Below is your cruise checklist with final tips and information:

1. Parking/Transportation: Let me know if you have questions about directions or parking at the terminal. If you plan to fly, let me know if you need assistance with transfers to the port, or need hotel reservations the night before.

2. Facebook groups: If you haven't joined already, Facebook has a group dedicated to your specific cruise. I recommend joining as people share some helpful tips.

3. PARTY/THEME night: Your cruise will have a pirate night where people dress up in pirate gear. Some just wear pirate shirts whereas others go all out. It's a really fun time!

4. Reserved Dining: If you haven't already, try to snag a brunch or dinner at one of these. This will be a dressier location, but you won't be disappointed in the food and experience.

5. Door decoration: A lot of people like to dress up their stateroom door with magnets, and it's fun to look at each door.

6. Alcohol: Each adult can bring 2 bottles of wine or 6 beers on board but these must be packed in your carry-on. You can read more information here.

7. Water: You may also bring water on board, but it must be packed in your carry on bag.

8. Onboard Gifts: You can purchase onboard gifts in advance to have  items waiting on you in room. You can also go ahead and add a wine or beer package (saves you a little money versus buying bottle by bottle).

9. Packing suggestions: Disney provides a very good suggested packing list here. Keep in mind you'll want to include bathing suit/change of clothes, essentials, and medication in your carry on so you have easy access until your luggage arrives. I would also recommend bringing some prepackage snacks to have on hand in the stateroom—sometimes snacks are difficult to come by at certain times of the day. Don’t forget your passports!

10. Wifi: Disney sells onboard internet packages, but they can be slow. Apple users will be able to send imessages without extra charge. If you need internet access, most carriers sell cruise packages and international data plans (for while you're in port), so be sure to check with yours ahead of time.

11. Kids Clubs: Take advantage of these! The kids LOVE them and it's a nice time for the adults to take a break.

12. Gratuities: There will be four crew members for whom Disney will automatically charge gratuity at the end of your stay, or you can adjust that amount with guest services. Let me know if you want me to go ahead and run your card now to prepay those gratuities up to 4 days before your trip. You can also bring cash instead of charging to your account, but I find it much easier to just use the account charging method. You will want some cash to tip your luggage assistants at the port and to tip your port adventure guides. If you buy any drinks or coffee from bars on board, then they will automatically charge you 18% gratuity. You can charge to your room during your cruise, or you can pay on the spot with a credit card.

13. Debarkation: If you would prefer to have luggage services take your bags down to the terminal to be picked up after you leave the ship, you will put any unneeded belongings in your suitcases the night before and set those suitcases outside your door before you go to bed. You will be given luggage tags with a certain character and color, and when that character/color is called the next morning on debarkation day, you will then be allowed to leave the ship. Keep in mind this process can take quite a while, but it’s nice to enjoy one last meal on the ship before you leave. If you prefer to leave the ship quickly, you can take advantage of the “express walk off” which means you must be responsible for your bags and must leave fairly early (they’ll let you know what time).