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Dream; full boat; sailing in water
  • On Jan 25, 2026
    Michelle from NM Asked Please note that experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Financing

    Ahoy, Michelle! Thanks for bringing your Disney Cruise Line question to us here at planDisney. I know that it can be daunting when you first begin planning your sailing aboard the Disney fleet, but there’s no need to fear because there are a number of ways to help you manage the cost.

    Instead of traditional financing options, Disney Cruise Line offers “Pay at Your Own Pace,” which allows you to customize the payment plan to what works best for your budget. When you first choose your desired cruise, you can make your booking and it will be held for three days with no deposit required. You must then pay the initial deposit, which is usually 10% of the total cost, to officially confirm your reservation. From there, the payment schedule is completely up to you as long as you make sure that your cruise is paid in full by the deadline. Final payment is usually due 90 days before sailing on cruises up to 5 nights and 120 days before sailing on cruises that are 6 nights or longer. Your actual due date will depend on your specific itinerary and sailing dates, but you will be notified of that deadline at the time of booking. Keep in mind that certain special offers and guaranteed stateroom category options may require full payment at the time of booking.

    The Disney Cruise Line website has built-in tools to help you crunch the numbers:

    • First, click on the "Plan a Cruise" tab at the top of the page.
    • Then you can narrow down the options by clicking on the white boxes labeled “Leaving,” “Sailing to,” and “Departing from” to pick your desired sailing dates, destination, and departure port. Don’t forget to select your number of guests and indicate how many staterooms you need as well.
    • Once you click on the blue button labeled “View Dates,” you will get a list of the available itineraries.
    • From there, select the itinerary that you are interested in and click the blue button on the right to show the available sailing dates.
    • Each specific sailing will then be listed showing the dates, ship, and stateroom prices.
    • Look for a tiny, blue piggy bank circular icon with a yellow dollar sign under the stateroom prices and click where it says “Rates, Room Details & Planning Calculator.”
    • You will see the “Rate Details” and can scroll down to where it says “Flexible Planning.”
    • The drop down menu allows you to choose your desired “Payment Frequency” from weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or a set number of payments or you can “Customize Your Amount” to the right.
    • Click the blue button that says “Calculate” and you will see the specific numbers for that cruise, including the 10% deposit amount, payment amount based on your selection, and the final balance due date.

    Remember that this is a tool to help you budget, but you can actually make payments of any amount at any time after the downpayment is made as long as you pay the balance in full by the designated date.

    Disney Cruise Line truly is where magic meets the sea, so I hope that the flexible payment options will give your family the necessary financial tools to set sail soon. If you have any other questions, we are always happy to help at planDisney. Happy sailing!

    Catherine

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Meet the Panelist: Catherine, Virginia

Get ready to set sail for adventure! I’m a wife, mom to one son, and public defender, originally from Richmond, Virginia. As a Platinum Castaway Club member, I have been sailing away, savoring churro Mickey waffles, and successfully completing my Disney trivia character medallion collection aboard the Disney Cruise Line fleet. Now I’m ready to help answer all of your questions as you prepare to embark on your own journeys to where magic meets the sea. Learn More About Catherine

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Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort or Disney Cruise Line® vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their planDisney participation. The views expressed on plandisneypanel.com are those of the panelists, who are independent contractors. These views are not intended to reflect the opinions of Disney Destinations, its affiliates, its management, its agents or its employees and have not been reviewed or approved by Disney Destinations prior to posting.

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