If you are new to cruising on Disney Cruise Line, you may be like I was before I went on my first cruise...a bit confused when it comes to exactly how you get on the ship. Where do you go? What's the process? What time should you arrive and how long will it take to get onto the boat? I personally had tons of questions before taking my first cruise! I'm here to give you the ins and outs on the process of checking in and getting on the ship on embarkation day. Note: This is based on experiences sailing from Port Canaveral. Sailing from other ports may vary a bit, but the process remains the same.
Online Check In
Months before your big day, usually 75 days before you sail(if this is your first cruise and you are not in a concierge level stateroom), you will need to complete your check in online. You can check in online anytime but there are advantages to doing so as soon as your ability to check in opens up. You'll fill in a lot of information, including passport information, but one of the most important things you'll do is choose a port arrival time. This is the time you anticipate being at the port to check in for your cruise. If you are taking a Disney bus from Walt Disney World, this isn't so important, but if you are arriving to the Port Canaveral(or any other sailing port) area on your own before you set sail, this is kind of a big deal. You can choose a port arrival time of as early as 10:30 am. Your boarding zone will be based on this check in time, so the earlier you check in, the sooner you get on the ship. The sooner you check in online, the better your chances of getting an early port arrival time. If you are planning on arriving to the area the day before you sail(which is recommended!), check in online as soon as you can to pick an early port arrival time. This means more time on the ship, before many others arrive, for you.
Parking/Getting to the Port
If you aren't taking a transfer from Walt Disney World or the airport and will be driving, you have many options for parking. Hotels in the area often offer shuttles to the port and there are parking lots that offer cruise parking and shuttles as well. There is one parking garage at Terminal 8, right in front of the Disney Cruise Line Terminal. This is where we chose to park and while it is a bit more expensive than parking at a hotel or off site lot and taking a shuttle, we preferred the convenience dropping our bags and being right there, instead of having to wait for a shuttle(which is much more convenient when you are getting off the ship).
Luggage
How your luggage gets to the ship will depend on how you get to the ship. If you are taking Disney transportation, they will get your luggage to the ship for you. Many other shuttles will do the same, while others will drop it off at the terminal with you. Porters at the curb will take care of unloading luggage and taking it for you(so bring a bit of cash for tips!). If you are parking at the terminal, you will drop your luggage off with the porters. You will not have to carry your luggage into the terminal and onto the boat! In the weeks before your cruise, you will receive yellow paper tags to attach to each bag. Make sure they are on your bags so they can be delivered properly. You won't get your luggage until later in the day, so be sure to pack a small bag you are able to carry with you with any essentials you'll need until then, such as medication, sunscreen, swim suits or a change of clothes.
Check In
After parking or drop off, you'll head into the Disney Cruise Line Terminal. You'll be reminded of their alcohol policy and will need to go through metal detectors before heading upstairs to check in.
Next it's check in time. The terminal can get pretty crowded but the lines move very quickly. Our port arrival time was 10:45 and we arrived pretty much on the dot. The first stop is actual check in.
You'll need to have your passports/birth certificates ready, as well as your signature paperwork(you will print this off when you check in online, just stash it in a folder with your other important documents). You'll be given a health questionnaire to make sure nobody in your party is suffering from any kind of illness.
When it's your turn at the check in counter(if you are sailing in a concierge level room, you will have a separate check in counter), the cast member will check over your identification and paperwork and will take your signature sheets and health forms. They will take a picture of each member of your family, this will be used to identify you on the ship. This is especially important for the kids club. You will also be given a boarding group number. Lastly, you'll receive your Key to the World cards, which will be used for everything from room entry to purchases to getting on and off the ship. Passengers will board according to this number. If you've arrived to check in well before the port arrival time you selected, you may have a higher boarding number, so a longer wait before you are able to get on the ship.
Once checked in, there are plenty of things you can do while waiting to board. You can register your children for the kids' club or even meet characters in the lobby. While we were waiting, we saw Goofy and Mickey.
Boarding
When boarding begins, starting with concierge level guests, then by boarding number, it goes by very quickly. Our boarding number was 4 and it was less than 10 minutes from the time they called the first boarding group until the reached ours. We were in line to meet Mickey at the time and stayed in line, and by the time we went to board the ship, they were already calling number 6. You will make your way to the front of the terminal where you will show them your boarding ticket and head through the gateway to what will probably be the best vacation ever.
You'll be asked to present the Key to the World cards for everyone in your party and they ask that anyone 3 and up be holding their own card, so make sure you have those handy.
Once you've scanned your cards, the magic begins and you board the ship, where you are greeted by a group of cast members.
Once Onboard
Your stateroom won't be ready until 1:30pm or so, so if you are on the ship before this, there's still plenty for you to do! You can head up to the upper decks for lunch. One of the main dining rooms will be open with a buffet as will Cabanas/Beach Blanket Buffet on the pool deck. The more full the ship gets, the more crowded the buffets get, so if you are one of the first to board and you are ready to eat, head up! If you aren't in the mood for an endless amount of food, you can check out the ship, sign up for the Castaway Cay 5k race at Guest Relations, get your tickets for princess meet and greets, tour the kids clubs and sign your children up if you didn't at the port. If you missed the chance to grab a reservation for Palo or Remy, be sure to visit guest relations ASAP as they may have spots available. The pools are also open and will get pretty crowded as the day goes on so if you want to check them out early, it's recommended!
As I mentioned above, your stateroom will not be ready until after 1:30. At this point you'll be free to go check it out, although your luggage will not have been delivered. This will be delivered and left outside of your door later in the afternoon.
You'll receive a cruise navigator, which is a booklet letting you know of all the events on the ship that day, from character meet and greets to live shows to movies and any other activities, for kids and adults.
A Disney cruise is packed with fun from the moment you get on the ship and you'll never be without something to do, so get ready to go as soon as you board! Whether you are sailing for 3 days, 7 days or longer, you're in for an amazing time!
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