Any rumor when 2014 dates come out?

[jahber]

How would it be possible to not allow dummy bookings at all? We booked on board for a date we fully intended to sail. Later we decided we would prefer a different ship and destinations so we changed it. Now, due to family conflict with a different vacation we have to move it again. I didn't intentionally book a dummy date but in the end it turns out it was. How could that have been controlled? By not allowing any changes at all? If that were the case I wouldn't have booked at all and would probably never be cruising again.

I think the point the pp was making was that many (most?) people don't do what you did. Yours was NOT a dummy booking, but booking the furthest out, cheapest cruise with one person in the cabin is. If DCL simply stopped encouraging/allowing people to do that, dummy bookings might be reduced. Not that they will, because they still haven't released next year (as we ALL know!), and yet they want to snag all the people currently are on board. Oh well.

 

[pillow]

I thought if you booked through a TA you couldn't modify online. ???

I think you are correct. If you booked through a TA, you will need to call the TA to move the dates.

Jodie

 

[MAJPLO]

I think you are correct. If you booked through a TA, you will need to call the TA to move the dates.

Jodie

Well this is no good. My TA and I are on the west coast and while I'm willing to get up at four or five in the morning to look at opening rates, I'm sure she is not. Can I call DCL to change? Maybe look online for what I want while I wait on hold?

What's the best advice from all the experienced DISers?

 

[NancyIL]

Well this is no good. My TA and I are on the west coast and while I'm willing to get up at four or five in the morning to look at opening rates, I'm sure she is not. Can I call DCL to change? Maybe look online for what I want while I wait on hold?

What's the best advice from all the experienced DISers?

If your travel agent works for an agency that specializes in Disney travel, I'm pretty sure she will be up very early in the morning. I know mine in Seattle is when new itineraries are available to book.

 

[luv2sleep]

Well this is no good. My TA and I are on the west coast and while I'm willing to get up at four or five in the morning to look at opening rates, I'm sure she is not. Can I call DCL to change? Maybe look online for what I want while I wait on hold?

What's the best advice from all the experienced DISers?

You always have the TA taken off or switch. Of call DCL and ask. I hope your TA will get up early though for you.

 

[disneydreaming92701]

How would it be possible to not allow dummy bookings at all? We booked on board for a date we fully intended to sail. Later we decided we would prefer a different ship and destinations so we changed it. Now, due to family conflict with a different vacation we have to move it again. I didn't intentionally book a dummy date but in the end it turns out it was. How could that have been controlled? By not allowing any changes at all? If that were the case I wouldn't have booked at all and would probably never be cruising again.

I agree. If this was not permitted there would be a lot less cruisers. West not think about disney next time if we hadn't already booked our next cruise on the ship and since we didn't want to cruise for at least two years there was no other way for Disney to ensure repeat customers

 

[DizDragonfly]

I saw, on a thread somewhere, that other cruise lines have future bookings done in a different way. When Susieark booked her dummy, then person x did the same, etc... when a person looks for a real cruise, they are financially penalized. Cabins are booked up and prices driven up.

Any given stateroom, on _any_ cruise line's ship, is sold an average of 2.5 times before sailing. So, don't stress it.

 

[NancyIL]

You always have the TA taken off or switch. Of call DCL and ask. I hope your TA will get up early though for you.

The travel agent has to agree to release a reservation back to DCL. Dropping a travel agent shouldn't be done for a frivolous reason.

 

[luv2sleep]

The travel agent has to agree to release a reservation back to DCL. Dropping a travel agent shouldn't be done for a frivolous reason.

Oh I wasn't implying that. So sorry if that's how that came across. Would never want to offend the wonderful TAs here! I just always assumed that using a travel agent was a choice. That's all I wanted to imply. I use one. I'm not concerned that she won't get things done for me. If I didn't have confidence in the process then I'd do my own bookings.

 

[Susiesark]

The travel agent has to agree to release a reservation back to DCL. Dropping a travel agent shouldn't be done for a frivolous reason.

I book through DCL so I can move it around if I need to but my TA works with me, knowing that I will transfer the ressie to her before final payment. That way I get her OBC and she gets a commission.

 

[NancyIL]

I book through DCL so I can move it around if I need to but my TA works with me, knowing that I will transfer the ressie to her before final payment. That way I get her OBC and she gets a commission.

Your travel agent gets a reduced commission from DCL for a transferred reservation. On the other hand, the travel agent has to do less work for a transferred reservation. Some travel agencies reduce the amount of OBC for transferred reservations, too.

 

[minnieandmickey]

Well, until DCL offers some voucher system, this is the only way. FWIW I book a very off peak time of year, late Sept or early Dec and I don't choose an actual cabin, just take GTY. I also take late dining.
It wouldn't do anyone any favor to choose Christmas week and put my whole family on the res.

This is what I will be doing with my current ressie that I'm saving for a Christmas cruise in 2015

 

[Chee Chick]

I booked a dummy date this past week during my Thanksgiving cruise, so now I am also waiting for 2014 to be released. I asked about the 2014 release date while booking and I was told that they should be released by early February.

 

[pixidustmom]

I booked a dummy date this past week during my Thanksgiving cruise, so now I am also waiting for 2014 to be released. I asked about the 2014 release date while booking and I was told that they should be released by early February.

Wait what did you just write? February?? Well gosh darn it. Oh well will have tax money then so I guess it's a good thing?

 

[RedSox68]

Arrrghhh, February? Oh well, glad I got my TA to move my current dummy cruise to next November!

 

[PirateLife4Me:)]

They aren't even giving people a full year to plan upcoming vacations, maybe they made a big mistake by adding a fourth ship

 

[disney minnie]

We were told January on the Thanksgiving cruise

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

They aren't even giving people a full year to plan upcoming vacations, maybe they made a big mistake by adding a fourth ship

I think the mistake wasn't the 4th ship but that the new ships have SO MANY cabins. The ships aren't too big, just too many people on them.

 

[cruisecrasher]

We were told January on the Thanksgiving cruise

We heard the same on the Magic qualified by "at earliest"

 

[disneydreaming92701]

We heard the same on the Magic qualified by "at earliest"

So frustrating because on the fantasy in June we were told October.....