As I was packing for my cruise there were a couple new things I had to add to my packing list such as masks and proof of vaccine (or test results).   Hopefully these new items are only temporarily on my packing list but did you know there is a long list of items you cannot pack for a Disney Cruise?

It has been awhile since we all cruised and you might have forgotten some of the things you cannot bring onboard or these might be things you never even knew you couldn't bring.   I will admit there are a few things I didn't know about either.   These are Disney Cruise Line's rules so this could vary on other cruise lines.   

 Surprising Prohibited Items
  I knew that things like firearms, explosives, or any weapons (with the exception of Disney brand toys like Light sabers or Thor's hammer or plastic pirate swords)  were not allowed.  Also things like illegal drugs, candles, and pets just seem like common sense things that you know you cannot bring onboard.  However there were a lot of things on the prohibited list that surprised me. 
You CANNOT bring on:
  - Flotation items such as: Inflatable Pool Floats, Pool Noodles, Surfboards, or Boogie boards 
  - Balloons
  - Kites 
  - Inflatable Mattress
  - Musical Instruments
  - Streaming Devices (such as Roku or Amazon Fire Stick)
  - Hammock
  - Sporting equipment is not allowed with the exception for golf clubs and some sports balls but they must be stored in your room and only used off the ship.   
  - Over the Door Hanging Organizers (apparently Disney can fine you $100 if you have one since they damage the door.)  I have never used one myself but I know that tends to be one of the tips people say helps them stay organized in the small space of the room. 
​
Electrical Appliances
I knew most cruise line's do not allow you to bring extension cords/power strips or an iron, but there is a long list of other electrical appliances that I wouldn't have even thought people would want to bring onboard like -
You CANNOT bring on: 
 - Blenders
 - Coffee Makers
 - Electric Blankets
 - Hot Plates
 - Microwaves
 - Rice Cookers.     

I cannot think why anyone would bring these things but if Disney had to list them I assume that means someone at sometime tried bringing it on.

You CAN bring on -
Other electrical appliances such as - curling irons, flat irons, blow dryers, shavers.   Things like baby monitors, humidifiers, portable fans, and white noise/sleep machines will be inspected and if approved will be returned to your room.

Food and Beverage
   You may or may not know that you are actually allowed to bring on an adult beverage when you first board the ship as long as you are 21 or older and you carry it on.  The rule for Disney Cruise is a maximum of 2 bottles of wine or champagne, or 6 beers no larger than 12 oz.  If you wish to drink the wine or champagne in the dining room you will be charged a $25 corking fee.   You also cannot consume any of these beverages you brought onboard in any public areas. 
​You CANNOT bring onboard any 
 - Liquors or Spirits.  Any of those bottles you might purchase while in ports of call or in the ship's store will be stored until the end of the cruise.
- Homemade or precooked foods, open container foods.
- Large coolers - Only coolers no larger than 12" x 12" x 12" area allowed to be brought onboard and they must be carried on and only for use to store medications, baby food or other dietary restrictions.  

You CAN  bring on non-perishable snacks in sealed packaging (just remember once you open it you need to finish it or throw it away before the end of the cruise as you cannot take opened food packages through customs.) 

Decorating
It can be fun to decorate your stateroom door and I usually suggest it to also help you find your room in a long hallway of doors.  There are some rules though.   
You CANNOT use - 
 - Tape
 - Glue
 - Over the door hangers
 - Any Adhesive device (like command strips)
 - Guests may not hang, attach or otherwise display any flag, banner or sign from any part of the ship, including stateroom verandahs.
 - Seasonal and/or celebratory light bulb strings or other hanging items are not permitted.  

You CAN only use magnets to attach things to your doors. 

Some guests also like to hang little gift holders over the metal ornament on the wall next to your stateroom door (called fish extenders as the metal decoration is usually a fish).   They plan ahead with other guests to leave little items in the pockets during the cruise.  As of right now Disney is not allowing these due to covid rules.  

Who Would Bring These Things 
Here are a few other things I never even really thought about but I guess people have brought them so they end up on the prohibited list - 
You CANNOT bring -
 - Ham Radios
 - Metal Detectors (that is actually on the list twice)
 - Pool Cues
 - Ski Poles
 - Power Tools
 - Hookah Pipes.
 - Remote controlled recreation devices - that includes drones

You can always check out - https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/prohibited-items/list/ for the complete list.  If cruising on another cruise line you can usually find the list of prohibited things under the FAQ section.

Airfare is pretty much my least favorite part of traveling.  First there is figuring out the best flights to book which can take forever if you are like me always comparing and wondering if prices will go down.   Then once you finally find your perfect flights and find the perfect seats you book it and you feel relieved until you get that dreaded email that says flight change.  
​Flight changes have always happened but it seems like they are happening a lot more these days.  Changes can happen for a variety of reasons but in general the further out you have booked your flights the more likely you will have changes.   Flight changes can be a small amount of time or a large amount of time difference.  Your plane could change, the route could change, or any other variables that might mess with your previously perfect flights.   You might get notified really far ahead of time of changes or you might have last minute changes either way you need to be sure to look very closely at the changes and make sure you are OK with them and know what your options are.  In most cases you don't just have to suck it up and keep what they give you.    

 There are 3 categories of flight change - Minor, Significant, or Cancellation.   Your rights will depend on the type of change and of course the definition of the change can vary based on airline.   You can check the terms and conditions on your airline's site for the details.

Minor Changes
These are generally just a slight change in flight time or might be a different type of aircraft but for the most part these changes really shouldn't affect your overall plans.   The airlines will notify you and show you the new flights and should also show you the old so you can see what the difference is.   Be sure to look at these notifications carefully.   Even with just a minor change in flight time your seat choice could have changed so be sure to look at everything.   Generally in the case of minor changes you do not have options.   If you really have an issue with a change you can talk to the airline and they might be able to offer you another option.  

Significant Changes
  These are going to be a larger amount of time difference between what you had booked and what they are showing you now.  It could also mean your non-stop flight now has a stop or maybe your connecting flight has a different stop.  As long as your flight numbers are still the same this is considered a Significant Change and will come with more options than the minor change.   
   Most likely the airline will email you and say flight change and they will list the new and old version of your flights.  If you are OK with it all you do not have to do anything, but if you do not like what they have given you and it is considered a significant change you can ask for other flights or a refund.   The definition of Significant Change varies by airline but could be as little as 30 minutes different than your original.  
   Again be sure to look over all the details of the new flights the airline is giving you to be sure you want to accept or not.   I once got a flight schedule change email and I thought the time only changed by a little but then I looked closer and I realized the flight had moved to a whole day later!   I got another that went from non-stop to a connecting and there was no way I was accepting that either.   The airlines will usually give a short amount of time to change after they notify you so be sure to stay on top of those emails and make your request to change quickly.

Flight Cancellation
Flight cancellation isn't just when your flight is completely canceled but anytime the flight number you booked changes.  If the airline moves you to another flight number most likely they will just email you a flight change notification and hope that you are OK with the new flights and you might not notice that totally new flight number.  If you got new flight numbers you can ask for a refund or to be able to choose other flights.   If the flight cancellation notice comes inside 14 days of your flight you might also be entitled to other compensation.  

   I just recently got an email of a flight change and at first I thought it was just a significant change but then I noticed that my flight number was different.  I went to the airline's site and I could see they had definitely trimmed down the number of flights out that day compared to the many options that were showing when I booked.  So I took a look at which flights were still being offered since I wasn't that crazy about the one they had automatically given me (which was more than 2 hours earlier and would have meant an earlier wake up than I prefer).  I saw a later flight that didn't look too bad and I checked on seats to make sure I would be happy with the options.   I then logged into my reservation and made the change quickly and at no cost.   That was so much easier than having to call in and wait on hold so always check to see if you can make changes online before calling.  If I had tried to make the change online and it said  I needed to pay more I definitely would have been calling in since I knew this situation was a flight cancellation and gives me the most rights.    Either way knowing your rights based on the flight change helps.  


If you booked your flight further in advance then I also recommend popping onto the airline's site and checking on your booking periodically as the airlines won't always notify you as soon as they have made a change.   The sooner you know about any changes the more options you will have to fix it.  

Don't forget to look for 3 main things - flight times/dates, seats, and connections.  Hopefully we can all get back to flying what used to be called the friendly skies without any issues!