Back-to-Back Disney Cruises: Everything You Need to Know
Back-to-Back Disney Cruises: Everything You Need to Know
Once you’ve been on a Disney Cruise, you can probably figure out quite quickly why so many cruisers don’t want to leave. I know that I have said more times than I can count how much I wish I could live onboard a Disney Cruise ship.
While that dream might be hard to coordinate, there are ways to get more nights onboard a Disney Cruise to extend the magic, such as back-to-back Disney Cruises.
What is a back-to-back Disney Cruise? It’s a vacation where you would complete two sailings one right after the other. We spoke with Laura Greco, of Fairytale Journeys by Laura, who answered our members’ questions on back-to-back Disney Cruises like why you should consider a back-to-back Disney Cruise, how to book a back-to-back Disney Cruise, do you keep the same stateroom, and so much more!
Prefer to watch the full interview instead of reading? Check it out here:
Why should I do a back-to-back sailing vs a longer cruise on Disney?
Let’s start by saying that no matter what you do, you will have a wonderful time. While longer sailings certainly have plenty of perks including getting to build stronger relationships with fellow cruisers and cruise staff, more ports of call, potential for more theme nights, additional entertainment, and more, there are also several reasons that some seasoned cruisers like to sail back-to-back.
Double the time at Castaway Cay – Castaway Cay, Disney’s Private Island in the Bahamas, is Disney Cruise Line magic brought to land. Gorgeous beaches, the best service, amazing food, and all the activities onboard brought to land, are just some reasons that Castaway Cay is consistently Disney Cruisers favorite port of call. The Castaway Cay Double Dip itinerary which includes 2 stops at Castaway over 5 nights only occurs a few times a year. Because of this, they are quite popular, can sellout quickly, and the prices can be quite inflated. If you love Castaway Cay as much as we do, then visiting twice might be reason enough to book back-to-back Disney Cruises.
Easier to get to Platinum – Platinum cruisers have sailed on 10+ Disney Cruises. On other cruise lines, your tier might be based on number of nights sailed, but with Disney it’s based on sailings. Back-to-back Disney Cruises helps you climb to that Platinum tier faster to take advantage of all that being Platinum has to offer including: one complimentary dining visit for A18+ at the adult-only restaurants, priority bookings, earlier boarding times, and so much more! If you’re Platinum on back-to-back sailings, you can go to Palo twice (once per sailing) for no additional charge.
Double the placeholders – Placeholders, or open-ended reservations that are booked while onboard, are one of the best ways to save money on a Disney Cruise. You can book one placeholder per sailing. When you book back-to-back Disney Cruises, you can book two placeholders (one per sailing) which gives you more savings on future cruisers. Placeholders allow guests to have a reduced deposit ($250) and save 10% on the sailing if booked within 24 mores. Keep in mind that blackout dates such as certain holiday sailings and theme cruises do apply.
Get to know the ship – On shorter sailings, it’s more difficult to get to know the entire ship well in just 3-4 days considering how massive and impressive these vessels are. Having a back-to-back Disney Cruise allows you to have more time onboard to discover as much as possible onboard, take advantage of more activities, and feel more at home when on the ship. On longer sailings, you certainly have more days at sea to explore the ship. On back-to-back sailings, you can perhaps use a port of call day (since you have already visited) to stay onboard, try another restaurant, another pool, or another onboard activity. Even on shorter sailings, Disney Cruise Line provides countless activities for guests to do onboard all day and all night, so having another cruise gives you more chances to take advantage of as much as possible during your sailings.
Less tears – We aren’t ashamed to report that many tears have been shed when leaving a Disney Cruise to go back to reality. Good news is that with a back-to-back cruise, you don’t have to think about that sadness when disembarking because you get to go right back onboard! The sadness will come, but it’ll come after many more memories, much more food, and a handful more days onboard. Worth it!
How do you book a back-to-back Disney Cruise?
Booking a back-to-back Disney Cruise is quite easy, but not seamless depending on how you book. The easiest and less stressful way to book a back-to-back Disney Cruise is through a Travel Agent who can link your reservations for you, inform Disney, scan staterooms and categories to help get you the same room (if you want the same room), and so much more.
A Travel Agent is worth their weight in gold because with a back-to-back sailing, you are essentially planning two vacations. Working with a Travel Agent, which by the way costs you $0, helps takes stress and pressure off you alone. If you’re wondering about more reasons why so many Disney Cruisers use a Travel Agent, check out this article with all the answers.
If you book on your own, you are going to have to call Disney and notify them that you are sailing back-to-back. The system does not automatically link your reservations. Disney needs to know that you’re sailing back-to-back so they can give you the proper disembarkation documents, so make sure this is noted on your reservation or you will not get priority boarding.
If you book through a third-party travel site or big box warehouse (Expedia, Costco, etc.), then you are going to have to call them and then have them call Disney to link your reservations.
Do I get to stay on the ship longer when I sail back-to-back on Disney?
We wish! When you sail back-to-back, there are a few things that differ when it comes to disembarking but this is not one of them. On the morning of disembarkation, you will still eat breakfast at either the main dining room that you had dinner at the night before or at Marceline Market/Cabanas for a more casual option. From there, you will still be required to leave the ship because the ship needs to be cleaned and clear customs.
Make sure you bring a bag with your boarding documents, ID/passports, any medications, your Key to the World card, and the orange card that will be delivered to your stateroom on the last night. The orange card is extremely important as that is what tells Disney crew that you are back-to-back, and they do collect these when you board the ship again.
When you disembark the ship, you go through customs as normal, and then you get to go back up the escalator to the waiting area. In this area, they will check your documentation and IDs again. The whole process takes about an hour before you’re back on the ship ahead of everybody else – even the Concierge cruisers!
What happens to my luggage?
Just like with most things, Disney takes care of this for you. If you are staying in the same stateroom, then you do not need to pack up your belongings. If you are changing staterooms, you will pack up your suitcases, but Disney will bring them to your new stateroom for you.
Either way, you do not need to leave the ship with your luggage. If you’re wondering what to pack on a Disney Cruise, check out the Ultimate Disney Cruise Line Packing List here.
When I get back onboard, is everything open as normal?
Not quite. The ship is in transition mode between sailings, so it is actively being cleaned and prepared for the next group of cruisers. You won’t be welcomed onboard in the typical Disney style because the crew is preparing to welcome all the cruisers on later that day.
Remember that you’re boarding before the ship is even ready. The pools are being cleaned. The food in the restaurants is being prepared. Once everything is ready, you will have first access seeing as you’re already onboard. In the meantime though, you can relax on deck, hang out in your stateroom (it should be one of the first rooms accessible), or explore the ship.
Disney does have beverages and snacks typically located in the Cove Café and at one of the bars/lounges should you be hungry between sailings. We always recommend eating breakfast before disembarking the ship just in case there are ever any delays. When lunchtime comes around, you can be first in line at the restaurants, buffets like Cabanas, or on deck dining options.
Can I keep the same stateroom when I do a back-to-back Disney Cruise?
This is not something that happens automatically. If having the same stateroom is important to you, then we would recommend working with a Travel Agent to help ensure that you can get the same room for each sailing. They can scan all the categories and all the rooms to get you in your most ideal location on both sailings.
If you want to book your cruise on your own, which you can certainly do, then our advice is to have a few options just in case a room books on your second reservation while you’re booking your first.
The perks to keeping the same stateroom are that you don’t have to pack your bags between sailings, you get to build a stronger relationship with your stateroom host, and you only have to remember one stateroom number. However, there’s nothing wrong with switching staterooms, especially if you want to try out a different category of sailing for just a few nights to see if you like it.
Can you keep the same dining team when booking a back-to-back Disney Cruise?
Just as with your stateroom, this does not happen automatically. Dining teams are assigned randomly, not based on hierarchy. In our over 20 sailings, we have yet to have a bad dining team, but there have absolutely been memorable ones who we would love to sail with again.
If you love your dining team on your first sailing, we recommend speaking with your Head Server or visiting Guest Services to request to be seated with the same dining team again. Your Travel Agent, especially the ones on our Recommended Travel Agents page, can also help in potentially coordinating this before you even board the ship.
If I’m a Castaway Club member, will I get gifts in the stateroom on both sailings if I do back-to-back?
The Castaway Club is the exclusive club for those who have sailed on a Disney Cruise. After your first sailing is complete, you will be automatically enrolled in the Castaway Club. When you’re a member, on all your future cruises you will find a gift in your stateroom upon boarding.
When you sail back-to-back on a Disney Cruise, you will get the Castaway Club gift once per sailing. This is a great perk especially if you and another family member tend to argue over who gets to keep the gifts. No more fighting here!
Can I do a back-to-back Disney Cruise from Miami and Port Canaveral?
Yes! This just takes a bit more coordination. Without traffic, this drive is typically about 3-3.5 hours. We would recommend disembarking, spending a day in Orlando, the Parks, or even Cocoa Beach, and then boarding the second ship the following day to take some stress away between sailings. If that’s not an option, then you can absolutely do them back-to-back.
You are going to want to ensure you have a reliable method of transportation booked ahead of time, not wait around after disembarking the ship, and head straight to your second port. We would also recommend having your Travel Agent or Disney mark this on your reservation as well.
We see members of our community do this frequently, but it takes some additional planning ahead to make sure that it’s a smooth process. Unfortunately, with this type of back-to-back Disney Cruise, you will not have the priority boarding or same stateroom as you will be completely changing ships.
For your first back-to-back, we would recommend sticking to one ship if possible. If you’re itching to try multiple ships and multiple itineraries, then talk through with your Travel Agent what would be the best option for your schedule, priorities, interests, and budget.
Back-to-back cruises are a great way to spend as much time as possible onboard a Disney Cruise. If you’re wondering if a back-to-back or longer sailing is best for your family, give one of our Recommended Travel Agents a call or send them an email. They can talk through what might make best sense for your family based on your location, your itineraries of interest, budget, your family’s likes and dislikes, etc. Their services are completely complimentary, and they can help you plan as much or as little of the vacation as you would like.
With so many elements to plan (itinerary, ship, transportation, stateroom, excursions, onboard activities, dining, etc.) it’s so nice to have a dedicated expert to work with you in planning instead of putting all the stress of coordinating on your shoulders.
If you decide to book a back-to-back Disney Cruise, share which itineraries and which ship you decided on by visiting our free DCL Community Group.
