What Should You Pack for your Disney Cruise?

Despite our best efforts, it can be incredibly easy to both overpack and forget about items you really wish you had!  Here are our recommendations for a successful cruise:

• Casual clothes to re-wear.  Most days aboard your cruise, you will wear an outfit for a few hours when eating inside restaurants or attending activities, and then change those clothes in favor of a bathing suit or specialty attire for formal, semi-formal or pirate-themed nights.  Bring a few outfits that you can rotate over several days.  DCL does NOT have a “no jeans, shorts or sneakers in the dining room” requirement like many cruise lines do, so unless you’re planning specialty dining at Palo or Remy, feel free to keep it casual!  Also, DCL does offer paid self-service washers and dryers on every stateroom floor, as well as professional laundering service.
• Face coverings.  Disney Cruise Line currently requires all guests, regardless of vaccination status, to wear facial coverings when indoors aboard the ship, and on all DCL excursions. 
• Specialty attire.  Almost all DCL sailings have a pirate night (the exception being Alaskan sailings), as well as one or two optional dress-up nights (often referred to as semi-formal and formal nights).  These are by no means required, but if you would like, plan to join in on the fun!
• Poolside attire and necessities.  If on a summer or Caribbean cruise, plan to bring a couple of swimsuits/trunks, sunglasses, hats, cover-ups, flip flops/water shoes, rash guards, and sunscreen/aloe.  DCL will provide towels for all guests, both poolside and on excursions.  Also, plan to bring a large bag to carry your necessities plus any towels.  If you’re planning any beach time, a container of baby powder will work wonders in removing sand from damp feet and legs.
• Warm weather necessities. If on an Alaskan or Canadian cruise, plan to bring layers for warmth on chilly nights.
• Lanyard.  Your Key to the World card will be issued upon embarkation, and is used as your stateroom key, identification to leave and come aboard the ship for excursions, and can be used to charge purchases to your room.  Since casual attire does not always have pockets, consider bringing a lanyard to carry your KTTW card.
• Your motion sickness remedy of choice.  Even if you don’t normally get seasick, we recommend considering bringing along some sort of motion sickness remedy, just in case.
• Beverages.  Disney Cruise Line will allow guests to bring aboard an unopened case of bottled water.  Given the only beverage stations aboard the ship are on the pool deck, having water in your stateroom can be very convenient.  Guests 21 years and older may also opt to bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened wine or champagne or 6 beers aboard at embarkation and at each port of call. 
• Small bills for tips.  You may have pre-paid your cruise ship gratuities or plan to pay them as part of your cruise portfolio, but you will undoubtedly encounter others who you may wish to tip.  These people include the drivers of any transfer vehicles you take to and from the port, the luggage porters at the cruise terminal, and any excursion tour operators.  
• Phone charger and/or external charging battery.  The DCL Navigator app installed on your smartphone or device is your lifeline to almost everything aboard your ship, from your dining schedule rotation and menus for all restaurants, to both public and private bookable activities aboard your sailing, to a chat feature to allow you to message with other guests and Guest Services.  You will use your app often, so plan to keep your device charged at all times.
• Printed copies of all important documents.  This includes the QR code for your port arrival time/check-in, copies of your passports, and copies of your COVID-19 vaccination and negative tests.

Want more tips for packing for your Disney Cruise?  Contact your Goofy Getaways Travel Planner today.Written by Travel Planner Kristin (kristin@goofygetaways.com)