Hi there, Susan! Thanks for sailing back to planDisney with another great question. It sounds like you’ll have quite the crew on board your upcoming Disney Cruise...how fun! I’d be happy to help make sure your Online Check-In goes smoothly.
Each stateroom does need to be checked in individually, even if all of your reservations are linked. That’s because each one has its own reservation number and Port Arrival Time. The good news is that if all the reservations are under your Disney Cruise Line account, you can complete the process for everyone, but you’ll just do it one room at a time. Also, your check-in window depends on your
Castaway Club status; first-time cruisers usually start around 30 days out, while higher tiers have earlier access.
When it comes to Port Arrival Times, I recommend trying to complete check-in for each stateroom around the same time so you’ll have a better chance of getting matching times. If your times don’t line up perfectly, no worries, since your whole group can plan to arrive at the later time, and you’ll still be able to check in together at the terminal. If you’re using
Disney Cruise Line transfers, you’ll automatically be assigned the same Port Arrival Time, so there’s no need to stress about coordinating.
To make things easy, have everyone’s
travel documents scans, security photos, and payment details ready before you start. One quick tip: security photos are different from your passport photos and should be taken from the shoulders up, against a plain background, with no hats or glasses (or Minnie Mouse ears!). I like to download the PDFs of the photos to my computer or phone to upload them quickly during check-in. Your check-in status will show as "pending" while Cast Members verify your details before the cruise.
If your reservations are linked, booking excursions and activities is much simpler, and you can select Guests from all the staterooms right in the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. And don’t forget to confirm that your dining reservations are linked as well so your whole party can sit together in the main dining rooms.
I hope this clears things up and helps you feel prepared, Susan! Wishing you and your crew smooth sailing ahead.
Sea ya real soon,
Eean