Is this your first Disney Cruise?
Whether this is your first or if you have been on many Disney Cruises, this is a great place to start!
As of the time of this post there are five Disney Cruise ships currently sailing, with one additional cruise ship that is scheduled to set sail in 2024. The two original ships are known as the Magic Class ships and they include the Magic and the Wonder. The magic class ships are the smallest in Disney’s fleet. The next two ships the Dream and the Fantasy, are Dream Class ships and are larger than the Magic Class but not as big as the Triton Class ships, which include the Wish, the upcoming Treasure, and one yet to be named future ship. There are small differences within each class, but the ships within each class are fairly similar.
It doesn’t matter what ship you’re booked on, you’re gonna have a great time!
My Cruise is booked, now what?
Cruises booked and now what do you do to prepare? Here are a list of things to do ahead of time –
Make sure you have a passport and it is not gonna expire while you’re on your trip! If you are a US citizen leaving from the United States you may not need a passport, but they are always recommended. If an emergency happens and you need to be transported, getting back to the United States can be difficult if you do not have your passport.
Dining Time: everyone is assigned a dining time for the main dining rooms, typically 5:45 PM or 8:00 PM. The early dining time books up the fastest, because of the number of young children on Disney Cruises. Whether you have the early or late dining, the menus are the same and you won’t miss any of the shows. Each show runs twice, if you have late dining you’ll go to the early show and if you have early dining you’ll go to the late show. There are three main dining rooms on each ship and you’ll rotate through each of the dining rooms during your cruise. Your navigator app will tell you which dining room your dining in that night. Your waitstaff will also follow you to each dining room for dinner.
In addition to the main dining rooms, there are other dining options available on Disney cruises. They do vary a little by ship. Check out this post about your various dining options.
Book Air Travel and Hotels: Disney currently cruises out of Port Canaveral, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans, New York, Galveston, Honolulu, and San Diego in the United States. I like to book my hotel as soon as I know that I’m going to travel, but I hold off on airfare until a few months before my trip. Historically, airfare within the United States is the cheapest on a Tuesday afternoon about 56 days before your flight. If you are flying international, first class, or from an airport with very few options, you may want to book a little sooner. If you book airfare too far in advance we may not get the best price.
Excursions and Activities: excursions and onboard activities can be booked within a few months of your cruise.
Concierge guests can email shoreside 130 days before your cruise.
Platinum guests can book online 120 days before your cruise.
Gold guests can book online 105 days before your cruise.
Silver guests can book online 90 days before your cruise.
First time cruisers can book 75 days before your cruise.
MyDisneyPro Tip: the booking window opens at midnight Eastern time, so if you are on the West Coast, don’t wait until midnight start booking at 9 PM the day before!
Online Check In: 30 days prior to your departure date you can check in online and get your port arrival time. This window opens at midnight Eastern time, if you want to arrive early to the port you should make sure you are online when the window opens.
Order Pirate Gear: get all of your pirate gear so you are ready for pirate night!
If you haven’t already, check out our What to Bring on a Disney Cruise Guide