All aboard! It's time to start prepping for your epic Disney Cruise Line voyage!
Embarking on a Disney cruise and feeling adrift in the vast ocean of planning? Fear not: Afterall Travel has created the ultimate checklist to guide you through every step of your voyage. Whether you're a seasoned Pearl Castaway Club member or a first-time adventurer; our guide will ensure that you have everything you need for a magical experience with Disney Cruise Line. From booking to disembarking, we've got you covered. We've included a comprehensive overview of all Castaway Club levels, booking windows and online check-in information for your convenience. Let Afterall Travel help you to a seamless and enjoyable Disney cruise.
Ahoy there, sailors! We've got three crucial dates for you:
Pay-in-full date
Booking window date
Online check-in date
Your pay-in-full date is the day you must have paid your full balance or your cruise will be cancelled. Your booking window opening date is your chance to grab the best onboard perks, like relaxing spa treatments, private island cabanas, adult dining, and booze tastings galore! You'll also get dibs on the coolest shore excursions. It’s important to note that even if your pay-in-full date falls after your booking window date, you need to pay in full before your booking window will open to and unlock magical opportunities. The online check-in is where you'll upload all your important data and snag your Port Arrival Time. So don't be a landlubber. Savvy cruisers know the drill!
Exploring Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Club Loyalty ProgramDisney's Castaway Club rewards frequent cruisers with exclusive benefits and perks, including earlier booking window and online check-in dates. There are four levels of the loyalty program based on the number of Disney cruises you have taken. These levels include:
🥈 Silver (2-5 Disney cruises) 🚢🚢
🥇 Gold (6- 10 Disney cruises) 🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢
🏆 Platinum (11-25 Disney cruises) 🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢
🦪 Pearl (26+ Disney cruises). 🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢
If you are embarking on your maiden voyage with Disney Cruise Line, upon your return you shall be welcomed into the ranks of the Castaway Club, at the Silver level!
Disney Cruise Guests: Castaway Club vs. Concierge Apart from the Castaway Club, there is another category of Disney Cruise Line guests: guests who book a Concierge stateroom or suite. This elite group is afforded privileges such as access to an exclusive lounge, earlier booking dates, top priority for seats in the theater during evening shows, and many more.
Important Dates for Different Guest Categories on Disney Cruises
Here is a breakdown of the important dates for each guest category on Disney Cruises. It is important to note that guests may not book activities until they have paid in full.
First-time guests can book activities 75 days before sailing and complete online check-in 30 days prior to sailing. This starts at midnight EST. Hopping on at midnight will give you the best chances of snagging the activities and port arrival time of your dreams. This is true no matter what your Castaway Club status is.
Silver Castaway Club members (2-5 Disney cruises) can book activities 90 days before sailing and complete online check-in 33 days prior to sailing.
Gold Castaway Club members (6-10 Disney cruises) can book activities 105 days before sailing and complete online check-in 35 days prior to sailing.
Platinum Castaway Club members (11-25 Disney cruises) can book activities 120 days before sailing and complete online check-in 38 days prior to sailing.
Pearl Castaway Club members (26+ Disney Cruises) can book activities 123 days before sailing and complete online check-in 40 days prior to sailing.
Concierge guests can book activities 130 days before sailing (via concierge request email) and complete online check-in 40 days prior to sailing regardless of Castaway Club level. Concierge guests do need to complete online check-in but there is no time pressure to check-in at midnight because Concierge guests may arrive at any time. DCL will reach out to Concierge guests via email to assist them in booking activities and the highly popular cabanas.
To ensure you have the best Disney cruise experience, follow these simple steps in our checklist.
Getting Ready: Before Your Booking Window Opens
Consider purchasing travel insurance. This must be done before your balance is paid in full.
Pay your balance in full. If your DCL pay in full deadline is after your booking window opens, that means you have until that date to pay in full, or your cruise will be cancelled. However, you need to be paid in full before booking any activities. We recommend paying in full at least a day or two prior to your booking window date (as opposed to the pay in full deadline).
Download the DCL Navigator App.
Read about what’s available to you so you’ll be prepared when your booking window opens. The DCL website offers a summary of Port Adventures for each port and other bookable activities .
Join the Facebook group for your upcoming cruise to connect with other travelers. This is an excellent opportunity to participate in exciting exchange groups such as magnet exchange and fish-extender groups.
Whether you've booked your cruise directly through Disney or a travel agent, I advise you to purchase travel insurance. Disney offers travel insurance but third-party travel insurance is a valid option as well. You'll need to do so before making your final payment on the cruise.
Make sure to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app before your booking window opens. This treasure trove of information will give you everything you need to know, like your stateroom number, reservation number, daily itinerary including all ashore and all aboard times and the ship's deck plans. And if you run into any trouble booking your activities on the website, don't worry- you can easily book them through the app under the My Plans tab. Plus, with the Navigator activated you get to enjoy a countdown to your cruise and link multiple reservations if you’ll be traveling in more than one stateroom or with others. The DCL Navigator has different functionality depending if you’re at home or onboard. Once on board, you’ll also find your main dining room rotation and activity schedules for your sailing as well as a chat function to communicate with fellow cruisers. I also love the fun Disney emojis you can send! Make sure your kids have the app downloaded on their devices and ready to go as well before departure.
Join the Facebook group for your specific Disney cruise to make the most of your travel experience. These groups provide a wealth of information to answer any questions you may have and offer fun opportunities like gift exchanges and fish extender groups. Fish extenders are the baskets or containers guests hang on the clip outside of their staterooms. The port-side staterooms on the 4 original ships are fish shaped, hence the name. These groups involve gift exchanges with other passengers. You’ll leave and receive gifts in these fish extenders if you join. It's a great way to engage and connect with fellow cruisers, while also receiving and leaving delightful surprises. We’ve even found the Facebook groups to be helpful in arranging shared private excursions that would otherwise not be cost effective.
Read about ports and think about what excursions, or port adventures you’d like to do so that you have a plan when it’s time to book your activities. Compare what you find on DCL’s website with what’s available from private tour operators. Often you can get a private tour for about the same or even less than a DCL port adventure. Private tours often offer more flexibility and personalized service and they usually have less restrictive age limits. For example, we’ve been able to SCUBA with our kids despite them being below DCL’s age limit.
When Your Booking Window Opens
When your booking window opens, make sure you're ready to go at 12:00 AM EST to secure your spot for activities and excursions. Don't miss out on the fun – be prepared to book your activities! From Palo brunch to a massage in the Senses Spa, there's something for everyone, so take some time to explore the daily activities.
If you find that a particular activity is sold out, don't worry. Keep checking as there's a good chance that it will become available closer to the cruise date. Other passengers may cancel their reservations, freeing up space for you. Additionally, if you're on board and still interested in a sold-out activity, inquire about the waiting list. You do not need to pay for activities at the time of booking, so if you’re not sure about an activity, book it for the time being. You can cancel without charge up to 3 days prior to your sailing. The Senses Spa usually holds back spots for guests to book onboard, so stop by on day one to check for available sessions. The Rainforest at Senses spa is a wonderful way to relax. Some cruises allow you to book a day or length-of-cruise pass ahead of time, but more recently, you have to book in person at the spa. Be sure to go on day one as The Rainforest passes often sell out. If you’re booking a spa treatment for a teen age 13-17, you will also need to book in person at the spa.
How to Secure a Reservation for Adult Dining on a Fully-Booked Cruise:
If you're eager to enjoy adult dining on your cruise, but online bookings are no longer available, don't lose hope. Head straight to the adult-dining reservations area when you board the ship and inquire about availability.
Online Check-in (30 to 40 days Before Your Cruise)
Time for check-in! Tips for a Smooth Online Check-In Process
To ensure a smooth online check-in process, make sure to be ready with the following items available for fast uploading into the online system:
For each member of your travel party, have a photo of them from the shoulders up with a plain background. No one else can be in the photo. No hats or sunglasses allowed.
Have a copy of each person's passport or citizenship documents. Verify ahead of time for your cruise locations for the exact documents required. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the last day of your cruise for many itineraries.
Keep the credit card you will use for onboard purchases on hand. Also, be ready to decide who else in your travel party can charge to that credit card. You can give your children and stateroom mates charging privileges if you’d like.
Finally, input your travel party's travel information to and from the port and flight information before and after your cruise if applicable. Have everyone's contact information and an emergency contact ready to input into the system.
Remember, your online check-in window opens at midnight EST on your online check-in date, so plan ahead to make the process quick and easy.
When completing online check-in for a cruise, the last step is to select a Port Arrival Time (PAT), which is the time to plan to arrive at the cruise terminal. You won't be allowed to check in until your PAT, and it's recommended to select a later PAT if you'll arrive after the selected time. Concierge guests don't need to select a PAT. Each PAT is staggered in 15-minute increments, with the earliest available at 11:00 AM for most sailings. After completing online check-in, a Port Arrival form is sent that should be printed for each person in the travel party or saved electronically. I recommend taking screenshots and saving it in a folder on your phone for easy access. If taking Disney ground transportation to the port, the PAT is automatically assigned by Disney to coordinate with your arrival.
The day is finally here! Embarkation Day!
When you arrive at the port have your photo IDs and citizenship documentation handy. Porters will greet you when you arrive and will take your luggage. This is the last time you will see your luggage until your stateroom is ready later in the day. I recommend packing a day bag with medications, sunscreen and if needed, a change of clothes. If you are bringing beer or wine onboard, you’ll need to carry it on as well per DCL regulations.
Next, you’ll go through security and then check-in with a cast member who will review your documents. You will be assigned a boarding group at this time. You will be sent to a waiting area while you wait for your boarding group to be called. If you’re a Concierge guest, you’ll be escorted to a special waiting lounge.
You will have several lunch options to choose from on day 1. Cabanas or Marceline Market, the buffet restaurants, will be open. While we love these venues, they are very crowded with people and unusual amounts of luggage for embarkation lunch. One of the main dining room venues will be open for a more relaxed table service option. Finally, quick service locations will be open on the pool deck.
Speaking of the pool deck, some travelers enjoy pool time or riding the AquaDuck, AquaDunk or AquaMouse when the lines are a bit shorter on embarkation day. If you think you’d enjoy this, then I suggest wearing your swimsuits under your clothes when you board. Lines for these attractions are also usually short in the early evening most days and they look great lit up.
There will be a few photo opportunities available as you board the ship. If you're keen on photographs or have a photo package, be sure to dress your best to make the pictures truly memorable.
See ya real soon! Disembarking
All good things must come to an end. When your DCL voyage comes to an end you’ll have multiple options for disembarkation. If you’d like the cast members to carry your luggage off of the ship, you’ll need to have it packed and placed outside your stateroom door by 10pm. Don’t forget to keep a change of clothes for the morning, medications and other essentials in your stateroom! Your stateroom host will provide you with luggage tags featuring a certain Disney character. This is optional. You may carry your own luggage off the ship but be warned, the elevators are usually quite busy on disembarkation days. Carrying your luggage off does allow for express walk off, meaning you’ll be free to disembark anytime after the ship is cleared by customs. This is a good plan if you have an early flight. If you choose to have DCL cast members carry your luggage off, you’ll be called to disembark by the character on your luggage tag. Concierge guests are able to both send their luggage with cast members and receive expedited disembarkation.
All guests have 2 breakfast options on the final day: breakfast at a scheduled time in the main dining room or at the buffet (Cabanas or Marceline Market). There is no room service available the last moring. You can order an insulated carafe of coffee the night before if you’ll need caffeine in the morning.
At Afterall Travel, we’d love to share our expertise to help you plan the best cruise ever--all at no cost to you! We’ll thank you with an onboard credit!
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