10 Things to Expect From Your Stateroom on a Disney Cruise

If you’ve never sailed on Disney Cruise Line, or have never sailed on any cruise line for that matter, you may not know what to expect from your stateroom. You may even wonder why Disney calls them “staterooms” when every other line calls their rooms “cabins”. I can’t answer that last one, other than Disney likes to sound fancy, but I can help with some other questions you may have! Here are 10 things you may want to know.

1. Split Bathrooms are a Thing – Disney pioneered the concept of a split bathroom in every stateroom. A split bathroom means there are two bathrooms. Kind of. One of them has a sink and toilet; the other has a sink and shower/tub combo. It’s very handy when two people are getting ready at the same time. With the exception of accessible staterooms, they are standard in all categories 10 and up – or any staterooms with the word “Deluxe” in the title.

2. Every Stateroom has a Couch and Desk – There’s a living area of sorts in almost every stateroom as well. There’s a couch that converts to a bed, and a desk with a vanity area. Just to prove that there is an exception to every rule, there are two staterooms on the Wish-class ships that do not have a couch, just a large chair that folds out. Those are 8192 and 8690.

3. There’s a Privacy Curtain – Almost every stateroom has a privacy curtain between the bed and living area, which helps when one side of the stateroom is on a different sleep schedule than the other. You’ll find them in every stateroom with a traditional layout.

4. The Bed Doesn’t Split – On most other cruise lines, the bed can split to make two beds. The beds do not split on Disney! That makes for more comfortable beds, but not good news for friends traveling together.

5. Not All Staterooms Sleep Max Occupancy – Even if a stateroom type will sleep up to 4 or 5, that does not mean that every stateroom of that type actually will. Not all staterooms have the extra pull-down beds which allow a stateroom to accommodate up to 4 or 5. You can tell if yours does by carefully reading the description of the specific stateroom you select in the booking process. Your travel agent should also be able to tell you.

6. The Flat-Screen TV is Loaded – The TVs in the stateroom are loaded with good things to watch when you are in your stateroom. There are Pixar and Disney movies on demand, as well as some popular Disney shows. A recorded version of the nightly shows in the Walt Disney Theatre is often reshown on the TV, with several other channels and shows to choose from. Don’t miss the morning show every morning with the Cruise Director and Assistant Cruise Director. It’s a fun way to start the day and hear what kinds of activities are in store for you during the day.

7. There are Complimentary Toiletries – The bathrooms have shampoo, conditioner, and soap for you to use. Some other cruise lines that shall remain nameless try to pass off a 3-in-1 toiletry product as acceptable. It is not. The Magic and Wonder have a blow dryer built into the bathroom wall, but there is also one in the stateroom on every ship.

8. There’s a Small Fridge – There is a small fridge in the stateroom. It’s not incredibly cold, but it’s workable for most purposes!

9. Room Service is Free – With only a few exceptions, room service is free! There are a few clearly marked items with a charge, and you should always tip the crew member who delivers it, but the rest is complimentary. It’s available 24 hours a day until early morning of the last day onboard. There’s also a pre-order form for a continental breakfast located in the drawer of your desk that you can hang outside your door the night before if you wish to order anything.

10. You Can Pre-Order Some In-Stateroom Gifts – I talked about pre-ordering gifts for your stateroom in a previous blog post. There are gifts, popular souvenirs, food, drinks, and room decorations. It’s especially fun to surprise your roommates!

Do you have any questions or tips about the staterooms onboard?