Disney Cruise Line ~ What is Included What is Not?

Disney Cruise Line - What is Included What is Not?

Thinking of a Disney Cruise Vacation but looking at the price and wondering what is included and what is extra? Well let’s start by doing the short list – what is not included in the cruise fare.

Not included in the price of your cruise:

Ø  Alcoholic drinks of any kind.

Ø  Specialty Drinks – smoothies, specialty coffee and the like.

Ø  Packaged Foods – canned soda, bottled water, candy bars, packaged cookies and the like.

Ø  Spa and Salon Treatments,

Ø  Arcade Games IN the Arcade (Kids have some free in the kids clubs, many Disney themed).

Ø  WiFi

o   This is available but expensive if you just must be connected for work or personal reasons

o   There is free WiFi to use the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App.

Ø  Meals at the Adult Only Restaurants.

Ø  Port Adventures.

Ø  Shipboard Adventures such as Mixology Classes and Wine/Ale Tasting. There are many free shipboard adventures as well.

Ø  Nursery care for children under 3 years of age.

What is included in the price of your cruise:

Ø  Dining for every taste.

o   Not interested in the main restaurant that night? No problem! Ask your server for other options not on the menu. Want to have what you had the night before at a different restaurant? Ask your server if they can get it. Still not interested then there is Room Service, Quick Serve Locations, Lounges or the Buffet that I’m sure will have something you can enjoy.

o   Castaway Cay (Disney’s Privet Island) Dining is also included! No extra cost to eat at Cookie’s BBQ while on shore!

Ø  Rotational Dining with a different restaurant/same servers every night.

Ø  Free Soda, Coffee & Tea, Milk and other drinks.

o   All the main restaurants serve these free. Not going to a main restaurant? Want to drink a soda in your room? Want to go to listen to music in one of the late night lounges, sit by the pool or walk on the deck and have a drink? Stop by the Soda Fountain on the Pool Deck and pick some up for free. They also have cold filtered water there as well. (You can bring your own travel cup or water bottle from home.)

Ø  24 hour Room Service.

o   Remember that packaged items, soda and alcohol cost extra and are not free.

Ø  Quick serve food locations with something for everyone.

Ø  Kids Clubs with the longest hours of any cruise line.

o   Kids have age appropriate club areas deigned just for them. Adults are not allowed into the kids areas unless it is open house time.

o   Children are signed in and cannot leave without parents or approved adult signing them out. Older kids can be given the freedom to check themselves in and out.

Ø  Spacious Staterooms designed with families in mind. They are approximately 25% larger than industry standard. Many have split baths.

o   Split bath is toilet and sink in one room with tub/shower and sink in another room. This makes it easier for families to get ready for their day’s adventure or a meal at the same time.

Ø  Broadway Style Musicals in a professional theater.

Ø  Fireworks at Sea.

o   Disney Cruise Line is the only Cruise Line authorized to do fireworks at sea.

o   The firework shell is made of Corn and actually feed the fish!

Ø  First Run Movies at Sea.

o   Know that a long anticipated Disney Movie is coming out while you are at sea? Don’t worry! You will see it opening day on the ship!

Ø  Classic Disney Movies at the pool and in the movie theater.

o   Buena Vista Theater plays movies at various time. It is a state of the art theater that can play 3D movies as well as standard.

o   The Funnel Vision Screen at the family pool on each ship also plays movies at various times throughout the day and into the night. The screen is 14 X 24 Feet in size. It is fun to just float in the pool and watch a movie.

Ø  Sports Pub at Sea. Don’t miss that important game!

Ø  Exclusive Adult Only Entertainment.

o   Adult themed Comedy, Dancing, Piano Bar and Karaoke are just some of the fun things you can enjoy without the kids. (Don’t worry about the kids. They can stay in the kids club while you have fun for no extra charge.)

There is plenty to do on a Disney Cruise Ship that is included in the price.

Ø  Pools and Sports Deck along with the Health Center are open daily.

o   There are 3 pools on each ship. One for the little kids, one for families and one for the adults only.

o   The Sports Deck offers different things. The older ships have a place to play basketball, Volleyball, and other sports. At times there are crew members and sometime characters there organizing games and activates. On the newer ships also offer mini golf and other sports related offerings.

o   The health center offers a place to go work out even while on vacation. You can also avail yourself of some classes on healthy living.

o   There is also a Walking/Jogging Deck. You can take a leisurely stroll, power walk, jog alone or join up with other cruisers for a run.

Ø  Disney Art of Entertainment Classes.

o   Cooking, TowelGomi and Cake Decorating are just a few of the classes offered.

Ø  Behind the Scenes Discussions – Often with Disney Imagineers and other Disney people.

Ø  Tours of the ship. The Art of the Theme Ship Tour is not to be missed.

Ø  Water Fun - Pools, Hot Tubs, Splash Zones/Water Play Areas, and Water Slides for everyone (On all but the Disney Wonder) and Sun Fun.

o   Pools have handicapped accessibility

o   Slides available for the entire family are AquaDuck on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy and AquaDunk on the Disney Magic. At this time the Disney Wonder does not have a family water slide. The AquaDuck is actually a WaterCoaster not a water slide. It is the first watercoaster at sea.

o   There is sometimes live entertainment at the pools. Bands will come and play music and there are even instructors teaching water exercises from time to time.

o   Splash Zones/Water Play areas are available near the pools for the littlest cruisers.

Ø  Family fun games, dancing and karaoke.

o   There are many games and some are unique to certain ships. Some are designed for kids, some for families and some for adults only. Trivia is a popular game played on the ships. They have kids, family and adult themed trivia sessions. The Disney Fantasy has the Muppet Detective School game where you search the ship for clues to who stole the Muppets props.

Ø  Enchanted Art that comes alive as you stand and admire it.

o   (Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream only.)

Ø  Deck Parties. There are at least 2 main Deck Parties on the ship each cruise.

o   The Sail Away Deck Party is where you get a feel of what is available and get a look at the crew, especially those in the Kids Clubs. Good time to get the kids excited about the Kids Clubs activities!

o   Pirate Night Deck Party on most cruises. This Pirate themed Deck Party is a favorite of returning cruisers. This includes Fireworks at Sea! To add extra fun to Pirate Night you can dress up as your favorite Pirate!

o   Check the schedule for smaller Deck Parties that including dancing and games around the pool during the days at sea.

You may have noticed that pubs and bars are mentioned but casinos are not. That is because Disney does not have a casino on board their ships. The only “gambling” is Bingo or between you and your spouse on how hard it will be to get your kids to leave the Kids Club.

One thing that is included in a Disney Cruise is 2 wave phones per cabin. Each room has 2 phones that work like cellphones at sea. They only work on the ship and Castaway Cay. You can easily keep in touch with other members of your party/family and friends you who came with you or that you make on the ship. You can call and text each other and keep in touch. Great for parents so the Kids Club crew can call if/when the kids need them. You can get an extra Wave Phone for $3.50 per day if you wish. But be aware! If lost or damaged you will pay $250 to replace it. You can get them for your older kids so they can take a walk around the ship and still be able to stay in contact. No excuse for not meeting up for dinner or family time!

If you don’t want to use a Wave Phone you can download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App for free for both iPhone and Android. Just download on your personal Smart Phone before you go and turn it on when you board the ship. With the Navigator app you can chat with other people on the ship as well as check the schedule for the day’s activities setting reminders for things you don’t want to miss.

I have found that vacationing on a budget is easy with a Disney Cruise. You know exactly what it will cost before you go. Most of the important things are included in the price of a cruise. You can easily find out the price of the extras and budget that in as well. You can prepay for both Shore and Onboard Adventures before going.

A Disney Cruise is perfect for a family vacation because the kids can have all the fun and freedom they want while being safely watched. Parents can have time together to become even better parents. The entire family will enjoy time together watching shows and having adventures that build memories that last a lifetime.

Wish to book a Disney Cruise? Contact me.

TinkysMagicalStarr@yahoo.com