Check in Process & What You Need

  • Disney Cruise Line’s updated online check-in dates are from sail date:

    • Pearl/Concierge, Weddings/Vow Renewal, VIP, Media, and Make-a-Wish Guests: 40 days

    • Platinum: 38 days

    • Gold: 35 days

    • Silver: 33 days

    • First Time Cruisers: 30 days

    • Cruisers will still need to follow the current process of selecting their port arrival time during the online check-in window

    • Remember window opens at midnight ET on the morning of your day which is 11:59 pm ET on previous day)

  • Have all available on computer AND phone to make process quick

  • If issues checking in set your computer to eastern standard time

  • Passport information

    • Name on passport

    • Passport number

    • Birth date

    • Expiration date of passport

    • Country of origin

  • Pictures of

    • Passport

    • Clear head shots from the shoulder up

    • Photos need to be in JPEG format and taken from the shoulders up against a plain background. Please remove hats and glasses for the photo.

    • Be sure that live photos are turned OFF

  • Credit card you want to place on file for the cruise

  • Flight information (You Do Not Have To Add)

    • Airlines

    • Flight Number

    • Airport and flight times

  • Hotel information (You Do Not Have To Add)

    • Hotel and dates staying before or after cruise

  • Pre- and post-cruise transportation plans

  • You can add gift cards once on the ship at guest services

  • Once you have entered all of the required information, including registering any youth in your party for the youth activity clubs, you will be able to select a Port Arrival Time.

  • As you conclude the check-in process, you will receive an Online Check-In Port Arrival Form. This form will need to be presented when you arrive at the port.

  • I would recommend taking photos of all passports and birth certificates and carry them on the phone

  • You will also need to have your citizenship documentation handy to present at the port. For your online check-in, your status will be listed as pending until all information has been reviewed and approved.

    • If your status is still pending five days before you set sail, please call DCL for assistance.

  • The biggest benefit to checking in as early as possible is being able to select an earlier Port Arrival Time. If that's important to you, I would recommend completing your check-in at midnight ET.

  • My wife has an expired passport and our 3 children ages 7,13,17 never had a passport. Can we still use a copy of birth certificate and ID to board.

    • While passports are not required for U.S. Citizens sailing to the Bahamas from the U.S. ports, it is critical that you have the proper travel documentation. Please see everything detailed here on the Disney Cruise Line website for U.S. Citizens, U.S. Legal Permanent Residents, and citizens of other countries.

      Without a valid passport, two forms of identification must be provided for those Guests 16 years of age or older. This includes the original (or copy) U.S. state-issued birth certificate AND a U.S. Government-issued photo identification. Guests 15 years of age and younger are required to present a birth certificate only, as most do not yet have a government-issued photo identification.

      Most importantly, any documentation you present must be valid for the duration of your travel. An expired passport is no longer a valid U.S. Citizenship document; please do keep it if you decide to apply for a new one through the U.S. Department of State but Disney Cruise Line cannot accept the expired one.

      You will upload photos of these important documents at Online Check-in, 30 days prior to your sailing, as well as bring the physical documentation with you to the port. I like to have a special folder to keep my family’s documentation together when we travel, which also streamlines security checks at the port if you present everything for your travel party at once.

  • What happens if I forget my passport

    • They will not accept a photo of your passport

    • They will accept photos of your birth certificate

      • It must be the one with a seal

    • You will need to keep the paper copies they give you to get on and off the ship

  • Back ups

    • Printed onboard documents

    • Add to apple wallet

    • Picture of the documents

DCL 101 Large Family Booking Tips and Tricks

  • Party of six

    • Look to book adjoining rooms that have a connecting door

    • Need to place an adult in at least each room

    • Wonder and magic have more oceanview rooms for this

    • Dream, fantasy and wish have more verandah rooms for this

    • Can sometimes open the verandah wall also

  • Can not book a guaranteed room and ask for adjoining

  • Anyone can get extra keys to each room

  • Base on the number of people might want to look for a room to sleep 3 or 4 persons so that everyone gets their own bed and not fighting over the big bed

  • First two people In each room have adult pricing

    • Therefore place your oldest kids as adult number 2 in each room versus the youngest child

    • You will save money doing this

  • Need to know who is in what room especially for getting off the ship, checking out of kids clubs and disembarkation

  • Checking in

    • Need to check in each room separately

    • Make sure reservations are linked

    • Can have different port arrival times but typically very close

    • Can board with either of the arrival times hopefully

    • Adults can set charging responsibility for the kids

    • Make sure to select other under the who can check the kids out of the clubs and add the other parent in the other room and any older kids

    • Disney will default to the only adults in the room

  • Kids club

    • Can age up or down

    • 11 year old can be in Oceaneer club or Edge

  • Port Adventures

    • Might be best to look at private ones because 6 people port adventures will be expensive and might be cheaper going the private route

Required Documentation

Sailing from/to: Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, San Diego and San Juan.

The following guidelines are based on government regulations, which are subject to change at any time. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the proper documentation to board the ship and enter each of the countries on your cruise itinerary.

Travelers can visit the US State Department's website for more information. All documents must be valid for the entire length of the voyage, unless otherwise noted. Guests without proper documentation will be denied boarding. When dropping off luggage upon arrival, please keep all documents in your possession to present during check-in at the terminal.

Adults traveling with minors for whom they are not the parent or legal guardian must present a completed Minor Authorization Form signed by the child’s parent(s) or legal guardian, authorizing the adult permission to take the child on the specific cruise, supervise them and allow emergency medical treatment to be administered if necessary.

US Citizens (Including Children)

  • Original valid US passport OR

  • Original valid US passport card OR

  • Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, FAST)

OR

  • Original state-issued birth certificate AND a physical government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail)

    1. Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to July 1, 2010, are not acceptable.

    2. Hospital-issued birth certificates are not acceptable.

  • Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) issued by the Department of State AND a physical government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail)

  • Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services AND a physical government-issued photo ID (digital/mobile state-issued IDs are not acceptable to sail)

Children 15 years of age and younger are required to present one of the documents listed above, but do not need to present a government-issued photo ID.

Social Security Cards and Global Entry are not acceptable proof of US citizenship for purposes of traveling outside of the US.

Disney Cruise Line now requires passengers who choose to provide their birth certificates as travel documents to bring an original; photocopies will no longer be accepted. Hospital-issued birth certificates are also not acceptable.