What is happening to placeholder discounts if your cruise is canceled?

[Theactualdisneyprincess]

Hello DISers!

My fiancé and I had went with a placeholder discount that we booked on our last cruise (I believe it was either 15% or 20% off plus stateroom credits) and had saved to apply it for our July honeymoon cruise. I was told when we booked before all of this happened that if we switched cruises that we would lose these perks. Has anybody else run into this with an already canceled cruise due to COVID-19? What was the end result?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello DISers!

My fiancé and I had went with a placeholder discount that we booked on our last cruise (I believe it was either 15% or 20% off plus stateroom credits) and had saved to apply it for our July honeymoon cruise. I was told when we booked before all of this happened that if we switched cruises that we would lose these perks. Has anybody else run into this with an already canceled cruise due to COVID-19? What was the end result?

If you haven't moved your placeholder to a specific cruise, the placeholder will expire at the regular time. If you've already applied your placeholder to a cruise, and the cruise is canceled, I've read that DCL is moving the onboard booking perks to your new cruise, regardless if it's within the original 2 year window or not.

It's 10% off and depending on when you booked the placeholder (prior to September 2019?), there is an onboard credit applied.

 

[cvjw]

It is a 10% discount, and you can apply it to your new cruise if your cruise was cancelled. You can also use it in conjunction with the 125% credit that Disney is offering for cancelled cruises. Concierge may be different, but it just worked for our cancelled verandah cabins on an upcoming May cruise.

 

[lanejudy]

Hello DISers!

My fiancé and I had went with a placeholder discount that we booked on our last cruise (I believe it was either 15% or 20% off plus stateroom credits) and had saved to apply it for our July honeymoon cruise. I was told when we booked before all of this happened that if we switched cruises that we would lose these perks. Has anybody else run into this with an already canceled cruise due to COVID-19? What was the end result?

Did you use the placeholder for the July 2020 cruise? If you change the cruise date, that OBB should carry-forward assuming 1) the new date is still within the original 24-month window, and 2) the new cruise date is not a black-out. OBB is not good for concierge bookings.

If the July 2020 cruise gets canceled by DCL, they have been extending the OBB benefits to your new cruise date even if beyond the original 24-month window.

Congrats and enjoy your cruise!

 

[Theactualdisneyprincess]

Did you use the placeholder for the July 2020 cruise? If you change the cruise date, that OBB should carry-forward assuming 1) the new date is still within the original 24-month window, and 2) the new cruise date is not a black-out. OBB is not good for concierge bookings.

If the July 2020 cruise gets canceled by DCL, they have been extending the OBB benefits to your new cruise date even if beyond the original 24-month window.

Congrats and enjoy your cruise!

When are the blackouts? And you’re saying if it were to be canceled that we couldn’t upgrade to concierge if it was available on a different cruise?

I am also curious to see if the 125% that Disney is doing is based off of the original Disney cost of the cruise (less port fees, taxes) or what we paid for the cruise. if it were to be the latter, am I correct in thinking that with my placeholder I could get 135%-140% the value of my payment with transferred onboard credits?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

When are the blackouts? And you’re saying if it were to be canceled that we couldn’t upgrade to concierge if it was available on a different cruise?

I am also curious to see if the 125% that Disney is doing is based off of the original Disney cost of the cruise (less port fees, taxes) or what we paid for the cruise. if it were to be the latter, am I correct in thinking that with my placeholder I could get 135%-140% the value of my payment with transferred onboard credits?

The 125% is based on the the actual base fare you paid (less taxes, port fees, any extra payments you made for onboard activities). The 10% off is based on the base fare of the cruise you book at the time you book it. No compounding the numbers.

You can check for block out dates here:
https://disneycruiselineblog.com/?s=block+out+dates&submit=Search


EDIT: changed wording to clarify.

 

[lanejudy]

When are the blackouts? And you’re saying if it were to be canceled that we couldn’t upgrade to concierge if it was available on a different cruise?

Black-out dates are dates that DCL doesn’t allow use of OBB/placeholder discounts. Most are holiday times. The DCL Blog has a list: https://disneycruiselineblog.com/cruise-planning/itineraries/onboard-booking-blockout-sailings/

OBB/placeholder discounts are not accepted for concierge bookings. I believe you could keep the OBC amount.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[DIS_MIKE]

My cruise was booked with a placeholder along with $100 OBC (before they discontinued that offer). Once it was cancelled I rebooked the 125% and the 10% applied to that new reservation along with the OBC. I was definitely satisfied with how they handled that.

 

[n2mm]

I am hoping they offer an extension to placeholders that expire not related to a canceled cruise. I have 3 that are booked for September cruises. I plan to cancel those cruises (b2b) if things dont look good by my PIF date in June. I would prefer to move my cruises into 2021, but the placeholders won’t go that far. I just can’t understand why they are not making the exception to keep the bookings and would rather me cancel. Crazy. I emailed them about it and they said they will not extend placeholder expiration dates. Btw, I won’t pay the balance and wait for them to cancel. I’ve done that dance already and it was stressful not knowing. I should be on my 7 night cruise right now! I did not take the 125% and requested a full refund. Which can now take up to 90 days...I’m still waiting.

 

[maddisney]

I have a placeholder valid until November. I have a reservation in august for an IGT stateroom. As it is not possible to combine IGT and placeholder, I Don't used it.
To be fair with the others, if my cruise is cancelled, and if I choose the 125 %, I suppose I can use my placeholder with it for next year.

 

[n2mm]

I have a placeholder valid until November. I have a reservation in august for an IGT stateroom. As it is not possible to combine IGT and placeholder, I Don't used it.
To be fair with the others, if my cruise is cancelled, and if I choose the 125 %, I suppose I can use my placeholder with it for next year.

unless it recently changed, you can only use a placeholder if it is part of your canceled cruise. You are in the exact situation as I was. My April 18th Cruise was canceled and it was a vgt. I tried to book my new cruise with the 125% fcc and use one of my placeholders and that was a big fat no. Only if that placeholder is on your canceled cruise and the expiration date was extended because of the cancellation . After getting told no in every question, I took a full refund.

 

[maddisney]

unless it recently changed, you can only use a placeholder if it is part of your canceled cruise. You are in the exact situation as I was. My April 18th Cruise was canceled and it was a vgt. I tried to book my new cruise with the 125% fcc and use one of my placeholders and that was a big fat no. Only if that placeholder is on your canceled cruise and the expiration date was extended because of the cancellation . After getting told no in every question, I took a full refund.

I cannot justify why this difference of treatment !
In normal time, I would probably be glad with the 125 %, but now, knowing that unfair treatment, I would certainly choose the full refund like you.
I'm not used to see Disney like that !

 

[n2mm]

I cannot justify why this difference of treatment !
In normal time, I would probably be glad with the 125 %, but now, knowing that unfair treatment, I would certainly choose the full refund like you.
I'm not used to see Disney like that !

i was one of the few folks that didn’t see any savings. They wanted to give me 25%, but forced to book within a limited timeframe. The choices of cruises was either cruises that are now about $500 higher than opening day, or chose a summer cruise, ouch. With the virus my insurance would be double because of cancel for any reason. And they won’t let my use a placeholder. I’m glad to put it behind me.

 

[emilymad]

I am hoping they offer an extension to placeholders that expire not related to a canceled cruise. I have 3 that are booked for September cruises. I plan to cancel those cruises (b2b) if things dont look good by my PIF date in June. I would prefer to move my cruises into 2021, but the placeholders won’t go that far. I just can’t understand why they are not making the exception to keep the bookings and would rather me cancel. Crazy. I emailed them about it and they said they will not extend placeholder expiration dates. Btw, I won’t pay the balance and wait for them to cancel. I’ve done that dance already and it was stressful not knowing. I should be on my 7 night cruise right now! I did not take the 125% and requested a full refund. Which can now take up to 90 days...I’m still waiting.

I am in the same situation. We are booked on a September cruise in Europe that we are definitely not sailing on. I will probably move my placeholder onto a different cruise to just buy more time. The placeholder expires in April. I don't really see us going on any of these cruises. I would rebook to a cruise I actually want to sail on if they would extend the placeholder expiration date.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I cannot justify why this difference of treatment !

It's not really a difference of treatment. OBB perks cannot be applied to an already booked cruise. So a DCL canceled cruise that was originally booked with a placeholder can have the placeholder transferred to the new cruise, regardless if the new cruise is after what would have been the expiration window.

A DCL cancelled cruise that wasn't originally booked using a placeholder cannot have a placeholder applied to a transferred reservation.

A placeholder not used to book a cruise still has an expiration date.

 

[n2mm]

It's not really a difference of treatment. OBB perks cannot be applied to an already booked cruise. So a DCL canceled cruise that was originally booked with a placeholder can have the placeholder transferred to the new cruise, regardless if the new cruise is after what would have been the expiration window.

A DCL cancelled cruise that wasn't originally booked using a placeholder cannot have a placeholder applied to a transferred reservation.

A placeholder not used to book a cruise still has an expiration date.

yes, I understand the concept for booking with fcc, but TA double checked that for me. I was thinking as a separate offer in the same way APs and TIW cards are being extended during the closure, I was hoping placeholders would be extended by how long they are not sailing. I have 3 cruises booked with placeholders In September and would love to push them out further, but would lose the placeholder perks as I’m restricted by the expiration dates. (Two nov 2020 & 1 Jan 2021) So if dcl doesn’t cruise for 6 months, it would be nice if we could extend our placeholders by 6 months. So instead I will cancel the cruises, all in September as I don’t think the cruises are going anywhere. The same for my 4th upcoming cruise in January. I’ve already did the waiting for the cancel dance (April 18th) and now waiting for the refund (predicted 30-90 day wait)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

yes, I understand the concept for booking with fcc, but TA double checked that for me. I was thinking as a separate offer in the same way APs and TIW cards are being extended during the closure, I was hoping placeholders would be extended by how long they are not sailing. I have 3 cruises booked with placeholders In September and would love to push them out further, but would lose the placeholder perks as I’m restricted by the expiration dates. (Two nov 2020 & 1 Jan 2021) So if dcl doesn’t cruise for 6 months, it would be nice if we could extend our placeholders by 6 months. So instead I will cancel the cruises, all in September as I don’t think the cruises are going anywhere. The same for my 4th upcoming cruise in January. I’ve already did the waiting for the cancel dance (April 18th) and now waiting for the refund (predicted 30-90 day wait)

Do you have "placeholders" or do you have an actual reservation on a specific cruise booked?

A placeholder is just a $250 deposit you've put down to be applied to a cruise within 2 years.

A cruise booked onboard, or with a placeholder, if that cruise is canceled by DCL, apparently, you can transfer the onboard booking perks to a future cruise, regardless of the expiration date.

If you cancel the cruise, then you are subject to whatever policies are in effect at the time.

 

[n2mm]

All of the above. (I know all about placeholders)

sept19 booked with a placeholder w obc
sept 19 for grandkids booked with a placeholder w obc
sept 24 booked with a placeholder w obc
January 23, 2021 booked with a placeholder w obc
September 4, 2021 booked with a placeholder w obc

all old placeholders and have obc. None of these cruises are PIF. I can cancel up to mid June for full refund of deposits (September), I just lose my placeholder if I cancel. I was hoping they would extend placeholders before I have to cancel so I can move them...hate losing the old placeholders that have obc.

also have 2 new placeholders that expire Nov 2021 and January 2022 (no obc)

currently waiting for my full refund from my April 18th Cruise that dcl canceled.

 

[maddisney]

It's not really a difference of treatment. OBB perks cannot be applied to an already booked cruise. So a DCL canceled cruise that was originally booked with a placeholder can have the placeholder transferred to the new cruise, regardless if the new cruise is after what would have been the expiration window.

A DCL cancelled cruise that wasn't originally booked using a placeholder cannot have a placeholder applied to a transferred reservation.

A placeholder not used to book a cruise still has an expiration date.

In other words, if I choose a cruise which I'm sure it will be canceled by using my placeholder with obc (cruise in may), I would have a better reduction on a future cruise than if I choose honestly the best offer (IGT,OGT or VGT) on a cruise at a later date, which I strongly hope it will sail, if this one is also canceled. And you find there is equity of treatment between the two situations ?

 

[Canadian Girl]

I cancelled my Greek cruise on the PIF date but at the time my placeholder with the 200.00 OBC could not be extended. I got a full refund. I think even today, I would take that over rebooking with so much uncertainty and tying up thousands of dollars. I did move a November Merry time cruise with just the 10% off and no obc, to next Junes Greek cruise, but will not do it if Covid is still a threat.