The most common thing I hear when it comes to cruising with Disney is the price. It is a known fact that they are priced higher than other cruise lines but as I've said before, you get what you pay for!! Let's talk about a few ways to afford a Disney Cruise!
Disney Visa Cardholders
While this isn't a HUGE savings, if you book your Disney Cruise with your Disney Visa, you are entitled to a $50 on board credit!! Couple that with the offer I have and you could have some serious spending money once on board!!
Canadian Resident Discount
Often there is availability for Canadian residents to get a discount using code CAN. Again, this discount is not available on ALL sailings or on ALL room types but if you have a bit of flexibility this might be a great deal for you!!
Florida resident and Military discounts
I lump these two together because while they are available, they are often few and far between. Florida resident can snag great last minute rates for cruises out of Florida. Over at Mousemisers they keep up to date with what is currently available. For instance there are several September cruises for just $115 per person, per night! What a steal!!
While Military personnel can also get a great rate, they often sell fast and aren't as abundant as the military rate that Walt Disney World offers. Again, Mousemisers does a great job posting availability. This week there was a great rate at just $115 per person, per night on 3 and 4 night cruises!!
Booking your Cruise while on board a Disney Cruise
So you are sailing with Disney and have just fallen in love (like everyone else!). If you book another cruise while on board you can not only get a discount on the cruise, but there is only a 10% deposit required instead of 20% and you can often score a nice on board credit. Don't forget to mention your Travel Agent when booking (ME!!) so that you can continue to take advantage of more on board credits!
Disney Cruise Line Promotions
With the popularity of the Disney Cruise Line in recent years we are seeing less and less promotions offered by Disney. However they do exist and again, if you have some flexibility in your schedule you can get a great deal. In the past we've seen Kids Sail Free (both to Mexico and Alaska) and currently Disney is offering 25% of the Halloween Sailing out of Galveston (come join me!). Keep your eyes peeled on my Facebook page for announcements.
Guarantee Rooms
Disney currently offers two types of Guarantee rooms and it can be a bit tricky to distinguish the difference.
GTY rooms
Guarantee rooms are offered when Disney sells a specific number of cabins in each category. With GTY rooms you will not be able to select your stateroom but the nice thing is you are guaranteed at least that category or higher! Sometimes you'll receive a pretty nice upgrade and you don't have to pay any more. Many people like to select inside rooms in hopes of getting upgraded to an oceanview or verandah. Disney is smart and knows that the less expensive rooms sell better last minute so it's advantageous to move you up and keep the cheaper stateroom open!
Selecting "Accept Guarantee" guarantees the ship, sailing date and rate. A Category 11C stateroom will be assigned by the time documents are received. Selecting "Accept Guarantee" does not guarantee the stateroom will be on a particular deck or, for multiple staterooms, that the staterooms will be located near each other.
IGT, OGT and VGT rooms
This is a new category that Disney has begun using. These are last minute deals with many restrictions. However if you KNOW you'd like to sail, you'll get a GREAT rate! Recently there were cruises out of Gavleston for as little as $599 per person!! For a 7-night sailing!
- Full names and birth dates must be given at the time of booking and may NOT be changed later
- Payment due in Full
- No Refund
- Not applicable to existing reservations, nor can you combine with other discounts
Booking in advance
Disney Cruise Line announces their itineraries pretty far in advance. The great thing is full payment isn't due until 45 days prior, with the except of IGT, OGT and VGT rooms. This allows you to make payments each month, making the cruise a bit easier on the wallet!
I hope today's post helped you understand the various discounts available and how truly affordable a Disney Cruise can be!!
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