When 2010 dates are released...

[mom2two2]

I have a question about the process when 2010 dates are released. I am a DCL newbie so I appologize if this is answered elsewhere...

I understand that the best time to book (price wise) is as far ahead as possible. What is the procedure when the 2010 dates are released? How will I have notice so I can snag what I want right away? And if I am reading correctly it sounds like ppl are thinking that they will be released in Oct? Where do I go (online) and when?

Thank you very much. I have been lurking online a couple days and can tell that the ppl here really know what they are talking about....

mom2two2

 

[Melcatfish]

The word is that the info will be released on 7th October with booking either 14th or 21st depending on who you speak to. I am sure Disney will let us know when we can book when it announces the dates and itineraries.

What is really important is that you DON'T try to cover bases by instructing a travel agent, making a request yourself with Disney online and the try the phone etc...

Pricing levels go up as booking requests are submitting not as they are confirmed. For example if there 40 Cat 10 cabins available at first tier pricing 40 different people could be quoted and book at this price. However if 20 people asked a travel agent to get a quote and then got one themselves (i.e. taking up 2 of the quotes each) this would also trigger the next tier (more expensive) pricing.

I am sure there are technicalities wrong with the above description but I was just trying to illustrate that if you make reservation requests in more than one place even if you don't confirm them you are driving up pricing!

Hope this helps
Mel
x

 

[mom2two2]

Ahhh I see what you are saying. That really stinks! I had heard that when you make multiple requests online as well that they quote you higher each time....like if I search say Dec 09 twice today it will be higher the second time? Can this be avoided by clearing my cookies and so on? I am uncertain as to whether I want to shoot for Dec Jan Feb or maybe early Mar to take the Eastern Caribbean and if price will make a difference a week here or there...

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

The word is that the info will be released on 7th October with booking either 14th or 21st depending on who you speak to. I am sure Disney will let us know when we can book when it announces the dates and itineraries.

What is really important is that you DON'T try to cover bases by instructing a travel agent, making a request yourself with Disney online and the try the phone etc...

Pricing levels go up as booking requests are submitting not as they are confirmed. For example if there 40 Cat 10 cabins available at first tier pricing 40 different people could be quoted and book at this price. However if 20 people asked a travel agent to get a quote and then got one themselves (i.e. taking up 2 of the quotes each) this would also trigger the next tier (more expensive) pricing.

I am sure there are technicalities wrong with the above description but I was just trying to illustrate that if you make reservation requests in more than one place even if you don't confirm them you are driving up pricing!

Hope this helps
Mel
x

Mel you are 100% correct!!!

 

[Melcatfish]

Mel you are 100% correct!!!

Well that does make a change LOL!

I am sticking with DU - they did a good job for me with Aug 09, I know I won't have the time to sit and hit redial on the phone on the release time and I don't trust the website not to crash! Fingers crossed for something good.

Mel
x

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Well that does make a change LOL!

I am sticking with DU - they did a good job for me with Aug 09, I know I won't have the time to sit and hit redial on the phone on the release time and I don't trust the website not to crash! Fingers crossed for something good.

Mel
x

You are very correct in what you say, multiple applications will (and has done) force up the tier price quickly, someone will suffer on that, we might all assume we will be in there first, but often the phone service breaks down or you are on hold ages, expensive from UK, or the website crashes, I read of people nearly completing the full process and as they put in their credit card details the system bumped themselves out, this didn't just happen once but to many. Good luck, hope you get what you want.

 

[kaseyC]

What is really important is that you DON'T try to cover bases by instructing a travel agent, making a request yourself with Disney online and the try the phone etc...

Pricing levels go up as booking requests are submitting not as they are confirmed. For example if there 40 Cat 10 cabins available at first tier pricing 40 different people could be quoted and book at this price. However if 20 people asked a travel agent to get a quote and then got one themselves (i.e. taking up 2 of the quotes each) this would also trigger the next tier (more expensive) pricing.
x

Excellent Post!!
I just had to quote and bold this again because it bears repeating. This is the the number one issue that causes rates to rise so quickly. Unfortunately, once they reach the highest pricing tier they will not go back down.

If you instruct a TA to book for you, stay off the phone and the website. It will make it more difficult for your TA as well as those trying to book directly themselves to get through.

 

[CraftyMouse]

I had heard that when you make multiple requests online as well that they quote you higher each time....like if I search say Dec 09 twice today it will be higher the second time?

No, this is not the case. You can get the same quote multiple times. The price won't go up until the next tier is hit, meaning enough bookings have been made to trigger that next price level.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Excellent Post!!
I just had to quote and bold this again because it bears repeating. This is the the number one issue that causes rates to rise so quickly. Unfortunately, once they reach the highest pricing tier they will not go back down.

If you instruct a TA to book for you, stay off the phone and the website. It will make it more difficult for your TA as well as those trying to book directly themselves to get through.

Agree agree agree...

This action by some, has a cost effect on us all. There isn't a need to panic, select one option best for you and do that.

Of course it would be more sensible for DCL to release the cruises on different dates to avoid a panic, so the may Repo one day, the August repo the next, the Baltic's one day, the Wonder 3/4 nights a different day and the rest of the Magic schedule the following day to avoid website crashes and phone queues and crashes.

 

[Laxmom]

This is interesting stuff to me guys! Thanks for posting. We have an 09 date but if something interesting is coming in 2010.... I might just have to change it!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

This is interesting stuff to me guys! Thanks for posting. We have an 09 date but if something interesting is coming in 2010.... I might just have to change it!!

Have a read on the current 2010 thread for more info, there have been a few over the last few months.

A lot of information on thoose and worth a read.....

 

[kaseyC]

Agree agree agree...

Of course it would be more sensible for DCL to release the cruises on different dates to avoid a panic, so the may Repo one day, the August repo the next, the Baltic's one day, the Wonder 3/4 nights a different day and the rest of the Magic schedule the following day to avoid website crashes and phone queues and crashes.

Yes, that would be the most sensible and stress free way for releases. I can't see DCL doing it because they profit from the hysteria. How many other cruiselines can sell an inside cabin for almost $10K?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Yes, that would be the most sensible and stress free way for releases. I can't see DCL doing it because they profit from the hysteria. How many other cruiselines can sell an inside cabin for almost $10K?

After speaking to various people on the recent repo, it seemed DCL was surprised by the interest and panic day one, they seem to only go back to the last release of dates rather than the special ones.

So as there wasn't a panic or scramble for the 2009 trips, ( boring!!) they do not expect one now,!!!!!! they feel opening up dates earlier and earlier will reduce the pressure, thats possible, but do not look back to the release of major special cruises such as the REPOS and Mexico Rivera or the Med.

It would make so much sense to stagger the release cruise by cruise on different days to avoid meltdown on the website, on the phones, their staff, travel agents and us!

They do tend to release dates on Tuesdays, this avoids the DCL ships in Port Canaveral and gives them maximum staff to assist.

 

[Soccermom-Cheri]

After speaking to various people on the recent repo, it seemed DCL was surprised by the interest and panic day one, they seem to only go back to the last release of dates rather than the special ones.

So as there wasn't a panic or scramble for the 2009 trips, ( boring!!) they do not expect one now,!!!!!! they feel opening up dates earlier and earlier will reduce the pressure, thats possible, but do not look back to the release of major special cruises such as the REPOS and Mexico Rivera or the Med.

It would make so much sense to stagger the release cruise by cruise on different days to avoid meltdown on the website, on the phones, their staff, travel agents and us!

They do tend to release dates on Tuesdays, this avoids the DCL ships in Port Canaveral and gives them maximum staff to assist.

sorry to be blunt, but that's just stoopid thinking on DCL's part. DCL has to know what kind of customer base they are dealing with. Do they honestly think they can put everything out there on day one and NOT create bedlam?

well, I guess this IS a business and the name of the game is making money - chaos be darned

 

[Hygiene99]

Just wondering ??
3 rooms to pricing tier, SAY for Example?
?

If i call, get a quote and my TA calls and gets a quote?
the next person calls to get quote, the fourth person to call would get a higher price quote even though the quote has not been Booked?

Is that how it works?

then I decide to go with the quote the other 2 get released , those 2 rooms at the lower price are not put back at the lower price?
Because the next pricing tier has been reached?

Is this correct?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

sorry to be blunt, but that's just stoopid thinking on DCL's part. DCL has to know what kind of customer base they are dealing with. Do they honestly think they can put everything out there on day one and NOT create bedlam?

well, I guess this IS a business and the name of the game is making money - chaos be darned

TA's say they have explained and lobbied DCL on this but they havent listened so far, they should stagger the release, day by day.

Just wondering ??
3 rooms to pricing tier, SAY for Example?
?

If i call, get a quote and my TA calls and gets a quote?
the next person calls to get quote, the fourth person to call would get a higher price quote even though the quote has not been Booked?

Is that how it works?

then I decide to go with the quote the other 2 get released , those 2 rooms at the lower price are not put back at the lower price?
Because the next pricing tier has been reached?

Is this correct?

If you get a quote direct, by phone or Internet, generally that will Not PUSH the tier price up,(*see below) for a TA, it will as there quotes are on hold for a couple of days so the stateroom is taken out of stock.

However, if you instruct one or two TA's and then book direct yourself rather than use a TA, you would have taken *3* times cabins out of stock, so it would boost the chance of the Tier price going to the next level.

When booking on line when you get to CAT level, a room is taken out of their stock, until you complete the purchase, - *if you cancel out, it isn't returned to stock immediately, for a short period of time say 30 mins or so, its in limbo, so multiple quotes could also take too much stock out of the system.

It also has a knock on effect to MAIN and LATE dinner, and GTY rooms, a lot of multiple quotes, asking for main dinner, would 'close' main dinner, even if canceled later, and also if stock on your Cat level is all quoted for, the staterooms will move to GTY.

 

[mickeyluv]

How do we know what to book though if we don't know what's available? I'm thinking of booking for August of 2010 for my DD 13th B-day but don't know really what cruise will be offered during that time. I would really like to go on her actual b-day which is August 1st.

Also, we are cruising this year on November 29th. If 2010 dates open up Oct. 7th to mid October are we out of luck for the Tier-1 pricing if we wait and rebook onboard in Nov. or should we book as soon as the dates open up in Oct and then have it switched onboard? I thought I read that you usually get the better pricing when booking onboard. Now I don't know what to do. We do use a TA by the way. Please help me .... I'm .

 

[orlandothebeagle]

How do disney tell you when they will release the dates, is it on the website or do you guys e-mail and ask them?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

How do we know what to book though if we don't know what's available? I'm thinking of booking for August of 2010 for my DD 13th B-day but don't know really what cruise will be offered during that time. I would really like to go on her actual b-day which is August 1st.

Also, we are cruising this year on November 29th. If 2010 dates open up Oct. 7th to mid October are we out of luck for the Tier-1 pricing if we wait and rebook onboard in Nov. or should we book as soon as the dates open up in Oct and then have it switched onboard? I thought I read that you usually get the better pricing when booking onboard. Now I don't know what to do. We do use a TA by the way. Please help me .... I'm .

How do disney tell you when they will release the dates, is it on the website or do you guys e-mail and ask them?

Dont worry!!!

Preview date is October 7th for 2010, the actual sales will open up, I understand on the 21st, ( some report 14th).

That gives you at least a week to look at the actual cruises choose which one you want, look at the price ranges quoted for that cruise for each Cat and decide what you want to go for, and decide how you wish to book, either direct by website or phone, or via a Travel agent.

When the 'actual dates for preview and sale are confirmed, I am sure you will read about it here, often a WEBMASTER makes a thread.

 

[mickeyluv]

Dont worry!!!

Preview date is October 7th for 2010, the actual sales will open up, I understand on the 21st, ( some report 14th).

That gives you at least a week to look at the actual cruises choose which one you want, look at the price ranges quoted for that cruise for each Cat and decide what you want to go for, and decide how you wish to book, either direct by website or phone, or via a Travel agent.

When the 'actual dates for preview and sale are confirmed, I am sure you will read about it here, often a WEBMASTER makes a thread.

Hey Andrew...what about this question?

We are cruising this year on November 29th. If 2010 dates open up Oct. 7th to mid October are we out of luck for the Tier-1 pricing if we wait and rebook onboard in November or should we book as soon as the dates open up in Oct and then have it switched onboard? I thought I read that you usually get the better pricing when booking onboard. Now I don't know what to do. We do use a TA by the way. Please help me .... I'm so confused !