What’s Not included on a Disney Cruise?

A Disney Cruise can be expensive and not just because of your Disney Cruise Vacation Package. In fact, while one big benefit of a Disney Cruise vacation is that most of the costs are included, there are a few that could have you racking up unexpected charges. From coffee, to wine, to laundry, to tips for everyone, there are plenty of extra costs to consider as part of your Disney Cruise costs. While costs for your room, food and entertainment, is pretty much covered, we’re going to dive into all the Extras that are Not Included on a Disney Cruise.

Okay, to level set, most of the things that are not included in a Disney Cruise are optional. With the exception of gratuities and getting to and from the port, everything else that costs extra is in your hands! That’s right! You can easily forego the fancy coffees, the extra alcohol, nursery services, and sketchy ocean internet. However, we’re going to share this list for those of you out there who need all those extra luxuries!  

Internet

One of the extras you may want onboard your Disney Cruise is INTERNET! While you do have access to a little bit of internet onboard that you need to sign up for as soon as you board, there is little you can do with it. The free Wi-Fi on a Disney Cruise will allow you to access the Disney Cruise Line app, and for most people, will allow you to iMessage if you have an Apple phone. However, if you want to check email, or use social media, or watch videos, you’ll need to pay for that. That said, let us just say, the Internet Packages onboard are really just so-so. It’s not amazing. Pages will take a while to load, and you may need to find a “special  spot” on the ship where  you can actually get a good signal. But it works. If you really need it, you’ll want at least the middle package, as the Stay Connected Package really just does that. Check out the Disney Cruise Internet Packages to choose from, and know that you can also get your own wi-fi through AT&T and Verizon. Disney Cruise Internet onboard costs about $20- $90 per day. 

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol is not included in your Disney Cruise Package. Wondering about Disney Cruise Alcohol Packages? Well, Disney Cruise Line doesn’t offer alcohol packages. And unlike some other cruise lines, Disney does not encourage a lot of drinking onboard. As a result, lots of drinking can get expensive! You have to pay for all alcohol you purchase onboard. From the Drinks of the Day at about $5 each, to the best cocktails available at $5000 if you’re headed to Hyperspace Lounge on the Disney Wish, all of it is EXTRA. All alcoholic beverages will cost you extra regardless of where you get them. So regardless of whether you have a glass of wine at dinner, or grab a cocktail from a lounge or bar you should plan for the extra costs. 

They do have a few ways you can save on alcohol if you’re planning to drink though. Firstly, you can bring your own alcohol onboard if you want. There are limitations to this, but you are welcome to do it. Drinks of the Day are by far the best budget option if you’re hoping to keep costs down. The special drink of the day changes each day and is usually something you can get in an alcoholic and non-alcoholic version. If you’re a beer drinker, there’s also a souvenir beer mug that can be purchased onboard that will save you $1 each time you purchase a beer. The mug is $15.95, so if you drink a lot of beer, you can save some money this way. 

Specialty Coffees

Love a morning latte? We do too! And you can always get black coffee at the drinks station, complete with little packets of sugar, creamers and milk. But the specialty coffees found at coffee counters and Cove Cafe are EXTRA. And there are so many places to find Coffee on a Disney Cruise ship. Unfortunately, if you want something more than a standard coffee, you’re going to have to pay for it. Free coffee is available during meals, at the drink stations, and from room service. Specialty lattes, though, cost extra regardless of where you buy them from. So if you want a nice Americano or Vanilla Latte each morning, be sure to budget for some more coffee. Specialty Coffees are typically about $6 plus tip. 

Smoothies and Juices

Other drinks onboard that cost extra are smoothies and juices. You can find these at Senses Spa and on the Pool deck on most Disney Cruise Ships. Ranging from about $7- $15 depending on what you get, you can grab fresh fruit and yogurt smoothies, or freshly pressed juices. Depending on what you’re eating onboard you may really need some fresh fruits and veggies. And while these are delicious, smoothies, milkshakes, juices from Senses Juice Bar, and other specialty beverages are not included in your cruise fare.

Laundry  

If you’re traveling with kids, or packing light, you will want to plan to do laundry onboard. Laundry Costs Extra. If you like doing laundry on your vacations, every Disney Cruise ship has laundry services available onboard. Just like a laundromat in your hometown you’ll want to either bring detergent and  bounce, or plan to buy it on the ship. Note: bringing it is cheaper! On the Disney Wish, Treasure and Destiny all of the washers and dryers are available in one large laundry room. On all of the other Disney Ships, there is a small laundry room on each floor. You can find out where these are on the deck plans for the ship you’re sailing on. Laundry costs about $3 to wash, and $3 to dry, so about $6 per load. 

Disney Cruise Shuttle to Port 

Whether you’re sailing out of Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston or even New York, your transportation to and from the Cruise Terminal COSTS EXTRA. Be sure to check out all the Disney Cruise Transportation Options ahead of time. There are many ways to get to the cruise terminal for your Disney Cruise, but all of the Cruise Transportation Options cost extra. Some people may think that the Disney Cruise Line bus is free if coming from a Disney Resort, but this is not the case unfortunately. The same goes for your return trip when the cruise is over. Whether you are heading back to the Airport or Going to Walt Disney World after your cruise, you will be responsible for that portion of your transportation. If you’re hoping to take the Disney Cruise Shuttle, then you can plan about $40 per person. That said, Uber and Taxi options may be cheaper. 

Movie Theater Popcorn, Snacks and Drinks

While the entertainment onboard is free, when you sit down to watch the show or settle in for movies at the theater, the Popcorn and Slushy is Extra. This one is always a bit surprising for people! But unless you are staying concierge, your movie theater snacks and drinks are not included. This goes for the actual movie theater as well as snacks purchased for the theater shows in the evening. You can bring in your own snacks from other parts of the ship though. So if you want to bring a drink or snack in, you can and you’ll be able to avoid the charge for movie theater snacks. A bag of popcorn costs about $4 a bag, and slushies are closer to $6 each. That said, you can save some money by grabbing soda at the drinks station before the movie or show. 

Tips and Gratuity

Okay, so of all the things on this list, Tips and gratuities are one unavoidable added expense of a Disney Cruise. You pretty much have to pay something. These will be charged to your onboard account unless you choose to prepay them. Currently, Disney Cruise Tips are about $23.50 per person, per day for the length of your cruise. You can modify these amounts while onboard if you’d like. Just go to Guest Services and let them know! And you can also pay them ahead of time so that you don’t have to worry about an added expense when your cruise is over. That said, you have to pay multiple people tips on a Disney Cruise. Your Room Host, Server, Assistant Server, and Lead Server all get tips for your stay. Keep in mind that in addition to these things, you will also pay tips for spa services, hair services, and eating at signature dining restaurants like Palo and Remy.  

Adult-Only Dining Options

Another EXTRA cost is eating at Signature Dining Restaurants onboard. While the Rotational Dining Restaurants and the Quick Service counters, and restaurant are always free, meals at Palo, Remy, and Enchante are all extra. You also need a reservation for these special experiences. Everyone loves the adult-only dining experiences onboard the Disney Cruise ships, so they sometimes sell out. But if you are lucky enough to get a reservation these special experiences costs extra. Typically about $50 per person, Palo is the cheaper option of these three experiences. Check out our reviews of  Brunch at Palo and Brunch at Remy.  

Cocktail Tastings

If you’re hoping to add a cocktail tasting to your Disney Cruise, then you’ll be paying extra for that. If this is something you want to add to your cruise, be sure to check the Disney Navigator App as soon as you get onboard to book the tastings or class. One of our favorite things for Adults on a Disney Cruise these cocktail tastings are generally about $35-$60 per person. Things like mixology classes, bourbon tastings, champagne and chocolate, and tequila tastings are all EXTRA. Additional expenses for classes and tastings are listed in the Disney Cruise app, when you book onboard fun. 

Port Excursions

The biggest expense NOT INCLUDED in your Disney Cruise Package are Disney Cruise Port Excursions. While Port Excursions are totally optional there are some ports where you really want to have excursions planned. Luckily, you can easily set a budget for excursions and decide which are best for you and your budget. Another option is to book through a third party which is often cheaper. And if this starts getting too expensive, you can opt to explore ports on your own. We do however, recommending booking at least one at each port. If you’re working with a travel agent for your Disney Cruise, they can help guide you to experiences that you’ll enjoy while staying within a budget that works for you. 

Photo Packages

Disney Cruise Line offers family photo packages that are an EXTRA COST depending on what package you purchase. Even though having your photo taken throughout the course of your Disney Cruise voyage is free, the photo files are not. You can opt for a photo package that includes digital downloads, or you can order a physical photo product. Take a look at what’s offered under the onboard fun section of your Disney Cruise account so you can find a plan that works for you. To give you an idea of cost of Disney Cruise Photo Packages here are some general options. 

• 10 digital photos on a USB drive: $149.95
• All digital photos on a USB drive: $194.95 (15% more onboard)
• 10 prints: $149.95
• Photobook with 34 photos: $139.95 pre-purchase
• 7-night cruise photo package that includes all your photos on a memory stick: $295.95
• Set number of images: For example, the cost for 20 photos is $249.95, and for 10 photos is $149.95.

Bottled Beverages 

Looking for bottled water, SmartWater, Energy Drinks, etc? All of those will cost EXTRA. Of course, you can always get soda, tea, coffee and cocoa at the drinks station, as well as juices in the quick service restaurant, for free. Any kind of bottled beverage, whether it’s bottled water or soda, or bottled beer, will not be free. These things will cost you extra regardless of what the actual liquid is, so if you want to avoid this cost, stick with the fountain beverages on the top deck. Bottled Drinks are typically $5- $10 depending on what you get. On a side note, you do get the option to purchase a case of bottled water while onboard. You can also bring your own bottled water.  

Senses Spa and Salon

All the Senses Spa Services COST EXTRA. Of course, we all love being pampered and on a Disney Cruise, there are plenty of opportunities for this! Senses Spa offers massages, facials, acupuncture, manicures, pedicures, and more. They also offer the Rainforest Room which is an all-encompassing experience with an aromatherapy steam room, heated loungers, a dry sauna, and more. All of these things cost extra though and are not included in the price of your Disney Cruise.

Nursery Care (6 mos-3 years)

If you’re bringing the littles, then you may want to reserve them a spot at the “it’s a Small World Nursery.” Nursery Care for those under 3 years of age, costs EXTRA. The Disney Cruise Nursery costs about $9 per hour per child, and an additional $8 per child from the same family. You do have to reserve your child’s spot for the nursery. Luckily the other Disney Cruise Kid’s Clubs onboard are all FREE. 

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Another additional cost on a Disney Cruise is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. This fun princess makeover experience is for princes and princesses 3-12 years old.  It’s pure magic, but it’s not free. So if your little one wants to be made up like royalty onboard the Disney Cruise ship you’ll be sailing on, be sure to budget in this extra expense. Complete with dress, hair styling, makeup, manicures, and more, you can plan between $100- $220 per child depending on which package you purchase. Book the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique package onboard a Disney Cruise here. 

Phone Calls to Shore

If you need to make a phone call to port, that is EXTRA! We know. Weird right? Believe it or not, calling to shore from your stateroom will cost you. We always recommend having some sort of way to communicate with those back on land should something happen. Whether an emergency or an extended or rerouted cruise due to a hurricane, it’s good to be able to reach your loved ones. For us this often means having an international calling package through our cell provider, so we don’t have to use the stateroom phone. Calls made to shore will be automatically added to your Disney Cruise charges.  

Souvenirs

Ahhhh, the joy of shopping onboard a Disney Cruise! For the most part a Disney Cruise Souvenir costs extra. I think it goes without saying that most people love a good souvenir! But these things will cost you extra. Thankfully there are sometimes FREE Disney Cruise Souvenirs onboard that you can snag. However, if you’re looking for a Disney cruise ship magnet, or shirt, from the Gift shop, it goes without saying that all those are EXTRA.

What’s Not Included on a Disney Cruise?

There you have it! Everything that you have to pay for on a Disney Cruise, if you so choose. These things are not included in your Disney Cruise Package, and will be automatically charged to your stateroom. So, whether you’re adding just a few of these to your trip or all of them, we hope this post has prepared you for the extra costs of a Disney Cruise. Happy sailing!