Ahoy there, Ly! Thanks for cruising by planDisney on the way to your Disney vacation. I'm glad you're here!
Your question had me reminiscing about my family's most recent
Disney Cruise, when my middle son turned 10 on embarkation day! I love that you will also have a birthday boy on your high-sea adventure! You can
let the Disney Cruise Line crew know that you'll be celebrating by making a note on your reservation. You'll want to log into My Reservations on the DCL website and select “Special Requests” to fill out the Special Request form. You can do this well before your cruise and up to 48 hours before your sailing. Note: This is also the place to make table requests, State Room accommodations for a crib or bed rails, and note dietary needs.
Ly, when we boarded the ship, I made sure to let our Disney Cruise Line (DCL) Stateroom Host know that we were celebrating a birthday. He surprised us with a fun towel birthday cake decoration (complete with extra chocolate!) during turndown service that evening. I find that Stateroom Hosts will do anything in their power to make your cruise special, so while your experience may vary, you definitely want to mention any birthdays or celebrations to them when you board.
I also recommend heading to
Guest Services and asking if they have any complimentary birthday/celebration buttons for your Mouseketeer's big day. I found that the DCL Crew and other Guests were quick with a smile and "Happy Birthday" when they saw a child wearing a birthday button. I also recommend letting your server at dinner know that your son is celebrating. On our cruise, our wonderful server brought out a special birthday dessert for my son on his birthday. It made him feel extra special!
Of course, you are welcome to purchase
on board gifts, or bring your own room and door decorations to make your kiddo's day extra special. There is an array of treats available to purchase that will be delivered to your stateroom on embarkation day. You will need to have your sailing date and stateroom number available to order. My kids have loved it when we order a special treat on Embarkation Day, and I'm sure yours will too! Other fun ideas would be to book a
port adventure or a special experience like
Pirates League or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to celebrate. These are additional costs, but they definitely add to the magic!
I hope this information helps, Ly. If you've got any other questions, please swing like Tarzan back over to
planDisney. We would be delighted to help!
SEA you real soon,
Melissa