Booking New Cruise Onboard

[Cap]

Does anyone know what the approximate savings (either % or $ / category) is for doing an on-board booking of a next cruise versus just doing it through a travel agent (e.g. Dreams Unlimited)?

Assuming that we know when we want to cruise, what stateroom class, and perhaps even the deck / side / area of the deck we want to be in, what are the pros / cons of booking on board to get the discount versus booking through DCL or a TA? What results in the best deal for the same date / class?

 

[outahere]

As I recall, there is really no "discount" for booking on board, just a credit to your onboard account for the cruise you book (not the one you're on). I think DU is offering an onboard credit and a rebate if you book by tomorrow for 2004.

 

[SweetSpot]

We rebooked in Nov. for the following Nov. They are offering 10% off plus $200.00 stateroom credit. I came home after booking on the ship and called DCL for a quote for the same cruise same cat. and it was a $1,700.00 difference for a cat 3, 2 adults 3 kids. That was 3 days after I got off the ship. I checked the disneycruise.com for a quote on a cat. 4 for the same time against a quote we received on the ship and it was $1,400 more than the ship quote a couple days either. That is substancially more than a 10% difference.

We rebooked the previous year and paid the same for the following years cruise (same cruise week and itinerary) as we paid for the cruise we were on at the time and we booked 10 months in advance for that one.

The rebooking process on the ship is frustrating because they don't have the staff to handle the amount of rebookings they receive but it is well worth the effort.

 

[jgalecpa]

We just rebooked on board a week ago today (how about that for a xmas present!) and got two rooms in 2005 for a total of $900 less than two rooms in 2003 with both Cat 9's at the peak season

Currently, it is still 10% off and $200/room credit.

Jim

 

[wltdsnyfan]

If it is still that way in August, I think I will re book to. That saying and credit sounds good. Thanks for the info
flo

 

[Grumpy's Mom]

We rebooked too with a great group of friends for 2005. Because we booked for Christmas 2003 in late August, we are coming up way ahead:

With the Disney 10% off and $200 per room, our savings look like this:

One Cat 8 for Christmas 2003 = $AAAA.00

1. Cat 6 + Cat 11 right across the hall for Christmas 2005 =
$AAAA.00 - $685.00

2. Two Cat 8's next door to each other for Christmas 2005 =
$AAAA.00 - $1136

3. Two Cat 9's next door to each other for Chrismas 2005 =
$AAAA.00 - $1497

I have included the $400 onboard credit in my actual savings in these equations --

I have an email into DU to find out whether their onboard credit offer interferes (spelling?) with the Disney onboard credit - when we booked our 2003 cruise, the Disney Visa onboard credit overroad the new cruiser credit, so we took the Disney Visa which was higher. But we did get onboard credits from our TA for that cruise (not with DU)as gifts for our girls, so I am thinking that this may be a go -- that would be an additional $175 savings for equation No. 1, and $150 savings for equation Nos. 2 and 3 -- I should hear back from them tomorrow, so I will post DU's response.

Jim, are you impressed with my calculations? I hope I did this right!