Things pop up in life, and sometimes we need to change our travel plans. Thankfully, cruise lines have some options to help guests adjust their plans if need be.
While this isn't ideal, it's good to know what to expect if something unexpected does happen and you need to cancel your Disney cruise.
Disney Cruise Line offers their guests some flexibility in canceling cruises, meaning that so long as you cancel by a certain date, you're eligible for either a partial or full refund, minus the initial deposit.
Here is an overview of Disney Cruise Line’s cancellation policy and what to expect if you find yourself in a situation where you need to cancel your vacation.
What are the Disney Cruise Line cancellation penalties?
There are different cancellation policies that are dependent on how long your voyage is, as well as what cabin category you are booked in.
Let's start with those who are booked in standard cabins (i.e., non-suites) with a sailing that's between 1- and 5-nights. Most often, these will either be short Caribbean cruises or those to The Bahamas that visit their private island, Castaway Cay.
If you cancel your cruise between 89 and 45 days prior to your cruise, you'll only lose the initial deposit. This allows for quite a bit of flexibility, as you can cancel your cruise about 1.5 months before it commences and only lose a little money, rather than the majority of the cruise fare.
If you cancel between 44 and 30 days, however, you'll lose 50% of the vacation price per guest. That means that if you paid $2,000 per person, you'll lose $1,000 each!
The percentage of fare lost increases as you get closer to the sail date, amounting to 75% of the vacation price per guest for cancellations between 29 and 15 days before and 100% for those made with 14 days or fewer.
If you are cruising in a non-suite cabin on a cruise that is longer than 6-nights, your policies are a little bit different, and they're not as lenient.
For example, if you cancel between 119 and 56 days before your cruise, you will lose your entire deposit. Remember with the shorter cruises you had up to 45 days before to cancel and only lose your deposit.
The penalty increases to 50% of the vacation cost per guest if cancelled between 55 and 30 days before and 75% if cancelled between 29 and 15 days. You'll lose all the money invested into your Disney cruise vacation after 14 days.
The rules for canceling a suite or Concierge room are standardized, meaning that it doesn't matter if you are going on a 3-night or 10-night cruise, the cancellation penalties are the same.
The second you book a Concierge or suite, you will be at risk of losing some money you paid, whereas with standard rooms, you have until the final payment date.
This means that even if you decide to cancel your cruise three days after booking it and you're still well over an entire year from the sail date, you will still lose the deposit that you paid for each guest.
If you cancel between 89 and 56 days, you'll lose 50% of the vacation price per guest. The amount increases to 75% if cancelled between 55 and 30 days. Finally, you will lose 100% of the vacation price per guest if you cancel your Disney cruise in a suite or concierge room 29 days or less before your cruise.
Air cancellation fees
If you opted to book your airfare though Disney Cruise Line, you will be responsible for any charge or cancellation fee that's assessed by both the airline and Disney. If you cancel your cruise for any reason, your airfare will automatically be cancelled, too.
Changes and cancellations are allowed to be made if you book a flexible fare; however, they're subject to the following fees based on the timing. For flights within the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, there's no charge if you cancel your flight/cruise 56 days or more before your cruise.
If you cancel it between 55 and 30 days, though, each guest will have to pay a $200 fee. The fee increases to $300 per person if cancelled 29 days or less before your cruise.
Itineraries with any flights outside of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are subject to different terms.
If you cancel/change anything regarding your flight/booking prior to 120 days, you won't be charged anything. The fees kick in at 119 days, at which you'll have to pay $300 per guest. If you make any changes or cancel your cruise 55 days or fewer before your cruise, the fee increases to $500 per guest.
Note that if you booked restricted airfare, the tickets must be paid in full at the time of booking, and they're non-refundable and non-transferrable. Any changes that are made will result in the cancellation of the airfare.
Hotel cancellation fees
Disney Cruise Line makes it simple to plan your magical Disney cruise, as they will help you book everything from your initial cruise fare to flights and even a pre-cruise hotel!
Of course, hotels are subject to cancellation penalties just like airline tickets and cruise fares.
According to Disney's website, "A cancellation fee in the amount of the total hotel cost for all nights reserved will be assessed if: a) a hotel reservation outside of Orlando is cancelled 14 days or less prior to arrival date; or, b) a hotel reservation in Orlando or at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa is cancelled 4 days or less prior to arrival date."
It might be wise to consider booking your own hotel and choosing a flexible rate. Oftentimes, this means that you won’t be charged until you check-in, and you will have until the night before your arrival to cancel with no penalty.
How much is the deposit for a Disney cruise?
Standard cruise booking procedures require customers to put a deposit down to secure their reservation.
With Disney Cruise Line, the specific deposit amount is provided at the time of booking and is generally around 20% of the total cruise fare. If you’re fare costs, you can expect the deposit to be around $200.
You will have until your final payment date to pay for the cruise in full.
Here's how to modify or cancel a Disney cruise reservation
If, unfortunately, you have to cancel your upcoming Disney cruise vacation, their website states that you can simply log into Disney account, which can be accessed through the "My Reservations" page.
From there, you'll select the "Modify Reservation" page, which will allow you to change your sail date or stateroom, edit your travel party, and cancel your reservation.
If you booked through a travel agent, it is best to contact them directly for assistance. Plus, they can clarify any of the cancellation policies for you.
The importance of purchasing travel insurance
It is always a good idea to have travel insurance. Disney Cruise Line offers cruisers the option to purchase the Disney Cruise Line Vacation Protection Plan, which is underwritten by Arch Insurance Company with a 24-hour helpline through CareFree Travel Assistance.
After pricing out a few different itineraries on Disney Cruise Line's website, I was able to add travel insurance for the following price:
- Insurance for a 5-night Caribbean cruise onboard Disney Magic for two adults departing in July 2024 and sailing in a deluxe balcony room totaling $5,927.70 costs $451.20 (7.6)
- Insurance for a 7-night Western Europe cruise onboard Disney Dream for two adults departing in September 2024 and sailing in a Concierge 1-bedroom Suite totaling $15,859.16 costs $1,245.44
- Insurance for a 4-night Bahamas cruise onboard Disney Fantasy for two adults departing in November 2024 and sailing in an inside room totaling $2,670.42 costs $197.12
Therefore, it appears that the Disney Cruise Line Vacation Plan costs around 7%-8% of the total cruise fare before gratuities.
The insurer will reimburse up to the following limits:
Trip Cancellation and Interruption: You can get reimbursed up to the total trip cost ($20,000 limit) if you cancel or are interrupted due to sickness, injury, death, or other covered reasons.
Trip Delay: Up to $500 if your cruise is delayed 6+ hours due to carrier-caused delays, including weather, unannounced strikes, and more.
Accident and Sickness Medical Protection: Up to $20,000 to cover medical treatment, hospitalization, and more if you become sick or injured on the cruise.
Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation: Up to $30,000 if you need emergency medical transportation.
Baggage Loss and Delay: Up to $3,000 if your baggage is lost, stolen, or damaged, and up to $500 to buy necessary items if your bags are delayed for over 24 hours.
There are some providers that also offer annual travel insurance if you plan of cruising more frequently.
Chantal McPhee
Chantal McPhee has a great passion for travel since first venturing to the Bahamas as a child with her grandparents. Today, she loves cruising with her husband and two daughters to new places and aspires one day to do a world cruise. Living on the east coast of Canada, she shares cruising tips and information with fellow Canucks seeking a reprieve from the great white north. She also teaches business studies at a university, with a focus on strategy
