Top Reasons To Book a Disney Cruise | Cruising Disney Style

Cruising is one of my favorite ways to vacation, there’s nothing like getting on a ship, being catered to 24 hours a day, waking up in different places or the middle of nowhere, and being able to disconnect from the outside world and connect to those you love. I had been on other cruise lines in the past but as soon as I made the step into the Disney Cruise Line terminal at Port Canaveral I knew that I was in for a whole new world of cruising. These are my favorite reasons to book a Disney Cruise.

Top Reasons to Book a Disney Cruise

Checking In| Disney Cruise Line Style

From designated check-in times and character meet in greets in the terminal you’re entertained from the moment you arrive. As you cross the gangway onto the ship you and your family are formally announced and welcomed aboard.

The experience of cruising with Disney is made for relaxing from start to finish. The send-off party as the ship pulls away from the dock and goes down the canal into the Atlantic is so entertaining it makes it hard to decide what to watch, the view or the party.

My first Disney Cruise was on the Dream, we had a family suite that slept up to 5 or 6 people comfortably. We had 3 adults and one child with plenty of room in the cabin for everyone to unpack our things and move around.

The Disney Cruise Line Kids Club

The second reason to book s Disney Cruise is the Disney Cruise Line Kids Club. Since we did have a child with us first thing to do was register her with the kids club and take a tour, this was very easy and security-focused. They take pictures of everyone as you check in so to check the child in and out they scanned her magic ban and the photo of the adult who was authorized to get her. They also set a secret code word when you register the child, don’t tell the child what it is, anytime a child is picked up from the kids club the adult has to use the password.

There were days we didn’t see her as she wanted to be in the kids club from sun up to sundown. But as long as she was safe and having fun that was OK, after all, we were all there to have fun!

Can a Cruise Ship Really Be Clean?

I really want to say how clean I have found the Disney Cruise Line ships. This may be an odd subject to talk about but I found the ships to be spotless. They really make an effort, that can be seen, to keep everything clean. This means having restroom attendants at the pool bathrooms during the day and at the busy restrooms by the theater in the evenings. There was always someone cleaning and honestly, it showed everywhere you went.

Dining on The Disney Cruise Line

Dining on a Disney Cruise Ship is a whole other experience as well. Yes, you will have a set dining time, early or late. Having done both I can honestly say it’s a personal preference. There’s plenty to eat all over the ship outside of those dining times, including my favorite, room service! For dinner though your waiter moved with you as you have the chance to dine in a different themed dining room every night. The menu changes with the theme of the restaurant, with the exception of Pirate night when all the restaurants serve the same menu. Don’t worry about missing out though that’s the restaurant you’ll go to twice if you are on at least a 4-night cruise.

I found the food and selections to be very good and the staff to be accommodating if you had any special needs or requests. They even remembered your drink requests and would have them set at the table and waiting for you after the first night. Lots of little details, like bringing my nephew fruit every night before his meal really made it magical.

Extra Dining Experiences

I also had the chance to dine at Palo one night, this is one of the extra cost specialty restaurants onboard the Dream. It’s an Italian dining experience surrounded by amazing views right at the front of the ship. Everything you try at Palo will be amazing but do not miss the chocolate souffle for dessert, I promise you will not regret it! Even though this cost extra it was worth every penny to me and really a deal compared to other really fine dining options in big cities.

Disney Cruise Line On-Board Entertainment

When I talk about the entertainment just remember it’s Disney and it hits the mark in every way. Every evening is a different Broadway-caliber show in the big theater. All-day you can check out first-run movies in their onboard theater and of course, there’s music, comedy, dancing, and activities for every person.

On the Dream, I loved the adult nightlife at the rear of the ship. My two favorite places to visit were Pink, the champagne bar, and Skyline, a city-themed bar with changing panoramas of big cities around the world. The bartenders were fun and the drinks were good. Prices would match any in a normal on land bar.

Is a Disney Cruise for Adults?

Now a common question I hear is, I don’t have kids is a Disney Cruise right for me? Well yes, of course, it is! The ships have adult-only areas on deck with pools, bars, and lounge areas that are off-limits to those under age. So if you’re traveling without kids you can avoid them and still enjoy the sunshine and the pool. At night the bars are restricted after a certain time as well.

On my last Disney Cruise, we had really bad weather, but that didn’t make a difference in our fun. We still sat on deck under cover and watched the rain, went to movies in the theater and also watched movies from a huge selection of on-demand movies in our rooms. One of the best rainy days was spent in the comfort of our cabin with my mom and niece ordering room service, playing cards and watching movies.

Disney Cruise Line Spas

I do enjoy a spa treatment when I’m on a cruise as well. The spas on Disney Cruise Line use Elemis products, which is a great line of natural products from the UK. A trip to the spa is going to cost you the same as any cruise line spa and they do run specials different days of the cruise. There’s usually a discount if you go to the spa on a day in port. Since I’m one who doesn’t like to leave the ship, except for Castaway Cay, I try to take advantage of these deals.

Castaway Cay

Of course, the very best part of a Disney Cruise is stopping at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. This is one place I’d like to go to and never leave. You can start your day off with the Castaway Cay 5k and earn a special Medal for completing. Then get your beach gear and chill out on a lounge or in a hammock or grab your snorkeling gear for a swim around their lagoon. You can also rent bikes or private cabanas. The food on the island is a Caribbean backyard BBQ buffet and delicious. Not to mention all you can eat soft serve ice cream!

There are also special Character meet and greets and interactions on Castaway Cay. Dance party with Goofy, yes please! Or just meet Mickey and Minnie in their swim costumes.

Is a Disney Cruise worth the extra money?

But you ask are you sure it’s worth the extra money? I can go on another cruise for a third of the cost of Disney. Well, I’ve been on those other cruises and I won’t be going back. To me, a Disney Cruise is worth every penny for the whole experience. I’ve never seen a cleaner ship and after several cruises, I still haven’t done everything there is to do. Cruising with Disney is an experience you won’t forget and you’ll be asking when can I go again before I’m even off the ship!

Thank You for Spreading the Pixie Dust!