Welcome aboard, Pamela! If you are planning your very first sailing with Disney Cruise Line, congratulations! I remember all of the questions that I had before we set sail on our very first Disney Cruise Line vacation, so I'm happy to help you with yours!
Guests who have sailed with Disney before will receive a complimentary Castaway Club lanyard upon checking in at the port. The lanyards are based on club level, so you'll see many guests walking around the ship wearing Silver, Gold, or Platinum Castaway Club lanyards. However, if this is your very first Disney cruise, you will not receive a lanyard, but may want to purchase one before you sail. It's super convenient to wear a lanyard with a plastic pouch attached at the end to hold your Key To The World Card. The card serves as your identification on the ship, stateroom key, and charge card. Check out your local Disney Store before you leave for the cruise to grab a cute Disney-themed lanyard, or even order one from
Disneystore.com. If you can wait until the ship sets sail, you can pick up some Disney Cruise Line-themed lanyards in the gift shops onboard when they open that night.
Do you know about pin trading? That's another big reason guests like to wear lanyards. Just like at the Disney Parks and Resorts, guests can trade official
Disney Trading Pins onboard. There are Cast Members around the ship wearing lanyards with pins to trade, and the gift shops have trading boards and books to select from as well. The final night of the sailing, guests can attend Officer Pin Trading Night and trade pins with the ship's officers - a favorite event for my family! Some of the lanyards will come with a starter pin set to get you going. Other pins are for sale onboard too!
Have fun, Pamela!
Marcy