Hi there, Jane! Welcome to planDisney!
I bet that right now you’re having a lot of fun watching that magical countdown on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App get smaller and smaller as the date gets closer to your cruise aboard the
Disney Destiny! One of my favorite things to do in those last few months leading up to my cruise is watching that magical countdown shrink. But I know how this time can also be filled with last-minute Disney cruise preparations, including those transportation and hotel reservations before and after. I would love to help you in finalizing those plans!
Good call on booking a stay at the
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina before your cruise, as well as the
Disney Cruise Line Ground Transportation to whisk you off to the cruise port on the morning of embarkation day. I always find that getting to my Disney cruise is so much easier when I stay at a Disney Cruise Line partner hotel and use their Ground Transportation. It’s much more efficient getting to the port this way, and Disney Cruise Line already has all the information they need about my reservation in order to get me there. This reservation information is all tied to your Online Check-In, which you will complete about a month before your cruise. The exact date to complete your Online Check-In can be found on the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App or the Disney Cruise Line website, and is also based on your
Castaway Club status.
Your Online Check-In has a few different sections that all relate to your sailing on the Disney Destiny. You will be asked to provide
citizenship documentation, onboard payment information, guest photos, and any information for Youth Clubs, if they apply to the guests in your stateroom. In one of the final sections, you will be given a
Port Arrival Time, which is the time that you should arrive at the port on the day you embark on the Disney Destiny. Finally, this Port Arrival Time will be sent to you via email so you can download it, print it, and bring it with you to the port.
If you're trying to estimate when you'll arrive at the port, I can tell you from experience that one of the best things about booking Disney Cruise Line's Ground Transportation is that your Port Arrival Time is usually no later than the early afternoon. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy plenty of that first day aboard the Disney Destiny! While this is not guaranteed, this is how I've experienced it, so it's also likely that you will arrive earlier in the day.
I have one final suggestion when completing your Online Check-In, and that’s to have all of your citizenship documentation and guest photos ready when getting ready to complete it. I always find it easier to have everything I need ready with me when I log in, rather than scrambling around trying to look for stuff while I’m logged into my reservation.
Jane, I hope that I was able to provide clarification. I wish you the most beautiful memories on board the Disney Destiny! Please sail back to planDisney if you have any other questions.
Seas the Adventure,
Rana