Booking onboard

[mordecai]

We're going on a cruise in September and want to book another cruise while onboard. What I'm a little hung up on is how much $ to set aside to re-book for the deposit. I see it's 10% but is there a way to ballpark how much that will be? Do I have to book specific rooms? I've seen stuff about booking a fake date that you can float to a different date. Just looking for someone to point me in a direction here that I can get more information or if you have first hand info that'd be great!

Thanks!

 

[moonvxn]

We're going on a cruise in September and want to book another cruise while onboard. What I'm a little hung up on is how much $ to set aside to re-book for the deposit. I see it's 10% but is there a way to ballpark how much that will be? Do I have to book specific rooms? I've seen stuff about booking a fake date that you can float to a different date. Just looking for someone to point me in a direction here that I can get more information or if you have first hand info that'd be great!

Thanks!

If you go the DCL website you can see about what the cruise your are interested in will be. The discount for rebooking while onboard is 10% off before taxes and fees. So you can guesstimate your deposit from that. No you don't have to book a specific room, but it you are set on a specific category book what you want. The dummy dates are most often for people who know they will be cruising again but aren't planning on cruising until the next year, so for 2015. You book a cruise the farthest out available and then when the new dates come out you move it.

Hope that helps

 

[4everluvDisney]

We always book another cruise while onboard to be able to use the 10% deposit and get the onboard credit. Plan on booking a 3 night cruise, the farthest out possible. That way it is the cheapest deposit and the most time available to decide what date you actually want. It is usually just my husband and myself that I book for but if we think we may take the grandsons, I book a date with them as well because that guarantees that there will be room on the ship for them as well. Even though a cabin may hold more, if you decide at a later date to add additional people, the ship capacity may already have been reached. I usually have at least 3 dummy dates on the go at any one time.

 

[mordecai]

Thanks guys, I think that clears it up a bit. I have to have 2 rooms since our family has 6 people, but just out of curiosity what would keep us from booking two of the cheapest rooms possible to have the smallest deposit, then changing the date later and upgrading to nice rooms? (or would anything keep us from doing that?) Is there any fee for changing dates?

This looks like it will work out great because we want to aim for 2015 for the next cruise anyway.

Thanks again!

 

[tweis]

Thanks guys, I think that clears it up a bit. I have to have 2 rooms since our family has 6 people, but just out of curiosity what would keep us from booking two of the cheapest rooms possible to have the smallest deposit, then changing the date later and upgrading to nice rooms? (or would anything keep us from doing that?) Is there any fee for changing dates?

This looks like it will work out great because we want to aim for 2015 for the next cruise anyway.

Thanks again!

You absolutely can do this If you don't want to pay a higher deposit for "nicer" rooms and longer cruise then you can book a 3 night with 2 inside rooms and then later transfer it to a 7 night or whatever and change the rooms. When you change it you will need to pay the additional deposit.

 

[lbgraves]

Currently there is no restriction regarding moving OBBs as long as you haven't reached your PIF date for the currently booked cruise.

 

[loricfam]

I've read that you can only change your date once. Anyone know if that's true?

 

[honeymo78]

I've read that you can only change your date once. Anyone know if that's true?

Completely untrue. Move it as many times as you want

 

[chiburple]

My dummy date was a 4-night Bahamas cat 11 in Dec 2014 and the deposit was $109. Might have changed since then but hopefully this helps.

 

[Stitchie13]

If I move my recently made onboard booking from 2014 to 2015 do I still get to keep the Disney OBCredit given to us?

One of the other things I was unsure about is whilst I make an onboard booking for my family for the future can I add another stateroom for another family I wish to sail with us in 2014? I read so many conflicting reports on this!

 

[chiburple]

I'm not an expert, but what I heard is that they changed it so you can only move the date once and if you only book one stateroom on board then only one room receives the discount and OBC (however of course you can add a room at full price). I recommend contacting Disney to verify all this though.

 

[canyoncam]

I moved an OBB last week and was told I can continue to move it to my hearts content while keeping the OBC. But that could change at a drop if the hat with DCL......

 

[lbgraves]

I've read that you can only change your date once. Anyone know if that's true?

That was posted on a TA's blog and is incorrect.

 

[lbgraves]

I'm not an expert, but what I heard is that they changed it so you can only move the date once and if you only book one stateroom on board then only one room receives the discount and OBC (however of course you can add a room at full price). I recommend contacting Disney to verify all this though.

Neither is true. You can book up to two staterooms for one cruise date with full OBB benefits. Any rooms over and above these or on different dates only get the OBC applied.

 

[mordecai]

I think this was already sort of answered as well but just to clarify; when you book a dummy date then change the date, the 10% discount is applied to the new booking then as well, correct?

 

[tweis]

I think this was already sort of answered as well but just to clarify; when you book a dummy date then change the date, the 10% discount is applied to the new booking then as well, correct?

Yes, this is correct. Until DCL decides to change it....

 

[mordecai]

Awesome, thanks! Hopefully this policy holds up till our September cruise

 

[chiburple]

Neither is true. You can book up to two staterooms for one cruise date with full OBB benefits. Any rooms over and above these or on different dates only get the OBC applied.

Wow, awesome! Thanks for correcting me. Seems my current dummy booking is even better than I thought.

 

[Narnia_girl]

I think this was already sort of answered as well but just to clarify; when you book a dummy date then change the date, the 10% discount is applied to the new booking then as well, correct?

Can I get a little more clarity on this? Say I book a dummy short cruise with a cost of $4000. The 10% discount is $400 off, correct? But then later I decide to move it to a longer cruise and the cost is $7000, do I get 10% off that ($700) off rather than the original $400?

 

[chiburple]

Can I get a little more clarity on this? Say I book a dummy short cruise with a cost of $4000. The 10% discount is $400 off, correct? But then later I decide to move it to a longer cruise and the cost is $7000, do I get 10% off that ($700) off rather than the original $400?

Yes
I just tested that a few days ago when we moved our booking and that's exactly how it works.