Question about B2B cruises or multiple a year

[kateandy08096]

**** EDIT I am not asking how money wise but are there discounts being offered. Money to me isn't an issue when I travel. I just want to see of there are discounts or special secrets to booking.

Hi all! I see alot of people taking B2B cruises or often Cruising one then another within a few weeks or months. How? Is there a discount you get? I'm just curious because I want to as well lol. We are DVC members and go to WDW from NJ 4 to 5 times a year but our 4 night cruises usually run us $4200 to $5500 depending on time of year.
Money isn't an issue I was just wondering does disney offer a discount? Are these people sleeping on the bottom of the ship in a cabin with no windows? What am I missing here
My husband is 6"7 and requires a cabin with a verandah

 

[cvjw]

We have sailed 3 times on the fantasy since Halloween. We booked VGT rates, where DCL picks your cabin. It can be a significant money saver if you aren’t picky about where your cabin is. It can be literally anywhere on the ship.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I would not spend $4-$5K on a 4 day cruise. That is the cost I spend on 7+ day cruises. We usually get an Oceanview room and travel when school is in session. I also try to book early, usually on opening day. I always get a placeholder when I cruise so I can get my 10% off on a future cruise.

 

[dvcdisney]

My family and I have done a few B2B, and each time, there's a different reason. None of them is a discount. Our first B2B was on the Dream and that was because it was 3 and 4 day cruises which was too short for us, so we did it to get a 7 night cruise. It was not something we'd do again since the ports were the same.

Generally, it was for convenience. For instance, we have a Transatlantic next May and because we were there already, we decided to do a B2B. This one was a bonus for us because it turned out to be the DVC Med member cruise....so that's a 20 night cruise. We're willing to do it because the ports are different in the new cruise. Also, I never really wanted to do a Med cruise, but having it a DVC and at a cooler month, it was a no brainer because the rest of my family wanted to do it once.

Plus it does save on airfare if we just stay in Europe for the next cruise....so I guess it does "save" money, but not a discount from DCL.

 

[Flip flops in winter]

Oh I wish there was a discount! Because we are a family of 5, we can't even take advantage of a FL resident rate, which is incredibly frustrating - and we always have to do a verandah as well since we are all in one room. For us, it's a convenience thing with how old our kids are. It's easy to vacation with them on DCL and we are thankful we are fortunate enough to do it at this point.

 

[CamColt]

We have done 25 Disney cruises since Oct 2000, with 4 more currently booked. We usually book with a placeholder, so 10% off there. We also pay with Disney Gift Cards we get at Target for 5% off. There was 1 cruise I got a TA discount for but that was over 15 years ago.

We have sailed all room types from an inside (no split bath) to a verandah. And done 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 night cruises.

Three times we have done back to backs, basically because it was our big trip for the year and we wanted 7 nights. B2Bs worked better with our schedule, got us on the newer ship (the Dream), or actually came out to a bit less once.

Years we have done multiple cruises when not B2Bs its usually, a shorter cruise (4 or 5 nights) in February as our winter getaway and then a longer cruise for our big trip of the year in the summer. Sometimes spreading them out like that works better for us financially and other times the B2B's with only having to travel once works best.

I guess the bottom line is DCL is usually (but not always) our preferred option for vacations so we make it priority, and we are willing to sacrifice the better room or itinerary length to make it happen.

 

[mocodis]

we have done over 25 cruises. no discount other than using the place holders. we have done even a B2B2B. alaska, west coast, then Panama canal on the wonder.

 

[Kwami]

There are discounts available to military personnel and to residents of Florida and Canada. Those discounts usually don't apply to verandah rooms, though. Disney also usually offers 20-30% off select sailings and those usually do apply to verandah rooms. The catch is that those rates are nonrefundable, don't allow you to select your exact room, only apply to groups of 4 or fewer people, and are usually announced only a few months in advance.

Otherwise, it's just the 10% discount that you can purchase onboard for the next cruise.

 

[holula]

Last year I did four cruises (oops.) Two extremely good rate cruises on the Wonder than ran way less than that for a week. On last minute VGT rate on the Fantasy. And one that my parents paid for on the Magic

I don’t have kids though. and I will sleep anywhere on the ship. Give me a closet and I’d still sail!

I think my 7 night on the Fantasy and my 7 nights on the Wonderwas less than that $5k mark.

 

[Kwami]

I would not spend $4-$5K on a 4 day cruise. That is the cost I spend on 7+ day cruises.

Of course, costs are higher if you have more than two people in your group. For $4-5k, you can get a verandah room on a Fantasy 7-night cruise for two people. Not so much for more than two people.

Also, the Wish is still sailing at a premium compared to the other ships. That premium might be permanent. Who knows? I expect the Treasure to have similarly inflated rates when it takes over the 7-night Caribbean sailings from the Fantasy. (That last bit is unconfirmed, but very likely.)

 

[o&smom]

I think more people are doing multiple cruises this year if they got bumped from the cancelled Wish cruises. We have three this year because two were 50% off. Catching back up from Covid!

 

[RedHead0186]

we have done even a B2B2B. alaska, west coast, then Panama canal on the wonder.

OMG that sounds incredible!

 

[mmouse37]

The most I have done is 6 within a 12 month period. But average about 2 per year (53 DCL since 1998). We are retired and are able to take advantage of *GT discounts when they come out last minute.

MJ

 

[o&smom]

The most I have done is 6 within a 12 month period. But average about 2 per year (53 DCL since 1998). We are retired and are able to take advantage of *GT discounts when they come out last minute.

MJ

One of the reasons my husband and I are looking forward to retirement in 10 years!

 

[dvcdisney]

One of the reasons my husband and I are looking forward to retirement in 10 years!

Us too! But I'm pushing for earlier...just need to pay for our children's education, and we're retiring!

 

[dvcdisney]

There are discounts available to military personnel and to residents of Florida and Canada. Those discounts usually don't apply to verandah rooms, though. Disney also usually offers 20-30% off select sailings and those usually do apply to verandah rooms. The catch is that those rates are nonrefundable, don't allow you to select your exact room, only apply to groups of 4 or fewer people, and are usually announced only a few months in advance.

Otherwise, it's just the 10% discount that you can purchase onboard for the next cruise.

We were able to use the Canadian resident discount for our verandah. I think the discounts are different now than they use to be. I was pleasantly surprised.

I agree with those who said it's likely a post covid catch up. We usually cruise twice a year, but we will have 4 cruises for 2023.

 

[kateandy08096]

We have sailed 3 times on the fantasy since Halloween. We booked VGT rates, where DCL picks your cabin. It can be a significant money saver if you aren’t picky about where your cabin is. It can be literally anywhere on the ship.

Aw thats a great idea. Do they offer that for verandah only rooms?

 

[kateandy08096]

I would not spend $4-$5K on a 4 day cruise. That is the cost I spend on 7+ day cruises. We usually get an Oceanview room and travel when school is in session. I also try to book early, usually on opening day. I always get a placeholder when I cruise so I can get my 10% off on a future cruise.

Maybe that's the price difference we are sailing the wish August 28th with a verandah for 2 adults 1 7 year old 4 nights was about $4200. Our 4 night on dream for 3 adults 1 17month old end of November was about $5500

 

[kateandy08096]

We have done 25 Disney cruises since Oct 2000, with 4 more currently booked. We usually book with a placeholder, so 10% off there. We also pay with Disney Gift Cards we get at Target for 5% off. There was 1 cruise I got a TA discount for but that was over 15 years ago.

We have sailed all room types from an inside (no split bath) to a verandah. And done 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 night cruises.

Three times we have done back to backs, basically because it was our big trip for the year and we wanted 7 nights. B2Bs worked better with our schedule, got us on the newer ship (the Dream), or actually came out to a bit less once.

Years we have done multiple cruises when not B2Bs its usually, a shorter cruise (4 or 5 nights) in February as our winter getaway and then a longer cruise for our big trip of the year in the summer. Sometimes spreading them out like that works better for us financially and other times the B2B's with only having to travel once works best.

I guess the bottom line is DCL is usually (but not always) our preferred option for vacations so we make it priority, and we are willing to sacrifice the better room or itinerary length to make it happen.

I agree 100000% we only sail disney and disney is our whole life lol especially since we have a little over 500 DVC points we like to go about 5 to 6 times a year with most of them 10 days minimum. We are very fortunate to make our own schedule so we can travel whenever

 

[Kwami]

Aw thats a great idea. Do they offer that for verandah only rooms?

No, they often have IGT and OGT offers for inside and oceanview rooms, too. Not always.