If you’re new to cruising, specifically with Disney Cruise Line, this guide will walk you through the very basics.
How Cruising Works
If you’ve never been on a cruise before, here’s what to expect. Essentially it’s similar to an all-inclusive resort (though, on DCL, alcohol is not included as it usually is at most all-inclusives on land), except your resort moves.
Your cruise itinerary will enclude embarkation day (they day you get on the ship), sea days (you’re at sea the full day), and port days (the ship pulls into a cruise port and you have the option to disembark). Disembarkation day is the last day of the cruise, equivalent to checking out of a hotel.
The perks of cruising are that, once you’re onboard, you unpack only once while getting to see a couple of different destinations. Meals are generally all included and plan (almost every cruise line has a la carte meal options for an additional fee as well), and the day is packed with a variety of activties and entertainment. Every day the ship will have a sightly different schedule of activtiies to ensure you don’t get bored.
Once you’re on board, you can really just relax and do whatever activity feels right at the moment, without worrying about logistics. For the full planning process, see → The Ultimate Guide to Disney Cruise Planning.
What’s Included on a Disney Cruise & What Costs Extra
On DCL, your fare includes your stateroom, most dining, shows, entertainment, activities, and kids’ clubs. (Gratuities can be pre-paid online). You truly 100% do not need to spend anything extra; you can stop here and have a fabulous time.
On some cruise lines, you’ll find a lot of “upselling.” This is much less pronounced on DCL – rightfully so, because DCL is more epensive than many other cruise lines. You will be offered wine and espresso drinks with dinner, but aside from that, there really isn’t much pressure to spend extra money, which I truly value.
The things most people spend extra on include:
- Port Adventures
- Acoholic drinks
- Espresso drinks (regular coffee is complementary)
- Specialty dining (this is adults-only)
- Spa services
- A few on board activities
- Drink tastings
- Mixology classes
- Bibbity Bobbity Boutique
- Princess tea
- Shopping
- It’s a Small World Nursey (ages 3 and under)
- Gratuities (recommended to pre-pay these)
If budgeting is important, consider how you vacation so you can budget accordingly. If you drink alcohol, costs can quickly add up when you’re charging items to the room.
Basic Cruise Terminology
Most of this is for those of you who may be brand new to cruising – with a few Disney-specific terms thrown in.
- Portside – the left side of the ship
- Starboard – the right side of the ship
- Foward – toward the front of the ship
- Aft – toward the back of the ship
- Embarkation – getting on the ship
- Debarkation – getting off the ship
- Sea day – the ship stays at sea and doesn’t stop that day
- Port day – the ship pulls into port and you can disembark, if you wish, to explore the port
- Muster station – this is where your lifeboat is. In the event of an emergency, this is where you will go. On embarkation day, you will have a mandatory muster drill, in which you will gather at your assigned muster station.
DCL-specific terms:
- Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay – Disney’s private beaches in the Bahamas
- Fish Extender – a bag or hanging pockets people hang outside their stateroom to give and receive little gifts with other passengers. There are gift exchanges organized by passengers on Facebook far ahead of the cruise.
- Pixie Dusting – giving something unexpected to another person (like a gift in their fish extender when they aren’t in your assigned gift exchange group)
Stateroom Types
Inside stateroom – the smallest and most affordable stateroom option, with no window. Some of these rooms on the Dream and Fantasy have a “magic porthole” that offers a virtual view outside. Inside staterooms have one full bathroom, as compared to the split bathroom other stateroom categories offer.
Oceanview – usually a bit bigger than an inside room and with a decent sized port-hole for a nice view. These offer a split bath, with bath and sink in one room, and toilet and sink in the other. This is hugely convenient for families. A deluxe oceanview room is bit larger.
Verandah – a room that includes a balcony, generally with two small chairs. Although the balcony is small, it feels like it adds a ton of space to the room. I was a bit apprehensive about a balcony room with small kids the first time we cruised, but there is a latch at the top of the door that would be incredibly hard for a young child to open.
Concierge – a category of stateroom that includes upgraded, VIP experience. Concierge staterooms include upgraded service and access to a private lounge. Some concierge verandah rooms are similar in size to standard verandahs, with the higher cost reflecting the level of service rather than square footage. Then there are the really really expensive multi-bedroom staterooms, huge private verandah with jacuzzi tub, full dining table, etc.
Even though cruiseship staterooms never have an abundance of space, DCL’s are so well designed for families. There is much more storage than on many other cruiselines, with plenty of drawers and cabinets all around the room. So even though the space is compact, we always have plenty of storage for our family of four.
How important the stateroom type is depends on each family. There is tons to do on the ship, but my family very much needs our downtown in the room to decompress after all the overstimulation. For this reason, I love all the natural light a verandah room offers us; so we can relax and decompress, but not feel claustrophobic.
Other families may not mind so much if they have a smaller amount of light with a porthole, or an inside stateroom. Try to consider how your family vacations and your budget.
Common First-Timer Mistakes
Trying to Do Everything Onboard
Cruise itineraries are full of options, and it can feel like skipping something means missing out. But trying to attend every show, activity, and character meet can quickly become exhausting and overstimulating.
Most families enjoy their cruise more when they choose a few priorities each day and let the rest go. You don’t need to do everything to have an amazing experience.
Overspending on Upgrades
Between excursions, specialty dining, and drinks, it’s easy to spend far more than you planned—often on things you end up not using much.
Many first-time cruisers upgrade out of fear of missing out rather than actual need. Being selective usually leads to fewer regrets and a more relaxed trip.
Overcomitting to a Fish Extender Group
Participating in a fish extender gift exchange group can be fun, but you may not realize how much work it is to plan and pack all these gifts, in addition to everything else you need to pack for the cruise. If you do plan to participate in a fish extender, make sure you request a smaller group, and if you’re traveling with kids, consider a group that only exchanges gifts for kids so you don’t have to figure out gifts for the parents as well. (There are also adult-only FE groups for people traveling without kids).
You’ll have an amazing time on your cruise no matter what, so try not to stress too much about the details!
👉 The Ultimate Guide to Disney Cruise Planning