Hi there, Cara!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Your
Disney Dream adventure is fast approaching and you are in for a magical time at sea.
Often times my family will book excursions through
Port Adventures, but there have been times where we have opted to do just what you are considering - explore on our own. While its very convenient to have all the arrangements handles by the Port Adventures team, sometimes we want to be a little more flexible with our day and opting to explore on our own is a great alternative.
Once the ship has been cleared by the Port Authorities there will be an announcement that Guests may disembark the ship and then you are free to get off the ship. You will need to take your Key To The World Card as well as any other identification necessary for that particular port of call. The Cruise Director will announce multiple times and the information will also be in your Navigator to ensure you take the proper identification with you. Be mindful of the “all aboard” time and my recommendation is to be "
EARLY" rather than "on time" back to the ship!
Have you downloaded the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app already? You can get listings of onboard activities as well as the off shore and all aboard times for the ports of call at your fingertips. If we choose to explore a port on our own, I will screenshot the screen with that information so I am confident of the time we need to be back.
No matter what you choose to do while at port, I can assure that you will have an amazing and memorable time onboard and at sea.
Happy Sailing!
Stephanie