booking a cruise onboard

[pachy25]

Can you still book a cruise onboard?

 

[ljhayes]

No, you book a placeholder for $250 which can be used to book a cruise later.

 

[RedHead0186]

No, you book a placeholder for $250 which can be used to book a cruise later.

Adding on to that, doing so gets you 10% off that future cruise, and, if it's a 7 night or longer cruise, you also get a 10% deposit.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

In addition, you must sail within 2 years of getting the placeholder. However, if you do not use it, DCL will refund your $250 to the original form of payment. You can also cancel at anytime for a full refund before the 2 years are up. Placeholders are not charged to your onboard account, you have to use a credit card, not sure if gift cards are accepted.

One downside of the placeholder is that you get an actual reservation number and you must call DCL to book your cruise with that reservation number. You cannot use it to book online. But, what's a little inconvenience for getting 10% off of your cruise?

 

[Milky]

1. If you use a travel agent, you can transfer to within 30 days.

2. Gift card can be used, but you have to call in the complete the process once off the ship. (Probably 1-2 days after disembark)
Go to guest services to put in a request so shoreside will call you. (You don't do this through the app)

3. If use gift cards, do no throw away. If getting refund, funds will go back to the original form of payment.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

This may have changed since last fall but this started post-covid where you could book a placeholder using the DCL app onboard. It asks if you would like to assign your same TA to the new placeholder reservation. I would highly recommend taking screenshots along the way. Being able to prove that I did indeed book saved me from some glitch where shoreside said they had no record of me doing it. I had almost forgotten about it until about a month later I noticed our cc was never charged. It was all straightened out in the end.

 

[auntlynne]

This may have changed since last fall but this started post-covid where you could book a placeholder using the DCL app onboard. It asks if you would like to assign your same TA to the new placeholder reservation. I would highly recommend taking screenshots along the way. Being able to prove that I did indeed book saved me from some glitch where shoreside said they had no record of me doing it. I had almost forgotten about it until about a month later I noticed our cc was never charged. It was all straightened out in the end.

Yes, it is done on the app.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes, it is done on the app.

I meant the ability to reassign your TA. Some TAs get a smaller commission if the res is considered a transfer from DCL. Oftentimes this can mean a much smaller OBC.

 

[Kwami]

I meant the ability to reassign your TA. Some TAs get a smaller commission if the res is considered a transfer from DCL. Oftentimes this can mean a much smaller OBC.

Well, you can still choose to have your onboard placeholder assigned to your TA when you book it in the app. It worked for me a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure if that counts as a transfer. I bet it does.

 

[ljhayes]

Well, you can still choose to have your onboard placeholder assigned to your TA when you book it in the app. It worked for me a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure if that counts as a transfer. I bet it does.

Placeholder bookings typically get a lesser commission like a transfer.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I will find out in a few weeks!

 

[Dug720]

The placeholder is annoying as all get out for those of us who know what cruises we want to book - it creates an extra step for us or our TA to have to call in to convert it. I love DCL, but it's definitely a cost-cutting measure on their part not wanting to pay 2-3 CMs to be on board to handle the bookings. It saves them money on the front end at least by you doing it yourself since no one has to be on board to do it. Just punishes everyone on the back end with longer wait times because everyone has to call to convert - especially annoying if you know what you want and have to be on the phone (or your TA does) for a while immediately after the cruise since you knew what you wanted all along.

I was on Celebrity this summer and they had 5 crew members on board who worked in the on board booking area and it was so simple to book what you wanted. IF you didn't know what you wanted - or they hadn't yet released what you wanted - you could book a future certificate (they don't call it "placeholder" because it is NOT holding your place - the cruise and/or stateroom you want could still sell out before you get to convert it so your place is NOT held). But it was so simple to book my cruise for next summer while on board. The booking automatically went to my travel agent, and since I booked on the first day, I was given a bottle of wine. Easy peasy. And there were always people in the area to book cruises - at least while the ship was sailing.

 

[RedHead0186]

Well, you can still choose to have your onboard placeholder assigned to your TA when you book it in the app. It worked for me a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure if that counts as a transfer. I bet it does.

Yes, that likely counts as a transfer (even if you assign your TA right when you book the placeholder). Technically, the booking is done directly with DCL and then they 'hand it over' to the TA from there. Pretty much the same thing as if you book the placeholder, then transfer to a TA once you're back. (That may vary by TA, but my experience has been that counts as a transfer).

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes, that likely counts as a transfer (even if you assign your TA right when you book the placeholder). Technically, the booking is done directly with DCL and then they 'hand it over' to the TA from there. Pretty much the same thing as if you book the placeholder, then transfer to a TA once you're back. (That may vary by TA, but my experience has been that counts as a transfer).

In the past, when you could book at the Future Cruise Desk, it wouldn’t count as a transfer if you named your TA at the time of booking. If you waited until you were off your cruise, then it was a transfer.

 

[RedHead0186]

In the past, when you could book at the Future Cruise Desk, it wouldn’t count as a transfer if you named your TA at the time of booking. If you waited until you were off your cruise, then it was a transfer.

that may be true, but now that it's done in the app I'm pretty sure it counts as a transfer. We've booked placeholders onboard and named our TA at the time of purchase, and it still counted as a transfer in terms of how much onboard credit we got (I'm totally fine with that, just noting that at least our TA still counted that as a transfer, not a new booking-and that's Dreams Unlimited).

 

[lilmc]

If you book it and say your spring break is about the same time each year but dates vary just a little bit, I try to always book on the last day of our cruise to get as much time out of my “two years” as possible.

 

[Flossbolna]

that may be true, but now that it's done in the app I'm pretty sure it counts as a transfer. We've booked placeholders onboard and named our TA at the time of purchase, and it still counted as a transfer in terms of how much onboard credit we got (I'm totally fine with that, just noting that at least our TA still counted that as a transfer, not a new booking-and that's Dreams Unlimited).

Some time well before Covid DCL changed its commission structure for onboard bookings. TAs only get half the commission on those. Therefore any onboard credit from the TA would be less, too. That was already the case when you could still do a specific booking onboard. I think that was when they also got rid of giving you not only 10% off, but also an onboard credit for your next sailing (I think it was 100$).

 

[Flossbolna]

If you book it and say your spring break is about the same time each year but dates vary just a little bit, I try to always book on the last day of our cruise to get as much time out of my “two years” as possible.

Just make sure you don't forget it in the hassle of packing etc. It might not be available for booking anymore the morning you get off the ship! Some on our May cruise thought they could do it on disembarkation day and then it was gone from their app.

 

[lilmc]

Just make sure you don't forget it in the hassle of packing etc. It might not be available for booking anymore the morning you get off the ship! Some on our May cruise thought they could do it on disembarkation day and then it was gone from their app.

Yes, I’ve always wondered about disembarkation day, but I’ve always been too paranoid to find out and I’ve always done it second to last morning, so good to know I was right to be paranoid!!