The Unofficial Guide to the Disney Cruise Line 2019

by Erin Foster, Erin Foster, Laurel Stewart

The Unofficial Guide to the Disney Cruise Line is your no-nonsense, consumer-oriented guide to Disney's cruise vacations. We'll point out the best of Disney's ships and itineraries, including a couple of stellar restaurants, top-notch children's activities, and Castaway Cay, one of the best vacation islands in the Caribbean. We'll also tell you which on-board entertainment and restaurants should be skipped, including what to do instead. Along the way we'll show you how to save money, choose the right stateroom, ship, and itinerary, and how to get to and from your cruise with ease.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

440 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2008

About the author

Born and raised in "The Happiest Place on Earth," Erin Foster has been taught to always be on the lookout for a Prince who sings in perfect pitch to describe how he's feeling and is carrying a "Happily Ever After" in his back pocket. Realistically? She knows it's not happening, which is why she has turned her attention to fiction.

She holds a degree in Spanish Literature and Language and has spent time traveling the world to find the perfect settings for her novels. Hopping on a plane to spend a few weeks hunting out locales and taking creepy photos of sidewalks and brick patterns is not an uncommon pastime. She is also hopelessly addicted to NaNoWriMo spin-off writing challenges.

Reviews

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a lot of this information can be found on the Disney website, it's certainly handy. I did not read the chapters that weren't related to our particular situation, cruise destination, ship, and port adventures. I discovered some hints and information I wasn't aware of, and of particular value to me, were the ratings of the shows on board. I have a tendency to think I have to take advantage of everything offered, so it was nice to know that perhaps there are a few things it might be OK to skip. I was hoping for a little more in-depth information regarding port adventures, however, there was enough regarding our destination that what I read actually changed my mind regarding what port adventure we chose. I think it was worth the purchase.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only giving it 3 stars. The info. on the ship was great! The info on ports of call and shore excursions was horrible. They have about a paragraph and a half about port excursions (they do cover the Castaway Cay one's more in-depth, with a few pages- but a big disappointment.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of all the Disney Cruise Line guidebooks. Very detailed and informative!

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has lots of helpful information for potential Disney Cruise Line travelers. It especially excels in the areas of cruise logistics (transportation, embarkation/debarkation, etc.); descriptions of onboard amenities, restaurants, shows, etc.; and choosing your stateroom and itinerary. I will say that a significant chunk of the book is devoted to figuring out what and when to book your cruise. If (like me) you’ve already booked your cruise prior to purchasing this book, it won’t be quite as useful to you. I wish there was more in-depth information about the various shore excursions (aka “Port Adventures” in Disney parlance), but I suppose it would be a bit difficult to provide a comprehensive guide to all of these due to the variety available at the many different ports DCL visits. Overall, the book is well worth the money you’ll pay for it.

[Robert Sparrenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this making a random trip down the stacks today at the library. After five Disney cruises so far(sixth one is booked) I’ve become a professional Disney cruiser. It was interesting to read the author’s experiences and how she viewed just about everything on the boat. It’s well done and takes you through step by step how to get the most and best from your Disney Cruise vacation.

A particular highlight was the bingo section and the mentioning of her favorite bingo caller:Skipper Steve. He’s definitely the best!!!

I saw that a 2019 version was out. May have to skim that one for the latest on our 2020 Disney Cruise to the western Caribbean.

B-11 B, B-11!! Beyoncé!!

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for great new information. Most of the things I already knew. The one part I needed good information on was sadly brief and sketchy. I wanted more port information. This would be great if you were on the fence about a cruise, but if it's already booked it is too little too late.

[$amruddhi$hruti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of the unofficial guide to WDW and having read multiple editions of that book, I was sorely disappointed by this.
My gripe is that this work doesn't provide a holistic and critical assessment of ALL of the port adventures offered by DCL in a manner as comprehensive as their WDW book.
Only castaway Cay's activities are covered followed by a short section titled 'suggestions beyond castaway cay'.
The appeal of shore excursions by age, guidance on which to prioritize, how to maximize our experience by clubbing multiple best port adventures and so on is completely missing.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with the negativity in this book. I'm a huge Disney fan, and this book made me this that this author doesn't enjoy disney at all.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy the information and insight from these books. I was annoyed with the ebook not linking to the correct information. Still worth the purchase.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really outdated, obviously, but it carries a lot of nostalgia for me. Also, DISNEY WORLD

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful for a first time Disney cruiser! I can't wait to use the information :)

[John Zucchero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good analysis of all ships. It does jump around from ship to ship a little too much, but it is still great. Disney has 4 ships. 2 of one class made is the late 90s (the Magic and the Wonder) and other 2 (of another bigger class) made in the early 2010s (the Dream and the Fantasy). Ships of each class are identical to each other (i.e. the Dream and the Fantasy are practically twins). Once you separate the 2 classes in your mind, the book is an easy read. Well worth the money.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well organized and very informative. You can get a lot of this info on the web but having it all together in one place without having to do extensive searches, makes it worth the price.

[Calvin Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Good read, recommended to read. Helps with travel a lot. Good buy. A run for your money and would buy this any day.

[Tracy Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you need to know

I find the unofficial Disney books to be extremely informative and unbiased. I love the little tips dispersed throughout the book.

[Kat Ice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I missed my Disney cruise so much I had to read the unofficial guide for it! haha loved this though! cannot wait to get and read the 2017 version!

[Jennifer Kan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good information

This book contains good useful info for first time cruisers on Disney cruises. It's an eat to read and follow guide.