Booking Through Expedia?

[Catvondita]

Hi there,

My husband and I are planning on going to WDW and a cruise in November. We are also going to California in December and because of that we need to try to save as much money as we can since both trips are semi back to back. We were looking at Expedia and saw that they offer a $1000 on board credit which sounds great to us cheapskates. But is this too good to be true? Or do the risks out weigh the perks? Let me know if you've had experience with Expedia for Disney Cruising. If another travel agency offers onboard credit (dreams unlimited?) is it worth it? I'm assuming travel agents are like real estate agents and you pay them a commission so what would be the best value in your opinion?

Some background in case it matters: We are a group of 4, 3 of us 28 one of us 30. We all drink except my husband and have no kids. We will be in two separate rooms ( me and my husband and my two friends in another).

Thanks!

 

[FigmentSpark]

You don't pay the TA. DCL does. That's why they can offer you the credit (or in Costco's case, the cashback). It's out of their commission.

Why not get a quote from a few places? Expedia, Costco, DU, etc. Go with the one that's going to suit your needs best.

Also, there is a thread somewhere here that talks about ways to save on Disney. Look at things like buying Disney gift cards at a discount (Target?), and Disney Visa. Someone else might have a link to that thread or others might just have some ideas on how they save on Disney.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi there,

My husband and I are planning on going to WDW and a cruise in November. We are also going to California in December and because of that we need to try to save as much money as we can since both trips are semi back to back. We were looking at Expedia and saw that they offer a $1000 on board credit which sounds great to us cheapskates. But is this too good to be true? Or do the risks out weigh the perks? Let me know if you've had experience with Expedia for Disney Cruising. If another travel agency offers onboard credit (dreams unlimited?) is it worth it? I'm assuming travel agents are like real estate agents and you pay them a commission so what would be the best value in your opinion?

Some background in case it matters: We are a group of 4, 3 of us 28 one of us 30. We all drink except my husband and have no kids. We will be in two separate rooms ( me and my husband and my two friends in another).

Thanks!

$1000 OBC sounds awfully high. Are you sure the ad isn't saying "UP TO $1000"? Commissions to TA come from the cruise line, not you. If Expedia is charging you a commission, find a different TA. Dreams Unlimited does offer OBC, not sure on the amounts. Many people use Costco for the cash card they get after the cruise - usually 8-10% of your cruise fare. I'd suggest looking around a bit, if you want to go the TA route.


EDIT: I checked the Expedia thing - the OBC is based on the cost of the cruise (cruise fare only, no taxes/fees added):
On-board credit will be given in the following amounts: $500-$999 - $50 OBC; $1000-$1999 - $100 OBC; $2000 - $2999 - $200 OBC; $3000-$4999 - $300 OBC; $5,000-$9999 - $500 OBC; and $10,000+ - $1000 OBC. The cruise cabin price is the total price of the cruise only fare based on the first and second guest in the cabin and does not include insurance, government fees, taxes and port expenses

 

[ChipNDale86]

Never used Expedia but we've booked our last 3 cruises with DreamsUnlimited because of the OBC. We got a $300 OBC on our 7-night Alaskan cruise last August and are getting $150 for our 5-night cruise this May on the Magic. The OBC amount all depends on your total cost for the cruise, so the more expensive Alaskan cruise had a higher credit. Their website also says "Up to $1000" but I would assume that's very rare or maybe happens with large parties booking several rooms.

The TA's offer their services free of charge; they get commissions from DCL (or whatever ever cruise lines they book) if I understand correctly, and use those commissions to give you those OBCs.
Personally we find booking DCL cruise fairly straight forward and could do it ourselves but it's a nice perk to go through the TA if you are willing to give up a tiny bit of control.

 

[DisneyPups]

Don't really have much to add, other than to second what's been said... definitely look around if you're curious at the different On Board Credit options. My parents always book through Costco, b/c they prefer the Costco Cash Card as they don't "buy" a lot once on board. Just remember that Disney does not discount their cruises (other than the rare boat-filler), so travel agents will only offer their own "deal" via cash cards, credits, gifts, etc. Good luck!

 

[Catvondita]

$1000 OBC sounds awfully high. Are you sure the ad isn't saying "UP TO $1000"? Commissions to TA come from the cruise line, not you. If Expedia is charging you a commission, find a different TA. Dreams Unlimited does offer OBC, not sure on the amounts. Many people use Costco for the cash card they get after the cruise - usually 8-10% of your cruise fare. I'd suggest looking around a bit, if you want to go the TA route.


EDIT: I checked the Expedia thing - the OBC is based on the cost of the cruise (cruise fare only, no taxes/fees added):
On-board credit will be given in the following amounts: $500-$999 - $50 OBC; $1000-$1999 - $100 OBC; $2000 - $2999 - $200 OBC; $3000-$4999 - $300 OBC; $5,000-$9999 - $500 OBC; and $10,000+ - $1000 OBC. The cruise cabin price is the total price of the cruise only fare based on the first and second guest in the cabin and does not include insurance, government fees, taxes and port expenses

This makes way more sense now. Thanks so much!