Theme Park and Cruise Deals for Vets

Cruises are a common source of military discounts and onboard perks. Photo by Clark Norton

Readers: This is the third and last in a series of travel deals and discounts especially aimed at U.S. active duty and military veterans.

Writing for the website upgradedpoints.com, Alex Miller has compiled a comprehensive list of online resources for vets to save money on leisure travel. Today Alex looks at deals on theme park tickets and cruises.

By Alex Miller

Buying Theme Park Tickets as a Military Veteran

Military rates help families save on visits to some of America’s most popular theme parks. Here are some resources:

Disney World Military Ticket Rates: Active and retired members of the U.S. military are eligible for special deals at Walt Disney World. By visiting Disney’s Military Ticket Rates site, veterans can check eligibility, look over deal terms, and learn how to take advantage of special prices.

Universal Orlando Resort – Military Ticket Sales: The Universal Orlando Resort has three theme parks: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. All three of these venues offer special pricing for active and retired members of the U.S. military.

The page above is dedicated to military sales, and it provides more information on how to obtain discounted tickets. Visitors can also navigate to other parts of the Universal Orlando Resort website to explore the three theme parks in greater detail.

Universal Orlando Vacations – Military Vacation Package: Universal Orlando Vacations is the official travel company of Universal Orlando Resort. Savvy travelers should be aware that this travel company website often offers deals that are not shown on the main Universal Orlando Resort website.

Active duty and retired military personnel can access special vacation packages that include hotel accommodations, theme park tickets, and early park admission. More information can be found on the website, including information on how to book military packages.

Universal Orlando Resort is a good target for military discounts.

Booking a Cruise as a Military Veteran

Cruise companies often offer discounts for military veterans, and these deals can usually be located online. Here are some resources from cruise booking websites as well as the cruise lines themselves:

Military Cruise Deals: This website enables veterans to find low rates on cruises, with special discounts obtained through their military status. As a bonus for veterans using this website, Military Cruise Deals monitors all bookings and will offer lower rates if they become available — even after booking.

The website includes information on U.S. ports and destinations as well as how to find deals. If veterans want to book a cruise, this could be a good place to start thanks to the special rates and useful advice provided.

Princess Cruises Military Cruise Benefit Program: On the Princess Cruises website, veterans can check out what benefits they may be eligible for when they book a cruise. Perks include free onboard spending money, which can be used for spa treatments, specialty dining, shopping in boutiques, and shore excursions.

For those who wish to qualify for this benefit, the application can be accessed online.

Apps for Veterans

If you want to be able to search for deals using your phone, it makes sense to have some apps installed, some of which will include travel deals and discounts for vets.

Milisource is one of the leading veterans’ mobile apps available, and it has managed to accumulate a database of over 900 veterans benefits so far.

Other apps you may want to download include Discount Soldier and Military Cost Cutters.

Dear Readers: My new guidebook, 100 Things to Do in  Tucson Before You Die (Reedy Press, August 15, 2017) is now available for purchase. For those outside the Tucson area, where it’s available at Barnes & Noble, Antigone Books and other bookstores, you can go to the book’s  sale page at amazon.com and order it. Don’t forget to write a review!