Budgeting Tips for a Disney Cruise

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Ok, so I may not be a cruise expert, but my little fam and I just got back from our first Disney cruise and I have a few tips that might help you, budget wise, if you are planning your own Disney cruise!

(Or any cruise for that matter!)

We recently went on a five day cruise on the Disney Wonder which departed from San Diego, California down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with a brief port stop in Ensenada, Mexico. We started planning this trip two years in advance!!!! A lot of the Disney cruises tend to sell out quickly, so it’s best to have a time frame in mind (at least a year in advance) and search which cruises are going where, based on your dates and vacation desires.

We ended up spending a little more then we had budgeted for, but having a budget was extremely helpful so that we knew exactly what we were in for.

BUDGETING TIPS:

  1. Come up with a realistic number of what you want to spend (I’m talking at least five grand for a family of four) and then you can use this basic excel sheet to start listing the amounts you want to spend in each category that have to do with your trip.
  2. Make sure you have enough to put the required 20% down to hold your spot on the cruise.
  3. Start saving a little bit every month for your trip, so you don’t have to put everything on your credit card. Honestly, saving and putting aside $100-$200 a month doesn’t put a huge dent in your regular monthly budget and those savings add up fast. You don’t want to wait until the last minute and go broke for this trip. BELIEVE ME!
  4. READ THE FINE PRINT on all the emails and papers that Disney sends you. Know the mandatory “extra” charges that we didn’t quite know read about, and prepare for them by adding them in your budget.
    • Mandatory gratuities that can add up to around $300 extra.
    • The professional photos can cost up to $250.
    • You are only allowed (as of 2015) two bottles of wine per adult or one six-pack of beer per adult on the cruise. Be aware of what you are spending on alcohol because you can rack up an extra $500-$750 quicker than you would think.
    • Know that special coffee/tea drinks cost extra.
    • Popcorn and other theater wants costs extra.
  5. Bring extra cash. Because you know that you will need it. And while you are having a blast on the cruise, you are going to forget all about the budget!
Disney Cruise
Pirate night on the cruise in which hubbie and I did NOT dress up for 😉

Are you planning a cruise for your family in the near future? If you’ve gone on a cruise before, what budgeting tips did you learn along the way? We want to know!

Bon Voyage…

xoxo- Jenna

2 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for this! Any budgeting advice for a fam of six? I really want to take the family and this is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for.

    You budgeted $5k. What kind of a room would that get you?

  2. Hey Mely!
    So the cheapest tickets were sold out by the time we got online to purchase. We had to go to the next level which (if I remember correctly…) was called platinum level? Either way, it was one step above the cheapest tickets. Our room was a really good size so it was actually worth the extra money in the end between that and the extra perks that we got 🙂 I hope you and your family have a wonderful time!

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