Costco Experience

[justme0729]

I became a member at Costco recently and tried out booking a cruise with them on their website. I was very impressed! I could book it myself online without calling anyone and choose my stateroom from their website. Afterwards to make sure their service will be ok, I called and asked if I could change my stateroom and they answered right away. When the DCL website was down (wouldn’t work for me either), they called DCL while I was on the phone. I’m getting a $325 Costco gift card and 2% back as reward money as an executive member.. about 10% back total which is similar discount as a placeholder.

I have been using travel agencies to get the onboard credit but have been frustrated with waiting hours/ days for them to email me back when I want to change anything. So I really appreciate that I can just call Costco and they will connect me with DCL and I still get the Costco gift card. The Costco gift card is also way more than the onboard credit I would get with the agents I’ve used… which have been $75-100.

If you don’t care about having someone to ask questions to, don’t mind calling DCL if needed to make changes, and would use a Costco gift card, I would use them! I feel like it isn’t talked about enough on here… I almost forgot it was an option.

 

[DCL58]

I book all our cruises with Costco travel - since we started sailing in 2017. The cash back can’t be beat. Don’t forget you also get 3% back if you pay with the Costco citi card. Getting 13% of the cruise fare back is unbeatable. And you can use your placeholders with them too!

 

[justme0729]

I book all our cruises with Costco travel - since we started sailing in 2017. The cash back can’t be beat. Don’t forget you also get 3% back if you pay with the Costco citi card. Getting 13% of the cruise fare back is unbeatable. And you can use your placeholders with them too!

I will definitely use my placeholders with them next time! And good to know! Thank you!

 

[mtil]

The 2% back as an Executive Member easily pays for the upgrade

 

[xfiles3010]

Are you still able to make monthly payments on DCL website or thru Costco?

 

[princesscinderella]

Are you still able to make monthly payments on DCL website or thru Costco?

Yes you can pay in increments on the website early if you want. They will charge the card on file used to book the cruise close to the paid in full date whatever the balance is for you too.

 

[DCL58]

Are you still able to make monthly payments on DCL website or thru Costco?

If you book thru Costco, all payments have to run thru Costco. Good news though - Costco has finally fixed their online payment system and you can make payments to DCL without calling in.

 

[BrianLa]

I book all our cruises with Costco travel - since we started sailing in 2017. The cash back can’t be beat. Don’t forget you also get 3% back if you pay with the Costco citi card. Getting 13% of the cruise fare back is unbeatable. And you can use your placeholders with them too!

How do you use your placeholder? Do you book online and then call Costco to make the adjustment or do you just call Costco to make the reservation with the placeholder code?

 

[DCL58]

How do you use your placeholder? Do you book online and then call Costco to make the adjustment or do you just call Costco to make the reservation with the placeholder code?

I just call in. Can be a wait on the phone. My only complaint about using Costco. But the free Costco cash makes up for the inconvenience.

 

[BrianLa]

I just call in. Can be a wait on the phone. My only complaint about using Costco. But the free Costco cash makes up for the inconvenience.

I agree. I booked all 5 of my cruises through Costco but next one I book will be with the placeholder discount.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

You can also transfer your cruise from DCL to Costco, but it has to be within 30 days of booking it.

 

[xfiles3010]

Thank you for the info. I was able to transfer my cruise to Costco online.

If you book thru Costco, all payments have to run thru Costco. Good news though - Costco has finally fixed their online payment system and you can make payments to DCL without calling in.

 

[WonderKid]

I am a Costco member, but have never used it for Travel. After reading this thread, I thought I'd transfer my recently booked Placeholders, but was told that I cannot transfer them unless I have them reserved for a specific cruise. I do not. My placeholders have reservation numbers, but are not yet assinged to a specific cruise. The cruise for which I want to use these placeholders is the the 2027 EBTA, which has not yet been released.

Is this normal? What do people do who book open placeholders (like me), but want to transfer them to their travel agent (in this case Costco)? Am I not able to transfer placeholders that have not been reserved for specific cruise? Help me understand what I need to do.

 

[DCL58]

I am a Costco member, but have never used it for Travel. After reading this thread, I thought I'd transfer my recently booked Placeholders, but was told that I cannot transfer them unless I have them reserved for a specific cruise. I do not. My placeholders have reservation numbers, but are not yet assinged to a specific cruise. The cruise for which I want to use these placeholders is the the 2027 EBTA, which has not yet been released.

Is this normal? What do people do who book open placeholders (like me), but want to transfer them to their travel agent (in this case Costco)? Am I not able to transfer placeholders that have not been reserved for specific cruise? Help me understand what I need to do.

I think you only have 30 days to transfer. I book all our cruises thru Costco, so I have the placeholders put with Costco when I book them. I booked a couple not thru Costco and was told they had to be booked with a cruise within 30 days to be eligible to transfer to Costco. Confusing for sure!

 

[AlohaMinnie]

Wow! This is amazing! I didn't think about using our citi card.

 

[robinb]

I book all our cruises with Costco travel - since we started sailing in 2017. The cash back can’t be beat. Don’t forget you also get 3% back if you pay with the Costco citi card. Getting 13% of the cruise fare back is unbeatable. And you can use your placeholders with them too!

It is totally "beatable" on other cruise lines. I can always beat the Costco 10% back in OBC with a travel agent when I book NCL cruises ... and I can still use my Costco Visa card for 3% off. Perhaps other TAs don't give good DCL OBC?

 

[DCL58]

It is totally "beatable" on other cruise lines. I can always beat the Costco 10% back in OBC with a travel agent when I book NCL cruises ... and I can still use my Costco Visa card for 3% off. Perhaps other TAs don't give good DCL OBC?

Interesting info! We only sail DCL, but are thinking of branching out. I will do my research when booking a different cruise line if Costco isn’t the best deal. I have never seen another TA offer as much cash back on DCL as Costco.

 

[robinb]

Interesting info! We only sail DCL, but are thinking of branching out. I will do my research when booking a different cruise line if Costco isn’t the best deal. I have never seen another TA offer as much cash back on DCL as Costco.

I don't think we are allowed to mention TA's but I usually go with one of the large agencies that are based out of New Jersey. I found them on a website called "Cruise Compete". There is no hand holding and when you call, they act like you are being a PITB ... but I got $300 OBC on my 15-Day Panama on the NCL Bliss cruise in February PLUS free gratuities ($40 per day, so another $600) on a $5700 cruise. PLUS, I used my Costco card to pay for it, so another $171 in my pocket. My total savings was $1071 on a $5700 cruise.