Disneyyyy CruiseBahamas CruiseCruise InfoCruise TimeCruise VacationFamily VacationFamily Vacaaay30Th CruiseCruise MagicForwardIf you are planning a Disney Cruise, then this article is for you! Everything you need to know before you go. From the port to dining to Castaway Cay, we've got you covered. Last week, my family experienced our very first Disney Cruise Line vacation. In fact, it was our very first cruise ever and our first time out of the country! There is so much to share that I will be breaking it up into a Disney Cruise Line series. Today’s post is on preparation for your cruise! I will be adding to this post as I receive tips from readers as well, so make sure you leave a comment after reading. I want to start off by saying that this post was in no way sponsored by Disney Cruise Line. Disney Cruise Line did offer to cover our expenses one night at the Palo restaurant, as well as 100 minutes of internet and free access to the Rainforest Room, but we did not end up using any of these offers.

We were grateful for Disney’s invitation to do so, but were simply too busy with other fun activities on the ship to take advantage of them. This post does include a couple of Amazon referral links. photo courtesy of Disney Cruise Line WHICH DCL CRUISE WE SELECTED AND WHY Since this was our very first family cruise, we wanted to play it safe by booking a four night cruise. lbu backpackIn many ways, this was a trial run for us and we certainly didn’t want to commit to a full week if one of us were easily nauseated at sea or just plain bored. oxidation backpack jansportWe also really wanted to experience the Disney Dream ship, as it is one of the newer ships that the DCL offers. rcaf backpack

(the Fantasy is now booking reservations!) Our Disney Dream tour included a day to Nassau (Bahamas), one day at sea and a day at Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island). The first day was spent boarding and then out at sea. HOW TO BOOK A DISNEY CRUISE AND EXCURSIONS  and was pleased with the ease of the reservation process. osprey backpack kode 32I also appreciated the planning lists and tips that Disney provided after booking. backpack pearson longman second editionI was able to choose from several stateroom sizes and styles, and even a stateroom number.ascend d2400 backpack Even though I booked our cruise two months before we sailed, there were only a few stateroom options available, all of which had verandas.

At first, I was hesitant about spending the extra money on a room with a veranda and I was COMPLETELY FREAKED OUT about having a veranda with kids, but I have to say that I was so glad we ended up with one. Not only did it make our stateroom feel more open, but it was a great relaxing escape to sit on the veranda and see the ocean. Also, the veranda bars were covered with a hard plastic and the lock for the door is set very high (so out of little one’s reach), so I felt very safe having my kids there. After booking our Disney cruise, we were able to reserve excursions online, like scuba diving, snorkeling and parasailing. We ended up choosing a day at the Atlantis beach, jet ski rental for my son and husband at Castaway Cay, a glass bottom boat tour at Castaway Cay and snorkeling rental at Castaway Cay. These excursions are VERY costly, so be careful deciding. After our experience, I would say that we overdid it on the excursions and would have been just as happy staying on the ship or just experiencing Nassau or Castaway Cay as is.

Saying that, my son and husband did enjoy the jet ski rental quite a bit and would definitely do that again. You can also book excursions at the locations, but you do take the risk of it being overbooked. We could also check-in to our cruise 75 days before departure and set our arrival time to board. (we chose 12:30 pm) A few weeks before departure, we received special luggage tags to place on our suitcases so that DCL could deliver them to our room once we checked in. You will also be given your dinner time (5:45 pm or 8:15 pm). When I booked I was only given the option of second dinner, which was at 8:30 pm each night. Honestly, 8:30 pm was too late for us and I wish I would have tried to change it. My 4 year-old fell asleep each time, sometimes before he even had his dinner. Next time I will make sure to get the 5:45 pm dinner. Since this was our first time traveling outside of the country, we had to apply for passports. I was a total newb to the passport process, but with some help and advice from friends, I found the process not at all difficult.

We pre-filled and printed our application forms at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html (but did not sign, you must sign when applying), gathered our family’s birth certificates, took passport photos at a nearby Walgreen’s, and then went to our local Passport Application Acceptance Facility to apply. We received our passports in only 2 weeks! It can take up to 6 weeks to receive, so make sure you plan accordingly. Also keep in mind that each family member applying for a passport must be present when submitting their application. (in other words, kids must be present) passports/proof of citizenship (I brought our passports AND birth certificates just in case) swimsuits and coverups (ladies-you cannot walk into restaurants without a coverup, so get one!) casual clothing that includes pants or dresses for cruise dinners (see your specific cruise for any special dress codes and seasonal weather) deck party clothing – each cruise includes a themed party night, so check with your cruise for more information (our cruise had a fun pirate party!)

comfortable shoes – swim shoes, sandals, sneakers and one nice pair for dinner (again, this may vary depending on the locations and time of year you are visiting) sunglasses and/or hats to shade from the sun lots of sunscreen – you will want to apply sunscreen often as to avoid burns, so bring multiples bottles (we brought 3 and that was just enough) aloe vera – just in case you missed a spot! camera – I mostly used my cell phone for pics quick snacks for impatient or grouchy kiddos – we brought peanut butter crackers and fruit snacks to store in my purse/backpack for flights and any in-between meals where we weren’t near the ship’s ice cream machines or Flo’s quick service restaurant 3-5 plastic grocery sacks for packing wet clothing or accidents any toiletries you would normally travel with (see “what not to pack” below for more on toiletries you do not need to pack)Disney Cruise Lines no longer allows  in staterooms as of late Spring 2013.

Guests will be charged for any damage or scratches to doors for doing so. NOTE: In most cases, you will not want, or will not be able to use your cell phone, so make sure you set your phone to “airplane mode” or “roaming off” once boarding the ship to avoid any outrageous roaming charges. You will receive two “wave phones” free of charge in your room that you can use while on the ship. (the Oceaneer’s Club will also contact you using these phones) There are several options for transportation to Port Canaveral: 3-night cruise – $60 4-night cruise – $75 5-night cruise – $90 7-night cruise – $120(great website for everything Disney!) Nausea was a HUGE concern of mine, especially since my husband can become easily nauseated by motion. I did a ton of research in the DIS Boards and found that most people had success with Bonine, so it was one of the many things I packed before leaving. We ended up not using the Sea-Bands and occasionally chewed on ginger gum if we felt the least bit woozy.