Onboard booking limit?

[Kanga&TwoRoos]

My family is planning a big Alaska cruise for 2019. We haven't cruised with Disney before. We have a group of 14 so we'll be booking 4 staterooms. I know there aren't many discounts on DCL except for the onboard booking discount. I was wondering if it might make sense to book the cheapest Disney cruise I can find for this fall for just one room (probably just a three night Bahamas cruise) then book a placeholder for our our big Alaska trip. Would that work? Is there any limit on the number of staterooms you can book while onboard? Or a limit on the discount? I'm looking at spending $1700 for the three day cruise and saving $3500 (10%) on the Alaska cruise. Is this too good to be true?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My family is planning a big Alaska cruise for 2019. We haven't cruised with Disney before. We have a group of 14 so we'll be booking 4 staterooms. I know there aren't many discounts on DCL except for the onboard booking discount. I was wondering if it might make sense to book the cheapest Disney cruise I can find for this fall for just one room (probably just a three night Bahamas cruise) then book a placeholder for our our big Alaska trip. Would that work? Is there any limit on the number of staterooms you can book while onboard? Or a limit on the discount? I'm looking at spending $1700 for the three day cruise and saving $3500 (10%) on the Alaska cruise. Is this too good to be true?

Each household address can book up to 2 rooms (max) on one future cruise. You can book any number of future cruises while onboard, but only one cruise will get the onboard booking perks.

Also, be aware, there are blackout dates for the future cruise perks.

 

[Kanga&TwoRoos]

Thanks for the information! So if my sister and I go on the short cruise together we could each book two placeholder rooms since we live at different addresses even though we're staying in the same stateroom. The only complication would be that there is a chance that the Alaska cruise might be blacked out. Do I have that right?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks for the information! So if my sister and I go on the short cruise together we could each book two placeholder rooms since we live at different addresses even though we're staying in the same stateroom. The only complication would be that there is a chance that the Alaska cruise might be blacked out. Do I have that right?

Yes.

 

[Quellman]

Might want to consider a travel agent as well to take advantage of the on board credit that they are offering as well.

 

[Shanti]

Thanks for the information! So if my sister and I go on the short cruise together we could each book two placeholder rooms since we live at different addresses even though we're staying in the same stateroom. The only complication would be that there is a chance that the Alaska cruise might be blacked out. Do I have that right?

Are you also aware that concierge rooms are not eligible for the discount?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

The other way to save is buy the Disney Gift Cards at Target and use the Red Card to pay. It is a savings of $50 per $1,000. The problem is of course you are looking at a very large quantity of gift cards and our Red Card has a $3K limit so if you are purchasing $1K a month for a year it isn't bad but if you forget when your final payments is due it can be a hassle to buy a large quantity in a short amount of time. You have to make a payment on the Red Card then wait a couple days to clear then buy some more. Also, each card has a $1K limit but only comes in $50 denominations.

All the numbers have to be typed in and, this is important, all refunds are made to the original payment type. So you have to know you are going to either WDW or DCL to invest thousands in Disney gift cards. You won't get a refund to a Credit Card. It also means you have to save the gift card until it has trip has passed.

I called this morning to buy $1K worth of onboard credit so I will have to hold onto to that card until we get home.

 

[Ravenne]

Going along with OP's question, when I last booked an OBB, the CM told me I HAD to book the same people on the current reservation for the OBB and none can drop out or it voids the OBB perks. Is that true? So if I put everyone in the household on the OBB, but at some point, one can't go on the next cruise, it voids the perks? Has anyone had that happen?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Going along with OP's question, when I last booked an OBB, the CM told me I HAD to book the same people on the current reservation for the OBB and none can drop out or it voids the OBB perks. Is that true? So if I put everyone in the household on the OBB, but at some point, one can't go on the next cruise, it voids the perks? Has anyone had that happen?

As long as one name on the reservation(s) remains, the reservation(s) can maintain the perks.

Let's say someone is cruising with husband, wife, and 2 kids. The husband can book up to 2 rooms on a future cruise that will receive the onboard booking perks. But, the second room can have anyone else's name on it. Say, a sister-in-law, or grand parent. Or friends. Doesn't matter.

 

[Ravenne]

As long as one name on the reservation(s) remains, the reservation(s) can maintain the perks.

Let's say someone is cruising with husband, wife, and 2 kids. The husband can book up to 2 rooms on a future cruise that will receive the onboard booking perks. But, the second room can have anyone else's name on it. Say, a sister-in-law, or grand parent. Or friends. Doesn't matter.

But the husband's name must remain on the 2nd room? So it can't be like husband books 2 rooms, but removes his name from the 2nd room later on and retain perks?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

But the husband's name must remain on the 2nd room? So it can't be like husband books 2 rooms, but removes his name from the 2nd room later on and retain perks?

My understanding is that, if you book two rooms at the same time, at least one of the names on those two bookings must remain the same. As in Room 1 = person A, B, C & D (and these people are on the current cruise) Room 2 = person W, X, Y & Z (these people are not on the current cruise). As long as at least one of the people in room 1 remains on the reservation, both rooms get the discount, regardless of what name changes you make for all the other people.

I could be wrong.

 

[elvispursley]

Going along with OP's question, when I last booked an OBB, the CM told me I HAD to book the same people on the current reservation for the OBB and none can drop out or it voids the OBB perks. Is that true? So if I put everyone in the household on the OBB, but at some point, one can't go on the next cruise, it voids the perks? Has anyone had that happen?

I booked a future cruise for Jan. 2018 for 5 of us. We decided that we didn't want to pull our kids from school and DH and I moved that cruise to the WBTA for this Sep. thus dropping 3 of the original people on the reservation/OBB and we still received the discounted 10% toward our WBTA cruise and should be getting $200 OBC. Not sure how it works if you drop a 2nd room if you booked 2 rooms.

 

[JW9DVC]

That would be a nice Costco cash card at the end of your Alaska cruises if you list Costco as your travel agent.

 

[lanejudy]

If 2 staterooms are booked for an OBB, it's my understanding that 1) both must remain on the same date, if one is changed to another date it will lose OBB benefits; and 2) the lead name on each reservation must remain on each stateroom (you can change out other names). While probably not common, it is possible to make an OBB just for others who are not on the current cruise.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[laceltris3]

We have booked two rooms for our family of 5/plus grandparents, and one person must remain on each of the two bookings for them to maintain the OBB benefit. Our TA said she tried, but ourdaughter had to be booked in the room with grandparents to maintain the discount. I was the other person on the reservation originally and I moved to the other room with my Hhusband and sons.

 

[Kanga&TwoRoos]

I ended up booking the 3-day cruise for my sister and I. I contacted Dreams Unlimited and the agent said my sister and I could each book two placeholders but we'd only get the 10% discount on one each. It still makes sense for us to do it even if we have to pay full price on two of the rooms.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I guess you cant double book the same person in 2 cabins.

 

[hanscarlet]

I ended up booking the 3-day cruise for my sister and I. I contacted Dreams Unlimited and the agent said my sister and I could each book two placeholders but we'd only get the 10% discount on one each. It still makes sense for us to do it even if we have to pay full price on two of the rooms.

Interesting, so just to confirm, you were able to book 4 placeholders for one stateroom but only 2 of the placeholders get the 10% discount (one for each of you)? For the other 2 placeholders that don't get the 10% discount, do you get on board credits at least?

I have always heard only 2 placeholders per stateroom so just curious, thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I ended up booking the 3-day cruise for my sister and I. I contacted Dreams Unlimited and the agent said my sister and I could each book two placeholders but we'd only get the 10% discount on one each. It still makes sense for us to do it even if we have to pay full price on two of the rooms.

Did Dreams Unlimited know your sister & you have separate household addresses? I don't think that's correct that only one room for each of you gets the onboard booking perks. At least the disclaimer at the bottom of the page for onboard booking information says that each household address can book up to 2 placeholders that will receive the perks. The actual wording is "This offer is limited to two staterooms on one future cruise date (per household sailing)."

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Did Dreams Unlimited know your sister & you have separate household addresses? I don't think that's correct that only one room for each of you gets the onboard booking perks. At least the disclaimer at the bottom of the page for onboard booking information says that each household address can book up to 2 placeholders that will receive the perks. The actual wording is "This offer is limited to two staterooms on one future cruise date (per household sailing)."

But what if only one person from the household is currently sailing? We often book 2 future cruises while onboard but we put me in one cabin and dh in the other?

If you only have one person in the household currently sailing, how does that affect the rule where each res # must keep at least one passenger on that res who was part of the original OBB? OP cannot occupy 2 cabins so if she adds family members to that 2nd cabin res, it would end up with 0 originally-booked passengers.