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When’s the best time to book a Disney Cruise vacation? We’re spilling our secrets today so you can get the best price for your cruise!

Thinking of taking the family on a Disney Cruise vacation? Trust me, you’ll be making the right choice if you do! My family has been on 4 Disney cruises (soon to be 5), and we know all of the secrets to having the best Disney cruise vacation ever. I’m so excited to give you some of our best tips today!

So you’ve seen all of the amazing destinations (and picked one out), you’ve seen all that’s included in the price, and you’ve got the whole family on board. Now what? All that’s left to do is BOOK your Disney Cruise vacation – and that’s a super exciting part!

Booking and planning your Disney cruise can seem very overwhelming at first, and I’m sure you have a lot of questions. Some of the biggest questions on your mind are probably – when do I need to book? How do I know that I’m getting the best price? And those are all great questions! I’m giving you answers to those questions today – I’m so excited to help you!

I’ll also be answering a bonus question for you: when is a good time of year to go on a Disney cruise?

So, are you ready to dive in?

When to Book Your Disney Cruise

We recommend that you book your cruise as soon as possible for many reasons (which I will dive into soon!). If you already have specific sail dates in mind and you know exactly which cruise you would like to go on, book it now (if dates are available). If your preferred dates are not available to book right now, we recommend that you book on itinerary release day. Disney doesn’t have a specific day of the year that they release future itineraries – we just have to be on the lookout for them and be prepared. For example, right now, we are able to book cruises for dates as far out as May of 2021, but we don’t know when the rest of 2021 or 2022 will be available for booking. As travel advisors for Disney destinations, we are among the first to know when Disney announces new cruise itineraries. Want to be notified when new itineraries come available for booking? Join our email list above and you’ll be the first to know!

Reasons you should book your cruise ASAP

You get the best price

When you book your cruise as soon as Disney releases the itineraries, you’ll get the best price. When you wait and book closer to the date your cruise leaves, rooms will fill up and prices will go up. There are only special circumstances for this when it comes to military and Florida residents, as sometimes Disney will release last minute discounted itineraries for families who qualify for those discounts.

You have more time to make payments on your cruise

Disney only requires you to pay 20% of your entire cruise price at the time of booking. The final payment due date is dependent upon the type of stateroom you have and how many nights your cruise is. For most cruises, the final payment date is 90 days before your departure date. When you book your cruise early, you have more time to save and pay off your cruise. This can be a huge help especially if you are on a tight budget!

You’ll get the best pick of staterooms and popular itineraries

When you book your Disney cruise vacation as early as possible, you’ll get to choose from the best stateroom types and categories. This is super important because I believe wholeheartedly that where your room is will affect your cruise drastically. My husband and I always stay mid-ship because it is the least rocky. This is also really important if you are worried about seasickness!

Holiday cruises book up extra fast

If you’re looking to go on a holiday cruise, we definitely recommend booking as soon as packages release. These special themed cruises book up very fast and you don’t want to miss out on these! We absolutely love the Halloween on the High Seas cruises.

halloween disney cruise

Check out our post about 8 things you don’t want to miss on a Halloween Disney cruise!

Bonus tip: Book your next cruise on your current cruise to save even more!

Disney offers an awesome discount/deal if you book your next cruise while you’re onboard. This offer includes a 10% discount as well as 50% off your initial cruise deposit. You must book this before the end of your cruise to receive the perks, and trust me it is so worth it!

So now that you know when you should book your Disney Cruise, when is the best time to GO on a Disney cruise?

When is the best time to go on a Disney Cruise vacation?

That answer varies for several different reasons. It depends on the kind of cruise you are looking for, what your budget is, and what kind of excursions you would like to do. Generally, for tropical cruises to destinations like the Bahamas and Caribbean, any time is a great time except for December and January because the weather and waves can be kind of iffy. My husband and I have cruised in May, October, and November and have had absolutely perfect weather. If you go during hurricane season, just make sure that you purchase travel insurance in the case of inclement weather! When you book your cruise with us, we can help you find the plan that is right for you!

We hope this gave you some valuable insight on the best time to book and go on your Disney cruise vacation!

Have you been on a Disney cruise? What was your favorite part of it?