TRAVEL LOG: Getting Ready to Sail-Part 1 – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream
Getting ready for a cruise is exciting, yet it can be stressful to book cruise activities, ensure you have travel documents, review packing lists, etc. We’re preparing to sail on a 4-night Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream. If you’re cruising soon, keep reading to learn what you can do to prepare for your cruise!
1 – Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App
One of the first things we recommend doing after booking your Disney cruise is to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. Much like the My Disney Experience app used for Walt Disney World, this app is critical to getting all you can out of your Disney Cruise Line vacation. One of the reasons to download it right away is once your reservation is linked, you can enjoy a countdown to your trip, explore your Disney ship, plan excursions, book cruise activities, and more. It’s a valuable tool for planning your cruise, and you don’t want to miss out.
In the days leading up to your cruise, you’ll want to make sure everyone in your travel party who has a smartphone has downloaded the app while they have WIFI. Everyone will need to login in using their Disney account credentials. It’s a good idea to take care of this before your cruise so you have time to take care of logging in and not worry about passwords.
When you arrive on the ship, you can put your phone on airplane mode and turn the WIFI on. A paid internet package is not required to use the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App or to use the group chat function within the app. We’ll have more on using the app during the cruise in our Travel Logs. It’s such an essential tool, so download that app!
2 – Plan & Book Cruise Activities
Cruisers may be overwhelmed with the number of offerings on a Disney Cruise Line ship! The good news is that you’ll never be bored! In the app or on the Disney Cruise Line website, you’ll want to look at the offerings that require a reservation. Some experiences are considered “premium experiences,” and you’ll have the best chance of securing a spot before you board the ship. Note that Castaway Club Members (those who have previously sailed with Disney Cruise Line) will enjoy early online access to activity planning. When you can have access to booking depends on which level you are at.
Here are the different areas you’ll want to explore:
Onboard Fun: discover options for kids, unique recreational offerings for adults, and entertainment options that require a reservation.
Port Adventures: learn about and reserve shore excursions offered through Disney Cruise Line. This section includes the extra activities offered at Castaway Cay.
Adult Dining: Book a dinner or brunch reservation at venues that are exclusively for adults ages 18 and over that feature fine dining and drinks.
Spa & Fitness: Treat yourself to spa therapies and magical makeovers. In the app, you can reserve treatments ahead of time, so you have something to look forward to!
Take the time before your cruise to explore these sections of the app and make any necessary reservations. Many activities do fill up quickly and will sell out. There may be limited offerings once on the ship, but the sooner you book, the better!
3 – Online Check-in
Another thing you’ll need to take care of before you leave home is your online check-in on the Disney Cruise Line website. Access online will become available anywhere from 30-40 days before sailing (based on your Castaway Cay membership level). We highly recommend checking the website early to see when you can check in, put it on the calendar, and then check in as soon as possible. During this process, you’ll be able to choose your arrival time at the port. We always want our cruise vacation to start as early as possible, so we want the best choices for arrival time.
On the Disney Cruise Line website, go to “Already Booked” and select “Online Check-In.” There are five sections: Guest Information, Onboard Account, Travel Plans, Port Arrival Time, and Cruise Contract. While you can also complete the online check-in within the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app (see #1), I find entering the information on my computer easier since you need to upload certain items.
As you check-in, you’ll need contact details, scans of travel documents such as passports, and photos of your travel party. Details on arrival and departure plans, including flights or transfers, will be entered. Payment information to cover charges during the cruise will be needed as well. Then, you can choose an arrival time for when you will arrive at the cruise terminal. Finally, you will review and accept the terms and conditions for sailing with Disney Cruise Line. You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to finish the process. It took me about thirty minutes to complete for a party of three.
You’ll be able to view and print your Port Arrival Form once it is completed. You’ll need this when you arrive at the port. Even though you can add your Boarding Pass to your Apple Wallet (if you have an iPhone), we highly recommend printing the form as a backup. Better to print the form and put it with your required travel documents now. I bring both a printed copy and add the passes to my Wallet to know I’m covered no matter what.
4 – Travel Plans – Deciding When to Arrive at the Port City
You’ll want to consider when to arrive at the port city well before your cruise because you’ll need to book your travel to and from the port city sooner rather than later. Travel these days can be so unpredictable with delays, so we HIGHLY recommend getting to the port city the night before your departure date. Guests can begin arriving at the port as early as 11:00 am on the first day of the cruise. Boarding will continue until about one hour before the ship is scheduled to depart. Trust us when we tell you the ship will NOT wait for you. They will not hold the ship. Nothing is worse than starting your vacation stressing about delays and rushing to the port. You’ve already paid thousands of dollars for the cruise. Be willing to spend a bit more to arrive the night before so you can arrive at the port stress-free.
Check and see which port your cruise departs and then find the nearest airport. We’ll depart from the new Disney Cruise Line terminal at Port Everglades for our cruise. That is about a three-and-a-half-hour drive for us. While we certainly could wake up early on our first day and drive to the port in plenty of time for our 11:15 a.m. arrival time, we don’t want to risk traffic or any car troubles delaying our arrival, so we’ll be driving down the day before and staying overnight. That way, the morning of our departure will have a lot less stress!
Our number one recommendation for arrival is to give yourself plenty of time, and that usually means arriving the day before departure. Allow for flight delays, waiting for luggage, waiting for transportation, travel time to the port, traffic, car troubles, etc. Give yourself a travel day so you have options if you miss a connection or if a flight gets canceled. The cost of a hotel the night before the first day of your cruise is so worth enjoying a relatively stress-free first day of your cruise.
5 – Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute to Pack
Vacations like to creep up on you. Most of the time, they seem so far away, and then, before you know it, the time has come to leave. Another tip we have is to give yourself a few days to pack and get everything you need together. No matter how often we cruise, there always seems to be something that needs to be purchased or picked up, and it’s a great feeling to get these tasks out of the way. The ship has many sundry items for sale, but you’ll save a lot of money by being prepared and having those items with you. Our next article covers packing tips so you won’t forget anything! Most of all, get excited for a fantastic vacation. A cruise on Disney Cruise Line is truly like no other vacation!
Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream
Learn about Very Merrytime cruises along with cruise tips and advice in our travel logs below!
Travel Log Articles with Cruise Tips
Follow us on Instagram, where we continue to share more about our cruise!
Follow Along on Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVEL LOG: Getting Ready to Sail-Part 1 – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVEL LOG: Getting Ready to Sail-Part 2 – Packing for a Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVEL LOG: Day 1-Part 1 of Embarkation Day – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVEL DAY: Day 1-Part 2 of Embarkation Day – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVEL LOG: Day 2-Port Day – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVEL LOG: Day 3-Castaway Cay & Pirate Night – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVEL LOG: Day 4-Sea Day – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
TRAVE LOG: Day 5-Debarkation – Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream!
Our Review & 13 Tips & Tricks for the Best Very Merrytime Cruise on Disney Cruise Line!
Instagram Story Highlights
Click here for our Day 1 Instagram Story Highlight for photos and videos from our first day!
For a no obligation, FREE Quote on a Disney vacation package, please contact our travel partner Magical Vacation Planner at 407-442-0227 (407-442-0215 for Spanish). You can also request a FREE quote online by Clicking HERE.
Editor’s Note: Disney Cruise Line provided a complimentary Very Merrytime Cruise and special media-specific events during the cruise. However, as always, the thoughts and opinions about Disney Cruise Line contained in this article are entirely our own.