In April of 2022 I went on my first Disney Cruise, my first cruise ever! I am a huge Disney parks person so I was excited to experience Disney in another way. We sailed for 7 days on the Disney Fantasy and loved every minute, the cruise truly has all of the Disney magic without the exhaustion of being at a park all day! In this post I will share what you can expect from Embarkation to Debarkation and everything in-between.
Let's start with getting to the port. We sailed out of Port Canaveral, this is a little over an hour from most of the WDW resorts and the Orlando airport. My type A personality would not allow me to fly in the day of embarkation so, we actually flew in a few days early, enjoyed a few days in the parks and stayed on Disney property. You can absolutely stay at the resort for one night before your cruise as well. The best part about staying on Disney property the night before your cruise is that you can arrange for the DCL bus to pick you up from your resort and take you to the port (there is a fee for this). You can also arrange for the bus to pick you up at the airport the day of your cruise if you choose that route. After your cruise ship returns back to the port the DCL bus will take you to MCO for your flight home.
Embarkation:
You should complete your DCL Mobile check in before arriving at the port, you'll also want to make sure you have your luggage tags on your bags so that they can deliver the bags to your room. Because a crew member will be delivering your bags to your room at an unknown time, you'll want to bring a separate bag with your essentials. Check out the bottom of this post for my embarkation bag essentials! When you board the ship you will enjoy a meal & you are free to enjoy all that the ship has to offer.
During your cruise:
Your Disney Cruise Line app will become your best friend. Via the app you can communicate with others in your party (a lifesaver since text messaging won't work!), check out the day's activities & your itinerary, including your rotational dining, and more! A Disney cruise does not lack in activities, entertainment, or food. The buffet option for breakfast and lunch gives you flexibility for meals during the day, the rotational dining gives you a different experience every evening, and the 24 hour room service has your back in-between. Before dinner you can take photos with various Disney characters without a long wait. There are several bars around the ship to enjoy a beverage all day & evening as well (alcohol at an additional cost). If you're into working out, the ships have a gym to enjoy and some even have fitness classes! The ship also has child care, tween/teen centers, games, pools, a splash pad, live shows and so much more, all depending on what ship you choose to enjoy!
What you'll need:
Packing for a Disney cruise is MUCH different than packing for a week in the parks. The cruise has a resort feel, so during the day you'll want to wear something light, most likely with a swim suit underneath. For dinner, you'll want to dress up a little more, some nights even have themes depending on your specific cruise! If you are someone prone to sea sickness, make sure to bring your medication. If you do have an issue on board, there are medical services there to assist. Below I've included my full packing list for you to utilize!
In conclusion:
I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed my Disney Cruise, I highly recommend it to anyone looking for the magic of a Disney vacation without the hustle and bustle of a Disney theme park vacation. I personally really enjoyed visiting the parks before then relaxing on the cruise! For my next Disney Cruise I will be setting sail aboard the Disney Wish. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and TikTok for content featuring that sailing!
Link to packing list:
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