Online check-in has considerably sped up embarkation day processes. But when technology fails, so does the speed.
Unfortunately, that’s what took place on May 12, 2025, when up to 4,000 passengers boarding Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream faced significant boarding delays.
A technical issue affecting online check-in for the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sailing meant that all guests had to complete the entire process in person at the terminal.
Under normal circumstances, guests sailing with the cruise line upload their citizenship documentation and identification photos during online check-in weeks ahead of sailing.
The process allows a relatively quick document verification at the terminal and faster movement through security.
But the May 12 sailing required crew members to complete all those steps in person, from confirming passports and IDs to photographing every guest before boarding.
Passengers, fortunately, got a heads up, however. In an email sent the day before departure, Disney Cruise Line alerted guests of the issue and advised them to be prepared for delays.
“Due to a technical issue with Online Check-in for your sailing, we will need to verify all Guests’ documentation during the check-in process at the terminal on embarkation day,” the message read.
“This includes reviewing citizenship documentation and capturing photos for each Guest,” the letter continued. “Please be sure to bring all required identification and travel documents with you.”
Guests looking forward to sailing to the Bahamas to visit Nassau and the cruise line’s private Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point on a short, 3-night adventure, were urged to arrive at their previously assigned Port Arrival Time to help reduce congestion.
Still, Disney Cruise Line warned that wait times would be longer than usual.
“Travel with any convenience items you may need should you encounter a delay at the terminal,” the cruise line wrote.
Disney Dream crew did not specify how many guests were affected or whether the issue was tied to a broader system failure.
Live Reports of Long Waits
The technical glitch forcing Disney to process each passenger at the terminal turned into quite a headache for passengers as the day of departure progressed.
One guest shared on Reddit that their Port Time Arrival time was set for 11:45 a.m. and that they were still in line waiting for documents to be checked at 12:22 p.m., surrounded by “a lot of angry people and REALLY long lines.”
The guest reached the security check point at 12:50, just over an hour after the scheduled time.
Read Also: Boarding a Cruise Ship – All You Should Know
Another passenger arrived for a 12:30 arrival time and said, “the line we’re in stretches back to the garage entrance (on the other side of luggage drop off).”
“It seems like the noon groups are still outside,” she continued. “It’s not being well directed. There definitely isn’t enough staff out here to get people organized.”
The glitch doesn’t appear to be a one-off either. Several guests of Disney Cruise Line’s 2,400-passenger Disney Magic, sailing to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida, a week prior, said a similar occurrence took place during their embarkation.
The delays forced the ship to leave 30 minutes later than its original 4 p.m. departure time.
Disney Dream, which accommodates 1,600 more guests, is scheduled to set sail at 5 p.m. local time.
The incident is isolated to Disney Cruise Line’s online technology and not the ports.
Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, also setting sail from Port Everglades on May 12, 2025, is having no reported technical issues during its embarkation and will have an on-time 4 p.m. sail away.
