Rebecca joins us to recap her family's 5-night Bahamian sailing on the Disney Destiny — a true multigenerational trip spanning three connected staterooms: her husband and their two daughters, her in-laws, and her sister- and brother-in-law's family, all sailing together. A crew member told them the ship was close to capacity, with an estimated 1,800 kids on board, but the crowds weren't what made this cruise memorable.

In this episode:

• How they coordinated three connected staterooms across three generations, and the MagicBand glitch that nearly derailed embarkation day
• Why her husband was a self-described "reluctant cruiser" and what finally won him over
• The night her mother-in-law unexpectedly ended up a contestant on Match Your Mate, and became a ship celebrity for the rest of the cruise
• Which rotational dining restaurant was the runaway favorite, and which one missed for their group
• Castaway Cay versus Lookout Cay: weather, snorkeling, and the beach wagon that saved the day
• A Marceline Market seating hack for anyone traveling with a big group

"The Tiana performer for Almost There brought me to literal tears. She had an amazing voice. She was so good. That to me was worth all of the other songs."

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor, We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

After nine sailings on Disney Cruise Line, Lindsey's family tried something different: a seven-night Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Beyond. Sam sits down solo with our returning guest for a full, honest comparison — service, dining, kids club, and one very polarizing stateroom design.

In this episode:

• Why a Greek Isles cruise turned into a Celebrity Caribbean sailing instead
• Living with Celebrity's "Infinite Veranda" stateroom in Caribbean heat
• How Celebrity's kids club, casino, and dining compare to Disney Cruise Line
• The one thing Lindsey's daughter now prefers about Celebrity
• A behind-the-scenes ship tour, captain included
• Would she book Celebrity again? The honest verdict

"On Disney Cruise Line, I feel like I'm taken care of... I don't have to ask for the manager."

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

A while back, we did a show on the early growing pains of the Disney Adventure — and more than one of you wrote in afterward saying we needed to talk to someone who'd sailed it more recently, because things have gotten so much better. So we did. Rich just got back from his second Adventure sailing, this time with his whole family instead of just him and his wife, after a points-fueled trip through Shanghai Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland on the way there.

In this episode:

• What's actually changed on the Disney Adventure since Rich's maiden voyage
• Sailing concierge as a family of four, including the stateroom's oddly configured extra room
• Why Rich's party of four had a wine pairing tasting entirely to themselves
• The Marvel Speakeasy's secret entrance, and how you learn it
• What his 16- and 13-year-old made of the ship's teen and tween spaces
• Rich's day-trip tips for Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore before and after the cruise

"It was our intro to Prima Notte — the first night at Palo, a wine pairing tasting experience for adults only. The four of us in our party were the only four that participated, so we really got a personalized experience from the sommelier, from Palo's manager." — Rich

You find, connect and book your next Disney adventure with Rich (and his wife MacKenzie) via their website.

Support the Show
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing: We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store: DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She's been on 10 Disney cruises — but the Disney Destiny's brand-new 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary still had a few surprises. This week Heather joins Sam and Brian to break down the first-ever Destiny sailing to San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Maarten, plus what it's like cruising with two kids who are now old enough to plan for themselves.

In this episode:

• Why this family skipped Disney's shore excursions entirely in San Juan and St. Maarten and built their own port days instead (with a little help from AI trip planning)
• Their honest verdict on sit-down embarkation day lunch at Pride Lands vs. their usual buffet routine
• What made the Prima Notte tasting at Palo and the Old Fashioned flight at Hook's Barbary worth booking
• Why the walk down Lookout Cay's pier is nowhere near as intimidating as it looks online
• The design choice that makes Destiny's Grand Hall feel completely different from Wish and Treasure
• How two kids under 10 kept themselves entertained without waiting in a single character line

Heather on Destiny's theming: "It's a Heroes and Villains theme ship. It's not supposed to feel warm and cozy. It's supposed to feel exciting and epic."

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Two sisters, a GTY stateroom, and a three-year-old with strong opinions about gondolas. Kory and Lyndsey booked their Disney Magic Alaska cruise just 30 days out, and it turned into one of their most relaxing sailings yet. From a musty stateroom mishap to a $200 parking hack near Canada Place, this episode is packed with real, DIY-tested tips for doing Alaska with young kids on a budget.

In this episode:

• Booking a seven-person Alaska cruise just 30 days out with a GTY stateroom, and what to do if your room isn't great
• A $200+ parking hack for anyone driving up to Canada Place in Vancouver
• Renting a car through Turo to build a DIY White Pass itinerary in Skagway
• The Icy Strait Point trick that gets you a gondola ride, a scavenger hunt, and a surprise visit from Koda
• Why you should pre-buy your Disney Cruise Line photo package before you sail
• Sailing with a toddler, seven-year-old twins, and a Kids Club goal for baby number two

"It was very smelly and being pregnant, I just had a little bit of an emotional breakdown... I don't know that I can stay in this room feeling this kind of nauseous, but the cast members were wonderful."

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon (Patreon). Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Beth just wrapped her ninth Disney cruise — a Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona to Southampton with four families and 15 people along for the ride — and it delivered everything from a World Cup Final erupting in the streets of Barcelona to an actual maritime rescue mission that held the ship in place for hours.

In this episode:

• Traveling with a 15-person, four-family group across Barcelona, Cartagena, Malaga, Vigo, and A Coruna
• Why the World Cup Final in Barcelona turned the smoothest embarkation into chaos the next morning
• A real maritime rescue mission that delayed arrival into Cartagena
• The UK visa pro tip every Southampton-bound sailor needs before online check-in
• Palo, rotational dining with a table of 15, and Pirate Night's best photo backdrop
• What made sailing the Strait of Gibraltar the highlight of the entire cruise

"The most memorable part by far for me was being out there on deck sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar. It really was something that just felt really unique and just like we were seeing a part of the world that we just didn't expect to really see in that way." - Beth

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Fresh off cruise #17, a platinum Disney Cruise Line sailor joins Sam solo this week (Brian's away at a work conference!) to talk through her Fourth of July "duo dip" on the Disney Fantasy — hitting both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay in one five-night sailing. She shares a real operational fix to the biggest long-running complaint about the Mickey & Minnie Cabanas, plus a few practical tips every DCL fan should hear before their next cruise.

In this episode:

• Why a 5-night Fantasy sailing won out over a nearly-identical-price 7-night Destiny cruise
• How DCL airport check-in and Disney transportation smoothed out embarkation day
• What Disney changed about the Mickey & Minnie Cabanas at Castaway Cay — and why it matters
• The real answer to Castaway Cay vs. Lookout Cay from someone who did both on the same trip
• A heads-up about "tier three and tier four" test menus that can show up on certain sailings
• An easy Disney Cruise Line app trick for anyone traveling with a CPAP machine

"He is either number one or number two of all time... incredible." — on her Fantasy stateroom host, from a cruiser with 17 sailings under her belt and the Destiny already booked for next spring.

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She's sailed the Disney Magic to Alaska three times, and this trip finally convinced her to skip one of Disney's own shore excursions for good. Repeat guest Shannon joins Sam solo this week (Brian sits this one out) to recap her family's ninth Disney sailing, a group cruise with nine people, two private excursions that beat anything booked through the app, and one Broadway star shoutout her teenager will never stop talking about.

In this episode:

• Why Shannon's group skipped Disney's totem-pole-painting excursion at Icy Strait Point, and what a string of guest complaints had already warned her about
• The $80 private crab feast with a local Hoonah family that turned into the highlight of the whole sailing
• A rare bear sighting on a private, Haida-guided tour of Ketchikan's Totem Bight State Park
• What it's actually like sailing Alaska with a group of nine, and how to plan excursions together without locking your whole trip together
• The Disney Magic's Broadway Stars Series, including an onstage shoutout for one very starstruck teenager
• Why "Disney sells it" doesn't always mean "book it" when it comes to Alaska shore excursions

"You do run into a lot of the same people, and so you kind of become your own little floating community, which I think is really cool." — Shannon

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She flew a toddler across the Atlantic and didn't stop there. Emily, a Disney Cruise Line travel advisor based in Denmark, spent five straight weeks aboard the Disney Dream — a transatlantic crossing followed by three back-to-back European itineraries. Four cruises, five weeks, one very well-traveled four-year-old.

In this episode:

• How a "why not, since we're already over here" idea turned into a five-week, four-sailing itinerary
• The transatlantic crossing itself — booking it, flying in, and what those sea days are actually like
• A local guide near Civitavecchia who turned one port day into the best day of the entire trip
• Why hitting the Parthenon mid-morning was the wrong call (and when to go instead)
• How the kids club experience changes once your toddler ages out of the nursery
• Real talk on eating the same rotational menus for five straight weeks

"There are these waterfalls that you — it's like one of these crazy Instagram pictures you can't even believe is real. And it was free. My son and I just played in the water for like two and a half hours, we got some snacks, we got ice cream, and it was... the best day. It was so great."

Connect with Emily: she shares her travel content on Instagram and YouTube 

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our presenting sponsor We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She'd sailed Disney Cruise Line ten times before — but never across the Atlantic. Jen joins Sam to break down her family's first-ever European vacation: the Disney Dream's Mediterranean season opener out of Barcelona, complete with a canceled excursion that turned into the trip's best day.

In this episode:

• Sailing the very first Mediterranean season cruise out of Barcelona on the Disney Dream, right behind the transatlantic crossing
• Jen's original Rome excursion got canceled onboard — and the last-minute replacement became the highlight of the whole trip
• Comparing port days in Florence, Rome, Naples (Herculaneum vs. Pompeii), and the brand-new Sardinia port of call
• Palo brunch AND Remy dessert on the same sea day — plus a vegetarian dessert mix-up worth knowing about before you book
• Why this sailing had the best cast member service Jen's experienced since her very first Disney cruise
• Real talk on train strikes, long port-day logistics, and why late dining is the move for Europe sailings

"Our service throughout... the cast members, no matter what, are amazing... on this cruise, I feel like we've gotten the best service we've ever had in the restaurants since our first cruise." — Jen

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon (https://patreon.com/dclduo). Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today. Patreon

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Adventures by Disney canceled Sam's Japan trip because they didn't have enough people booked — and because ABD's customer service doesn't work weekends, Tauck ended up with her business instead. That gap became a real, lived comparison of the two companies, plus a full concierge-class review of the Disney Adventure sailing out of Singapore.

In this episode:

• Sam's concierge-class review of the Disney Adventure, sailing out of Singapore
• Why an ABD cancellation sent her Japan tour to Tauck instead
• A 10-day Tauck Bridges tour through Tokyo, Hakone, Hiroshima, and Kyoto
• Head-to-head: where Adventures by Disney still has an edge, and where Tauck holds its own
• Fireworks, Palo Brunch for teens, and the longest rollercoaster at sea
• Plus: Disney Cruise Line news — a coordinate-decoding itinerary tease pointing to a New York City season

"And Tauck does work on the weekend. So Tauck got my money." -Sam

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon (https://patreon.com/dclduo). Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.