The Unofficial Guide to the Disney Cruise Line 2019

by Erin Foster, Len Testa, Ritchey Halphen

Overview

Your no-nonsense, consumer-oriented guide to Disney’s Cruise Line

The Unofficial Guide to the Disney Cruise Line by Len Testa with Erin Foster, Laurel Stewart, and Ritchey Halphen describes the best of Disney’s ships and itineraries, including a couple of stellar restaurants, top-notch children’s activities, and Castaway Cay, one of the best vacation islands in the Caribbean.

The book also lists which on-board entertainment and restaurants should be skipped, including recommendations on what to do instead. Along the way, this indispensable travel companion shows how to save money; choose the right stateroom, ship, and itinerary; and get to and from the cruise with ease.

The guide also provides full coverage of the Disney-run European river cruises and includes itinerary and port guides.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628090918
Publisher:	Unofficial Guides
Publication date:	12/25/2018
Series:	Unofficial Guides Series
Pages:	440
Sales rank:	1,082,198
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Len Testa is the coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. He lives in Orlando, Florida.

As a charter member of the official Walt Disney Parks Moms Panel, Erin Foster has researched and written answers to more than 10,000 guest questions about Disney travel. She lives in New York City.

Ritchey Halphen is a project editor at AdventureKEEN. His two decades of publishing experience include editing stints at Cooking Light, Southern Living, and Health magazines. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

Read an Excerpt

PORT ADVENTURES ON CASTAWAY CAY

PARASAILING

Guests looking for a bird’s-eye view of paradise should check out this excursion. Floating hundreds of feet in the air, you’re master of all you survey, or at least it seems that way for several minutes. You board a speedboat and travel several hundred yards away from land. Then, in singles or pairs, you stand at the back of the boat and are harnessed to a line-bound parachute that is slowly let out until you and the parachute are 600–1,000 feet above the water. Enjoy panoramic views of your ship, Castaway Cay, and beyond.

Each excursion takes about 10 people onto the boat. There are no ride-alongs; every guest on the boat must pay. Your actual parasail event will last about 5–7 minutes. Depending on the number of other guests, the entire experience lasts 45 minutes–1 hour. Open to guests age 8 and up, parasailing excursions cost $102.25 for both adults and kids. Guests must weigh between 90 and 375 pounds; those who weigh less than 90 pounds may be able to ride if they go in tandem with another guest, but their combined weight may not exceed 375 pounds. Determination of single or tandem rides is fully at the discretion of the staff.

Kids under age 13 must be accompanied by a paying adult age 18 or older. Guests ages 13–17 may go on the excursion unaccompanied but must be escorted to the Marge’s Barges excursion meeting site by an adult age 18 or older. All guests must sign a safety waiver.

You must leave your shoes on the dock and are strongly discouraged from wearing a hat or glasses during your sail; there is a storage area on the boat for your personal belongings. Wheelchairs and other wheeled mobility devices cannot be accommodated. No photography service is provided during the excursion—you’re welcome to bring cameras onto the boat, but you assume all liability for the loss of anything you bring up with you. Understandably, anything dropped into the ocean can’t be retrieved.

SNORKELING

This is one of the least expensive, most rewarding shore excursions offered on a Disney cruise. We recommend it for every family. Cost is $15.05 for kids ages 5-9 for one day, $19.35 for two days; $31.18 for age 10 and up for one day, $38.70 for two days.

First, find some chairs on the family beach, where you can store your stuff while you’re in the water. If possible, choose something near a vertical landmark such as a tree; it will be easier to find when you come back to shore.

Next, pick up your snorkeling gear at Gil’s Fins and Boats, a short walk from Scuttle’s Cove, the island’s first tram stop. You’ll be given a mask, snorkel, fins, and an inflatable buoyancy vest to make swimming easier. Also pick up a blue-mesh gear bag, which makes it easier to haul your stuff back to your beach chairs.

Put on your vest before you get in the water, but don’t inflate it just yet. Wait until you’re in hip-high water to put on your flippers because it’s impossible to walk in them on shore (and they’ll get sandy). Keep your mask off until you get into the water.

If you’re snorkeling with younger children, plan on spending 10–15 minutes adjusting the fit of masks and vests. Inflate their vests by blowing into the vertical tube on the left side of the vest, adding just enough air to keep the top of their heads above water. (If you over inflate the vests, they’ll have trouble getting their masks below the surface.) Also, practice using the flippers, which work best with slow, deliberate leg movements.

Once everyone’s gear is working, take one last look at the lagoon to get your bearings. Disney has placed orange-and-white buoys above the underwater sites, so head for those. There usually aren’t a lot of fish in the first 30–40 yards nearest the shore, though it’s possible to see almost anything once you’re in the water. Fish species in the lagoon include yellowtail snapper, sergeant major, banded buttery fish, blue tang, and barracuda. Obviously, you shouldn’t try to catch any of these fish with your hands.

If you’ve snorkeled before and you enjoy it, Castaway Cay offers another snorkeling excursion in the waters off the island. You board a 28-foot Zodiac rigid-hull inflatable boat and head 30 minutes offshore for a 90-minute open-water snorkeling session. Cost is $113.50 for adults, $102 for kids ages 6–9.

WALKING AND KAYAK NATURE ADVENTURE

This port adventure begins at Marge’s Barges, where everyone boards a tram to the Serenity Bay adult beach. Next you walk behind the adult beach cabanas to a nature trail, which leads to the beach beyond. During the walk, your guide will point out interesting plants and animals and talk about the history of the Bahamas.

Upon reaching the beach, participants don their life jackets and head out in their kayaks. This is the part where you’re at Mother Nature’s whim. We took this tour after a friend raved about it. She headed out in the morning and was able to kayak to the interior of the island. Our own tour was later in the afternoon as the tide was going out. The interior of the island was inaccessible by kayak, and the tides made piloting our single kayak very difficult. We wouldn’t book this adventure in the afternoon again, even if it were the only time available.

Even if you’re able to book this in the morning, however, the tour is 3–3 1/2 hours long—time you could spend snorkeling, biking, or lazing on the beach. Ideally, you would book this on the morning of the second stop of a five-night Castaway Cay cruise.

Be sure to bring walking shoes, sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, and an underwater or water-resistant camera; consider gloves for paddling to avoid blisters. Wear a swimsuit under your clothes for swimming. You must stow your belongings on the beach for the kayaking, so leave the doubloons in the cabin. Water is provided. Cost is $67 for guests age 10 and up.

Table of Contents

List of Maps and Diagrams

About the Authors

Acknowledgments

Introduction

• About This Guide


• Why “Unofficial”?
• Disney Cruise Line: An Overview


• Disney Cruise Line Is Expanding
• Is Disney Cruise Line Right for Me?
• DCL’s Target Market
• Competitors and Prices
• Reassuring Words for Reluctant Cruisers
• How to Contact the Authors


• Reader Survey

PART ONE Dollars and Sense

• What’s Included in Your Disney Cruise Fare


• Food
• Entertainment and Activities
• THE 10 BEST BANGS FOR YOUR BUCK (AND ONE FREEBIE) ON A DISNEY CARIBBEAN CRUISE
• Kid Stuff
• Miscellaneous
• Cruising with Kids
• Cruising Without Kids
• Where to Find More Information

PART TWO Planning Your Cruise

• Choosing an Itinerary


• Itinerary Recommendations for First-Time Cruisers
• General Recommendations
• Saving Money
• Surf and Turf, Disney-Style


• Combining Your Cruise with a Walt Disney World Vacation
• Combining Your Cruise with an Adventures by Disney Trip
• Back-to-Back Cruising
• The Booking Process


• Getting Started
• Deposit Terms and Cancellation Policies
• Age Requirements for Booking
• The DCL Planning Center
• Other Prep Work


• Packing
• Electrical Outlets
• Passports and Travel Documents
• Credit Cards and Payment Methods
• Health Insurance
• Phone Service
• Motion Sickness and Gastric Distress
• A Word About the Weather
• Castaway Club

PART THREE Staterooms

• How Your Stateroom Category Affects the Price of Your Disney Cruise
• Our Stateroom Recommendations


• Cabin Appointments
• Stateroom Categories
• Concierge Level—What You Need to Know, and If It’s Worth It

PART FOUR Arriving, Getting Your Sea Legs, and Departing

• Transportation to Your Cruise


• Choosing a Departure Port Based on Time and Money
• Getting to and from the Port
• The Day Before Your Cruise


• Staying at a Local Hotel the Night Before
• Get in the Boat, Men (and Women and Kids)!


• Choosing a Boarding Time
• Checking In at the Terminal Boarding the Ship
• Your First Afternoon Aboard
• The Lifeboat Drill
• Bare Necessities


• The Personal Navigator
• Internet
• Onboard Services
• Airline Check-in for Sailings Ending at Port Canaveral
• Laundry Services
• Port Adventures
• Health Services
• Ship-to-Shore Calls
• Transfer to Walt Disney World Hotels
• Tipping
• Checkout and Departure


• Your Last Night on the Ship
• Express Walk-Off
• Breakfast on the Morning of Your Departure
• Photo Purchases
• US Customs Allowances

PART FIVE Special Tips for Special People

• DCL for Singles
• DCL “At Large”
• DCL for Expectant Moms
• DCL for Younger Children
• DCL for Older Children
• DCL for Seniors
• Guests with Disabilities
• Dietary Restrictions
• Smoking on Board
• Traveling with Medication
• Friends of Bill W.
• Friends of Dorothy

PART SIX The Ships at a Glance

• Overview and Our Recommendations


• DCL Cheat Sheet
• Features Found on Every DCL Ship
• Features Unique to Some Ships
• Ranking the Ships
• The Disney Magic
• The Disney Wonder
• The Disney Dream
• The Disney Fantasy
• On Deck: New Ships

PART SEVEN Dining

• Noshes, Noshes Everywhere


• Rotational Dining
• DCL Restaurant Categories
• Room Service
• Theme Nights
• Dining with Kids
• Dress Code
• Special Diets
• Making Reservations
• Full-Service Restaurants: Rated and Ranked
• DCL ROTATIONAL RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE
• DCL ADULT-ONLY RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE
• Disney Magic Dining


• Counter-Service Restaurants
• Full-Service Restaurants
• Disney Wonder Dining


• Counter-Service Restaurants
• Full-Service Restaurants
• Disney Dream Dining


• Counter-Service Restaurants
• Full-Service Restaurants
• Disney Fantasy Dining


• Counter-Service Restaurants
• Full-Service Restaurants

PART EIGHT Entertainment and Nightlife

• Live Theater on the Ships


• The Magic’s Shows
• The Wonder’s Shows
• The Dream’s Shows
• The Fantasy’s Shows
• Other Live Performances
• Movies
• Live Sports
• Themed Events and Holiday Entertainment


• Pirate Night
• Frozen Days
• Star Wars Days
• Formal Night
• Easter
• Independence Day
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa
• New Year’s Eve
• Nightclubs, Bars, Cafés, and Lounges


• On the Magic
• On the Wonder
• On the Dream
• On the Fantasy

PART NINE Activities, Recreation, and Shopping

• Family Activities


• Bingo
• Deck Parties
• Family Nightclubs
• Sports and Fitness
• Children’s Programs and Activities


• Special Considerations
• DCL YOUTH CLUBS IN BRIEF
• Youth Clubs
• What Goes on in a Kids’ Club?
• Other Kids’ Activities on Board
• Children’s Performance Opportunities
• Children’s Activities in Port
• Children’s Activities at Castaway Cay
• Chill Spa for Teens
• Where to Meet Characters
• Pools and Water-Play Areas


• The Magic’s and Wonder’s Pools
• The Dream’s Pools
• The Fantasy’s Pools
• Onboard Seminars
• Sports and Fitness
• Spas


• On the Magic and the Wonder
• On the Dream and the Fantasy
• Shopping


• Onboard Shopping
• Castaway Cay
• In Port
• Religious Services

PART TEN Castaway Cay

• What to Bring
• What to Do
• Where to Relax

PART ELEVEN Ports

• Alaska
• Atlantic Canada
• California Coast
• Caribbean and Bahamas
• Hawaii
• Mediterranean
• Mexico
• Northern Europe, British Isles, and Norway
• Panama Canal
• Transatlantic

PART TWELVE Port Adventures

• Finding Port Adventures


• Evaluating a Port Adventure
• 20 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING A PORT ADVENTURE
• Booking Excursions on Your Own vs. Through Disney
• Canceling a Port Adventure
• Port Adventures on Castaway Cay


• Bicycle Rentals
• Boat Rentals
• Castaway Cay 5K Run
• Bottom Fishing
• Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure
• Float and Tube Rentals
• Glass-Bottom-Boat Excursion
• Parasailing
• Snorkeling
• Walking and Kayak Nature Adventure
• Watercraft Ski Adventure
• Nassau


• A Note About Nassau Safety
• Nassau Port Adventures
• Our Suggestions Beyond Castaway Cay


• Dolphin Encounters
• Mayan Pyramids
• Skagway, Alaska
• Walking Tours

PART THIRTEEN River Cruising

• River Cruising for Families
• Excursions on an AbD River Cruise


• Sample AbD River-Cruise Excursions
• More Differences Between AbD River Cruising and DCL Ocean Cruising
• Traveling with Adventures by Disney
• Cost Considerations


• DCL vs. AbD
• AbD vs. Other River-Cruise Lines
• What’s Next for Disney and River Cruising?

Glossary

Itineraries Index

Subject Index