Cruise veterans are going to think I am crazy; I am pretty much resigned to that fact. Our family however has NEVER been on a cruise before, not just a Disney Cruise Line cruise, but any cruise. So when my husband and I decided we would like to try one for our next “Disney trip” I hit the internet like a madwoman soaking in as much Disney Cruise Line knowledge as I possibly could.
There were a lot of things I knew just from being in the Disney trip planning community (yes there is a community and it’s awesome! haha) but there were so many things that, as a Disney Cruise Line rookie, I had no idea about.
So without further ado, here is my list of 5 things I never knew about Disney Cruise Line (from a rookie perspective!).
1. Rotational Dining
Before I started researching, the prospect of figuring out where we would eat and how we would book our times was daunting! That is until I found out that upon check-in you are provided with your dining reservation times at each of the 3 themed dining options on board. This saves an incredible amount of headaches and makes sure that we get the most out of our dining experience.
The icing however is your server and table-mates follow you through your entire stay on the ship! How awesome is rotational dining?

Standard Inside Stateroom Photo Courtesy of Disney
2. Magical Port Holes
I have always feared being enclosed in a small space. It made me completely avoid the inside staterooms when searching for room rates on the Disney Cruise Line website. That is of course until I stumbled on a little gem called Magical Port Holes. Disney Cruise Line adds that extra special touch and puts a Magical port hole inside rooms that otherwise wouldn’t see outside. They provide a view from live webcams and even have special visitors once in a while. Check out this youtube video from The Disney Parks Blog to see them in action. Also keep in mind the Magical Port holes are available on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
3. Character Meet and Greets
This is something I probably should just have assumed happens. To tell you the truth, often we don’t even think about the meet and greets in the Walt Disney World Parks because we usually are so anxious to get on the rides. When I found out that Disney Cruise Line offers Meet and Greets with characters on the ships though I lost my mind. I was a little worried that the ship would lose a bit of its Disney touch. But this affirms to me that it is fully intact and that a special helping of magic is just around the corner.
4. Personal Navigator
I often get overwhelmed when things or places seem so big that I can’t get a handle on what is going on and where. One of the many things I love about Disney Parks is the ability to grab a park map and showtime guide and plan my days and times around what I see on the map/guides. Feeling a bit nervous about our lack of knowledge, I started researching schedules and times for events on the ship. To my complete surprise I found out that every day Disney Cruise Line delivers a daily newsletter that basically tells you everything that is happening on the ship that day. From show times, to activity times, and even information about your port of call for the day. I can see this becoming one of my favourite things about cruising.
5. Serenity Bay at Castaway Cay
I love my kids. Really I do. I promise. I could however see myself taking a cruise with just my husband, and while yes I understand Disney Cruise Line is a family cruise ship, I also know that it would be amazing to sneak away someplace where only adults can play. Enter Serenity Bay. I seriously can’t think of anything more tranquil and serene (get it? huh? ;)) than spending the day on Castaway Cay on a quiet beach, wind blowing, and drink in hand. I sit up and listen and hear … nothing. Peace. This adult-only area is nothing short of heaven in my mind, and I have never even stepped foot in it before. Did I mention I love my kids?
So from a rookie cruiser there is the entire list that blew my mind when researching our next trip. I would love to hear the things that blew your mind when you first discovered Disney Cruise Line!
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