Life on Board a Disney Cruise Line Ship: What Is Included and What Is Not
A Disney cruise fare covers the stateroom, three meals a day, soft drinks at meals and self-serve beverage stations, snacks and ice cream throughout the ship, Disney character greetings, and the shows at the Walt Disney Theatre. It does not cover shore excursions, the spa, the nursery, photography, phone calls, alcohol, or the adult-exclusive restaurants.
That is the short answer. What follows explains what those lines actually mean once you are on board with two children and five days ahead of you.
What the fare covers, and what gets added to the bill
| Included in the fare | Additional cost |
|---|---|
| The stateroom, applicable taxes and port fees | Shore excursions, called Port Adventures |
| Breakfast, lunch and dinner | The adult-exclusive restaurants |
| Soft drinks at meals and at beverage stations | Bar drinks, beer, wine, bottled water |
| Snacks and ice cream throughout the ship | The spa, the salon, the nursery |
| Walt Disney Theatre shows and Disney films | Character dining experiences |
| Disney character greetings | Photography service, phone calls, internet |
Rotational dining, the mechanic that surprises people most
Disney rotates Guests through three themed dining rooms over the course of the cruise. Everyone receives an assigned schedule before boarding, visible in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, with a table and a seating number.
Here is the detail that changes everything: the serving team follows the Guests from room to room, not the other way around. By the third night your server knows your son hates onions and that you take coffee with dessert. On cruises longer than three nights you return to at least one dining room a second time.
There are two dinner seatings: the first begins at 5:45 p.m., the second at 8:15 p.m., give or take fifteen minutes. You state a preference when booking and can join a waitlist. Whichever seating you get, there is time for one of the two performances of the evening show.
The early seating suits families with young children, who eat and then head to the show. The late seating suits Guests who want the pool until late afternoon. Both work, and the waitlist often moves on the first night.
The adult-exclusive restaurants
They cost extra, they are reserved for Guests eighteen and over, and they require a reservation. Which one you get depends on the ship: Palo is on the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy; Palo Steakhouse on the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny; Palo Trattoria on the Disney Adventure. Remy is offered on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, and Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement on the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny.
One thing to know before booking: a cancellation made less than twenty-four hours ahead is charged in full, per person. Book the night you are certain the children will be at the club, not the first night.
The youth clubs, age by age
This is what separates a Disney cruise most sharply from a week at an all-inclusive resort. Four spaces, by age group.
- The “it’s a small world” nursery, six months to three years. It is available on all eight ships, and it is the only childcare that costs extra.
- Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, three to ten years, for fully toilet-trained children. The two spaces connect and children move freely between them. Programming is adapted for three- and four-year-olds.
- Edge, eleven to fourteen years.
- Vibe, fourteen to seventeen years. Non-alcoholic drinks are included at the Vibe lounge; smoothies cost extra.
Adult-exclusive areas, pool and bars included, are closed to anyone under eighteen. That is enforced, not suggested.
The staterooms, and the porthole that is not one
Four broad categories. Inside and oceanview staterooms sleep three to four, verandah staterooms three to five, and Concierge suites five to seven. Every category sleeps at least three, which is rare in the industry and explains why Disney works for larger families.
The inside stateroom has one signature feature: a screen, the Magical Porthole, showing a real-time view from the ship’s cameras, with Disney characters wandering across the image without warning. It can be switched off.
Another detail that matters in the morning: on several ships the bathroom is split into two rooms, one with a vanity and toilet, the other with a vanity and a shower-tub. Two people get ready at once. This layout does not apply to every stateroom across the fleet, so check the exact category before booking.
Drinks, internet and gratuities
Soft drinks are free at self-serve beverage stations and at meals. Ordered at a bar or lounge, they are charged. Bottled water, beer, wine and spirits are always charged.
Internet costs extra and is never included. Two packages are bought on board through the app: the first covers social media, browsing, email and video calls, without long-form video streaming; the second adds speed and streaming. The Disney Cruise Line Navigator app itself is free, and it carries the schedules, the menus and the chat between members of a travelling party.
Gratuities are optional but recommended, and they are added automatically to your onboard account if you have not prepaid online. They cover the dining room server, assistant server, head server and stateroom host. Separately, an 18 per cent gratuity is added automatically to bar, wine, spa and adult restaurant bills.
A day at sea, from waking to bedtime
The breakfast buffet opens early and empties around 9:30 a.m. The youth clubs open at the same time, and many parents discover on day two that their child would rather stay there than go to the pool with them. Room service runs twenty-four hours a day, except on the final evening when it closes at 1:30 a.m.
Afternoons belong to the decks, the slides and the activities. Dinner follows your assigned seating, the show follows dinner, and the children head back to the club while the adults get the evening back. That is precisely why families return year after year: a cruise is the only format where parents get time off without feeling guilty about it.
What to know before booking
The minimum age to sail is six months at embarkation, and one year on certain long crossings. The Guest Information Form must be completed before boarding.
To choose the ship, read the eight Disney Cruise Line ships. For the beach days, see Disney Cruise Line’s two private islands. And for our full range of packages, our Disney vacations page covers both the parks and the sea.
Talk to a Magic Maker
The dinner seating, the stateroom category and the children’s ages get decided together, not separately. Our Magic Makers build the whole file before booking. Call 1-866-628-6241 or write to us.
