A Step-By-Step Guide To Earning A Free Disney Cruise

Start By Finding the Lowest Fare

This strategy can be tailored to best meet your needs. It all starts with finding the lowest Disney Cruise fare. This is the strategy most people know. And that’s where they end. For you, it’s Step 0.

If you haven’t already reviewed my article on Finding an Affordable Disney Cruise, go there now and then come back.

Earning Your Cruise Fare

Now that you know what to do to reduce your cruise fare to as low as it can go, how do earn it? This is the fun part. You use travel rewards earned by opening credit cards.

If you aren’t already doing this, it might just blow your mind. There’s a whole community of people who travel for free or almost free. We’re not talking hitchhiking and hostels, but first-class flights and luxury resorts.

I’ve used these same travel rewards strategies so that an average family like yours can go on an aspirational trip like a Disney Cruise. Disney not your style? No worries. This strategy works even better on less expensive cruise lines.

What are Travel Rewards?

Travel rewards are an incentive that banks use to encourage consumers and business owners to open credit card accounts and then use the credit card anytime they make purchases. Probably most well-known are the travel rewards that are earned in the form of airline miles.

Even frequent fliers know that it can be a challenge to fly enough to accrue enough miles to redeem them for a flight. So banks partner with travel companies like airlines, hotel chains, and even cruise lines to issue co-branded credit cards. These cards often offer large mile or point bonuses to new cardholders after meeting a few thresholds.

Airline and hotel cards are great (cruise line cards not-so-much), but they won’t help pay your cruise fare. For this strategy to work, we’re going to focus on the highest-value transferable point and cash back rewards credit cards.

The Step-By-Step Guide to Earning Your Disney Cruise

The steps contained in the guide are tailorable. If your desired cruise fare is in the $5,000 range, you need to complete each step. Only need $2,500? Awesome. Review how much you can earn with each card opening and go for the biggest bonuses.

Step 1: Parent 1 opens a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card - 60,000 bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

This is the most recommended starter travel rewards card and for good reason. It offers a generous bonus which is easy to redeem toward travel. This is not an ideal use of these points (travel hackers-don’t come at me, I know this) but for our purposes here, we treat the earned Chase Ultimate Rewards Points like cash back points with a value of $0.01.

This card has a $95 annual fee, however, the bonus is worth $600 in cash back, plus at least another $40 earned while meeting the spending requirement. You’re earning back far more than the fee.

Net gain of $545

Step 2: Parent 1 sends a Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Credit Card referral link to Parent 2 - 15,000 points for the referral, plus another 60,000 bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

It doesn’t matter that you share a household and have the same address. Each adult can have their own card. Only one spouse earns an income? No problem. Always use household income on your credit card applications.

After the $95 annual fee, you’ll have another 79,000 points between the two of you.

Net gain of $695

Step 3: Parent 1 opens a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card - 75,000 point bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

This card earns 2 points per dollar spent, so meeting the minimum spending requirement will earn 8,000 points, for a total of 83,000 points. Points are valued at a straight 1 cent a piece. This card also has a $95 annual fee.

Points from this card may be redeemed against travel purchases made within the last 90 days. For a cruise, it’s super easy to use. Just call your cruise advisor and make a payment toward your cruise in the exact amount your points are worth. Then redeem points against the purchase.

Pro tip: You can hit the last portion of your minimum spend with the cruise payment. Bonus points are awarded to your account within the 90-day limit.

Net gain of $735

Step 4: Player 1 sends a Capital One Venture Reward Credit Card referral link to Player 2 - $100 referral credit for Player 1 and a 75,000 point bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

Not all cards have referral offers. Some give points, some cash back. This is a nice $100 bonus for the referral. Make another cruise payment using the card and redeem your points as a statement credit toward that purchase.

Net gain of $835

Step 5: Player 1 opens a Bank of America Premium Rewards Card - 50,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

Bank of America’s points are also worth $0.01 each, so this is a nice $500 bonus that can be used as a statement credit or deposited into a Bank of America account. One of the great things about this card is that while it also has a $95 annual fee, it also has a $100 annual airline incidental credit. Think baggage fees, seat assignments, wifi, and meal purchases. It’s fairly easy to earn the annual fee back, but since it can’t be used specifically on a Disney Cruise, we won’t count it as a benefit here.

Net gain of $435

Step 6: Player 1 opens a Bank of America Premium Rewards Card - 50,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

No referrals here. Just a nice little bonus that nets you another $435.

Net gain of $435

Eligible for Business Cards?

Are you a small business owner? Maybe a side hustle or a rental property? Congratulations! You qualify for a business credit card. This makes your plan A LOT easier. You’ll want to add in at least 2 high-value business credit cards.

If either or both parents have a business, apply for one, but preferably both of these Chase cards before continuing on (if needed).

Both the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offer cash back bonuses worth $750 after spending $6000 in the first 3 months of account opening spend $750 bonus, plus you’ll earn another $90 in cash back while meeting the minimum spend. What’s better? There’s no annual fee.

Net gain of $840 ($1,680 if you get both cards)

Chase offers a third business card, the Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card which also has a high-value bonus. I don’t recommend this card only because it has a significantly higher minimum spend requirement and a higher annual fee. But it’s a great card for those who can meet the requirements.

Step 7: Player 1 opens Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card - $200 cash back after spending $500 within 3 months from account opening

At this point, you’ve hit all the high value credit cards and it’s time to grab the low-hanging fruit. This card has a quick and easy spend to hit while earning 1.5% cash back on all purchases, plus 5% back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) up to the first $12,000 spent in the first year.

Net gain of (at least) $207.50

Step 8: Player 1 refers the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card to Player 2 - $100 referral bonus plus $200 cash back after spending $500 within 3 months from account opening

An alternative to Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the Chase Freedom Flex℠ . Bonuses tend to be similar, but Freedom Flex earns 5% in select spending categories that rotate quarterly. Some are easier to take advantage of more than others.

Net gain of $307.50

Step 9: Player 1 opens a Chase Disney Premier Visa - $300 statement credit bonus after spending $1,000 within 3 months from account opening

It might seem surprising that it’s taken all the way to step 9 before I mention a Disney credit card It’s just not that compelling of a travel rewards credit card. I only recommend it if a Disney cruise is your goal. Disney Rewards Dollars are not all that easy to use. The annual fee for this card is $49.

Net gain of $251 plus a smattering of Disney Rewards Dollars

Step 10: Player 1 refers a Chase Disney Premier Visa to Player 2 - $100 Disney Rewards Dollars referral bonus plus a $300 statement credit bonus after spending $1,000 within 3 months from account opening

This card used to have some value when used for onboard charges, but these have been largely stripped away over the years. The Disney Cruise benefit is now limited to a 10% savings on onboard merchandise purchases of $50 or more.

Net gain of $251 and another smattering of Disney Rewards Dollars

Step 11: Player 1 opens an American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card - $300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months from account opening

This Amex card does have a $95 annual fee, however, it normally offers an introductory $0 annual fee for the first year. When you see a card with an annual, it generally is a better earning card. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card earns 6% back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets, so it is possible to earn a bit more than the bonus if you plan your spending right.

Net gain of $330

Step 12: Player 2 opens an American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card - $300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months from account opening

There may or may not be a referral opportunity with this card. Just check Player 1’s account before Player 2 opens the card.

Net gain of $330

Now that you’ve read through all 12 steps, it seems like a lot. I get it. We’re baby-stepping this one card at a time. Trust me, after you’ve opened the first couple, you will gain more confidence in the plan.

Go in Order

Try not to deviate from the order in which the cards are presented. Order matters as each credit card issuer has its own set of peculiar rules. This works for a Disney Cruise and isn’t ideal as a long-term travel rewards strategy. Go out of order and you may disqualify yourself from a high-value card.

The Grand Total

This is the fun part. If you haven’t kept an ongoing tally, let me add it up for you.

It sure is! Disney offers everything from quick 2 to 14-day cruises. The shorter 2, 3, 4, 5, and even some 6 or 7-day sailings are definitely possible.

I ran some quotes just to see what was available and here’s what I came up with. (Quotes were valid at the time of publication and subject to change and availability.)

• Nov 13, 2023, Disney Wonder 5-day from San Diego $4,530 inside stateroom

• Sept 16, 2023, Disney Fantasy 6-day from Port Canaveral $4,968 inside stateroom

• Mar 3, 2024, Disney Dream 5-day from Ft Lauderdale $5,072 outside stateroom

• Mar 25, 2024, Disney Magic 6-day from Galveston $5,048 inside stateroom

• May 17, 2024, Disney Wish 3-day from Port Canaveral $3,820 balcony stateroom

• Jan 22, 2024, Disney Wish 4-day from Port Canaveral $4688 balcony stateroom

• Sept 2, 2023, Disney Fantasy 7-day from Port Canaveral $5440 inside stateroom

• Sept 9, 2023, Disney Fantasy 8-day from Port Canaveral $5472 oceanview stateroom

Additional Costs

Cruises are semi-all-inclusive vacations. You do need to make your way to the embarkation port. (I use credit cards for that too!) And there is always an opportunity to spend money onboard—especially with Disney. But your room, food, entertainment, and most non-alcoholic beverages are included. Shore excursions and crew appreciation gratuities are additional.

How Long Will The Plan Take?

How long it takes to step through this plan is up to you. Families with higher incomes and spending will be able to push through more quickly than those on a tighter budget. Here’s how you can get a good estimate.

Take a look at your current spending. If you use debit cards, download your last couple of bank statements and add all your charges up. Almost anything you put on a debit card, you can put on a credit card.

Is there anything else you can charge to a credit card without paying extra fees? Auto insurance? Utilities? Daycare expenses? You’ll want to charge everything you can to whichever credit card you are working to earn a bonus for.

A family that spends an average of $2,000 a month on a debit card can knock this plan out in about 16 months.

Always Pay Your Card Off In Full

I cannot stress this point strongly enough. Do not carry a balance. Pay your card off on time and in full every single month. Interest rates on rewards credit cards are high. If you carry a balance, interest will start to accrue and that eats away at any rewards you’ve earned.

You should only put your normal monthly spending on these cards. The whole concept behind this plan is to go on a Disney Cruise for free or almost free. Going into debt goes against this strategy.

Do I Need Perfect Credit?

Perfect credit isn’t necessary, but you should have good credit. If your credit score is around 700, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you are approved for the first card, the rest should be fine.

Won’t This Hurt My Credit Score?

This is going to come as a shock to a lot of people, but not really. Your credit score is comprised of a number of factors. It makes more sense when you know how your score is determined and what helps keep it high.

• Credit History 35% - Pay your loans and cards on time

• Amount Owed 30% - Keep your balances low

• Length of Credit History 15% - Keep your oldest credit card open

• New Credit 10% - Don’t open up too much credit at one time

• Credit Mix 10% - Have more than one type of credit (i.e mortgage, auto, installment)

As you can see, by far the best thing you can do for your credit score is to pay on time and in full. That’s 65% of your score. Each time you open a new credit card, your score will drop a few points. And I literally mean a few points. Maybe 2, maybe 5. After a couple of months, it recovers, and frequently it will go even higher.

Yes, I said higher. That’s because each card you open raises how much credit you have. The more unused credit you have, you more credit-worthy you look.

Annual Fees

Nobody likes annual fees, but they are necessary. It’s the classic saying, “You have to spend money to make money”. But don’t pay annual fees unnecessarily. You may find that some of these cards are worth hanging on to. Others, not so much.

Never cancel before your card anniversary. When your one-year card anniversary rolls around and you no longer want to keep the card, do this first:

• Redeem/transfer all your points.

• Call for a retention offer. You may be offered additional points or a waived fee to keep the account open.

• Find out if there is a no-annual-fee card to downgrade to instead of canceling.

Think Happy Thoughts!

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

— Walt Disney

A Disney Cruise is an aspirational trip that can feel out of reach. It doesn’t have to be. Make a little magic for your family by making credit cards work for you. With this step-by-step guide to earning a Disney Cruise, travel rewards make doing the impossible both possible and fun!