Should I take a 3-Day Disney Cruise?
Many people ask if they should take a 3-Day Disney Cruise? Is it worth it? The 3-day Disney Cruise aboard the Disney Dream to the Bahamas is worth it for first-timers to see if you like cruising.
A lot of people combine a 3-day cruise with a trip to Disney World. If you are combining trips then I recommend doing the cruise second as it is a relaxing break from touring the busy parks.
There is so much to share I will just give a summary then I will elaborate in related posts.
When should I take a Disney Cruise?
A Disney Cruise is not cheap, so for those on a budget I recommend traveling during off-peak times. We actually prefer to cruise in off-peak times as it’s sometimes close to HALF the price! Yes, you read that right!
It is much cheaper to cruise in off-peak times. For example, if you compare prices on the Disney Cruise Line website then you’ll see the same exact itinerary is almost double the price in the summer or around major holidays compared to winter or fall.
TIP: November is a great time to go! We got lucky and the ship had just been decorated for Christmas! BEAUTIFUL!! November is at the end of hurricane season, but we have been lucky to have had great weather!
Disney Cruise Line will always take the safest route if you ever encounter any type of bad weather! They are all about safety!!! Think about it….does Disney want bad press? Nope!
What ports will I see on a 3-day Disney Cruise?
Many of the 3-day Disney Cruises make a stop in Nassau, Bahamas, and then stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. We have younger children, so we chose to stay on board while in port at Nassau. This is an option for anyone!
Even though the shops are not open while onboard in port there is plenty to do like riding the AquaDuck and relaxing by the pool. The restaurants are still open for guests to enjoy too.
Tip: I highly recommend this if you are on a budget as you can enjoy the ammenities of the ship, and not endure additional costs of excursions in Nassau.
Which stateroom should I choose?
This really comes down to your budget, and personal preference. I recommend the middle deck in the middle of the ship if you want to feel less movement and rocking.
If you’re prone to motion sickness this will help a lot as it did for me. Wearing the patch, and having a stateroom with a verandah also helps with sea-sickness.
The views from the verandah are beautiful! If you’re on a budget, and motion sickness is not an issue for you, then you could choose a porthole stateroom, or inside cabin.
Disney’s staterooms are larger than other cruise lines and have a split bathroom. The split bathroom has two separate areas with a door for privacy. One area has a toilet, and a stink, and the other side has a shower stall, and another vanity.
This is a great feature as one person can have privacy in the bathroom while another person can shower in the other area. The shower has a large lip, so you can use it as a small bathtub for children.
The stateroom has plenty of room for sleeping. There is a double bed with a pull out couch, and a pull-down bed in the wall that your room host will set-up each night if requested.
Disney Cruise Line does rotational dining!
What is rotational dining you ask? You will be assigned a restaurant each night for dinner. There are two dinner seatings you can choose from when you book your cruise.
There’s an early seating and a late seating. Disney schedules times for their evening shows to accommodate both seatings.
This also makes the ship seem less crowded, as half the ship is eating dinner while the other half is enjoying one of the many forms of entertainment offered.
- 5:45 Early seating: We prefer the early seating. We tend to eat dinner early when at home, and prefer to do activities, or go to shows AFTER dinner.
- 8:15 Late Seating: Some families like to eat later, and enjoy more time on the beach, or see the show BEFORE dinner.
Of course you can opt out of any or all of this, and eat at a counter or quick-service style restaurant. They are located by the pool deck, and there are several options available.
Cabanas offers a fabulous buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They only close for short periods of time to change over to the next meal.
Tip: Order whatever you want, and if you’re really hungry you can order more than one entree.
The restaurants included in rotational dining on the 3-Day Disney Cruise are:
- Animator’s Palate Animator’s Palate is a unique underwater-artist themed restaurant. First, you will each draw a character of your choice on a placemat. Then, the placements are collected by cast members. Finally, at the end of dinner each of your drawings will come alive on the walls near your table. This is a very fun restaurant experience!
Royal Palace The Royal Palace is a fancy restaurant! I recommend eating here for dress-up (semi-formal) night. It is beautiful with an exquisite chandelier, marble floors, portraits of princesses on the walls. You feel like you’re in the ballroom at Cinderella’s castle.
The menu includes a 4-course of French/Continental style-dinner, and there is open seating during lunch! We made a point to have a lovely lunch here as well!
The food is very good, and there are many options to choose from. Even the pickiest eater can find something they like! If this is not your taste, then you can enjoy the awesome buffet or quick-service restaurants by the pool deck.
Enchanted Garden The Enchanted Garden is exactly what the name sounds like. You feel like you’re in a magical garden. The food is delicious, and the scenery is magnificent!
Note: Disney Cruise Line offers adults-only restaurants for an additional fee. The Disney Dream has Remy and Palo. Both have rave reviews, but we haven’t eaten at either place yet.
Another nice part about rotational dining is your waitstaff is assigned to your table, and follows you and your family each night. They get to know what you like to drink, and have it waiting for you at your table on the second and third night. This is the same on all Disney Cruises.
Tip: You can request the order of your rotation to match the theme nights. You may want to eat in Animator’s Palate on Pirate Night, or whatever night you choose. If you do not specify your preference then your rotation will be assigned to you.
Tip: Order the kids entrees the night before, and they will be served first the next night while you are still ordering your appetizers. Then, by the time your appetizers appear the children are finished eating, and ready for some fun!
This is a great time to let them go play in the Kids Club while the adults finish their dinner.
Places to eat on the Disney Dream!
In addition to the table-service restaurant options there are also some quick-service style restaurants:
- Cabanas Buffet Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Flo’s Cafe Walk-up counter service serving burgers, chicken, pizza, salads, etc.
- FroZone serves smoothies and ice-cream
- EyeScream Self-serve custard station
What is Kids Club?
Kids Club has two sides that connect in the middle which is a multi-purpose room. At first I did not plan to send my kids to Kids Club since it’s a family vacation.
The first day on the ship we decided to go to their Open House to see what it looked like, and let the children play for a little bit. They loved it, and didn’t want to leave!
In fact they loved it so much that they continued to beg to go there every single day! As soon as they finished eating dinner they were asking to go, so while the kids were enjoying the Kids Club we realized that was a good time for the adults to see a show, or check-out the ‘adults-only’ areas of the ship.
This is a good place for them to play if you make reservations to have an adults-only dinner at Remy or Palo. Trust me! The kids won’t complain! They love it here.
Kids club is very safe and secure. They have waterproof bands that you leave on your child’s wrist for the entire trip. You can sign-up before you even get on the ship using your Disney Cruise Line account, or by asking your travel agent.
When you check-in at the port you can also sign-up there. This is the time you will be issued their bands.
What are the age limits for the kids clubs?
Your child must be toilet-trained to enter either Oceaneers Lab or Club. Children can switch back and forth through the multi-purpose room in the back.
The multi-purpose room is used as a Science Lab for experiments, crafts, and dining. Kids can also eat meals here if you choose.
- Oceaneers Lab is for ages 3-12-learning while having fun (Boat Simulator, hands-on games)
- Oceaneers Club is for ages 3-12-fantasy-style playtime (Pixie’s Hollow, Andy’s Room, etc.)
- Edge for ages 11-14-video games, music, and movies
- Vibe for ages 14-17-parent-free hangout with dance parties
You will be asked to give a password in addition to the names of the people allowed to pick up your child. Even parents are asked for the password.
You must give that password every time you want to pick up your child. The bands have GPS in them, so cast members are able to find your child if they run off in a crowded area while on the cruise ship, or they use this technology to find your child quickly while playing in Kids Club.
Tip: I took the stateroom phone with me while at a theater or show in case the kids asked to be picked up. They rarely wanted to leave early, but it made it easy for cast members to get ahold of you. Most of the time they had to be dragged out there!
Tip: The wristband must be returned on the last night of your cruise, or you forfeit the small deposit. Some kids like to keep them as a souvenir.
There’s a nursery onboard Disney Cruise Line?
Yes! There is a fee to use this, and you have to call and schedule times too. This is for babies 6 months-3 years of age.
This is good if you have reservations at one of the adults-only restaurants Palo or Remy (additional fee), and would like an hour or two of adult-time.
We used this service once, and I’ll never forget when I went to pick-up my toddler there were 5 princesses in there playing with all the babies! it was so magical to see! In fact, the next cruise we took my son tried to get in the nursery.
What entertainment does Disney Cruise Line provide?
Disney Cruise Line has different entertainment depending on the length of the cruise. The 3-Day Disney Cruise has deck parties, pirate night, live shows, newly released movies, and more! It is optional to dress up, but it’s fun to do so.
Disney has broadway-style shows in the theater, and new movie releases playing in a separate movie theater. Disney Cruise Line also shows popular movies on the large screen by the pool deck.
There are outdoor games near the pool deck too. The adult lounges always have fun games or activities to do!
There is a sail away party as the ships leaves the dock, and your vacation begins! This take place on the pool deck. They have a stage that covers the pool to allow for more people to gather in that area. The pirate party also takes place here too.
Disney Cruise Line is unique in that it sets off fireworks right off the side of the ship during the pirate party. They are beautiful, and very well done!
I’m not surprised as Disney really knows how to make people happy! I highly recommend that you watch them.
Tip: They have free-flowing custard by the pool deck, and we made it a point to go there every night before bed as a special treat for the kids. They still talk about that to this day!
There is also a splash area for little ones in swim diapers as they aren’t allowed in the pool. The AquaDuck and basketball courts are also available to play while on the cruise.
How will I know what’s going on around the ship?
Each day you will get a Navigator delivered to your stateroom. The Navigator is basically the activities, shows, games, etc. that are available for all age groups with times and locations.
Tip: Each person in your stateroom highlights the activities that they want to do each using a different colored highlighter. This way everybody knows who wants to do what, and where you need to be at certain times.
What can I do on Castaway Cay?
Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, and it is amazing! Disney has a shuttle that stops at different parts of the island. There is even an adults-only area!
You can eat at either Cookies or Cookies II depending on where you are on the island. Both places serve a delicious barbecue-style outdoor-buffet with unlimited custard, coffee, tea, and soda. Bottled water, alcoholic beverages are an added cost.
You can lounge on the beach, rent snorkel equipment, bicycles, rafts, and port adventures. These excursions can be scheduled ahead of time, and cost extra. There are many options. We did the stingray excursion and it was a lot of fun for the kids!
Disney supplies beach towels, umbrellas, and towels. There are some shops open on the island in case you forgot sunscreen, or just want to buy some souvenirs.
Tip: If you’re on a budget then buy some souvenirs online, and pack them in your bag to leave little surprises for the kids when they wake up in the morning. You can even attach a note you, or from Mickey Mouse.
Does a 3-Day Disney Cruise have characters?
Yes!! In fact, we had more photo ops with characters in those three days than our combined visits to the parks spanning over a few years!
Obviously, we saw more characters on the 7-day cruise than the 3-day, but daily average is the same.
The characters are EVERYWHERE! We saw them in the lobby for photo opps, parties, and often just walking around the ship. I highly recommend a Disney Cruise for this part alone!
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend a 3-day Disney Cruise on the Disney Dream! It really is worth every cent! Disney Cruise Line offers a wonderful experience, and the cast members pamper you every chance they get. You will feel like royalty!
Coming soon!
- Packing List tips
- Getting there tips
- Before/After your cruise tips
Have you ever been on a Disney Cruise? Did you feel it was worth the money?
