I recently saw a photo of a friend who went on a cruise with only a backpack! If only my family could pack that light when we go on a Disney Cruise! #FamilyGoals
Here are some tips to help you maximize your packing space for your next Disney Cruise Line vacation.
Top Things to Pack for Your Disney Cruise
Magnetic Signs for Your Stateroom Door
Door decorating is a THING on a Disney Cruise! You don’t have to get fancy or expensive – I find simple, bold and colorful is aways a winner. I locate the graphic I want to use for that cruise, print/cut/laminate my sign at home and then stick a flat magnet sheet to the back. Easy to pack and low investment – so if the magnetic decorations don’t make it back home with us, it’s not a deal breaker! Note that if you are in a Concierge stateroom, your door is wooden (not magnetic) but you may be able to stick magnets to a wall near your stateroom. And for all – do not use magnets that will cause any damage/scratches to the ship.
Pin Trading Board
This is unique to sailing on a Disney ship and it is so much fun! The board and pins take up so little space and provide a fun activity for your own family and other pin traders on the ship.
White Noise Machine or Portable Fan
Cruise ships can have unique taps and rattles. If you have a light sleeper in your room, or family member who snores, I would 100% bring a white noise machine – ideally one that plugs into your USB hub. Alternately, a portable fan can provide both some white noise and air movement if you are used to sleeping with a ceiling fan at home.
Beach bag
Yes! Bring two of these: a personal-sized sitting-by-the-pool bag and a larger packing-accessories-for-the-family-to-go-to-the-beach sized bag. For the smaller bag, one of the reusable cloth grocery bags that fold into a tiny pocket works great and takes up very little space. For the larger bag, I try to either pack a tote that folds really flat or use a tote that doubles as my carry-on bag on the plane. Another great option here is to buy one of the large reusable shopping totes from the onboard DCL shops. These are about $3 on the ship – just make sure to buy your bag at least the day before you need it – many times the onboard shops cannot be open while the ship is in a port.
Spare Phone
My kids don’t have their own phones yet. We make sure to bring an extra wi-fi-only phone with the DCL app installed when we sail so that our kids can stay in touch with us from the kid/tween/teen areas when we are at sea.
USB Hub
Our family of four has SO MANY things that need to be charged by USB. While Disney Cruise Line cabins do come outfitted with a generous amount of USB ports and standard outlets, we still need more USB ports! I think a USB hub is indispensable and a must-have to keep our cabin tidy and ensure there is port for every device that plugs in.
Top Things You Do Not (or May Not) Need to Pack for Your Disney Cruise
Beach Towels
Save your space – DCL will provide these to you in ports where you may need them.
Flippers
We have some persnickety travelers in our family. They only want to snorkel with their own set of mask, snorkel and fins. But packing fins is a beast and requires a lot of space in your bags. We’ve snorkeled with our own flippers and with the flippers you can rent on Castaway Cay. Our review was that the Castaway Cay rentals worked great. We did still prefer our own masks and snorkels – especially our family members who use prescription lens masks! Tip: You can rent fins only when you are at Castaway Cay. Just ask.
Matching Outfits for the Whole Family
Yes, this looks like fun! I suspect it is A LOT of work too. I would not know. While my family loves pirate night, they would 100% stage an intervention if we planned for everyone to dress in themed, daily outfits. In short, you can plan themed outfits, but don’t feel like it is a requirement at all. And if you see a coordinating group whose outfit you like, make sure to compliment them – they will really appreciate it!
Power Strip
I find that Disney Cruise Line has one of the tightest levels of scrutiny on power strips. I brought a non-surge protector “cruise-safe/ship-approved” power strip on my last Disney Cruise (this strip had passed inspection on other cruise lines). It was tagged (confiscated) and held for me to collect after the cruise.
Baby Gear
Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of complimentary use baby/toddler gear. You can request that your stateroom be supplied with a pack-n-play, diaper genie and more for your youngest family member. This a great feature that makes travel with the littlest littles so much easier!
Disney Cruise line Also has specific details about other prohibited and/or restricted items which you can find here.
Happy Packing and Bon Voyage!
