Cruises released while onboard

[Marc D]

No experience with this, but I have a feeling that most cruisers wouldn't even be aware of the new itineraries coming out. I've never seen more than a 1 or 2 person line at the Future Cruises Desk, at any time of any of our cruises.

In my experience, the popularity of the Future Cruises Desk varies greatly based on the composition of the crowd. On our 12-nights BI cruise last July, more than half the guests were Gold or Platinum. The reception was in the Walt Disney Theatre. There were also very few sea days. The combination of the two created a crowd at the desk on many occasions. Meanwhile, on our NYE cruise out of Galveston a year ago, there were so few Gold and up members that the reception was help in a small lounge on Wonder and it wasn’t crowded. The desk was empty most of the time outside of the last sea day.

 

[Trera]

Is there some sort of announcement for newly released itineraries while onboard?

They put a one page information sheet in our room with the future itinerary information on it as well as the day you could book future cruises on it.

 

[MouseOfCards]

They put a one page information sheet in our room with the future itinerary information on it as well as the day you could book future cruises on it.

Thanks!

By the way - 16 cruises?!!

 

[Marc D]

By the way - 16 cruises?!!

You have no idea. A lady in the FB group for our next cruise will be on her 87th DCL cruise. My parents just completed their 93rd cruise yesterday - most not on DCL, but still...

 

[Trera]

Thanks!

By the way - 16 cruises?!!

Yes, we have taken 16 cruises and all of those in 3 years. We have one this March, a double dip in July and October to Bermuda. Our family really enjoys the experience and the time we all get to spend together without electronic and work distractions.

It helps we live in Orlando and don’t have the added cost of air and hotel added to our cruise costs.

Good luck.

 

[Disneyfriend]

Following this discussion with interest. We are hoping to book a placeholder during our next cruise (which would be approximately 20-22 months later). How do we then book that cruise when it is released in order to keep the discount and incentives? Do we have to call DCL instead of booking online?

 

[Marc D]

Following this discussion with interest. We are hoping to book a placeholder during our next cruise (which would be approximately 20-22 months later). How do we then book that cruise when it is released in order to keep the discount and incentives? Do we have to call DCL instead of booking online?

Yes, you need to call in to convert a placeholder to an actual reservation. If you’ll be booking on opening day, know that the specific day you can book is based on your CC status. Platinum get a 1-day head start on Gold members, who get to book 1 day before Silver guests. Be ready to spend a lot of time on hold. On the lastest release day, I waited 1 hour before talking to a CM on Gold day.

 

[CM Dad]

Yes, you need to call in to convert a placeholder to an actual reservation. If you’ll be booking on opening day, know that the specific day you can book is based on your CC status. Platinum get a 1-day head start on Gold members, who get to book 1 day before Silver guests. Be ready to spend a lot of time on hold. On the lastest release day, I waited 1 hour before talking to a CM on Gold day.

This is one of the reasons I use a TA. I let her spend the time on hold with DCL

 

[CM Dad]

We have one this March, a double dip in July and October to Bermuda. Our family really enjoys the experience and the time we all get to spend together without electronic and work distractions.

It helps we live in Orlando and don’t have the added cost of air and hotel added to our cruise costs

So the Bermuda cruise will be a new experience, where you will have added cost of air and hotel?

 

[Trera]

So the Bermuda cruise will be a new experience, where you will have added cost of air and hotel?

Correct but we take an occasional trip to nyc so we are mixing it in with a nyc trip to share the airline and hotel cost. Will be our first cruise not out of port canaveral. Definitely looking forward to another trip back to Bermuda.

 

[CM Dad]

Correct but we take an occasional trip to nyc so we are mixing it in with a nyc trip to share the airline and hotel cost. Will be our first cruise not out of port canaveral. Definitely looking forward to another trip back to Bermuda.

My wife and I will be on the 10/4 Bermuda cruise. We just recently turned it into a B2B by adding the Quebec City -> NY cruise just before it. Looking forward to do the new itineraries. We are from VA so always have to travel to whatever port.

 

[mmcxiiad]

$250 per room. You can book up to 2 placeholders. Both must be used on the same future cruise (within 24 months of placeholder booking) to be eligible for the onboard booking perks.

This hasn't been my experience. On multiple occasions, we have booked 2 placeholder future cruises, then split them up after we got home to 2 separate itineraries.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This hasn't been my experience. On multiple occasions, we have booked 2 placeholder future cruises, then split them up after we got home to 2 separate itineraries.

How recently have you done this? The "rules" on the Onboard Booking info sheet say the bookings must be on the same future cruise. And I quote "This offer is limited to two staterooms on one future cruise date. Additional staterooms may be book at the current prevailing rates."

 

[mmcxiiad]

February last year on a big family trip, my wife and I booked two future sailings, when we got home we booked b2b in may.

On that trip, we booked 2 more future sailings on each cruise (for a total of 4), and split them up to have 4 new sailings.

Like I said, the easiest way to do this is just book place holders and then rebook them for whatever. We listed Costco as our travel agent and had no problems.

The only ABSOLUTE, is one person from the original booking HAS to always be on the reservation.

The huge advantage to just booking placeholders, is the deposit is the cheapest ($250) and it takes the least amount of time, you just fill out the sheet and they future cruise desk does the work and emails you the confirmation. You can also specify what travel agent you want to use. Then when you get home you can, in a more relaxed environment, pick your next destination.

On the other hand, the prevailing rate may go up in the time you get off the trip, or the ship could be fully booked.

As to what you quoted, from what I have understood in speaking to them, isn't that each cabin can book up to 2 rooms for a future cruise.... it is that each adult in the room can book 1 room on a future cruise - with a limit of 2 cabins. The way you do this is Adult one in room 1, Adult 2 in room 2. All future booking MUST be booked with a person currently on the ship. There is some gray area later on about taking them out of the room and switching things around. Officially the OBO room is still valid so long as one person on the original reservation is still in the room at sailing.

There for, if you want more then two cabins on a sailing, cabins 3 and beyond are booked at the standard rate. This prevents a couple from going on a 3 night cruise and then, while on board, using the OBO to book a dozen+ rooms for a huge family trip.

Outside of that, the onboard discount is advertised as being transferable to any non-blackout cruise in the 24 month period after the sailing. What you chose to do with them after you get off the ship seems to be less regulated then what they let you book while on the ship.

Other people may have different results, but that has been my experience.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

On that trip, we booked 2 more future sailings on each cruise (for a total of 4), and split them up to have 4 new sailings.

Yes, WHILE on a B2B you can book up to 2 rooms on one future date on each leg of the B2B. If you book 4 rooms (2 rooms while on each leg of your B2B), each set of 2 rooms can be on a different cruise. But the 2 rooms for EACH future cruise must be on the same date. You can't book 2 placeholders and then assign them to two different future cruises (1 room on each). Well, you can, but one of the rooms will lose the onboard booking perks.

If you were able to book 4 rooms (on your B2B cruises) and put those reservations on 4 different sailings (and they all retained the onboard booking perks), you got lucky, as that's not the way it's supposed to work.

Again I quote (I left something out on the last one) ""This offer is limited to two staterooms on one future cruise date (per household sailing). Additional staterooms may be book at the current prevailing rates."

 

[mmcxiiad]

*shrug* I am not debating what the paper says, nor what they will enforce. All I am saying is what I have done several times. Never once did anyone say that I was skirting a rule or tell me that I was going to lose the OBO credit. As such, I suppose this should be taken with a shaker of salt.

 

[Disneyfriend]

Yes, you need to call in to convert a placeholder to an actual reservation. If you’ll be booking on opening day, know that the specific day you can book is based on your CC status. Platinum get a 1-day head start on Gold members, who get to book 1 day before Silver guests. Be ready to spend a lot of time on hold. On the lastest release day, I waited 1 hour before talking to a CM on Gold day.

Thank you for taking the time to reply . . . very helpful!

 

[lcvb]

Not sure if this was just an issue for us or if others can share their experiences but when we booked a placeholder this January I wanted to name Costco as our travel agent. However I was told that because we already had a different travel agent listed on our current reservation they would not change the placeholder booking to Costco. When I got home I had to contact Costco and get a transfer authorization signed in order for Disney to release the placeholder to Costco. It wasn't a big deal but I wonder why I couldn't just name the TA I wanted to use?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Not sure if this was just an issue for us or if others can share their experiences but when we booked a placeholder this January I wanted to name Costco as our travel agent. However I was told that because we already had a different travel agent listed on our current reservation they would not change the placeholder booking to Costco. When I got home I had to contact Costco and get a transfer authorization signed in order for Disney to release the placeholder to Costco. It wasn't a big deal but I wonder why I couldn't just name the TA I wanted to use?

Because the cruise you were on was reserved through a specific TA, they have control of the reservation. Even while you are on the cruise (to include onboard bookings of future cruises). You can only designate them (if you want a TA on your reservation) or say there's no TA, and then transfer to your desired TA after the cruise.

That's just the way it works.

 

[lcvb]

Because the cruise you were on was reserved through a specific TA, they have control of the reservation. Even while you are on the cruise (to include onboard bookings of future cruises). You can only designate them (if you want a TA on your reservation) or say there's no TA, and then transfer to your desired TA after the cruise.

That's just the way it works.

Oh that makes sense now that you explain it like that. Thanks!