Transferring a Placeholder-Booked Cruise to Costco

[Cheburashka]

This fall I will sail on a cruise that I booked without using an agency. I plan to purchase a placeholder onboard, assuming that specific onboard bookings will not have yet returned. After I get home, I plan to transfer that placeholder to a 2023 cruise, and then transfer that booking to Costco Travel.

Has anyone done that before? I've transferred many ordinarily-booked cruises to Costco, but not one that I booked first with a placeholder. Does that entail additional rules? Do I need to transfer the placeholder to Costco first, and then have Costco change it to a specific cruise? Thought it would be faster getting the cruise booked my way, but I want to make sure I get that Costco cash card, so I want to do it properly.

If you've had experience with this, I'd love your feedback.

 

[dcassetta]

It needs to be done within 30 days and you can transfer the placeholder or the actual cruise. For either, you will contact Costco travel and they will send you a form to complete. Costco like Disney has long wait times currently. If you transfer the placeholder, you will need to call Costco and wait on the phone while they contact Disney to book. People have reported that sometimes Costco will take your info, book it, and then call you. But that has not been my experience. It may be easier to book the cruise itself and then transfer, and this will work as long as you book the cruise you want soon after returning home.

 

[happycamper47]

Why not just give the Placeholder to Costco to start with? I always have mine given directly to the TA.

 

[dcassetta]

Why not just give the Placeholder to Costco to start with? I always have mine given directly to the TA.

Currently you have to book a placeholder through the app. Is there a place to add a travel agent if one is not already attached to the reservation?

 

[happycamper47]

Currently you have to book a placeholder through the app. Is there a place to add a travel agent if one is not already attached to the reservation?

Never looked.

 

[Mommb]

In the beforetimes, your choices when booking a placeholder or future cruise were use the same travel agent as your current cruise or use no travel agent. There wasn’t an option to use a “new” travel agent. I don’t know for sure if that is still true, but I would guess it is. If you want to use a new agent, you can transfer the reservation within 30 days of booking.

 

[Cheburashka]

Why not just give the Placeholder to Costco to start with? I always have mine given directly to the TA.

I haven't noticed a way to add a new travel agency when booking placeholders via the app. Maybe there is but I don't know.

Assuming I can't book the placeholder directly via Costco, transferring the placeholder to Costco before booking the cruise will add a few days to getting the cruise booked and I want to get the new cruise booked asap. Not a big deal but I'd prefer booking sooner than later.

 

[happycamper47]

Because that will add a few days to get the cruise booked and I want to get the new cruise booked asap.

Gotcha... didn't realize you were talking a critical time line.

 

[Cheburashka]

Gotcha... didn't realize you were talking a critical time line.

Not really critical, just trying to avoid a random price increase.

 

[dcassetta]

I haven't noticed a way to add a new travel agency when booking placeholders via the app. Maybe there is but I don't know.

Assuming I can't book the placeholder directly via Costco, transferring the placeholder to Costco before booking the cruise will add a few days to getting the cruise booked and I want to get the new cruise booked asap. Not a big deal but I'd prefer booking sooner than later.

I would just book the cruise when you get home and then transfer. It does not matter to Costco as far as the amount of the shop card.

 

[Doingitagain]

In the beforetimes, your choices when booking a placeholder or future cruise were use the same travel agent as your current cruise or use no travel agent. There wasn’t an option to use a “new” travel agent. I don’t know for sure if that is still true, but I would guess it is. If you want to use a new agent, you can transfer the reservation within 30 days of booking.

This is what it was on our July 4 cruise on the Wonder. We wanted to change travel agents from Costco to Dreams Unlimited, so we selected No Travel Agent and did the simple paperwork to transfer it when we got back. I emailed my Dreams Unlimited Agent and she sent me the paperwork and it was really simple.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

I have a lot of friends who book on their own and then transfer to Costco as usually its miserable trying to get through to Costco on a release day. That way they don't miss out on specific staterooms they want.

 

[Cheburashka]

This is what it was on our July 4 cruise on the Wonder. We wanted to change travel agents from Costco to Dreams Unlimited, so we selected No Travel Agent and did the simple paperwork to transfer it when we got back. I emailed my Dreams Unlimited Agent and she sent me the paperwork and it was really simple.

Did you transfer the placeholder itself or the cruise booked with the placeholder?

 

[brentm77]

I haven't noticed a way to add a new travel agency when booking placeholders via the app. Maybe there is but I don't know.

Assuming I can't book the placeholder directly via Costco, transferring the placeholder to Costco before booking the cruise will add a few days to getting the cruise booked and I want to get the new cruise booked asap. Not a big deal but I'd prefer booking sooner than later.

I recommend you book the new cruise directly with Disney using the placeholder before transferring. It is much easier, because you can book directly with DCL. Then you just transfer like normal within 30 days of the placeholder. I recently did it and it was a piece of cake. If you have the form costco emailed you from last time, you don't even need to call Costco. Saves so much time.

EDIT: I am hape to email you the form if you DM too (traveling now, but could send it Monday)

Edit 2: I forgot that I did have to call Disney to use the placeholder. Fixed my text above.

 

[lanejudy]

Does that entail additional rules? Do I need to transfer the placeholder to Costco first, and then have Costco change it to a specific cruise?

As long as you do the transfer within 30 days of the placeholder it doesn’t matter if you transfer the placeholder or an actual booked cruise. If the cruise you want I’d available, I’d probably go ahead and convert the placeholder to the actual cruise, and the transfer it to Costco. If you need to wait for the next release, transfer the placeholder and deal with Costco to convert it later.

 

[varkgirl]

I am doing this with a placeholder too - found the form needed here: https://costco-travel-us-mbr.custhe...ney-cruise-line-reservation-to-costco-travel?

 

[Cheburashka]

Thanks everyone. I feel confident now to transfer the cruise upon arriving home and then transferring to Costco.

 

[Intr3pid]

I have a lot of friends who book on their own and then transfer to Costco as usually its miserable trying to get through to Costco on a release day. That way they don't miss out on specific staterooms they want.

At the moment, DCL's wait times are longer than Costco's. And with a placeholder, you or Costco have to call DCL on the release day. Costco does have a TA-specific line with DCL that gets them through faster at least in some instances.

 

[Chica1581]

Is there a way to book on the Disney site using a placeholder or do you have to call Disney?

 

[lanejudy]

You have to call.