My very first Disney cruise was seven years ago back in 2013 on the Disney Wonder to Alaska. It only seems like yesterday since we were embarking the ship in Vancouver and I still have such happy memories from that trip. However before the cruise I read everything and more that I could about sailing with Disney Cruise Line but there was definitely some things that I had not read about that definitely came as a shock to me or I wish we had done differently. I learnt so much on that first cruise which enabled me to be able to enjoy all of our next cruises to the fullest.

So this is what I wish I had known before my first Disney Cruise and I hope that these few little bits of knowledge help someone else preparing for their first cruise.

I Wish We Had Boarded the Ship Earlier

When we did our online check in (75 days before for first time cruisers), we had the option to select the earliest Port Arrival Time but we decided we would have a lazy morning and picked a later time instead. On the day after dropping off our luggage, we decided to walk around Canada Place and have a coffee before we checked in. At the cruise terminal in Vancouver you also have to go through US immigration when sailing to Alaska as well as pass through security (and both lines were long) so we did not board the Disney Wonder until 2:30pm. The upside was our stateroom was ready for us when we boarded and our luggage had already been delivered but one of our biggest regrets from that first cruise is not boarding earlier and missing out on lunch and the extra time onboard.

I Wish I Had Known How Crazy Embarkation Day Can Be

After we boarded the Disney Wonder for the first time and was walking outside up on the pool deck, I remember thinking several times that we had made a huge mistake booking a cruise as there was crowds of people everywhere (which I was not expecting) and it felt incredibly busy and chaotic. At this point I was terrified that it was going to be like that for the whole cruise but what I did not know at the time was that once everyone has eaten lunch and can access their staterooms, the crowds slowly start to disappear. Later in the afternoon once the muster drill is over, the atmosphere on the whole ship changes considerably as everything settles down and people can finally relax. Now that I have done five different Disney cruises, I know what to expect on embarkation day.

I Wish I Had Packed Less

There’s a saying that when you pack for a trip, you should take half out of your case of what you were planning to bring and this is completely true. I bought so many “just in case” clothes and items which were never worn or used and I wished I had left them at home. You can do laundry on the ship which will help to cut down on the packing and I also realised that I did not need to buy clothes just for that one trip or even just for one night of the cruise. You also do not need to bring the majority of what most cruise groups or forums tell you to bring. On every cruise since, I’ve refined my packing list and four cruises later, I think I’m nearly there!

I Wish I Had Known I Would Feel Lost For The First Two Days Onboard

Trying to find your way around a cruise ship for the first time can seem overwhelming and even though I had studied the deck plans before our cruise, I did feel lost and unsure which direction I needed to go for the first few days. There were times when we walked out of the elevators and did not know which way to turn or we went to the wrong deck as we got restaurants mixed up and so on. Thankfully this feeling does not last for long and once you have your bearings, walking around the ship becomes second nature and you can really start to enjoy the cruise. This is one of the main reasons why I always say to book a longer sailing (at least seven nights) for your first cruise as it gives you time to get to know your way around the ship and then time to enjoy it.

I Wish I Had Bought an SLR Camera With Me

Not long before the cruise, I decided to buy myself a new camera for the trip. I looked at both an SLR (which I immediately fell in love with) and a newer version of the point and shoot compact camera that I already had. I sadly stuck with what I knew and bought the newer compact camera and it’s one of my biggest travel regrets to date. The opportunities for photos in both Alaska and onboard the Disney Wonder made me wish I had got that SLR camera that I had seen and loved as the photo quality is simply so much better. I ended up buying that SLR a few months later and it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made and it’s the first thing I’ve packed in my bag for every other cruise that I have done since.

I also wish I had taken more photos of the ship (I took loads of the scenery outside) but I’ve definitely made up for that during my last few cruises!

I Wish I Had Known That the Lines for the Characters Get Shorter Throughout the Cruise

On our first night onboard I remember walking into the lobby atrium to meet Mickey and Minnie and seeing huge long lines of people for each character and again I was worried it would be like that for the entire cruise. However after two or three nights onboard, the lines get shorter and shorter and by the last night, there were very few people waiting at all – at one point Goofy was standing all by himself in the lobby atrium with no one waiting to meet him! However this is only true on a longer cruise – on a shorter three or four night cruise, be prepared for the lines to be long for the entire time as I found out on my third cruise on the Disney Dream.

I Wish I Had Known That You Cannot Do Everything in One Cruise

There is so much to do and so much going on during a Disney Cruise that five cruises later I still have not done everything there is to offer. One of my biggest concerns before my first cruise was that I would be bored but that never happened – you can do as little or as much as you want to do during your time onboard.

I Wish I Had Known How Sad I Would Feel on the Last Night of the Cruise

During my week onboard my first Disney cruise on the beautiful Disney Wonder, I grew to love cruising which I did not think would be possible before my trip. The week felt too short and I wanted to stay onboard longer – I was honestly heartbroken on our final night during the Til We Meet Again farewell show and I did not want to disembark the next morning. I have never felt sad at the end of a holiday before but this time was very different. On each subsequent cruise we have done, we have had another cruise already booked to look forward to which has helped this feeling immensely.

I Wish I Had Known About Land Sickness

Land Sickness also known as Mal de Debarquement is when you feel nauseous, dizzy, fatigued and disorientated after disembarking from a cruise. I had never heard of it before so was not expecting it but I suffered badly with it for about two days after leaving the Disney Wonder despite not being sea sick at all throughout the cruise. The weird thing is that I have not suffered with it since (touch wood) and I remember being terrified it would happen again after six sea days in a row on our second cruise (Transatlantic on the Disney Magic) but I was completely fine!

I Wish I Had Known How Much I Would Love Being on a Disney Cruise

I was completely unprepared for how much I’d love cruising. I was worried that I would feel trapped onboard the ship but being at sea is now the most relaxing and calming feeling in the world to me and waking up to a view of the ocean feels incredible. Before our first cruise I honestly thought it would be “one and done” and that would be it but the reality was we were already talking about what cruise we wanted to do next before we had even disembarked the Disney Wonder back in Vancouver. Disney cruises are addictive (I never thought I’d ever make it to the Gold Castaway Club level) and you will be counting down the days until you are next onboard – I know I am.

Since this blog post was written back in 2020, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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