Disney Cruise Line
Our family was lucky enough to spend 7 magnificent days aboard the Disney Dream on the Norwegian Fjord voyage – and oh how it was a Dream! (See what I did there?) From amazing ports of call, delicious food, superb service, and a kids’ club that makes even parents a little bit jealous, Disney Cruise Line goes above and beyond your wildest expectation. Read on to hear more about our voyage – and get ready to book your next vacation with Disney Cruise Lines.
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Cruising Basics
Disney Cruise Line App
The most important thing to download once you book your cruise is the Disney Cruise Line App. Not only does it provide you a fun countdown to your embarkation date, but it has also so much necessary information for your check in, valuable information for during your trip, such as dining times and rotation schedule, times for events, shows, meet-n-greets, shore excursion information, and so much more!
Download it the day you book your trip so you have the most experience before you arrive at the ship. Once you connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi, you will be able to access the app for free – no need to purchase a separate Wi-Fi package to access the app. For parents, the app will also allow the Kids Club to contact you if your child needs anything or wants to be picked up.
Embarkation
Embarkation Day may be the best of all, as you enter the grand lobby with an announcement of your arrival (feel free to be creative with your name!). You are whisked away to your room, if it’s ready, or go ahead and start the festivities, grab some lunch, hop in the pool, or get a great spot for the send-off deck party. There will be plenty of time here for photos, visits with characters, and getting to know the areas of the ship.
Dining
Disney is my favorite cruiseline in terms of dining. Not only is the food absolutely magnificent, you can of course order as much as you’d like. My favorite part is their rotational dining. Each night you are assigned a restaurant and table, so you are able to visit each restaurant, more than once if you are on a longer voyage. AND your wait staff rotates with you each night, so they quickly learn your preferences. Before seating each night, my children’s drinks were already on the table, they knew that my kids wanted extra butter and two baskets of bread, and ice cream for dessert.
On the Disney Dream, we ate at Enchanted Garden, Animator’s Palate, and Royal Palace. The food at each was different each night so we had the opportunity to try a variety of dishes. The experience of Animator’s Palate was our favorite, as we were able to draw our own characters that were animated later in the evening, and visits from Crush. I would absolutely dine here every day if I had the chance!
You can also book ahead upgraded dining at Remy and Palo, but these restaurants charge an additional fee per person.
Staterooms
There are many different options of staterooms you can choose from for your Disney cruise. Disney has 4 main stateroom categories and 10 different room types on the Disney Dream (and similar on other ships) to make sure your experience is perfect. They are:
Inside staterooms: Inside rooms that have no exterior view, but on some ships feature a virtual porthole. These rooms tend to disappear first so if you are interested, book sooner rather than later.
Oceanview staterooms: Outward-facing rooms with 1 or 2 portholes. Some rooms feature a “split bath” design.
Verandah: Outward-facing rooms with a private verandah. Some rooms can fit up to 5 people. Another great feature of these rooms is the “split bath”, where there is a bathroom with vanity, sink, shower, and tub, and a half-bathroom with vanity, sink, and toilet.
Concierge: Luxurious accommodations with private large verandah, premium amenities, and concierge services. Rooms feature down duvets, pillow menu, personal robes and slippers, and complimentary Wi-Fi. There are also options for 1-bedroom suites and even the coveted Royal Suite. You will be able to reserve onboard activities and services online 120 days prior to sailing and provide the concierge team with your preferences 130 days prior to sailing and they can make the bookings on your behalf (Cabana at Castaway Cay, anyone?). You will also receive access to concierge-only lounges aboard the ship and a private sundeck.
Kid’s Entertainment
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
For those little princes and princesses, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a wonderful addition to the magical time aboard the ship. There are different packages and outfits to choose from, and the experience was truly magical. Children can have their hair done in special princess up-do’s, costumes, make-up, nails, and more. For princes, they can choose from pirate costumes, makeup, and accessories.
Pro tip: Schedule your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique visit near your Princess Gathering (reservation required) time so that your little princess is photographed with a Disney Princess!
Kids, Tween, and Teen Clubs
I can 100% say I was absolutely jealous of the setup of the kids’ clubs. On the first day, it is a great time to visit the club to get your children acquainted with the space, options, and Cast Members. Once you drop your children off, they have free roam of the kids club, and of course, you are notified via app if you child wishes to leave or needs anything.
There are several options for different ages:
Disney’s Oceaneer Club, Disney’s Oceaneer Lab – For guests 3 to 10. These two clubs are connected, leading to tons of fun for your child (ours never wanted to leave!). With some many play spaces and interactive Cast Members, your child will have an amazing experience. My kids’ favorite? The Magic Play Floor, climbing into the driver’s seat in the Star Wars: Millennium Falcon, and the Mickey and Friends Pajama Party. They also had kids-exclusive character visits, which limited the lines we needed to stand in around the ship to meet their favorite characters. And if you’re not a parent, don’t worry – there is a designated time when you can visit the Oceaneer’s Club and be a kid yourself!
Edge – For guests 11 to 14. This tween’s exclusive club features tv’s, computers, video games, and daily guided activities. Located in the Forward Funnel of the Disney Dream, there is modular movable furniture, cushy beanbags, and floor-to-ceiling windows, making this one amazing place for your tween to hang out with their new friends.
Vibe – For guests ages 14 to 17. This teen’s exclusive club is perfect for place for teens to chill out, listen to music, watch TV, and experience exclusive events. Vibe features a coffee bar with a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages, including fruit smoothies, and more.
There is also an option for the youngest of the family - the “It’s A Small World” Nursery! For the little princes and princesses from ages 6 months to 3 years old, children can play games, make crafts, watch movies, and even nap while parents enjoy the ship on their own.
Character Experiences
You cannot walk around the ship without seeing lines for meet-n-greets with your favorite characters. They wear special outfits each day and night to correspond with the themes, so you will be tempted to be photographed with each one! Utilize the Disney Cruise Line app to see when and where your favorite characters will appear, and arrive in line early.
Onboard Enjoyment
Pixie Dusting
For my first Disney Cruise, I joined the Facebook group for my sailing date (which I highly recommend you do ASAP). One of the first things you will see posts on are Pixie Dust groups.
Let me provide you with the low-down: on the outside of your stateroom door, you will place a bag or what they call “fish extenders” (you can make your own, or buy one off Etsy or Amazon, but there are soooo many options). These are places for other guests to leave a surprise gift (or “Pixie Dust”) for you and your party.
On the Facebook group, you can opt to join a Pixie Dust group, where you will input your cruise party, ages, favorite foods, characters, etc, and you the remainder of your group will do the same. You will surprise your group with gifts in their fish extender.
It’s a great experience to both give and receive, and our kids were always so excited to see what was in their bag at the end of each day. Some guests will also opt to pass out little gifts and treats randomly at decorated doors, so have some fun with it! Don’t forget to decorate your doors, but remember - magnets only!
Onboard Entertainment
Nightly, there will be special Broadway style shows onboard your ship. These change throughout the year, but they are always magical. Some nights also feature comedians, ventriloquists, singers, and much more. We were able to attend one show most nights and I cannot recommend enough! Recently-released movies will also be playing all day either in the theaters, or you can always catch a classic movie on the big-screen by the pool. The adults club will also feature special acts, so there are plenty of times to enjoy a drink and have fun late into the evening!
Shore Excursions
The ports of calls are obviously one of the most intriguing parts of a Disney cruise. With so many destinations, it’s hard to choose! We opted for the Disney Dream sailing to the Norwegian Fjords, which stopped in Brugges, Belgium; Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo, and Stavenger, Norway. You do not have to sign up for a shore excursion and instead can opt to explore your ports of calls on your own. However, I would recommend doing some research for each port of call so you know what the transportation in and out of the port looks like. Sometimes Disney will provide shuttles if you do not have a planned excursion, and sometimes the ship docks very close to the city so you don’t need to have transportation. Other times, the ports are in areas where a shuttle is required to leave. When in doubt, ask your travel advisor!
Disney shore excursions are designed to provide you with a seamless travel experience onshore in various activities. Depending on the port of call, options will vary from walking tours, bus tours, river tours, museums, and so much more. Some excursions can be booked up very quickly (I’m looking at you Lysefjord Cruise in Stavanger) so if you want to take advantage of shore excursions, I recommend you book the experiences ASAP when they are released. You will not be billed until closer to when your voyage begins, so check back often if you missed out on an excursion to see if anyone has removed it from their itinerary.
If you head out at the port on your own, be sure to arrive in plenty of time before the cruise ship departs, as the ship can leave you at the port if you do not board on time. If you join a Disney shore excursion, the ship will not leave without the group, so that is an added benefit to book your spot.
Start Packing!
The above in no way encompasses the entire experience you will have with Disney Cruise Line. You will have such a great time you will never want to leave!
Don’t forget to book your Placeholder Reservation before you disembark the ship – you will get 10% off your next cruise. This is an onboard offer only. You don’t have to choose the date when choosing a placeholder, but it can be used for sailings within 24 months to book your next sailing, with a $250 refundable deposit made onboard.
With so many destinations, ports of call, and various ships, you can have so many different wonderful Disney experiences.
Contact me today to get your Disney vacation booked and get ready to pack your Mickey ears! And remember - with me won’t cost you anything!
