How to Gift a Vacation Without Breaking the Bank

During the month of December you’re going to hear a lot about what and how you should give gifts to your family. Should you buy the hottest toys and tech? Should you gift clothes and necessities? Should you gift experiences? 

From us here at Carry on the Magic, we (naturally) encourage you to give the gift of travel; but what does that look like? Giving the gift of travel seems like it comes with a hefty price tag and trust me, I know as well as most, that money is tight around this time of year. The best part of giving the gift of travel is that you often can make a minimal deposit and budget the cost of the trip throughout the rest of the year until you travel.   I’m going to be uncouth, and break social barriers and talk hard numbers. We’ll go over deposit amounts and timelines from some of our biggest sellers, and talk about what a payment plan may look like.

Walt Disney World   Is there anything more exciting then putting a Walt Disney World vacation under the tree? Nothing compares to extending the magic of the holidays by gifting the magic of the parks. To make this gift extra magical you can box it up with a pair of ears, a pin, a Disney themed t-shirt or even a countdown.   To book a Disney Vacation you only need to make a $200 deposit (plus the cost of any travel protection). This deposit secures your room and tickets. Your package is modifiable without penalty up until 31 days before travel. Your final payment is due 30 days before you travel. You can pay in as few or as many payments as you want and your travel advisor will work with you to find a payment option that feels comfortable to you.

Disney Cruise Line

In keeping with the magic, if the parks aren’t your thing, Disney Cruise Line is another magical gift. In addition to the other Disney themed gift ideas above you can also gift lanyards or door magnets to have something under the tree.   Now DCL’s deposit and payment schedule is a bit more confusing than Walt Disney World. Your deposit is going to be 10% of your total cruise fare but currently there are certain sailings in which you only have to put 5% down! Your payoff date varies based on the length of your cruise. For sailings 5 nights and under you make your final payment 90 days before you sail, longer sailings is 120 day prior. In between booking and your final payment date, you can work with your travel advisor to figure out a payment schedule.

Universal Parks and Resorts  

Got a Harry Potter, How to Train your Dragon, Mario, or general movie fan in your family? Universal Orlando Resort may be the the place you want to gift them. While the parks have always had immersive theming, the opening of Epic Universe in 2025 has truly made it a destination for all movie lovers. Fun things to put under the tree are Harry Potter wands, Jurassic Park merchandise, lanyards, themed park bags, and good water shoes (Islands of Adventure has a lot of water rides).  

For a Universal Vacation, you will generally make a deposit of $50 per person on your reservation (plus the cost of any travel protection) with final payment due 45 days before your check-in date. Certain room types or package add ons may change the cost of your deposit.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line  

This has been my families “go to” Christmas gift the past few years. With over 30 ships in their fleet there is a ship and itinerary for every budget. To put a cruise under the tree I recommend door magnets, lanyards, a new bathing suit or cover up, or something destination themed if you book Alaska, Europe or Canada.  

A deposit for a Royal Caribbean Cruise varies depending on the length of the cruise you book. They are $100 per passenger for 1 to 5-night cruises, $250 per passenger for 6 to 9- night cruises, $450 per passenger for 10 to 14 night cruises, and $500 deposits for cruises 15 nights and longer. If you choose to sail to Bermuda there is a $250 per person deposit regardless of length. Suite deposits are 105 of the cruise fare or the standard deposit, whichever is higher. Final payment dates also vary on the length of the cruise; a 1 to 4 night sailing needs to be paid off 75 days before you sail, 5-14 night sailings are 90 days prior, 15 nights or longer need to be paid off 120 days in advance.  

All Inclusive Resorts and Other Cruise Lines 

All Inclusive destination deposits and final payments vary depending on how you book, who you book through, and what your package entails. You can generally expect to put down anywhere from $50 to $250 per person with final payment being about 45 days in advance of travel. This is where having a travel advisor to work with directly helps. They guide you on different deposit policies and final payment dates to make sure that everything you gift for the holidays fits into your budget.  

From all of us here at Carry on the Magic we hope you have a magical holiday season, and we look forward to helping you book that perfect vacation any time of year!