Disney

A Disney cruise is a magical experience, but it’s also not cheap. You’re looking at cruise fares often twice as high as some other cruise lines, but how much of that is down to just the ‘Disney’ price tag, and how much is related to what’s included in your fare?

It’s important to know exactly what your Disney cruise includes, because if you’re already unsure about paying the price for one and you don’t realise which extras you’ll also need to pay extra for, you might be in for a nasty shock.

So, in this guide I’ll explain everything that you’ll get included in the price you pay, and the parts of your cruise that you’ll need to pay extra for (if you want to).

By the end, you’ll be able to get a rough idea of exactly how much you’ll need to budget for a Disney cruise holiday.

What’s Included in a Disney Cruise and What Costs Extra..?

1. Accommodation

When you book a Disney cruise, your accommodation is one of the main things you’re paying for. You’ll get to choose from a range of different stateroom options, including:

• Inside – the cheapest options with no window
• Oceanview – with an in-room porthole
• Oceanview with Verandah – a room with a private balcony
• Concierge Suites and Family Staterooms – the most spacious and luxurious accommodations onboard

Regardless of which category you choose, you’ll get all the following:

• A TV with in-room movies to enjoy
• A hairdryer
• A fridge
• Signature spa, bath and shower toiletries
• Twice-daily housekeeping services

Most staterooms also have split bathrooms – ideal for families, these separate the toilet and shower into separate rooms, so that they can both be used by different people at the same time.

Guests in a Concierge Suite or Family Stateroom also get the following:

• Early reservations for shore excursions and speciality dining
• Priority boarding and disembarkation
• Access to a private lounge and sun deck
• Upgraded room amenities including a pillow menu, bathrobe and slippers
• Priority theatre seating
• A concierge host to help with anything you need on the ship

Read more about the Disney Concierge perks.

2. Food

The vast majority of the food you eat on a Disney cruise is included in the fare you’ve paid. There are only a handful of venues where you’ll need to pay extra, including:

• Palo, an Italian steakhouse that costs $50 per person
• Remy, a French restaurant that costs $80 per person for brunch and $135 per person for dinner
• Enchante on Disney Wish, costing $80 per person for brunch and between $135 and $205 per person for dinner
• Preludes Snack Bar, which has a la carte pricing
• Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats, selling candy and gelato with a la carte pricing

Some of those prices are pretty high, right? The good news is you don’t ever need to visit those restaurants, and the included ones are excellent.

Not only is there plenty of variety for your casual options during the day, but the Disney main restaurants are something truly special.

Instead of dining in one restaurant, you’ll rotate between them on your cruise to give you a range of experiences, including one that will feature an interactive show throughout the meal. The specific restaurant and show varies depending on your ship.

The food that you have to pay for is only for special occasions or treats – most people don’t spend any money on food on a Disney cruise.

3. Drinks

On most cruise lines, you need to pay for the drinks you want to enjoy during the cruise – those aren’t included in the fare, beyond maybe basic teas, coffees and fruit juices served at breakfast.

Disney Cruise Line is a little better, because you can enjoy a range of soft drinks throughout the cruise at no extra charge, either from the restaurants or at beverage stations near the pool area. 

These drinks include:

• Coca-Cola
• Diet Coke
• Coke Zero
• Water
• HiC Fruit Punch
• HiC Pink Lemonade
• Fuse Ice Tea
• Sprite
• Sprite Zero
• Coffee (standard coffee only – speciality coffee is charged for)
• Hot Chocolate
• Assorted Teas

If you want to order drinks from the bar (including those drinks above) then you will be charged – they’re only free at restaurants and the beverage stations.

All other drinks must be paid for, including alcoholic ones. And unlike most other cruise lines, there’s no all-inclusive drinks package you can pay for on Disney Cruise Line.

You can buy beer and wine packages, but these are set amounts that offer a small discount, rather than being unlimited. Disney’s a family cruise line, and it wants to discourage anyone from drinking too much alcohol.

But, if you aren’t someone who drinks alcohol, you can absolutely enjoy a Disney cruise without paying anything extra for your drinks.

4. Room Service

There’s a great room service menu that guests can enjoy on Disney’s cruises, and almost everything on there is completely free of charge.

Room service is available 24 hours a day, with breakfast options available from 7 am until 10 am and then a range of meals and snacks available outside of these hours.

For breakfast, you’ll need to order using a hanger that you fill in the night before, and place on the door handle outside your cabin. Otherwise you can order room service on the app, with options such as salads, pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, wings and desserts.

There are a small number of items on the menus that have an additional charge, including some snack items – buttered popcorn, peanuts and M&Ms for example – along with any drinks that you order. You’ll need to pay for those along with the 18% gratuity – more on that later.

Everything else is included though, so why not treat yourself?

5. Entertainment

Disney’s ships offer some incredible live entertainment – not just in the restaurants but in the onboard theatres too. Your favourite Disney movies are brought to life on stage, not just with all the songs you know and love already but even some new ones exclusive to the ship.

There are also parties that you can enjoy on deck, including the fun-packed sailaway party and Mickey’s Pirate Party, where guests are encouraged to put on their best pirate costumes and join in with plenty of fun and games.

And you’ll never have to pay for any of the stunning entertainment on your Disney cruise. All of the parties and shows are included at no extra charge.

6. Activities

Disney’s cruise ships are packed with fun things to keep the whole family busy throughout the day, including waterslides, character meets, Goofy’s Sports Deck, and even on the newest ships a full-blown Disney Attraction at Sea in AquaMouse, which is like a water coaster with interactive elements.

Most of the activities on Disney’s cruises are free. There are just a handful of special experiences that have an additional cost, such as the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique makeover.

You’ll also need to pay for things like arcade games, as you’d expect. But generally, the activities that you take part in are included in the fare – even the ‘premium’ options like the AquaMouse.

On most other cruise lines, their top attractions have an additional fee, so that’s a win for Disney on this instance.

7. Kids’ Clubs

The kids’ clubs on Disney’s cruise ships are completely free – you can drop the kids off and leave them for the entire day if you want, and you won’t be charged a penny extra. The only exceptions are for babies and toddlers, where there’s a $9 per hour charge, but if your kids are over three years old then it’s free.

And on Disney Cruise Line, those kids’ clubs really are something special. There are different clubs for different age groups, each offering age-appropriate activities with that Disney sparkle. Teens will love their cool hangout areas, and younger children will take part in all kinds of princess, pirate and superhero-themed adventures.

The kids’ clubs are open from 9am until around midnight on most cruises, and you don’t even have to pay for the evening sessions like you would on some other cruise lines. 

It’s perfect if you want to enjoy family dinner together but then a quiet adults-only evening – drop the kids off for a couple more hours of fun, then go pick them up to take them to bed. Just hope they’re awake or that you don’t have too far to carry them.

8. Service Charges

Most big cruise lines charge guests a daily gratuity rate, and Disney Cruise Line is no different. All guests will be expected to pay these automatic gratuities for their cruise, which for most guests will be $14.50 per night. 

This includes infants and children too – gratuities will be calculated to include them, so if you’re travelling as a group of two adults and two infants, the daily cost will be $58.

The cost is also higher for guests staying in Concierge Staterooms and Suites, where the daily charge is $15.50 per day.

At the end of your cruise you’ll get a paper that breaks down where your tips go.

On top of that, Disney Cruise Line often includes tip envelopes in your stateroom at the end of your cruise, should you wish to give more tips to helpful members of the crew. You don’t need to do this – it’s entirely optional.

Also, there is another gratuity you’ll need to pay – 18% every time you order drinks or use the spa services. This is added to your account automatically.

9. WiFi

You can access WiFi internet on a Disney cruise, but you’ll need to pay. There are a limited number of websites you can access without buying a WiFi package, but it’s Disney’s own websites only.

There are three different packages you can buy, depending on what you want to do when you get online. What’s interesting about Disney is that you don’t need to pay for the full cruise if you don’t want to – you can just pay for single-day access.

The Stay Connected package is a basic social media package. You won’t be able to access the internet or your emails if you choose this package – you’ll be limited to social media apps only.

The Basic Surf package works with all social media apps and unlocks full web browsing, including email clients.

But if you want the fastest speeds, you’ll want the Premium Surf package, which lets you use music and short-form video streaming apps like YouTube. Even with this fastest internet, you won’t be able to use apps like Netflix.

Not everyone wants to use the internet on their cruise, so this is definitely an optional cost. If you have to work or you need to be online to be contactable, then you’ll have to pay up, but you can get away with it if you just stick to finding free WiFi whenever you’re in port – there’s usually somewhere close by.

10. Laundry

You might want to make use of Disney’s laundry services onboard the ship. There are two different laundry options available.

Firstly there’s a full service laundry and dry-cleaning option which charges by the item – expect to pay around $1.50 for a pair of socks, or $11 if you want a suit dry cleaning. This is a next-day service, though you can also pay fees to speed things along – 50% more for a same-day service returned that evening, or 100% more for the express service returned in just a few hours.

It’s cheaper to use the self-service laundry facilities if you’re on a budget. You can find everything you need in the laundry room and you just need to use your room key to pay. It’ll cost around $3 for a wash load and $3 for the dryers.

Of course, remember that most Disney cruises are shorter itineraries – so you may find it easier to just pack enough clothes along with a few spare outfits.

11. Flights and Overseas Transfers

Most Disney cruises depart from the US, particularly on the newest ships in the fleet, though there are other options around the world. Regardless, unless you’re lucky enough to live close to the port, you’re likely going to need to book flights to get you to the ship.

You’ll also need to think about transfers – getting from the airport to the cruise ship.

It is possible to book flights with Disney Cruise Line directly. The Disney Cruise Line Air Program has a couple of different fare options – choose Flexible Fares if you want the freedom to change your plans or cancel, or opt for Restricted Fares if you want the lowest price.

You can also book flights independently, or ask your travel agent to do it for you. If you don’t book through the cruise line, then you’ll need to keep an eye on your flight details and make sure times don’t change, potentially causing you to miss the cruise. Disney will do that for you if you book through them.

A lot of people flying to the US to sail often like to add on a hotel stay for a couple of days, including a trip to the Orlando theme parks – but then costs are definitely going to increase!

12. Transfers to Southampton

There is the option of cruising from Southampton, if you don’t want to pay for flights or you just want the convenience of cruising from home. Your choice is then more limited for duration and ship, but there are some good itineraries available.

However, you’ll need to think about costs for getting there. You could get a coach or the train, or you could drive down – but then parking becomes a consideration too.

And if you’re travelling a long distance, you should think about booking a hotel near the cruise port, otherwise you’ll risk missing your cruise if there’s any traffic or problems with the train on the day. The ship won’t wait for you!

Again, if you choose to book with a travel agent then they can help you with all of this but if you book directly with Disney, you’ll need to arrange it all yourself.

13. Shore Excursions (Including Cabana Hire)

Shore excursions arranged through Disney Cruise Line aren’t included in the price you pay – if you want to book onto one of the tours that the cruise line offers then you’ll need to pay an extra fee.

Exactly how much will depend on the nature of the excursion. Sightseeing tours can start at around $35 per person, but the more unique excursions can cost a lot more – fancy seeing Cannes by private yacht, for example? Expect to pay over $6,000 per person! That’s quite pricey for a trip that’ll only take a few hours…

You don’t have to pay for these trips – you can arrange your own through another company and typically, you’ll save compared to Disney’s prices, or just wander of the ship and explore for free.

You’ll also need to pay for some activities on Disney’s private island Castaway Cay, such as cabana rental if you want the luxury of your own cabana for the day. This starts at $399 per day, but that’s the total price for four guests.

To Conclude

Disney Cruise Line is expensive, and you typically get the same type of inclusions as you would on other cruise lines – except for the soft drinks, where Disney does give you more free inclusions than most others.

The main reason Disney is more expensive is because it’s Disney – so you know you can expect amazing service for your whole family, great character interactions, and that little touch of pixie dust throughout.

Now, you’re prepared to budget in full for a Disney cruise, which will help you decide whether it’s the right cruise line for you or if a cheaper option (with more money to spend on extras) would be a better choice.

Check out my guide to how much a Disney cruise costs compared to other cruises for more information.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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