Planning your first Disney Cruise is exciting. But it’s also a big financial commitment, and maybe you’re hesitant to book because you’re concerned you’ll lose money if your plans change. After all, nobody wants to give up their dream vacation and their hard-earned money on the same day! So are Disney cruises refundable?
In most cases, you can get a full refund if you cancel far enough in advance. Even if you cancel later, you might be eligible for a partial refund. But there are some bookings where this isn’t the case.
That’s confusing, I know. But don’t fret. I’ll outline the different cancellation policies for Disney Cruises and optional add-on services. I’ll also suggest a few ways you can avoid losing money if your travel plans change.
How Cruise Cancellations Work
Before we get into policy specifics, there are a few basic things to understand about how Disney’s cruise cancellation rules work.
Two Major Factors Influence the Cancellation Policy
The main factors which determine the cancellation policy for your cruise are:
- The stateroom category you’re booking, with different policies for:
- Suites and Concierge Staterooms
- Restricted Stateroom Categories (usually offered during last-minute bookings)
- All other Staterooms
- The length of your cruise, with different policies for:
- Shorter cruises (1-5 nights)
- Longer cruises (6+ nights)
Other factors which may influence refunds include:
- Booking a special discounted rate
- Converting an “onboard placeholder” to a confirmed reservation
- Redeeming a “Future Cruise Credit” from a previous canceled cruise
- Modifying the list of passengers after booking
There’s no way to cover every variation of the cancellation rules in a single article, but I’ll share the most common ones.
Disney Cruise Payment Rules Are Important To Understand
Two payment terms—Deposit and Final Payment Deadline—come up repeatedly when discussing cancellation policies. Here’s what they mean.
Unless you’re booking last-minute or within a restricted stateroom category (not common), you’ll probably:
- Pay an initial Deposit, usually 10% of the fare, either at the time of booking or during a courtesy hold period. It’s often refundable, but not always.
- Pay the remaining balance before your Final Payment Deadline. Miss this deadline and your reservation is canceled.
Cancellation Penalties Increase Over Time
The sooner you cancel, the better.
Yes, some bookings are completely nonrefundable from the start—and others may require a nonrefundable Deposit.
But in most cases, you can get back everything you’ve paid if your Final Payment Deadline hasn’t passed. After that, penalties begin.
Cancellation penalties usually start by not refunding your Deposit. Penalties get more expensive as the sail date approaches—eventually they’ll equal the entire cost of the cruise.
Disney Won’t Penalize You If They Cancel
Cancellation penalties apply only if you cancel. If Disney or their approved provider cancel the experience, you’ll get a refund. For example:
- Disney Cruise Line cancels your voyage due to a hurricane
- Adventures by Disney doesn’t get enough bookings for the post-cruise “Escape” so they cancel it
- The tour company organizing your scuba diving port adventure cancels it
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Choose the option below which best describes your cruise reservation, and we’ll show you the applicable cancellation policy.
REMEMBER: These are the standard published policies. Certain unique factors about your booking might cause different rules to apply. And policies/penalties are always subject to change at any time. Consult DCL’s terms and conditions for more info.
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Optional add-ons which are not included in your cruise fare, such as those listed below, usually have different cancellation policies than your cruise reservation.
Beyond the blatantly obvious—don’t cancel and you won’t be penalized—there are ways to potentially avoid losing money due to a cruise cancellation.
Buy Disney’s Vacation Protection Plan (Travel Insurance)
Buying travel insurance is probably best way to minimize your financial risk. You might purchase coverage through an independent company or have protection through your credit card company.
But there’s one plan designed specifically to cover Disney Cruise Line.
DCL’s Vacation Protection Plan combines traditional travel insurance with additional Disney-provided benefits:
- Travel Insurance, administered by Aon Affinity and underwritten by Arch Insurance Company, covering:
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption (up to $20,000 per person to cover costs booked through Disney)
- Trip Delay (up to $500)
- Baggage Loss (up to $3,000) and Baggage Delay (up to $500)
- Emergency Medical/Dental (up to $20,000)
- Emergency Medical Transportation (up to $30,000)
- Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services
- “Cancel For Any Reason”, a “non-insurance feature” provided by Disney Cruise Line:
- Applicable if you cancel for a reason not covered by the insurance portion of the plan
- Provides a “Future Cruise Credit” worth up to 75% of any cancellation fees you were charged
- Credits can be applied toward a future Disney Cruise Line sailing
- Credits are valid for one year from issue date, cannot be transferred to a different passenger, and cannot be redeemed for cash
- Credit is deemed fully used the first time it’s redeemed, even if the new cruise costs less than the credit is worth.
You should thoroughly review the plan overview and state-specific terms and conditions to fully understand what is and isn’t covered.
The cost of travel insurance for Disney Cruises is based on percentage of your cruise fare.
You can add the Vacation Protection Plan to your trip at the time of booking, or at any point prior to reaching a “no-refundable” point in the payment process.
This usually means you can add travel insurance up until your Final Payment Deadline. But for Concierge staterooms, last-minute cruises, and Restricted Categories—all of which are automatically within penalty the moment they’re booked—you can only add Vacation Protection when you make the reservation.
Move Your Cruise to a Different Date
Technically speaking, Disney considers any modification to be a “cancel and rebook.” But they may be more forgiving if you’re just changing dates and booking a similar cruise to replace one you can’t take.
You may need to pay more for the new date (such as if cruise prices have gone up, or you’re traveling in a more-expensive season).
But don’t expect that any move will work. If you try to make a last-minute change from a 7-night summer Alaska Cruise to a 3-night Bahamian or Caribbean cruise in the off-season, you’re probably going to be out some dough.
Change Some of the Guests
If the main issue is that some passengers on the reservation can’t travel, you might be able to replace them with someone else.
You may have to pay a per-person fee to change the passenger list, and the lead Guest on the reservation usually must remain.
Plead Your Case
If all else fails—and you have a truly compelling reason—you can try to plead your case with Disney Cruise Line Guest Services.
Let me set some expectations from the start: it’s very likely that the reply will simply be “sorry” because you were offered a Vacation Protection Plan at the time of booking.
But if you have a situation that is completely unforeseen, you can always politely ask for assistance and see what options may be available to you.
You less likely to get a full refund, but they might offer a Future Cruise Credit. It’s not ideal, but if you’ve reached this point, you’re already firmly in “something’s better than nothing” territory.
Bonus Tip: Book Through a Travel Agent
Booking through a travel agency that specializes in Disney vacations won’t actually change any of the cancellation policies—but it’s still a good idea. That’s because Disney-focused travel agents know all the ins and outs of Disney Cruise Line. They’re aware of all the cancellation rules and will keep track of your payment deadlines so you don’t accidentally enter a penalty window without realizing it.
If your plans do change, a good travel agent such as those from The Vacationeer can handle everything for you. Canceling a cruise usually means you’re already dealing with something major. Letting somebody else handle the communications with Disney means one less thing for you to worry about. They may even suggest potential solutions you haven’t thought of.
Imagine the peace of mind knowing that if something goes south, you’ll have someone fighting for you to make things right. No waiting hours on hold, explaining your situation over and over again to different people in some giant call center. Instead, just make a quick call to your dedicated agent, and they take care of it for you.
Booking through The Vacationeer doesn’t cost anything more than if you book on your own. Plus, you’ll be eligible for onboard credits of up to $1,000 to use toward activities, spa treatments, excursions, and more.
So book your next cruise the hassle-free way! Connect with The Vacationeer today for a free, no-obligation quote on your dream Disney Cruise!
I hope this overview has helped you better understand how Disney Cruise Line’s cancellation rules work. While nobody wants to cancel their trip, its always good to have the facts so you can make an informed decision should the need arise. Here’s hoping for smooth sailing!
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