2010 news from the Magic

[pillow]

NEW CANCELLATION POLICY - Effective 8/31/08

If you need to cancel your cruise and are within the penalty period for doing so, Disney Cruise Line will no longer allow you to change the date. You will be required to cancel your existing cruise and absorb whatever penalties are in effect and rebook the new date.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Question for those who are DVC members and used points and $$.
I know we can book with a deposit and then if not paid in full switch over to points...or even pay one person in $$ and one in points....but....
We don't know if our daughter will be able to go this far out. DVC said I could add her for $95 processing fee and use points only if there is room on the ship....doesn't matter if there is room for her in our room....
Could I book her and then cancel if she can't come....would I give up a deposit or is there a fee to do this?
Does anyone have any ideas?
thanks,
denise waiting for tomorrow

I would be cautious if trying to "switch" from cash with DLC to points with DVC. In the past, this has only been done if you book a category guarantee, as opposed to reserving a particular stateroom. It is also reported that there is no "switch" but in fact, you may have to cancel your DLC cruise and try to book with DVC at a later time when you make the decision.

As far as adding another person later - that is correct. Although your stateroom may have sleep space available, they must consider other parameters when adding to ship occupancy. That involves, lifeboat occupancy for your particular stateroom, dining availability for dinner seatings as well. DVC charges a $95 booking fee to trade out to DCL to make your reservation. Any changes (including adding a person) will incur another $95 booking fee.

Personally, I would book for everyone who wants to come, and take them off later if necessary. Just check with MS or DCL when you make the ressie for current cancellation policies. Good luck, and I hope to be joining you all on this 2010 cruise as well!

 

[ljhayes]

NEW CANCELLATION POLICY - Effective 8/31/08

If you need to cancel your cruise and are within the penalty period for doing so, Disney Cruise Line will no longer allow you to change the date. You will be required to cancel your existing cruise and absorb whatever penalties are in effect and rebook the new date.

Jodie, can I ask where you found this? Is this only DVC related?

 

[pillow]

Jodie, can I ask where you found this? Is this only DVC related?

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/news.htm

Looks like its a general change - not just DVC.

Jodie

 

[taysmom]

I would call dvc and ask their advice. I would not book using points if there is even an inkling that you might cancel. The cost of having to use the points in the use year is too risky. My question to DVC is if you book the cruise through the cruise lines and then decide to pay a part using points later, can you do that or do you have to rebook? I believe you have to rebook through dvc which means if you pay part in cash, you'll have to pay the higher tier rate if applicable.
S

 

[gydell]

19 hours!

 

[cindy18]

Not sure if this works on the cruise, but on our Adventures by Disney trip this past August, we booked with ABD and put down a cash deposit. Then, several months later, we called DVC and did half the trip (one adult and one child) using points. DVC got ABD on the phone, and they worked through the whole thing together. They moved the deposit on the two people we switched to points to the two people remaining on cash, and then we had to pay the balance of the cash portion in full. It was surprisingly easy and seamless. I'm not sure why the policies would be different for the cruise than they are for ABD.

 

[DW2DH&DS]

19 hours!

 

[GuardMusic]

I just want to say - before we change to a new thread tomorrow (probably) -I need good news.

In preparation for tomorrow I was reviewing the previous Med prices, seeing what we had priced out for London/Paris trip instead, etc. I had taken HOURS AND HOURS (I expect about 30) researching and entering information into a shared Google Docs spreadsheet that was shared with BFF. It was under her account.

Well her computer got hacked a couple of weeks ago, so she summarily canceled/closed ALL of her online accounts, bank accounts, credit cards, etc. I found out just minutes ago that this spreadsheet was a fatality of her closing the account.

I am so far beyond mad I'm crying! I do not have the time or the energy to recreate this and has just made me realize how I take on all the planning responsibilities for our trips. It used to be fun. Now I just feel used and have been taken advantage of.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[CarolAnnC]

I would call dvc and ask their advice. I would not book using points if there is even an inkling that you might cancel. The cost of having to use the points in the use year is too risky. My question to DVC is if you book the cruise through the cruise lines and then decide to pay a part using points later, can you do that or do you have to rebook? I believe you have to rebook through dvc which means if you pay part in cash, you'll have to pay the higher tier rate if applicable.
S

Yes - your cash price through DCL will be totally unrelated to any cash price through DVC. You would be doing a cancellation/rebook and as stated before, will not be able to retain a stateroom selection made through DCL.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Not sure if this works on the cruise, but on our Adventures by Disney trip this past August, we booked with ABD and put down a cash deposit. Then, several months later, we called DVC and did half the trip (one adult and one child) using points. DVC got ABD on the phone, and they worked through the whole thing together. They moved the deposit on the two people we switched to points to the two people remaining on cash, and then we had to pay the balance of the cash portion in full. It was surprisingly easy and seamless. I'm not sure why the policies would be different for the cruise than they are for ABD.

The policies are different as DCL is a different entity. Each year DVC draws up a contract with DCL and negotiates what the cash prices will be for DVC members booking using a points/cash combination. It will not be close to the best price one can get from DCL but will also not be the absolutely most expensive, either. The stateroom inventory that DCL maintains is not fully available to DVC members booking on points. There are exclusions, and limits of how many members can book any given cruise and which stateroom are available to them for booking.

An example would be when I booked the Med cruise in 2007 on points. Although you could find many available category 6 and 11 cabins online at Disney's website, I was only able to secure category 6 and 11 guarantee status only cabins at the time I booked.

I am not too familiar with the ABD/DVC booking arrangement, but it very likely will differ from DVC/DCL due to contractual differences.

 

[pillow]

I just want to say - before we change to a new thread tomorrow (probably) -I need good news.

In preparation for tomorrow I was reviewing the previous Med prices, seeing what we had priced out for London/Paris trip instead, etc. I had taken HOURS AND HOURS (I expect about 30) researching and entering information into a shared Google Docs spreadsheet that was shared with BFF. It was under her account.

Well her computer got hacked a couple of weeks ago, so she summarily canceled/closed ALL of her online accounts, bank accounts, credit cards, etc. I found out just minutes ago that this spreadsheet was a fatality of her closing the account.

I am so far beyond mad I'm crying! I do not have the time or the energy to recreate this and has just made me realize how I take on all the planning responsibilities for our trips. It used to be fun. Now I just feel used and have been taken advantage of.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Wine helps!!

J

 

[DisneySpirit]

Yes - your cash price through DCL will be totally unrelated to any cash price through DVC. You would be doing a cancellation/rebook and as stated before, will not be able to retain a stateroom selection made through DCL.

That was not our experience. We had booked our EB Panama Repo cruise online through DCL and later changed our reservation to be 1 person DVC points and 1 person cash. We were refunded our $1000 deposit, paid DVC's $95 transfer fee kept our same cat 5 stateroom number, and our reservation number even stayed the same. However, the price we ended up paying cash vs 1/2 our original all cash price with DCL was $77 more with DVC.

 

[SoCalDCLfan]

that was not our experience either. we booked 2 staterooms for our cruise in Feb 09 while onboard last year. we subsequently flipped it to DVC points and everything stayed the same - stateroom #s, reservation #s, etc. MS handled it on the phone with DVC - it was very easy.

 

[CarolAnnC]

That was not our experience. We had booked our EB Panama Repo cruise online through DCL and later changed our reservation to be 1 person DVC points and 1 person cash. We were refunded our $1000 deposit, paid DVC's $95 transfer fee kept our same cat 5 stateroom number, and our reservation number even stayed the same. However, the price we ended up paying cash vs 1/2 our original all cash price with DCL was $77 more with DVC.

that was not our experience either. we booked 2 staterooms for our cruise in Feb 09 while onboard last year. we subsequently flipped it to DVC points and everything stayed the same - stateroom #s, reservation #s, etc. MS handled it on the phone with DVC - it was very easy.

Hmmm, I am wondering if it has something to do with the fact that you booked in 2007 for a Feb 2009 cruise? Perhaps that far in advance - were the point charts out then even for DVC when you originally booked? That could make a difference... This Link will show you a poster who printed his Member Services' email response regarding booking the 2010 special cruise prior to the points chart being released. They stated, he could book on cash only through DVC, NOT pay in full, however, and switch over to points when they are released and available to use.

 

[scottishwee35]

Hello CarolAnnC

I am looking at Disneycruise.com but cannot see any announcement for today?

I am working today and I know my times will be 5.30 pm ?

Will it show the announcement today for 2010?

Scottishwee35

 

[Skallywag]

Am just going to look on the site also. Probably not hear anything until later today anyway.

 

[JsMom2]

The email said to go to disneycruise.com/news, but when I try that it just defaults to the normal cruise line site.

It's a bit disappointing. I thought they'd at least have the website up and running with a notice to "come back at 1230 for an announcement."

 

[MrsJobba1]

The email said to go to disneycruise.com/news, but when I try that it just defaults to the normal cruise line site.

It's a bit disappointing. I thought they'd at least have the website up and running with a notice to "come back at 1230 for an announcement."

I had the same problem - it reverts back to the norm DCl site.

I think the disboards will be the best place to find out for us in Uk -

Not long now

 

[scottishwee35]

I had the same problem - it reverts back to the norm DCl site.

I think the disboards will be the best place to find out for us in Uk -

Not long now

Hello Helen

yes, I will find out more in disboards by tonight.

I cannot wait

Scottishwee35