Counting down the days to your first ever Disney Cruise Line voyage? I’m so excited for you! This article will give you some tips on things you should expect that I wish I knew before my first cruise with Disney.
Even if you’ve been on other cruise lines in the past, there’s a special sort of “mental prep” needed. Think of it like Walt Disney World — there is nothing else quite like it!
Personally, I was hooked within two minutes of stepping aboard my first Disney Cruise Line voyage (and my husband has a photo of me crying in one of the ship’s elevators to prove it). But there are still several things I wish I knew that would have allowed me to fully take advantage of my first cruise from the get go.
Bring extra cash for gratuities
For most cruises, at the end of your voyage, a pre-determined gratuity will be divided between your Stateroom Host, your Dining Room Server, your Head Server, and your Assistant Server. This pre-determined baseline gratuity is a calculation based on the number of nights for your sailing and the number of people in your stateroom.
There are two ways to leave tip and gratuity:
- Pre-pay: You can check the “gratuity” box off before you set sail by pre-paying the baseline amount. You can do so when making your pre-cruise arrangements at least three days before your sail date.
- Onboard: If you do not elect to pre-pay your gratuity, the baseline amount will be automatically charged to your stateroom account. You can view the balance of your stateroom folio on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app or by visiting Guest Services.
Here’s where that extra cash comes in. Near the end of your sailing, your Stateroom Host will leave four envelopes in your stateroom. Those four envelopes are for the four Crew Members listed above. If you wish to only pay the pre-charged gratuity amount, then there’s no action item required. But if you wish to go above and beyond the baseline gratuity amount for above and beyond service, this is the opportunity to do so. You can hand-deliver these envelopes to your service team on the last night of your sailing, or you can leave them in your stateroom on debarkation day.
You may also need cash for gratuity for services like ordering room service or dining at a signature restaurant like Palo. For Palo, you can leave tip when you settle the bill as you would at any regular restaurant.
READ MORE: WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR NEXT WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATION
Don’t be afraid to pack light
In my experience, I’ve found that packing as light as possible is the way to go for cruising. Of course, you want to make sure you have all of the outfits you need for special themed nights, meals, etc. For cruises that are longer than a few nights, I’d rather pack light and do laundry part way through my voyage.
Self-service laundry is available on all Disney Cruise Line ships for a small fee. This fee, however, is much lower than what you’d pay for checking your bags with your airline. Just make sure you save a little room in your suitcase for a souvenir or two.
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Your stateroom category matters more than you think
Yes, location matters, but your stateroom category goes beyond selecting something as simple as deck level. This comes down to personal preference you can only obtain after going on a few cruises, but there are some strong opinions about selecting forward, midship, or aft staterooms. Ask your fellow cruisers or do some research online to hear about the pros and cons.
I personally love a verandah, but if you’re sailing on a budget, you can look into interior staterooms or rooms with portholes. You may even be able to upgrade your stateroom on embarkation day, though this is not guaranteed and may include an upgrade fee.
In my experience, I’ve found that I love midship staterooms close to the elevators. I have not found noise to be an issue whatsoever. I’ve also noticed that there’s little to no noise bleed if you have a room that’s close to the pool area or dining areas on the ship.
READ MORE: WHAT TO EXPECT ON DISNEY CRUISE LINE’S NEW SHIP, THE DISNEY DESTINY
Book the Rainforest Room, especially on Wish-class voyages
Oh, how I wish I knew how important the Rainforest Room was on my first Disney Cruise Line sailing. The Rainforest Room is an adult-exclusive oasis found within the ship’s Senses Spa (available on all ships) and includes saunas, hot tubs, heated lounge chairs, hot and cold thermal showers, and more. On Wish-class ships, the Rainforest Room also includes and outdoor portion.
Adults ages 18 and over can book the Rainforest Room for either one day on their voyage or for the entire duration of their sailing (availability of either the day pass or the full-length cruise pass may vary). You can book the Rainforest Room when the booking window opens prior to sailing (120 to 90 days before embarkation day, depending on your Castaway Club status). There is no set price for the Rainforest Room and it varies based on the length of the cruise and the time of year you’re sailing.
The Rainforest Rooms on Wish-class ships in particular are worth mentioning. The Wish-class ships have a divisive adult area, mainly due to its small size and the fact that it’s harder to reach compared to other Disney Cruise Line ships. While the remote location usually means lower foot traffic (my one complaint about the adult sections on older Disney ships is the high foot traffic), it leaves much to be desired.
The Rainforest Room is a great way to not only carve out some relaxation time, but it offers you an extended “adults only” section of the ship.
READ MORE: A MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE TO PLANNING A 2026 DISNEYLAND VACATION
You’ll be busier than you expect
While you can absolutely go down the “relaxation” path on your Disney Cruise Line voyage, I’d argue that to get your money’s worth, it behooves you to take advantage of the onboard programming. This leads to your days filling up faster than you might anticipate, so before your first Disney Cruise Line voyage, it’s safe to assume that you’ll be busier than you think.
As a baseline, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. You’ll be reminded 100 times to do so by Disney themselves, but let me add my voice to the chorus: the app will be your best friend onboard.
To fill out your trip’s itinerary, you’ll want to know how to select your preferred dining time and pre-book dining experiences before you board, have a game plan for port days versus days at sea, and have a general idea for what a day with Disney Cruise Line looks like. Don’t worry — Disney does all of the leg work in making sure you know exactly what’s on each day, but it’s very helpful to at least have some familiarization before stepping onboard.
All of that said…don’t be afraid to slow down. It took me a few cruises to learn how to strike my personal balance of “busy” versus “relaxed,” as I think both are important! Ahead of your first cruise, it’s helpful to simply know you can achieve both.
READ MORE: TIMELINE OF CHANGES COMING TO DISNEY CRUISE LINE AND BEYOND
All of the pre-boarding activities are very important
The success of your first Disney Cruise Line sailing starts way before you step onboard the ship. Make sure you set your alarm and you are ready to go once your online check-in window opens. This begins at midnight EST on the designated date, which is 30 to 40 days ahead of your sailing, determined by your Castaway Club status.
Checking in as early as you can is helpful for booking onboard experiences like Royal Gathering, which is an opportunity for kids to meet several Disney Princesses in one fell swoop. It’s pretty popular and usually fills up fast. You can also use this opportunity to select your Port Arrival Time on embarkation day, pre-book specialty dining, shore excursions, and more.
If you miss this window, you may feel behind from day one as a new Disney Cruise Line passenger. Most of these experiences are not required (I’ve never done Royal Gathering as I don’t have any kids and don’t prioritize things like character meet-and-greets), but depending on what your preferences are, you will want the chance to jump on pre-boarding activities like online check-in as soon as you can.
READ MORE: HOW MUCH DO DISNEY WORLD TICKETS COST THIS YEAR?
It’s a totally different kind of Disney vacation (in the best way)
The final thing I wish I knew going into my first Disney Cruise Line voyage is a mindset shift. I’ve been to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort hundreds of times, so I thought I knew what to expect on a Disney cruise. Boy was I wrong (in the best way possible).
It goes without saying, but Disney Cruise Line is not Disney World or Disneyland. You’ll find that the pacing is much slower (even when you’re busy), long lines are rare, and the Navigator app functions differently than the theme park apps.
The magic you encounter while onboard is different from the magic you experience in the parks. Rather than a typical day in the parks where you go on the rides, watch the parades and fireworks, etc., the magic on Disney Cruise Line is found more in the ambiance.
In fact, you may have an idea of what to expect if your favorite thing about the theme park is the vibes. There is no Expedition Everest, no Fantasmic, and no Spaceship Earth. There’s no Sleeping Beauty Castle or Cinderella Castle. There’s no Monorail. But what you DO find are Crew Members who feel like family by the time you debark, specialty coffees that become as exciting to enjoy each day as your favorite Dole Whip, and a certain “je ne sais quoi” as you walk around the ship.
There’s a certain “culture” around Disney Cruise Line you’ll pick up along the way, too. You’ll learn about Churro Mickey Waffles, self-serve ice cream, Pirate Night, the Sail Away Party, room service Mickey Premium Bars, and more.
TL;DR…if you’re getting ready for your first Disney Cruise Line voyage, get ready to be amazed in ways you never thought possible!
READ MORE: WHY DISNEY THEME PARK FANS NEED TO SAIL ABOARD THE DISNEY DESTINY
7 Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Disney Cruise Line Voyage was originally published on The World of Spark.
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