Disney Cruise Line Placeholder and Future Cruise Booking and Why Should You Spend $250 on a Placeholder?

 

Disney Cruise Line Placeholder and Future Cruise Booking

and Why Should You Spend $250 on a Placeholder?

 

Let’s start with what Future Cruise Booking and  Placeholder are and how to use them. While you are onboard a Disney Cruise ship you will see an offer for a Placeholder or to book a Future Cruise on the Navigator App. Many cruisers overlook this not knowing the fantastic thing it is. You can also go to Guest Relations for help with this matter. You are investing in your future vacation and saving money!

 

If you choose to pick a date/itinerary and book a Future Cruise while on board, you will make the standard deposit (approximately 20% of the cruise fare) and you get a 10% discount on the cruise! That is $100 for every $1,000 of the cruise price!! That can be a $200-$500+ savings, depending on the length of cruise, location of cruise and cabin category! You will still need to make payments later before the Pay in Full Date, but you save some good money.

 

A Placeholder is a $250 partial deposit on a future cruise. You don’t need to pick a date. You just need to sail within 24 months of the Placeholder being booked. For example, if you book a Placeholder on December 1^st, 2023, you have until December 1^st, 2025, to sail. When you finally choose your sail date the $250 will be used towards your deposit, reducing the initial deposit. You or your Travel Agent will need to call DCL to use this Placeholder once you decide to use it.

 

If for some reason you can’t use the Placeholder by the end of the 2 years, the funds will be returned to you by refund to the payment used. If you used a Credit or Debit Card, then the Credit or Debit Card will be credited that amount. If you used a Disney Gift Card, then the funds will be refunded to the Disney Gift Card. Keep those Disney Gift Cards!

 

Why all the talk about Disney Gift Card use?? There is a way to save another 5% by purchasing Disney Gift Cards at Target or other locations. Look for these discounts and how to take advantage of them! Instead of saving $100 per $1,000 of the cruise you will save $150! That can significantly increase your savings! You can request more information if you are interested or check out the blog for this information.

 

Here is some extra must know information! If you booked with a Travel Agent and you wish to have them help with this Placeholder or Future Cruise, make sure you do the following three things:

1.      If going with the same agent/agency, ask for the cruise to be booked with them. There is usually a button to click stating stay with the same agency/agent.

2.     Let your Travel Agent know you booked a Placeholder and give them the Confirmation/Reservation number, so they know to watch for it.

3.      If you decide to go with an agent/agency AFTER the cruise or were unable to book it asking for the agency to handle it ask your agent for a Booking Transfer Form to transfer the reservation to them.

a.     This MUST be done within 30 days of the booking being made. If you did it December 1^st you must request the booking transfer by December 30^th.

b.     The sooner you do it the better. Sometimes email bounce/get missed/lost and it is good to have extra time to deal with this. If you give the transfer request to the agent at day 29 or 30 they may not have time to get the transfer to go through. Disney may not have the time to process the transfer for you. Then YOU will have to handle it without the agents help.

Disney Cruise Line Placeholder What is a Placeholder & Why You Should Get One How to Use a Placeholder

Disney Cruise Line Placeholder

What is a Placeholder & Why You Should Get One

How to Use a Placeholder

Let’s start with what is a Placeholder. Simply put, a Placeholder is a $250 deposit on a Future Cruise of unknow date while you are still on the ship. You MUST be ON the ship when you book these! You can either pick a date for a Future Cruise, making the full deposit for it, or book a Placeholder, making the $250 deposit for a cruise you will pick the date for later. The only thing about a Placeholder is you MUST sail within 24 months of the date you booked the Placeholder. Each cabin can book 2 of these Future Cruises/Placeholders. If you know that new itineraries will be released soon you can hold that Placeholder and save 10% on the lowest price you will be able to get! As stated it is a DEPOSIT and that $250 will be applied to the initial deposit when booking your next cruise. You will need to pay any difference needed in the deposit.

 

Why should you book a Future Cruise/Placeholder while on the ship? Would you like to save 10% on your next cruise? That is why you should do it!! If your cruise costs $2,500 you will save 10%. That is a savings of $250!

 

Simple recap. If you know of a Future Cruise, you would like to take you can book it while on the ship and save 10%. If you don’t have a cruised picked or want to wait until new itineraries you can get a Placeholder and sail within 2 years. The $250 Placeholder deposit will be used toward the initial deposit and you will get 10% off.

 

If you booked the cruise you are on with a Travel Professional it should be automatically be placed under their care. It is always wise to make sure it is by checking with Guest Services or calling DCL once you get home. If you don’t have a Travel Professional, you can transfer it to an Agent within 30 days of the date you booked it. My recommendation is to do it as soon as you can after getting home. After 30 days you cannot transfer the reservation to an agent. After 30 days your Agent cannot help you. Either way make sure you give your Travel Professional the reservation number so they can help you when you are ready. The Agent/Professional should also call DCL to make sure it is under their care. It will not show up on the Disney Travel Agent website or any other way as being booked with them.

 

How to use your Future Cruise or Placeholder booking:

Booking it yourself:

• A Future Cruise is taken care of the same way you handle any booking made with DCL online or by calling. If you made it yourself with no Travel Professional you can make payments online or by calling DCL.
• If it is a Placeholder you need to call DCL to tell them what Ship/Date/Itinerary you wish to sail and make the booking, making any additional deposit necessary. Then they will use the $250 towards the deposit and you can handle the rest as you usually do.

If you book with a Travel Agent/Professional:

• Call your agent when you get home and tell them you have made a Future Cruise booking and give them the Reservation Number. They should check to make sure the Reservation is listed under their care. You will make your payments through them.
• If you book a Placeholder give your Travel Agent/Professional your Reservation Number as soon as possible after getting home. Ask them to make sure they have the reservation listed under them.
• When you have picked a sail date you will need to have the Travel Professional call DCL and make the booking for you. They will tell you of any additional deposit needed and you will continue making payments through the Travel Agent. Your $250 deposit will become part of the initial deposit required by DCL.
• REMEMBER!!! IF YOU NEED TO TRANSFER THE BOOKING TO YOUR TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL YOU MUST DO IT WITHIN 30 DAYS OF MAKING THE BOOKING!!! The sooner you do it after returning home the better! It takes time for the form to be filled out, emails to get to the proper people at DCL and paperwork done. This is especially true if you are thinking of using a place like CostCo for Travel Planning. They often delay and the 30 days can go past and the transfer does not get done. I’ve seen it happen. Follow up to make sure the Booking Transfer went through.

 

Now for a PRO TIP!! Want to save 15% on your next cruise instead of 10%? That takes it from $100 per thousand to $150! If you have a Target Red Card, you can use it to purchase Disney Gift Cards at a 5% discount!! Use those Discounted Disney Gift Cards to pay for your cruise!! Remember that $2,500 cruise that you saved 10%/$250 on by using a Placeholder?? With Discounted Disney Gift Cards that would be $15% or $375!! That is an extra $125 to pay for DCL Merchandise, Port Adventures, Adult Dining, Digital Photo Package, Adult Drinks or Spa Time!

DISNEY CRUISE LINE PLACEHOLDERS

What is a Placeholder?

Did you know you can save 10% on a Disney Cruise? It is EASY!!! You must be on the ship to do it but it is an app click away!

 

Simple put a Placeholder is a $250 deposit on your future cruise. Each cabin can make 2 Placeholders. You do not need to know when you will cruise. You just need to sail within the next 24 months! You will most likely need to make more of a deposit for the original deposit on a future cruise when you book it, but that $250 will be applied to the required amount.

 

If you see a cruise or know of a cruise you want to take you can skip the Placeholder and book a cruise and save the 10%. Again, you can only book 2 Future Cruises or Placeholders per cabin.

 

If you have a Travel Agent, you like to use make sure you contact them as soon as possible after getting home! You have 30 days to fill in a Transfer Request Form and Transfer that booking to your Travel Agent. After that 30 days your Travel Agent cannot help you.

 

If you combine this with Discounted Disney Gift Cards from Target or other places you can save around 15% on your next cruises! That is $150 per thousand! That could be a shore excursion, merchandise, spa treatment, or adult dining on your next cruise!