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!
Hello,
Can someone please tell me how formal the formal nights are on a Disney cruise. I’ve cruised twice before, the first time the formal nights were very formal, the second cruise wasn’t – I felt a bit overdressed in a sparkly long dress and don’t want to make the same mistake again. Thank you x
One event which is never listed in the Personal Navigator or on the DCL website is the Princess Breakfast. This character meet and greet is free of charge but you must make a reservation and it tends to fill up fairly quickly. Immediately after boarding head over to the Guest Relations desk and request a reservation. I don’t believe that this breakfast is offered on shorter 3 and 4 night cruises.
I’ve been on the Disney Wonder and it was incredible! I don’t know if you have already done this or not (as I have not gotten through all of your posts, trying one by one), but a post just on Disney’s Castaway Cay would be great! I know when we went we just spent the time sitting on the beach I was like 14 at the time. I’m not sure if back then we knew about all of the things we could do there or the spacial sections of the beach like the Adults Only beach. Great article as always! My favorite memory might still be hearing the “When You Wish Upon A Star” horn as we pushed back from port 🙂
Hi. This will be our 2nd Disney Cruise. Our first one was on the Dream about 12 years ago, when my daughter was 6 and my son was 3. They are know 18, 15 and a new one who is 5. We will be traveling on the Fantasy for the 7 night Western Caribbean at the end of May. I am having the hardest time choosing excursions at the Ports in Mexico and Jamaica. Can someone, anyone please send some recommendations my way. I was thinking the Xel-Ha Park and River tubing in Mexico but after reading reviews on trip advisor it seems that they nickel and dime you. Please help, any suggestions will be appreciated.
I’d love to see a packing list that differentiates what you’d need for a cruise that you would not need in the parks, and/or vice versa. I’d especially love to know how Sarah packs – how many dresses, bathing suits, etc!
Thank you all for the amazing tips. What is everyone’s opinion is the “Best” Disney Boat? We will be going this year with our 9 year old twins. I have heard the Dream is amazing, any thoughts or suggestions ?
Thank you so much! Any help is truly appreciated!
FANTASY!!!!!!
The Dream is amazing but we found that we liked the Magic much better, It was smaller so the service was beyond exceptional. They have so many guests on the Dream that you can feel a little lost.
My husband and I are taking a Disney Magic cruise in May of 2016 with our son who will be 20-months-old. Any tips for cruising with a toddler? Would you recommend a Disney cruise for a toddler at almost two years old? I know he can’t get into the pools, but I understand he could play in the water activity area near the pools? Has anyone had experience with the nursery on board?
Any tips or recommendations would be very helpful!
Thank you!
Jennifer
Thank you very much for all the helpful tips! My family( 4 adults& 2 kids ) are planning our first Disney cruise in April. Can you suggest a car service company to drive us from our airport hotel to Port Canaveral?.
Also I forgot to mention..on the Disney dream, you may not decorate your doors, they are wooden! just a few tips
did you know that as of 9/30/15 you may NOT bring on board your own alcohol? everything I have read says that you can bring bottles of booze. this is no longer true, just beware!
At least we can still bring 2 bottles of wine or 6 pack beer, while not “alcohol”
Could anyone tell me what time you can actually debark from your cruise when you are in ports of call? We are trying to plan our own excursions but need to know what time to tell our taxi driver to pick us up.
any suggestion for excursions ? is it safe to book a rental car and tour on your own? I will be on Disney Fantasy Falmouth Jamaica
Hi! Your tips are wonderful! My family & I are planning on going on our first cruise in February 2016 on Disney Magic. I’ve been researching and researching! We’re going on the Bahamas cruise. Have you ever been to Nassau? Some reviews had me a little concerned.
Great cruises and lots of nice looking women of color. my les Kate Scott is an soda addict keeps her hyper take the cruise with Anna on it as she is a funny person and always cracks me up love the food although eat too much and get bloated butboh well you only live once and it’s a cruise enjoy em alloys
Gary ratnich [email protected] if you see a 65?year old guy with a tank top says I played hoops at unlv and drive a Bently will buy you colt 45 or such just say what’s up bro.
Hi Tom,
Love your blog! We went on Disney Fantasy last year and took our at that time DD6, DS3 and DS10m along with my mom. There was something for everyone and my daughter and older son had a blast in the kids club (they page you if needed). Even though my son was 3 he was potty trained so they let him in. My younger son went into the nursery (extra cost but worth it) and the adults were able to do an excursion and Palo dinner (was very good!). There are some many “hidden” extras on the ship but the one I really liked was the great detective game (similar to Agent P at Epcot). It was really cool because you could interact with pictures on the wall! There were three games and we solved them all. It was a great mommy/son bonding time while little brother napped. The other tip we learned is you can get two rooms that have a joining door for bigger families.
Hi! I am so overjoyed that I found this website and have read all these amazing and awesome tips. My family along with another family are going on our FIRST cruise and we are super excited. Of course, being a first timer, I have so many questions and some have been answered by all these tips.
We will be taking a Caribbean cruise April 17-22, 2016 on the Disney Wonder.
These are some of my questions/concerns:
1) I really still don’t get the whole tip thing. What do you mean by “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.” Does this mean that I am automatically charged the tip apart from the cruise fare?
2) Even though we are booking almost a year in advance, it seems all the rooms in the center of the ship are booked. I have read & researched that rooms in the front & back of the ship are not the best option for first time cruisers. I honestly have no idea if any in our family is prone to seasickness, so would this be a problem for us if we end up booking staterooms near the front of the ship?
3) We will be making stops at Cozumel, Mexico & Castaway Cay. What excursions or Port Adventures do you recommend? We would like to save money yet still have the best time ever.
Any other helpful tips and insights are for sure most welcome.
1) your account will get charged a minimum amount in addition to your cruise fare. The workers are amazingly great and believe me, you’ll want to tip more.
2) this will be my 2nd cruise. On the first one we were on the far end (as far as you can go) and had no issues. So hopefully you will be fine.
3) Of the places you are stopping, I’ve only been to Castaway Cay which was our favorite day of the cruise. I would not book anything for Castaway in advance. You really don’t need to. We had a great time doing the free stuff (water slides/swimming/relaxing) and then added on bike rentals and snorkeling on the spot when we wanted to. There is a 3 part package you can book in advance (bikes/snorkels and I think tubes) that is a bit cheaper than booking 3 separately on the spot. If you are not sure you will do all 3, you may want to book the 3 part package for 1 or 2 in your group. Then you can mix and match and add on as needed when you are there.
We just booked our first cruise through Costco for December 2015 on the Wonder ship. We have kids ages 4 girl 7 boy and 9 boy. Which activities are a most for us to book with them? on ship and at ports of Nassau, Castaway, and Keys? What are some of the adult activities we can do alone as well that need booked in advance besides spa? where do you get a list of the adult shows? Do they have special holiday activities/shows this time of year? We are on the 8th deck.. any tips would be appreciated. First timers!
Was going to book our first cruise- but the first dinner seating is sold out. This will not work well for my boys who will e six and used to eating dinner eve before the first seating. If I try through a travel agent, can they et us into the first seating and what are the chances we can get into it upon boarding? If we can’t, then what other dinner options are there? THANK YOU for ay insight!
Hi,
I have never been on a cruise but my husband and I never got a honeymoon. We have a 7 year old daughter and really thought a disney cruise would meet everyone’s wants. What would be the best ship to choose and why?
Thanks so much,
Ashley
We are going on our first cruise in May (Fantasy) and really appreciate all the tips and advice but I have outstanding questions and am having trouble find the answers. Hopefully someone here can help. We have 2 girls (6 & 4).
1) can you sign up in advance for the kids programs or is this something you can only do while on board?
2) we have the second seating so how would we sign up for the dine and play? Or it is only on board as well?
3) if there somewhere for the kids to go if we wanted to have an adults only dinner?
4) how do you sign up for the fish (is it a program)?
5) is there such a thing as a bad room? People are particular re which room they get but if you don’t know or don’t have the option – could you be stuck with a bad room?
6) tracking bracelets – do the kids automatically get these?
It’s actually really daunting going on this cruise knowing that there are all these ‘secret’ things (ie door decoration). You feel compelled to know everything so that you fit in. Luckily my kids probably won’t notice but I don’t want to feel like we’ve missed out! Thanks!
Hi Joanne. You’ll have an awesome time on the Fantasy. Best time of our lives!
1). You can preregister for the kids clubs online. Or conversely, you can do it just as soon as you get aboard the ship. It’s pretty easy.
2). Just tell your waiter or hostess that the kids want to do the dine and play. They’ll handle the rest.
3). Yes, they have the Oceaneers club for little ones, Edge and Vibe for the teenagers. They can eat in the clubs. Just take your kids to the clubs and then go enjoy your dinner at Pali and pick them up afterwards.
5). Yes there are bad rooms. Kind of. The front and back of the ship feel the motion of the waves much more dramatically. Not so much in the middle. Plus be careful about getting rooms under the nightclubs if your an early to bed person.
6). Yes they give your kids the bands when you check them in. Although older teenagers can typically check themselves out if they want to go do something else. Use the wave phones to stay in touch with each other. The clubs can also call you if there is a problem.
Hope that helps. Have fun and enjoy yourselves.