Thinking of Taking a Disney Cruise?

Thinking about a vacation aboard the Disney Cruise Line?  I did a 3 Night Bahamian sailing back in the spring of 2010 and was with two of my agents.  There were some experiences I really loved and I am going to briefly touch on those here and then add in a few tips that helped me when I sailed. 

The Disney Cruise Line has two ships the Wonder and the Magic and soon the Dream will be joining the Fleet.  The Dream looks absolutely stunning and I can’t wait to get a chance to sail on it.  Planning a vacation on the Disney Cruise Line can be overwhelming if you have never sailed before.  We spent A LOT of time in The Vista Spa and in the adult only areas on board and it was pretty awesome.  I found it relaxing and quiet.  I have two children so I do not get a lot of quiet.  There are areas for everyone on these ships so don’t worry about keeping busy if that is what you want.  There are kids clubs, spas, dining, sports bars, pools, shows, movie theatres and more. Yes there is still more! 

Picking your stateroom is important depending on how much time you plan on spending in it.  Disney offers a variety of options and there are even suites with concierge services as well.  We had a private balcony on our sailing and I loved it.  It was nice to wake up and go out there and just look at the ocean but also to see the ship docking in port was pretty cool. During your sailing they have a deck party and there is a fireworks show at the end of it.  We saw the Pirates IN the Caribbean deck party and it was so much fun! 

There was music, dancing, and the characters!  If you are worried about your kids not seeing characters; don’t.  They have a schedule and you can view and add it to your plan.  Every time I walked by the lobby it seemed there were several there greeting and spending time with children and families.  

I have to admit my favorite part of the cruise was not even on the ship, it was on Castaway Cay!  What is Castaway Cay?  It is Disney’s private island and it is fun and fabulous!  We had the best time at the adult only beach.   The food was excellent, the service wonderful, and once again it was quiet and relaxing.  We took so many pictures of our time there and you can see them here.  The Island has an area for families as well so I find it best to get up have some breakfast and get off the ship as soon as possible so that you can get a good spot on the beach.  Disney Cruise Line does something no one else does and that is fireworks. 

Here are a few tips I love to share with families:

1. Bring a pillowcase and permanent marker.  Drop them off at guest services and at the end of the sailing you get it back all autographed by your favorite characters and its free.
2. Pack sunscreen it’s expensive on board and at the ports and depending on when you go you will need it.  Also if you are like me and BURN then bring a HUGE beach hat.  I did and it really helped me on the island.
3. I used my IPAD to read emails and keep in touch with my family.  I had no issues for the most part and this way I could email them updates and use the CHAT feature to chat with my husband. 
4. Order some drinks and snacks from Room Service and place them in the fridge so you will have them for later.  I loved doing this so you do not have to go up to the drink station for drink late at night.
5. Pack a highlighter for the Navigators.  I pack several and assign a color to each person in the family and then highlight what is important to them.  This way I do not forget about things that people really want to see.

If you have any questions about a Disney Cruise Line sailing please contact us by e-mail, or visit us at Travel with the Magic. We offer FREE Disney Vacation Planning services and free on board credits with each Disney Cruise Line booking!  So choose us and let’s add some MAGIC to your vacation!

This guest blog post was provided by Market Mommy partner, Kelly Russo. She is a vacation planner and travel agent with Travel with the Magic.