The Smartest Dividend Stocks to Buy With $400 Right Now The Motley Fool

Table Of Content

• Costco cruise cancellation policy
• The Smartest Dividend Stocks to Buy With $400 Right Now
• Can you book a Disney cruise through Costco?
• Do Disney Cruises get cheaper closer to sail date?
• Alternative Ways To Book
• Costco cruise deals: How to save money booking travel at a warehouse club
• Before returning to the ship, I send a postcard from the island and check out the special merchandise
• I always take advantage of every chance to hang out at the adults-only beach

Ultimately, savings will vary based on the specific itinerary, departure date and room you choose. Some deals were only available on close-in sailings or specific sail dates. In general, though, pricing was competitive with the cruise lines, and often the value-adds gave Costco the edge. My quick search through these deals revealed that Costco's Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line cruises usually have the most added freebies. Norwegian cruises even feature free perks, such as a photo package or spa credit, that are combinable with the line's Free at Sea value-adds offered to everyone.

Costco cruise cancellation policy

A basic membership is $60/year, while an executive membership is $120. Once you're a Costco member, however, you can use your membership to shop both in-store and online and even earn rewards points on booked travel if you get a Costco card too. The prices tend to be about the same as those offered through Disney Cruise Line, but bookings through Costco often come with a Costco Shop card as a bonus. When packing for your cruise, don’t forget to include fun extras like costumes for onboard celebrations (like Pirate Night). Disney Cruise Line recently banned the tradition of hiding them around the ships. A fantastic option that earns a lot of points is paying for your Disney cruise with Disney gift cards.

The Smartest Dividend Stocks to Buy With $400 Right Now

Founded in 1993, The Motley Fool is a financial services company dedicated to making the world smarter, happier, and richer. The Motley Fool reaches millions of people every month through our premium investing solutions, free guidance and market analysis on Fool.com, top-rated podcasts, and non-profit The Motley Fool Foundation. And, before I head back to the ship, I stop at the Castaway Cay post office to send postcards back home. The best part about seeing the characters is that the lines to take pictures with them are never long. On a recent sailing, I saw Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto all in 30 minutes.

Can you book a Disney cruise through Costco?

When I book, I always make sure Disney's private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, is on the port of call. Hull says that booking a Disney vacation through a third party can sometimes complicate life when there's a problem or issue that needs to be addressed. Summer Hull, editorial director for The Points Guy, says booking Disney vacations through Costco Travel can definitely be cheaper than booking elsewhere, but there are limitations to who might benefit. "We have also negotiated with some of the off-site hotels to include in our packages complimentary parking at the hotel," says Rupp. Examples on this front include Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Melia Orlando Celebration, and Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, to name a few.

Do Disney Cruises get cheaper closer to sail date?

That’s because cruise bookings through Costco often come with a digital Costco Shop card as a bonus. For example, we found a 7-night Caribbean cruise on Disney Treasure (set to debut in December 2024) for 3 people in an oceanview stateroom with a verandah that cost $7,411.94 and came with a $590 Shop card. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.

So, if you use FCC to pay for your entire sailing, you will still get the shop card based on the invoice price. Costco Travel boasts "exclusive Costco member rates," but are you really getting a deal? I priced out three sailings on different cruise lines to see how much you could potentially save by booking a Costco cruise. Typically, Costco Travel offers competitive rates on cruises, so you can either find a discounted deal or at least pay a similar rate offered by other travel sellers. Last, but not least, you will need a Costco membership in order to book any sort of travel through Costo.

Still, adds Hull, for someone who's simply chasing the cheapest option for a Disney visit and who is also visiting (or sailing) for at least three days, Costco can certainly be worth it. "This can save you money if you're planning to drive to the parks instead of using the resort transportation," says Tate. However, there are some considerations you should make before booking. Here are the pros and cons of booking a Disney vacation with Costco.

Is it safe to buy travel from a warehouse club like Costco? - Elliott Advocacy

Is it safe to buy travel from a warehouse club like Costco?.

Posted: Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It's likely not worth joining Costco just for its travel services. However, if you already have a membership and are planning a cruise, it's definitely worth seeing what the warehouse club is offering in terms of pricing and perks for the sailing you're contemplating. You might find a great deal and get a shop card to spend when you return home from vacation. Travelers generally report having good experiences with Costco, either booking online or using one of their agents. You will still earn cruise loyalty points toward status and can earn points, miles or cash back for your purchases made with rewards-earning credit cards like Visa and Mastercard. Finally, Costco offers "Buyer's Choice" and "Kirkland Signature" cruise deals, which offer "exclusive savings and included extras," according to the Costco Cruises website.

I always take advantage of every chance to hang out at the adults-only beach

The postcards I use can be found in the desk drawer of Disney Cruise Line staterooms, and are free to take. If you don't want to send the cute postcards off, you can also keep them as souvenirs. This peaceful chair-lined beach is a quiet spot away from the family beach, where I can sit back and enjoy the view or take a chair down to the water and let the waves crash over me. Speaking of gear, at Castaway Cay, cruisegoers can borrow free towels as soon as they get off of the ship.

This booking method is especially easy if you already know where you want to go or what ship you’d like to sail on. Costco only accepts Visa and MasterCard for cruise booking payments. You will not be able to use your American Express and earn Membership Rewards points for your vacation purchase.

Also, if you're an Executive Member, you earn 2% back on qualifying Costco purchases (up to $1,000), including many travel purchases. With cruises, you'd earn the 2% back on the cruise fare but not on the taxes, fees, auto-gratuities, other surcharges and trip protection. Even if you have a modest amount of money to put to work, Costco Wholesale (COST -0.24%), Disney (DIS 0.16%), and Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores (CBRL 4.12%) are worth investigating. Let's see why these could be the smartest dividend stocks to buy with your next $400 investment. To that end, Costco Travel offers vacation packages to Walt Disney World and Disneyland that include both hotels and tickets.

If you want to earn a big chunk of airline miles or hotel points with your cruise booking, you may want to look to an airline or hotel cruise booking site. You can see a bonus offering 10% off shore excursions in this example, but that discount only applies to shore excursions booked through CruiseDirect, not ones booked through Disney Cruise Line. Bookings made through Costco Travel can be confirmed with a deposit or can be paid in full at the time of booking. If you’re not sure what room to book, Disney Cruise Line offers detailed looks at each ship’s stateroom options in the Our Ships tab online. The company's strategy of placing its throwback restaurants off major highways with a lot of traveler and tourist traffic makes it more vulnerable to the economy than other casual-dining chains.

What are the benefits of booking a cruise through Costco, and how do Costco's cruise prices compare with cruise line pricing? The stock is up 50% in the past year, 102% through the past three years, and 227% over the last five years. You won't find distributions as rich as the capital appreciation that Costco has been able to consistently deliver, and if you do, it likely came at the expense of that stock heading lower during that time. Even with a new CEO, Costco should continue to be a steady winner for dividend investors willing to think outside of the yield box.

It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options. There are additional ways to book Disney cruises with points and miles, although these don’t offer tremendous value. If you’re flush with points and really just want to go on a Disney cruise, then by all means, go for it. However, if your goal is to use your points and miles for the highest cents-per-point value, you may want to skip these. Capital One miles are easy to earn (many cards earn 2x miles on all purchases), so they are great for a wide variety of travelers.

Planners work on commission and are not paid by the person booking the vacation. The lowest prices on Disney cruises (not to mention the best availability) are usually found when booking as soon as an itinerary opens for sale. Bookings made through Cruise.com must be paid for in full at the time of booking. Beautiful ships, incredible destinations, and Disney-themed, family-friendly activities are a huge draw.