Any tips, suggestions, packing lists for Disney Crusie next week?

Question

My family and I are going on a Disney Cruise next Saturday. We are excited, but clueless, this is our first cruise. Does anyone have a packing list, to-do before leaving list, tips, suggestions, activity ideas, etc.

(**Please do not answer if you have never been on a Disney Cruise before**)

Thanks!

-Jessica

Answer 1

You are going to have such a great time. Disney is such a wonderful line, after all the cruises I have been on, they are still at the top of my favorites list. Not sure if you will be traveling with or without kids, but from my experience (traveling alone) Disney is a really great line and above the rest in its category (for family cruises)

As far as what to pack, I have two big pieces of advice. 1). Don't overpack, not sure of the room you have reserved, but the majority of cruise ships rooms are quite small. Space will be limited, especially if you are at the passenger limit and big suitcases and bags will take up a lot of space. To avoid a lot of hassel in the room, try to leave some things at home. This is especially bad since cruising has formal nights, warm sunny days, and sometimes cool nights, so you have to pack so much more for that reason. But if it is something you really don't think you will need, try to leave it.

2). Don't forget the most important things. Clothes, lotions, shampoos, etc. can all be purchased if you realize your forgot something, but if your forget your i.d., passports, birthcertificates, credit cards, etc. You cannot easily go out and replace them. So be sure any i.d., money, documents, etc. that you are required to have are packed and ready to go. Also, medicine and things like that definitely fall in this category. Not sure of how often your travel, or if you have a tendency to leave things behind, but if you do, it is a good idea to set the thing you have to take by the door (out of the way of course). Set all the things there as you get them ready, so as soon as your suitcases are packed and ready to go, have them by the door, the night before, be sure to go through and make sure you have everything. Anything you have to have, keep in a seperate bag that you will keep with you, also applies to valuables. When you get to the port, Disney will take your luggage and deliver it to your room later in the day. So anything you don't want to get lost or be without for any period of time, should be taken with you. Disney is pretty good at this, but you may not get your luggage till later in the evening and it can get lost in some cases, so just a warning.

As for what to pack, basically just bring anything you would bring for a regular beach/sun type vacation. Shorts, t's and tanks are good for the sun, bathing suits for the pool and beach, pajamas, etc. Also, don't forget the formal wear. Disney isn't as strict as some of the other lines, and I've even seen people show up in shorts, but personally I wouldn't want to go that far. While I don't think you absolutely have to have the tux and evening gown for formal night, I think it is a good idea to dress a little nicer. A dress if possible for women, or nice pants and shirt, a suit for the men, or dress slacks and a dress shirt, a tie if possible. If you plan to go to like a lunch with the captain and it is formal attire, I would be sure to bring the formal attire for that, I feel that should be done for this situation. Other than that, any electronics you may want, lots of film or memory cards and tape for cameras and camcorders, sun screen, sunglasses, plenty of money, snacks (not really needed since you will be doing a lot of eating)

I'm not sure if you will be traveling with children, and if so if they are boys, girls, ages, etc. If you are, some people will bring costumes for the kids to wear. A lot of little girls will be in their princess dress on formal nights, and then they can take pictures with the princess and things like that. For the most part, kids will be in the kids club as long as you allow them to stay (very few kids dislike the clubs and/or actually want to leave) So you probably won't need anything for them to do on the ship. It may be a good idea to bring some books, games, etc. to do on the plane or during down times to keep them occupied.

I also like to bring a lot of one's, five's and ten's. I always do the prepaid tip thing, but I have never left a Disney cruise and not given my waiters, room stewards, etc. extra money for their work. Since you have never been on a cruise, I think you will be pretty amazed at how hard they work, and they work all day. You will see your assistant waitever every night at dinner, but during the day you may see them at Pluto's or cleaning up the tables on the deck, etc. They work very hard. So, I always like to give extra tips for the hard work. If you plan to take advantage of room service, that isn't included in the tip that is prepaid. You don't have to give a tip, but I always do. Since it doesn't cost anything for room service, I feel throwing in a few bucks to the person that brings it is a nice little touch. Generally you only need to get $1 to $2 a person, I usually give $5. Also, since the waiters and employees on the ships work for months at a time and don't get to see their families often and calling home can really eat away at their paycheck, I always like to include some phone cards for anyone like my waiter or cabin steward. They work hard and I think they deserve it, then they can go on land at the ports and call home for a little while. You can get international cards for around $20 to $40, so it doesn't cost too much and it really makes their day to give them a few for their hard work.

I've included two really great links for you to help with your packing. They are some of the best I have found to prepare for a cruise and have a lot of things you may forget otherwise, plus you can print the list out.

As far as tips, I think the biggest thing is to just have fun and relax. Cruising is one of the best vacations you can have, in my opinion, people say the only responsibilty you have on a cruise is to relax. It's a great time, for the whole family since there are a lot of options for everyone. Try not to miss the shows, they are really great, I've not been to one I didn't like. If you have the option to go to the captain's question and answer thing, try to do that, they are usually pretty interesting. If you are going with kids, there are a lot of great photo opportunities and fun things to do with them, so try not to miss out on them. Be sure to take advantage of the kids clubs, they are a ton of fun and the kids are well taken care of. If you want to have a night out with adults only, you can check the kids into the club and either get them something to eat at Pluto's or Pinnochios or you can let them eat in the kids club and they can stay until you are done for the evening. You will receive a pager in case Disney needs to get a hold of you, so you can feel really safe with them in there as well.

Be sure to look over the Navigator it will have everything you need to know for each day. There is a lot to do and you probably won't be able to see everything on this trip, so be sure to find the things you want to do the most, there are many events, tours, etc that are a lot of fun. Pluto's has surprisingly good food, for a little snack.

If you haven't done so already, be sure to book shore excursions online. They can sell out before you can book them onboard, since you are going during spring break, there is a slightly better chance they will. Also, if you want to go to Palo's try to reserve it online as well, it sells out very fast. I like Palos, but some people don't enjoy it, it just depends what you prefer. Also, there will more than likely be a shopping show prior to your first port. I've been to one and really didn't find it was that important. To me it seemed more like a sale pitch for some of the bigger stores in the ports and had less information that I really need to know. They do have brochures and things on some of the main shopping, but that usually sits out front of the theater, so you don't actually have to go if you don't want to. They also sell a big coupon book, I think it is called the Passport. It is a sall book with tons of pages and there are coupons in there for tons of ports (coupons don't expire so you can use them on later cruises as well) If you plan to do much shopping it may be worth it for you. There are a few free items for each port, usually some buy one get one deals, tons of sweepstakes, discounts at jewelry stores, etc. If you plan to do some shopping it can be fun and save you money, I think it only costs $20 or so, may be worth checking out.

I could go on for hours with all the tips, so I don't want to overwhelm you. These are just a few of the more important ones. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to e-mail me.  

I hope this helps! Have a fantastic time on your cruise.

Bon voyage!

Answer 2

a rain coat and sun-tan lotion

Answer 3

First of all,  make sure that you have any toiletries, Tylenol, sunscreen, etc. before you leave.  They are WAY over priced if you have to buy them on the ship.

Take an extra bag so that you can pack any items that you buy while on vacation.

Book your table immediately!!!!  That fancy restaurant for adults only that you are dying to try out will be booked for the entire cruise by the second day.

Have a great vacation!