2013 Disney Cruise - Disney Dream 3-night Bahamian Cruise (Part 1)

Welcome to Part 1 of my Disney Dream 3-night Bahamian Cruise post.  In this post, I will share some booking and planning information as well as what to prepare for the cruise.  This Disney Cruise was my first cruise ever, so I was very nervous about it and did not know what to pack.  Luckily, Disney Cruise is there every step of the way!

Some people might wonder "Why Disney Cruise?"  I started by looking online to check out what each cruise line offer and their reviews.   Of course, Disney cruise tend to be on the pricier side, but out of all the cruise lines, Disney cruise seems to have one of the best reviews on their food, shows, and rooms.  After all the considerations, we picked Disney Cruise for 3 main reasons: 1. More food varieties on board, and different theme restaurant every night  (Yes!  I am a foodie)  2. We love Disney shows! (Different show every night sounds awesome!)  3. Out of all the Norovirus incidents, we didn't see any Disney Cruise on the list.

After deciding on Disney Cruise, I went on Disney Cruise Website first to check out the itinerary and dates that will best fit us.  I also requested a free DVD planning tools on their website that will give you more information.  If you have AAA membership, you can also go to one of their office and pick up a Disney Cruise booklet that has the current year itinerary and ship layout.

After selecting the date and itinerary, I checked price with and without flight package on a few website (ie. Expedia, Priceline, Disney Cruise website, and Costco).  We ended up booking our Disney Cruise on Costco Travel website and flight separately.  Thru Costco Travel, I was able to get free Costco cash card while paying for the same price.  Once I finished booking flight and cruise, I called to book our Disney Cruise Line ground transfer, which was $70 per person roundtrip.  If you book your Disney Cruise on their own website, you should be able to add ground transfer online.  While you might think you are done with the planning, I highly recommend you book your shore excursion as early as possible online.  This website also provide a lot of good information on Disney Cruise planning and booking if you need additional information!

About 10-14 days prior to departure date, we received a welcome booklet from Disney Cruise which include a lot of good information that walk you thru each step especially if you are a first-time Cruiser.  I made a quick slide show of what's included in the booklet.

 

You can choose to fill out most of the forms in the booklet online prior to departure when you do on-line check in.  If not, when you check-in at the port, the staffs will help you.

The last part before the vacation is packing, which varies from person to person.  Make sure  you know what items are not permitted on board. Here is a good packing list to consider.   I would definitely recommend you bring plenty of sunscreens and motion sickness medications (Dramamine, Bonine, or Sea-Band).  I did not have any motion sickness issue for the majority of the cruise, but it's good to be prepared. 

Thank you for visiting and reading my post!  Part 2 will be coming soon!