Question about onboard booking and FL resident rates

[varkgirl]

We are cruising next week... thinking about doing an onboard booking for a future cruise. If we put down a deposit and then a FL resident rate pops up, can we take advantage of both combined?

 

[lanejudy]

No, DCL does not allow stacking of discounts. If a FL Resident rates pops up, you'll have to decide which is the better offer for you. I believe a regular booking can be converted to a FLR without penalty (no cancel/rebook), not sure how that would work with an OBB but presumably the OBB benefits would be dropped.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lorimay]

We are cruising next week... thinking about doing an onboard booking for a future cruise. If we put down a deposit and then a FL resident rate pops up, can we take advantage of both combined?

I thought I could do this and was turned away......... But you can't beat the FL resident rate. Now we have another onboard booking to use in the future.
Have fun

 

[Sytrace]

We are cruising next week... thinking about doing an onboard booking for a future cruise. If we put down a deposit and then a FL resident rate pops up, can we take advantage of both combined?

Yes, you can IF the FL resident rate is available and you are willing to switch cabin type to what they are offering for that rate.

For example, we booked our September cruise on board last year with the 10% discount. A FL resident rate came out for Category 5 C verandah cabins about a month ago. We chose category 5A and a specific cabin, so we chose NOT to change it to a category 5C.
However, many other folks who had already booked in another category and chose to switch to a category 5C were given the difference between the two rates in refund. There were also others who switched from an Oceanview to a Verandah and also saved money somehow...not as much but they did.
They did not cancel and rebook, they were just moved and given the discounted rate. It really depends on if the FL rate even happens on the cruise you pick and purchase and if you are willing to accept the rules of the rate.
Also, you should book the type of cabin you want with no expectation of having a further discount or upgrade offered. This will cut down on potential disappointment AND you still get the cabin you want.

 

[lanejudy]

They did not cancel and rebook, they were just moved and given the discounted rate.

But they didn't get BOTH discounts, right? They were allowed to convert the booking they had into a FLR. Not an OBB 10% off the discounted FLR rate. I agree the FLR rate may be better if it's a category you want, and DCL does allow converting to FLR without penalty. But they still don't allow you to stack offers and take advantage of both on the same cruise, do they?

 

[Sytrace]

But they didn't get BOTH discounts, right? They were allowed to convert the booking they had into a FLR. Not an OBB 10% off the discounted FLR rate. I agree the FLR rate may be better if it's a category you want, and DCL does allow converting to FLR without penalty. But they still don't allow you to stack offers and take advantage of both on the same cruise, do they?

They got the 10% if they booked with a placeholder or onboard as well as the FL resident rate if they chose to change to the category type offered. Had we changed cabins, we would have saved somewhere in the area of 900 and some change.
We would have had to change our selected Cabin on Deck 10 (5A) and accepted the Deck 7 5C to get the price adjustment though.

 

[Sytrace]

But they didn't get BOTH discounts, right? They were allowed to convert the booking they had into a FLR. Not an OBB 10% off the discounted FLR rate. I agree the FLR rate may be better if it's a category you want, and DCL does allow converting to FLR without penalty. But they still don't allow you to stack offers and take advantage of both on the same cruise, do they?

We did not do this personally, I am going by what others have mentioned in our cruise group who had already booked the cruise and then the FL resident rate came out. A few in particular had already booked 5C and were able to stay in the cabin they chose AND get the FL resident rate.

 

[lanejudy]

It sounds like those people changed to the FLR rate without penalty, not necessarily that they stacked the OBB discount with the FLR. I've never heard of DCL allowing discounts to stack. I stand by my advice to OP that she should not expect to be able to use both combined, though she probably can change her reservation without penalty if an FLR is offered.

 

[Tulip2796]

We asked on board about using the OBB and a FLR and were told that they couldn't be used together. The person at the booking desk told us that the FLR is the best possible rate and discouraged us from booking a placeholder on board.

 

[Sytrace]

We asked on board about using the OBB and a FLR and were told that they couldn't be used together. The person at the booking desk told us that the FLR is the best possible rate and discouraged us from booking a placeholder on board.

That was pretty bad advice. FL resident rates don't always happen and are scarce at best, typically offered after a paid in full date has passed to fill the ship in certain category. Booking a placeholder for use on a cruise within 2 years of booking for the 10% discount and OBC would have no drawbacks at all.

 

[Sytrace]

It sounds like those people changed to the FLR rate without penalty, not necessarily that they stacked the OBB discount with the FLR. I've never heard of DCL allowing discounts to stack. I stand by my advice to OP that she should not expect to be able to use both combined, though she probably can change her reservation without penalty if an FLR is offered.

That very well could be and would make sense. The way they were posting though did not indicate that they lost the 10% discount to gain a FL rate to fill the category on the ship. Either way, they saved money and are happy with their choice so I guess that is good for them.
AND Disney is still making a shipload of money that they can now charge to new booking guests to fill the cabins that were emptied when the FL rate was offered in Category 5 C. Winners all around.

 

[Tulip2796]

That was pretty bad advice. FL resident rates don't always happen and are scarce at best, typically offered after a paid in full date has passed to fill the ship in certain category. Booking a placeholder for use on a cruise within 2 years of booking for the 10% discount and OBC would have no drawbacks at all.

Our 1st cruise was only booked 2 weeks out, FLR, so we're ok with it . I've been checking FLR almost weekly since we cruised a year ago and have found that there are FLR quite frequently. There were June and July FLR and some awesome September ones. We did recently book a non-FLR and are fine with the price although contemplating cancelling and holding out to see if a FLR pops up for that time (since we're pulling our young DS out of school anyway.)