Ahoy there, Heather! Welcome to planDisney, and thank you for sailing our way all the way from Manitoba!
Ah, the age-old question: do we need our cellphone on vacation? The short answer is no, but the longer, potentially more accurate answer starts with "it sure helps to..."
There is nothing that absolutely requires each member of your party to have a cell phone, but considering how much knowing what's going on while aboard relies on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, if your crewmates are the type to want to sail off on their own at any point, a single phone may be some rough water to be sailing into! From daily activity schedules to the quickest way to book last-minute Port Adventures and everything in-between, a phone or tablet able to run the app and connect to the ship's network does come in handy.
That said, if you're talking about a crew of three like my family - where the only way one of them wouldn't be right by your side is if they were enjoying some time in the
"it's a small world" nursery! - then one phone for the three of you would probably work just fine.
You know what they say, when life hands you pineapples, make DOLE whip...(people totally say that, right?) and I have a few "planDrew-approved" tips for you to help navigate these rough waters:
As long as you have your phone and the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, you and your family should be able to keep tabs on everything that's going on across the ship, as well as finalize some of your planning while you're waiting to sail. And speaking of waiting to sail, definitely be sure to check the latest "Know Before You Go" information as your sail date gets closer. You'll want to be sure that you stay aware of any important changes to policies or procedures!
I hope that's a map you can chart a course with, Heather! Thank you again for your question. I wish you and your crew an incredible sailing this August! Oh, I almost forgot - be sure to say "hiya" to Captain Minnie for me, and if you happen across any additional questions as your cruise gets closer, you can always drop us a line here at planDisney!
Fair winds and following seas!
Andrew