Ahoy there Connor! Great to see your colors cresting the horizon again here at planDisney! You're just a few days away from another big milestone on your planning journey:
Online Check-In! That's when it gets real if you ask me!
Ah, the Onboard Reception! I remember the first time I attended the reception...completely by accident! We had wandered onto the top decks while following our EARS to some music we hadn't heard yet, and next thing you know we were celebrating my Gold Castaway Club membership! Luckily I had just turned gold, and we were able to snag a few drinks and sweet treats instead of being gently reminded about the intended audience! The next sailing, we made plans to attend!
Currently, the Onboard Reception is still temporarily paused, and we don't have a specific date on when it will be returning. I know we all WISH we could fire up the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app and favorite the time slot, but for now, it seems like we'll need to plan on using that time for some of the
other activities aboard for the foreseeable future. I know that I will be
watching for the words "temporarily paused" to be removed from the chart on the Castaway Club page!
One of the things I like to do in the absence of an official reception is to
pop into one of the lounges during times that are not high traffic and strike up a conversation with the crew members about where they are from and how they enjoy their time on the ship! Sometimes we've
taken in some great jazz while sitting in the French Quarter Lounge while talking to the beverage crew members, and it had the same feel as the reception - albeit not quite the same as the reception which, when offered, is one of the many things
included in your Disney Cruise Line vacation! I hope that helps you set a course for your upcoming voyage, Connor! Thank you as always for your question, and if you have any others surface as you sail through the final approach to your embarkation date, please drop me another line here at planDisney!
Fair winds, following seas, and happy planning!
Andrew