disney cruise app for iphone

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Disney Cruise Line Navigator App

Prepare for your disney cruise at home – and enjoy even more magic on the ship , at home – before setting sail.

Watch a video to discover how to manage your reservation before leaving home.

Manage Your Reservation

Review reservation details, view deck plans, modify your stateroom—and make payments. View More

Here’s what you can do:

SEE YOUR PRICE SUMMARY

Make payments, view and modify stateroom, view deck plans, my online check-in.

Make boarding the ship a breeze—speed up the check-in process at the port by providing your information at home. View More

PROVIDE INFORMATION

View required documents, review your cruise contract and data protection policy, choose arrival time, youth activities, explore & book activities.

Find out about Port Adventures and things to do on board the ship—and make reservations in advance for premium experiences. View More

ONBOARD FUN

Port adventures, adult dining, spa & fitness, additional cruise options.

Review and edit your vacation selections—from ground and air transportation to special requests, dinner seating and more. View More

Take a look at the following options:

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

View flight details, disney cruise line vacation protection plan, special requests, on board the ship – during your cruise.

Watch a video to learn how to make your onboard experience even more magical with our app.

Unlock More Magic

Whether you’re an iOS or Android user, you can access an array of onboard features with the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. View More

Make sure your device is in airplane mode prior to boarding.
Once you arrive at the port terminal or make your way onto the ship, you will need to connect to DCL-Guest WiFi to access the onboard app features.
This easy-to-follow video tutorial provides helpful tips for both Android and iOS users.

Onboard Chat

Stay connected to your family and friends throughout your cruise. View More

Chat one-to-one or with multiple friends and family members at the same time.
Choose from a wide array of Disney emoticons to express yourself as you chat.
Use the permissions feature to control access by children.

Activities, Entertainment & Restaurants

Quickly access daily activities, dining details and entertainment schedules. View More

View a daily onboard calendar of events and things to do.
Get rotational dining details—including location information, dining times and even your table number.
Access all restaurant menus on board the ship, including menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and when dining at Palo, Remy, inside our lounges and bars, and for in-stateroom dining.
Find schedules for the entertainment that interests you—from fireworks at sea, movies and live shows, to music at nightclubs and lounges.
Learn where Disney Characters are throughout the ship.
Review recent onboard purchases and download a statement of your cruise balance.

View & Book Activities

Review the fun you’ve already booked—and reserve even more magical activities. View More

View all the activities you’ve previously reserved—and book even more fun—such as Port Adventures, Adult Dining, sessions at Senses Spa & Salon and more.
Use a personal planner so you can save your schedule and favorite activities to one place.
Plan your day, from shows to shopping.
Receive activity reminders.

Ports of Call & Days at Sea

View My Plans to see the day-to-day itinerary of your cruise. View More

See the ports of call you’ll be visiting in some of the world’s most stunning destinations—from tropical locales bathed in endless sunshine to frozen wonderlands bursting with unspoiled natural splendor.
While at sea, be immersed in a seemingly endless stream of one-of-a-kind offerings to inspire and delight the entire family on decks overflowing with restaurants, pools, recreation and more.

Latest Offers & Specials

Receive notifications about our fantastic spa and shopping offers—featured daily.

Explore Your Ship

Use a complete deck plan to check out the ship—deck by deck, from bow to stern.

Disney Cruise Navigator App: Everything You Need to Know

by Eric Freilich | Jan 8, 2024 | Disney Cruise Line

Here’s your guide to using the Disney Cruise Navigator app before you embark.

A Disney Cruise is a magical experience for Disney fans of all ages. What better way to sail the high seas than with your favorite Disney characters? There’s a lot to ‘“sea” and do onboard, and the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app can help you plan and manage your trip, explore offerings on the ship, and stay in touch with your family and friends.

We’ve used the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App on every one of our sailings, and while some features have changed over the years, the app is still a useful – and essential! – tool for cruisers to make sure you don’t miss out on a moment of fun. You’ll rely on the Navigator App before and during your cruise, so you’ll want to get familiar with it well before you actually set sail. Below, we’ve got your guide to using and perusing the app!

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Attraction special – haunted mansion, attraction special – jungle cruise, attraction special – pirates of the caribbean, using the disney cruise navigator app before your cruise.

To start using the Disney Cruise Navigator app, download it from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and create a login – or log in with your existing Disney account.

The Disney Cruise Navigator app offers helpful features before your cruise.

As soon as you book your cruise, you’ll see a countdown to your sailing, featuring Disney characters. You’ll also have access to helpful features to manage your cruise, make payments, view and modify your stateroom, and view deck plans.

You can also request to change your dining time, if spots are available, or manage travel options such as ground transportation and flights.

Add your reservation to the DCL Navigator app.

Once your cruise is paid in full and your booking window opens – based upon your Castaway Club stats – you can explore and reserve activities such as adults-only dining experiences .

Using the Disney Cruise Navigator App During Your Cruise

Once you’re aboard the ship, you’ll have access to additional features when connected to the free Wi-Fi ( free when used only for the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app).

Wi-Fi is free when using the app aboard the ship.

The Onboard Chat is an easy way to connect with friends, family, and Crew Members – including Guest Services – all from within the app. You can also view restaurant information such as locations, menus, and your table number. Want to skip a meal to relax in your room? Check out the in-room dining menu right from the app for a sweet treat .

One helpful feature you’ll want to utilize in the Navigator App is the ability to participate in the Mandatory Emergency Drill , or Muster Drill, before you set sail. Just have a member of your party go to your assigned designated onboard Assembly Station and check in with a crew member. This is a welcome change compared to waiting for everyone to arrive and check in before the drill could begin, especially if it was located on deck.

Other features include the ability to review the daily entertainment schedule – you’ll find the details for shows, fireworks, activities, Port Adventures, and character locations – and set reminders so you don’t miss out on a moment of fun .

You can also keep tabs on your onboard account so there aren’t any surprises on your last day as you prepare for debarkation .

The Navigator app is really intuitive

Tips for Using the Disney Cruise Navigator App

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App:

Bring a phone charger—or two! You’ll want to keep the app open to receive notifications and reminders. Having a portable charger to carry with you through the day can be a big help; just remember to charge it each night.
Make sure you’re connected to the Wi-Fi . You don’t have to purchase an internet plan to use the app, though you will need to pay for Wi-Fi if you intend to work on vacation (boo!) or immediately share photos of your dinner on the ‘Gram.
Check for app and software updates before you sail. You won’t want to use part of your paid internet plan to download them during your cruise.
Review the app and the Disney Cruise Line Website before you sail for the latest information on availability and features.

The Disney Cruise Navigator App is a must-have when sailing on a Disney Cruise . From ship to shore, it’s the perfect companion for your adventure on the high seas. Learn more about what you can expect when you set sail aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship and keep reading:

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Download the Disney Cruise Navigator App

Tripsavvy / Suzanne Rowan Kelleher

Taking a Disney Cruise ? Now there are two ways to stay on top of what's happening on the ship. Every day of your cruise, the paper "Personal Navigator" gives you a stem-to-stern rundown of special events and parties, youth and adult activities, character appearances, and entertainment.

Or you can lose the paper and personalize your trip on your smartphone with the help of the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App. It's available for free for iPhone and Android, and it's a great way to organize your time and make sure you don't miss a thing. Best of all, everyone in your family can download the app and personalize their own shipboard experiences.

How to Get Started

Download the app from the Apple App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android.
Once onboard, go into your phone's settings and turn on Airplane Mode. This is a smart move even if you don't use the app, because it will turn off your data so you're not smacked with an expensive wireless bill when you get back from your trip.
Connect to wi-fi on the DCL-GUEST network.
Now you're ready to go. The app is free and only works on the Disney cruise ship.

Keep a Daytimer for Your Disney Cruise

The paper version of the "Personal Navigator" gives you a full day's schedule, but it's not available until the night before. You'll find the next day's "Personal Navigator" in your stateroom when you return in the evening after dinner.

One advantage of the Navigator app is that it gives you an overview of all the events for the entire cruise, so you can jump ahead and see what's coming up. Since it gives you the big picture of all your options—a movie that will be screened multiple times on the same cruise, for example—it's great for those of us who like to plan ahead.

Someone in your family doesn't use a smartphone? Let them have the paper "Personal Navigator" all to themselves.

Get a Big-Picture View of Your Disney Cruise

The app is simple to use and very intuitive. The main menu lets you quickly find what you're looking for.

Keep the Day's Activities at Your Fingertips

It's easy to see all the activities happening on the ship—including when they start and where to go—as well as the scheduled activities during your day on Castaway Cay . You can filter activities by age group, so kids, 'tweens and teens can make sure they don't miss any of the fun events at the Oceaneer Lab, Oceaneer Club, Edge, or Vibe.

When you see an activity or event you like, simply select the heart icon and it will be saved into your personal schedule. Everyone in the family with a smartphone can select their own don't-miss activities and keep his or her own personal schedule.

Chat With Family Members

Keeping tabs on kids is a snap with the chat function, which lets you send and receive text messages with the family members in your stateroom.

Find Favorite Disney Characters in a Flash

One of the wonderful things about taking a Disney Cruise is being able to meet Disney characters in a more intimate setting that you might find at the theme parks.

The Navigator app lets you know where each character has scheduled appearances with an official Disney photographer. You are always free to take personal photos, so don't forget your camera.

Don't Miss a Thing on Your Disney Cruise

Any activities that you've saved by clicking the heart icon will be stored in a handy personalized schedule. On the fence? Go ahead and save it with a heart. If you change your mind later, just deselect the heart and the activity will be removed from your schedule.

You'll get an alert 15 minutes before the activity so you won't miss anything. And since different family members can have their own favorites saved, everyone can do what they like.

Pull Up Deckplans in a Snap

Are your kids begging to go to the AquaDuck ? Can't remember how to get to the Guest Services desk? Finding your way around the ship is a breeze when you have all the deck plans at your fingertips.

Sneak a Peek at Your Dinner Menu

Wondering what's for dinner ? The Navigator app lets you sneak a peek at the dinner menu. Super handy if you've got dietary restrictions, a picky eater, or a big appetite.

Make a Safe and Speedy Exit

The last morning of your cruise can be hectic if you're not organized. The Navigator app gives all the need-to-know info for debarkation day, from packing tips to necessary documentation and post-cruise transportation options.

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Step-By-Step: How to Use Disney Cruise Line Navigator on Board

The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App is essential when you’re on board the ship, as there is no paper listing of daily events. Want to know where you’re having dinner? The app. What the schedule is in the movie theater? The app. How will you contact your teenagers and tell them you’ll be out of reach in the Rainforest Room? The app.

Since you can’t take a spin through the on-board version until you’re, well, on board, take a spin through the overview below. We’ll cover everything from the basics to some pro tips that might even leave your tech-savvy kids asking “Whoa, how did you do that?” By the time you sail, you’ll be an old hand at finding the information you want fast . ( Last updated/republished May 21, 2024.)

Tap any heading below to go directly to that section, and click on any image to enlarge it.

Getting Connected Getting Oriented Making Plans – Where to Find What Dining Information in DCL Navigator Using the DCL Navigator Chat Miscellaneous

Getting Connected

If you run the app at home before your cruise, it works like an app version of the Disney Cruise Line website. But once you get on board, you’ll see a whole new look. In order to access the onboard version of the app, you must be connected to the DCL Guest Wifi, available on the ship. It is free to connect and you do not need to buy an internet package to use the app or any of its features.

On land, you log in to the app with the same credentials you use on the Disney Cruise Line website, but on board, you won’t log in at all. Instead, you’ll link your stateroom. This allows everyone in your group to use the app whether they have a website login or not. The steps below may vary a bit, but the screenshots should be typical. Once you’re connected to DCL Guest WiFi, open the app, tap “Link Your Stateroom”, and follow the prompts.

The screen shows a notice that you are connected to DCL-GUEST, along with a warning that to access apps other than the Navigator or surf the internet, you must buy an internet package

Although the text says to link your stateroom , you’re really setting up the app for an individual user. If you and your partner (or kids) link to the same stateroom number, you’ll have different chat IDs based on the personal information you gave.

Did one of your kids accidentally link on their phone using your info, and now their phone thinks they’re you in the chat? No worries — look on the bottom right for “More” and select it, then choose “Help”, then “About this app”. You’ll see a link to reset the app, after which you can relink it correctly.

Getting Oriented

When you first open the app, you’ll be on the Home Screen. How do you know it’s the Home Screen? On the bottom of the screen is a menu bar; the icons light up to indicate which area you’re currently using. If you’ve used any of Disney’s parks apps such as My Disney Experience or the Disneyland app, this interface will feel a little familiar. Here’s what you’ll find when tapping any of these icons:

Home: rapid access to the first few items in your plans, plus the day’s itinerary information for the ship
Explore: all the available activities — if it’s on the ship’s activity schedule, you’ll find it here, plus shopping and more
Add Plans: The big plus sign is a shortcut to activities you need to pre-book.
My Plans: This is the full blow-by-blow of everything in — you guessed it — your plans. See your whole trip in one place.
More: Access to a variety of miscellaneous features: view your bill, muster information, etc.

Making Plans – Where to Find What

Today’s ship information.

Clicking Today’s Itinerary on the Home Screen gives you the big picture – weather, what the ship is doing that day, etc. If it’s a port day this is where you’ll find the All Ashore and All Aboard times, as well as information about Emergency Contacts and the Ship’s Agent if you have a problem when you’re ashore. If you’re going ashore, I recommend taking a screenshot of the Contact Information screen to guarantee you have access to these numbers no matter what the internet situation is.

Find Your Plans Under “My Plans”

The “My Plans” screen is the way to see all of your plans for the day (or for other days), and you’ll get notifications 15 minutes in advance for anything that’s in “My Plans”. When you first board, you’ll see three kinds of activities in pre-loaded into this screen.

You’ll always see your assigned dining rotation for the day.
You’ll see anything you pre-booked or reserved such as specialty dining or port adventures.
“Signature Events” – usually the ship’s evening stage shows – will be added automatically, but can be removed if you don’t want to include them.

The rest of the ship’s daily activities – crafts, trivia, etc. – will be found in the Explore screen. Tap the heart to add any activity so that it appears in the Your Plans tab. Want to take it off later when reviewing your plans? Just tap again to unselect it. These favorites are specific to you, so if some family members are excited about the midnight movie and others are more interested in Rise ‘n’ Shine Yoga, everyone will see only the things they’ve added.

A list of activities is shown and an arrow points to the heart at the top right of an activity listing

Activities – the Explore Screen

If you want to go beyond the activities that are automatically added to your plans, you’ll want to head to the Explore tab. Disney has worked hard to expose a lot of information in this screen so don’t be afraid to tap, tap, tap. Want to see movie schedules? There are at least four different ways to access them. When you first open the Explore tab, there are a few settings that you’ll want to be aware of.

How to see activities for a different date in DCL Navigator app

Tapping the Date allows you to switch and see activities for a different day.
The Filter lets you select activities based on specific criteria like age range or activity type.
The left-right slider that starts with “Daily Activities” lets you quickly move back and forth between categories
The little ship on the top left can be used to access deck plans.

For more on how to get the most out of the Explore screen and easily plan your day’s activities, see Plan Your Day With the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App .

Dining information is found all over the app. On the Explore tab, the Dining & Lounges slider section shows you hours for all the dining venues. You can see which rotational restaurant is serving lunch, and what time Cabanas is open. Clicking any eatery brings up the menu. Just for you, you can see your rotational dining assignment on the Home screen or the My Plans tab, and you can click to bring up the menu. Want to see your dining schedule for the whole cruise? You’ll find that on the More tab.

The chat feature of the Navigator app is accessed by tapping the little chat bubble that is visible on many (but not all) screens. If you have new messages, the bubble will have a red dot and a number to show how many new messages you have. The chat bubble will only show when you’re scrolled all the way to the top of the screen.

If you’ve texted on your phone before, you can use the chat in the Navigator, but there are a few things that are worth a callout. First, people in your cabin will automatically be shown in your chat list. Want to talk to anyone else? You’ll need to supply them with your Chat ID, visible above your name, in order to get the conversation going.

A screen shows several places that you can get information including your chat ID and editable name

⭐ You can click the little pencil to the right of your name to change how it is shown in chat, to you and your chat partners. Having your kids change their screen names can be a good way to keep some privacy for your family as they accumulate a long list of chat friends in Edge and Vibe. (Changes are retroactive). Even if you don’t care about privacy, you can still count coup on your kids by changing screen name before they do theirs. Who says parents can’t be tech-savvy?

⭐ To get alerts when someone messages you, make sure that your phone is set to allow notifications from the app. But this still doesn’t always work properly. If you’re waiting for a message, you might want to launch the app and check every now and then.

⭐ Swiping left on a chat thread offers options for blocking contacts or leaving the chat, depending on whether it’s an individual or group thread. You can also clear the previous messages, or get more details about participants.

⭐ If you had a pop-up message when you first opened Navigator for the day and dismissed it, you can still find it here by switching from Conversations to Notifications.

Miscellaneous

Here’s a quick list of where to find …

Your account balance: More tab, then My Charges (you can also download a copy of your Folio online after your cruise).
Change your purchasing pin: More tab, then My Account; you may need to visit Guest Services to do this in person
Book a placeholder cruise: you can do this two ways (because Disney is always happy to take your booking for a future cruise). Either begin from the Home screen, just under the ship image, or from the More screen: 10% off a future cruise.
Weather: Tap Today’s Itinerary from the Home Screen
Your full dining rotation: More screen, then Dining Schedule
Your muster station: More screen, then Emergency Assembly Station; you can also find this on your Key to the World card.

First published July 5, 2022

Jennifer Heymont

Jennifer has a background in math and biology, so she ended up in Data Science where she gets to do both. She lives just north of Boston with her husband, kids, and assorted animal members of the family. Although it took three visits for the Disney bug to "take", she now really wishes she lived a lot closer to the Parks.

10 thoughts on “ Step-By-Step: How to Use Disney Cruise Line Navigator on Board ”

What an amazing resource. I’m truly grateful! This will be our inaugural Disney Cruise Line vacation, and I can’t wait to wow the kids.

What a fantastic tool, I really appreciate it, Jennifer. This will be our first Disney Cruise Line vacation, so I’m looking forward to impressing the kids.

Jennifer Heymont, thank you for the information. While onboard, is there the best way to record the DCL Navigator pages for each day? Is there a way for DCL Guest Services to print the same information? I’ve seen another website called disney cruise blog post hard copies and phone-recorded copies of the ship’s daily navigators. I prefer reading their hard copy. Any suggestions?

Hi Ray, the printed Navigators that you’ve seen copies of on other blogs had already started to be phased out before COVID; they were still available on request but no longer delivered automatically. When sailings returned after a year+ hiatus during COVID, printed Navigators were not offered at all. As recently as September of last year, Disney’s official answer is that there is no printed schedule and you should use the app. ( https://plandisney.disney.go.com/question/hard-copies-daily-navigator-brought-back-found-app-518562/ ). But I have heard that guests are sometimes able to have Guest Services print out a schedule for them. This may depend on how busy they are, etc., etc. – your mileage may vary.

One thing I can suggest: when we sailed with a printed Navigator we never carried it with us, just used it in the room to plan our day. That’s actually one thing I prefer with the app, that I can always have it with me without “taking it away” from anyone else in my family who might want to use it. If you’re comfortable in this “room only resource” mode and you have an iPad or other tablet, the app displays a lot more information per screen on those devices (just because they’re larger) and sometimes it’s easier to use. The downside is that you can only be logged in on one device at a time; if you sign in to the app on an iPad it will log you out on the phone – or at least, that’s what happened to me when I tried it.

What an awesome resource, thank you Jennifer! First time DCL cruising family and I love the idea of showing off to the kids when we get on board, LOL.

Just a question – can we view our photos taken on the app too? For the package?

Hi Melissa, here’s hoping your kids are suitably impressed! 🙂

To answer your question, no – at least not when I was last on board. I’m not sure when your cruise is, but our cruise expert Erin may have an article coming out in the next few months on what you need to know about the DCL onboard photos. Whether or not you see it before you go, have a great trip!

Is it possible to use the app without paying for any internet service at all and yet have access to all of its features?

Hello, you’ll be connected to the DCL Guest WiFi, which is like a little mini-network that belongs to the ship. The WiFi network can connect to the internet, but you don’t need to. The app runs on the WiFi, which means that you don’t need to access the internet to use it, and as far as I’m aware there are no paid features in the app. Once you’ve paid to get on the ship, you’re good to go!

Can you access all of the app features without paying for any internet?

Hi Laura – yes, you can. I’ll put that in the post, actually, thanks for flagging that!