Having been on 10 Disney cruises (and counting), there are at the very least two issues I do know for positive to be true: Disney Cruise Line is a tremendously enjoyable and satisfying trip, and it will also be pricier than another family-friendly cruise traces.
Whereas we discover a Disney cruise to supply stable total worth contemplating the value contains lodging, meals and top-notch leisure, it nonetheless helps to seek out methods to carry down the general value a bit.
With that in thoughts, this is how to economize on a Disney cruise — and how you can discover the most affordable Disney cruises, which have a tendency to start out round $500 to $700 per particular person for the whole expertise, relying on if you wish to sail from the U.S. or in case you occur to seek out your self abroad.
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Decide your dates fastidiously
A median Disney cruise prices multiple on, say, Carnival or Royal Caribbean, however that does not imply it is unattainably costly. It merely would not need to be in case you’re versatile with whenever you sail.
The height college break weeks are expensive, however with many three- and four-night sailings, you may select an extended weekend at totally different occasions of the 12 months and keep away from these pricey weeks if you wish to.
For instance, two individuals can sail on Disney Dream for 3 nights from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas from Friday, Jan. 23, to Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, for $1,660.
Certain, you possibly can most likely e book a lodge in Fort Lauderdale or the Bahamas for 3 nights for lower than $1,660, however there are additionally many resorts in these areas that might value extra — and keep in mind, in an everyday lodge, that value would not embody your meals or Broadway-style leisure the best way it does on a Disney cruise.
Including two youngsters to that very same itinerary to make a visit for 4 individuals would elevate the beginning value to $2,889. That breaks all the way down to about $240 per particular person, per day, which, once more, is not low-cost. However whenever you examine it to the price of a journey to Walt Disney World (the place base-level tickets alone can value wherever from $150 to virtually $200 per day), it is not fairly as unhealthy as it might appear at first look.
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On the flip facet, in case you took that very same journey through the winter college break, the beginning value could be greater than $5,000.
So, whenever you sail issues tremendously on the associated fee facet of the equation, and in case you might be versatile on dates, it can save you a whole bunch, and even hundreds, of {dollars}.
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Let Disney select your cabin
One other great way to economize on a Disney cruise is to let the cruise line select your cabin in alternate for a reduced fare. These are known as assured charges.
In doing so, you choose the room kind (inside, verandah, and many others.) and are then assured to be in that class, however the line selects precisely which room inside that class you get.
These fares include further restrictions round funds and modifications, however you may typically save as much as 35% off customary charges. I’ve had nice success with these discounted fares up to now. So long as you are not too choosy about the place your room is on the ship, this technique might be an effective way to avoid wasting in your Disney cruise.
E book by way of a journey agent who provides you onboard credit score
You’ll be able to log onto the Disney Cruise Line web site and e book the cruise your self, however it’s possible you’ll not wish to when a journey agent can do the be just right for you — and even rating you some onboard credit within the course of.
The quantity varies, however I’ve gotten as much as $750 as an announcement credit score once I booked a pricier Disney cruise on the concierge degree. With extra reasonably priced cruises and cabins, count on the credit score to be extra within the $75 to $200 vary.
Whereas the quantity will range, you may typically get someplace between 5% and 10% of the value of your cruise again within the type of a present card or shipboard spending credit score by a journey agent and even by way of Costco Journey.
If you happen to aren’t positive the place to start out, you will get gives from brokers who wish to e book your cruise, typically with additional perks and credit, by way of CruiseCompete.
Pay with discounted Disney present playing cards
At wholesale golf equipment, reminiscent of Sam’s Membership, you may reliably buy Disney present playing cards at a reduction. Generally, these reductions get even deeper round gross sales occasions reminiscent of Black Friday, even at locations like Greatest Purchase, the place I’ve seen them accessible for 10% off. However on an ongoing foundation, you may often get a $500 Disney present card at Sam’s Membership for about $485.
That is not an enormous low cost, however in case you paid on your $3,000 Disney cruise with playing cards bought at these charges, it might prevent $90, which is greater than sufficient to take your self to the adults-only, high-end Palo restaurant accessible on most Disney ships.
When you have a Goal bank card, you may as well save 5% on Disney present playing cards at Goal. On that very same $3,000 Disney Cruise, you’d save $150 by going that route.
Bear in mind you can typically earn bonus factors with sure bank cards when searching for Disney present playing cards, relying on the place you buy them. Workplace provide shops, grocery shops and even wholesale golf equipment might be good bonus classes for various rewards bank cards, permitting you to earn 3, 4 or 5 factors per greenback spent along with your card when you purchase your present playing cards.
Use your bank card factors or miles
Not all bank card factors and miles can simply translate to a “free” Disney cruise, however some can.
The simplest manner to do that is to pay for some (or all) of the cruise with a bank card that allows you to use your factors or miles at a set worth to erase a journey cost. This manner, you possibly can e book with a journey agent to get that onboard credit score after which use your factors or miles to cowl your deposit or ultimate cost.
For instance, in case you put the cost in your Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card, you’d earn 2 miles per greenback after which might use the miles at 1 cent every in worth to cowl a part of the associated fee. Simply to offer a simple instance: If you happen to wished to cowl $1,000 of your journey value, you possibly can redeem 100,000 Capital One miles towards the acquisition.
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles (value $750 in journey) after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Journey credit score to make use of in your first cardholder 12 months.
Improve on the port for much less
This tip is not precisely about saving cash total, however it’s a option to get a greater room for lower than the unique record value.
If the cruise is not bought out, you may go to a particular desk on the port earlier than you board and ask about any space-available discounted upgrades. At Port Canaveral close to Orlando, the place all of the Disney check-in desks are on the left facet of the terminal constructing, the improve desk is the rightmost desk.
The associated fee to improve will likely be associated to the room kind you have booked and the one you’d prefer to improve to. The supervisor will use a preprinted chart to seek out that value differential. It should value lower than in case you had booked a greater room initially, typically by about half, although that quantity varies.
On a Disney Dream cruise a couple of years in the past, I used to be capable of improve to a bigger and extra deluxe cabin for under $34. Get to the terminal as quickly as you may if you’re hoping for a set or concierge-level improve as a result of these are very restricted and go shortly.
Whereas I have never executed it, I’ve additionally heard that even cheaper costs turn out to be accessible on board as soon as the ship units sail.
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Save 10% by placing a deposit down on your subsequent cruise when you’re on board
The simplest option to save 10% on a Disney cruise would not work on your first cruise, however it will possibly work for all subsequent ones.
If you end up on a Disney Cruise Line ship, you may put a $250 placeholder deposit down on a future Disney cruise for use inside two years. This may be executed in your Disney Cruise Line Navigator app whereas on board.
You do not have to select which cruise you wish to do at that second, however by placing that $250 in as a placeholder, you can’t solely apply that $250 whenever you finally choose your subsequent Disney cruise but additionally save 10% off the speed (legitimate on most dates and room varieties) within the course of.
That one step can prevent a whole bunch of {dollars} in your trip. Worst-case state of affairs: That $250 is refunded to you in case you do not e book one other cruise within the subsequent two years. That occurred to us through the coronavirus pandemic, and the cash got here again mechanically and and not using a drawback as soon as the 24 months have been up.
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BYOB and skip the extras
In case you are trying to trim prices in your Disney cruise, carry issues from residence that you’d in any other case doubtless buy.
For instance, you may carry as much as six cans of beer or two bottles of wine per particular person age 21 and up. As an alternative of paying cruise costs for these drinks, you may carry what you need from residence at common land-based costs as much as these most limits.
It’s also possible to carry unopened water and factory-sealed snacks on board. These turn out to be useful for shore excursions or when it’s worthwhile to hydrate by the pool. (Higher but, pack a refillable water bottle.)
Since a Disney cruise already contains meals, room service, snacks, gentle serve ice cream, fountain drinks and loads of leisure, you need not spend something further on board in case you do not wish to. That is very true on a new-to-you ship and on these shorter three- and four-night cruises the place there’s greater than sufficient to do and discover already.
In case your crusing goes to Disney Cruise Line’s personal island locations, reminiscent of Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay, seashore chairs, umbrellas, the ocean waterslide, the splashpad and lunch on the island are additionally included at no additional cost.
Hunt down spa reductions
If you happen to’re targeted on saving cash, you will wish to skip the spa solely whereas in your cruise. But when nothing says trip like a therapeutic massage, you’ll find a reduction on onboard spa providers on a Disney cruise.
I’ve obtained a port-day low cost of about 20% as a result of most individuals e book their remedies on sea days reasonably than when the ship is docked (and due to this fact much less busy since most individuals are ashore).
I’ve additionally obtained $50 off a second service whereas testing for my first. It is pretty frequent for cruise ship spas to supply reductions whenever you e book a number of remedies. I additionally extremely suggest going to the spa raffle that always occurs on the very first afternoon, as there are typically supervisor specials that supply substantial reductions over the posted costs you can solely e book at the moment.
If you happen to do not see a reduction marketed, simply ask on the spa desk. That is how I received connected with spa offers on earlier Disney cruises.
Use Disney Visa onboard cruise reductions
Along with a 20% low cost for choose spa remedies, Disney Visa bank card holders additionally get 10% off a Castaway Cay package deal that features snorkel gear, a motorbike rental and an internal tube.
If you happen to want time to unfold out funds, these with a Disney® Premier Visa® Card (see charges and charges) may get a 0% annual proportion charge on their Disney trip for six months (after {that a} variable APR of 18.24% to 27.24% will apply). Proper now, the cardboard has a welcome bonus of $400 in assertion credit after spending $1,000 on the cardboard within the first three months of account opening.
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E book early and go throughout off-peak dates
It is a no-brainer tip to avid cruisers, however if you’re newer to cruising, know that reserving early and crusing on off-peak dates are nice methods to economize on a Disney cruise.
I booked our Alaska cruise for the summer time of 2023 the day the reserving calendar opened, over a 12 months upfront, as a result of the value usually will increase because the crusing date nears. You’ll be able to typically discover last-minute specials, however more often than not, cruise costs solely go one route — up.
With Disney, you will usually put 20% down whenever you first e book after which have till a lot nearer to crusing to repay the remaining 80%.
As talked about earlier, date flexibility may also assist you lower your expenses on a Disney cruise. The identical itinerary that prices $2,000 in September will likely be as much as 3 times costlier if you wish to sail over winter break.
If you cannot discover any reasonably priced costs, I like to recommend scrolling the cruise record by value as an alternative of beginning with the proper date or itinerary. A crusing it’s possible you’ll not have initially thought-about might grow to be the proper trip possibility.
Sail from Singapore on Disney’s largest-ever ship
OK, sure, this one is a stretch.
Nonetheless, if you end up in Singapore (or use your airline miles to get there), you may sail on what is commonly the most affordable Disney Cruise Line crusing on what will likely be Disney’s largest ship.
Three-night sailings on Disney Journey out of Singapore have beginning costs at simply over $1,000 for double occupancy, making them presently the least costly of Disney’s sailings. As an added perk, if you wish to go to Tokyo Disney Resort while you’re in Asia to make it a full globe-trotting Disney journey, your pockets will likely be in for a deal with there, as park tickets and meals are a fraction of what they value on the U.S. Disney parks.
So, earlier than you mechanically rule this selection out, do the mathematics and value it out … odds are you will discover it is extra reasonably priced, particularly in case you use your airline miles to get there.
If Asia is not your most well-liked cruise vacation spot, think about Australia and New Zealand as an alternative. You’ll be able to typically discover among the lowest costs of the 12 months in case you sail out of those locales.
Backside line
Consider it or not, a Disney cruise might be cheaper than a visit to the Disney theme parks. A cruise is commonly a lot much less annoying, too.
If you happen to stack a few of these suggestions collectively to economize in your Disney cruise, you possibly can cumulatively knock wherever from 10% to 25% off the record value. Bear in mind, too, to attempt to strategically choose a crusing on the extra reasonably priced finish of the spectrum for much more financial savings.
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