Disney Cruise – On Board Tips

Once you get on board the ship you may feel overwhelmed with the sheer size of the space. Do not worry, you will soon know the ship like the back of your hand, it will quickly feel like home.

Must Do’s

• Read your Personal Navigator! You will see this tip throughout these posts. But seriously read it, every day. Your stateroom host will leave it for you the nigh prior, or you can download the app on your phone. It will work once you get on the ship. Take highlighters for each person and highlight each activity you would like to do. You may have to divide and conquer or you may have to make a tough decision between two activities. But at least you know about them!
• Deck Party’s! Starting with the Sail Away party at the beginning of the trip you will not want to miss a single deck party. Yes they are crowded, yes they can be hot depending on the weather. But they are so full of life and energy. They will leave you wanting to book your next vacation immediately. Tip: To stay out of the action a little bit, head to the top deck and look down on the party. This keeps you out of the middle of the crowd, bu tprovides a great view. Be wary though, your little one may be unhappy with this choice. We chose this spot for the Sail Away party, but she was not having it for Pirate Night. 
• Pirate Night! Whether you dress in your pirate finest (yes tons of people do this) or simply enjoy the pirate festivities this is a night that should not be missed. The fireworks over the ocean are a show of their own. Be sure to get a good spot and be ready for a fun filled night.

Our family night costumes.

• Nightly Shows! My husband was skeptical, he’s not a “show” type guy. But our whole family loved every one of them. From the Broadway type productions to the comedians and magicians each night is something that should not be missed.
• Palo/Remy! Take one meal for yourself as an adult. It is worth the additional money. My suggestion is do brunch! It’s an amazing meal and you won’t miss out on any of the fabulous dinners on board.

Pools

Most of the ships have three pools, an adult only pool, a family pool and a child’s pool. They also have splash zones for the very little cruisers.

• The family pools are very crowded on sea days. To get a chair near the pool you either need to go very early, or get very lucky.
• There are no diapers allowed in the pool, there are no exceptions. The splash zone is for children that are not potty trained.
• There are height requirements for the slides. Be warned that the AquaDunk (Magic) is a serious slide. And even if your child meets the height requirement they may not want to go down. The Mickey slide is much tamer and so much fun.

Adult Things

• Carry-on Alcohol – To my knowledge DCL is the only cruise line that allows you to bring on your own alcohol on board. Just be aware that you need to carry it on. Literally on embarkation day you have to carry it around the ship until your room is ready. This is a great money saving tip, although you are only allowed to consume your carry-on alcohol in your stateroom.
• Mug Club – If you are a beer drinker this may be the way to go. The mug is good throughout the ship, and you return it for a chip when you are finished. You purchase the membership and then pay less per beer.
• If you are more of a fruity cocktail type (pick me!) buy the souvenir cup the first day. It is around $9.00 but you will get the cocktail of the day for the rest of the trip for about $4.50.
• The tip is included in the charge of the drink. Do not feel as if you need to tip on top of the cost of your beverage. 
• The adult only area, or nightclubs are very cool. The nightly entertainment is always good. Our daughter loved being in the kids club late into the night. We took that time to have some alone time and enjoy ourselves.

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