beach towels – They are provided when you get off the ship on beach days.
• Power/outlet strip – These are not allowed on the ship. MouseSavers.com reader Christina N reports: “… they confiscated these from my bag and from others. They do not allow them as it blows circuits in the room.” Technically, they only ban extension cords, and power strips with surge protectors, but in practice people have reported having just about any kind of multi-outlet strip or adapter confiscated, because the people doing the screening don’t want to figure out whether your power strip is one of the “bad” ones. One thing not many people know is that there’s an open outlet behind the TV in most cabins on the Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy. The TVs are on a pivoting arm, so it’s easy to pull them out and expose the spare plug. Many smartphones and smaller tablets can be charged through a USB cable connected to a laptop, so if you take a USB cable you’ll only need one outlet, to plug in the laptop. Or you might want to pack a multi-USB charger like the ones mentioned above. And over time Disney has been adding USB charging ports to the outlets near the desk, so you might not need a power strip depending on how many devices you have.
• Extension cords – the only extension cords allowed on the ship are ones you can borrow from Guest Services ($50 deposit required; refunded when you return the cord). There are a limited number and availability is first-come, first-served. If you need one for a CPAP or other medical device, one will be made available, but all of the ships now have a plug next to the bed, so you shouldn’t need an extension for a CPAP. On the Wish, there are US-style plugs next to one side of the bed, and a European plug on the other side. So if you have a CPAP or other device that goes next to the bed, and you really prefer to sleep on a specific side, make sure you have the correct plug adapter and your CPAP power supply handles both 110 and 220 volt current (almost all of them do, but you should check).
• Hairdryer (maybe) – Hairdryers are provided, but the ones provided might not be up to your standards. If you’re not picky, don’t bother packing one.
• High chair / booster seat – Both are provided on request in the dining room.
• Pack and play crib – These are provided onboard (request when booking your cruise).
• Stroller (maybe) – There are some strollers available to borrow onboard (deposit required) and on Castaway Cay. However, there are a limited number and it’s first-come, first-served. If you have a little one, it’s not a bad idea to bring a small umbrella stroller along.

During the day and most evenings on the Disney Cruise Line, you can wear casual clothing. At dinner, you are asked to stick to “cruise casual.” Most men wear a collared shirt (aloha shirts and golf/polo shirts are fine) and long pants (chinos or dress slacks) or nice shorts. Most women wear a skirt, dress, nice pants or dressy capris. Disney requests no swimwear or tank tops at dinner, but in practice, dressier tank-style tops will usually be acceptable. People who show up to the main dining rooms in swimsuits are almost always asked to change.

There are times when dressing up to some extent is either required or encouraged:

• When having dinner at Palo, Remy or Enchanté, the dress code is basically “business casual plus.” Men are required to wear long pants suitable for professional work (which could include “nice” jeans), collared shirts and dressier shoes. Some men wear suits or even tuxedos. Women can wear pretty much anything “nice” that isn’t swimwear, casual t-shirts, shorts or sportswear. Semi-formal or even formal wear would not be out of place. At Brunch or Tea at either restaurant, the dress code is “cruise casual,” which basically means no shorts, swimsuits, tank tops or flip-flops.
• On 4-night or longer cruises, there will be one or two “optional dress up” nights that you can interpret how you will. Dressing up is not required, but some folks will make an effort to change for dinner. On our most recent Disney cruises we’ve seen a handful of tuxedos on dress-up nights and a few dozen men wearing jackets. A fair number of women were dressed in nicer outfits. Lots and lots of people were just in normal “cruise casual” outfits, so if you don’t like to dress up don’t feel like you’re under any obligation to do so. On the other hand, if you like to dress up, it’s a great opportunity. The crew and the Disney characters will be in nicer clothes, there will be photo stations where you can get a picture of the whole family in nice outfits, and you won’t feel overdressed in a gown or tux.
• Some people like to wear dressy or semi-formal clothing on the nights when they dine in Lumiere’s (Magic), Triton’s (Wonder) or Royal Palace/Royal Court (Dream or Fantasy), since those are the restaurants with the fanciest theming but this is not by any means required.
• Similarly, a few people like to dress in 1920’s inspired clothes when dining in 1923 on the Disney Wish. This is just a fun thing to do and not in any way required.

Where to Buy Disney Cruise Wear

If you’re looking for Disney-themed casual cruise wear (aloha shirts, etc.), a good place to look is DisneyStore.com . Unfortunately they only offer resort wear on a seasonal basis (usually spring and summer), but even in the winter it’s always worth looking to see if they have anything in the sale section.

DisneyStore.com  carries a significant amount of Disney Cruise Line clothing and other logo merchandise as well.

• See current discounts and offers for DisneyStore.com.

Your phone should still be able to reach a tower on land as long as the ship is in port, but once you are at sea, we strongly advise you to turn off international roaming and data roaming, to avoid having your phone accidentally use the “Cellular@Sea” service, which is very expensive. You can (and should) leave wi-fi turned on, so you can use Disney’s Navigator App to see the current schedules and menus and so forth.

You can also use the Disney Navigator App on your own phone to send messages to other people in your party. To get message notifications as quickly as possible, make sure that notifications are enabled for the Disney Navigator app, as well as background updates. Basically in our experience, the Navigator app needs to have all permissions set to “on,” including Location, Bluetooth, Notifications, and Background Update. You can (and perhaps should) turn those off again once your cruise has ended.

If you absolutely must use your phone to call or text while at sea, service may be available on Disney ships through the “Cellular@Sea” service. It is a very expensive form of international roaming and the ship must be 8 to 10 miles out to sea before you can access it. Most phones will just connect to Cellular@Sea without needing any special setup, but be aware that the service includes phone, text messaging, and data . If your phone is set to auto-update, you could end up on the hook for a large data charge because it decided to download a 100MB game update or something. Definitely turn off your cellular data, or set it to not use cellular data when roaming.

US phones will work in most international ports if you have turned on international roaming. You might need to arrange with your provider for that feature to be turned on in advance, but most providers have it set up by default. Depending on your provider, roaming may be very expensive (potentially over $2 per minute, and $10 or more per megabyte of data). Check with your provider for special international roaming packages, which may save you money if you plan to use your phone a lot.

Wireless internet service is available on all Disney ships . All internet is over satellite, and you shouldn’t expect speeds or responsiveness similar to what you get on land, though it’s usually good enough to send messages and emails and use Facebook and other social media.

Internet service on Disney ships is paid for by the day, and is theoretically “unlimited .” It’s pretty fast for cruise ship internet, but still slower than most land-based systems. You’re sharing bandwidth with all the other passengers and crew, so right after you leave a port, expect the internet to crawl as everyone starts posting pictures of their excursions to social media. If you have cellular internet service that works in that country (and is reasonably priced), you may want to post your pictures before you leave port via cellular rather than via wi-fi. If your cellular is flaky, get to the top deck and walk over to the side of the ship closest to land. Alternatively, wait until dinner time, when the wi-fi speeds will pick up considerably.

Prices are (so far) pretty reasonable for cruise ship internet, with a basic single-device plan that lets you use Facebook and similar apps (but not email or web) for $16/day (when purchased for the whole cruise), a fancier plan that includes email and web (but no streaming) for $24/day, and a premium plan that includes music streaming for $34/day. Video streaming is not supported on any plan , so no Netflix or Hulu. Plans cost a little more if you only buy a plan for individual days rather than the whole cruise, and there is a small discount for adding additional devices.

Spa: Treatments, Products and Fitness Center

Spa treatments are very popular and fill up early , so book them as early as you can . If you’re not able to get an appointment before you embark, go to the Spa when you get onboard and you’ll probably be able to arrange one in person.

We don’t recommend having any spa treatments done on the first (embarkation) day , because people are touring the Spa all afternoon and evening, making it busy and not very relaxing. It’s a good day to set up your future appointments, but not as good for actually having treatments done.

The changing rooms in the spa have fluffy robes for your use. Sadly, the robes are all “one size fits most” and aren’t big enough for many people. You then can choose a locker that contains a clean pair of spa sandals. The lockers allow you to set your own combination for secure storage of your personal items. We don’t find the sandals they provide very comfortable (again, they’re “one size fits most”), so we just wear a clean pair of sandals or flip-flops to our spa appointment.

You can change into your robe in the open locker room or in one of the toilet cubicles. Once you’re in your robe and sandals, an attendant will escort you to a quiet waiting room, where you can enjoy some water while you wait for your treatment. After your treatment you’ll be escorted back to the locker room, where you can use one of the spacious showers if you wish. Basic toiletries, disposable combs, etc. are provided. On the Dream and Fantasy, there is a dry sauna in the locker room that you can enjoy after your treatment for no additional charge.

If you are considering a Cabana Massage on Castaway Cay, here are a few things to consider first:

• The cabanas are rustic. There is no running water in them, so your massage therapist cannot wash her hands during your treatment. There is no air conditioning (there is a ceiling fan) or heat so it can be unpleasantly hot in the summer and uncomfortably cool in the winter.
• Your feet and lower legs will almost certainly be covered with sand by the time you get to the cabana, and there’s really no facility for removing it. (There is an outdoor shower near the waiting area, but you’ll then proceed across the sand to the cabana… you’ll get sandy again, trust us.) So the sand inevitably becomes part of the treatment. How you feel about having sandy oil rubbed into your skin is a matter of preference. And remember, the massage oil dissolves any sunscreen you’re wearing, so you’ll need to reapply it afterward, which enters the mix with the sand.
• When you envision this experience, you might think you would be relaxing to the sound of the ocean waves. Nope. The cabanas are located right above the lounge chairs along the beach (though visually separated by some plants), so you will hear the chatter of people sitting right below you.
• The Cabana Massage is billed as featuring “breathtaking views of Serenity Bay.” Well, that’s true for the massage therapist, but you’ll be lying on a table, and you won’t see the scenery from there.
• The Cabana Massage is more expensive than a regular massage in the ship’s spa, yet in many ways you are getting less for your money. If you have a massage on the ship, you’ll have access to showers, a locker room, robes and sandals, etc. With the Cabana Massages, you get none of that.

The Rainforest

The Rainforest is a lovely, relaxing co-ed spa area on each ship.

• On the Magic and Wonder , the Rainforest includes three tiled steam rooms (each a different temperature), some open showers with different scented “rain” programs and a few heated loungers.
• On the Dream and Fantasy , the Rainforest has a dry sauna, a hot steam room and a hammam (a large, tiled steam room that is less hot than the regular steam room), four scented showers with multiple “rain” programs, numerous heated loungers with views of the sea and two hot tubs on a private deck overlooking the water.
• On the Wish , the Rainforest has a dry sauna, hammam, a cryotherapy (cold) room, showers with rain programs, heated loungers, and a nice sun deck ( much larger than the one on the Dream & Fantasy) with two hot tubs and plenty of sun beds. The sun deck is tucked into the nose of the ship, one deck below the promenade, so there’s no ocean view, but you can see the sky and relax in the sun or the shade according to your preference.

You can purchase a day pass or a longer pass for the length of your cruise. A limited number of passes are sold on each sailing. Tip: the Rainforest Room is closed until around 5 on embarkation day, so you won’t typically get a lot of usage on the first day of the cruise. You may find it’s a better deal just to pay day-by-day, or ask if you can buy a shorter pass. The single-day passes for the sea day(s) will go first, followed by the full-cruise passes. A pass for the Castaway Cay day or other port day might be available same day, and could be a good alternative if you’re not interested in that port.

When you want to use the Rainforest, just tell the front desk staff at the spa and they’ll give you a wristband that opens the door to the Rainforest area. They will hold your room key while you are in the Rainforest. You then proceed to the locker room, where you can choose a locker and get a robe and sandals, if desired. A swimsuit must be worn since the Rainforest is mixed-gender.

Towels and drinking water are provided.

The spas on the Disney ships are operated by Steiner, a huge British spa company that runs spas for cruise lines and resorts. The staff do a great job performing the spa treatments, but Steiner trains them to offer product upsells at every reasonable opportunity. The result is that they almost always give cruise passengers a sales pitch on spa products. The products themselves are fine, but they are expensive and getting a sales pitch after your relaxing treatment can be annoying.

You’ll be given a “health form” before your treatment, asking about various health issues. Any issues you write on that form are used to help them sell you stuff (“Oh, I see you have very dry skin. You should try this cream.”). For that reason, unless you have an allergy or injury that directly affects your treatment , we recommend leaving the form as blank as possible .

Some people have tried writing “no sales pitch” on the form, but that is frequently ignored. Here are some other approaches we’ve used with success:

• A polite and friendly “no thank you” when they start showing the products or going through their list of recommendations is our first line of defense. That’s often the end of it! But if they start offering a second sales pitch, we make a concerned/confused face, pause for a moment, and say, again politely, “I’m really not interested, thanks.” The subtext you want to get across is that by not paying attention to your clear and polite “no,” they’re running the risk of affecting your overall satisfaction, with all that implies about things like tips and guest comment cards. You don’t need to make this explicit; the concerned face and second “no” usually does the trick.
• If they start the sales pitch while we are getting a relaxation treatment such as a massage or wrap, we usually just stay silent. We keep our  eyes closed and don’t respond to questions. Usually they quit talking, because it becomes quite awkward for them. But if they persist, we say politely, “Sorry, I’m trying to relax, and silence really helps me with that. Thanks!”
• If we are getting a haircut or pedicure, it’s harder to ignore the sales pitch. So instead we act very enthusiastic about every product they are pushing. Usually they’ll use one or more of the products on us during the service. If they offer samples we take them, with sincere thanks. When we go to check out, there is always a big stack of “suggested” products at the front desk. When they ask us what we’ll be buying, we say “oh, I want to see how the stuff I tried today works out, so I’m not buying anything right now.”
• Remember that no matter what happens, you can always change your mind about the add-on products when you check out. Until you sign the purchase slip, you haven’t purchased anything. Just say, “after thinking it over, I don’t need any products right now. Could you take these off the bill? Thanks.”

Fitness Center

A well-equipped Fitness Center can be accessed through the Spa on all of the ships. It’s usually open from early morning to fairly late – check the Navigator for specific hours. There is no charge to use the Fitness Center. The locker rooms, sauna and showers for the Fitness Center are shared with the Spa. Towels, robes and water are provided, and you can borrow an iPod shuffle if you don’t have your own iPod with you.

You never are expected to add any extra tip over and above the automatic gratuity amounts, which are listed below . You may , if you wish, add more, and you can even adjust certain tips down if you feel it’s warranted. Many people add extra gratuities purely because the service staff on a Disney cruise are extremely helpful and work very hard, but again, no one should ever make you feel like you are required to tip more.

Disney provides suggested tip amounts for the crew members who will assist you throughout the week: your server (takes your food orders for each dinner), assistant server (takes your drink orders at each dinner and delivers the food), head server (in charge of the overall dinner experience, special dietary requests and special occasions), and stateroom host/hostess (takes care of your room). As on all cruise lines, tips are the primary source of income for people working in these positions.

The suggested gratuities for your servers and stateroom host are automatically added to your stateroom bill. If you want to adjust the amount, you can go to Guest Services. Toward the end of the cruise you will be provided with slips indicating the tip amounts, which you can present to your servers during your last dinner on the cruise and leave in your room for your stateroom host. (They will get the money in their accounts whether you give them the slips or not, it’s purely a symbolic way of thanking them for their service. Don’t feel you need to do it if you don’t enjoy that kind of interaction.)

If you are staying in a concierge room, a separate form is provided to add tip for the concierge staff, with a suggested “average” tip amount. You can use your discretion to adjust it up or down based on how much help they provided your family. 

If you dine at Palo, Remy or Enchanté, many people add an additional tip to the per-person charge, though the basic charge is considered by Disney to cover the gratuity.

An automatic gratuity is added to all beverages ordered in bars and lounges; soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and bottled water from room service; and alcoholic beverages/smoothies/bottled water ordered in the dining room. There will also be a line where you can add an additional tip at your discretion.

You can add room service tips to your room bill. Even if your order costs nothing, you’ll be asked to sign a slip, and there is a space for tips on that slip. A dollar or two per item ordered is pretty common, but entirely optional.

You are allowed to give tips to crew members in cash, if you like, and they’re happy to take it in any major currency. If you have a meaningful amount of foreign currency (more than a few dollars worth) after your cruise that you’re unlikely to use anytime in the near future, feel free to leave it for your room host in addition to the automatic gratuity; they’ll be happy to get it.

As the skippers say on the world-famous Jungle Cruise, “You all have been outstanding on this cruise, but now I need you out standing on the dock!” Sadly, your cruise will eventually have to end, and Disney needs to get a few thousand people and their bags off the ship in the space of about 3 hours, so “efficiency” is the word of the day.

A few days before the end of your cruise you should be reminded to check the disembarkation instructions in the Navigator app , and you might get a paper form listing your specific disembarkation instructions. Disembarkation can feel very complicated and rushed, but it’s not that bad once you know how it works.

The first important decision is whether you want Disney to take your big luggage off the ship for you. If you have a lot of bags, or they’re unwieldy, you probably are going to want to have the bags moved for you, but if you can handle your own bags in one trip, that makes things immensely less complicated. These days we always choose to handle our own bags, but there are times we wonder whether it’d be easier to have Disney do it, usually when we’re wrestling our big roller bags down the gangplank. It’s worth trying it both ways if you go on multiple cruises, because you never can tell which one will feel easiest for you.

Whether or not you handle your own bags, you’re supposed to be completely out of your room on the final morning by 8:00 am so they can start cleaning and resetting it for the next guests (sometimes this time can change depending on the disembarkation port – check the sheet they give you or the app to make sure). This can make things logistically complicated, since if you want to do a table-service breakfast, it will be on a fixed schedule based on whether you are on the early or late dinner seating. The first breakfast seating starts early enough to get done before 8:00 am, but the later one does not. So if you plan to do table-service breakfast and you’re on late seating, you will have to take your luggage with you. Most people on late seating line up their bags in the hallway leading to the dining room. Don’t worry, no one will take your bags; your fellow guests are all far too tired. You can take smaller bags into the dining room and park them next to the table as long as they aren’t in the servers’ way. If you are planning an early breakfast in the buffet or you’re having sit-down breakfast on the earlier seating, you can just leave your bags in your room and then come back and retrieve them by 8:00 am.

Option 1: Disney Handles Your Bags

If you decide to have Disney haul your big bags to the terminal, then you’ll need to put most of your bags out the night before (typically by 10:30 pm – check the app to make sure). You need to hang on to at least one or two small bags to hold the stuff you can’t pack early, like toiletries and your pajamas. Make sure not to pack the clothes you’ll need to wear the next morning! You’ll get a set of luggage tags to put on the bags you’re putting out, and there will be a guide showing roughly when each group of bags will be ready to pick up in the terminal. For example, if you have bag tag “Donald Duck”, the sheet might say that your bags will be ready between 8:30-8:45 am. If you need to leave early to catch an flight or something, make sure you’ve got the earliest time they can give you. You can go to Guest Services to change your bag group if needed. On disembarkation morning, they will make periodic announcements about every 15 minutes, as each set of bags gets delivered to the terminal. They ask that you not leave the ship until your bag group gets called.

If you’re out of the room, but they still haven’t called your bag group, you’ll need to find somewhere to wait . In our experience, the lounges in the adult area of the ship are the most likely to have empty seats available, especially the main adult show lounge on the Magic, Wonder, Dream & Fantasy (Fathoms/Azure/Evolution/The Tube). Those are on deck 3, so you can just walk to the atrium when your group is called. On the Wish, there are fewer options on deck 3, so you may end up needing to go to another deck or sit on the floor. On the other hand, if you’re still in the dining room when they call your bag group, there’s not really any harm in waiting until you finish breakfast to disembark, assuming you don’t have transportation waiting for you. Typically they want everyone off by 9:30 am or so, so that’s your hard deadline.

When you get into the terminal, if you’re in a hurry, it’s not a bad idea to ask for a porter’s help. They’re usually lined up in the luggage area with carts, and they know the terminal well and will know if there’s any shortcuts or faster ways to get you into a cab or shuttle. They work for tips, and a typical tip is $1-2 per bag; more if they go above and beyond.

If you booked Disney’s transfers to Walt Disney World or the airport, then the timing is much more fixed. They will assign you a time to get off, and you really need to get off at that time so they can get you on the right bus. Arrange your breakfast plans accordingly.

Option 2: You Handle Your Own Bags

If you’re handling your own bags, there’s not really much you have to do the night before to prepare . Get mostly packed up the night before. Finish packing on the morning of disembarkation, get breakfast if you like, and then just leave the ship. You can leave any time after the ship is cleared, which will be 15-30 minutes after the ship is docked. They won’t necessarily announce to the whole ship that disembarkation has begun, because it’ll happen as early as 6-6:30 in the morning and they don’t want to wake everyone up with an announcement. If you can see that the ship is docked, just head down to deck 3 and wait for them to start letting folks off.

Skip the talks, except for the nature talks on the Alaska cruises, which can be excellent. The shopping talk is just a “rah-rah” for certain shops that are paying a marketing fee, and you might get a few coupons for free (junky) souvenirs. Both the shopping and disembarkation talks are replayed on the television repeatedly. Don’t waste your vacation time attending these lectures in person.

Read additional tips specific to the Disney Dream (which will also apply to the Fantasy) .

So what’s it really like to take a Disney cruise? Here are a few different perspectives on the experience:

• A look at what’s new and different on the Disney Wish , from a preview sailing in July 2022.
• A comparison of taking three cruises on three different ships in a six-month span between March and August 2014. It was rough, but somebody had to do it.
• Taking a cruise on the Disney Fantasy with a baby and a 3 ½-year-old , May 2012.
• First-hand report on the  Disney Fantasy  from March 2012: what’s new and different? See photos and learn more!
•   First impressions of the Disney Dream , from a preview sailing in January 2011.
• In summer 2007, friends of MouseSavers.com Ann and Danilo V wrote a travel blog about taking their 5 children to Europe for the summer. At the end of their trip they took a Disney Mediterranean cruise (10 nights roundtrip from Barcelona) in a Category 3 and a Category 4 stateroom. Then they did the 14-night Transatlantic cruise on the Disney Magic in the Walt Disney Suite!

The Disney Cruise Line Blog

An unofficial disney cruise line news, information, weather, and photo blog..

Revised Age Ranges Rolling out for Disney Cruise Line’s Youth Activity Spaces

In an email to guests booked on upcoming cruises, Disney Cruise Line is sharing an update on revised age ranges for Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab.

Based on guest feedback, and to enhance the youth activities experience for the youngest and tween guests , Disney Cruise Line is updating the age ranges effective on sailings that depart on or after December 21, 2023, revised age ranges for Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab is as follows:

The age range in Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab will change from 3 to 12 years of age to 3 to 10 years of age . Kids of all ages can continue to experience these spaces during Open House hours.

During all other times, kids 3 to 10 years of age will have Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab reserved just for them, with specially guided activities for children ages 3-4 years old.

As for EDGE and Vibe , Disney Cruise Line’s email states the following:

Children 11 and 12 years of age may visit Edge. Edge will continue to be available to tweens 11 to 14 years of age.

Vibe will continue to provide Guests ages 14 to 17 with their own special place where they can connect with other teens.

During youth activities Open House times, Guests of all ages are permitted in youth activity spaces, including Disney’s Oceaneer Club, Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, Edge and Vibe.

Guests with children 11 and 12 years old no longer need to complete youth activities registration as part of Online Check-in for these children. If you have a child within this age range and have already completed online registration for Disney’s Oceaneer Club or Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, know that your child will attend Edge. Guests with children 3 to 10 years of age may continue to utilize the online youth activities registration process as part of Online Check-in.

While NOT included in the email, I have independently confirmed the change is also effective for Scuttle’s Cove at Castaway Cay which will also change from 3 to 12 years of age to 3 to 10 years of age .

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15 Replies to “Revised Age Ranges Rolling out for Disney Cruise Line’s Youth Activity Spaces”

Must have younger kids.

Why did this make this change?

According to the email, “Based on guest feedback, and to enhance the youth activities experience for the youngest and tween guests”

Please consider there are inequities and inaccessibilities with this change for children with disabilities.

Best way to share this is to use the following contact form on DCL’s website.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/help/email/

such as what?

It’s too bad this isn’t an optional change where parents can choose where they want their 11 or 12 year old to go. Some 11 year olds still need the structure of the “younger” clubs.

Completely agree. I don’t like the idea that the kids in vibe need to use the bathroom outside of the club and can check in and out by themselves. I don’t feel comfortable going on Disney cruise anymore. After reed this, my last cruise is going to be July 2024 because is already booked. The last one ☝️

Likely staffing issues. Disney can do better

Likely the lawsuit .

This case was between a 3 year old and a 7 year old which the courts found the reported assault didn’t occur per video evidence. That has nothing to do with 11 and 12 year olds being part of the kid’s club.

Our last cruise was the only time I have EVER been disappointed in DCL. My twins were 12 and they had been looking forward to visiting Ocean-ears Lab one more time after every cruise we had booked from 2020-2022 was cancelled.

They went from being 9 to 12 years old in the time we were unable to sail, but still had a very fond place in their hearts and minds for the adventures they had and friends they made in both Club & Lab. Unfortunately the cast members there were so unwelcoming to my kiddos and repeated made them feel uncomfortable when all they wanted to do was color, see some characters and go down the slide in Andy’s room. This lead to them not wanting to go into the club that they had looked forward to for three years.

Edge was of no interest to them as the Edge on DCL Wonder is a subpar club that literally looks like an afterthought put together in the closet that once was the arcade.

There are far to many other things in this world that force your kids to grow up to quickly. Why does this once magical place need to be another? I get it, kids 11 & 12 may feel “to cool” to go to club or lab but why should kids that just want to be kids a moment longer be denied the opportunity. They will be grown before we know it, why does it have to be today?

Even my 13 year old son would rather be in Oceanears club/lab. He said they have way cooler things to do, then Edge does. I also feel we should also have a choice as parents if they can check themselves out even in the Edge age group. Not all kids between 11-14 are ready to just wander the ship on their own, especially when the don’t have siblings in the same age group so can’t use the buddy system. This is partly why we do not use the clubs on Disney.

What does “specially guided activities” for 3 and 4 year olds mean? Will my 4 year old be separated from their siblings?

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Disney Cruise Line Frequently Asked Questions

Cruising can sometimes be confusing, especially for a first-time cruiser. Luckily, we have the most common Disney Cruise Line Frequently Asked Questions here for you to help you with the planning process.

Dive into our Disney Cruise Discount page for some fantastic deals that will have you sailing into savings!

General Information Getting Ready To Go Transportation On Board the Ship Stateroom Questions Money Matters

General Disney Cruise Line Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in your cruise price.

On board the Disney Cruise Line ship, your vacation package price includes almost everything — from your stateroom itself to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks every day. In addition, guests can enjoy all the onboard programming and entertainment, complimentary. The price you have paid includes access to recreational activities, a fitness center, and kids programs for ages 3-17.

What is Not Included in the Price of the Cruise?

While you’re sailing, there are only a few things that will require an additional charge. Excluded, are spa or salon visits, phone calls, photos, video games, internet usage, bingo, some snacks in the sweet shops, coffee in the coffee shops, and all alcoholic or specialty beverages. There is a charge for childcare for children under the age of three if parents choose to use it.

There is also a nominal fee to dine at Palo or Remy (the adults-only restaurants found on both the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy . Enchante is the Remy equivalent on the Disney Wish .).

Shore excursions are at an extra cost. Prebook shore excursions via the Disney Cruise Line app or website. Finally, gratuities are an additional expenditure. Gratuities are one of the largest additional expenses most people will incur during the sailing.

Of course, another big expense that is not included in the price of your cruise are any Port Adventures that you wish to take. Those vary in price, depending on the adventure.

Will I be Bored?

You shouldn’t be. There is so much to do including recreational activities , nighttime shows, midnight buffets, live bands, movies, ports of call, swimming pools, fitness centers, kid’s activities, characters, incredible meals, shore excursions, dance clubs, family photos, unique ports of call like Castaway Cay, and so much more. You may be having so much fun; that you may forget to relax!

Do I Need a Passport?

All U.S. and Canadian citizens must travel with a valid passport, or a certified birth certificate (with an official raised seal) and a picture identification, if the cruise is a closed-loop cruise. (Meaning you depart and arrive back in the same port.) If you are going on a cruise that doesn’t end up at the same location where you started, you will need a valid passport. The passport should not expire for at least six months after the end of your cruise.

All Guests who are not U.S. or Canadian citizens must have valid passports and necessary visas at the time of embarkation. Any Guest traveling without proper documentation will not be allowed to board the vessel and will not be entitled to any refund.

More information on documentation can be found on our Required Documentation and Customs page.

Will I Get Seasick?

While seasickness used to be a common concern on cruises, it now affects fewer people.

The Disney Cruise Line has stabilizers and other high-tech controls that minimize the ship’s movement. Also, weather tracking devices help to keep the Disney Cruise Line in calm waters as much as possible.

Chances are you will experience a wonderful cruise and won’t have to worry about seasickness at all. There are several over-the-counter remedies for seasickness that some guests choose to bring with them just in case it happens, though. If you need to purchase anything over the counter, some medicines are available at the guest services desk on deck 3 of any ship, and a select shops on board.

Can Cruise Itineraries Change?

Occasionally, weather conditions and other circumstances beyond Disney Cruise Line’s control require an itinerary change. In these situations, the cruise line will make every attempt to visit alternative ports where guests will enjoy popular vacation destinations and safe conditions.

Sometimes itinerary changes will occur during the sailing. For example, occasionally rough seas make it impossible to dock at a certain port. While this doesn’t happen often, it is best to prepare for the unexpected.

Getting Ready to Go FAQ

What are the Best Times of the Year to Cruise?

Any time of year is perfect for a cruise, and each season has its pros and cons.

If price is your main concern, January, September, October, November and the first weeks in December offer good pricing. Be aware that hurricane season is June 1 – November 1, which the most activity happens in the fall. Hurricanes rarely cause any major interruption to your cruise. Should one come up during your sailing, Disney Cruise Line will alter plans, as needed.

Keep in mind that cruise dates near any major holiday or when children are generally out of school are more traditionally more expensive.

When Should I Book My Cruise?

Guests should book as soon as they have travel dates. By booking your cruise earlier, you can save big on pricing.  As the number of cabins booked on a particular sailing date increases, the price of the cruise will increase. If you want the best price for a cruise, book once sailings are released.

We suggest you contact The Magic for Less Travel at www.themagicforless.com to assist with your booking. The Magic For Less Travel will provide excellent customer service. Disney has named them an Authorized Disney Planner. They can help with all your cruising questions, booking, planning, and more.

Should I Buy Trip Insurance?

Since cruises have steep penalties for canceling, we think trip insurance is a good idea. Most policies also cover things like lost luggage and illnesses while on vacation. Check the specific policy for inclusions.

Do I Need to Bring any Special Clothing?

Just like the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland , Disney Cruise Line offers a casual, informal resort atmosphere. Shorts, capris, pants, sundresses, etc. are all appropriate for warmer seasons. In winter, cooler days and nights may require a light jacket or sweater. Don’t forget to bring comfortable shoes as well as shoes for hanging out at the pool. Also, don’t forget to bring your swim attire.

As far as attire for the dining rooms, dining dress requirements vary by venue or theme night on your cruise. In general, most meals are “Cruise Casual”—no swimwear or tank tops. Most cruises also have special theme nights with additional attire requirements. For men, we recommend wearing button-down or polo shirts with open collars and slacks. Pants and a blouse or a casual dress are appropriate for ladies. In addition, shorts are now permitted in the three main dining rooms.  Disney Cruise Line requests that no T-shirts or jeans be worn in any of the restaurants in the evening.

For Palo, Remy, and Enchante (Remy- Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy and Enchante-Disney Wish), a fancier dress code applies. When dining at these locations, the requirement is dress pants with a shirt or jacket for men. (Jacket is optional). Women should wear a dress or pantsuit and should avoid jeans, shorts, capris, flip-flops, and tennis shoes. At Remy, a tuxedo, sports jacket, or suit jacket is required along with dress pants for men, with ties optional. For women, a cocktail dress, pantsuit, or skirt and blouse are required. Jeans, shorts, capri pants, flip-flops, and tennis shoes are also not permitted here.

Aboard the 7-Night Caribbean Cruise, there is a formal and semi-formal where Guests can wear more formal attire if they choose. “It is not mandatory to do so.”

For guests sailing on a 7-night Cruise, you will celebrate the spirit with a special deck party. You’re invited to wear festive island clothes such as colorful shirts, dresses, shorts, or pants to join in the fun.. This is the perfect time to dust off that Hawaiian shirt 😉

What to Pack?

Don’t stress about what to pack for your cruise. Consider what you will be doing each day on the cruise. Where will you be going? What will you be doing? Pack according to your probable activity. Think comfort and practicality . If you want to make sure you won’t forget anything, go through the Ultimate Cruising Packing List and pack to your heart’s desire!

Transportation Frequently Asked Questions

Where can i park my car while i cruise.

Parking costs are based on the cruise itinerary. Parking at Port Canaveral:

• $60.00 per parking space for the 3-night cruise
• $75.00 per parking space for the 4-night cruise
• $90.00 per parking space for the 5-night cruise
• $105.00 per parking space for the 6-night cruise
• $120.00 per parking space for the 7-night cruise

If the Guest’s vehicle takes up more than one parking space (for example, RV or trailer), the guest is charged $15.00 per additional parking space per day.

Preferred parking is also available for $25.00 per day. The preferred parking area is located inside the secured area, next to the vehicle drop-off area.

Other departure ports will have parking available at the cruise port.

Should I Fly on the Day of the Cruise?

We strongly suggest that you fly in at least the evening before your cruise. You are responsible for arriving at the port at least an hour and a half before your scheduled ship sailing. Arriving the night before gives you peace of mind to board your ship.

Onboard Disney Cruise Line Frequently Asked Questions

How can I Communicate with Family and Friends at Home?

You can directly dial anywhere in the world right from your stateroom. Ship-to-shore rates apply. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to dial any 800 numbers from the ship, so your calling card will not work on the ships. Be aware, though, that the charges are quite high (upwards of $7 per minute).

Many guests find that e-mail is a less expensive method of communication, although be aware of data roaming charges if using a cell phone. There are internet usage packages are available. Check with your wireless carrier to see what is best for you. Also, if using a calling card, many ports will have a place to make those international calls for a little less.

If your friends and family at home need to reach you they can call (888) 322-8732, but only for emergencies.

How Can I Communicate With my Friends and Family Onboard the Ship?

Before your cruise, download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. Through this app, Guests can stay in touch with their shipmates with one on one or a group chat option. All Guests in the party should make sure to download the app prior to sailing.

Can I use the Internet While Onboard?

There are several options for internet packages while on Disney Cruise Line. At this time, time-based internet package are not available onboard the Disney Wonder. Pricing for internet packages on the other ships is as follows:

• $16/day when purchased for the full voyage
• $18/day when purchased for 24 hours
• $24/day when purchased for the full voyage
• $28/day when purchased for 24 hours
• $34/day when purchased for the full voyage
• $42/day when purchased for 24 hours

As a reminder, Guests can purchase Internet for 24 hour periods, or per voyage. Guests receive a 20% discount on voyage pricing vs 24-hour pricing, and adding additional devices to an Internet package will receive a 20% discount. If Guests purchase a voyage plan mid-voyage, they will only be charged for the remaining days. Please note: “Days remaining” change at midnight, so purchasing at 11:55 pm will still charge Guests for the full day.

Are there Laundry Services Available?

For a fee, onboard, laundry and dry-cleaning services are available. Guests have access to a self-serve laundry room, which includes washers, dryers, detergent, and ironing equipment. Guests may use their room key to operate the machines.

Are there Medical Services on Board?

A physician and nurse are on call 24 hours a day on every cruise to provide basic medical services. The physician and nurse will charge their standard fees for services. Insurance coverage is not accepted as payment for medical coverage. The fee will be billed to your stateroom account and the guest can then submit the bill to their insurance company if covered.

During daily clinic hours, there is a Health Center on each ship. It is located on Deck 1, Forward, and available for non-emergency situations.

More serious medical conditions would be assisted in the closest port of call.

Are Religious Services Available?

Although religious services are not typically available, during certain religious holidays, an onboard clergy performs services. Information will be provided onboard.

What are the Smoking rules?

Disney Cruise Line does not allow smoking in Guest staterooms. Smoking is also prohibited in all interior spaces throughout our ships. In addition, smoking is also prohibited on stateroom verandahs. Smoking (including the use of electronic cigarettes) is only permitted in designated areas of the ship. Guests found smoking in their staterooms or on their verandahs will be charged a $250 stateroom recovery fee, which covers deep cleaning that includes air filter replacement, carpet extraction, and the cleaning and replacement of drapes, comforters, blankets and pillows, along with verandah cleaning and maintenance.

Aboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder , guests can smoke:

• Outdoors on Deck 4 starboard side from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. only
• Deck 9, Portside anytime

On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy , guests can smoke:

• Deck 4 port side, aft, the outside Promenade Deck from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Deck 12 port side, aft, the outdoor area that is accessible through the Meridian Lounge
• Deck 13 port side, forward, by Currents Bar

On the Disney Wish , Guests can smoke:

• Deck 14, forward, port side, any time
• Deck 14, aft, port side, any time
• Deck 4, port side from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM

Staterooms Frequently Asked Questions

Are there standard outlets in the staterooms.

All stateroom outlets are 110V/60 Hz. Standard U.S. electrical appliances will work on board. There’s a hair dryer in every stateroom . Guests may not  bring along an extension cord or a power bar with them.

Are there Refrigerators in the Staterooms?

There is a small refrigerator that keeps beverages cold. There is also an ice bucket in each room.

Money Matters Frequently Asked Questions

How much cash will i need.

Disney Cruise Line has a convenient “cash-free” system on board. When guests complete online check-in, they must provide a credit card for charging privileges during the cruise. Any purchases on the ship, including beverage services, spa , salon services, photography, medical and laundry services, purchases from retail shops, gratuities, and any item or service of a personal nature must be charged to your room charge. All charges will be settled prior to debarkation from the ship by cash, personal check (with proper ID), traveler’s checks, Disney Gift Cards, or major credit card. Guests paying by a method other than the credit card on file will settle with guest services the evening before the end of the cruise.

Use your U.S. dollars and major credit cards in the Bahamas and the Caribbean. European and Canadian itineraries may require local currency for expenses in port and pre- and post-cruise.

Disney Cruise Line Free Quote

Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our sponsor, The Magic For Less Travel ! They are your go-to experts when it comes to planning the most magical Disney cruise experience ever! Start planning your dream getaway and embark on a journey filled with enchantment, fun, and unforgettable memories! Services from The Magic For Less Travel are provided FREE of charge and their expert planning advice will help you make the most of your vacation time and money. Receive the best prices, free concierge travel planning & a shipboard credit when you book any new Disney Cruise Line vacation with The Magic For Less Travel Request your FREE No-Obligation Quote Below

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Specialty Cruises

Fireworks cruise.

Fun for all ages, nighttime cruises provide the perfect opportunity to watch Luminous The Symphony of Us or Happily Ever After  right from the water. These brilliant fireworks spectaculars add an amazing "wow" factor to your cruise!

From the comfort of a chartered boat, your party can set sail for International Gateway near World Showcase Lagoon to watch the skies light up over EPCOT . Or, embark on the waters of Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake near  Magic Kingdom park —with synchronized audio onboard to fully immerse you in the moment. It’s an incredible finale to the festivities!

Departure Locations Depart from Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts to experience Luminous The Symphony of Us or sail from the following marinas to view Happily Ever After:

• Contemporary Marina
• Polynesian Marina
• Grand Floridian Marina
• Fort Wilderness Marina
• Wilderness Lodge Marina

What’s Included Each cruise is accompanied by a captain and includes assorted snacks and soft drinks. Festive banners and balloons are also included in the cost and can be requested at the time of booking.

Pricing Prices start at $449—plus tax. Prices vary by date. Boats seat up to 10 Guests.

Reservations To reserve a cruise, please call (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call. Learn when advance reservations can be made .

Please note—in rare instances, fireworks shows may be rescheduled or canceled. Please refer to the entertainment schedule to confirm showtimes 2 weeks prior to your reservation and check again the day of your reservation.

Important Details Before you book, please be aware of the following information:

• Please arrive 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to fireworks start time.
• Boats are not equipped with full-size dining tables. A cocktail table is provided.
• For Guests with limited mobility, wheelchair/ECV transfer is necessary.
• There is a 24-hour cancellation policy. Full price will be charged/forfeited if the Guest cancels within one day or fails to show up for the reservation.

Related Activities

Celebration at the top – sip, savor, sparkle, custom-designed celebrations & gatherings, disney private vip tours, safety, accessibility and guest policies.

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Age-Specific Activities – Frequently Asked Questions

Do any of the onboard swimming pools have age or height restrictions?

Yes, for your safety, we ask that Guests with children understand the age and height requirements for all the pools on board. Please note that swim diapers are prohibited in all pools but are required as indicated in splash play areas.

• AquaDuck (Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy) – height 42 inches or taller
• AquaDunk (Disney Magic) – height 48 inches or taller
• AquaLab (Disney Fantasy and Disney Magic) – ages 3 and older
• Donald's Pool / Goofy's Pool (all ships) – adults and children ages 3 and older
• Mickey's Pool (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wonder) – ages 3 and older
• Whirlpool Spa tubs (all ships) – adult supervision required for Guests under age 16
• Mickey's Slide – ages 4 to 14; height at least 38 and no more than 64 inches tall
• Nephews' Splash Zone / Dory’s Reef / Nemo's Reef (all ships) – ages 3 and younger (swim diapers required)
• Quiet Cove Pool – ages 18 and older only
• Twist 'n' Spout Slide (Disney Magic and Disney Wonder) – height at least 38 inches or taller

Policies About Swim Accessories and Equipment Please note the following policies about pool toys and swim accessories:

• Swim goggles that fit only over the eyes are permitted at all pools, hot tubs and waterslides, with the exception of AquaDunk aboard the Disney Magic, where goggles are not allowed.
• Swim masks that cover the eyes and nose are permitted at all pools. They are not allowed on any slides, including AquaDuck.
• Snorkel tubes are not permitted at any pools, hot tubs or waterslides.
• Coast Guard personal flotation devices (PFDs), water wings and flotation sewn into bathing suits can be brought on board and are permitted in all pools and waterslides except the AquaDunk.
• Complimentary flotation vests are provided and may be used in all pools and waterslides except the AquaDunk.
• Floats, rafts and fun noodles cannot be brought on board and are not permitted in the pools.

Policies About Swim Diapers The United States Public Health Service requires that only children who are toilet trained are permitted to enter swimming pools and spas aboard cruise ships.

Children who are not toilet trained are welcome to enjoy Nemo's Reef and Dory’s Reef, where they must wear swim diapers. Please note that swim diapers are not permitted in the pools, hot tubs or spas, the AquaDuck and the AquaLab.

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Related Questions

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The Rules About Luggage on Your Disney Cruise — Everything You Need to Know

By Leigh Caldwell Leave a Comment

Congratulations! You’re planning a Disney Cruise!

You’ve read all about the food, activities, and fun on a Disney Cruise , but now it’s time to pack!

So, how much can you pack? How big can the bags be? How will you get your luggage onto the cruise ship? We’re answering all your questions about Disney Cruise Line luggage rules!

Disney Cruise Line Packing Rules

First things first: There are a number of things you can’t take on board a Disney Cruise Line ship. Those items are:

• Agricultural items such as flowers, plants, fruit, etc.
• Air, BB, pellet, paintball pistols, rifles, and slingshots
• Archery equipment
• Baseball and cricket bats
• Boogie boards
• Bottle sterilizers and warmers (a limited number of approved bottle warmers and bottle sterilizers are available upon request through Guest Services on board)
• Coffee makers
• Diving equipment, including air tanks, spears, spear guns, slings, dive knives, pry bars, and underwater scooters
• Drug paraphernalia
• Electric blankets
• Electric irons
• Emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB), communication scanners, and wideband receivers
• Explosives components and accessories, including ammunition, detonators, fireworks, pyrotechnics, and flares
• Extension cords
• Firearm replicas, including non-firing, imitations, toys and their components (except these toys are allowed on board: Store-bought light sabers, Plastic toy “pirate” swords, Plastic store-bought toy “Mjolnir” hammers — Thor’s hammer)
• Fishing gear
• Footwear with wheels (such as Heelys roller shoes)
• Heating elements
• Heating pads
• Highly flammable liquids and combustible substances, including liquid oxygen
• Hockey and lacrosse sticks
• Homemade, precooked or perishable foods or open food containers
• Hookah pipes
• Hover boards
• Ice chests or coolers (except for Coolers no larger than 12″ x 12″ x 12″ (30.5cm x 30.5cm x 30.5cm), as carry-on luggage only for storing medications, baby food or nonperishable items related to dietary restrictions only)
• Illegal narcotics/drugs
• Incense burners
• Inflatable mattresses
• Inflatable pools, rafts, floats, etc.
• Inline and roller skates
• Knives (regardless of blade length)
• Marijuana (including medically prescribed marijuana)
• Metal detectors
• Microwave ovens
• Musical instruments
• Over-the-door hanging organizers
• Over-the-door hooks
• Pepper spray
• Pool noodles
• Power strips
• Power tools, hand tools, and toolboxes
• Remote-controlled devices:
• Helicopters
• Toy vehicles
• Star Wars  droids
• Rice cookers
• Roller or inline skates
• Scissors with blades exceeding 4″ (scissors with blunt ends and no longer than 4 inches are allowed)
• Straight razors
• Toasters and toaster ovens
• Seasonal and/or strands of celebratory lightbulbs
• Skateboards
• Streaming devices (Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, etc.)
• Surge protectors
• Surf boards
• Wagons (collapsible wagons are allowed)
• Wave boards

SHOP OUR DISNEY CRUISE MUST-HAVE LIST HERE! 

Additionally, there are some items that you can bring on board, but they are subject to inspection:

• Baby monitors
• Humidifiers
• Portable fans
• Sleep machines
• White noise machines

So, what happens if you pack a prohibited item in your luggage? Well, that item will be confiscated, and your luggage will likely be held up in the screening process — which means it may take a lot longer to get to your stateroom.

Happy 25th, Disney Cruise Line!

Disney Cruise Line Alcohol Rules

As you might imagine, there are rules about bringing alcohol on board your Disney Cruise — but it’s not totally prohibited.

First off, don’t pack alcohol in your checked luggage — it will be confiscated and result in delays on your luggage being delivered to your stateroom. You can, however, bring alcohol on board in your carry-on — up to 2 750-ml bottles of wine or sparkling wine or 6 12-oz. beers. You can enjoy these beverages in your stateroom. If you take a bottle of wine, you brought with you into a dining room, that’s fine, too — just note that you will be charged a $26 corkage fee.

Disney Wish

Disney Cruise Line Luggage Limits

Packing for a cruise is a lot like packing for a flight — you are allowed a personal item (like a purse, fanny pack or backpack), a carry-on, and two pieces of checked luggage per person. You will receive luggage tags for the two pieces of checked luggage prior to your cruise.

Your carry-on cannot be larger than 22 inches high, 14 inches wide and 9 inches deep.

Hey, Mickey!

At the port, you will check your suitcases with porters, and keep your personal item and carry-on with you. Your suitcases will be delivered to your stateroom a few hours after you board. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• It will usually be an hour or two after you board before you can go to your stateroom. Keep this in mind when deciding on carry-ons. Do you need something to roll with you rather than a bag you have to carry around? Does everyone in your party NEED a carry-on, or can you get by with one?
• Pack computers, tablets, and anything else fragile in a carry-on. You will also want to keep medications with you. If you are bringing alcohol on board in accordance with the Disney Cruise Line rules, it will need to be in your carry-on.
• Many people pack swimsuits, cover-ups, and sunscreen in their carry-on, as the pools usually open shortly after you board, and you may not have your checked luggage yet.

Packing for your Disney Cruise shouldn’t be stressful — but it is important to follow the luggage rules, so that your trip gets off to a great start! One of the best tips we can give you for taking a Disney Cruise is to use a travel agent who specializes in Disney! They know the ins and outs of every cruise ship, and keep up with all the discounts and deals available for your trip — and their services are free to you. We have used Small World Vacations for years to book our Disney travel, and we recommend you use them, too!

Hope this has been helpful! Share any Disney Cruise Line packing questions you have in the comments below!

How Much Luggage Can You Take on a Disney Cruise?

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Chart a course for body & mind renewal on a relaxing cruise with Princess

The lotus spa.

Revitalize in the Lotus Spa, named Best Spa on a Cruise Ship by Spa finder Wellness 365TM. As part of our relaxing cruise activities, you can choose from a variety of treatments, such as aroma stone therapy massages and detoxifying ocean wraps. Or enjoy a manicure and pedicure in our salon with an attentive service chosen by you.

Venues vary by ship and subject to change.

Lotus spa fitness center

Our state-of-the-art fitness centers offer exercise and spinning courses, free and machine weights, treadmills with ocean views and more to energize yourself while on your cruise vacation. And if you like the outdoors, there’s a jogging track a few decks above the waves.

Venues vary by ship and are subject to change. Charges apply on some services.

Your favorite classes — curated for Princess

Enjoy your vacation without taking a vacation from your fitness routine! The classes you love most are now exclusively designed for Princess. Get in a total-body workout with Pure Barre. Maintain your mind-body connection with YogaSix. And stay flexible while increasing your range of motion with Stretch Lab. See the world and stay fit with the classes that get your heart pumping.

Venues vary by ship and are subject to change.

The Sanctuary - just for adults

A luxurious spa-inspired top deck retreat, reserved just for adults. The Sanctuary features plush lounge furniture, attentive Serenity Steward service, soothing music, refreshing beverages and spa fare, and even an open-air massage in your own private cabana!

Nominal fee applies. Venues vary by ship and are subject to change.

New The Princess luxury bed

We’re committed to guest wellness and ensuring you come back from your relaxing cruise feeling refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated. That’s why we collaborated with a sleep expert to develop the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed, rolling out over 44,000 beds to every stateroom across the fleet. Named the Best Cruise Ship Bed by Cruise Critic, you’ll enjoy the ultimate night of sleep at sea!

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Thinking of booking a cruise? Here are the lines you should — and shouldn't — sail with.

• Before you book a cruise , it's important to understand that not all cruise lines are equal.
• Each cruise line has amenities, entertainment, and experiences tailored to specific cruisers.
• Carnival is good for families, Virgin Voyages for solo adults, and Cunard for mature travelers. 

I am a very, very avid cruiser. Last year alone, I spent 73 days on cruise ships .

I've sailed with most major lines, from kid-focused Disney Cruise Line to the sometimes-naughty Virgin Voyages. When people ask me which cruise ships I recommend , my answer isn't so straightforward.

Each cruise line is unique, offering amenities, entertainment, and experiences tailored to specific cruisers. What you book will depend on your needs, wants, budget, and what you'd rather avoid.

So, I've done some research about popular cruise lines and combined my personal experiences to help you decide which cruise line to book with.

After all, this is kind of the year of the cruise , with travelers predicted to set sail at some of the highest rates in years throughout 2024.

Here's what you need to know about some of the major cruise lines before you book your next trip.

Editor's Note: Price ranges were calculated at the time of publication based on available listings on each cruise site. Cruise pricing is per person, based on double occupancy and the cheapest stateroom/fare available. Prices were calculated before taxes, port charges, and other fees. Itineraries with added tours built-in were not included when calculating this information.

Carnival Cruise Line

Cost: $ | Prices range from $156/pp for a two-day getaway from Sydney to $3,273/pp for a 10-day Alaska cruise

Ideal for: Budget travelers, intergenerational groups, families, and partiers

Skip if: You're looking for a high-class, elegant experience or a quiet, laid-back vibe

Highlight: All Carnival cruises come with itineraries loaded with fun activities. Some ships have especially exciting features like the first roller coaster at sea, SkyRide zip-line-style aerial bikes, and themed parties.

Possible cons: This is not a cruise line for those who like to wear a tux or ball gown or have a quiet cruise experience.

Launched in 1972, Carnival Cruise Line is one of nine cruise lines owned by parent company Carnival Corporation & plc. It's the company's largest cruise line, with 27 ships. Its cruises typically range from two days to 29 days.

Carnival Cruise Line offers year-round cruises in Australia, The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Mexico and seasonal cruises in Alaska , Bermuda, Canada, Europe, Hawaii, and New England.

Celebrity Cruises

Cost: $$ | Prices range from $233/pp for a three-night Key West & Bahamas cruise to $6,912/pp for a 7-night Galapagos cruise

Ideal for: Couples, families, and solo travelers

Skip if: You're looking for a slower-paced classic cruise

Highlight: All Celebrity Cruises come with amazing outdoor spaces like The Lawn Club with real grass on the top deck of Solstice Series ships and the Rooftop Terrace on Millennium Series ships. You also won't want to miss the Magic Carpet , which allows guests to hang out while suspended above the ocean on some ships.

Possible cons: This is not a cruise line for those who want to attend lectures about their ports of call.

Celebrity Cruises began sailing in 1997. There are 16 ships, which sail on itineraries ranging from three to 19 nights to nearly 300 ports of call in 70 countries.

Cost: $$$ | Prices range from $249/pp for a two-night cruise from Southampton, England to Hamburg, Germany, to $19,158/pp for a 111-night World Voyage

Ideal for: Sophisticated travelers and mature cruisers

Skip if: You're looking for a high-energy cruise, hoping to travel with children , or craving adventurous activities

Highlight: All Cunard cruises come with white-glove service. You won't want to miss Cunard's famous 3:30 p.m. afternoon tea, gala evenings, and fine dining arranged by stateroom grade.

Possible cons: This is a very formal cruise with strict dress codes. You won't find water slides or pool parties here.

Founded in 1840, Cunard offers a classic cruise experience with cruises ranging from two to 116 nights.

Its four ships sail to Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Disney Cruise Line

Cost: $$$ | Prices range from $422.40/pp for a two-night cruise from Sydney to Brisbane, Australia, to $5,592/pp for a 12-night Mediterranean with Greek Isles cruise

Ideal for: Disney adults , families, and intergenerational groups

Skip if: You don't want to vacation around a bunch of children and you crave peace and quiet

Highlight: All Disney Cruise Line cruises come with heaps of Disney magic in the way of special events and details. You won't want to miss character meet and greets, pirate-themed parties with fireworks, and passengers trading pins and leaving treats inside decorative pouches hung on stateroom doors.

Possible cons: There is a significant child population on most of these cruises and not much adults-only entertainment. Dinners in the main dining can get loud, and, just like at the theme parks, there can be many queues for activities and other offerings.

Disney Cruise Line first set sail in the 1990s and has five active ships, with the new Disney Treasure set to debut in December. The line has sailings all around the globe, and most range from two to 15 nights.

Holland America Line

Cost: $$ | Prices range from $94/pp for a one-day Pacific Northwest cruise to a $27,399/pp for a 132-day Grand Voyage

Ideal for: Music lovers and sophisticated world travelers who appreciate European hospitality and smaller ships

Skip if: You're young, traveling with children, or want to party

Highlight: All Holland America Line cruises come with a dose of Dutch hospitality and elegance. During my cruise with the line, I enjoyed the Dutch cuisine and Music Walk , which features live performances at B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room, and Billboard Onboard.

Possible cons: The line takes its formal nights really seriously and attracts an older crowd.

Holland America Line has had ships sailing the globe for over 140 years. Its 11 ships cruise to more than 425 ports of call on seven continents, and cruises range from one to 118 days.

MSC Cruises

Cost: $ | Prices range from $80/pp for a three-night Mediterranean cruise to $46,149/pp for a 116-night World Cruise

Ideal for: Budget travelers, families, intergenerational groups, big groups

Skip if: You're looking for lots of food options or top-tier entertainment

Highlight: All MSC Cruises offer great value — and good pizza

Possible cons: The cruise fare does not include many dining options, and the evening entertainment skews old-school and a bit more basic than some other cruise lines that do Broadway-worthy shows.

MSC Cruises has 22 ships, with one more projected to join its fleet by 2025. The line has sailings all around the globe, and most range from two to 118 nights.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Cost: $$ | Prices range from $79/pp for a one-day Australia cruise to $4,379/pp for a 10-day European cruise

Ideal for: Couples, families, and solo cruisers

Skip if: You're looking for structure, ballroom dancing, and fancy dinners

Highlight: All Norwegian Cruise Line cruises offer freestyle dining. You won't want to miss its Broadway-level shows and generous drink package, which is often offered complimentary.

Possible cons: This is not a cruise line for those who like formal dress codes, and some dislike the à la carte pricing.

Norwegian Cruise Line has been sailing the world for over 57 years. Its 19 ships visit 400-plus ports on seven continents, and cruises typically last one to 25 days.

Princess Cruises

Cost: $$ | Prices range from $127/pp for a two-day Australia Seacation to $24,098/pp for a 98-day World Cruise

Ideal for: Mature solo travelers, couples, and retirees

Skip if: You're looking for lots of activities and party vibes. Princess Cruises tend to attract an older crowd, and the shows and activities reflect this. There aren't many events offered each day. On the three cruises I sailed with Princess, the entertainment was primarily musicals, piano players, and singers backed by an orchestra. There were only a handful of children on each cruise.

Highlight: All Princess Cruises offer Discovery and Animal Planet-exclusive shore excursions — and many have an excellent onboard lecture series.

Possible cons: This is not a cruise line for those who like to party, love water slides, or have teenagers.

Founded in 1965, Princess Cruises has 16 ships that sail to 330 destinations worldwide on itineraries from three to 111 days

Royal Caribbean

Cost: $$ | Prices range from $196/pp for a two-night Hong Kong cruise to $8,266/pp for a 13-night Arctic Circle cruise

Ideal for: Couples, families, and intergenerational travelers

Highlight: All Royal Caribbean cruises come with fun activities and a broad range of entertainment options. Some have the Ultimate Abyss , the tallest slide at sea, or the glass capsule North Star , the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship. You won't want to miss the Oasis Class ships' seven distinctly themed neighborhoods and Royal Promenade, a mall-like thoroughfare with shops, restaurants, and lounges that runs the length of the ship.

Possible cons: Many of its ships are mega-ships, so this isn't the line for you if you want a more intimate trip.

Founded in 1968, Royal Caribbean sails to about 240 destinations on six continents. Cruises range from two to 22 nights.

Royal Caribbean has many of the world's largest cruise ships in its fleet of more than 20 vessels.

Virgin Voyages

Cost: $$ | Prices range from $415/pp for a four-night roundtrip cruise from England to Amsterdam to a $3,072/pp for a 13-night Canada, Carolina, and Miami cruise

Ideal for: Child-free travelers, health enthusiasts, the glamorous, and those who don't like strict rules

Skip if: You want a classic cruise, need structure, or can't handle playfulness (and, sometimes, naughtiness)

Highlight: All Virgin Voyages are child-free, and everyone gets unlimited WiFi, access to group fitness classes, and gratuities included in their fare. You won't want to miss its famous Scarlet Night, 20 eateries (every venue is considered specialty dining), and eclectic shows like "Untitled DanceShowPartyThing."

Possible cons: There aren't traditional song-and-dance shows, assigned dining times, and nightly portrait photography

Virgin Voyages has been sailing its "Lady Ships" inspired by superyachts since 2021. Three nearly identical ships are currently in service, and a fourth one is set to set sail later this year.

Virgin Voyages sails to about 100 destinations in Australia, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom on cruises ranging from three to 16 nights.

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