Fl resident and military discounts

[9olivia]

Hello, I am thinking of taking one of the 4 night cruises in May 2008 and was wondering if FL resident and military discounts are only available on certain sailings? Is there a code you have to put in the website? I am just wondering if I should book now or wait. Thanks for any advice.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Florida resident rates are listed on a different site. They are posted anytime from 2 months prior to your cruise down to a couple of weeks before the cruise. You must check daily.

They dont always have them. Usually only when they are having trouble filling the ship.

Usually you have passed the date that you have to have your cruise paid off by, by the time they post the discounts. Then if they have the discount you have to call DCL and ask for the discount. Then they will credit you back the money.

I cant post the other site here , it is against the rules. But if you really want it, I will give you an e-mail address to write to and I will give it to you then.

 

sorry I dont know about the military discount,

 

mom x4,grandma x4

 

we just saved $800 on our 11/24 cruise last week.

[9olivia]

Thank you! I was able to search a little and did find the listing. According to what I found the military discount is generally the same as the FL resident one. It is nice to know that I may be able to get a refund if they do offer it at the last minute.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Yes that is how we get all our discounts. we book our cruises as far out a swe can, usually 18 months. Then when they offer the discount just before the cruise we call and tell DCL we want our discount and they adjust the price for us. We love that!!!

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[tampabrat22]

I really want to take my kids on a Disney cruise, they would just love it, but it is a lot of $ for us, so I need to get the absolutely best deal I can. I saw some "magical rates" on another site for this fall that were REALLY reduced (like $599+ for a 7 day)!

 

We are interested in going next yr around Halloween, would it be a bad idea to wait it out to see if we could get a discount like the ones they have this year or should we just book and hope the sailing we pick is one that gets discounted?

 

Oh and we are FL residents....

[mom x4,grandma x4]

That is a tough one to call.

 

They dont always offer discounts. Just when they need to fill the ship.

 

Typically any holiday they will charge more for. We have a 3 day next Easter. We return on Easter morning and they charge extra stating it is a cruise on a holiday. halloween will probably be the same.

 

Plus each year they keep increasing their basic rates, so next years base price will be more than this year, but if you book it NOW at least you will lock in the price.

Then sit back and watch the price steadily climb month by month as your cruise gets closer. You will feel you saved a ton over booking closer to the cruise, unless you get a discount.

I guess what I am trying to say is, if you book it now, way in advance at least if you don't get a discount you will be paying less than if you waited to book it closer to the actual cruise. Hope that makes sense??

 

The discounts are great but you cant count on them for every cruise. Sometimes they will go a couple of months with NO discounts.

 

Take your best guess and go for it!!! I wish you good luck in getting a great rate. Wish I could be more helpful but it is just a guessing game if or when they will give a discount.

 

we have found that the week after a holiday is a pretty good chance of getting one. I guess many travel on the holiday not after it so they need to fill the ship.

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[tampabrat22]

Thanks so much for the reply mom x4,grandma x4!

 

I completely understand about the price flucuations and I know Disney is worth every penny, we love to cruise but have been sailing on Carnival since the cost is so reasonable. I guess I will just have to find some ways to cut some spending so we can do this one next year!!

 

I am bound and determined to get my kiddos on a Disney ship:)!!

 

Jessica

[mom x4,grandma x4]

I am sure you will make it!!

It will sac eyou $$ if you book it now, just pay the deposit. That will help to motivate you to save durimng the year. Better price booking way far out too. You can get 100% refund if you cancel before your pay of date.

 

Here is what my friends and myself do to help.

we have a big garage sale twice a year. Kids if old enough set up a lemonade stand at the garage sale with a cute sign about selling lemonade to buy a ticket to sail with Mickey next year and have a glass jar for the money. many will just drop their change in the jar for the kids.

It's surprizing what adults will do for cute kids!!

 

I have a penny bank for each coin ( disney of course). EVERYTIME anyone breaks a bill and gets back change it ALL goes in the banks. Dont count it until the cruise gets close. Dont use those machines in the store they charge too much. Have family help and roll the coins your self and take to the bank.

 

This next one is hard but really adds up fast. ALL one dollar bills are put in a large jar or envelope. we don't use them for any reason. Once they are put away they no longer exist!! Once we get what looks like 100 or more I take to bank and deposit it in savings and mark it down as crusie money, that way you are NOT tempted to spend any of it.

 

If you dont already have one, get a disney Chase visa card. They will give you 6 months interest free for charges of booking a disney cruise.

Plus if you use a credit card for anything during the year, use the disney one to accumulate points (reward points) then when the cruise is about here put the points on the rewards card (see details when you get the card) Now you can go to guest services on the ship at the end of your cruise and ask them to use your points to pay off your ship board account.

If you have 100 points that will pay for $100 dollars on your account. If you use it to book and pay on your cruise it will add up some points and save you interest. That pays for our excursions and a few souvenirs on board. Just read the details closely so you don't let points expire.

 

Most families go out twice a week for dinner, go out once but take the money you would of paid for that second dinner and put with your cruise money, do it immediately before you spend it on something else.

 

the dinner you do buy out, instead of a nice sit down dinner, opt for bugers or pizza , about every other time. If you save $15 over what you would of normally spent, then put that money in your cruise bank.

 

Do you get your hair cut every week? Guess what, try every 2 weeks and put that money in the crusie fund.

 

Newspaper drive for recycling, it takes a ton of them but you can make some money that way too, but you have to have a garae to stack them in.

 

Starbucks everyday at work, try every other day. Pocket the change.

we make it a contest to see who can come up with the most ideas of how to save alittle extra $$. Kids are great at this and they really love to get involved and feel like they helped this to happen.

 

It is amazing how much a family can come up with in a years time.

 

Have fun planning and saving. It wont be enough to pay for the entire cruise but you can have enough for tips, gas, excursions, souvenirs, parking at the port, clothes, and some towards the cruise itself. you can make it a monthly bill to pay $100 towards your cruise each month too and it is amazing how much it will help when the time comes to pay it off.

 

I just took my change in 2 weeks ago and had $160.00 in 6 months for next months cruise.

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[cruise4kicks]

If you dont already have one, get a disney Chase visa card. They will give you 6 months interest free for charges of booking a disney cruise.

Plus if you use a credit card for anything during the year, use the disney one to accumulate points (reward points) then when the cruise is about here put the points on the rewards card (see details when you get the card) Now you can go to guest services on the ship at the end of your cruise and ask them to use your points to pay off your ship board account.

If you have 100 points that will pay for $100 dollars on your account. If you use it to book and pay on your cruise it will add up some points and save you interest. That pays for our excursions and a few souvenirs on board. Just read the details closely so you don't let points expire.

Excellent suggestion! This is ~exactly~ how we're paying for our _first_ Disney cruise in 12/08! We should have ~1900 points by the time final payment is due!!! We'll cash out our points to put on the cruise, and put the remaining balance on the card. By the time we sail, we'll have another little handy pot of points! :cool:

[tampabrat22]

Oh wow, thanks for all the GREAT suggestions!!

 

I think I am going to sit down with the kids and come up with some ideas to cut back so that we can save save save!! They really enjoy cruising, and I think a Disney cruise is enough motivation to kick us all in gear!!:)

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Kids can be very creative and it is good to learn that a family can work together towards a goal and achieve it.

we use to live in a state where you pay a bottle or can deposit on pop and beer. My kids would walk around the nieghborhood looking along the roads for cans and bottles, on the weekends. They got a lot of spending money that way.

They even got a few neighbors to give them some for their cause a few times.

Good luck I hope it all works out great for you!!

 

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[Cayman1]

mom x4,grandma x4... I would like to know where you can check the Florida Resident discounts... my email is ravage72@bellsouth . net I put spaces there purposedly so those little bots dont come snag my email address and send me spam. LOL

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Hi, I tried to send the info to your address but it woudnt send so I removed the spaces and it sent. Please let me know if you got it??

Thanks

 

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[Cayman1]

Got it... Thanks :)