From the Disney Parks Blog:

The thought of traveling with a little one can sometimes feel daunting, which is why so many parents with babies and toddlers choose a Disney cruise for their family’s vacation. Disney Cruise Line caters to all members of the family, and that includes even the youngest sailors.

If you’re setting sail with a child age 6 months to 3 years old, keep these tips for sailing with little ones on Disney Cruise Line in mind for smooth sailing during your family getaway…

1. Take advantage of all that’s included. Traveling with little ones on a Disney cruise is easier than ever with diaper disposal units, bottle warmers, bottle sterilizers, cribs, playpens and high chairs available complimentary for use during the voyage. Strollers are also available, but since there are a limited number, plan to bring your own – one that’s lightweight and foldable for ease of maneuvering and storing it on board. When you visit our private island, Castaway Cay, wagons are available at no charge to facilitate navigating the island’s sandy beaches with toddlers in tow. Most of these items are first-come, first-served, so be sure to add the request to your reservation before the cruise. 

2. Reserve time in the nursery before you set sail. Inside “it’s a small world” nursery hosted by Huggies, trained counselors care for and entertain infants and toddlers up to age 3 with toys, books, videos, crafts and games. At the back of the nursery, a separate and serene room is reserved for naptime. The nursery offers some of the longest operating hours and some of the lowest hourly rates for baby and toddler care in the cruise industry, allowing you to enjoy time on your own. You can roam the ship “worry-free,” thanks to an onboard mobile phone service that allows counselors to contact you anytime and anywhere on the ship. And if you want to peek in on your child without disturbing him or her, you can glimpse into the nursery’s main play area through a one-way window.

3. Check the Navigator for special activities and play areas. Toddler Time is a scheduled playtime where parents can join the fun. You can also play with your little one at Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Lab during Open House. If you have a crawler, do not miss Jack-Jack’s Diaper Dash in the atrium. I repeat, do not miss it! And for water babies, each ship has a fanciful water playground exclusively for toddlers up to age 3—and their parents, of course!

4. Let us help you make mealtime easier. For babies, you can request fresh pureed vegetables and meat, both in the main dining rooms and through room service. When ordering off the kids’ menu, your server will be happy to cut up the food into bite-sized pieces for your little one. And when you’re grabbing a quick bite out on deck, ask a Crew Member to grab a highchair for you. These are just a few of the things you can do to take the stress out of mealtime for your whole family.

5. Don’t sweat it if you forget it. Essential baby supplies are available for purchase at the onboard merchandise shops, including diapers, training pants, rash cream, infant formula (ready to feed), bottles, pacifiers, baby food, baby shampoo, baby lotion and baby powder. We’ve got you covered!

What are your favorite tips for sailing with little ones on Disney Cruise Line?

One of my favorite things about a Disney Cruise Line vacation is that it doesn’t require months and months of advance planning like a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. You don’t have to schedule your dining reservations 180 days in advance or any FastPasses 60 days in advance. A Disney cruise offers both a less stressful planning experience ahead of time and more relaxing vacation while you’re away enjoying your vacation. Although you don’t have to spend hours preparing for a Disney Cruise Line vacation, there are a few things that you can take care of in advance to make your vacation even better!

Here are 11 things to do before your Disney cruise:

1. Online Check In: As soon as your booking window (determined by your Castaway Club status) opens, you should complete online check in. This provides Disney with all of your important information and in turn, allows you to choose how early you would like to arrive at the port. If you are not taking Disney transportation to the airport, this will get you on the ship as quickly as possible by choosing the earliest time available.
2. Book Port Excursions: If you are planning to participate in any excursions during your cruise, you can book them in advance, as well. Some of the most popular excursions do fill up before the sailing so booking them as soon as your window opens insures the best availability for you to choose your favorite excursions. There’s also a desk onboard that can help you make changes or book excursions during your vacation, if necessary.
3. Book Onboard Experiences: There aren’t too many activities that need to be booked in advance for a Disney cruise, but there are a couple character experiences (Frozen Meet and Greet and/or Princess Gathering), beverage tastings, Disney Junior character breakfast (for minimum seven night sailings), speciality dining, and spa treatments that can be reserved in advance. If you forget to book these in advance, they can be booked onboard as well, pending availability.
4. Choose your Dining Time: Disney Cruise Line offers two dining times, either 5:45 pm or 8:!5 pm which also determines your evening show times and even breakfast on the last morning of your cruise. When you book your cruise, you will have the opportunity to choose (pending availability) your preferred dining time. If main dining is full, you can always waitlist it or even ask to change after you board if you are unable to secure it in advance.
5. Schedule Character Call: You can schedule a complimentary pre-recorded character call from either Mickey Mouse, Goofy, or Mickey and Minnie. This is a fun way to either tell your kids about your upcoming vacation or get them even more excited to go!
6. Passports: Although passports are not required for some cruises, they are still strongly recommended. If you’re planning to purchase a passport for your cruise, be sure to order it far enough in advance to avoid any rush fees. If you already have a passport, just double check to make sure that it will still be valid for your sailing (and preferably at least six months afterwards).
7. Transfers: Whether you are purchasing Disney Cruise Line transfers, parking at the port, or purchasing private transfers, you will want to arrange in advance how you’ll be getting to and from the port.
8. Join your Cruise group on Facebook: Almost every sailing has a group on Facebook where you can connect with fellow cruisers. The biggest advantage to joining these groups is if you’d like to participate in a fish extender (gift exchange) with your fellow passengers. It can also be nice to find fellow cruisers with kids around the same age, if you have any that are apprehensive about going to the kids clubs onboard.
9. Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App: You will want to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app before you board the ship, if possible. Disney is eliminating the practice of leaving a paper copy of your Personal Navigator in your stateroom each evening so you’ll need to use the app to find out all of the activities planned onboard each day of your sailing. Plus, they have a fun countdown app that will help pass the time while you wait for your vacation.
10. Prepay Gratuities: You can prepay your gratuities with your cruise fare so you won’t have to worry about them onboard. If you do not prepay your gratuities, Disney will automatically add them to your onboard account. It is nice to have them prepaid so you can only worry about spending money on souvenirs during your vacation.
11. Purchase a Photo Package: If you’re interested in having any of the pictures taken onboard or at Castaway Cay, you will want to purchase a photo package in advance to take advantage of a pre-cruise discount. One big difference if you’re used to Disney PhotoPass photographers in the parks is that the cruise photographers are not able to take a picture on your device in addition to theirs.

Next, it’s time to start packing for your Disney cruise! What do you think are the most important things to do before your Disney cruise?

From the Disney Parks Blog:

What’s one of the best things about a Disney cruise? All of the incredible entertainment that’s included! From the time you step onboard to when you wave goodbye, your cruise includes everything you could hope for in a family vacation…including top-notch entertainment. With Broadway-style musicals, interactive deck shows, fireworks at sea and much more, there’s tons of fun for everyone onboard our ships!

Check out this guide to the entertainment on your Disney cruise vacation:

Broadway-style Musicals

Cruise ship entertainment reaches new heights with our extravagant live shows and entertainment at sea. Each of our ships has a unique lineup of live musicals offered throughout your Disney cruise, taking the most imaginative elements from your favorite films to bring the stories you love to life onstage.

Some guest favorites include:

• “Beauty and the Beast” on the Disney Dream: Inspired by the live-action movie, our “Beauty and the Beast” stage show is a unique theatrical experience with high-definition projections and dynamic scenery, plus master puppetry that bring Mrs. Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth to life in their true scale.
• “Tangled:The Musical”on the Disney Magic: “Tangled: The Musical” immerses you in Rapunzel’s fairytale world through lavish production numbers and spellbinding music, including three new songs developed exclusively for the show by Academy-Award winning composer Alan Menken and “Tangled’s” Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Glenn Slater.
• “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular”on the Disney Wonder: Inspired by the hit animated film, this musical features dynamic costumes and sets, remarkable special effects, dazzling production numbers and incredible puppetry to bring beloved characters to life.
• “Disney’s Aladdin –A Musical Spectacular” on the Disney Fantasy: This musical inspired by the Disney classic raises the bar with special effects and technology, including a magical flying carpet scene.

Deck Parties

A Disney cruise brings the fun to the upper decks with lively deck parties throughout your vacation!

Some memorable deck parties include:

• “Sailing Away” on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy: Jumpstart your Disney cruise with this lively “welcome aboard” deck party extravaganza! Join the official cruise countdown with Mickey and friends, and listen for the mighty blast of the ship’s horn that signals the beginning of your cruise vacation!
• “Mickey’s Sail-A-Wave Party!…A Bon Voyage Celebration” on the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic: On embarkation day, you’ll join Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald for a high-energy sail away celebration featuring new music and a fashion show for guests!
• Pirate Night on all Disney ships: For one night on each cruise, your ship will transform into a pirate vessel for an evening of buccaneer fun! Enjoy stunt performers, pirate battles and a spectacular grand finale – fireworks at sea like only Disney can do!

Dining Experiences

Mealtimes are also entertainment experiences on your Disney cruise! Elaborately themed restaurants and distinctly Disney touches combine world-class cuisine with a full course of fun.

The unique dining on your Disney cruise includes:

• Rapunzel’s Royal Table on the Disney Magic: Rapunzel’s Royal Table is the first table service restaurant inspired by the beloved story of Disney’s “Tangled.” The experience features live entertainment and characters, including spirited singing and dancing by Flynn Rider, the mischievous Snuggly Duckling Thugs and Princess Rapunzel herself!
• Tiana’s Place on the Disney Wonder: Inspired by the animated feature “The Princess and the Frog,” Tiana’s Place transports you to an era of southern charm, spirited jazz and street party celebrations, with a menu influenced by Southern-style cuisine. You’ll even find Tiana’s personal touches in the menu, the live entertainment and throughout every detail in the restaurant, from Tiana’s family photos to her framed culinary awards!
• Animator’s Palate on all Disney ships: One of the most popular restaurants on our ships, Animator’s Palate features animation-covered walls and high-definition flat-screens to give you the best view of the animation magic that takes place during your meal.  

Themed Cruises

We also offer special days at sea and holiday cruises throughout the year, bringing a wide variety of different entertainment experiences onboard and giving your family so many ways to make memories during one-of-a-kind celebrations!

Themed Disney cruises include:

• Halloween on the High Seas: Set sail for spook-tacular Disney fun in the fall, including costume parties and contests, a “sing and scream” movie experience and haunted stories of the sea beneath the night sky.
• Very Merrytime Cruises: Unwrap holiday magic when our ships transform into winter wonderlands for our Very Merrytime cruises in November and December! Celebrate the holidays onboard a Disney cruise with festive tropical deck parties, carolers throughout the ship and Disney friends dressed in their holiday best.
• Marvel Day at Sea on the Disney Magic: These popular cruise itineraries let you spend one day at sea with your favorite Marvel Super Heroes and Villains. From heroic encounters to secret agent training sessions to a spectacular stunt show at sea, everyone in the family will find an epic adventure!
• Star Wars Day at Sea on the Disney Fantasy: Blast off on these cruises to experience the legendary encounters of the Star Wars saga up close with character encounters, Jedi training, a deck party spectacular and more on a day-long adventure!

Click to learn more about entertainment on Disney Cruise Line or to see all that’s included on your Disney cruise. 

Think a Disney cruise is just for kids? Think again! There is so much for adults on Disney Cruise Line, whether you decide to drop the kids off in the complimentary kids club or leave them home altogether.

Here are our ten favorite things for adults on Disney Cruise Line:

1. Serenity Bay at Disney’s Castaway Cay: Serenity Bay is the beautiful adults only beach on Disney’s private island paradise, Castaway Cay. You can stick your toes in the sand, enjoy a drink, or swim at this picture perfect beach. There’s even an adults only BBQ with a little more variety than Cookies BBQ and Cookies Too BBQ.
2. Adults Only Dining Palo (and Remy): All four Disney ships have Palo, an adults only restaurant. Both the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy also offer an adults only dining experience at Remy. With spectacular views and fine dining for a small upcharge, this experience is a “must do.”
3. Beverage Tastings: Disney offers a variety of beverage tastings for guests age 21 and over. You can choose from beer tastings, bourbon tastings, mixology classes, and so many more.
4. Movies in the Buena Vista Theatre: You can watch first-run films in addition to classic Disney films and popular motion-picture releases in the Buena Vista Theatre. New Disney movies debut at sea at the same time as on land with Disney!
5. Live Shows in the Walt Disney Theatre: The Walt Disney Theatre has some incredible, Broadway style performances. Be sure not to miss “Beauty and the Beast” on the Disney Dream, “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular” on the Disney Wonder, “Tangled: The Musical” on the Disney Magic, and “Disney’s Aladdin- A Musical Spectacular” on the Disney Fantasy.
6. Senses Spa & Salon: You can have the ultimate pampering and relaxing cruise when you treat yourself to an appointment at Senses Spa and Salon. From massages and facials to manicures and pedicures, there’s a treatment for everyone to enjoy. You can even purchase a Rainforest Spa pass to enjoy the showers, heated loungers, and whirlpool spas.
7. Fitness Center: Whether you want to try to work off some of the delicious food you eat during your cruise at the gym or try a class with fellow cruisers, there are plenty of ways to stay in shape and still take in those breathtaking ocean views.
8. Quiet Cove Pool: This adults only oasis offers both a main pool and whirlpool spas in addition to drinks like cocktails and specialty coffees for the ultimate relaxing day.
9. Adults Only Excursions: Almost all Disney Cruise Line sailings offer adults only excursions. Whether you want to dive to the bottom of the ocean or enjoy a massage on the beach, you can find the perfect adventure for you.  
10. Lounges and nightclubs: All four ships offer multiple nightclubs and lounges where you can enjoy a drink, live music, and other entertainment and activities.

What are your favorite adult activities on a Disney cruise?