How to Become a Disney Cruise Line Travel Agent

We’ve put together an in-depth guide below on how to become a travel agent for one of the most famous cruise lines in the world. But if you’d prefer to get answers right away, just click vacationlab.io/join to chat live with our team and learn firsthand how to become a travel agent for Disney Cruise Line, and gain access to all our other travel partners as well. Best of all, clicking the link is completely free - no dues or fees from us, ever!

Ever dreamed of expanding the Disney magic beyond theme parks and embarking on an adventure across the Caribbean, infinity, and beyond? Meet Disney Cruise Line - the only place where you can enjoy dinner while Elsa sings Let It Go and watch a stage show in the middle of the Atlantic featuring Aladdin, The Lion King, and dozens of other beloved classics.

Being a Disney Cruise Line (DCL) travel agent means spreading the pixie dust to families around the world. We are talking about those who can’t get enough of Mickey at the parks and want to experience top-notch service, dining, and entertainment aboard a majestic cruise ship. Disney Cruise Line is only getting bigger, with new ships launching in 2025 and more on the way over the next decade. With Mickey Mouse investing heavily in the cruise industry, DCL is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in this evolving market.

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a Disney Cruise Line travel agent. We will cover:

• Benefits of Becoming a Disney Cruise Line Travel Agent
• Skills Required to Become a Disney Cruise Line Travel Agent
• Finding a Disney Cruise Line Host Agency
• The Best Host Agency for Disney Cruise Line
• Tips for Those Starting Out
• Training Courses for Disney Cruise Line
• Getting Paid
• Free Stock Library
• Disney Cruise Line Travel Agent FAQs

Now let’s get started!

The Disney Charm

This is the only cruise line in the world where you can help guests find the perfect spot to snap a photo with Pluto or give tips on the best place to sit at Animator’s Palate to chat with Crush. If you're a big Disney fan who has visited Disneyland or Disney World multiple times, you already have a great foundation for becoming a Disney Cruise Line travel agent.

Working with DCL is all about fun: knowing Disney Princesses, heroes, and villains, and most importantly, bringing smiles to children’s faces from all over the world.

Lots of bookings, lots of $$$

Disney Cruise Line isn’t cheap. In fact, its high price might scare some guests away. However, it remains one of the most popular cruise lines in the world and a huge hit with children. After all, who wouldn’t want to sail through the Caribbean alongside Mickey Mouse? Since Disney Cruise Line vacations come at a premium, you, as a travel advisor, will earn more per booking compared to other cruise lines.

Disney Cruise Line is only Getting Bigger

Disney made one thing clear in 2024: it's only getting bigger in the coming years. In 2025 alone, they are launching two brand new ships, the Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure, with even more ships set to debut in 2026 and beyond. You know what that means, right? More people will need help planning their trips, and you have the opportunity to get ahead of the competition by becoming a DCL expert now.

Discounts!

Disney is always an amazing destination for a vacation. Disney is also not very cheap. Guess what? Disney travel agents can get discounts when booking their own trips to Disney World, Disneyland and with Disney Cruise Line. Your kids want to visit Magic Kingdom, or maybe go on a cruise onboard the Disney Wish? There’s a chance you can save some $$$ by being a Disney Cruise Line travel agent!

Of course, being a travel agent for any cruise line requires a certain set of skills, and if you want to specialize in Disney Cruises, there are some specific ones you'll need. Let’s take a look.

Communication Skills

Travel agents need strong communication skills in any situation, whether you’re working with Disney, Carnival, Virgin Voyages, or Royal Caribbean. It’s crucial to convey the right information and handle matters with confidence, and this is especially true for Disney Cruise Line.

Guests traveling with DCL are likely to have specific questions about Disney, and as a travel agent, it’s important to know how to communicate in a "Disney way." You’ll need to guide them on what to expect from their cruise, from Frozen-themed entertainment to meeting Disney Princesses and more. You will mostly be talking to families with young children, so keep this in mind when tailoring your communication style.

Stay Up to Date with Everything Disney-Related

Disney is huge, and Disney fans know it. We’re like Star Wars fans in that we love discussing everything about our beloved hobbies (well, passions), from hidden Easter eggs to the latest movies. 

As a Disney Cruise Line travel agent, it’s important to research Disney, especially its most popular franchises. You don’t need to know every little detail about Mickey or become a walking encyclopedia, but you should familiarize yourself with their cruise ships, entertainment options, restaurants, stage shows, meet-and-greets, and understand their Kid Clubs.

You need to research things like:

• The Disney Cruise Line ships
• Rotational Dining
• Stage Shows
• Kids Club
• Meet & Greets
• Castaway Cay
• The best specialty restaurants
• …and more!

Hey, you’re already browsing one of the best host agencies around! We have a lot of information about Disney on our sister website, Famvia, and plenty of travel agents from around the world who can help you with this fun cruise line. We’d love to have you here, of course, but here are some tips for choosing a host agency. Look for host agencies that:

• Have a good track record
• Offer an interview process
• Share commissions with you fairly (typically starting at 70% for the travel agent)
• Are as crazy about Disney as we are!

VacationLab is the best host agency if you want to focus on Disney Cruise Line, other cruise lines, theme parks, and even beach resorts. Here’s why!

• It doesn’t matter if you have previous experience as a travel agent, we're here to help you.
• We have a fun interview process!
• We offer SORS - our very own Travel Dashboard to help you manage bookings and travel rewards.
• We provide exclusive courses, like Mastering Travel Social Media, to support travel advisors of all backgrounds.
• We offer a commission split starting at 70%.
• We have hundreds of guides and reviews on our sister site, Famvia, covering major cruise lines, theme parks, and beach resorts. This includes Disney Cruise Line, where we have multiple guides talking about the company, dining options, stateroom options, itineraries, activities and more.
• We are crazy about Disney. Seriously. We have multiple guides dedicated to Disney Cruise Line, including niche ones like our First Timer’s Guide to Disney Cruise Line, which covers Fish Extenders and other company secrets. We also offer reviews of every DCL ship, most (if not all) of their restaurants, in-depth coverage of their stage shows, and much more!
• We’re always ready to listen, chat, and lend a helping hand!

Become a Disney Cruise Line Expert

To become a successful Disney Cruise Line travel agent, you should aim to be an expert on DCL. It only makes sense, right? 

Guests traveling with Disney will want to know about the Kids Club, pricing, stage shows, rotational dining, and more. You should be familiar with all of this, as well as the specific franchises featured on each ship. If you’re already a Disney fan and know details about movies like Moana, Frozen, Aladdin, and others, you’re already one step ahead of the competition.

However, being a Disney fan alone isn’t enough. Remember, this is a cruise line, so there are plenty of specific details to learn, from how the buffet works on each ship to how gratuities are handled, whether free laundry is available, if Elsa really makes it snow inside the ships, and more.

VacationLab's sister site, Famvia, offers free guides on Disney Cruise Line, providing detailed information in a fun and easy-to-understand way. You can learn a lot from these guides and articles, which cover:

• Planning a Cruise on Disney Cruise Line
• Room Options Onboard Disney Cruise Line
• Dining Options Onboard Disney Cruise Line
• Activities Onboard Disney Cruise Line
• Itineraries and Destinations for Disney Cruise Line
• First Timers Guide to Disney Cruise Line
• Disney Fantasy Review
• Stage Shows Reviews

There’s a lot of information there, with dozens of pages talking about Disney Cruise Line!

Prepare for your Interview

You need to prepare yourself before the interview, and that means not only getting to know the travel agency but also researching Disney Cruise Line. Understand what makes it unique. Learn about rotational dining, stage shows, the cruise ships, specialty restaurants like Palo and Remy, and more. The guides above are a great way to familiarize yourself with Disney Cruise Line, and you can also visit forums like Reddit to learn from guest experiences.

Commission Payout

One thing to keep in mind is that Disney pays commissions after the trip is over. You don’t get paid when the client books the trip, only when they travel.

Disney Cruise Line Travel Agent Rates

While specific commission percentages are protected by NDA (“Non Disclosure Agreement”) between all travel partners/travel suppliers and the host agency, you can assume that commission percentages range from 10% up to 20% (depending on the type of booking).

Let’s take a look at a 3-Nights Cruise on the Disney Wish for 2 Adults in a Concierge Stateroom.

Total Cost before Taxes and Fees: $9,200

_{Note: Commissions are always paid on the pre-tax amount!}

_{Note: Cruise lines also deduct what are called “NCFs” or Non-Commission Fares and typically range from $100 - $250 per person.}

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Gross Commission Amount Available: $9,200 less $300 in NCFs

16% * $8,900 = $1,424 Gross Commission

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Assume you have a 70% Commission Split with you agency

70% = $996.80 to YOU

30% = $427.20 to the Agency

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Disney Travel Agent Salary

A travel agent working with Disney Cruise Line will often expand their range of destinations to include Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It’s difficult to determine exactly how much a Disney travel agent earns per year since many factors come into play, such as the number of bookings, whether the agent works exclusively with Disney, and more.

Disney travel agents can earn anywhere from $20,000 to $90,000 per year, depending on whether they work full-time as a travel agent or focus solely on Disney.

Disney Cruise Line Travel Agent Course

The College of Disney Knowledge is Disney’s official training program that offers everything you need to become a Disney expert. They focus not only on Disney Cruise Line but also on Disney World and even Aulani, their beach resort in Hawaii. There, you will find interactive training courses, videos, experiences, seminars, and more.

College of Disney Knowledge Requirements

To apply to the College of Disney Knowledge, you must first be part of a host agency. Then, simply head to the link above, fill out the required fields, and select the courses you’re interested in. The College of Disney Knowledge is free.

The Earmarked Travel Agencies

You may occasionally come across the term "Earmarked Travel Agencies." This designation means that Disney has recognized a travel agency for achieving a certain level of sales over a specific period. While Disney doesn’t disclose the exact sales volume required, they personally invite agencies that meet their criteria. In practice, Earmarked Travel Agencies are those with extensive experience working with Disney and have booked numerous trips in the past.

CLIA Training

You might also want to look into CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) and complete specific courses there. CLIA certification brings numerous benefits, as you can see here.

Disney Cruise Line Phone Number for Travel Agents

Need to ask Disney something about a specific cruise ship or entertainment option? You can always contact them by clicking here.

VacationLab gives you access to thousands of images and videos from major cruise lines like Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, theme parks like Disney World and Disneyland, and beach resorts like Beaches Resorts.

By joining us, you'll also gain access to our exclusive database, making it easy to showcase images and videos to your clients based on what they’re looking for. When it comes to Disney Cruise Line, we have hundreds of videos and images of restaurants, foods and cruise ships, including the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure.