Ahoy there, George!
Welcome aboard planDisney! I’m so glad you sailed by with this question because you’re speaking my language—my crew and I love back-to-back sailings! It’s like adding some Mickey sprinkles to your Mickey ice cream bar—you just know it’s going to make the whole experience that much sweeter.
Booking a back-to-back cruise with Disney is a bit like stacking two perfect chapters of a storybook adventure. The basic process is actually super simple—you just book two separate cruises the way you normally would. The magic trick is making sure they’re on the same ship and that the debarkation date of the first cruise matches the embarkation date of the second. It would be a real bibbidi bobbidi bummer to accidentally sandwich a week in between sailings… unless, of course, you turn that into a land-and-sea combo with a stay at Walt Disney World. Now that’s a fairy tale vacation I’d be happy to repeat! If you would like a little extra assistance booking or just want to make sure everything is shipshape, you can also give Disney a call.
Once you’ve got both sailings booked and aligned, there’s nothing additional you need to do to link them for Disney. Their system will automatically recognize you as a back-to-back cruiser—which means you’re officially part of an elite little group of Guests who get to hear “welcome back” instead of “see ya real soon” on debarkation morning!
Now, let’s chart the course for the logistics:
1. Online Check-In: You’ll need to complete this for each sailing. When booking Port Arrival Times, my family always picks the earliest available for the first cruise so we can start the magic as soon as possible. For the second cruise? We actually choose the latest Port Arrival Time. Why? Because as back-to-back Guests, you’ll follow a special reboarding process, and that time slot won’t apply. No need to race the clock at midnight trying to grab it!
2. Port Adventures & Onboard Activities: You’ll still follow the regular booking windows based on your Castaway Club status—one set of windows per cruise. That means double the chances to snag your favorite experiences like Palo Brunch, Royal Court Royal Tea, or those must-do
Port Adventures!
3. Room Tip: If you can, book the same stateroom for both cruises. This little detail can save you from the dreaded pack-and-repack shuffle on turnaround day.
As for what happens between your two sailings, that’s where the extra magic kicks in. The night before your first cruise ends, you’ll receive a letter and a colored card from Guest Services with all the instructions you need: what to do with your luggage, when and where to meet in the morning, and what to expect as you transition from debarkation to re-embarkation. The process can vary a little based on the port and the ship, but Disney makes it as smooth as Olaf on a summer slide.
For even more magical details, I recently helped another
Guest with a similar question, and my pal Eean also has a
fantastic run-down of tips and tricks that might help your planning go from zero to hero!
I hope this helps you get ready for double the magic and twice the memories! If you have any more questions, feel free to sail on back to planDisney. We’re always happy to help you navigate the waters of planning your next enchanted voyage.
Sea ya real soon with a splash of April fun and a boatload of Disney magic,
Dustin