If you’re looking for a kid friendly cruise, Disney is probably one of the first cruise lines that comes to mind. They’ve got fantastic entertainment, kids clubs and let’s not forget character meets to make even the youngest cruiser happy.
Disney Cruise Line is also one of the pricier cruise options out there. Sailing during the school year is definitely a good way to save with Disney but if you’re looking for even more savings, here’s a few ways to reduce the cost of a DCL family cruise vacation.
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1. Choose an Inside Cabin
Inside cabins are always the cheapest on any cruise line. Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have magical portholes in their inside staterooms so it doesn’t feel as closed in and dark as you may think inside cabins do. Here are a few pointers on how to choose a cabin on a Disney cruise ship.
2. Look for a Restricted Guarantee Room or Secret Rooms
If you are willing to book last minute (usually 75 days prior to departure) you can choose a “restricted guarantee” room on select sailings. You won’t be able to choose your room and you will be assigned a stateroom only a few days prior to sailing.
We booked an Inside Stateroom (category IGT) 60 days prior to departure and saved around $400 that way.
There are several restrictions however when booking under this “restricted guarantee” – including full payment due at time of booking, booking is non refundable and non transferable, name changes and stateroom category changes are not allowed after a confirmation number has been issued.
There are secret rooms on Disney Magic and Wonder where views are slightly obstructed and you’ll save a few dollars if you request them in advance. The secret porthole rooms (Category 10) are inside staterooms without a window but they have a porthole with an obstructed view.
RELATED READING: 9 Things to Do Before Your Next Cruise Vacation
Booking a secret verandah room (rooms that have a private deck but the view is a little obstructed) means you pay a bit less than guests in rooms with unobstructed views. You pay Category 7 prices instead of the usual Category 6 prices which are higher.
Disney Magic and Wonder have “secret porthole rooms” which are inside staterooms without a window but they have a porthole with an obstructed view. These Category 10 rooms can be requested but you will have to book way in advance to get them.
You can read more about how to choose a cabin and these secret rooms on Disney’s ships here.
3. Check the Special Promotions Section Regularly
Depending on the time of the year, families can save a lot booking under a DCL promotion.
You’ll often find “children sail free” promotions on cruises departing from Galveston, Texas and Canadians are offered a percentage discount on cruises departing from Miami at least once a year.
They’re always running a promo (US Military, Children Sail Free, Canadian Residents, Florida Residents are the most popular ones) so remember to check the Special Offers section of the Disney Cruise Line website regularly.
4. Use a Travel Agent
I tend not to use travel agents for most trips but for something like a cruise, I often book with a travel agent because of the extra discounts and freebies they include.
Travel agencies can offer additional discounts on top of what you see on Disney’s website. I’ve seen travel agency offering stateroom credits, photo packages and Disney gift cards to help offset some of the costs once you’re on board.
Last year we booked our Disney cruise with a travel agent and received a complimentary photo package and a small on board credit. It’s not a ton of savings but still one less thing to purchase while on board.
5. Skip the Drink Package
Soda, lemonade, milk, hot tea and coffee are all complimentary on a Disney cruise. Unlike other family-friendly cruise lines who sell drink packages to their guests, these non-alcoholic drinks are available from 24/7 dispensers inside their buffet restaurants as well as on the pool deck.
Many people don’t know this but Disney Cruise Line lets you bring your own alcohol on board. This is a big money saver as you don’t have to spend extra on alcohol during the cruise – as that’s where cruise lines make their money.
Passengers (21+) may bring two bottles of unopened wine or champagne (750 ml or less each) or six beers (12 ounces or less) on embarkation day and in each port of call. Alcohol must be carried in a day bag or carryon luggage (any bottles found in checked luggage will be taken away and stored until the end of the cruise).
RELATED READING: Disney Cruise Line’s Palo Champagne Brunch Review
There is a $25 corking fee should you bring a bottle of wine into the dining rooms or specialty restaurants like Palo or Remy but it is still relatively affordable compared to ordering off of their drink menu. We brought beer and wine on board without any problems on all of our previous cruises.
6. Book a Future Cruise Before You Disembark
Take advantage of re-booking bonuses before you disembark your Disney ship. You can save hundreds of dollars just by booking a cruise while on board.
On top of that discount, you will also get on board credit depending on the number of times you’ve sailed with Disney Cruise Line.
RELATED READING: Top Travel Tips for Castaway Cay Visitors
We’ve been booking before disembarking ever since our very first Disney Bahamian cruise on the Disney Dream and have saved hundreds from the prices advertised online.
You can combine the future cruise booking with travel agent promos and discounts to save even more. Once you get home, you can call DCL to transfer your reservation to your travel agent. Win win!
I had no idea about the BYOB – that may help encourage my parents to take all their grandkids on one, if they can bring their own wine!
We have not done a Disney Cruise yet and this is REALLY helpful! Thanks!
Thanks for the tips! A Disney Cruise seems like a dream, but they are awfully expensive and any way to save money helps.
Those are some good tips
Thanks for the tips to keep in mind!
Thanks for the tips, I hope someday we will go on a Disney cruise.
We have been tossing around the idea of a Disney cruise for a family vacation. Thanks for the tips!!!
Great tips to save money on cruises, whether it’s Disney or not. Thanks for linking up!
Awesome tips !! I had no idea you could BYOB on a cruise, thanks so much !
Sorry, do you mean we can combine the future cruise booking with travel agent promos and discounts after we book the next cruise before it disembark?
I hope to go on a Disney cruise one day. Thanks for the tips – especially the Restricted Guarantee Room.
wish we would go on a cruise, but then all the stuff happening with breakdowns makes me nervous and I cant even sit on a swing without getting nauseous
These are some great tips. I would love to go to Disney one day and have heard the cruises are great way to go!
I would love to take my children/grandchildren on a Disney Cruise. Any tips on where to save money is greatly appreciated. Thanks for sharing.
These are great tips. We are planning to go on a Disney Cruise on one of our next trips; so I am going to bookmark this great advice. It’s always helpful to be able to save money when we travel.
I’ve always wanted to go on a Disney cruise but they hardly ever come near our port! 🙁 Thanks for sharing these great tips!
These are some great money saving tips for a Disney Cruise. I really like the BYOB one…..I hear it can be really expensive on a cruise.
Wow! This is so helpful. We have not been on a Disney Cruise, but with two little ones under four, I’m sure the time is coming. Also, I never knew one could bring their own alcohol. As you stated, I’m sure that is a huge money saver. Thanks for the tips!
Haven’t thought about taking my little one on a cruise yet. This looks totally fun!!
I’ve heard great things about booking with a travel agent! And I also had no idea about the BYOB policy! That’s awesome! Great tips!
Ooh fun, I’ve always wanted to go on a Disney Cruise. It’s on my bucket list, thanks for these tips to save!
Thank you for these tips! I’ve always dismissed it because of price, but maybe it’s doable!
Great tips and we can really use this on our Disney trip next year!
I would love to go on a Disney Cruise, but my middle daughter is terrified by the thought of being in the middle of the ocean. Thanks for the tips, one day the hubby and I are going to try out a cruise.
Oh yes, cruising isn’t for everyone for sure Chrishelle. I have a few family members that have similar fears as your middle daughter. For people who are OK with being on a boat or the middle of the ocean, Disney is a great line to cruise with.
This would be so much fun to go on. Great list of tips- any way to save money is great!
I would love to go on a Disney cruise some day. Sounds like an amazing time!
Thanks for the tips! My brother is planning a cruise this summer with his girls! I’ll be sure to share your tips thank you
I would not have even thought of these ideas! Great help! Thanks
Our extended family took a Disney cruise a few years ago to celebrate our parents 50th anniversary. Being flexible with the dates helped (changing it by 1 day made a big difference), and having the port of departure/return be our home city saved quite a bit. No flights or taxis, just a skytrain trip downtown 🙂
thanks for the tips:) would be definatly useful when planning on my cruise trip
We’ve got 2 older kids and one little one {who has yet to visit Disney} and think this might be the best way to go!
The BYOB is a really interesting concept! I never would have thought that was an option as most cruise lines ( from what I’ve heard) are very against that.
Great tips! I did know about the BYOD and we did use it. You can also purchase a “package” the first day of the cruise that includes a few varieties of wines (you select). It’s a lower cost than if you buy the bottles on board individually and there’s no corkage fee.
Thanks for the tips, we have been starting to do some research on taking a Disney Cruise.
Thanks for the tips! I didn’t know of most of them. I can’t wait for our first Disney Cruise one day in the near future hopefully.
So happy I found your blog! We are planning to do Halloween on a Disney Cruise this October, and have never used a travel agent before, would you mind sharing your travel agent’s contact with me, since obviously she is a great one? We have a 5 and 3 year old (will be almost 6 and 4 by then) I think they will love it! Thanks for your tips!
Hi Nathalie,
Thanks for the comment. I’m sending you an email as my reply is too long for the comment section! 🙂
Cheryl
Great tips for Disney & other cruise lines. Does Disney offer group rates as well? It would be amazing to go with grandparent’s and siblings for an extended vacation to take advantage of further savings and promotions. We booked as part of a group for both cruises we’ve been on and saved a lot of money.
Great question Tonya! Disney does offer group discounts – 8+ staterooms or more I believe. I would contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney cruises (or cruises in general) to see what promotions or discounts are available for larger groups.
How do you book a “secret” room? They’re not listed as options on the website.
Hi Sarah,
Oops! It looks like I forgot to link the post I wrote about these secret rooms in this post. I will update it and you can read about which rooms are the secret ones. If you book online, you might be able to choose the cabin during the reservation process. If you have a travel agent, you can ask them to see if certain cabins are available.
Hope this helps!
Cheryl
Great tips! I definitely agree with the inside stateroom. We never went out on our balcony once. Although it’s nice to have, if there’s a significant price difference it’s a great place to save some cash!