Ways to Save Money on a Disney Cruise

We have loved our Disney cruises, however with any vacation the costs can add up fast!  I do feel that Disney cruises are worth the prices between the amazing service, delicious meals, character encounters, nightly shows, kids clubs and onboard activities.  However, there are ways that you can save money on a Disney Cruise.  Below are some of my favorites!

General

Disney does run special offers on their website.  Most frequent special offers are for Florida resident and US Military.  These discounted cruises tend to pop up closer to sail date, so you will need to be flexible with your cruise dates.

If you use your Target credit card to purchase Disney gift cards at Target, you get a 5% discount.  So for every $100 worth of gift cards you purchase, you are really only paying $95.  You can use the gift cards to pay off your Disney Cruise (I prefer to use my Disney Credit Card – see below) or apply to your onboard account which is where you pay for your Disney excursions, tips for your Disney cruise staff and any purchases made while aboard.

I always pay for my cruise with my Disney Credit Card to receive onboard credit plus 6 months interest free financing.  To received the credit and interest free financing, you must pay for the entire cruise with the credit card (not including onboard account).

Be sure to book your next cruise (or a place holder) while aboard your Disney cruise for reduced deposit, discount on the cruise and onboard credit.

Alcohol

Surprisingly there are a couple ways to get free alcoholic drinks on the Disney Cruise ships.  The Art of Entertaining programs is where one of the Chefs shows you how to make a dish and then you are able to sample the food offers a wine pairing.  At the Captains Reception, each guest is offered a free drink (a non-alcoholic drink is also available).  Also, my parents were selected to be on the “Match Your Mate” one night and while one of them was being asked questions, the other got a free drink at the bar and vice versa.  

For a nominal fee, various alcohol tastings (including Beer, Mixology, Wine, Champaign, Martini, Tequila and Margarita, Cognac and Whisky) are offered on the cruise ship, which are a fun way to try out different drinks. 

Another way to try out drinks is to order the drink of the day at a lower price, you can order the drink of the day in the sit-down restaurants or at the lounges/bars.  You are also allowed to bring alcohol aboard the ship in your carry-on, click here to see the all the guidelines.

Food

You are already paying for the food on the ship, so take advantage and return to the ship for lunch.  It will save you money!  We found the boarding and disembarking process to be very easy and went back to the ship for almost all of our lunches or had a late lunch.

If you are looking for more information about Disney Cruising, you may be interested in these posts from first time tips to adult only activities, Caribbean excursions or Alaskan excursions.

What is your favorite way to save money on a Disney cruise?