Welcome, foolish mortal, I mean Lisa, to the most magical embarkation process at sea.
I
just got off the Disney Destiny a few days ago, and it was such a wonderful time. It was my first cruise ever, and let me tell you, it exceeded all of my expectations. And as a huge Disney Parks fan, my expectations were already very high! The service on the ship was unbelievable, with such wonderful attention to detail. My favorite space was the
Haunted Mansion Parlor, but really, there wasn't a space on that ship that wasn't top-notch. And the entertainment? I've seen a lot of Broadway shows in my time, and I have to tell you, these were Broadway-level productions.
Disney Hercules and
Frozen, A Musical Spectacular were phenomenal. And honestly, once
you step on board, you may find yourself not wanting to leave. After all, there’s always room for one more!
We took a rideshare to the port terminal, where we were first greeted by porters who took our bags that we had tagged earlier with the tags we received in the mail. Next, we followed the Cast Member directions to the check-in area. While we had, of course, checked in online, the final check-in is where you meet with a Cast Member to check your
documents and, if applicable, link any
DisneyBand+ you may want to use (be sure to pack them in your carry-ons!). Then, we went through a security check, took some photos with themed backdrops, and boarded the ship. Keep in mind that our boarding group had already been called, but if yours hasn't, there is a waiting area for you to wait before you're called. If you're driving yourself and parking, you'll typically drop off your luggage with the porters, then park your car and follow the Cast Member directions to the check-in area. Please note that there may be slight differences in the boarding process depending on the terminal and ship you're boarding.
If you are checking luggage with the porters, I would highly recommend packing a day bag to carry with you onto the ship. The most important things to pack in this bag are any valuables or medications, but I'd also recommend packing what you'll need for that first day. We packed swimsuits, a change of clothes, and a few toiletries that we thought we would need. While our bags arrived outside of our stateroom pretty quickly, we found that having what we needed to enjoy the first few hours of our cruise went a long way! It just helps to be prepared for whatever may materialize.
Lisa, I wish you all the best on your upcoming cruise. You're going to love it! You can do as much or as little as you'd like. We added activities to our plans on the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App and loved all the things we did. But we also loved just relaxing in our stateroom, on the decks, or in the pools. However you choose to spend your time, I have a feeling this is one experience that will stay with you...like a hitchhiking ghost following you home!
If you have any other questions,
please feel free to ask. I’ll be expecting you!
Warmest regards from regions beyond,
Matt