Placeholder question

[Madame]

Just want to double check my logic here to make sure I’ve got this right.

DH and I are on the Fantasy Sat. I want to book 2 placeholders (2 cabins on the same cruise). DH will not be with us. I’ll be the lead on one & DMIL who has never cruised DCL will be lead on the other. This is possible right?

Also, when itineraries release I will be Gold. Can both my placeholders be converted to our actual sail date on Gold release or just my cabin? If not, my kids are Silver and DD will be in DMIL’s cabin, so could I convert that placeholder on Silver release?

Thanks for any insight!

 

[miss0033]

This is not possible.

We've book 2 place holders, but someone from the original reservation (when you booked the placeholder) needs to be on the new cruise. For example, my wife and I booked 2 placeholders, it was for the same cruise (cannot be 2 separate cruises) and I was in one stateroom and she was in the other. We could not have a discounted stateroom without someone from the original reservation in it. Otherwise it wouldn't be a re-booking.

EDIT: If your Daughter is sailing on this cruise, and she is in the other room on the next cruise that is permissible I believe. And you can book your stateroom on gold, and their stateroom on silver. There isn't a "lead" on a room as far as I know. It just all converts to highest CC status of any member of that room.

 

[Madame]

This is not possible.

We've book 2 place holders, but someone from the original reservation (when you booked the placeholder) needs to be on the new cruise. For example, my wife and I booked 2 placeholders, it was for the same cruise (cannot be 2 separate cruises) and I was in one stateroom and she was in the other. We could not have a discounted stateroom without someone from the original reservation in it. Otherwise it wouldn't be a re-booking.

EDIT: If your Daughter is sailing on this cruise, and she is in the other room on the next cruise that is permissible I believe. And you can book your stateroom on gold, and their stateroom on silver. There isn't a "lead" on a room as far as I know. It just all converts to highest CC status of any member of that room.

Other threads said it was possible. Some even booked for those not on their current cruise and they weren’t going on the placeholder cruise. Have you tried to do what I’m attempting and been denied? That would be a bit of a bummer

 

[FigmentSpark]

I can only tell you my experience in booking two rooms. One was put in my name and the other in DH's name. No questions. We were the only adults from our family on the cruise.

It was my belief (and I could be wrong) that people who book rooms for others not on the cruise still put one adult in the room and then just sleep in the other room at cruise time.

That said, since anyone can book 2 rooms, if I were travelling alone, but wanting to book two rooms, I would need someone else to put on the reservation. Not sure what would happen.

 

[Madame]

I can only tell you my experience in booking two rooms. One was put in my name and the other in DH's name. No questions. We were the only adults from our family on the cruise.

It was my belief (and I could be wrong) that people who book rooms for others not on the cruise still put one adult in the room and then just sleep in the other room at cruise time.

That said, since anyone can book 2 rooms, if I were travelling alone, but wanting to book two rooms, I would need someone else to put on the reservation. Not sure what would happen.

Yeah. It seems a bit of a grey area. Do you happen to know by any chance if my then 13 year old’s CC status of silver would allow the second cabin to be booked on Silver opening day (I think there is a difference now between silver & general public)? Thanks for the help!

 

[lilsonicfan]

I think it’s possible for sure. The placeholder form itself allows you to fill it out with ostensibly whatever you wish. I filled out my form with my name and two kids, and my mom and brother on the other room. Same form. Paid two deposits. I understand I’m to sail with her cabin, I also understand I have to sail but I could change the names in her cabin. (Haven’t tried yet).

 

[Madame]

I think it’s possible for sure. The placeholder form itself allows you to fill it out with ostensibly whatever you wish. I filled out my form with my name and two kids, and my mom and brother on the other room. Same form. Paid two deposits. I understand I’m to sail with her cabin, I also understand I have to sail but I could change the names in her cabin. (Haven’t tried yet).

Were your Mom and brother sailing with you when you reserved the placeholders?

 

[lilsonicfan]

Nope ! And they aren’t at my address either.

 

[Madame]

Nope ! And they aren’t at my address either.

Thank-you so much!

 

[miss0033]

It appears YMMV. When we booked our placeholder we specifically asked this question because there is another couple we wished to travel with on a future cruise.

They said someone from the current cruise, that we were on while trying to do OBB, had to be in each stateroom, and we could only book up to 2 future rooms on 1 future cruise per stateroom.

We are putting my Wife in one room and me in the other for booking purposes to keep the OBB benefits. At Port we will switch. We were told if at anytime we switched before port, we would lose the OBB benefits for the room that no longer had someone from the original cruise in it - lose the on-board credit and potentially be charged the 10% discount...

We were told specifically we could not fill out a form for someone who wasn't on the cruise, even if we were paying for it.

I am not sure if you filled out a form with someone else's information and slipped it in the box (not sure what fields are on that form, as weve never done it that way) if they actually check it against the guest manifest or not...

lilsonic, I am very curious how you got the discount on the 2nd room, if nobody from the previous sailing was ever booked in that room... We were told specifically by our travel agent and the Disney cast member at the future cruise desk that this was not possible, nor permitted.

 

[cvjw]

We were allowed to book 2 cabins while my husband and I were onboard the fantasy. One cabin for my husband and I (onboard) and one cabin for our boys (not onboard). We did not have to split up and put one of us in each cabin. We got the 10% off for both cabins and the OBB credit for each stateroom.

 

[mareed]

It appears YMMV. When we booked our placeholder we specifically asked this question because there is another couple we wished to travel with on a future cruise.

They said someone from the current cruise, that we were on while trying to do OBB, had to be in each stateroom, and we could only book up to 2 future rooms on 1 future cruise per stateroom.

We are putting my Wife in one room and me in the other for booking purposes to keep the OBB benefits. At Port we will switch. We were told if at anytime we switched before port, we would lose the OBB benefits for the room that no longer had someone from the original cruise in it - lose the on-board credit and potentially be charged the 10% discount...

We were told specifically we could not fill out a form for someone who wasn't on the cruise, even if we were paying for it.

I am not sure if you filled out a form with someone else's information and slipped it in the box (not sure what fields are on that form, as weve never done it that way) if they actually check it against the guest manifest or not...

lilsonic, I am very curious how you got the discount on the 2nd room, if nobody from the previous sailing was ever booked in that room... We were told specifically by our travel agent and the Disney cast member at the future cruise desk that this was not possible, nor permitted.

I'd say that you were told wrong, and sounds like you got a cranky CM... I've been solo on a cruise and reserved 2 placeholders. I was listed on one with my husband, and the second cabin had a friend and my Mom listed (none of the other 3 were on the cruise with me). In my experience and my understanding, each household on the cruise can reserve 2 placeholders for whoever they want, and the current cruiser doesn't have to be listed at all. If you get a cranky CM who's insisting that the current cruiser needs to be listed, then just list them along with 3 others. You can always drop whoever you want when the actual reservation is made as long as 1 original person remains. While there is a concept of a lead guest since that's who will receive communication about the reservation and would receive any onboard credit in their name, the lead guest does not have to remain on the reservation - just 1 original person. I've swapped the lead guest before so that the right person we wanted would get the onboard credit.

 

[mareed]

I think it’s possible for sure. The placeholder form itself allows you to fill it out with ostensibly whatever you wish. I filled out my form with my name and two kids, and my mom and brother on the other room. Same form. Paid two deposits. I understand I’m to sail with her cabin, I also understand I have to sail but I could change the names in her cabin. (Haven’t tried yet).

That sounds almost right... Each placeholder/reservation must keep at least 1 original person. You can swap the others as much as you want! So when getting a placeholder, it's important to include at least 1 person who will be sailing for sure. Once I figured this out, I started listed multiple people who might be sailing along with me in the 2nd cabin because I never really know for sure.

 

[Madame]

Thanks everyone! Learned something new and very valuable today

 

[lilsonicfan]

We were told specifically we could not fill out a form for someone who wasn't on the cruise, even if we were paying for it.

I am not sure if you filled out a form with someone else's information and slipped it in the box (not sure what fields are on that form, as weve never done it that way) if they actually check it against the guest manifest or not...

lilsonic, I am very curious how you got the discount on the 2nd room, if nobody from the previous sailing was ever booked in that room... We were told specifically by our travel agent and the Disney cast member at the future cruise desk that this was not possible, nor permitted.

I tried to pop by the future cruise desk a couple of times but due to poor timing they were never accepting more places in the queue. On the last attempt, the future cruise guy saw me hanging around and handed me the pad of placeholder forms. It looks like this form. As you can see it allows you to pay two deposits for two staterooms, and weirdly it even asks you whether it's the same people sailing.

 

[mareed]

I tried to pop by the future cruise desk a couple of times but due to poor timing they were never accepting more places in the queue. On the last attempt, the future cruise guy saw me hanging around and handed me the pad of placeholder forms. It looks like this form. As you can see it allows you to pay two deposits for two staterooms, and weirdly it even asks you whether it's the same people sailing.

No, not weird at all because the current people sailing don't have to be on the placeholder, contrary to this obvious common misconception!

 

[Bonnie1222]

If I booked a place holder on my cruise in April, but haven't chosen a cruise to use it on yet; can I book another place holder on my next cruise, and have 2 different place holders (booked on different cruises)? We wantt to wait and use them later 2020/early 2021.

Thanks.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

If I booked a place holder on my cruise in April, but haven't chosen a cruise to use it on yet; can I book another place holder on my next cruise, and have 2 different place holders (booked on different cruises)? We wantt to wait and use them later 2020/early 2021.

Thanks.

Yes. I'm holding 2 placeholders right now. One was booked in May 2018 and the other on our March 2019 cruise. It looks like i won't be using the one booked in May 2018 so eventually I'll cancel that one and get the deposit returned.

 

[mareed]

Yes. I'm holding 2 placeholders right now. One was booked in May 2018 and the other on our March 2019 cruise. It looks like i won't be using the one booked in May 2018 so eventually I'll cancel that one and get the deposit returned.

You can also have that deposit transferred to another cruise reservation if you'd like.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

You can also have that deposit transferred to another cruise reservation if you'd like.

Yes, but I don't have anything booked on DCL right now, and I don't know if I will before the placeholder expires next May. We're trying out other cruise lines right now. We have Princess booked for April 2020.