Information on my cruises, tips, secrets, and photos to help you book your magical voyage! Feel free to leave me POSITIVE comments and questions you might have.
Magical Vacation Planner
Contact me for free no-obligation quotes on Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Aulani (Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii), Adventures by Disney, Sandals/Beaches Resorts, Royal Caribbean, and Universal Studios. As always, my services are 100% free!
All you Disney fans out there, have you ever embarked on a Disney Cruise? There is magic at sea just as there is in the parks! Contact me today to book your first, or next Disney cruise and find out just how magical Disney Cruise Line really is!
This is the first of many in a series I'm posting that will include at least 100 Tips and Tricks for Planning and Enjoying your Disney Cruise Line Vacations. Subscribe so you don't miss a single tip or trick (and some hidden secrets). Other titles coming up include:
Top Must-Do's for your Arrival at Disney's terminal at Port Canaveral
Top Tips and Tricks for Enjoying your Disney Cruise Line Cruise
Top Tips and Tricks for Castaway Cay
Top Tips and Tricks for Pirate Night
Top Tips and Tricks for Disembarkation Day
Top Tips for Packing for your Disney Cruise (including a detailed packing list)
Best FREE Disney Cruise Line Souvenirs
Use a Travel Agent!They take the work out of planning your cruise, send you reminders, and keep up with current promotions, which they would apply to your cruise (if it is applicable). Not to mention, their services are FREE!
Buy photo package from www.mycruisephotos.com. If you pre-pay you will save money! We normally get the “All Photos Package”. It comes with little USB’s in a cute case, plus we get all the hard prints! Photos could cost $20 each if you purchase them individually. We normally leave with around 300 photos (depending on the length of cruise). If you see you are missing photos, check with the photo lab. Sometimes the Aquaduck pictures don’t get printed unless you ask. Also, your pictures could be mixed up in someone else’s folder.
We buy gift cards at discounted prices and apply them to our payments or put them on account to use on the ship. We buy our gift cards at BJ’s Wholesale Club and save 7%, but in order to save that, we have to buy the $50 cards for $46.99. I know there are other ways to save on gift cards; this is just the one we use.
Buy Vacation Protection! We found out the hard way that we need vacation protection on every cruise! The small amount you pay is worth it in case there is an emergency. We are still paying medical bills from 3 years ago because we didn’t have travel insurance and my husband ended up hospitalized in St. Thomas after racking up a hefty bill in the ship’s hospital.
Join your Fish Extender (FE) Group and Cruise Page on Facebook. This is a great way to meet fellow cruisers prior to your sail date. My favorite thing to do on those pages is to provide tips like these to new cruisers and see where everyone is traveling from. You never know, there could be someone you know traveling on your sailing! Just search the name of the ship and the date of embarkation. For example, one of my groups is Disney Dream December 29, 2017. Names of the groups might not be formatted exactly the same but for the most part, they are pretty close! Most FE/Cruise Groups on Facebook plan a structured get-together for your sailing. This is a scavenger hunt that was scheduled so the kids could get to know each other. We met just before the Muster Drill.
What is Fish Extender? Outside each stateroom there is a marine animal of some sort. This is essentially your “mailbox” for your cruise. Sometimes you will receive special certificates, letters of importance, and other communications from administration on the ship. Also, people like to hang special FE Organizers from them and participate in the Fish Extender exchange. It’s like a Secret Santa. You sign up with your cruise group on Facebook. Then you are assigned a FE group (you will get information on number of staterooms you will give to and ages of people in the stateroom). Each night of the cruise each person in your stateroom will receive a gift and you will give yours. I’ve never participated in it, but from what I heard, it’s extremely fun and exciting to come back to your room and have gifts waiting for you.
Schedule a Character Call! You do this from your reservation page when you do your online check-in.
Schedule your Port Arrival Time (PAT) when you do your online check-in. The sooner you do your online check-in the earlier you can get your PAT. The earliest PAT is 10:30 with the last person being able to board the ship at 3:00. Please don’t show up early to the terminal! You will not be able to get on any sooner than your PAT and this keeps the terminal from overcrowding.
Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App! You can get a neat countdown to your sailing date. Once you are in the terminal, you can switch your phone to airplane mode and begin using the app. The app is great for keeping up with all the ships activities, character meet and greets, and you can now even view your dinner menu.
Have you seen posts about printing magnets and decorating your stateroom door? Find a Disney graphics group on Facebook to get them for free, order custom-made ones on Etsy, or design your own (get ideas from Pinterest). Here are some designs we used on our doors.
Don't forget to subscribe to my blog for the rest of the tips in this series!
Many people ask, "What is appropriate for dress in the dining rooms?" Well, this is a topic that is debated often. The information below is taken right from the Disney Cruise Line website. I have included my opinion as well as observations and photos below the official information. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/dining-food-beverages/dining-dress-codes/
Q. Are there dress codes or guidelines regarding dressing for dinner?
A. In general, most onboard dining locations are "cruise casual,” so casual attire, such as shorts and T-shirts, is permitted, with the exception of swimwear and tank tops. Most cruises have special theme nights that provide opportunities to dress up for a one-of-a-kind family photo. Here's a breakdown of special dress events by cruise itinerary:
3-night cruises:
One cruise casual night—no swimwear or tank tops
One pirate night themed deck party
One optional “dress-up night"—jacket for men, dress or pantsuit for women
4-night cruises:
First night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops
One pirate night themed deck party
One optional dress-up night—jacket for men, dress or pantsuit for women
Final night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops
Pirate Night in Animator's Palate
7-night cruises:
First night is cruise casual—no swimwear or tank tops
One pirate night or other themed deck party
3 additional cruise casual nights—no swimwear or tank tops
One formal and one semi-formal night—both give you the opportunity to dress up and take advantage of the onboard photography services. Though optional, we recommend dress pants with a jacket or a suit for men, and dress or pantsuit for women
Formal Night
Semi-formal Night (photographers did not get around to our table, but this is what we wore)
Dress Codes for Palo and Remy, Adults-Only Restaurants for Guests 18 and Older
So that we may provide an enjoyable and refined dining experience for all Guests, please be advised that tank tops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, shorts, hats, cut-offs, torn clothing, t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics, flip-flops or tennis shoes are not permitted at Palo or Remy. We thank you for your understanding and your cooperation with the following dress requirements
At Palo: The elegant northern Italian-inspired dining venue aboard all 4 ships.
Dinner and Brunch
Men: dress pants or slacks and collared shirt; jacket is optional
Women: dress, skirt or pants with a blouse
Jeans may be worn if in good condition (no holes)
At Remy: Serving sophisticated French cuisine aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
Dress to Impress
To preserve the elegant atmosphere, you are asked to adhere to a strict dress code when dining at Remy.
Dinner
At dinnertime, the following dress code is enforced:
Men: A jacket (such as a sports, suit or tuxedo jacket) is required, with dress pants/slacks and shoes. Ties are optional. Please no jeans, shorts, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.
Ladies: Cocktail dress, evening dress, pant suit or skirt/blouse are required. Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.
Brunch and Dessert
During brunch and dessert, the following dress code is enforced:
Men: Dress pants and a shirt are required for men. A jacket is optional. Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.
Women: A dress or pantsuit is required. Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.
If you prefer more formal attire during the optional dress-up evenings, you're invited to pre-order tailored formalwear rentals and have them delivered directly to your stateroom upon arrival. To learn more, visit Cruiseline Formalwear.
My Beliefs on Dining Room Dress
As long as you are not in offensive or skimpy clothing, you should be OK.
I would wear decent shoes, like you would wear at a nice restaurant (not water shoes)
Sometimes I will wear jeans (not torn or ragged) with a nice shirt. Most of the time it's a dress or pirate wear. We usually get pictures made before and after dinner and we want to look nice.
My husband will wear a button down or Hawaiian shirt and slacks.
My daughter usually dresses nice (but that's her always)
I take a hoodie or a sweater for my daughter and myself for the main dining rooms because I get cold easily. On days I forgot, the waitstaff was nice enough to bring me a heated tablecloth to wrap up in. Some days it seems like you are eating in a refrigerator.
Swim suits, running shorts, and tank tops (exercise type) are not appropriate.
A lot of people who don't feel like dressing up for formal or semi-formal night choose to eat at Cabanas or one of the quick stop places. We never skip a main dining room. Cabanas and the quick places are great for lunches, but we love the 5-star meals we get in the MDR's.
Just a side note...when we take cruises, we get to "fake" (LOL) that we have money, so we want to play the part the entire time! We take advantage of feeling like royalty so we dress and act that way.
Best and Worst Parts of the Cruise Plus Pros and Cons of Other Parts of the Cruise
People ask me what my favorite part of the cruise is. It is really hard to answer. I think the interactions with the amazing cast members is the best! In a future blog, I will tell you all the swag we got from the management because my daughter is so outgoing and they fall in love with her each and every cruise. Another part of the cruise that is my favorite is walking around the ship at night when it is quiet, sitting on the decks upstairs and watching movies by the pools, and all the dancing and singing in the atrium at night. What is the worst part of the cruise...disembarking. It really is sad. I have managed to shed many tears with my daughter every single time we disembark. So many memories were made on your home at sea and the staff makes it very difficult to leave.
This page will include tips on using a travel agent to book your cruise or how to use Disney Cruise Line's webpage to book your own cruise. Not everyone uses a travel agent. If you are not familiar to Disney Cruising, it would benefit you to use one. Some offer perks such as On Board Credits (OBC) while others don't. Just because an agent offers an OBC does not make them an outstanding agent. Some will do it just to get customers and rev up their commissions and you may not hear from them again after the booking. Just be aware!
We typically get the all inclusive photo package which includes all the prints and digital files and most of the time walk away with over $6000 in pictures for under $400 on a 7-night cruise. If you are doing a back-to-back, you will have to buy the photo package for each cruise, but you get a significant discount on the second leg.
Here is the link to the My Cruise Photos webpage, which explains the different packages you can purchase and may answer any questions you still have. My Cruise Photos Webpage for DCL.
Disney photographers are really contracted photographers and not hired through Disney, but nonetheless, they are amazing people with great personalities whose purpose is to make memories for you and your family that will last a lifetime! We have made so many friends through the photography department. Many of them are on repeat cruises and remember us! To me, that's incredible considering how many people they see each year.
They are staffed in the catwalk to the ship to take your pre-cruise picture, in the atrium at all the photo studios, and in the dining rooms in the evenings. From time to time, you might see them in other areas of the ship. One of my favorite photos is on the deck during Club Pirate on Pirate Night.
If you do not see one of your photos in your folder, let the staff at Shutters know and they will find it for you. Sometimes, the photos get placed in the wrong folder. Disney uses facial recognition so sometimes a child might look like your's, which is what happened on our last cruise. They also place thousands of photos into the photo folders each day. They are human and make mistakes. Be gentle! They work so hard!
Do not take photos of your photos. Nothing is more annoying than seeing people trying to steal photos. Either bring your own camera (the photographers do not have an issue using your camera) or buy the photos/photo package.
Craziness on last night and morning of disembarkation:
Photo Studios: Find locations and times in the DCL Navigator's App
Here is the ship and which staterooms the ship offer.
Disney Fantasy/Dream Staterooms
Inside
Standard Inside Stateroom: Category 11A, 11B, 11C
Deluxe Inside: 10A
Oceanview
Deluxe Oceanview: 9A, 9B
Deluxe Family Oceanview: 8B, 8C, 8D
Verandah
Deluxe Oceanview Verandah: 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E (larger deck)
Deluxe Family Oceanview Verandah: 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E (larger deck)
Deluxe Oceanview Navigator's Verandah: 7A
Concierge
Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah/Accessible: V
1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah/Accessible: T
Royal Suite Verandah: R
Disney Wonder/Magic Staterooms
Inside
Standard Inside: 11A, 11B, 11C
Deluxe Inside: 10A, 10B, 10C
Oceanview
Deluxe Oceanview: 9A, 9D
Verandah
Deluxe Oceanview with Verandah: 5A, 5B, 5C
Deluxe Family Oceanview with Verandah Standard: 4A, 4B
Deluxe Oceanview with Navigator's Verandah: 7A
Concierge
1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah: T
2-Bedroom Suite with Verandah: S
Royal Suite Verandah: R
These are thoughts, pictures, and videos from the staterooms we have stayed in.
The rooms are cleaned each day, beds made down for you, and new toiletries replaced everyday as needed. The "mousekeepers" go out of their way to make sure you have the most incredible cruise ever.
Our staterooms were:
Wonder 5126 deluxe oceanview verandah 5C
Dream 8036 deluxe oceanview verandah 6A
Fantasy 6180 deluxe oceanview verandah 5E
Fantasy 6188 deluxe oceanview verandah 5E
Dream 6188 deluxe oceanview verandah 5E
Dream 6502 deluxe family oceanview 8D
Dream 6190 deluxe oceanview verandah 5E
Dream 8523 deluxe oceanview verandah 6A
Family Deluxe Stateroom with Oversized Verandah on Disney Dream
***THIS BLOG IS A WORK IN PROGRESS BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH I WANT TO SHARE AND I WANT TO DO IT THOUGHTFULLY AND COMPLETELY. BEAR WITH ME!
Check out this amazing video to get your Disney heart pumping!
Hello! My name is Stephanie Inch and I am a Disney fanatic. Even more, I am a Disney Cruise Line fanatic! I was hooked after my first cruise in 2009. I have taken 8 cruises on Disney Cruise Line and one NCL cruise. I have sailed on a 3-night Bahamian on Wonder, 5-night double-dipper at Castaway Cay and Nassau on the Dream, 7-night Western Caribbean Easter cruise on Fantasy, 7-night Eastern Caribbean Easter cruise on Fantasy, 2 back-to-back 3-night then 4-night Bahamian cruises on the Dream, one of which was a Merrytime Cruise over Christmas Day. We are Castaway Cay Gold members, own points with the Grand Floridian Resort with Disney Vacation Club, and have been to Walt Disney World at least 10 times.
In this blog, I will share some of my favorite moments, secrets, and tips with you. I will write about each holiday cruise we have taken, information about the ports of call we have visited, photo tips, ship information, and our favorite places to eat around the ship. You will learn about formal night and semi-formal night, and my favorite...Pirate Night! Get information on character greetings and so much more! I hope you enjoy what you read.
How We Became Obsessed With DCL:
In 2009 I was invited to go on a Disney Cruise to celebrate my in-laws 40th wedding anniversary. When my husband threw the idea at me, I immediately was concerned about seasickness and feeling cramped on a "boat". One of the best and life-changing decisions I ever made was to agree to go. It was a short 3-night cruise to the Bahamas. It was the trip of my life (so far). We were Disney Cruise Line rookies. We didn't know about pirate night, formal night, what we should take with us, etc. It's amazing how quick you can learn in the experience, and all the vocabulary associated with sailing (port arrival time, starboard, portside, aft, forward, muster drill)! My daughter was chosen as a VIP (now called "Magical Family") and got a special photo session and meet and greet with the characters on the last night in Studio Sea on the Wonder.
We decided to book another one for two years later, saved up, and made it happen. Our second cruise was a 5-night to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream. After our 2nd cruise, we realized we couldn’t wait two years to cruise again, so we booked a 7-night the following Spring Break on Disney Fantasy. We cruised Fantasy two spring break's in a row. Following those cruises we decided to do a back-to-back over Christmas on Disney Dream. The first part, my daughter knew about, the second leg was a surprise. The following August, we embarked on another back-to-back on Disney Dream. We planned to just do a quick 3-night getaway, but the cruise was so magical, we inquired about staying on for the 4-night that followed. At first, there were no staterooms available, but Kevin Irish in guest services made it happen. Out of 8 cruises, we were chosen as a magical family on 6 of them. We have a 7-night scheduled for December 16, 2017 and are counting down the days!
