Top 10 First-Time Disney Cruise Line Tips
Planning to set sail in 2020 or beyond? These first-time Disney Cruise Line tips will help you with things you might not know about the Magic, Fantasy, Dream, and Wonder DCL ships. Most are mistakes we made–and learned from–on our first DCL vacation, but we’ve also updated and tweaked this list with new info, ideas & changes. (Updated October 31, 2019.)
If you’re a Castaway Club member or a seasoned Disney Cruise Line veteran, some of these may seem obvious. However, based on our conversations with our guests aboard the Disney Magic, things aren’t always quite as obvious as they might seem. If you’re planning to set sail aboard Disney Cruise Line, these updated tips should come in handy.
Fortunately, setting sail on the Disney Cruise Line is a far less complicated experience than visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or other theme parks, so there’s not a ton you need to know to “do it right.” These 10 tips should at the very least set you on the right course…
Note that these tips all cover the experiences aboard the Disney Cruise Line ships themselves. If you’re looking for Disney’s Castaway Cay Tips, read this post. If you want something more comprehensive or less aimed at first timers, check out our 101 Great Disney Cruise Line Tips. That’s more of a deep dive and covers a range of things–including stuff you might not know even if you’re a Platinum Castaway Club Member!
Let’s take a look at the tips for having a great time your first time setting sail aboard the Disney Cruise Line…
Every Restaurant is All You Can Eat
One of the selling points of Disney Cruise Line is that soda is all-you-can-drink and there are places to grab food throughout the day without a surcharge. (As a point of clarification since we’ve met many people who call this “free,” it’s not free–it’s built into the cost of Disney Cruise Line, which costs more than other cruise ships in its class.) However, many people don’t know that meals at rotational restaurants are all-you-can-eat, in a way.
At these restaurants, you can order as many appetizers, entrees, and desserts as you want, make substitutions, etc. If you really like a particular appetizer or entree, order another! We did this at every meal, and always found the servers happy to oblige. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility.
We don’t recommend ordering so much food that you only eat half of what’s on each plate. Ordering a half dozen lobster entrees for yourself might seem like a good idea, but it’s wasteful and probably won’t endear you to your server.
Tipping is Different
We read that tipping was different prior to our trip, and everything we read made it sound super complicated. It’s not. Basically, your onboard stateroom account is automatically charged a set amount towards the end of your cruise for housekeeping, your server, your assistant server, and the dining room manager, with envelopes also provided for the same so you can leave additional cash should you believe they deserve more. You can find out what the exact default amounts will be for your cruise with the Disney Cruise Line Blog Tip Calculator.
Should you want to tip less, you can go to Guest Services to change the amounts. We noticed fairly long lines at Guest Services the last night of our cruise, and assume this was why. We’re not going to get into the controversial area of recommended tips here, but our general advice is “don’t be an ass.” In the cruise industry, these tips are customary, and these positions in the crew depend upon them. If you vehemently disagree with the concept of tipping these positions, maybe you shouldn’t take a cruise.
I know I wouldn’t take a cruise if I hated being on a boat, and this type of tipping is as much a standard of cruising as cruises taking place aboard boats. Personally, I’m not a fan of the social construct of tipping (I feel that what’s now “standard” gratuity should be built into certain wages, as they are in most of the civilized world) for a variety of reasons, but until I can convince the rest of society to agree with me, I uphold my social obligation to tip.
Nightlife is Tame, But Fun
This one varies widely depending upon the Disney Cruise Line ship you’re sailing, and how full your cruise is, I think. On our cruise, “After Hours” was pretty much a ghost town every night after 11 p.m. This is partly to be understood. Unlike other ships, Disney Cruise Line caters to families, precluding many parents from participating in the night life scene.
Still, we highly recommend checking out the night life. We found that, while sparsely attended, it can be highly entertaining. Perhaps not in the way you’re thinking, though. While it can be fun in itself, what we found more fun was people watching. (Yes, we were those people in the corner, creepin’ on the people in da club!) Some of the guests who have the most fun in the clubs presumably haven’t been on the party scene in a while.
Pour copious amounts of alcohol on that, and you the fuel for an awesome fire. We had a blast just watching the partying, and we are 100% certain the partiers had fun doing the party. Regardless of whether you want to be a party animal or a creepy lurker like us, we bet you’ll have a good time.
Don’t Miss the Fireworks
If you’re comparing them to the fireworks at Walt Disney World, the fireworks on the Disney Cruise Line are going to disappoint you. They are relatively short by comparison, and not as large in scale.
But take a step back for a second. Walt Disney World fireworks are launched from the land. On Disney Cruise Line, you’re floating in the middle of the ocean, with a private fireworks show over the water. That’s pretty impressive, and watching them explode over the water as other ships blast their horns in the distance is a pretty cool experience.
Research Rooms
Frequent cruisers are very particular about their room, and for good reason: not all of the rooms in the same class are the same! At first blush, choosing a room seems pretty easy, since there’s inside, oceanview, and verandah. However, there are actually several “secret” verandah and porthole staterooms, as well as mini-suites and oversized rooms, all of which are priced in a lower tier.
In our case, we didn’t have the ability to pick a room, as we booked a last-minute, restricted fare “verandah or better” (VGT–there are also IGT and OGT restricted) room. The benefit of this was saving money during the off-season (since the ship wasn’t full, last minute deals were offered) and guaranteeing ourselves a verandah view room. As a side note, you also should give serious thought to which class of room to you want, and whether it’s worth the money to splurge and upgrade.
While a verandah is probably nice on longer cruises, we learned that it was an unnecessary luxury on a short cruise. By contrast, we’ve heard that a verandah is pretty much a must-do on an Alaskan cruise, due to the view of whales it might offer.
Palo is a Must Do
Some guests are likely to balk at the cost of Palo, wondering why they should pay extra for a meal when their normal rotational dining is “free.” Well, again, those meals aren’t free, they’re built into the cost of the cruise. Instead of looking at those as free and Palo as $25 per person, look at Palo as costing about 2% the total of your cruise (give or take depending upon the cruise’s actual cost). For a 2% increase in cost, does it not make sense to upgrade to a superb fine dining experience?!
We have a full Palo Dinner Review you can read if you need further convincing, but suffice to say, we fully believe that Palo is well worth the additional cost and highly recommend it for any couple looking for a romantic meal or foodies wanting a fine dining experience. The incredible service, atmosphere, and cuisine are all virtually unparalleled, and we now cannot imagine doing Disney Cruise Line without a meal at Palo.
Don’t Skip the Nightly Shows
If you look at reviews of the nightly shows, they vary widely. We’ve now seen nearly a dozen different productions aboard Disney Cruise Line, some multiple times. Our enjoyment of these shows has been all over the place–sometimes a show we don’t normally love can be elevated by a stellar cast. Other times, the reverse is true. (About the only show we’ve consistently disliked is Villains Tonight!)
The point is, it seems that no one can agree on which of these shows is awful, good, or great, and the only one who can determine whether you will like the shows is you. That requires you going to see the shows. Besides, if you’re going on a Disney cruise, you really ought to see the Disney entertainment on that cruise. The good news is that, regardless of what you think of the story of the show, production values and acting are top notch in all of the shows.
Use the Personal Navigator
If you’re like me and think your main option for entertainment on a cruise is lying around reading a book (more like falling asleep with a book on your face), boy, are you wrong! There are multiple, simultaneous options pretty much all day long. Granted, not everything is going to appeal to everyone, but you’ll probably never be wanting for anything to do while you’re on the cruise.
You’re provided a Personal Navigator each day with the schedule of events on it, but we recommend downloading the Personal Navigator App and using that. Even though we couldn’t use our phones on the cruise, we still carried them for the clock (who wears watches these days?!) and other apps. Of course, if you’re going to be in the pools a lot, maybe carrying around your phone isn’t such a good idea.
The Ship is Beautiful
The Disney Cruise Line ships are seriously beautiful. Seriously. Each of the ships has its own distinct features and design, but they’re all basically modern luxury ocean liners in the style of Art Deco or Art Nouveau. The details are stunning, from gorgeous chandeliers to handrails, the design of these ships is very thoughtful and meticulous.
If you’re a fan of these styles of architecture or themed design, take some time to explore the ship. Go in the movie theater when it’s not in use, wander around the main lobby, stare at that handmade chandelier. A big draw of Disney is in the parks’ highly immersive environments, and while Disney Cruise Line doesn’t isn’t necessarily thematically transportive (although it is literally transportive), the ship itself does make you feel a bit like you’re aboard a ship during the golden age of cruise ships.
People Sleep In
This is one of those seemingly obvious ones, but it’s clearly not that obvious given that the ship is particularly deserted in the early morning hours. I know I often harp on being up for the sunrise, and I realize people take cruises on vacation, but get up for the sunrise at least one morning!
There are very few people around, and seeing the sunrise on the open water is really a sight to behold. You can see and do a lot without worrying about other people in the early morning, so why not get up early during your day at sea, and go back to your stateroom in the middle of the day to take a nap?
Okay, that covers the first-time lessons for setting sail aboard Disney Cruise Line. As I’ve said before, I didn’t think I was a cruise person before, but the Disney Magic sold me on the Disney Cruise Line. Since that first cruise, we’ve done all of the ships, and eagerly await our next journey. It’s a totally different type of Disney experience than the theme parks, but the change of pace, relaxing, and service-oriented nature of Disney Cruise Line has us hooked!
Planning to set sail aboard one of the Disney Cruise Line ships? Read our comprehensive Disney Cruise Line Guide to prepare for your trip, plan entertainment and other activities, and learn what to expect from your Disney cruise! For info on specific ships, see our Disney Dream Ship Guide.
If you want personalized recommendations for Disney Cruise Line itineraries, ships, and more, click here to get a cruise quote from a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. They can find you all of the current discounts, and help you plan the details of your cruise!
Your Thoughts
If you’ve cruised with Disney Cruise Line before, what first time “lessons” would you add so that people avoid common mistakes? Any other tips? Any questions? Do you agree or disagree with our first-time DCL tips? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We are going on our first Disney Cruise in August with our four kids…aged 7,8, and 2 year old twins.
Does any one have any tips for cruising with toddlers?
Any experience with the Disney Nursery? I wonder if the boys can nap there in the afternoons?
thanks in advance.
This is a great site. Glad I found this. Our cruise in is 2 weeks – first time on the cruise. A couple of questions we have 2 kids ages 6 & 7 – I booked the Discover Atlantis Adventure. Is this worth it? Is there a way to get over to Atlantis that is easier?
Second question – if swimming on one of the islands what do you do with your money, camera etc?
Keep the tips coming I love them.
We are on the Magic starting on 15th March. Love to meet up with any other ,Disneyphiles’ who may be on board.
Just the two of us but as we are platinum members. Disney must be doing something right as we are prepared to travel from England twice a year to enjoy all things about the mouse.
Door magnets are fun and make it easy to locate your room! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/428967933232868406/
Take the quick tour on the first day. This short tour will tell you where everything onboard the shp is.
Tip for castaway cay, get off ship and grab some chairs if you are a large group and want to stay together. Also the Adult only side is beautiful and quiet, with bar, food and bathrooms . Take the ride over to that part but you must be over 18, they will NOT allow any kids and will check your Ship key to check your age if they think your younger and escort you off! They also have massage huts
Great tips, thanks! 🙂
Just curious as to if your children were motion sick? It’s my only worry… we leave in just 4 short days!
First cruise they were,but the sea was very choppy that first night, we tried those motion bracelets they did not seem to help. We take over the counter pills now before we even get on the ship, just in case. Usually if your not feeling well first night it settles down after that.
We did Carnival when my kids were 10 months and 5yr and had no trouble with motion sickness. I have sea bands just in case but never needed them. I read that Disney has the best stabilizers in the business so I’m thinking it won’t be bad. Have fun!
Thanks for all the great advice. My family and I are doing our first Disney cruise in April. We will be on a 5 day on the Wonder. I have an 18 month old and 5 year old daughters. We cruised as a family on Carnival last summer but we were disappointed that there wasn’t much for my youngest to do. Disney seems to have a really nice nursery. Should we schedule time at the nursery ahead of time since they say it fills up? It’s difficult to decide what times now when we don’t have a ship schedule. Also I want to try Palo but I also don’t want to miss out on any of the restaurants. Will the kids clubs feed my girls if my husband and I go for a nice dinner at Palo? Thanks much!
There are three main restaurants for dinner so pick a night that you have dinner in the same restaurant twice be safe chose the 4th night because one will be a repeat. Yes they will feed your children if you go to Palo. My children are older so they never went into any of the day care programs but the areas are amazing. We have had many friends who’s children never wanted to leave the play area and nursery. Take advantage of the services for the kids and carve out some time for you both as a couple. Great spa for massages together, adult only pool, bar. Its probably the only place in the world that your children are safe and happy and you are too!ps Roomservice is free, take advantage of cheese and crackers, cookies and milk before bed. Upper deck where pools are have beverage stations for early morning coffee and tea, milk, soda, water. You can also bring on your own beer, wine etc. I have been on 12 cruises and only travel on Disney. You will have a great cruise, Disney covers everything you could imagine, its Magical and worth every penny!
Thank You KP! I will schedule Palo for the 4th night. I will go ahead and book the nursery for a few evenings. My husband and I rarely get to do anything just the two of us so it will be so nice! Now if I could just talk him into the couples massage. ..
Alicia,
My husband and I are planning a 7 day cruise with our son in May (2016) on the Disney Magic and he will be 20 months old. How was your cruise with your 18 month old? Would you recommend a Disney cruise with a child that young? We have similar questions as you posted. We don’t want to waste the money if a Disney cruise is not something for a toddler. Hoping you or someone can offer some advice with cruising with a toddler.
Thank you for your help!
Jennifer
I believe each legal adult can bring a bottle of alcohol, Castaway you rent floats,and all other excursions are at a fee you book ahead of time. Cozumel you pay for excursion ahead of time or on ship at excursion desk on board. We have been cruising Disney since 2001 and have cruised Eastern, Western Carib,Europe, Alaska and Bahamas 7 times, been on all four ships and have nothing but amazing times. We are sailing Panama in May and Disney is the only ship we would ever sail on, clean, safe, its the only way to go! Worth every penny and the memories never fade.ps shows all entertainment, movies and food is free, with the exception of Palo the adults restaurant is a fee of $25 pp but well worth it. Enjoy
We are going on our very first Disney cruise in April and all this information is appreciated! I just have a few questions;
– Are the excursions off the boat ( Cozumel, Castaway Cay,) free? And is it a first come basis to sign up?
– Are the restaurants/shows/theater free?
Just curious as to how much extra our cost will be above the cruise/air fare price.
Thanks again for all the great info! Looking forward to an amazing cruise!! ðŸ˜Å
Shelby what cruise are you on? We are doing Wonder in April. We leave the 12th
Getting off the boat is free, but if there’s an organized excursion, it costs extra. Restaurants, shows, and the theater are all included in the cost of the cruise–there’s no extra charge.
We always go to one of the restaurants for breakfast and dinner, yes it takes longer, but this is all part of relaxing for us.
If you go to guest services you can ask them to cancel the automatic tipping and then pay ‘by envelope’ to increase or decrease as you please.
On the Fantasy last year, we had a really bad server, not a smile or conversation and always served us last. By nature we prefer to join a table with 4 or 6 others and have always tried to make the dining experience an enjoyable one for all. Needless to say she received nothing as a tip, but we made it up to the assistant server and beverage sever who were great.
One other question.
How much alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages can you bring on board?
Thanks again.
As much as will fit in your carry on luggage. They don’t allow alcohol in checked luggage. Great way to save money. I know a guy who rang up a $1000+ bar tab.
I love these tips. My family and I are goin on our first Disney Cruise in March, the Disney Dream. We are so excited but I think I am more excited than my kids (and I have four of them). I have been watching so many YouTube videos and watched the reservation page for our reservations since I checked in.
I do have one tip for first time cruisers, being a first time cruiser: be sure to book your Castaway Cay excursions as soon as you are able to check in. Even though I think club members booked them first, I wa hoping to get one of those family cabanas.
I also have a few questions:
1. What types of sodas are included?
2. I am also traveling with an 18 year old. Is there much for them to do on the ship?
3. Do you all recommend registering for the Fish a extenders, or is this just something we can do on our own? I looked the idea of putting sum things on our cabin doors, but not sure if registering is really necessary.
Thank you all.
Hi Petriceh Sodas such as coca cola sprite etc as well as tea and coffee are all available free on the main pool deck at the beverage station.
As there is just my wife and I cannot answer your question regarding 18 year old, but there always seem to be a lot to do for everyone.
The doors are all metal so we use a variety of magnetic signs, I think post-its would probably work as well
Enjoy the Magic (Dream)
Fish extenders and door decorations are two different things. We decorated our door with lots of magnetic signs, including personalized Mickey heads for all members of our party. Do a quick Google or Pinterest search to see all the ways folks decorate!
You sign up to do Fish extenders through the DIS Boards. Basically you get partnered with another party on your cruise and get/make little gifts to give each other during the cruise. The extenders themselves are like mini-pocket charts you can make or buy. They hang on the little fish-shaped hook next to your stateroom door, and that’s where the treats go.
Although we did decorate on our first cruise, we did not sign up for the Fish extender trade. I would definitely like to next time!
We missed out on a couple excursions because when we checked the website they were full. But we were told that lots of people sign up for stuff and then cancel when they find something else to do. it’s free to sign up and there’s no obligation. We were told that if there’s just one spot available we should sign up one person, then keep,checking every day and each time we can sign one up, do that and eventually all of us will be signed up. If by chance, we don’t get everyone signed up, we can always cancel but we were told usually you can get everyone in. We will definitely try this next time!
I am confused about the drinks and what is included in the cruise and can’t find it specifically listed anywhere.
I see soda, coffee, and tea are free all the time on deck.
What is included with meals and what is extra with meals, and how much are the drinks?
For instance, my kids don’t drink soda, coffee, or tea. They do, however, drink a ton of milk, a moderate amount of water, and a little juice here and there. They love milkshakes and smoothies.
What are our options for this and when, and with 3 growing kids, what will it cost me in addition to the cruise cost? It could be substantial since my 14 year old drinks a gallon of milk a day all by himself.
That’s all included. Booze is basically the only drink that isn’t.
Thank you! Good to know–what a relief!
How much are the alcoholic drinks? We aren’t big drinkers but I’ll be turning 40 on the second day of our cruise and I’m totally down for having a mai tai or something!
Smoothies are also extra, as are canned pop and bottled water served in the theatre. All drinks in bars, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic are extra as well.
All non alcoholic drinks are included, my son drank gallons of milk, white and chocolate! They also have apple juice, orange juice etc.
Is it all available all the time?
We are going on the Wonder. Can anyone give some tips on things to do and see (e.g. secret viewing area, characters, etc…)while on the ship. Thanks.
I have to disagree about the veranda being a not-needed expense on shorter cruises. It all depends on you. People like me, who are claustrophobic and also phobic about being around lots of people really almost NEED that solitary area for your own mental well being. It’s a place to get fresh air, any time of the day w/o people near you. I needed that space to not feel so enclosed and surrounded. In fact, when someone asks me of any place n the world I would find my ultimate happy place, it ALWAYS comes back to sitting on my veranda at 1AM soaking up the sights and smells. Watching Dolphins right before you can be a life-long memory. As I said, it may not have been necessary for you, but claustrophobia is actually very common and I didn’t want to cruise AT ALL until I was assured of ways I could keep people and those feelings at bay on a ship.
tips – i think most people are in line at guest services to INCREASE their tips, not decrease. but they give you envelopes and you can add cash if you want. like this says, dont be an ass – tip well! they work hard. (and everyone has an opinion if they are well salaried or not – who cares, they work hard for you!!)
learn how to tell what direction you are going on the boat when you cant see the water – if you see a star with a really long single point – that’s pointing to the front. if you are looking at a map, for it to be face up you are facing the front. the rear of the ship i think is more lighter colors, then mid is blue and front is red (i could be off but its for land/sea/danger).
eat everything – you can ask for a side of a main dish so you can taste, tho be warned, they often bring the whole meal. you can have as much as you want.
do the shows – all of them 0 even the later night adult shows. it is still disney – they are funny (not gratuitous language and sexual references just to try and get a laugh like on other ships). oh and if you see ricky kalman or the blackstreet boys make sure you go to all of theirs.
relax. its a vaca. dont do anything to stress. if you miss something or someone does something annoying, try to hakuna matata and let it go!
oh and because there is no casino they try harder to entertain the adults!
AGREED! those built-in tips are so atrociously low. I’d feel TERRIBLE if I didm;t bump them. Seriously, $4 per person per day??? Dear God! They do an immense amount of work and are completely isolated on a ship WORKING. Can’t afford to type fairly, don’t cruise I say.
For the rotational dinners can you chose which restaurant you want to go to on what night?
no. they tell you where to go which night. but you hit all of them. and your servers go with you and know your preferences. and you get all the menus over the time on ship
(hopefully you got this answer elsewhere by now!)
I have not gon but my friend has and said it was awesome