Ahoy, Vanessa! Thanks for coming back to planDisney with your questions about the newest Disney Cruise Line procedures.
I was fortunate to be on the first sailing since the shutdown of the gorgeous Disney Dream on August 9, 2021. As you can imagine, everything was different. Our cruise was up in the air for quite a while, so our check-in did open at the 30-day window, but things were slightly different than in the past.
First off, I was able to do our entire check-in on the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App, which I hadn’t done before. The steps are very clearly laid out for you, and it is explained thoroughly. A couple of new things that were needed were clear headshots of each member of our family with a plain background (think passport photo), and photos of our passports. In the past, I have loaded in our passport information, but not had to submit photos.
This all made for a very smooth check-in on our arrival to Port Canaveral. Be sure when you choose your port arrival time that you don’t plan to arrive early, as you will be turned away.
Once we were onboard, the DCL Navigator App became absolutely essential! Disney Cruise Line has gone entirely paperless! No menus – you simply scan a QR code that pulls up the menu on your device. No Daily Navigator – all activities are listed in the app, and you can “favorite” different things and receive a reminder notification about 15 minutes prior to the activity. We could even chat with a crew member on the app!
Obviously, things are still changing often, so be sure to check the
Know Before You Go section of the Disney Cruise Line website for the latest information as your cruise gets closer.
I know you are anxiously awaiting your return to the high seas with Captain Mickey and his crew, Vanessa! I can’t wait to hEAR all about your sailing!
Bon Voyage (finally),
Tracy