Ahoy there, Ngoc An!
Your very first
Disney Cruise Line adventure is just around the corner—how exciting! I still remember the goosebumps I felt stepping aboard a Disney ship for the first time. From the moment your family’s name is announced in the grand atrium to exploring every magical nook and cranny of the ship, your first cruise will be unforgettable. And shiver me timbers—you’re only one week away from setting sail!
Let’s chart a course through your question about boarding groups. First, let me clear up a common magical mix-up about
Port Arrival Time (PAT) and boarding groups—something I wondered about before my first Disney cruise, too! Your PAT is the time you are allowed to enter the terminal and begin the check-in process. Boarding groups, however, determine the order in which you’ll step onto the ship once boarding officially begins.
From my experience, at ports like Port Canaveral and Port Everglades, boarding usually starts around 11:30 AM, though this can vary depending on customs and other requirements. The process always begins with back-to-back cruisers, then Concierge Guests, and then Guests by boarding group.
Now, let’s talk about how those boarding groups are assigned. Higher
Castaway Club statuses—like Pearl, Platinum, Gold, and Silver members—get first dibs on selecting their PAT during online check-in. Here’s the breakdown:
Pearl: 40 days before sailing
Platinum: 38 days
Gold: 35 days
Silver: 33 days
First-time cruisers: 30 days
One perk I’ve seen Guests enjoy is booking
Disney ground transportation from the airport or a
Walt Disney World Resort hotel. These Guests are typically assigned an earlier PAT and boarding group regardless of Castaway Club status.
Now, let’s focus on you: boarding group 17! That’s a fantastic spot for a first-time cruiser. In my experience, once boarding begins, the groups are called fairly quickly. I’ve seen families in similar groups step onto the ship and start exploring in no time. For perspective, my family is sailing on the Disney Fantasy in three weeks as Platinum Castaway Club members, and we were assigned boarding group 9. So group 17? You’re in great shape!
To give you the full picture, a helpful Cast Member recently shared with me that the total number of boarding groups depends on the ship and its capacity. For example, the
Magic and
Wonder typically have up to 30 groups, while the larger ships, like the
Wish and
Fantasy, can have up to 40 groups.
From my own Disney cruise adventures, I can tell you the wait between your PAT and boarding goes by quickly. Between soaking in the excitement of the terminal and maybe snapping a photo with Captain Mickey, it’ll feel like no time at all before you’re stepping aboard and diving into the magic!
Sea ya real soon with pixie dust and ocean breezes,
Dustin