Who is correct? Me or the TAs?

[n8nally]

I booked a "dummy" cruise when I was on the Dream in Sept. My plan was to switch it to a 7-day Fantasy (West) for Sept 2014. The reason I booked it dummy was to save on the amount of a deposit I would need to put down initially.

I named my BFF as the TA. She is a new TA and was asking around to some of her more experienced TA friends about the process of switching my dummy over to the real deal and how she would need to do it, etc.

I am not ready to do it yet and will be waiting for income tax return time (Feb, usually) when I plan to switch it and PIF on that day. But she was asking in advance just because she is trying to learn all the ins and outs of the system.

My plan, which I told her, is to book a 7A GTY room, just as I did for my first Dream cruise. I like the 7A category, but was also pleasantly surprised to get a nice upgrade to a 5A. I would like to play the game again. Book a 7A GTY and see if I get pixie dusted. If not, no worries, but you can't win if you don't play.

Well, two of her TA buddies said that I would not be able to keep my OBB discount and OBC if I booked GTY because since that is already a discounted rate I would not be able to double up on my discount.

HOWEVER, GTY is NOT a discounted rate. I think they are both just confused and think what she meant was IGT, OGT or VGT. Those rates are discounted and I know they would not get the OBB discount. However, as far as I knew, GTY is a different thing.

Are these TAs confused, or am I mistaken, and I will not be able to keep my OBB discount if I decide to go GTY?

 

[Bear3412]

You're correct, but the 7a may not go to GTY. Not all categories move to GTY. Also to have GTY appear in any cat is generally later/closer to sailing which means the $ could be higher.

JMT

 

[n8nally]

You're correct, but the 7a may not go to GTY. Not all categories move to GTY. Also to have GTY appear in any cat is generally later/closer to sailing which means the $ could be higher.

JMT

Correct. Also a gamble I have to take since I will not be able to move it before then. I'm hopeful for the GTY in 7A since that seems to be a favorite of DCLs to move there. We shall see.

Thanks on the OP

 

[Meghatron]

Yes, they are confusing GTY with *GT. I would email all of them the sticky thread clarifying the difference that's at the top of the forum.

 

[lbgraves]

Correct. Also a gamble I have to take since I will not be able to move it before then. I'm hopeful for the GTY in 7A since that seems to be a favorite of DCLs to move there. We shall see.

Thanks on the OP

Why wait for the price to go up? Booking a GTY doesn't give you more of a chance of being upgraded. Both times we have been upgraded it has been from a specific stateroom we booked right after the dates opened. Last time it was from a cat 8 to a cat 4.

 

[n8nally]

Why wait for the price to go up? Booking a GTY doesn't give you more of a chance of being upgraded. Both times we have been upgraded it has been from a specific stateroom we booked right after the dates opened. Last time it was from a cat 8 to a cat 4.

Because I don't have money right now.

 

[n8nally]

Yes, they are confusing GTY with *GT. I would email all of them the sticky thread clarifying the difference that's at the top of the forum.

Informative and snarky! I like it! I think I will do just that!

 

[Bear3412]

If it's a dummy, you already paid 10% deposit for 2, so adding another 1 or 2 pax deposit to existing dummy when moved to new real date should only be $200 - 500. Of course it is still $.

In fact do you have to pay 20% for pax added, or does the 10% deposit stick to ressie?

I would do it now while $ as low as possible. $ could go up the longer you wait IMO.

ETA; No reason to wait till you have ALL the $ to pay it off when moved. Just pay the increased minimum deposit if adding pax and moving to a more expensive cruise. That way you lock in today's cruise price. The price will only go up.

 

[Meghatron]

Informative and snarky! I like it! I think I will do just that!

LOL well a TA should know better. I'm sorry they made you second guess yourself.

 

[boogabuzz]

Another gamble you could take is booking the cheapest cabin and upgrading at the port. You would be able to watch the website and see if it looks like the cruise is selling or not. Sept is not a high selling month so your chances of being able to upgrade at the port are very high. You could potentially move up to a 5a for $100. If categories and stateroom selections start to disappear, upgrade then, or course doing it prior would be roughly $3-400 more.

We went on Fantasy west last sept. paid $3400 for a 5a for 3 of us, that was with OBB discount. About 50-60 days prior to sailing, some crazy GT rates became available. We could have gotten a VGT for $2400 for all 3 of us. Of course, not OBB or stateroom credit with that but still a lot cheaper. If you're flexible with travel dates, take the gamble. There's always some great deals sept-dec

 

[neg58]

You can only book Gty if that category has 'gone' GTY at the time you book, ie, if the category is nearing full but reservations isn't really to close it yet. Have you checked the cruise to see if there are 7A cabins available now? I agree 7A does go to GTY more often than other categories, but if there are rooms available when you book, the computer is going to put you in one.

I'd move the reservation now, not adding any more people. You would have to pay the additional deposit amount from your original booking, but it will still be at the 10%. I don't like to leave things on my Disney credit card for 6 months, but I would leave this additional deposit there and just pay it when you get your tax return filed.

 

[Ofinn]

If it's a dummy, you already paid 10% deposit for 2, so adding another 1 or 2 pax deposit to existing dummy when moved to new real date should only be $200 - 500. Of course it is still $.

In fact do you have to pay 20% for pax added, or does the 10% deposit stick to ressie?

I would do it now while $ as low as possible. $ could go up the longer you wait IMO.

ETA; No reason to wait till you have ALL the $ to pay it off when moved. Just pay the increased minimum deposit if adding pax and moving to a more expensive cruise. That way you lock in today's cruise price. The price will only go up.

Yeah the prices will go up and up until the 75 PIF date, and then about 60 days before the cruise they come crashing down. It seeps to be the DCL pattern on Sept-Dec cruises. It's got to be kind of a bummer for people that paid thousands more than the VGT rates.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

I booked a "dummy" cruise when I was on the Dream in Sept. My plan was to switch it to a 7-day Fantasy (West) for Sept 2014. The reason I booked it dummy was to save on the amount of a deposit I would need to put down initially.

I named my BFF as the TA. She is a new TA and was asking around to some of her more experienced TA friends about the process of switching my dummy over to the real deal and how she would need to do it, etc.

I am not ready to do it yet and will be waiting for income tax return time (Feb, usually) when I plan to switch it and PIF on that day. But she was asking in advance just because she is trying to learn all the ins and outs of the system.

My plan, which I told her, is to book a 7A GTY room, just as I did for my first Dream cruise. I like the 7A category, but was also pleasantly surprised to get a nice upgrade to a 5A. I would like to play the game again. Book a 7A GTY and see if I get pixie dusted. If not, no worries, but you can't win if you don't play.

Well, two of her TA buddies said that I would not be able to keep my OBB discount and OBC if I booked GTY because since that is already a discounted rate I would not be able to double up on my discount.

HOWEVER, GTY is NOT a discounted rate. I think they are both just confused and think what she meant was IGT, OGT or VGT. Those rates are discounted and I know they would not get the OBB discount. However, as far as I knew, GTY is a different thing.

Are these TAs confused, or am I mistaken, and I will not be able to keep my OBB discount if I decide to go GTY?

Hi there! We were on the same Dream cruise I believe and I also booked the 7A GTY rate for the 9/1 sailing. This gets a little confusing and "sticky" and I'm hoping my buddy Lisa Lisa will come along and jump in as she is really good at explaining this and also cruised on 9/1.

The Dream cruises for Aug/Sept were a little different. Typically yes, *GT rates are the reduced rates and as others said, you can't double dip so to speak. However, the 7A GTY rates offered for these sailings were *also* reduced rates. In addition, if you booked within a certain timeframe there was a promo code to also get $100 OBC for the 7A GTY and lower amount $50 for Oceanview I believe. I was able to get the 7A GTY rate for $599 (lower than any *GT rate I've booked before) as well as the $100 OBC. If this happened again, you'd lose the OBC Disney offered you with your dummy cruise since you can't get both OBC - does that make sense? When the 7A GTY rates disappeared (they kept coming and going) the rate jumped up a couple hundred dollars (don't have the exact number now) and then as soon as the 7A GTY was available again, they went back down to $599 the first two and then like $400 for the third passenger.

Even though these were reduced rates and a promo was offered as well, it was my understanding some did transfer over a dummy to these sailings and they got 10% off, however they didn't get both OBC. I did not move a dummy to this sailing as my 10% off was better used on another more expensive sailing.

I'd do as others mentioned - book the category you are comfortable with and honestly, not count on it to happen but if it does and you have time, you can move it. We booked in March with the reduced fare and promo so well within the cancellation period.

Heather

 

[cmclaura]

We moved a dummy to a real date on a GTY booking and got the 10% and the OBC. You're right!

 

[Bear3412]

We moved a dummy to a real date on a GTY booking and got the 10% and the OBC. You're right!

You are correct, but PP was talking about a special offered on 7a's. Those were new bookings only and no reason to waste an OBB for those 7a specials IMO.