So you have never done a Disney cruise and you are looking for info, right? Well, you have come to the right place!

No matter where you are in the process of planning your first Disney Cruise, you will find some info here to help you out. Read on and prepare for the vacation of a lifetime!

5 Planning tips for first time disney cruisers

1. Choosing your Cruise can be tough, when is the best time to go? How long of a cruise should I book? Where should I go? Lots of questions arise when trying to book a cruise…after all you can’t just go any old time you want like you can with Disney World or Disneyland. Lucky for you I wrote a step by step guide to Choosing your Disney Cruise and you can read it here: Disney Cruise Planning 101 Definitely do some research and ask some questions. I promise this is the hardest part! Once you book the cruise its smooth sailing!

2. Ok, well, if you are like me the packing part is not really all that fun either. I HATE packing. But, packing for a Disney cruise is just about the most fun I can have packing. I learned some lessons from packing for my first Disney Cruise and you can read about them here:
Lessons Learned: Packing tips for your Disney Cruise

Packing tips

3. Know what is included.

· Food, food, and more food. All the food you could need or want. Even room service, ice cream, fountain drinks, snacks, and more! And the food is available all day at various locations, not just at meal times. Most cruises require you to prepay for a beverage card to enjoy select fountain drinks but Disney provides a large drink station for everyone to enjoy all the time. And if that wasn’t exciting enough there is ice cream available all the time!

· Kids clubs. I mean, its Disney so the kids clubs are going to be phenomenal, right? Absolutely! And it’s included in your cruise fare! Read about the kids clubs from one of my colleagues here

· Ship Activities such as karaoke, comedy shows, cooking demonstrations, animation classes, live music, fireworks show, pools and slides, and of course the Character meet and greets!

· Fitness Center…to work off all that free food!

· Broadway Quality shows every night

· First run movies (even 3D) in the movie theatre

Food is included!

4. Understand what is not included.

· Gratuities are not included…but you can call ahead and have them added before you even cruise! *your travel agent can help you with this

· Alcoholic Beverages (also soft drinks ordered from the bar. Only the self-serve fountain drinks and soft drinks with your meal are included)

· Pictures. They will take some great photos of you are your family/group. You can view them at the photo shop onboard anytime and purchase multiple package options.

· Port Adventures/Excursions

· Adult Only restaurants

· Misc. things like laundry, spa services, BINGO

· For more info, read Amy’s info on the Hidden Costs of Cruising

5. Learn the Lingo.

Cruising has its own lingo, study up so you will feel right at home! But don’t worry-you will catch on quickly. And the Disney crew is always ready to help (I got turned around multiple times on the ship and never had to ask for help. They are great at recognizing the “I’m pretending not to look lost” expression!) Here are a few terms to get you started.

Aft – back of the ship

Atrium – the central area of the ship. Usually where the Grand Staircase and Chandelier are located. Often where you Embark for the first time

Berth – a built-in bed or bunk

Bow – the very front of the ship

Captain – the person in command of a ship

Disembark – to unload/get off the ship

Embark– to load or board the ship

Forward – front of the ship

Gangway – Where you can walk on and off the ship when you are in Port

Port of Call – A stop on your Itinerary

Stateroom – your cabin or room

identify each picture using cruise lingo

OK..I don’t want to give away ALL the great surprises of a Disney Cruise so hopefully this info and the links included have helped you get a better idea of what’s in store for your first Disney Cruise. I know you still have questions so please contact me any time to start planning your cruise. I love to talk Disney and especially Disney cruises! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Aleshia Sokoloski, Travel with the Magic

Email me or Call me at 1-800-670-4312 ext. 139 or Find Me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or LinkedIn.