r/dcl

Saw previous post had error in article, so found different source

I recently learned about the six month passport rule. I’m hoping to book a cruise in July leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale that goes to Mexico and CC. My kid’s passports expire in December 2026.

Do I need to start scrambling to get their passes renewed or is Disney not strict about the six months?

Edit: Okay thanks for the replies. Now I’m getting conflicting answers and berated for even reaching out.

Has anyone in this community experienced a successful check in less than 6 months out from an expired passport on a closed loop cruise including Mexico.

I will look further into this and start the renewal process, I’m just seeing if anyone experienced this issue on DCL.

Hi! Long time lurker, first time poster :)

My wife and I will be cruising next week on the Fantasy, and we’ll be on the ship for May 4th, Star Wars day!

Does Fantasy do any themed things for Star Wars day while on board? We’ll be at Castaway Cay but curious if they do any themed trivias or anything bc that day or if any other ships do anything out of the ordinary for 5/4.

I’ll be packing a Star Wars themed shirt for the day no matter what 🥰 thanks!

I have done two DCL sailings - the Fantasy and most recently the Destiny. Loved them both! Spouse is very sensitive to motion and we really felt it on the Fantasy despite being 2nd deck midship. Destiny was shiny and new; it was smoother sailing and we enjoyed the theming, but it was so crowded and the layout is not as practical.

I want to take advantage of the latest kids' promo and am eyeing the Magic for a late October sailing. While sailing out of Florida is logistically easier, the draw is the Mexican Riviera itinerary (I'm personally not a huge fan of the private island days and would rather explore a new culture/city), plus there is Halloween on the High Seas for my kids to enjoy. It sounds charming to be on the OG ship.

Is it worth the trek, or should I stick to tried and true Caribbean or Bahamian cruises? Should I be concerned about Pacific swells and/or hurricane season? Treasure is too expensive right now, so perhaps Wish or Dream would be next in line. Thanks!

This may be a dumb question, but can you order off menu in the speciality lounges? I definitely want to spend time in these spaces on our upcoming cruise but in looking at the menus most of the listed drinks don’t appeal to me. Can you order a simple mixed drink or martini?

Assuming the answer is yes but thought I’d ask just for confirmation. Also, if anyone has drink recommendations for any of the lounges on the Destiny that would be great! It’s just me and my husband on this cruise and we want to let loose!

Can anyone tell me if the pools at Mr Sancho’s, Paradise Beach or Kuza have fresh or salt water pools? Our 10 year old can be a little iffy about ocean water sometimes.

We are hoping to sail Spring Break 2027 with my 2 daughters (5yo and 23 month old) but need help deciding between the Fantasy (2 Castaway stops and Lookout) or the Destiny (Cozumel and Castaway stops). We have only been on the Wonder so part of me wants to try the newer Destiny as it has dinner shows to entertain my young kids, more modern room and more food options. They are both 5 night trips but the Fantasy would be about $900 cheaper (not a big price difference to me). I know the Fantasy has a better layout for adults but I will probably be spending most of my time with my kids so not sure this is a decision maker. Help me decide please :)

Is it worth it getting a passport for kids specifically for a Disney cruise? Does it make things go smoother? We want to eventually get the kids passports. But both my husband and I will have to take off work, and the kids will miss school for part of the day.

We are trying to take advantage of the new 50% offer and have two March cruises we are deciding between.

Does anyone have a preference for one ship over the other? We’ve only been on the Wonder out of San Diego. Kids are 13 and 7.

Thank you!

Hi all,

We're a family of 5 and have never cruised DCL. We've done two Celebrity Edge class cruises over the last 1.5 years and loved them, but we are also DVC/AP/fairly local and love all things Disney.

We've never really understood the price premium and have been hesitant to book. Yesterday I pulled the trigger and booked the Destiny 5 night western Caribbean over our spring break 2027 with the sale, I was shocked to see spring break included. At first I just did an oceanview room, which was $7400, but then last night we changed it to a verandah for $8200. I'm wondering if this is considered a good price for this ship over a holiday? I hear people talk about booking right when the itinerary comes out to get the best deal, but obviously we missed that window.

If someone on here tells me that they booked this cruise in the same room category for 5 for a good bit less I'm going to cringe. For comparison, on Celebrity we did the newest ship, Xcel, over spring break last month and paid around $5500 for one verandah room and an interior room, since they don't sleep 5. This gave us two bathrooms, which was really nice. The kids always have a good time, but like I said, we are Disney lovers, so they really want to try it out. I hear that once you go Disney, you never go back, so that scares me too b/c of the price.

I have been wanting to do the Treasure, 7 nights would be preferred, but that same week is nearly 14K for us, so I can't justify the massive price difference for two more nights.

There have been a lot of reports/discussion/furstration about Disney Cruise Line embarkation issues.

* The short version: It can be clunky right now.

We are hearing that Disney Cruise Line has gone to a new back-end platform -- and we are seeing some issues that didn't happen before.

WHAT I'M SEEING AND HEARING

I am hearing from clients - podcasts - here on Reddit - and on the Disney Cruise Line message boards... (Apparently, group moderators will not let me give credit, unfortunately - they deleted an earlier post.)

ONLINE CHECK-IN ISSUES

* Reservations are listed as PENDING MUCH longer – sometimes even a day before;
* Information will drop off – even after online check-in (flight info – credit card information)
* Port Arrival Times – these are often later than people will expect
* ⁠Boarding groups – these are often later than people may expect
* ⁠Clunky process – Lines are showing up as longer, and people report that it feels disorganized.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

• ⁠✔ Double-check your online check-in in the days leading up to sailing — don't assume it's saved just because you completed it once.

• ⁠✔ Be prepared for your reservation to be listed as PENDING - maybe right up to departure. IMPORTANT - The pending notification DOES NOT mean that you are not going to be boarding. I know it can seem stressful. There is NO need to panic. Really!

• ⁠✔ We always recommend this anyway, but… have your travel documents with you - we generally recommend that each guest have a passport, but have your citizenship documents with you. (You will need them anyway.) 

• ⁠✔ Bring a physical credit card to guest services on board, ready to set up your onboard account manually if needed.

• ⁠✔ Build in extra time at the port. This isn't the sailing to cut it close.

The previous version credited where I am getting information, but moderators deleted it for self-promotion.

It has never happened to me until now. I just got an email from my travel agent that my cruise next March will be cheaper because of the 50% off kids deal that came out.

Weird question lol. We are going on our very first cruise- The Destiny- in October. My husband is a big beer drinker and I was telling him how we could bring a 6 pack of beer with us. He was wondering what kinds of beers do they have at the bars already cause he wants to bring a 6 pack of a beer he can't get on the ship.

Thanks!!

Hi all!

My wife and I are planning a family vacation with our now 2 year old (though he may be 3 depending on when we travel). We are considering DCL and we would like some advice/tips.

I have cruised with DCL twice before, however it was a loooong time ago back when I was 11 and 13 respectively on the Wonder and Magic.

My biggest questions I’d say are:

1. How are Disney cruises with a 2 or 3 year old and would you recommend a cruise over let’s say a Disney parks vacation?

2. Let’s say my son is 2 when we do travel. Other than the nursery and the water activities on the pool deck, what are some activities that we can do with him? (He probably wouldn’t want to sit around for a movie or broadway play). I’m especially curious about those activities on the older ships as they are more affordable and more accessible for us as we live on the west coast.

3. I really want to try the new ships but is it really worth spending more to travel on the new ships vs the old ones? What are some things that the new ships have that the old ships don’t that aren’t the obvious things? We likely wouldn’t be enjoying any adult exclusive stuff unless we travel when he’s 3. Even then, it’s a family vacation so we wouldn’t be forcing him into the oceaneer club if he didn’t want to.

4. This question is mainly for me and not my family 😅

What are the hours like for the Aquaduck and Aquamouse?

When I sailed on the Magic, the Aquadunk was closed for 99% of the cruise. Even on the sea days, it was pretty much closed the entire cruise. I will cut the ship and crew some slack as it was one of the very first sailings of the Magic after the aquadunk was added but it was definitely frustrating for me as a 13 year old.

Any other tips/advice is welcome and greatly appreciated!

Thank you all for taking the time to read and answer my questions!

We booked our first cruise - Norway from Southampton in 2027. What are tips & tricks?

For instance - will we have a shot at booking excursion or will all be fully booked by the time the window opens for us?

For those who have been in the last week or so, how was the water temp at Castaway Cay (or anywhere in the Bahamas for that matter)? Trying to decide if it’s worthwhile to bring snorkel equipment and floats when we go next week. If it’s chilly I won’t bother.

Thank you!

Apologies for the oddly specific question 😅 my son doesn’t play a ton of video games, but does enjoy them at friends’ houses and such. Just wondering what games are available and on what systems so we can play with him at home a few times and give him a chance to practice! I think he’ll enjoy it more than trying to learn on the fly. Thank you!

I just had this sudden thought that maybe I got them too early. They just got to my house but my cruise isn’t for another year (may 2027). I don’t mind needing to charge them but will the battery be significantly degraded? I want them to last a day on the cruise with the special features (beyond just opening the door)

Edit: also doing a cruise in 2028. Will they last?