Can I apply my On Board Credit to.....

[MSPeeler]

I am receiving an OBC from our TA, and we are wondering if we are able to use it towards our placeholder for the next cruise, or if they use a certain form of payment for that?

Also on the subject of placeholders:
1. When do I need to secure my cruise date in order not to lose my 10% benefit and OBC from Disney?
2. A "for instance" question: We have 2 years to cruise correct? Our cruise is November 10th-November 17th, 2018 and we book a placeholder. Say we decide to book an early November 2020 cruise and something comes up and we need to push it back, what happens? What would our options be?


Thanks

 

[Geomom]

I think that they generally use the credit card you have on your account for the placeholder. If you're not sure what to use your OBC on, you can use it for your automatic gratuities as that is $12/person/day--it adds up.

Placeholder--the cruise you use it on needs to start within 24 mths to the day you booked the placeholder. If you think you'll be using it around the 24 mth mark, you should try and book your placeholder towards the end of your cruise, maybe on 11/15 or 11/16--then it would be good until 11/15/20. If you don't use it within the 24 mths, you get your $250 placeholder deposit back and wouldn't get the 10% off or OBC.

 

[Mitura]

I have asked and they said no. The placeholder must be put on a CC. It may be the same CC as the CC you have on account but the charge it immediate. So you can't use your OBC for for the place holder.

 

[Sytrace]

You could use a gift card or a credit card to book a placeholder. They will ask if you want to use the cc on file with your on board account though.

You could purchase a gift card in the shops using your on board account and then use that to book the placeholder if you want to though. Be sure to keep that gift card and label what you used it for on the back so in case anything happens and you have to cancel the placeholder, the proper gift card can be refunded.

You have to actually USE the placeholder in 24 months. So say you bought it in November 10, 2018, you would need to sail on or before November 10th, 2020.

 

[MSPeeler]

You could use a gift card or a credit card to book a placeholder. They will ask if you want to use the cc on file with your on board account though.

You could purchase a gift card in the shops using your on board account and then use that to book the placeholder if you want to though. Be sure to keep that gift card and label what you used it for on the back so in case anything happens and you have to cancel the placeholder, the proper gift card can be refunded.

You have to actually USE the placeholder in 24 months. So say you bought it in November 10, 2018, you would need to sail on or before November 10th, 2020.

So I’m able to actually purchase a Disney gift card on the cruise? I don’t recall seeing them on my last cruise, just wanted to verify. That’s interesting. Thanks!

 

[MSPeeler]

I think that they generally use the credit card you have on your account for the placeholder. If you're not sure what to use your OBC on, you can use it for your automatic gratuities as that is $12/person/day--it adds up.

This is our original plan, so we may still go that route.

 

[Sytrace]

So I’m able to actually purchase a Disney gift card on the cruise? I don’t recall seeing them on my last cruise, just wanted to verify. That’s interesting. Thanks!

Yes, they are on the counters at the registers in the shops.

 

[Shanti]

I am receiving an OBC from our TA, and we are wondering if we are able to use it towards our placeholder for the next cruise, or if they use a certain form of payment for that?

Also on the subject of placeholders:
1. When do I need to secure my cruise date in order not to lose my 10% benefit and OBC from Disney?
2. A "for instance" question: We have 2 years to cruise correct? Our cruise is November 10th-November 17th, 2018 and we book a placeholder. Say we decide to book an early November 2020 cruise and something comes up and we need to push it back, what happens? What would our options be?


Thanks

1. You call DCL & tell them which cruise you want them to apply the placeholder to, then you pay the rest of the required deposit.
2. If you can't sail within two years, you lose the benefits. So if you had a deposit down on that Nov. '20 cruise, but had to push it back to Dec. '20, you could transfer the money from the Nov. cruise to the Dec. cruise, but you would lose the 10% off and the OBC.

For that reason, you should always book onboard on the last full day of your cruise. I made the mistake once of booking early on in the cruise, and it cost me the chance to use those onboard benefits towards a cruise that was just a few days past 24 months from my onboard booking. They're very strict with the cut-off date.

 

[MSPeeler]

Thank you all for your replies! Very helpful

 

[Mommb]

Note that although you can get the onboard booking discount for any (non-blacked-out) cruise within 2 years, the cost of the cruise will be set at the time you book the actual cruise. If the price goes up between the time you made a placeholder booking and the time you set a specific date, you will be charged the higher price. So, if you have a specific date for a popular cruise date or itinerary in mind but may need to change it, you might be better off booking the specific date than booking a placeholder. Bookings (except Concierge) can be changed with no penalty up until the final payment date.