Booking dilemma! Booked with small agency.. but left shipboard credits, store credits on the table.

[Flossbolna]

I am really tempted to try that, and give her $$, but for some irrational reason I'm attached to our room, which she helped us pick--midship on floor 8. It looks like the only remaining rooms in our category are aft, but there is a whole cluster of open rooms there which makes me think they must be less desirable. So in the end I guess unless there is a really safe way to cancel & rebook I'll try to save the $$$ elsewhere.

The website does not show the real availability of rooms. As long as your category (let's say you have a 5C) is still available and if you book now you can actually chose a room number, then the likelihood of getting the same room is very high. But you would have to rely a bit on your friend to help you with this. Once you cancel your old reservation with your friend, the room will go back into the big bucket of rooms to chose. When you book with Costco they will be able to call DCL and request a specific room, not only one of the (typically) 8 that the website offers per category. So, what you need to do is to make sure that between your friend cancelling your old reservation and Costco trying to grab the new room is as little time as possible. Of course, it is possible that someone else comes in and grabs your room in the 5 minutes it is available. But I would say your chances are at least 90%.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Cancel and rebook. Buy the agent something nice as a gift for the help. Use your Costco cash card to do so, it's a win win for you and her as her commission was not so much to begin with.

If you like the other room from Costco website I would book that. The cash card is an amazing value!

JW

I would do this. While $900 may not make it or break it, it's still $900. That is a lot of money!

 

[rantnnravin]

The website does not show the real availability of rooms. As long as your category (let's say you have a 5C) is still available and if you book now you can actually chose a room number, then the likelihood of getting the same room is very high. But you would have to rely a bit on your friend to help you with this. Once you cancel your old reservation with your friend, the room will go back into the big bucket of rooms to chose. When you book with Costco they will be able to call DCL and request a specific room, not only one of the (typically) 8 that the website offers per category. So, what you need to do is to make sure that between your friend cancelling your old reservation and Costco trying to grab the new room is as little time as possible. Of course, it is possible that someone else comes in and grabs your room in the 5 minutes it is available. But I would say your chances are at least 90%.

OP could also just do the new booking directly on DCL website. Then transfer to Costco w/in 30 days of the new booking. This would also give her control over the booking so she could grab the desirable room when it's released by either grabbing it shortly after her original booking is cancelled or by getting the reservation made and then modifying it when the room is available. Once she has what she wants, it goes to Costco.

If my friend told me she needed to go w/Costco for a $900 gift card, I'd encourage her to go for it - it's not personal, it's business.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I would do this. While $900 may not make it or break it, it's still $900. That is a lot of money!

Go costco!

 

[twinsouvenirs]

Go costco!

Assuming we were going to do the cancellation--does anyone know how long it takes to have the deposit returned?

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Assuming we were going to do the cancellation--does anyone know how long it takes to have the deposit returned?

Through dcl, pretty immediate, a couple of days. Did it say dcl or disney reservations etc (forgot what it says exactly) on your credit card?

 

[twinsouvenirs]

Good question--I will check. So I took a chance and booked a room on a different floor on the ship through costco (their deposit requirement was less, btw). So now I have to do the deed and talk to our TA, ugh. I am going to compensate her for sure. Assuming we are talking about $250, should I give her cash or, as my coworkers proposed, disney gift cards? They thought it felt less like 'paying her off' but I thought I liked the idea of still paying for her service.

 

[Pens Fan]

Good question--I will check. So I took a chance and booked a room on a different floor on the ship through costco (their deposit requirement was less, btw). So now I have to do the deed and talk to our TA, ugh. I am going to compensate her for sure. Assuming we are talking about $250, should I give her cash or, as my coworkers proposed, disney gift cards? They thought it felt less like 'paying her off' but I thought I liked the idea of still paying for her service.

Disney is running a 50% off deposit sale right now. If your cruise fell under the guidelines of that offer, that's probably why the deposit was less, not because of Costco. As for the Disney gift cards as compensation, why would you want to dictate how your friend spends her compensation??? Just pay her what you feel is appropriate for the work she already did for you (by cash or check).

 

[twinsouvenirs]

Disney is running a 50% off deposit sale right now. If your cruise fell under the guidelines of that offer, that's probably why the deposit was less, not because of Costco. As for the Disney gift cards as compensation, why would you want to dictate how your friend spends her compensation??? Just pay her what you feel is appropriate for the work she already did for you (by cash or check).

I TOTALLY AGREE! I feel like I should pay her $$ because she worked for it and dictating to her how to spend it is not nice. Like, it's not a gift, it's a legitimate payment for services.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I would just give the money so she can spend it however she wants. If you feel awkward with a check or cash, you could buy a prepaid Visa and it will still let her use it for most things.

I know it will be hard to make the call, but she already knows you've been thinking about it and I am sure she will be happy for you.