Our family travels a lot for the average person. People frequently ask us for advice on how they could travel more. When they ask seriously, they should be prepared for a conversation that may last hours. One day on our November 13th cruise aboard the Disney Dream, we met a great family from Houston sitting at the table next to us for High Tea in Palo. Not only did we outlast the serving staff, we moved to the Meridian Lounge for a couple more hours. We take our travel seriously.

For those traveling on a Disney Cruise, there are a few things that are important to know. Most important, for those that love cruising like we do is to never leave the ship without booking your next cruise. The deals offered on the ship are nearly unbeatable. Either the down payments are cheaper or the price is reduced or both.

Now, many people we talk to reply with is, “I don’t know if I can afford to cruise that much or that soon!” Well, the date of the cruise is unimportant. Disney Cruise Lines is great about moving your cruise to another date and you still get the same savings and shipboard deals. This means, as you get closer to the time you board and realize you are not going to make it, change the dates. Note: There is a time after which you cannot move a cruise, don’t wait that late! Over the years we have moved our departure dates up and back a number of times.

One year, we were booked on a big cruise in the summer. Because we cruised with Disney before we were sent an offer for ‘Kids 17 and under Cruise Free’. That was unusual. Normally their offer was for ’12 and under cruise free’. With the money we saved for our teenage boys sailing free and all that we paid ahead, we moved that trip up to spring break, months earlier.

Did you catch that next point? Pay ahead! If you charge your trip to a credit card and pay it out over time after the trip, your vacation will cost a lot more than you thought and all your savings is out the door! Two to three times more is just the beginning and most people pay up to ten times more! Do not charge your cruise to any interest bearing credit cards or accounts.

‘Pay ahead’ is even more important. Book your cruise far enough out (we generally book a year or more ahead) so that you can make payments on that cruise ahead. Make a concerted effort to pay a few hundred or more on the cruise each month. Because it is not a loan or charge account you can skip a month if the bills pile up unexpectedly one month. If you need more time, move your sail date out farther and better yet, if you find you can pay more than you thought, move your cruise closer. Paying ahead is nothing short of liberating!

Another one of the benefits of booking on board, you get a shipboard credit for doing so. An extra $200-400 on your account when you arrive is nothing to scoff at. That can cover tips and/or various expenses to which you look forward. Just think, a guilt free trip to the Rainforest Room or extra visits to Palo or Remy are more fun when they really did not cost you any extra!

‘Pay ahead’ on everything you can. Disney (and other cruise lines) allow you to even pay ahead on tips and account credit. The goal is to board and disembark from the cruise with no debt from that trip!

A Caribbean Cruise is a trip of a life time, but done smartly it can be much more. Boarding that luxury ship knowing you will not have any debt for the trip and everything is payed in advance will make it so much better. You will not worry about, ‘How are we ever going to pay for this!’ and think more about, ‘What does a Cruise Ship have to offer to make the next one that much better!’

For an idea about getting to your cruise, see http://www.tiggertravels.com/pl_281_Getting_to_and_Paying_for_Your_Florida_Cruise.htm.