Planning for our Disney Cruise

In 2016 we decided it was time for a vacation.  We realized we had never been on a cruise before and started looking at different cruise options. We always see the commercials for Carnival, Royal Carribean, Disney, and so many others.  We heard friends and family give pros and con's about all of them.  So we hit the books, or the keyboard, and started our research.

Carnival and Royal Carribean had some great promotional offers but neither had the same reviews for the experience for kids or the customer service excellence that was offered.  So we looked into Disney a little more.  We found out that the Disney rewards card that we have through Chase allowed us to trade in points earned towards our Disney cruise.  That made a Disney cruise even more appealing.

This rewards program allows you to earn points much like any credit card rewards program.  These points do not expire and can be used for anything Disney or flights.  Plus the points never expire so you can save up till you want to use them.  Plus you get some great perks with this program.  You can book a Disney vacation package or cruise interest-free for 18 months. This sealed the deal for us.

We booked our Cruise through the Disney Cruise Line using the points that we had been saving up. We paid the remaining balance over time till it was time for our departure.  The great part about Disney Cruise was we were able to add our gratuity up front so no extra charges once we were on board.  Plus soda, juice, and everything except the alcohol was free on board.  Some cruise lines charge extra for their soda package.

Their excursion packages were very reasonable on the Disney Island as well.  for 4 people participating in 3 activities for the day, it was approximately $150 total. We paid for this up front as well over the 18 month period. So no surprise fees when we disembarked the ship.

So, my advice is if you are looking to take a Disney Cruise is to find a great rewards program that you can use to help offset the cost. Take advantage of the 0% interest financing for your trip, just be sure to pay the balance off before the interest rate is adjusted or your savings will not be worth it.  Try to include all your costs into your booking upfront to avoid any surprises when you're ready to leave, nothing is worse than ending your vacation with a giant bill.  If your going to consume alcohol look into how much you plan to consume if its just one or two glasses a package won't be worth it but if you plan to consume a large amount over the course of the Cruise I would suggest taking advantage of the alcohol package to avoid a large bill at the end of your trip.

I hope these tips will help you reach your Disney Cruise destination!