We recently went through the Disney Cruise Line Check-in process and wish we knew everything we're sharing below ahead of time. It would have avoided confusion and cut down on the time it took to complete it all. Alas, we're smarter and wiser now!
Luckily, we're sharing our valuable knowledge with you, including screenshots of the check-in process (which we did on a mobile phone) and what to expect.
Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, which means we may earn a small commission if you click the link and proceed with a purchase at no cost to you. We truly only recommend cruises, experiences, products, and services we personally use. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
In order to create the smoothest check-in process possible, we are also sharing what you need to have ready ahead of time. Additionally, we'll tell you the info we wish we knew in advance that will help you for your own Disney Cruise Line (DCL) check-in.
Get excited, because you'll know what time you can arrive at the port to start boarding your Disney cruise after you complete the check-in process! Woohoo! (We'll also tell you why that Port Arrival time is important.)
Towards the end of the post, we'll share what you can do after you check-in in the days leading up to your cruise.
Check-in opens to passengers 30 days prior to embarkation. It must be completed by one day prior to your sail date. Only guests in good standing, who have paid the balance of their cruise booking, can proceed with checking in.
First, you want to make sure you have the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app downloaded on your phone in preparation for your online check-in. You will want the app for your cruise anyway since it allows you to text with fellow passengers while on board, free of charge, or an internet plan.
You will find links to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app via the Apple App Store or Google Play for Android users here.
If you have never downloaded the app, you'll also need the following to log in:
You can do other things in the DCL app, including:
? Download our Free Check-in Printable!
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It's important that you have all of the info above handy when you arrive to the Port of Embarkation too. Do not put them in any luggage that you'll pass off to the crew, curbside. Keep these things in your carry-on bag that you're going to have on you at all times.
Be sure to download our free printable Disney Cruise Line Check-in Cheat Sheet, in the box above, so you're fully prepared!
Below, we'll go into depth about each item in the bulleted list above.
You'll need a photo of every traveler's passport, taken one at a time (not a group photo of the passports). It has to be a clear, unobstructed, glare-free photo.
This is harder to get than you would think! We recommend taking the photo during daylight hours, near a window with natural light. Turn off any artificial light in your home. Then take your photo.
If you can't get the light coming in from your window to stop reflecting on your passport, try closing the blinds a little or closing a shade that still allows light to come through.
If you don't have a passport you'll upload citizenship documents for check-in.
Disney wants a photo of each passenger for their onboard account. It should be taken from the shoulders up, looking straight at the camera.
It cannot be the same exact photo as your official ID. (In other words, you cannot simply take a photo of the image in a passport.) However, use that photo as guidance for what they want.
Think of your passport or driver's license photo. This is the type of photo DCL is looking for of each passenger to identify him/her upon check-in/out of the ship at ports.
We simply looked for a photo of us from vacation without a crazy background, where we were looking at the camera straight-on. This doesn't have to be a glamour shot - it simply has to show what you look like, without a face mask or sunglasses, looking directly at the camera.
There is a size limit to how large the photo can be (minimum and maximum size). Be sure that it meets these requirements before you upload it. The process will move along quicker if it's not huge (especially because cameras take huge-sized photos these days in terms of storage space).
The check-in website may crash if the photo is beyond the photo size-limits it states.
You need to have a photo of vaccination cards for any passenger who is vaccinated. Have a photo of the front of each passenger's card ready to upload.
Side note: You'll upload proof of any negative COVID tests within two days of your cruise.
You'll input the info of a credit card you want to use for purchases while onboard during online check-in. Have one handy.
Alternatively, you can choose to pay for cruise expenses in cash. If you do so, you'll have a credit limit depending on the length of your cruise. If you reach the limit, you'll have to go to guest services to pay off the bill (in cash) before you can charge more to your account.
Have your flight info ready to input so you don't have to go searching for it. If you are driving to the port then you do not have to enter this info. (You simply check "No" when they ask, "Are you flying in for your cruise vacation?")
This includes any Orlando hotel (for example), Air BnB, VRBO, etc. that you may be staying at before or after your cruise. If this does not apply to you then you do not have to input this information.
Online check-in is available for your sailing 30 days prior to the day you board the ship. This is according to the time in the same time zone as your port of embarkation.
Why does this matter? Because if you live in England but your cruise leaves from Port Canaveral, Florida, you can check in at midnight EST. You cannot check in at midnight BST time (England's local time).
We know this because we tried to check into our cruise while we were in France enjoying a barge cruise. Dan and I specifically stayed up late just in case the countdown that was showing in the app was correct.
Forcing myself to stay up until midnight, I realized that somehow the Disney counter switched to local time in France during the trip. The countdown was incorrect according to local time where our Disney cruise would be departing.
Imagine our disappointment (and exhaustion) when we realized that we could not check in at midnight. Instead, I set an alarm for 6:00am (hours later) to check into our cruise at midnight EST. And voila, we could check in.
? So if you're wondering, "Is the 30 days local time for Disney Cruise Line, or is it my local time, where I live?" the answer is: it's Disney Cruise Line's local time for the port you're getting on the ship.
Check-in, and any modifications to your check-in, must be completed by the day before you sail.
When you open the DCL Navigator app at any time before your cruise, you'll see an awesome countdown to your sailing. We love that they use emojis in the counter. They sub out a lot of the zeros for fun Disney characters. (A lot of the characters are also available in the app chat feature while you are on your cruise.)
When you are able to check in, you'll see that a little button that says "Begin Check-In" appears in the app (screenshot below, right). This button will not show up until 30 days prior to your cruise, at midnight.
You can see that our Online Check-In screenshot says "6:00" on the upper lefthand corner because we were in France at the time of check-in; it was 12:00 midnight EST.
When you hit the "Begin Check-In" button, it will take you out of the app. It opens an internet browser window to begin checking in.
You will see a checklist for what you need to do to complete check-in. The icons, which are silhouettes of the faces of classic Disney characters (like Goofy, Donald, and Minnie) are not filled in if you haven't completed the task.
But as you fill in the information, you'll see the faces start to fill in with more graphic and colorful drawings. So cute, right?
In the screenshots below, you'll see the top two don't have the faces filled in yet. In the bottom two screenshots, the faces are filled in, which indicates we completed those tasks for check-in.
You'll be glad you will have already gathered what we recommended to have on hand, ready to go, as you move through the Disney Cruise Line check-in steps. Things will move as efficiently as possible this way.
As you can see from the screenshots below, we filled in the information for our Travel Plans, picked our Port Arrival Time (the BEST part of check-in), accepted the terms of the Cruise Contract, and we were done.
All DCL guests, including Platinum Castaway Club members, need to select a Port Arrival Time.
We're highlighting this because it's incredibly important. If you're able to, given how you're arriving at the port (especially if you're driving yourself) you'll want to select the earliest available arrival time.
This is the time you can arrive at the port and drop your luggage off, curbside. (The luggage is delivered to your cabin later in the day.) Then you go inside the terminal to continue your check-in, in person. The earlier you get on the ship, the longer your cruise is. Even if that's just hours longer.
Disney has a lot of shorter cruise itineraries that are three or four days. This Port Arrival Time particularly matters for shorter cruises. Why not maximize your time onboard a Disney ship if you can?
If you want one of the earliest arrival times, it's imperative you check in for your cruise at midnight. Being one of the first to check in means you will increase your chances of being able to select an early arrival time.
We're not going to sugarcoat this: Disney websites are notoriously slow and buggy.
It's not uncommon to get an error message that the website is experiencing complications during check-in. When you feel like you're racing against the clock to get the earliest Port Arrival Time you can, this is super frustrating.
Trust us, we know and we can relate. We were on vacation overseas the last time we had to check-in for a Disney cruise.at 6:00am local time! It wasn't what we wanted to deal with. Alas, we are all at the mercy of Disney.
The good news is that Disney periodically saves your work. If you need to reload check-in, simply re-open the app. Log in again. Then click "Complete Check-In" and it will take you back to the check-in website.
You may lose some check-in work (we did), but not all of it. It usually doesn't take much time to re-enter the info.
When you have successfully completed the online check-in process, you'll see the message in the screenshot below, that says, "You're All Set to Sail!"
An important note is that while it says you're set to sail, your online check-in may still show as "Pending Review". This is because a Disney Cruise Line cast member has to check the photos you submitted (a real human, from what we understand) and it's a long process.
It could potentially say "Pending Review" until you sail. If it does, don't worry. We have heard that this is common.
As long as you bring all the documents with you that you uploaded to the app, you should be golden when you arrive to the port to embark on your Disney Cruise. (Remember you need to keep all of these documents in a carry-on bag, with you at all times, during embarkation.)
If you have an iPhone, one of the coolest things you can add to your Apple Wallet after check-in is your Port Arrival Form QR codes. This makes it extra easy to find those important QR codes you need when you get to the cruise terminal to embark on your Disney Cruise.
We're not 100% sure if the same cool feature is available to Android phone users with Google Pay. But if you know (because you use an Android and you've gone through the check-in process with Disney Cruise Line, firsthand) please let us know in the comments!
Through September 23, there's one more step that you have to complete closer to the cruise that we mentioned above for COVID testing for Disney Dream, Wish and Wonder; until September 24 for Disney Fantasy, and until November 7 for Disney Magic if you are fully vaccinated:
Once you upload negative COVID results to Safe Passage days before your cruise embarkation date, you'll see a "Clear to Sail" message.
If you are not fully vaccinated, you'll have to continue to provide test results before your cruise within 3-days before you sail.
It took us 50 minutes to complete the DCL online check-in process. In an ideal world, it should have only taken 20 minutes. But it is what it is.
To reiterate a sentiment we mentioned earlier: we're all at the mercy of Disney Cruise Line's website speed and how well it works - or doesn't work - when you check in.
Our fingers and toes are crossed, and we're knocking on all the wood for you that the website is working and it's quick and painless when you go to check in! If it's not working, simply keep logging back in and refreshing things.
There is nothing quite like the morning you board a Disney Cruise ship. The excitement is almost unbearable!
I always look forward to driving to Port Canaveral from Orlando and seeing that first glimpse of the iconic DCL cruise ship stack in the distance. As you cross over the second bridge on A1A to get to the port, it comes into view.
The most important thing to know about arriving at the terminal is that you can only arrive within your Port Arrival Time window. This is the 15-minute time block that you chose when you checked in.
Don't arrive an hour earlier, hoping they let you embark early. They won't.
If you forget your Port Arrival Time, you can easily view it on your Port Arrival Form. It's also in your iPhone Wallet if you added the cards to the iPhone Wallet app.
If you arrive early, they will tell you to come back later during your scheduled time. If you arrive late, they might tell you to come back later after several other time blocks clear.
You'll want to mark your calendars with the date below. (Don't forget to get our Free Check-in Cheat Sheet Printable if you haven't already, which makes counting the days super easy.)
Disney Cruise Line Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened wine or champagne (no larger than 750 ml) or 6 beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call. These beverages must be packed in carry-on (not checked) bags or luggage.
Guests wishing to consume wine or champagne that they have brought on board in one of the dining rooms will be charged a corking fee of $25.00 per bottle.
If you need to figure out any dates above, simply Google, "What day is __ days before [enter your sailing date]" and Google will show you the date in its results. It's a beautiful thing.
When we come back from one trip, we're always excited for the next. Whether you're cruising as adults only on Disney Cruise Line or looking forward to a DCL sailing with the entire family, we know it's never too soon to think about packing.
If you're going to the theme parks before or after your trip, be sure to check out our Ultimate Year-Round Walt Disney World and Universal Packing List, which includes a helpful printable.
This is because you may need to order some cruise items ahead of time, which might take time to ship. Such things as Blissets (which are awesome and fashionable anti-nausea bands), or perhaps custom Disney Cruise Line attire on Etsy, take time to arrive at your doorstep.
Other things may be available on Amazon, where you can use Prime to ship within days. If you don't already have a Prime account, now is the perfect time to sign up for a free 30-day trial so you'll get free shipping.
We also have a list of Cruise Essentials for you to browse in our Amazon shop, from handheld fans to beat the heat, to Apple Air tags if you're checking luggage, to reef-safe sunscreen, and more.
As your cruise countdown continues, you can do some additional things in the app. For example, you can make reservations or appointments for dining and the spa ahead of time. You can access this online app feature up to three days before your cruise.
If dining (like Enchante on the Disney Wish, for example) is showing as unavailable that usually means there are no more advance reservations possible. (In that case, you'll want to ask about how to make a reservation while on board the day you embark.)
Port excursions and spa reservations can also be made in advance from within the app.
If a spa treatment, or appointments for Hook's Barbery on Disney Wish, is showing as "Sold Out," you may want to check about availability once you board the ship on embarkation day.
Though many cruise lines have eliminated testing for vaccinated passengers entirely, testing requirements for vaccinated passengers sailing on DCL remain until the end of September for all ships except Disney Magic. Disney Magic's requirements change in early November, as mentioned above.
Because of the ever-changing DCL policies regarding COVID tests for guests both vaccinated and unvaccinated, and all the nuances that go along with it, we're providing a link to Disney Cruise Line's Pre-Cruise COVID testing requirements page.
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