Costco Travel Questions

[SJCSuzyQ]

Hi All,

We're in the process of booking our cruise for next year We're looking at using Costco travel because their rate was the best but I have a few questions:
1. Has anybody out there booked wtih Disney direct and then transferred the booking to Costco? We're you able to get Costco's great rate?

2. Once we send in our final payment can we then book our excursions and Palo's thru Disney or must we call Costco?

We're travling with another family and thought it might be easier to book directly with Disney and be able to arrange our staterooms near each other and then call Costo. I know there is usually a looooonnnnggggg wait to get through and I'd like to minimize the number of calls we need to make.

Any other advice you can give about working with Costco would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Suzy

 

[mott]

I booked with Costco but did not transfer. I think it is no problem to do so.

Yes, I booked Palo at the CC 90 day mark. Also, for general questions, I still call DCL. They can't answer everything, but my first call is to DCL and most of the time they have been able to help me. With the long wait time at Costco, I don't want to call them any more than I have to. Make sure you link you ressies with your friends so you will have dinner seating together.

FOr more info, do a seach on Costco and you'll find a few threads.

 

[gouodux]

We have booked our two DCL cruises through Costco. On our last cruise we booked onboard (received the stateroom credit) and then transferred our reservation to Costco a few weeks after we were home. By doing this, we saved almost $700!

You will be able to book all your excursions and reservations online at the appropriate time. If you are a CC member, make sure that Costco marks that on your file so you can book these on the earliest date.

 

[SJCSuzyQ]

Thanks everybody....off to book our cruise now!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Can someone please explain to me how once you booked with DCL you can transfer the reservation to Costco for savings? Do you lose the shipboard credit, do you lose your room assignment?

 

[starwood]

Call Costco and give them your ressie #. They will call Disney. Sometimes they 3 way call and you just tell Disney you want the reservation transferred. You keep your onboard credit and room assignment. We booked a 4 night on board 2 weeks ago. When we got home I checked with Micdan and Costco. Costco was $54 cheaper than Micdan and $254 cheaper than Disney. Ressie was transferred with no problem.

 

[Skylarr29]

Can you add a REAS package through them or Disney and if so can you then book online the 105 days out I think it is?????

 

[DISJen]

You don't have to book through Disney to get your staterooms together, we did all of that through costco. We picked our specific room numbers even, I had a map of the ship in front of me while I was talking to the reservationist to make it easier for me. Our family members even booked on different days and they found all of the rooms and grouped us together for meals.

 

[sandiegosusie]

Our family is taking a reunion cruise next year. Since we were a group of 25 we got a group rate through Costco Travel. Which more than saved us a bundle! Our agent, Norma, is the best...she found us all the rooms that we wanted including the secret porthole rooms. I would reccomend her to anyone.

 

[Castillo Mom]

I'm a Costco member, but not everyone in my family is. If I do the booking and pay everyone's deposits, can they get their membership later and then be able to make final payment themselves?

 

[Jillpie]

I'm a Costco member, but not everyone in my family is. If I do the booking and pay everyone's deposits, can they get their membership later and then be able to make final payment themselves?

I just booked our June 06 cruise thru them. The way I understand it is you can only make two seperate credit card payments. That is all. In other words, the down payment and the final payment. So I think your family members will have to pay you, then you can pay Costco. They are very strict about no more than two payments, they don't want to deal with installments or some type of payment plan over a period of months.

 

[Castillo Mom]

Right, that's how I understand it. That would actually be two payments total, one made by me for the deposit, then one made by them which would be final payment, thus, 2 payments. Maybe I should phrase my question differently. If I make the first payment (which is the deposit) and they then become members later on, can the reservation be transferred to their membership and they can make the final payment?

 

[Kuffam]

We booked with Sam's club for the same reason <$$$ . Want to get in on the 90-day reservations Do you have to call Disney, my confirmation # doesn't work on the web site.

 

[Jillpie]

Right, that's how I understand it. That would actually be two payments total, one made by me for the deposit, then one made by them which would be final payment, thus, 2 payments. Maybe I should phrase my question differently. If I make the first payment (which is the deposit) and they then become members later on, can the reservation be transferred to their membership and they can make the final payment?

I have a feeling the answer is no. Whoever makes the reservation, is probably the one who has to pay. But why don't you call to confirm, I'm only guessing here.

 

[Castillo Mom]

I have a feeling the answer is no. Whoever makes the reservation, is probably the one who has to pay. But why don't you call to confirm, I'm only guessing here.

I have the same feeling, so I'm going to do just as you suggest and give them a ring. I was just trying to avoid having to wait on hold and thought maybe someone here would know. I'll post back with the results in case anyone else needs the info.

 

[Jillpie]

I have the same feeling, so I'm going to do just as you suggest and give them a ring. I was just trying to avoid having to wait on hold and thought maybe someone here would know. I'll post back with the results in case anyone else needs the info.

Sounds good. One tip I learned from one of the Costco reps (they are very aware of the wait times on the phone) is to call mid afternoon. I forgot to check where you are from, but here on the east coast I usually have luck about 2:00 pm. Good luck!

 

[tiggrbaby]

I made reservations through Costco for cabins for my parents and me. My parents were able to make their own final payment, but had to open a Costco membership. They felt it was worth it since they saved money on the cruise, and they were able to earn their own rewards with the credit card.

 

[A Sunny Day]

I have 2 reservations for the same cruise. One booked thru Costco and one booked on board. If you add up all the costs the only difference in cost is approx $160, (and that includes the $200 stateroom credit but w/Costco isn't a stateroom credit, their cruise was approx. $200 less). I was thinking that I could transfer the res booked on board to say DU and then the difference would be down to $10. Anyone have any thoughts on keeping one res or the other, or Costco, or DU's res?

I have also thought of maybe changing the date of the one booked on board but I'm thinking of 2007 and those dates are not avail yet. Can you change the date more than one time? Is there a charge for this if you do? Also what if you change the time when you cruise? Like the original dates are off season but change to more seasonal times, do you then have to pay the higher rate?

Thanks for any info.

 

[starwood]

If you booked on board and then transfer you keep your onboard credit.

 

[A Sunny Day]

starwood: All of my calculations includes the $200 stateroom credit. I booked w/Costco prior to my cruise and the rate I got is approx. $160 less than the rate I got booking on board and that is including the $200 credit.

I believe the rate has gone up too much to get a better deal by just transfering the one booked on board to Costco for a cruise in January.