2025 Sailings

[StargazerNova]

I plan to Sail on or around the month of May 2025 (I know so far away)
Question I have is although those sailings that are that far off are not available right now when they are available (the day of or close to.) are they priced the cheapest?
TIA

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

Yes, booking as soon as possible when they open will be the cheapest you will get.

 

[StargazerNova]

Yes, booking as soon as possible when they open will be the cheapest you will get.

Thank you kindly!

 

[soniam]

Assuming you can’t get a Florida resident discount. Those come out later. Otherwise, book on opening day for the best price.

 

[RedHead0186]

Assuming you can’t get a Florida resident discount. Those come out later. Otherwise, book on opening day for the best price.

And, if you book on opening day at the cheapest price and then find out there's a Florida resident (or other discount), you can always have that discount applied if it gives you a cheaper fare. (Sometimes because the cruise price has gone up by the time discounts are released, even though the discount is good it's still more expensive than the opening day fare. But always worth a look!)

 

[auntlynne]

With low Castaway Cay status, rates will possibly/ probably go up from Opening Day Booking until you get the opportunity.

If it’s a popular cruise, it can continue to rise (or run out of cabins in some categories) even when booking is available to the General Public.

Here’s an example. Bookings opened mid June 2023 for Fall 2024 cruises. We are Platinum, so Pearl Castaway Members had already had the opportunity to book for a few days.

I called and got through right at the beginning of the day. We booked an Extended Verandah Family cabin. 2 adults. Non-discounted price was $4373, tax included. Today, that category is $5829. Yes - nearly $1500 increase.

And currently the price for a Standard Inside cabin is higher than our booking price!

This is a unique cruise; Double Dip at Castaway and a stop at Lighthouse Point, only 6 nights on the Fantasy.

And there are still 8 of these cabins on our deck. It seems to be cabins that often become VGT discounted rates - but could sell out before that happens.

… If, for some weird reason, the price goes down before PIF date, you can rebook at the current rate.

 

[Marc D]

And, if you book on opening day at the cheapest price and then find out there's a Florida resident (or other discount), you can always have that discount applied if it gives you a cheaper fare. (Sometimes because the cruise price has gone up by the time discounts are released, even though the discount is good it's still more expensive than the opening day fare. But always worth a look!)

That is not exact. Only the FL resident discount can be applied to an existing booking. Military, Canadian or *GT discounts are only available for new bookings.

 

[RedHead0186]

That is not exact. Only the FL resident discount can be applied to an existing booking. Military, Canadian or *GT discounts are only available for new bookings.

Ah, thank you for the clarification. I've only ever used FL resident discount, and since they were all sort of listed together that Military and Canadian discounts would 'operate' the same way. I did know *GT discounts had to be done as new bookings, though I see now that's not clear in my post.

ETA: I just looked at the website, and for Canadian discounts it says valid on new and existing reservations. So I think those operate like FL resident discounts do. But military does say for new bookings only.

 

[Marc D]

ETA: I just looked at the website, and for Canadian discounts it says valid on new and existing reservations. So I think those operate like FL resident discounts do. But military does say for new bookings only.

That’s a change in policy. Being Canadian, I’ve always been on the lookout for those deals and they were not available for my existing bookings.

 

[StargazerNova]

Assuming you can’t get a Florida resident discount. Those come out later. Otherwise, book on opening day for the best price.

No maam. Connecticut resident

 

[StargazerNova]

With low Castaway Cay status, rates will possibly/ probably go up from Opening Day Booking until you get the opportunity.

If it’s a popular cruise, it can continue to rise (or run out of cabins in some categories) even when booking is available to the General Public.

Here’s an example. Bookings opened mid June 2023 for Fall 2024 cruises. We are Platinum, so Pearl Castaway Members had already had the opportunity to book for a few days.

I called and got through right at the beginning of the day. We booked an Extended Verandah Family cabin. 2 adults. Non-discounted price was $4373, tax included. Today, that category is $5829. Yes - nearly $1500 increase.

And currently the price for a Standard Inside cabin is higher than our booking price!

This is a unique cruise; Double Dip at Castaway and a stop at Lighthouse Point, only 6 nights on the Fantasy.

And there are still 8 of these cabins on our deck. It seems to be cabins that often become VGT discounted rates - but could sell out before that happens.

… If, for some weird reason, the price goes down before PIF date, you can rebook at the current rate.

Yikes !
I have been on one cruise the Wish about 3 weeks ago Ready to do it again but in 2025
just want to jump on it and would love a double dip Castaway seeing my last was a COMPLETE wash out

 

[DisneyConvert]

I plan to Sail on or around the month of May 2025 (I know so far away)
Question I have is although those sailings that are that far off are not available right now when they are available (the day of or close to.) are they priced the cheapest?
TIA

There is an app on TouringPlans, ($ubscription required) that show graphs of historical cruise prices by date, for different room categories, various traveler configurations (2 Adults; 1 Adult + one child; etc.). It is based on 'bots gathering lots and lots of data on DCL list prices over time.

It provides an interesting perspective on DCL pricing that, yes, prices generally never fall (although greater or fewer discounts to FL and Military passengers may be offered). Repo cruises are generally fewer$/day. School vacation times are more expensive. VGT cabins can save one $100~$200.

If one likes pouring over data, it is quite interesting... Ymmv.

 

[bcwife76]

That is not exact. Only the FL resident discount can be applied to an existing booking. Military, Canadian or *GT discounts are only available for new bookings.

That's actually not correct. We sailed Dec 2022 on a CDN residents rate. I had the cruise booked on opening day, when the CDN residents rate came out 5 months before sail date I called and they applied the discount to my original booking,they did not cancel and rebook me.

 

[lentesta]

There is an app on TouringPlans, ($ubscription required) that show graphs of historical cruise prices by date, for different room categories, various traveler configurations (2 Adults; 1 Adult + one child; etc.). It is based on 'bots gathering lots and lots of data on DCL list prices over time.

Thanks @DisneyConvert!

@StargazerNova, these graphs might be helpful for you to decide when to book. They show the price trends for:

• The cheapest, average, and most expensive verandah room on DCL
• For two adults and one child
• For common itineraries (Bahamas, Caribbean, and Alaska)
• If you purchased anywhere from roughly a year out, until just a few days before your cruise
• Using data from this summer's and fall's cruises

Yellow lines are the most expensive rooms; orange is average, and blue is cheapest.









These graphs are a first draft, so let me know if anything looks off. Happy to look at other itineraries, too, if you're looking for something else.

Len

 

[StargazerNova]

Thanks @DisneyConvert!

@StargazerNova, these graphs might be helpful for you to decide when to book. They show the price trends for:

• The cheapest, average, and most expensive verandah room on DCL
• For two adults and one child
• For common itineraries (Bahamas, Caribbean, and Alaska)
• If you purchased anywhere from roughly a year out, until just a few days before your cruise
• Using data from this summer's and fall's cruises

Yellow lines are the most expensive rooms; orange is average, and blue is cheapest.

View attachment 787894

View attachment 787895

View attachment 787896

View attachment 787897

These graphs are a first draft, so let me know if anything looks off. Happy to look at other itineraries, too, if you're looking for something else.

Len

Thank you Kindly!!!!

 

[Lorana]

Am I reading this correctly that booking right at the booking opening window isn't yielding the lowest prices?

 

[AquaDame]

Am I reading this correctly that booking right at the booking opening window isn't yielding the lowest prices?

I don't think they all show opening prices... DCL releases them more than a year out normally, and these charts start at less than a year except the Wish, which seems more realistic as there isnt a big drop from what you get closer to opening day. The initial drop in the first 10 days may be holds dropping off? I dunno... I'm not sure how TP grabs data; do they ignore all discounts that aren't GP? Show restricted fares?

 

[lentesta]

Am I reading this correctly that booking right at the booking opening window isn't yielding the lowest prices?

Based on the data, the opening window rates were not the lowest prices in 2023 for those common itineraries.

I checked the same charts for 2022. It was also not the case in 2022, except for:

• The Wish's 4-night cruises
• Alaska cruises on the Wonder, which were about the same 400+ days out as 75 days out. (I think it was plus or minus $100 on a $7,000 stateroom.)

I'd probably not use any data from 2021 and 2020 to make decisions about 2024.

In 2019:

• Alaska cruises on the Wonder were cheaper 400+ days out
• The Fantasy's 7N Western itineraries were about $500 cheaper a year out than in the 45 days before sailing

I'm sure there are certain ships and itineraries that are exceptions. But you'd have to go back to roughly 2017 to see all the ships' main itineraries definitely cheaper a year out than last-minute.

That said, DCL is running around 95% cabin occupancy and around 90% total passenger occupancy this summer. Disney could decide that they don't need to discount at the last minute. Royal Caribbean moved to this model in 2018, for example.

 

[Cfabar1]

I wonder when the 2025 Member cruise will be announced... Was very sad that the dates didn't work for us for 2024 this past year.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

I wonder when the 2025 Member cruise will be announced... Was very sad that the dates didn't work for us for 2024 this past year.

How far out do they announce them, normally? Isn't it normally when the itineraries for the given season are released?