Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy: What is a Port Adventure?

“Port Adventure” is Disney Cruise language for what other cruise lines might call an excursion or expedition. No matter what you call it, a port adventure is something to do off the ship (in port) that you book through the cruise line. Port Adventures might be as simple and inexpensive as renting a bicycle for an hour or as extravagant and pricey as a private helicopter and dogsledding tour of a glacier.

Regardless of which end of that spectrum you’re on, rest assured that there is no obligation to book any Port Adventure if you’re sailing with Disney Cruise Line. You don’t have to get off the ship at all if you don’t want to. You’re also perfectly welcome to explore any port on your own or reserve experiences via some other vendor. Also note that not all Port Adventures are, well, adventurous. Many involve tame experiences like cooking lessons, museum visits, or lounging on the beach. (That’s my kind of adventure!)

If you do decide to book Port Adventures through Disney, you can (and should) do this in advance on the DCL website. Your booking date is determined by your Castaway Club membership level and whether you have paid in full for your cruise.

Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy is an offshoot of our “Disney in a Minute” posts. “In a Jiffy” posts are bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney Cruise (DCL) line term or planning topic. Have a question about a DCL term that is unfamiliar to you? Suggest it here for an upcoming segment.