Booking next cruise while on a cruise

[Heatherdbby]

Who has booked there next cruise while on a cruise?

Pros vs cons?

Rules?

How much deposit will I need?


I'll be on the dream 3 night in October and my grandmother recently passed giving my mom free time so I wanted to book something for maybe 2019 since we plan to do WDW in 2018 or those can be flipped obviously if needed. She won't be with us on this cruise.
Just looking for opinions and experiences.

 

[apathetic]

We've done it a lot. Advantage is 10% discount (subject to blackout), room credit (can't remember how much) and you only need 10% down (vice 20%). You can still cancel without penalty until the paid in full date. There is no downside if you have the 10% deposit handy because you get a full refund if you change your mind (until the PIF date). Alternatively, you can get a placeholder, which is like $250 (or about that much) and you can book a cruise for the next 2 years and get the same benefits as booking onboard. Gives you more flexibility when cruises are released and the deposit is refunded if you don't use it.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

On board booking (OBC) room credit varies with length of cruise. I think it's $100 for cruises of less than 7 nights and know it's $200 for cruises of 7 nights and longer. We prefer the longer cruises, so we've had a number of those.

Placeholders are $250. We usually do a placeholder unless we have a cruise already booked on opening day to reshop while on board to get the discount and OBC.

 

[Shanti]

There's really no downside, as you can always change or cancel later. The 10% discount is great, and if you later decide to switch cruises, that discount will be applied to the cruise you switch to (as long as it's not a blockout date cruise). You also get a shipboard credit on your next cruise when you book onboard or get a placeholder.

It's a great feeling when you disembark from the cruise, to know that you already have another one booked. It makes leaving the ship less of a downer.

 

[Heatherdbby]

What exactly is a placeholder?

And so i pretty much should look at cruises before boarding and know roughly when and where I want to book and gage about 10% for down payment

 

[Dug720]

What exactly is a placeholder?

And so i pretty much should look at cruises before boarding and know roughly when and where I want to book and gage about 10% for down payment

A place holder is essentially a gift certificate you buy yourself for a future cruise within the next 24 months but you don't know the date or you know the date but those haven't been released yet (MUST start no more than 24 months to the day after you bought it) - it's $250 and that will go towards your deposit. Additionally it locks in the onboard booking benefits (assuming your selected cruise is not blacked out).

If you know the date you want to cruise and it's been released, it's probably easier to go ahead and book that. It can always be changed - but the same 24 months rule applies. And yes...assuming it's a 7-night cruise, it's 10% (again, as long as you're not in a blackout period or sailing concierge). If it's less than 7 nights, it's the regular 20% deposit.

 

[Kontos]

When using your placeholders to book a future cruise do you get opening day rates or the current rates?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

When using your placeholders to book a future cruise do you get opening day rates or the current rates?

You get the rate it is the day you actually make a specific booking. If you move your placeholder on opening day, that's the price you get. If you wait 6 months to move your placeholder to the same specific cruise, you'll pay the cost that day.

 

[Kontos]

You get the rate it is the day you actually make a specific booking. If you move your placeholder on opening day, that's the price you get. If you wait 6 months to move your placeholder to the same specific cruise, you'll pay the cost that day.

If I got a placeholder and applied it to a cruise where the deposit of 10% would need to be less than $250 does it just apply a little extra to the down payment then? If I did some switching around I'd hate to get a refund one day and then have to make an additional payment a month later if I changed sailings

 

[poison ivy]

They will just apply the entire $250 as the down payment. If it's more than the required deposit, nothing else will be due at the time of booking and $250 will show as a credited payment toward the total amount due.

 

[HEIDIELIZABETH]

We have done 2 Disney cruises so far, but have never booked on board. Can you only buy a placeholder on board? Also, do you need to buy a placeholder for each member of your family traveling ( we are a family of 7). And one more question, if you have a placeholder and are then shopping for a cruise and want to get the 10% discount can you still get that if you find a cruise with GT rooms or military discount, etc? Thanks!

 

[Cackyschmackers]

assuming your selected cruise is not blacked out

Historically, which are normally blackout dates? Around Christmas? Other Holidays?

 

[Dug720]

Historically, which are normally blackout dates? Around Christmas? Other Holidays?

Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, some of summer, some specialty cruises or new itineraries. Scott has them listed on his blog.

 

[quickcat]

We always do an onboard booking. Love the lower deposit, on board credit, and 10% off the cruise fare. I always pick a date, even though I usually change it 10 times before we sail

 

[poison ivy]

We have done 2 Disney cruises so far, but have never booked on board. Can you only buy a placeholder on board? Also, do you need to buy a placeholder for each member of your family traveling ( we are a family of 7). And one more question, if you have a placeholder and are then shopping for a cruise and want to get the 10% discount can you still get that if you find a cruise with GT rooms or military discount, etc? Thanks!

I can only answer the first 2 questions. Yes, you can only reserve the placeholder while on board.

Also, we had to include all members of our family if we wanted to have the discount assigned to them on a future cruise. That would have meant reserving a placeholder for 2 cabins if they needed to be booked in a separate cabin. Otherwise, if we reserved just for the 2 of us and sailed with or without them, the 10% would only be discounted on our fares - not applied toward any additional members in our group.

 

[poison ivy]

just an FYI - the 10% deposit only applies on 7 nt or longer cruises. otherwise a 20% deposit is due.

 

[tlprice]

So, I have 3 cruises coming up. Can I book a placeholder while on each of those cruises? One of the 3 cruises I have booked, I booked on my last cruise. It would have been nice to have placeholders for my other 2 cruises.

 

[Heatherdbby]

We have done 2 Disney cruises so far, but have never booked on board. Can you only buy a placeholder on board? Also, do you need to buy a placeholder for each member of your family traveling ( we are a family of 7). And one more question, if you have a placeholder and are then shopping for a cruise and want to get the 10% discount can you still get that if you find a cruise with GT rooms or military discount, etc? Thanks!

Wait Disney cruises have a military discount???

 

[kiford]

Wait Disney cruises have a military discount???

Sometimes - for select cruises. Check the site. Just search for military rates and you'll find the page. It updates frequently.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

So, I have 3 cruises coming up. Can I book a placeholder while on each of those cruises? One of the 3 cruises I have booked, I booked on my last cruise. It would have been nice to have placeholders for my other 2 cruises.

Yes, you can book a placeholder on each cruise. Remember that you will need to convert them to actual cruise bookings that sail within 24 months of the placeholder date(s). It's handy to have a placeholder available to convert when the new cruise itineraries are released to take best advantage of the discounts and the on board credit.