Let’s face it life happens. Those planned vacations sometimes have to be rescheduled or cancelled. Disney Cruises are a big commitment (financially and time wise) and you should know the Disney Cruise Line Cancellation Policy before you book your Disney Cruise.
Life can change in an instant, with an ill child, work emergency, or a global event. Whether you need to cancel when the cruise is days away or change your reservation, we want to show you how to cancel or change your Disney Cruise without destroying your pocketbook.
Disney Cruise Standard Cancellation Policy
For cruises five (5) nights or longer (non-concierge staterooms):
- 90+ Days Before Sailing: Full refund, no penalty (minus any non-refundable fees)
- 89–56 days: Loss of deposit
- 55–30 days: 50% of total fare
- 29–15 days: 75% of total fare
- 14 days or less: 100% penalty (no refund)
Shorter Cruises (4 nights or fewer): Penalties commence much, much earlier 74 days before sailing instead of 89.
Concierge-Level Cancellations:-
- If you are in a concierge suite or a stateroom, the cancellation rules are far stricter.
- Deposit is always non-refundable.
- Cancelled at 90 days or less prior to departure? 100% of cruise fare.
What Are the Disney Cruise Line Cancellation Penalties?
There is a cancellation penalty system in place indicated from penalty tiers for the Disney Cruise Line that will rise as you get closer to your sail date. The secret is knowing how far in advance you cancel. Here is a quick summary (but check your specific itinerary for full details):
Hotel Cancellation Policy & Fees
Planning to stay at a hotel before or after your cruise? Here’s what you should know:-
If You Book Through Disney:-
- Most Disney -arranged hotel stays (ie Walt Disney World or select partner hotels) often have equivalent cancellation windows as the cruise.
- If you cancel your hotel within 30 days, some penalties might apply and/or you may only gain a partial refund.
Third-Party Hotel Bookings:-
- If your hotel reservation for pre-cruise or post-cruise was made on a third-party site such as Expedia or Booking.com, you will have to honor their cancellation policy.
- Most of them are within 24 to 72 hours for cancellation, but some deals have non-refundable options.
Disney Cruise Change of Plans? Here’s How to Cancel Without Losing Money
No one wants to the loss of hundreds—or thousands—of dollars. The good news is that you have the option for you to do something if things change.
Modify Instead of Cancel
- If you cancel during the penalty window, think about modifying your sailing date instead.
- Generally, Disney will let you apply your payments on a new cruise. Just double check if you are subject a restriction.
Rebooking Later
- In certain circumstances, it may be more beneficial to let the cruise go and start fresh or rebook. This way you may have better options for cabins and promotional days when you are ready to rebook.
Special Exceptions
Disney Cruise Line may allow cancelled with little to no penalties with extreme circumstances, specifically,
- Emergent illness (with documentation)
- Weather events
- Military orders (with orders)
Each situation is unique, so it is important to contact Disney or your travel advisor very early.
From Deposit to Departure: How Disney Cruise Cancellation Really Works?
Let’s break down exactly what the cancellation process looks like from when you make your first deposit to when you are (supposed to) sail:
- Deposit Made: According to your cruise this will be typically 20% of your fare. It is refundable, provided you cancel within the window where you would incur no penalties (unless you have booked a concierge stateroom).
- Final Payment Due: Usually 90 days before sailing for most itineraries; at which point the cancellation penalties begin.
- Inside 90 Days?
- Cancel far too close to your sailing, you could lose lots (or all) of what you paid.
- Refunds can take up to 30 days to process back to your payment method.
- Disney Cancellation: If Disney cancels your cruise (i.e. weather, global situation, etc.), you generally are entitled to a full refund, or credit for a future cruise.
The Importance of Purchasing Travel Insurance
Don’t disregard travel insurance, as it could come in handy to save your dream trip and your bank account.
What It Often Covers:
- Trip cancellation/interruption
- Emergency medical expenses
- Lost baggage
- Delays or missed connections
Disney Cruise Line Vacation Protection Plan
- This offers you cruise fare reimbursement, medical coverage, and 24/7 emergency assistance.
- You also gets cancel-for-any-reason coverage (refund in the form of future cruise credit).
Is It Worth It?
If your family is spending a few thousand dollars for your Disney Cruise, spending a few extra dollars for insurance (around $100 – $300 per person) is an easy choice, particularly if you are traveling with children or seniors.
Conclusion
Booking a Disney Cruise is exciting, but let’s face it, you do not want anything potentially ruining your fairytale – like a last-minute hiccup that could become accidentally financially devastating. Knowing the Disney Cruise cancellation policy can help in those situations when you find yourself in a jam and makes easy solutions at the last-minute to costly errors due to not understanding the rules in place.
Be sure to watch for Disney Cruise Cancellation Policy deadlines; particularly in concierge staterooms. And remember to always check the booking rules prior to pressing “confirm” on your bookings. In a situation requiring cancellation, trip/travel insurance could be your best friend on the water.
FAQs
Q1. What is Disney Cruise reschedule policy?
Disney Cruise Line does permit travelers to change reservations (change sail date, destination, or room category), but only during the time from reservation and the final payment which is typically at 90 days prior to the sailing. After that, it is likely, the changes will be construed as a cancellation which will carry the penalty. Additionally, there is always the possibility of availability and rates changing when the rebooking happens.
Q2. Is Disney Cruise deposit refundable?
The deposit is refundable if you cancel before the cancellation penalty period (generally 90 days or greater before sailing for most room categories). If you are booked in concierge level a stateroom the deposit is non refundable once booked regardless of how early you cancel.
Q3. Are Disney Cruises non-refundable?
Not really. Disney Cruises are partially refundable depending on when you cancel. The closer to the sail date, the less you will be refunded. If you cancel within 14 days of sailing, you get almost nothing back. Concierge staterooms are a special case; they are completely non-refundable at any time.
Q4. Can I cancel my Disney Cruise without penalty?
You will be able to cancel, without penalty, as long as you cancel outside of the penalty window (in general terms, that is more than 90 days prior to your cruise for normal staterooms). After that, cancellation fees apply and increase the closer you get to sail date.
Q5. Does Disney Cruise have free cancellation?
Disney Cruise Line provides no instant cancellation on its own, however if you cancel earlier enough (typical 90+ days to the sailing) you could receive a full refund (not including concierge deposits or any non refundable extras) in other words, if a full refund is a preference for you then booking a flexible fare and travel insurance could offer you a little more protection from cancellation.
