A friend recently asked me about the Disney Cruise Line app and it made me realize that I have never talked about it in detail before! It is a very handy resource to have, so here are the basics:
Up until May 16, 2019, the only thing you can use it for prior to the cruise was the countdown graphic. But, with the new update, you can now access all of your reservation details prior to the cruise. Basically, you can access all of the information that you could previously access only by logging in and viewing your reservation on the DCL website. Here are the changes with the update:
I took a few screenshots after I updated. The first page shows all of your current reservations. If you have more than 1 or 2, you scroll down to see the rest.
The countdown clock sets itself now since the app now knows your sail date:
As you can see above, you will now be able to use the app to reserve online activities once your booking window opens.
Once you board the ship, it can be used for many different things. First though, make sure you download the app before you board the ship, or at least before leaving port so that you don’t have to purchase wifi or use part of your free 50 mb (onboard internet details here).
Some of the things that you can do with it include:
check the schedule of onboard activities, including character meets
check the opening/closing times of places on the ship
check the daily menus of the main dining rooms
chat/text with other people who have the app
access deck plans
access port info on port days
select activities as “favorites” and then see them all on one screen
if you’ve put your name on the list for the Future Cruise Sales desk (onboard booking details here), it will notify you when you are next in line
if doing laundry, it will notify you when your washer/dryer is done (onboard laundry details here)
ETA 11/2019: You can now reserve a future cruise placeholder on the Navigator app and avoid the Future Cruise Sales desk altogether.
I’m sure there’s some things I’ve forgotten – please let me know of any you notice. I didn’t take any screen shots last time I was onboard, so I’ve grabbed the images from the app store to give you an idea of what to expect. Here are some sample screen shots:
Note the adorable Disney emojis on the chat feature! There are lots more not shown and we love to use them!
Note that new messages to your phone will not push through and notify you of a new message. You must open the app and go to the chat page to see new messages. Even then, there is sometimes a delay in receiving messages. I have heard that DCL is trying to address this issue. I personally have not dealt with delays, and I have gotten in the habit of regularly opening the chat page to check for new messages when our kids are not with us.
One thing the samples above don’t show but I check daily onboard are the evening dining room menus. They can be helpful in deciding whether you want to go to the MDR for dinner, or if someone in your party is going to be late, they can let you know ahead of time what to order for them so that your entire dinner service is not delayed.
Also, note that the app is free to use onboard and does not require you to purchase wifi.
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Excellent especially the laundry alert. But I do miss the suitcase and balloons of original count down.
I really wish they would add the ability to countdown more than one cruise. I also hate that the info completly disappears as soon as you leave the ship. Sometimes I want to look back at an activity or menu!
I agree on both of those!
Take screen shots on your phone and add them to your photo’s. They shouldn’t disappear. 🙂
Can the CM in the kid’s clubs communicate with you through the Navigator?
Hi Andrea! Currently, they cannot. You still need to carry the wave phone from your room in order for the nursery/club to contact you.
My 12 year old has a phone, but the Disney Cruise website won’t let me create an account for him because of his age. Will we be able to text using the app when we go on our cruise this summer? How do I get make sure it will work before we get on the ship?
Hi Terry! You do not need to create him an account on the Disney Cruise website. The DCL app works differently on land vs. on the ship, so you will not be able to set it up before you board the ship as the chat feature is only available onboard. Once onboard, you can both open the app and it will prompt you for last name and birthdate, which will allow it to connect to your reservation. Then, it will assign each of your devices a chat number which you will then type into the message section of the app to allow you to message another device. I hope this makes sense!
Thank you so much for the quick reply! I wasn’t able to find this information anywhere and was getting anxious about the possibility of not figuring it out in time.
This makes sense and sounds like it will be simple once we start our cruise. I appreciate your help!
Does each family member need to have their own account to be able to text on the app?
Does each family member need to have their own account to be able to text on the app?
Hi Heather! Once onboard and connected to the guest WiFi, the app behaves differently. Each device will ask for name, birthday and room number. This will assign that device a chat number so that you can communicate using the chat feature on the app. No other accounts need to be created before the cruise.