Disney Cruise- We're Onboard! Now What?

 What to Expect as Soon as You Board

One of the best sounds is the cast member announcing your name as you board one of the Disney cruise ships!  Then you are in the main lobby and will be in awe by the ship's majesty.  But now what?

• First thing, they will probably be guiding you towards the buffet.  Most people will go there first and eat lunch.  Some people will bypass lunch and go straight to the pools.  You won't see your bags until way later, so if you want to swim, wear or take your suit in your carryon bag.
• After lunch, you can check out the ship.  The rooms will not be open until 1:30 at the very earliest, so there is no point in checking until after that time.  They will have the halls blocked off so you will not be able to walk those halls.  Your key will be outside of your door.
• Your Key to the World card is your room key as well as what you use to make charges to your room.  It will be outside your door.  I always use a lanyard so I have it on me at all times.  Most ships and sailings now allow you to use your My Disney Band+ now.  It only works with the Band+.  So if you already have one from Disney World, you can go into your DisneyCruise account and see if it is on there and linked and use it on the ship like you do at the park.  I had trouble getting mine connected for some reason but they were helpful at port and got it set up for me.  I honestly like just using the key card.
• You may also want to check out the kids clubs during this time.  They have open houses where you can walk through each of the clubs (kids club, tween, and teen clubs).  They are all really neat and worth checking out.
• A mandatory evacuation drill will take place sometime before the ship sales.  You will need to check in to your muster station and everyone in your party will need their Key to the World card.  This NOT OPTIONAL.  The ship will not sail until all people have been accounted for.  Your key to the World card will have a letter on it that shows where you muster station is.  Listen for announcements and be prepared to go when you hear it.  Cast members will help guide you to the proper place.  You will notice signs with letters around the ship.  I always find it is easiest to be in your room when they call for the muster drill so you know your exact evacuation route.  
• Make sure you have downloaded the Disney Cruise Line app on your phone.  You won't be able to access all the features in the app until you are onboard and connect to the ships wifi.  After that, you will be able to see the daily navigator, menus for the restaurants, ship deck plans, and you can use the chat feature to talk to other people in your party.  The daily navigator is so important because it is where you can see all the activities on the ship for the day.
• Bags- they will likely not be in your room when you get to your room.  They bring them up throughout the afternoon/early evening.  They will not all come at once, but they will get there.  This is why it is important to have anything important with you in your carryon when you get on the ship.

The most important thing is to go have fun and enjoy your cruise!