DCL Duo Podcast: A Disney Cruise Line Fan Podcast

By Brian & SamSociety & Culture Leisure Places & Travel Hobbies

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DCL Duo Podcast: A Disney Cruise Line Fan Podcast episodes

September 08Ep. 702 - Disney Destiny 7-Night Review: 10th Cruise, One New Ports
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.
1 hr 23 min
September 07Ep. 701 - Disney Magic Alaska Cruise With Littles: Budget & DIY Excursion Tips
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.
1 hr 22 min
September 06Ep. 700 - Disney Dream Mediterranean Cruise: World Cup Chaos + Rescue at Sea
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.
1 hr 20 min
September 04Ep. 699 - Disney Fantasy 5-Night Duo Dip: Castaway Cay & Lookout Cay Review
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.
1 hr 19 min
September 02Ep. 698 - Sailing Alaska on the Disney Magic: A Repeat Guest Tells All
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.
1 hr 26 min
September 01Ep. 697 - Would You Take a Toddler on a 5-Week Disney Cruise to Europe?
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.
1 hr 4 min
August 31Ep. 696 - Disney Dream Mediterranean Cruise: A First-Timer's Honest Review
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.
1 hr
August 30Ep. 695 - Live Bonus Show - Disney Adventure Review + Tauck Japan Tour: A Family's 35-Day Trip
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.
1 hr 26 min
August 26Ep. 694 - Live Bonus Show - 132 New Disney Cruise Itineraries: Fall 2027 + Spring 2028 Breakdown
132 itineraries dropped this morning, and by the end of the night three of us had agreed on which ones we would not book. Travel advisor Jamie from We Do Travel Right joined Sam and Brian live for a ship-by-ship walk through the entire Fall 2027 and Spring 2028 release — the Disney Wish's return to New York, the Disney Destiny's move to Port Canaveral, two Panama Canal crossings with brand-new ports, and the full Castaway Club booking ladder.
In this episode:
The complete booking schedule — Pearl on August 31, Platinum September 1, Gold September 2, Silver September 3, and first-time cruisers on September 8
Why the 6-night Canada-and-Bermuda sailing out of New York covers 1,935 nautical miles, and why Jamie won't recommend it
The Disney Wish transatlantic from Southampton to New York City, September 17 to 29, 2027, with an overnight in Reykjavík and a call at St. John's, Newfoundland
Sleuthing Sam's prediction for the Disney Believe — Fort Lauderdale, December 2027 — and the terminal math that got her there
Only 8 Galveston itineraries in this release, and what Sam turned up looking for a full-year port agreement
By the numbers: 33 duo dips, only 4 double dips, 24 Halloween on the High Seas sailings, 43 Very Merrytime, and just two one-night gaps in the whole fleet schedule
Jamie's favorites — the 8-night Disney Fantasy overnighting in Bermuda with a duo dip, and the ABC Islands run out of San Juan
"So sailing out of New York truly is iconic. And I'm calling it like Broadway to Bermuda." — Jamie, We Do Travel Right (54:16)
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our presenting sponsor, We Do Travel Right! Let We Do Travel Right handle the planning, so you can focus on relaxing.
DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Join the waitlist and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.
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.
1 hr 23 min
August 25Ep. 693 - Should Your Next Disney Cruise Be in Europe? One Family Says...
Alexis had sailed every Disney ship except the Dream — until a European itinerary out of Barcelona finally got her there, alongside a promise to her daughter that had been six years in the making: finally going inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
In this episode:
Dream vs. Fantasy vs. Treasure vs. Wish-class — how the Dream stacked up once she'd already sailed the newer ships
A port-heavy European itinerary hitting Cagliari, Naples, Civitavecchia, and Livorno in four straight days
The Rome transportation mishap that cost the family their Colosseum tour
How dining times, crowd patterns, and daily rhythm shift on a European Disney Cruise Line sailing
A dining service mix-up neither Sam nor Brian had heard of before
Her honest take on whether she'd combine a cruise and a European vacation again
"Now that I've gone on Disney, I feel like I can't go back."
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.
1 hr 29 min

About DCL Duo Podcast: A Disney Cruise Line Fan Podcast

From the publisher's feed

DCL Duo is the #1 Disney Cruise Line podcast — your go-to resource for Disney Cruise Line tips, trip planning advice, honest ship reviews, and insider secrets from two of the most experienced DCL fans in the community.