How Much Is A Disney Cruise?
How much does a Disney Cruise cost?
If you’ve started pricing out a Disney cruise, you’ve probably noticed there’s no single answer to “how much does it cost.” Two families sailing on the same ship in the same month can pay very different amounts, depending on a variety of factors.
Rather than throw out numbers that’ll be outdated in a few months, let’s walk through what actually determines what you’ll pay, so you can figure out where you have flexibility and where you don’t if you’re trying to manage your budget.
What Determines the Cost of a Disney Cruise
When You Book
The day that Disney releases the itineraries are often the best prices. This is when there is the best availability to choose cabins and the pricing is the “entry price”.
We have all been conditioned by years of marketing for the “last minute deals” and that is simply not the case for most cruises. When a cruise starts to sell, much like flights – the remaining cabins and seats are at a premium. The less inventory available, the more ‘valuable’ it is and the higher the price.
Book as early as you can and just make sure your deposit is refundable if you’re concerned about booking so far in advance.
Time of Year
Sailing during summer months, spring break, or the December holidays puts you in peak season, and Disney prices accordingly.
Hurricane season (roughly June through November) can sometimes mean lower fares, though it comes with its own trade-offs for itinerary changes. I have personally been “stuck at sea” during a hurricane on a Disney cruise, we were always safe and they took great care of us! However, there was chaos with the missed flights (myself included) and people missing work, trying to make alternate arrangements – it was challenging.
If your schedule is flexible, sailing during a lower-demand window is usually the easiest way to bring the cost down without giving anything up.
Length of the Cruise
Disney offers everything from 3-night cruises to much longer sailings. Shorter cruises (3 to 4 nights) tend to be the entry point price-wise, while longer cruises cost more overall but often work out to a lower cost per day. Don’t ‘discount’ a longer cruise because of the price, consider the cost per day.
Stateroom Type
Your cabin category has a big impact on total price. Interior staterooms are the most budget-friendly option, while verandah staterooms and concierge-level suites sit at the top end.
The other stateroom category that can reduce your cost is a “guaranteed” stateroom. What that means is that you don’t pick your stateroom, Disney Cruise Line does and much closer to sailing. For example, if you select an “oceanview guaranteed” it means that the lowest category room you will get is an oceanview – you will not be given an inside cabin, but you could end up with a verandah. They assign the rooms based on what is left closer to sailing – it’s a great way to save a little if you don’t care where on the ship your room is, but keep in mind that often the deposits are non-refundable and they have restrictions.
Cost per person is different if you are putting more people in the room. The first 2 are paying the same rate, but then the next guest is less. The more people in the room, the less it costs “per person” when divided equally.
Which Ship You Sail
Disney’s fleet just keeps getting bigger and with newer ships comes a higher price tag. Newer ships and those with more elaborate features tend to command a premium over the older ships in the fleet, even for a comparable cabin type and itinerary.
Trust me, the older classic ships are fantastic – don’t overlook them!
Port of Departure
Where you sail from matters too. Port Canaveral is Disney’s home base and often the most straightforward (and sometimes most affordable) option if you’re already planning a Walt Disney World trip beforehand.
Sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, or another port can add travel costs on top of the cruise fare itself, even if the base fare is similar. These additional costs are always something to consier.
What’s Actually Included in Your Cruise Fare
This is where a lot of the sticker shock softens. Your fare covers your stateroom, all main dining (including rotational dining with your assigned servers), most onboard entertainment, character meet and greets, kids’ clubs, and access to most onboard activities. The value in these alone should be considered when you’re looking at the price. What would you pay for a Broadway style show every night? It’s included in your cruise!
Consider what you would pay for food, shows, activities, movies, kids clubs and more – and factor that on top of the price of a hotel room. The cruise fare doesn’t seem that far off when you do it that way.
Costs Beyond the Cruise Fare
This is the part that catches first-time cruisers off guard, and it’s also the part where “it depends” really applies.
Port fees and taxes are added on top of your cruise fare and vary by itinerary, they’re not optional and get built into your total at booking.
Gratuities for your stateroom host, dining team, and other crew members are customary and typically added to your onboard account, though you can prepay them ahead of time.
Alcoholic beverages aren’t included.
Port adventures and shore excursions at your ports of call are priced separately and can range widely depending on the activity.
Specialty dining, spa treatments, Wi-Fi packages, and photo packages are also add-ons, and it’s easy for these to add up if you don’t set a budget going in. But do you REALLY need the wifi? Maybe it’s a great excuse to disconnect and tell your work you’re “unavailable”.
How to Get the Best Value on a Disney Cruise
A few factors are worth weighing if you’re trying to manage cost without sacrificing the experience:
- Sailing during off-peak times of year instead of peak seasons
- Considering a shorter cruise if it’s your first time trying Disney Cruise Line
- Booking early, since fares can rise as a sail date fills up
- Working with a travel agent that knows Disney Cruise Line and can help you decide what you can “cut back” on.
That last point matters more than people realize. Having someone who can walk you through the pros and cons of your stateroom selection, itinerary and ship selection is important. And the best part – it’s free.
FAQ
Is a Disney cruise more expensive than other cruise lines?
Generally yes, when comparing similar itineraries and stateroom types against lines like Royal Caribbean. The higher fare reflects what’s included, like character experiences, kids clubs and entertainment built specifically for families.
Do travel agents cost more to book through?
No. Travel agents are paid a commission by the cruise line, not by you, so booking through an agent doesn’t add to your fare and often comes with extra planning support at no additional cost. Reach out to Playcation Travel for assistance.
Are drinks included in the cruise fare?
Soft drinks, coffee and tea are available at no charge. Alcoholic beverages are always an additional cost.
Is Castaway Cay included in the cruise price?
Yes, if it’s part of your itinerary, the stop itself is included. Specific activities or rentals on the island, like cabanas, are priced separately.
Francine Cochrane
I'm Francine, a Canadian Disney superfan, travel agency owner, and the writer, podcaster, and enthusiast behind Pixie Dust Fan. I've been a Disney fan my whole life and have been sharing honest reviews, real trip reports, and practical planning tips for years. I always try to keep things positive while still giving you the real scoop so you know exactly what to expect before you go. For more information about me, see my blog post here
Join us on the Disney Dream for the FIRST EVER Pixie Dust Fan cruise January 20, 2020!
Planning a Disney Cruise is an exciting time, but it’s important you don’t overlook the finer details in that plan! While I know that some travellers will say ‘of course’ when they read this, I can tell you that I have heard a lot of experienced cruisers who have made some of these mistakes. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Due to the anticipated path of Hurricane Irma, Disney has issued emails to guests notifying them of the cancellations of their cruise.
May 17
We were enjoying the live entertainment and some good conversation when Commodore Tom made the announcement – trouble in paradise! He let us know that there was a mechanical problem – we were going to be delayed getting in to port the next morning. He didn’t provide many details except to say that we would arrive at approximately 10am with the earliest time to disembark being 11. Anyone who had flights before 1pm needed to change them.
stateroom to make alternate arrangements
Planning your first Disney cruise can be exciting and stressful at the same time. There are so many options, categories, rules and regulations – what if I chose the wrong thing? Am I going to ruin my vacation? 
I have heard people plan a cruise primarily for the itinerary – what ports of call they are going to see and considered the ship as just a means of transportation. They didn’t realize how many things they would want to experience on board and hadn’t planned time to enjoy them all. From Character meetings to movie premiers, the kids were too tired after their full days on land to partake in the festivities the cruise had to offer.
I really believe that having over 40 years of personal experience visiting Walt Disney World is one of the things that makes me qualified to give advice about Disney vacations. When it comes to Disney Cruise Line, I have had experience sailing in various categories of staterooms, but I hadn’t sailed Disney Cruise concierge. How could I tell people if concierge was worth it if I hadn’t tried it? My mind was made up, I needed to sail concierge in a 1-bedroom suite on the Disney Dream – for research purposes of course.
