Decorating Your Stateroom Door

You'll be able to designate different credit cards for each member of your sailing party when it's time to complete the Online Check-in process 30 days before your sail date.

This way each member of your stateroom's charges will link to their own onboard account any time they make a purchase using their Key to the World Card.

Your Key to the World will not only unlock your stateroom door and give you information about your dining rotation, but it also serves as a convenient method of payment for onboard merchandise, spa services, alcohol, and other items or experiences not included in your standard cruise fare.

You'll be able to review your onboard charges at the Guest Services desk of each ship at your convenience. There, you can even make payments via cash, Disney gift cards, or American Express Travelers Checks in addition to your credit card on file if you prefer.

When booking your cruise, you'll first select your desired sailing.

On the "Confirm Travel Party" page, you can click "Add Another Stateroom." Here, you can decide which Guests in your travel party will be assigned to which stateroom.

Remember, there must be at least one adult assigned to each stateroom! Then, you'll select your ship location and deck, followed by your specific staterooms.

When viewing available staterooms, be sure to look for two neighboring rooms that share the "Connected Rooms" icon. This is the best way to guarantee two connecting staterooms!

Also, if you happen to book two staterooms with verandahs, you can ask for the partition to be opened once you're on board. This way, you can enjoy one larger shared balcony together.

There's nothing quite like stepping aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship and setting off for adventure.

Staterooms are typically ready around 1:30 p.m. on the day of your voyage.

Luggage may not arrive for a few hours afterward, so I recommend that you bring a swimsuit and coverup in a carry-on bag if you'd like to enjoy the pools onboard shortly after boarding.

My family has a tradition of enjoying lunch and then grabbing a soft-serve ice cream cone poolside.

For lunch, you can find a delicious buffet meal or be treated to excellent service at one of the main dining restaurants onboard. Check the navigator app after boarding the ship to see which restaurant will be opening its doors for lunch and to look over the menu.

After lunch, there are plenty of activities to enjoy and those too will be listed on the activity schedule within the app.

You'll find tours of the spa (often with exciting raffles and giveaways) and open houses offered in the youth activity spaces.

If you have little ones, this is the perfect time to check out these areas as a family and meet the amazing Crew Members that will be interacting with the kids all cruise long.

My absolute favorite thing to do onboard is to simply sit and stare at the sea. The view from our Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah has always been important to me, so I study the obstructed views carefully. I’ve found that category 7A (limited view or Navigator’s Verandah) rooms on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have been a great way to save on our total cruise price but still offer the joys of an ocean view. If you look at an exterior photo of the Disney Dream, these rooms are both forward and aft where the white curvature of the ship limits some of the balconies just before the large round portholes on decks 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. This angle doesn’t block the primary view out to sea, and in fact I’ve found it helps block some of the wind coming onto the verandah nicely.

The lifeboats on the Disney Dream are secured at deck 5, but not blocking any verandah staterooms. I love to walk along deck 4 just under the lifeboats for a panoramic ocean view protected from the sun.