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Disney Cruise Line Advice, Tips and TricksLAST UPDATE: 5/3/10 - MOST RECENT ADDITIONS ARE IN REDOn this page I've collected some useful advice, tips and tricks that can help you save time and money on your Disney Cruise Line vacation. Read the advice below and you'll have a much better idea what to expect, even if you've never been on a cruise before! Jump to: Advice, Tips and TricksFirst, about pricing. Periodically Disney will put out the word to travel agents and the public that the only way to get a discount on its cruises is to book well in advance. It's true that booking way ahead allows you to grab the best staterooms and have a better chance of getting the first seating at dinner (important to many families with young children). Especially for the most popular times of year (spring break, summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas), you would be well advised to book as early as you can, because those cruises often sell out and rates for those dates will just go up and up. Even if your rate later drops, Disney is very good about adjusting it. For the less popular times of year (January, early February, May, late August, September, October, and the portions of November and December that are not holiday weeks) you may be able to book relatively last-minute (by which I mean 2-6 months in advance) and still get a great deal. Be sure to take advantage of any onboard credits that may be available. There are plenty of other specialized deals and offers for the Disney Cruise Line, too. Be sure to check and see if you qualify for any of the deals listed below. You can save up to $200 right off the top by using the right travel agent (in addition to any other savings). I highly recommend booking all Disney cruises through a Disney Specialist travel agent. It costs you nothing and they do all the work for you! There are some little-known tricks that can help you save, too. For instance, if you can only afford an inside cabin, be sure to learn more about secret porthole rooms! And if you will be traveling with a family of 5 or more, be sure to read about a useful tip that could save you a bundle! Last but not least, there's information about how to get a good deal on a hotel for the night before your cruise, how to find the best prices for transportation from the airport or your hotel to the cruise terminal, and how to save on trip insurance.
Booking Palo, Excursions, Spa Appointments and Kids' Club OnlineDisney Cruise Line has an online system that allows guests to make advance reservations for Palo (the adults-only restaurant onboard) as well as shore excursions and spa treatments. In addition, you can do advance registration online for the kids' clubs. In order to use this service, your cruise must be paid in full.
To start making reservations online, register at DisneyCruise.com -- you'll need your cruise reservation number. Reservations open just after midnight EST, the exact number of days in advance listed above. Resort Add-On vs. Booking Disney World SeparatelyIf you are considering a Resort Add-on to your cruise, which adds a stay at Walt Disney World onto your Disney cruise, keep in mind that it may be a better option to book the two separately. Basically the only advantage of the Resort Add-on is convenience. With the Resort Add-on, you only check in once. When you arrive at the hotel, you are given a "Key to the World" card that is your room key both at the hotel and once you get on the ship. That's nice, but may not be worth hundreds of dollars to you. That's right, sometimes you can save that much by booking a discounted room separately, and/or buying tickets with the features you need or want, instead of what Disney dictates. With the Resort Add-on, if you just want to add a full-price resort stay before or after your cruise, no problem. However, you cannot add Dining Plans at all. The resort room will not be discounted. And you can add tickets, but ONLY 1-day to 5-day Park Hopper tickets (no Base Tickets, Water Park & More Option or No Expiration option). Secret Porthole StateroomsWant an outside stateroom at an inside cabin price? Book a "secret porthole" stateroom! This is a little-known secret: there are six staterooms on Deck 5 that are sold as Category 10 inside staterooms, but actually are outside cabins with obstructed view portholes. By selecting one of these cabins, you will get a little natural light and possibly a slight view, while paying the lower price for an inside stateroom! The obstruction is caused by safety equipment that has been hung in front of the portholes, and the amount by which these portholes is obstructed varies. Don't count on being able to see much. Also, be aware that there is frequently a light on all night outside the porthole, so you'll have to close your curtains tightly to keep it dark in the cabin. The Secret Porthole staterooms are conveniently located near the kids' activity centers, Flounder's Reef Nursery and the Buena Vista Theater. There are relatively few passenger staterooms on this deck, so there is less potential for foot traffic and noise. (The majority of Category 10 staterooms without secret portholes can be found on lower decks and may be located under the adult nightclubs with dance floors and live bands.) Of the six Secret Porthole rooms, there are two pairs of connecting staterooms. For families of 5, this is an affordable alternative to booking a more pricey Category 4 (see below for more on this topic). Word has gotten out a bit about these staterooms, so you'll have to book well in advance to snag one. The cabins to request are 5020, 5520, 5022 and 5024 (connecting), 5522 and 5524 (connecting). Secret Verandah StateroomsWhile not as big an upgrade as the secret porthole staterooms, the secret verandah staterooms on Disney's cruise ships do give you a little more for your money. Basically these are Category 7 staterooms that have a regular verandah (a private, open-air deck accessed from your cabin), instead of the usual Category 7 "navigator's verandah," which is a fully enclosed deck with a large porthole. The secret verandah staterooms were originally sold as Category 6, but were recategorized to Category 7 after Disney received complaints because they have a slight obstruction of view. The obstruction is due to their location at the very ends of the ship: an overhang curves around on one side of the verandah, obscuring the view in that direction. The cabins to request are 6134, 6634, 7120 and 7620. Accommodating Larger FamiliesMouseSavers.com reader Mike R wrote me to share a solution for accommodating a family of 5 or more on a Disney Cruise without breaking the bank. While his tip is well-known to Disney Specialist travel agents and they will probably suggest it to you, I'm glad Mike reminded me of it, because the general public is probably not aware of it, and if you use a non-specialist travel agent or book through Disney directly, they almost certainly won't mention it. If you ask a non-specialist (or Disney directly) about cruising with a family of 5, they will generally recommend the approximately 300-square-foot Category 4 "Deluxe Family Stateroom," which is the smallest cabin that will sleep 5. What they may not tell you is that you could also book TWO connecting Category 9 outside staterooms or Category 10 inside staterooms (Categories 11 and 12 do not have connecting staterooms). The combined price of two connecting lower-category staterooms is often about two-thirds to three-quarters the price of a single Category 4 cabin, and you end up with more space (over 400 square feet total), two full bathrooms, and more privacy. Trip InsuranceIt is especially important to buy trip insurance for a cruise, because you have to pay the entire cost in advance and you won't get a refund if you have to cancel right before your scheduled departure. With thousands of dollars at stake, it's worth it to protect the investment. It is absolutely critical to buy insurance if you will be taking a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season (between June 1 and November 30). While cruise ships can easily outrun and sail around hurricanes, ports and airports often close, which can affect your travel plans in a big way. If you don't have insurance, you will be out of pocket for related expenses, such as renting a car to get to a new port or to get home from a port where you hadn't expected to disembark. And if you can't make it to the ship, the cruise line has the right to say "tough luck" and keep your money! Perhaps the most important coverage included in a trip insurance policy is trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which can protect your investment if you have to cancel your cruise at the last minute (or come home early) due to illness or injury. Depending on the policy, you may also be covered if you cancel for other reasons, such as jury duty, terrorism at your destination, or even unemployment. Emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation insurance are very important if you become ill or injured during the cruise. A lot of medical insurance policies do not cover you outside of your home country. Plus, evacuation insurance will help to pay for an emergency flight, which would be hugely expensive if you had to pay for it yourself. This can be very worthwhile, especially if you will be visiting Third World nations, which is common on cruises. Personally I would not be comfortable with the care provided in most Caribbean hospitals, for instance, and would much prefer to be flown to the US for treatment. Delayed baggage insurance will help you pay for replacement clothing if the airline sends your suitcase to Timbuktu and you need something to wear in the meantime. Supplemental baggage insurance will pay a predetermined amount if an airline or cruise line loses your luggage completely. When you consider the high cost of the formal wear you may be taking on a cruise, and how little airlines and cruise lines tend to pay for lost luggage, supplemental baggage insurance becomes a wise move. (Some higher-end credit cards provide extra baggage insurance, so check with your card issuer before paying extra for this coverage.) Disney sells trip insurance, but it's expensive and it has major exclusions. For instance, the Disney Cruise Line policy does not cover pre-existing conditions. Disney's insurance won't cover lost vacation days caused by most airline delays. There are many policies available from other companies that will cover these things. You can almost always get better insurance than Disney provides, and at better rates, by buying it elsewhere. Be aware that in most cases, trip insurance will provide slightly less coverage (usually by adding exclusions on pre-existing conditions) unless you buy it within about 14 days of paying your DEPOSIT on the cruise. So be sure to purchase it right away, once you've committed to the cruise.
Passports and VisasIf you are an adult US citizen and plan to take a Disney cruise, get a passport. While according to the US State Department a passport card or an enhanced drivers license is acceptable for sea travel between the US and the Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, a regular "book" passport is required to fly into or out of the US. If an emergency arises, you won't be able to fly back to the US from an international port without a passport. Similarly, if you are delayed and miss the ship sailing, you won't be able to fly to the next port and catch up with the ship. Kids who are US citizens will also need passports if traveling outside the Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. Kids under 16 can present a certified birth certificate as their ID when going to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada, but I still highly recommend getting your kids a regular passport (NOT a passport card) for those destinations, due to the same restrictions on air travel mentioned above. About Passports Each person in your party will need a passport. Some people have asked me about "family passports." They have not been available for a long time. Children (even infants) must each have their own passport. In order to get a passport, you will need:
There are additional requirements for children. For more information on passports, including how and where to apply, visit the Department of State web site.
VisasGuests who purchase any available shore excursion or tour organized through Disney Cruise Line in St. Petersburg will not require a visa for Russia. Under these circumstances, guests will need to present the following items to the Russian Immigration officer when departing the ship:
However, please note that without a visa, visitation is limited to the period of the excursion and guests will not be permitted to leave the ship outside of the tour hours without a Russian Tourist Visa. Guests who wish to sightsee independently or sightsee outside of Disney Cruise Line's shore excursion hours must obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa before leaving home. Companies such as PassportVisasExpress.com can expedite the visa for you. Disney Cruise WearDuring the day and most evenings on the Disney Cruise Line, you can wear casual clothing. At dinner, you are asked to stick to "dressy casual" -- wear a collared shirt (Aloha shirts and golf/polo shirts are fine) and nice long pants or a skirt. In other words, avoid wearing swimwear, tank tops, casual t-shirts or shorts to dinner.
The only times when casual clothing would not be appropriate on a Disney cruise are:
Shore ExcursionsDisney offers a wide variety of shore excursions of varying quality. In most cases the excursions are offered by third parties contracted by Disney. If you're wondering whether an excursion is worthwhile, I would recommend buying a guidebook that reviews them. You should probably stick with official Disney excursions when planning all-day itineraries or visiting remote areas. If you book directly with an excursion operator that is transporting you to a far-flung destination and the operator's vehicle breaks down or you are otherwise delayed, Disney will have no idea what happened to you, and the ship can leave without you if you don't make it back in time. Sticking with official excursions also may be a good idea in ports where street crime is an issue (including all Mexican ports, Barcelona and Nassau). However, in most cases it's perfectly safe, and usually much cheaper, to book directly with various excursions. Or you may decide just to get off the ship and walk around, take a cab to a beach, etc. I strongly recommend against going off on your own at Nassau, Bahamas. Violent crime against tourists has been increasing, with bold armed robberies becoming all too common. The robberies have even been aimed at tour groups. For example, on November 20, 2009, 18 people, half of whom were on an official Disney excursion, were robbed at gunpoint. A shot was fired and several people in the group were assaulted. Unfortunately that was only one of several daylight armed robberies of tourists on Nassau. If you want to get off the ship in Nassau, I recommend spending the day at Atlantis Resort or on an organized group beach excursion. If you really want to do something on your own, you could walk along Bay Street, sticking to busy parts of downtown Nassau and the Straw Market, which should be relatively safe. However, be aware that a large group of tourists was robbed at gunpoint at the Queen's Staircase, a popular tourist destination, so crime can occur anywhere on the island. Also, you can pretty well count on being accosted by aggressive "freelance sales people" and/or drug dealers at some point once you get off the ship. Some safety tips when getting off the ship in any port:
Hurricane Season"Hurricane Season" (June 1 - November 30) is the time of year when you are most likely to have your cruise affected by storms. The peak hurricane months are August and September. If you will be cruising during hurricane season, it's wise to keep an eye on any storms that may be brewing offshore just before your cruise. The National Hurricane Center is the best place to check. Disney's ships are fully capable of sailing around hurricanes and will go the safest direction. That may mean you will visit destinations you had not expected, or in rare cases not visit any ports at all, but you will be safe. It is very advisable to buy trip insurance if you will be cruising during hurricane season! Here's why: in 2004 and 2005 some Disney cruises were diverted to an alternate port (such as Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale) due to hurricane activity. In August and September 2004, due to hurricanes, some Disney cruises were cut short and/or departed days late, and a 7-day cruise became a 10-day cruise and ended up in Galveston! A lot of people had trouble getting to their cruises because the airports were closed temporarily. Plenty of other people had to rearrange their flight dates and/or destinations, which often incurred a penalty. Some people ended up having to pay for hotel rooms when their cruises were delayed; others had to rent cars in order to get to the port. These are exactly the kinds of expenses that trip insurance is designed to cover. Dine and Play ProgramHere's a great new (as of June 2009) offering for families assigned to second dining! The Dine and Play program allows children to get their meals quicker and adults to check-in a child for Youth Activities without leaving the dining room. Dine and Play is:
Here's how it works: You arrive in the dining room and inform the server that your child would like to participate in Dine and Play. The dining room team brings the child's meal first while serving the adults at a more leisurely pace. About 45 minutes after seating begins, Youth Activities Counselors arrive in the dining room and sign in the child to their respective groups in Disney's Oceaneer Club or Disney's Oceaneer Lab, eliminating the need for you to escort the child to Deck 5. Adults are then able to enjoy the full dining experience with the knowledge that their child is having a great time in a safe, fun and comfortable environment. Special Dietary NeedsThere are two articles here on MouseSavers.com that may prove helpful if you are planning a Disney cruise and have special dietary needs:
Trip ReportsSo what's it really like to take a Disney cruise? Here are several different perspectives on the experience:
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