Ahoy, Georgia!
I'm not going to lie...it does take a few days to learn how to navigate your way around a Disney ship, but it can be done! Disney Cruise Line's attention to detail will come in handy when you are locating your stateroom and learning a few key words before you set sail is also a good idea.
Port-left side of the ship
Starboard-right side of the ship
Forward-front of the ship
Midship-middle of the ship
Aft-back of the ship
When you locate the deck your
stateroom is on, you'll want to pay close attention to the signage by each stairwell. It will include a map and the room numbers that you'll find in that particular section of staterooms. You'll also notice the words-Port or Starboard. Once you head down the hallway, look down at the maps located inside the ship's wheel on the carpet. If the map is facing north (and it's right side up), you are headed towards the front of the ship (forward). When the map is south facing (upside down), you are headed to the back of the vessel (aft). There are three points of entry in each hallway via the stairwells or elevators (forward, midship, aft). The first thing my family always does is figure out which entry point is most conveniently located to our stateroom. Each stateroom is numbered, and you'll find either a fish (port side) or seahorse (starboard side) located outside of your room. I also like to make magnetic signs for our stateroom door to help it stand out. Disney Cruise Line only allows signs with magnets on their doors so keep that in mind if you want to add a personalized touch.
Another tip is to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app so you can have the deck plans at your fingertips. The app is free to use onboard and is available for Apple and Android devices at this time.
I hope I've steered you in the right direction!
Nancy