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Placeholder: 8 Questions and Answers

Updated January 21, 2024

What is a placeholder?

A placeholder is a special onboard discount offer on a future Disney cruise. You pay $250 to get a placeholder; the $250 goes towards the cost of the future cruise.

The Disney Cruise Line Onboard Booking Offer allows Guests to make a Placeholder Reservation for a future Disney cruise and enjoy 10% savings off prevailing rates as quoted on disneycruise.com, plus enjoy a reduced deposit on sailings 7 nights and longer . The offer is valid for up to 2 staterooms on one sail date per household on board, regardless of the number of adults in the household. This offer is valid for Categories 4 to 11 only. The cruise must commence within 24 months after the Placeholder Reservation was booked, or the reservation will automatically cancel.

Why should I book a Placeholder?

To save 10% off the prevailing cruise rate of your future cruise. Also, for cruises 7+ nights, the deposit is 10% of the cruise fare. Cruises under 7 nights require a 20% deposit of the cruise fare.

A Placeholder Reservation is an open-ended reservation that allows Guests to select their future sail date at a later time. A $250 deposit must be paid while on board and is fully refundable if the reservation is cancelled. Once a sail date is selected, standard cancellation fees apply.

How do you book a placeholder?

As I mentioned, you can only book your placeholder while aboard a Disney cruise. There are now two ways to book: the DCL Navigator app or going to the Future Cruise Sails desk and picking up a form.

Where do I go to book the placeholder?

Update March 2023 . The Future Cruise desk is not regularly open since Covid. Book your placeholder on the app. Go to the Future Cruise desk, complete the form and drop it into the box located on the desk. I always take a picture of the form after I fill it out, just in case it gets misplaced at the Future Cruise desk. Choose the save 10% off your next cruise on the app. You will be taken to the payment page. If you want to use a different card than the one you have on file, you can.

Your placeholder will be pending until the payment has cleared through the system. I would recommend taking a screenshot of the page in case you have any problems and don’t receive a confirmation of your placeholder.

When can I use my placeholder?

You must use it within 24 months of booking. Disney is strict with the deadline. If the next cruise you want to book is a day after the placeholder expires, you will not be able to use it.

Pro tip: book it as late on the cruise as you can. Don’t wait too late, though. The 10% off future cruise link disappears at midnight of the last full day. I waited too long and had to go to the Guest Services desk to request a form.

10% savings applies only to sailings that commence within 24 months after the Placeholder Reservation is booked on board.

Who can book a placeholder?

Anyone over the age of 18 can book up to two staterooms on one sail date per household onboard.

What is the catch?

You can not use a placeholder on blackout dates or for concierge-level bookings. Also, you currently need to call Disney to apply the placeholder to your chosen cruise. Therefore, if you are booking on opening day, you could be on the phone, on hold for hours.

Blockout dates apply; please contact Disney Cruise Line or your travel agent for specific block out dates. Reservations for future cruises that fall on block out dates are not eligible for the 10% savings offer. The offer cannot be combined with Florida Resident Rates, U.S. Military Rates or with any other special Rates.

Can I transfer it to my travel agent or Costco?

Yes, you have 30 days from purchasing the placeholder on the ship to transfer it to the TA of your choice if you did not name one when you purchased it.

What if I forget to book a placeholder?

I know this is the answer to question number nine, but recently Disney started a new offer for first-time cruisers. Once you disembark your first cruise, you can save up to $350 on your next one with the Castaway Club Welcome Offer . You can save up to $50 a night on the first 7 nights of your second cruise if you book it within 60 days of disembarking.

I hope that I answered many of the questions about placeholders for booking a future Disney cruise. Make sure you check my post about joining a fish extender exchange. Sign up for the newsletter to keep up to date with the latest Disney news and discounts . Check out some of our other tips and tricks for your next Disney Cruise.

This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, that if you make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of this site.

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30 thoughts on “ placeholder: 8 questions and answers ”.

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We last cruised in February 2020 before the COVID shutdown. We secured a placeholder while on board. Do you know if placeholder deadlines have been extended since cruising has not yet resumed?

As far as I know, if you book a cruise with a placeholder before it expires you can use it to book a cruise up to Fall 2022. If you have not used your placeholder and the expiry date passes DCL will refund your money.

In my Castaway Club account, my pre-COVID placeholder is listed as one of my cruises with a Jan 1, 2034 date in a GTY room.

With the placeholder to I need to cruise within 24 months or do I need to book within 24 months?

Your cruise needs to begin within 24 months.

Hi, as a very lucky cruiser in the UK we did a 3 day cruise based in the UK, whilst onboard we booked a placeholder an received a confirmation email. I have just tried to use but was informed this couldn’t be used as the option was not taken? I booked the original through a T/A and they are confused also. Disney cruise not that helpful when called, any ideas what I can do? I have checked my credit card and they have not taken payment

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Hi – one additional point with the new way of booking On-Board Booking placeholders – if you use the app it will default to your credit card on file. We like to purchase ours with Disney Gift Cards (since we get those at a 5% discount from Target) and there’s no way to do that via the app. You have to go to Guest Services while on the cruise, tell them you want to purchase a placeholder with a Gift Card, and they will set up the order for Disney to follow up with you when you are back home to take the payment and give you your reservation number. It’s a very inefficient system – some folks have had to wait a considerable period of time before getting that call. I ended up calling DCL and getting it arranged when I returned home by calling them instead of waiting for them to call me. Just wanted to share my experience on this specific item. Thank you for all this wonderful info!

How do we actually apply the placeholder credit when booking? I can’t figure it out.

You need to call DCL to apply the placeholder for your booking. The $250 you paid for the placeholder will go towards your deposit.

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Does the 10% discount apply to a cruise booked in the 24 months or is that only for booked cruises while on the current cruise ? Thanks, I can’t seem to figure that part out !

I am not sure what you are asking? The 10% is for any regularly priced cruise fare. The cruise must begin within 24 months of when you booked the placeholder. If your cruise starts on the July 17, 2022 and you book the placeholder on July 21, 2022. You can get the discount on ant cruise that begins by July 21, 2024. It is always a good idea to book your placeholder near the end of your trip. I hope that answers your question 🙂

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Re: the Costco transfer: The 30-day countdown begins on THE DAY YOU PURCHASE THE PLACEHOLDER. You need to purchase a cruise AND transfer it to Costco within that window. If you buy the placeholder and then purchase a cruise with it more than a month later, you are SOL.

My wife and I bought a placeholder onboard the Vancouver-Hawaii cruise last April, and then later that summer, used it to buy a Northern Europe cruise for this September. The next day I called Costco to transfer it, and they couldn’t do it because the purchase date of the cruise gets listed as the purchase date of the placeholder!

Yes, you must transfer the placeholder within 30 days of purchasing it.

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One placeholder ($250) will give you a 10% discount on up to two rooms on a future cruise? Or is it purchase two placeholders ($500) for use on a 10% discount on two rooms on a future cruise? 1 placeholder=1 discounted room or 1 placeholder=2 discounted rooms? Also, if two placeholders purchased they have to be used on SAME future cruise? I’m reading conflicting answers throughout various posts and not sure what is true/false

You need 1 placeholder for 1 discounted room. If you purchase two placeholders on a cruise they must be used on the same cruise. I hope that helps 🙂

Hi! My husband and I are taking our second Disney cruise in February (we got a placeholder last year). On this cruise, can we get placeholders for two cabins with one being for us and the other for my daughter and her family?

Yes you can. Each cabin can book up to two placeholders to be used on one future cruise.

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If we use our placeholder for back to back shorter cruises do we get 10% discount on both cruises? Or would it just be on the first one?

No, sadly you only get the discount on one cruise.

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What Is a Disney Cruise Line Placeholder & Are There Benefits To Booking One?

Disney Cruise Line has an Onboard Booking Offer that allows guests who are aboard a Disney cruise to make a Placeholder Reservation for a future Disney cruise. You may be more familiar with the term “placeholder” which refers to the Disney Cruise Line Onboard Booking Offer .

A placeholder reservation is an open-ended reservation that allows guests to select their future sail date at a later time. A deposit must be paid while onboard and is fully refundable if the reservation is canceled. Once a sail date is selected, standard cancellation fees apply.

Booking your next Disney cruise vacation while still aboard the ship allows you to take advantage of paying a reduced deposit amount on sailings 7-nights and longer (currently $250), plus you’ll receive a 10% discount off prevailing rates.

The offer can be used to book a maximum of 2 staterooms on one sail date per household onboard, regardless of the number of adults in the household. Staterooms are available to sleep a variety of a number of guests, so be sure to check with your Dreams Unlimited Travel agent for larger parties.

The cruise must commence within 24 months after the Placeholder Reservation was booked, or the reservation will automatically cancel.

Once on board, you can use the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to book a placeholder reservation for a future sailing.

You should be aware that there are onboard booking blockout dates. Ask a crew member onboard the ship for the most current list.

The offer cannot be combined with Florida Resident Rates , U.S. Military Rates or with any other special offer or discount. Not valid on VGT, OGT, or IGT Categories with Restrictions or 2-night sailings.

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Placeholders & Onboard Bookings

Disney cruising onboard booking and placeholder tips.

Is there much worse than having to leave such a magical ship? Many who neglect or simply forget to take advantage of an On-Board Booking or Placeholder typically find their way to the Disney Cruising Group Facebook page soon after debarkation and share their regrets. Don’t be that person – read up!

Do your research at home so that you are ready to choose specific dates and itineraries when you book onboard. If you are unsure of your future sail date, just book a placeholder cruise. The onboard booking agents are very familiar with this process. Also contact your travel agent if you have questions.

Go to the Future Cruise Desk on Deck Four on the first night of your cruise. The line for onboard booking can get long toward the end of the sailing and if you make any changes to your reservation, it is easier to do on the ship. Bring something to read while you wait, or use the drop box to request your booking (more on this below).

Get a written reservation confirmation showing that your deposit has been paid before you disembark. If you use a travel agent, make sure they are listed on the reservation.

Use the drop box for onboard booking forms at the Future Cruise Desk and skip waiting in line.

Onboard booking allows you to book up to 2 staterooms on ONE future sail date. Name changes to the reservation may be made so long as one adult on the original booking remains on the reservation. Even if you intend to sail concierge, use onboard booking. While you don’t receive the discount on concierge level rooms, you do receive the onboard credit. Plus, if you have to downgrade when you return home to a non-concierge category the 10% onboard discount would then apply to your non-concierge category. Your concierge deposit is non-refundable.

Why is this important? Booking on ship comes with more than just beautiful surroundings. The perks are big!

Cruises of 7 nights or longer receive a 10% discount, a 10% deposit Cruises less than 7 nights receive a 10% discount, 20% deposit

Book On Board and Save!

Save on a future Disney Cruise Line vacation by taking advantage of our special onboard-only booking offer. When you do, you’ll enjoy the following:

• 10% Discount off Prevailing Rates
• Reduced Deposit on 7-Night or Longer Sailings

Visit the Disney Vacation Planning Desk—located on Deck 4, Midship—to speak with a Crew Member and to book your next Disney cruise. Unsure of which cruise to take? No problem! You can even reserve a placeholder on a future sailing and decide later.

Onboard Offer Blockout Dates

Onboard offer terms and conditions.

The Disney Cruise Line Onboard Booking Offer allows Guests to reserve a future Disney cruise or make a Placeholder Reservation for a future Disney cruise and enjoy 10% savings off prevailing rates as quoted on disneycruise.com, plus enjoy a reduced deposit on sailings 7-nights and longer. The offer is valid for up to 2 staterooms on one sail date per household on board regardless of the number of adults in the household. This offer is valid for Categories 4 to 11 only. The cruise must commence within 24 months after the future cruise reservation or Placeholder Reservation was booked or the reservation will automatically cancel.

• A Placeholder Reservation is an open-ended reservation that allows Guests to select their future sail date at a later time. A $250 deposit must be paid while on board and is fully refundable if the reservation is canceled. Once a sail date is selected, standard cancellation fees apply.
• If a future sail date is selected on board, standard deposit and cancellation policies apply.
• 10% savings applies only to sailings that commence within 24 months after the future cruise reservation or Placeholder Reservation is booked on board.
• Gift Cards can be used for deposits, but must be presented to a Crew Member at the Disney Vacation Planning Desk on board to process payment.
• Blockout dates apply; please inquire when booking or contact Disney Cruise Line or your travel agent for specific blockout dates. Reservations for future cruises that fall on blockout dates are not eligible for the 10% savings offer.
• The offer cannot be combined with Florida Resident Rates, U.S. Military Rates or with any other special offer or discount. Not valid on VGT, OGT, or IGT Categories with Restrictions or 2-night sailings.

Ready, set, go! Placeholder Form

Form Link here

Mark Kechula, Cruising Specialist [email protected]  or  [email protected] (757) 777-8245

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LAST UPDATE: 9/7/24

Disney Cruise discounts can be hard to find, but this is the place to find them! Listed below is every known deal, offer, coupon, onboard credit or discount available for Disney Cruise Line (DCL), plus lots of FREE information about how to save money on a Disney cruise!

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Onboard credit.

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Costco rebates, travelocity deals on disney cruises, expedia deals on disney cruises, other useful disney cruise line information pages:.

• For tips and tricks that will help you plan your cruise , visit the Planning Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruises page .
• For advice that will help you save time and get the most out of your cruise once you are onboard , visit the DCL Onboard Advice page .
• For advice that will help you with excursions, tours and activities while in port, visit the Tips & Discounts for Port Excursions page .

In our opinion,  you should always book a Disney cruise with a third-party travel agency or site that provides a bonus or discount . The extra onboard credit or discount is effectively FREE money. The primary question is whether you prefer to handle your bookings directly ( self-service ), or work with a personal agent ( full-service ). They’re both good options and they both offer essentially similar savings: one via their own extra-discounted fares and the other via FREE onboard credit. 

Booking a Disney Cruise With a Self-Service Site

Our pick for self-service booking is Undercover Tourist . We’ve recommended them for more than a decade as a fantastic source for tickets, but they also have impressive deals on Disney cruises. Unlike other self-booking options like Expedia or Priceline, Undercover Tourist adds an additional discount over and above any special pricing Disney offers (like restricted guarantee , Military , or Florida resident rates)! We know of no other site that adds their own discounts to the baseline fare for Disney cruises. Occasionally one of the big online travel sites will do a limited-time small onboard credit or in-room gift, but Undercover Tourist offers extra discounts , on every Disney cruise, every day. Undercover Tourist further guarantees to MouseSavers readers that you will always get their lowest possible prices when booking through our links here and through our monthly newsletter and Hot Deals emails.

Keep in mind that this is a self-service option , for people who know exactly what cruise they want to take, what stateroom, how dining works, etc. If you like to handle your own bookings directly, Undercover Tourist is a great choice. If you would like to have a personal agent who can help guide you through the decision process and be available to answer questions, then the full-service approach will be a better fit.

• Check out Undercover Tourist’s discounted cruise rates for Disney Cruise Lines ! Undercover Tourist guarantees MouseSavers readers get their lowest rates!

Booking a Disney Cruise With a Full-Service Agent

The benefits of using a top travel agent are significant, both in convenience and price. First off, the best travel agents give you onboard credit, which is effectively FREE money, since the cruise fare isn’t any higher than if you booked through Disney. Furthermore, Disney Cruise Line has lots of confusing options involving tradeoffs that aren’t always clear. Using an experienced travel agent is like getting a FREE expert who knows everything about the Disney Cruise Line and is happy to walk you through the process and offer advice.

The travel agency we personally recommend here on MouseSavers.com, Small World Vacations , has some of the most experienced agents in the industry . The agents who handle cruise bookings for Small World have been on multiple Disney cruises, and know a truly astonishing amount about all four ships, the various Disney ports of call and all the common itineraries (and many uncommon ones). Many of them are Platinum members of Disney’s Castaway Club, meaning that they have personally been on 10 or more Disney cruises! They each have a direct phone number and email address they give out to their clients, so you can email them questions or requests any time.

Small World Vacations offers an onboard credit of up to $1,000 when you book a Disney Cruise with them. (Credit depends on your total cruise fare; the minimum fare to get credit is $1000.) Your onboard credit is good toward anything you can charge to your room, such as spa treatments, special dining, shore excursions or even your bar tab! Plus, this onboard credit offer is on top of any other discounts for which you may qualify (like restricted guarantee , Military , or Florida resident rates). And perhaps most importantly, the Small World Vacations agents know how to maximize value by making use of tricks like secret porthole rooms , secret verandah rooms , secret connecting rooms , and other clever strategies.

We pretty rarely encounter a deal that qualifies as a “no brainer,” but this is absolutely one, because it’s effectively FREE money . Small World Vacations’ fares are exactly the same as Disney’s; there are no other hidden markups or extra fees. The onboard credit is a bonus you won’t get booking with Disney.

Finally, if you’re going on a Disney cruise, be sure you take advantage of the onboard booking discount and list Small World Vacations as your preferred travel agent (or transfer the booking to Small World Vacations after your cruise is over), because it’s an essentially risk-free way to get significant discounts from Disney plus onboard credit from Small World Vacations in one fell swoop on a future cruise.

If you have any questions about onboard booking, email your questions directly to Small World Vacations at [email protected] before you leave on your cruise, and mention that you heard about onboard booking on MouseSavers.com. In our experience, the travel agents at Small World Vacations are great at finding the best fares. They know all the tricks that will save you money, and they know the Disney Cruise Line inside and out. We’re confident that once you work with a really great travel agent, you’ll never want to book a cruise any other way.

• Learn more about the Small World Vacations onboard credit offer and request a price quote for your Disney cruise .
• Small World Vacations gives you full service , including a personal travel agent you can contact by email or direct phone number, and we recommend them wholeheartedly ! Best of all, it costs you nothing to use them, PLUS they give you FREE onboard credit for any Disney Cruise Line booking of over $1000 total fare!

Onboard credit is cash value linked to your stateroom account on the ship, which you can spend by using your room key to pay for pretty much anything on the ship or on Castaway Cay. Onboard credit can be used for merchandise, adult beverages, bottled water, spa treatments, shore excursions, Palo, Remy, Palo Steakhouse or Enchanté meals, and other onboard activities, or even applied to gratuities for your servers and stateroom attendant.

Small World Vacations Onboard Credit

The travel agency we personally recommend here on MouseSavers.com, Small World Vacations , offers an onboard credit of $50 – $1000 when you book through them. (Credit depends on your total cruise fare; the minimum fare to get credit is $1000.) To learn more, visit the Small World Vacations website , where you can see full details about the onboard credit offer and request a quote on your cruise vacation .

Last-Minute Restricted Stateroom Discounts

Restricted Guarantee fares, when offered, are a great way to save if you are flexible about your stateroom location and willing to book “last minute,” usually meaning 21-75 days prior to departure. The savings can be very large, but you won’t know your exact stateroom at booking time. Disney guarantees you will get at least the stateroom type specified, and you could get assigned a higher level. You usually will get an actual stateroom assignment about 14 days before embarkation, but it could be assigned as late as the embarkation day.

There are complicated rules for Restricted Guarantee bookings ; be sure to read them if you’re not already familiar with them. The “Restricted Guarantee” room categories are offered on select sailings. The categories are:

• Guaranteed Inside Stateroom with Restrictions (category IGT) – Guarantees an inside or better stateroom (minimum category 11C)
• Guaranteed Oceanview Stateroom with Restrictions (category OGT) – Guarantees an oceanview or better stateroom (minimum category 9D)
• Guaranteed Verandah Stateroom with Restrictions (category VGT) – Guarantees a verandah or better stateroom (minimum category 7A)

New! As of September 7, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Restricted Guarantee categories . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise.

General Notes:

• A single guest gets charged essentially the same price as two guests. (Cruises are generally priced for a minimum of two guests per cabin.)
• 5-passenger rooms are not available with this discount .
• These discounts come and go as room inventory for a cruise changes. If you check for one and it doesn’t come up, it may come back. It’s worth checking back a few times over the next day or two to see if the discount becomes available again.
• If a price isn’t listed, that doesn’t mean the category is completely sold out , just that it isn’t available with this discount.

Select number of guests to see total sailing price (for one stateroom):

• If you are interested in booking one of these special restricted last-minute rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.
• Small World Vacations is a full service agency, offering a personal travel agent you can contact by email or direct phone number. It costs you nothing to use them, PLUS their FREE onboard credit offer applies to these special fares (the total cruise fare for the stateroom must be at least $1000 to get their onboard credit). 
• Undercover Tourist is a self-service booking site similar to Expedia or Priceline, but with years of focus on the Disney travel market. They offer the special rates mentioned above PLUS they add their own discounts. 

Important details you need to know about Restricted Guarantee fares:

• Can be combined with the Small World Vacations onboard credit offer as well as Undercover Tourist’s own bonus discounts.
• Cannot be combined with any other Disney discount or promotional offers.
• The specific stateroom is assigned by Disney, generally within a week of cruise departure. You cannot select a stateroom number or make special requests as to stateroom location.
• If you book two or more Restricted Guarantee staterooms, there is no way to ensure that they are near each other, or even on the same deck. Disney will put the rooms as close together as they can, but sometimes they just don’t have any rooms left that are near each other.
• Applies to new bookings only. Existing reservations cannot be modified to these new categories.
• Full payment is due at time of booking. Booking holds are not permitted.
• Reservation is non-refundable . (This only applies to situations where you cancel the cruise. If Disney cancels the cruise, for example because of pandemic restrictions, you will get a refund.)
• Reservation and applied payment are non-transferable .
• Full legal names and birthdates for all stateroom occupants are required at time of booking.
• Name changes after booking are not allowed .
• Sail date, stateroom category and cruise itinerary changes are not allowed .
• You can book a maximum of four people per stateroom on a Restricted Guarantee booking.
• There is typically more availability for three or fewer guests per room. All Disney Cruise staterooms can hold three guests, but only some can hold four.
• If you’re looking for these cruise fares on Disney’s web site, look for fares labeled “Guaranteed Inside Stateroom with Restrictions” or similar for Oceanview or Verandah. The key words are “…with restrictions.”

The one major change that you can make after booking: additional guests can be added to a stateroom, subject to space restrictions. Restrictions and booking rules are subject to change.

If you are going on a Disney cruise and think there is any chance you or a friend or relative may want to go on another Disney cruise in the next 24 months, be sure to book a future cruise while you are still onboard the ship . Disney has one of the most generous onboard booking programs in the cruise industry, and it’s a great way to get a discount and lower deposit on a future Disney cruise. When you book a future cruise while still onboard the ship you get all of the following benefits:

• A 10% discount on the final cruise fare (with some blackout dates ; see below). Does not apply to Concierge bookings.
• A lower deposit requirement of only 10% on 7+ night cruises (regular deposit requirement is 20%). Does not apply to Concierge bookings.
• If you booked your current cruise with Small World Vacations and also use them as your agent for the future cruise , you’ll also get half their normal onboard credit . (Note that if you didn’t book your current cruise with Small World Vacations, the onboard booking agents may not let you add Small World as your agent while onboard. In that case, you would have to transfer your booking to Small World after you get home, but you would still be eligible for half their normal credit.)

You can book either a specific cruise or a “placeholder” cruise. A placeholder lets you make a booking without picking a specific cruise. It can be associated with a specific cruise later, after you get home and decide. To book a specific cruise onboard, you put down a deposit of 10% or 20% of the whole fare, depending on the length of the cruise. To book a placeholder, you put down a flat $250 deposit per future stateroom. When you change a placeholder to a specific cruise booking you’ll have to pay any increase in deposit. Keep in mind, there is an advantage to booking a specific cruise as early as possible: you lock in the rate. So, if there is a cruise you might want to take, it’s a good idea to book that specific cruise rather than a placeholder. Even if you’re not 100% sure that’s your perfect cruise, remember you can change it later with no penalty.

If you ultimately decide not to take a cruise, Disney will refund 100% of your deposit or placeholder payment . You always get a 100% refund as long as you haven’t passed the penalty date (120-75 days from sailing, depending on the cruise), and you didn’t book a concierge room or suite. There’s basically no risk, though it does tie up some deposit money while you think about your options.

You can change almost every aspect of your booking as many times as you need to and still keep the benefits . The name of one adult in each stateroom must stay the same, but you can change the names of any of the other guests, or increase or reduce the number of guests. You can change the stateroom category. You can change the ship or the sailing as long as the sail date is within 24 months of the initial booking date. If you end up changing to a more expensive booking, you’ll need to make up the difference between your original deposit and the new deposit. Keep in mind that if you later add a guest to a stateroom, they will get added at current rates, not at your initial booking rates. For the lowest final price and most flexibility, it’s a good idea to make the initial booking with everyone who might go, rather than only the people you know are going to go.

You get the full discount for up to two future staterooms or placeholders per household (i.e. per mailing address). Once you leave the ship, you can’t book more , so we recommend booking two (or more) every time, if you can afford to tie up the deposit money. If you later decide that you want to bring another family along, or put the kids in their own stateroom, you’ll be glad to have two rooms booked with the discount.

You can get the full discount for friends or relatives who are not sailing on your cruise. You’ll need your friends’ full legal names (as written on their passport) and their birth dates. Under the current rules, the first stateroom or placeholder you book with this discount on the future cruise needs to include at least one adult who is on the current cruise, in addition to anyone else you want to add, and then the second stateroom can have anyone in it. For example, say you wanted to book a cruise for your friends, the Smith family. You could book one room for your own family, then book the second room (on the same cruise) for the Smith family.

If you already have a future cruise booked, you can usually “re-shop” your existing booking and get the discount. However, you basically have to make a new booking and cancel the old one, and the price might have gone up since you booked originally, potentially wiping out your discount. Be sure to compare the bottom-line price for both bookings.

A few other terms & conditions:

• There is no discount or lower deposit for 1- or 2-night sailings, IGT, OGT and VGT Restricted Guarantee bookings, or concierge staterooms and suites.
• You can get the 10% discount and reduced deposit on a maximum of two staterooms per household.
• Onboard booking incentives CANNOT be combined with any group discounts organized by a travel agency.
• Disney could change these rules and benefits at any time. Check onboard for the latest terms.

Onboard Discount Blackout Dates:

Please note: there is no 10% discount when you book the following holiday and peak dates onboard (but you do get the smaller deposit):

• Disney Dream : 11/23, 11/27, 12/21, 12/26, 12/30
• Disney Fantasy : 11/23, 12/22, 12/26, 12/29
• Disney Magic : 11/25, 12/29
• Disney Treasure : 12/21, 12/28
• Disney Wish : 11/25, 12/23, 12/27, 12/30
• Disney Wonder : ( none announced yet )
• Disney Dream : 11/22, 11/26, 12/19, 12/22, 12/26
• Disney Fantasy : 11/21, 11/25, 12/21, 12/26, 12/31
• Disney Magic : 11/24, 11/28, 12/24, 12/28
• Disney Treasure: 11/22, 12/20, 12/27
• Disney Wish : 4/14, 4/18, 4/21, 11/24, 11/28, 12/22, 12/26, 12/29
• Disney Dream : 3/30, 4/3, 4/6
• Disney Fantasy : 3/29, 4/3
• Disney Magic : ( none announced yet )
• Disney Treasure: 3/28
• Disney Wish : 3/30, 4/3, 4/6
• Disney Wonder : 3/27, 3/30, 4/3
• The full legal names of everyone who is going to go on the future cruise, as listed on their passport or birth certificate
• The number of rooms you want to book and what type ( inside, outside, verandah or placeholder )
• Who’s in each room ( keeping in mind the maximum passengers for each room type )
• Specific cruises you’re interested in, if you plan to book a cruise and not a placeholder ( or just rough notes with your needs/restrictions like dates or region )
• Birth dates for everyone ( optional, but makes everything go smoother )
• Bring the info with you on the cruise. If you just want to book a basic placeholder, you can do that while on the cruise with the Disney Navigator App on your phone (if you don’t already have it, just search for “Disney Navigator” in the Apple or Google app stores; you can download it before the cruise leaves to save time). If you want to do anything more complicated you’ll need to talk to a consultant at the future cruise desk.
• If you can’t or don’t want to use the the Navigator app, at some point early in the cruise, go to the Future Bookings Desk on deck 4 and either fill out a form, or just put your room number and name on the sheet you brought (if it has all the details on it they’ll need) and drop it in the box. You can also wait for a consultant if they’re there, or check the schedule and come back when they’re scheduled to be there. If you drop off a form, they’ll secure a hold on a reservation and leave a printout by your stateroom door. If the reservation looks good, either go back to the desk to finish the booking or call 7-2848 from your stateroom phone. Either way, when the booking is done ask for a printed confirmation of your final reservation.
• Before you leave the ship, confirm that everything is correct . You should have a printed confirmation or an emailed confirmation. The confirmation should show that your deposit is paid (if not, the booking will be canceled). If this isn’t on your confirmation, go to the Future Bookings Desk or Guest Services and make sure everything is correct. If you are working with a travel agent, verbally confirm that they are listed on the reservation before you leave the ship.
• That’s it! If you booked a “placeholder” cruise, you can start the process of finding your actual cruise. If you are using a travel agent , email them to let them know you booked onboard. Once you’ve settled on the cruise you really want to take, change the booking as soon as you can to the actual sailing date to lock in the lowest possible fares and get the best choice of staterooms.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Florida Residents

New! As of September 7, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Florida Resident category . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for Florida residents , but they do show up occasionally.

Other stateroom categories may be available at other rates. Rates are per adult, based on double occupancy. Occupancy restrictions may apply. Excursions are not included. See Disney Cruise Line brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions. Other discounts do not apply. Only one discount may be used at a time. Rates in US dollars.

A copy of a valid proof of Florida residency for at least one adult in each stateroom needs to be transmitted (via fax or email) within 48 hours when booking with the Florida rate, and the same proof will need to be produced at check-in. The other guests in each stateroom do not need to be Florida residents.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Florida resident rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts For Military

Members of the US military and their families qualify for special cruise rates.

As of September 7, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Military category . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for military members , but they do show up occasionally.

Valid for new bookings only. Other stateroom categories may be available at other rates. Rates based on double occupancy. Occupancy restrictions may apply. Excursions are not included. See Disney Cruise Line brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions. Other discounts do not apply. Only one discount may be used at a time. Rates in US dollars. The following are eligible for the Military rate: active duty or retired military; 100% disabled retired military; reservists for National Guard and Army Reserve with active duty orders (active duty papers must be dated as of January 1st of the previous year to qualify); Department of Defense personnel.

Military personnel may book one stateroom under the military rates program. A second stateroom may be confirmed, if needed, to accommodate immediate family members only. For example, a family of two adults and four children may confirm two staterooms, based on availability, with the offer. Extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) do not qualify as immediate family members for the second stateroom. Active duty or retired military personnel and 100% permanently disabled veterans do not have to travel as long as their spouse has a valid military ID to show at the port. Reservists must be part of the travel party and must show ID at the port.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Military rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Canadian Residents

Canadian residents sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line.

As of September 7, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Canadian Resident category . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for Canadian residents , but they do show up occasionally.

Select number of guests to see total sailing price:

Proof of Canadian residency will be required at time of check-in (your passport is fine).

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Canadian resident rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts for European Residents

European (EEA) residents sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line. When they become available we list them below.

No current offers.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Annual Passholders

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line. When they become available we list them below.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Southern California Residents

Southern California residents (ZIP codes 90000 to 93599) sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line.

Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for Southern California residents , but they do show up occasionally.

A copy of a valid proof of Southern California residency (ZIP codes 90000 to 93599) for at least one adult in each stateroom needs to be transmitted (via fax or email) within 48 hours when booking with the Southern California rate, and the same proof will need to be produced at check-in. The other guests in each stateroom do not need to be Southern California residents.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Southern California resident rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts for UK and Ireland Residents

There’s a useful site listing the latest Disney Cruise Line deals for UK visitors, plus a FREE phone number you can call to learn more and book your cruise!

• Learn more about UK offers for Disney Cruise Line.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Disney Visa Cardholders

Disney Visa cardholders who use their card as their payment method onboard automatically get several discounts on purchases on the ship and on Castaway Cay. In order for this to happen, you have to register your Disney Visa card when you check in at the port. You do not need to charge the cruise fare on your Disney Visa to get the discounts.

You should not need to ask at purchase time to get the discounts; if you have the card registered any discounts should automatically be applied when you make an eligible purchase.

These discounts cannot be combined with any other discounts you might qualify for, such as Disney Vacation Club discounts.

Discounts include:

• 10% off selected merchandise purchases of $50 or more. Excludes sale merchandise, gift cards, Castaway Cay merchandise, DVDs, CDs, big-ticket items like art, jewelry, fragrances, cosmetics and watches, plus several vague catch-all categories like “selected special items.” Basically, ask first if you’ll get the 10% off, if it’s important to your purchase decision.
• 10% off 10-photo, 15-photo, 20-photo or unlimited photo packages.
• 10% off the Castaway Cay Getaway package (combination of snorkeling, bicycle and float or inner-tube rental).
• 20% off full-priced massage or facial treatment in the onboard spa while in port . This does not include massages on Castaway Cay or treatments discounted as part of onboard specials.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Disney Vacation Club Members

Dvc onboard spending discounts.

Disney Vacation Club members get several discounts on purchases onboard any Disney Cruise. You need to ask for the discount and show your Disney Vacation Club card at time of purchase.

This discount cannot be combined with any other discounts you might qualify for, such as Disney Visa discounts. DVC members who only own points purchased via resale after April 4, 2016 are not eligible for discounts, including this one.

• 10% off selected merchandise purchases of $50 or more.
• 10% off any digital photo package.

DVC Cruise Fare Discounts

The following cruises have discounts available for Disney Vacation Club members for up to 3 persons (some may also be available for 4 or 5). Prices given are base fares per person (Guest 1 & 2/Guest 3+). 3rd, 4th and 5th guest fares for children 12 and under will be lower. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise.

Other stateroom categories may be available at other rates. Rates are per adult, based on double occupancy. Occupancy restrictions may apply. Taxes, fees, port expenses and excursions are not included. See Disney Cruise Line brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions. Other discounts do not apply. Only one discount may be used at a time. Rates in US dollars. Offer open only to Disney Vacation Club members.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Disney Vacation Club rates , we recommend filling out a quote form with Small World Vacations . They give you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by email or direct phone number, and we recommend them wholeheartedly ! Best of all, it costs you nothing to use them, PLUS their FREE onboard credit offer applies to these special fares (though note that the total cruise fare must be at least $1000 to get their onboard credit). Be sure to tell them you want to book a Disney Vacation Club fare. You will need to fax or email proof of DVC membership to finalize the booking. Note that these staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Organizing your own group? Disney Specialist travel agents are adept at handling large groups and offer on-board credit and sometimes other incentives. Contact a Disney Specialist travel agency such as Small World Vacations for details. Remember, it costs you nothing to use them!

Costco members can get rebates on Disney cruises, which come in the form of a Costco gift card. However, Costco Travel is not a full-service travel agency: don’t expect much service or information.

In our experience, Costco reps are very nice, but don’t know much about Disney Cruise Line. They almost certainly have never been on a Disney cruise, and may have never been on a cruise of any kind. If you choose to go this route, be prepared to spend time and energy doing your own research about what your package includes and how everything works. Heaven help you if you need to book something complicated like connecting rooms or want to know the pros and cons of different stateroom options. Costco Travel most definitely won’t be able to offer any insider tips on what to expect or help you take advantage of special booking tricks or “secret” room upgrades. Effectively you’re just booking the cruise yourself, but through Costco instead of Disney.

In addition, we find the Costco reps are clueless about Disney’s promotional offers — they really only know about the Costco rebate. You will have to do your own monitoring to see if any specials or price drops come out, and then see if you can get them applied to your booking. A top-notch Disney specialist agency will do this for you automatically, adjusting your reservation to reflect any current offers or discounts.

Travelocity sometimes has special deals on Disney cruises. They are usually fairly last-minute offers, most typically no more than 6 months in advance. Travelocity also sometimes advertises “15% off shore excursions” but be aware that those are privately booked excursions through a company called Port Promotions, NOT the official Disney excursions.

Expedia has the same base prices as everyone else, but occasionally they will have their own additional offer, like onboard credit or extra Expedia rewards points. Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully; in some cases there are sharp limits on the extra rewards or credit, or it will only apply to the cruise fare for the first two guests instead of the entire cruise fare.

Disney Cruise Line Onboard Credit How to

Last Updated on February 23, 2022

Disney Cruise Onboard Credit is basically free money that you get to spend during the course of your cruise vacation. We explain how it works.

What is Disney Cruise Onboard Credit?

Onboard credit, also known as Shipboard credit, is an amount of money placed on your room’s account for onboard purchases during the current vacation.

There are many ways to get onboard credit and even more ways to spend them.

How can onboard credit be used?

Ways to use Onboard Credit

• Alcoholic beverages
• Gratuity (given at your discretion)
• Port Adventures booked through Disney Cruise Line
• At shipboard spa and salons
• Adult Exclusive Dining
• Gift shop purchases
• Photo Purchase
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• Some room service items, specialty ice cream shops on the Dream & Fantasy, specialty coffee shop, smoothies, popcorn
• Anything else that would be charged to your stateroom

Ways to Get Disney Cruise Onboard Credit

Once upon a time, Disney used to offer Placeholder discounts of 10% on your next cruise booking, plus $100 onboard credit. Since September 2019, Disney Cruise Line has removed onboard credit as a sales incentive.

This is a good thing. Your Placeholder credit wasn’t stackable with the amazing deals a travel agent could get you. Now you can have your cake and eat it too.

Onboard Credit from Disney Travel Agencies

As a sales incentive, many Disney Authorized Travel Agencies will offer onboard credit when booking with them. Use a Travel Agent That Offers an Onboard Credit

The amount of shipboard credit you receive depends on the total cost of your Disney cruise. In other words, the more you spend, the higher the dollar amount of onboard credit you will likely receive.

We book all of our cruises through a travel agent.  You can read my post about the  pros and cons of using a travel agent here . 

Best Disney Travel Agencies for Onboard Credit

While many Travel Agencies are capable of planning an amazing Disney Cruise vacation for your family, Disney only allows the best of the best to be categorized as Earmarked, meaning they have been authenticated by Disney and are Authorized Disney Vacation Planners.

How to book with a Disney Travel Agency and retain your Placeholder discount

Since we just mentioned that you can have both your placeholder discount and Travel Agency incentive, here is how all that works.

When you visit the Rebooking desk, you will be asked if you have a Travel Agent. You either have one that booked your current cruise or perhaps you are still on the fence about which agency is the best to work with. Either way, you are welcome to fill this part out or leave it blank.

At any point in the next 30 days , and Disney is strict about their 30-day policy, you can have your preferred Travel Agent generate a transfer form. Fill this out and the booking “magically” transfers from Disney (or another agency) to your new Travel Agent. The only catch; is your cruise can’t be paid in full. That’s it.

Your Travel Agent will then be able to apply all character experiences and port excursions to your account, as well as arrange for your OnBoard Credit to be applied when you board the ship.

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10 Questions About Rebooking Onboard a Disney Cruise

Saving money on a Disney cruise is always a good thing, right? Did you know you can save money on a future Disney cruise by booking your next Disney cruise while onboard? Well, you can! All you have to do is go to Future Cruise Sales Desk onboard, or talk to the concierge team if you are sailing concierge, and either fill out a form to drop off, or sit down to talk and make plans with the cast member at the desk. The deposit amount will be charged to your method of payment on file for your cruise. Does that answer all of your questions? Of course not. So let’s try more information below.

Update – Disney has recently changed their policy for onboard bookings.  The onboard credit is no longer included as a benefit for rebookings for anything besides concierge categories.  Disney Cruise Line Blog has the updated policy .

2. If I Don’t Know What I Want to Book, Can I Rebook Onboard? – Absolutely! If you don’t have a date in mind, or if Disney hasn’t released your preferred sail date yet, you can book what’s called a Placeholder. A Placeholder is a flat $250 and basically reserves your discount. Once you decide what sail date you want to use it for, you’ll move the Placeholder to the correct date and pay the additional deposit, if any, that is due.

3. Do the Rebooking Onboard Benefits Expire? – They do. You must use your onboard booking within two years. Your new sailing must begin within 24 months of the exact day it is booked. No exceptions. If you do not use it, 24 months after your Placeholder is booked, your $250 will automatically be refunded to the original form of payment. If you have a specific date booked and you change it to a date outside of that 24 month window, it will not automatically cancel, but you will not receive any of the benefits.

4. What if I Change My Mind On Sail Dates or Even Sailing Again? – No harm no foul. You can move it as many times as you like, as long as you stick within that 24-month window. If you decide a cruise is not in your plans in the next two years after all, the onboard booking (with the exception of concierge) is fully refundable.

6. Do the Rebooking Onboard Benefits Work on All Itineraries? – They do not. There are some block-out dates where the 10% off and reduced deposit will not apply. You will still get the onboard credit and reduced deposit if applicable. Scott Sanders keeps a good list of which sailings are blocked out on his site. Rebooking onboard benefits also do not apply to two-night sailings.

7. Can I Book for Friends? – Kind of! Each household sailing can book two staterooms on a future sailing. Not each adult, but each household, meaning Dad and Mom in the same room can still only book two staterooms. Both staterooms must be on the same sailing, but you can put anyone you like in the second stateroom. They do not have to be onboard at the time of booking. One name from the time of booking must always stay in each of the staterooms, so if you are a family of two adults, I’d recommend booking one adult in each stateroom. Then if your friends change their mind, you can take someone else! Once you are onboard you can move everyone to the stateroom that everyone will actually be sleeping in.

8. Can I Still Use My Travel Agent With An Onboard Booking? – You can! If you are currently booked with a travel agent, you can request that the new booking remain with that travel agent. If you would like to change agents or didn’t use one the first time, you can transfer the onboard booking to a travel agent within 30 days of booking. Your travel agent will have a form for you to fill out. Disney is very, very strict on that 30 days, so don’t delay! FYI, when a guest rebooks onboard, Disney reduces the amount of commission that is paid to travel agencies who have reached a certain level of sales for Disney Cruise Line. You read that correctly, the agencies that sell the most cruises for Disney are the ones that are penalized when a guest rebooks onboard. Don’t even get me started… Why does this matter to you? If you use a travel agent who offers agency onboard credits, because of the reduced commission, they will usually reduce their onboard credit for onboard bookings. Also of note, if you want to book a concierge stateroom and are hoping to get an agency onboard credit, you may want to forgo the onboard booking. Often the extra agency onboard credit will make up for the loss of the onboard credit from Disney, the only benefit concierge gets when rebooking onboard.

10. If New Itineraries Come Out, Should I Wait and Rebook Onboard? – My answer is no to this one. When you know what you want, go ahead and book it. New itineraries in particular, can jump in price quickly. When you rebook onboard you are getting the 10% discount off the current fare. If the price has gone up more than 10% (plus the onboard credit), you have lost your savings. It’s also possible the category or stateroom you are interested in could be gone if you wait, costing you more in the long run if you have to book up a category. On the other hand, if you’ve booked already, and the price hasn’t gone up that amount, you can “reshop” (or rebook the exact same thing) onboard, and cancel the old booking when you get home. Disney or your travel agent will make sure the original deposit is credited towards the new cruise or refunded, and will even make sure you keep your original stateroom if you so desire.

Do you have any other questions about an onboard booking? Is there anything I’ve left out that you think would be helpful for others to know? Share below!

Tammy Whiting  is the owner of  Storybook Destinations . Did you know Storybook Destinations offers a  complimentary subscription to TouringPlans  with qualified Disney and Universal bookings? Click  here for a no-obligation quote on your next vacation.

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Tammy Whiting

Tammy has been a lover of all things Disney for most of her life. There’s nowhere on this Earth she’d rather be than on a Disney cruise with her family. She’s a Space Force wife and proud mom of two wonderful children and one beautiful daughter-in-law . She fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2008 and became a travel agent specializing in Disney vacations. She now owns her own travel agency - Storybook Destinations. You can reach Tammy at [email protected].

28 thoughts on “ 10 Questions About Rebooking Onboard a Disney Cruise ”

Do you get 10% off if you book an Adventures by Disney trip while aboard a Disney Cruise? Or does the discount just apply to booking a Disney Cruise?

Currently you do not! That could change again one day though!

Hi! We have one we have to use by Jan. 2022. Do you know if Disney will be extending these dates because of COVID? Worst case scenario is that we get our refund back, but it would be nice to have the 10% off!

Hi Paige! They have extended them through the summer of 2022. You just need to apply it to a date before it expires! 🙂

This is great news! Time to start looking at spring/summer 2022 dates. Thank you!

Happy searching!

Hi my travel Agent didn’t give me a handicap room but I need one cause I have a scooter isot to late to change the room I haven’t paid in full yet..

Hi Heather! If there is availability, it’s never too late to change!

Hi! I recently used a placeholder to book a cruise for my husband and I, but now am thinking I would like to switch to a different itinerary and bring our two children along. I had originally listed all four of us on the placeholder for one stateroom but then only booked with my husband and myself on the reservation. Can I still switch it to include all four of us? Thanks!

Can I book a placeholder on board using a combination of DVC points and cash and still receive all the discounts and credits?

Hi Dennis! You can book a placeholder onboard, or call member services within 7 days of getting off the ship to book a date.

My question is about placeholders (future cruise date unknown) vs. onboard booking (for a specific known cruise date). My husband and I are sailing the end of the year, will we both have the option to put down a placeholder for a future cruise? So do we receive 2 separate placeholders? Can we each use our respective placeholder on separate cruise dates? Or must we use our 2 separate placeholders on the exact same cruise-together? The posters all say “Two place holders can be booked per household” but it doesn’t say whether they have to be on the same cruise. But my FB forum says that they MUST be used together on the same cruise. I’m so confused.

Hi Lisa! You can both book a placeholder, but they must be used on the same future cruise. The rules are the same for placeholders, and onboard bookings of specific dates.

Tammy, this article was very helpful. Thanks! This might be some of the ‘facebook confusion’ about back-to-back cruises that Melenie was alluding to above, as my question might be slightly different from hers:

I’m under the impression that if my wife and I are on a cruise in 1 room, that we cannot book a future back-to-back (say, both being 12 months in the future) and get the OBC and 10% discount on BOTH cruises.

I’m glad it helped, Bill!

That is correct. You could book two rooms on the same cruise and get the benefits for both rooms, but you can not get benefits on two separate cruises!

Does the $250 come off of the deposit or the overall total of the cruise? So if my regular deposit is 1200 would it be 950?

It comes off of the new deposit! So your example is correct!

I’m cruising this summer with my husband and kids. Can I book two rooms on a future cruise if my husband is not going? Other room would be for a friends family. You mentioned an adult from current cruise should be booked in each room which would not be possible in my case.

My answer is – possibly. I’ve had some onboard agents let me put someone else in a room if I knew who I was sailing with, no problem. I’ve had others insist that I have one adult in each room. So sit down with them and see what they say. Then let us know! I think you’ll be okay!

Will do! Thanks for help!

Good luck! 🙂

What if you’re n a cruise and decide you want to stay onboard and do a back to back? Can you book that?

If there was availability you could!

Thanks for the response! The prevailing opinion on Facebook is that this is not allowed. Very helpful!

It’s possible they would tell you that it’s too late to book with the onboard booking discount, but I’ve been offered space on the next sailing before. And the savings was more than an onboard booking discount would have been. 🙂

Thanks for the info! I have a question: We are a family a 5, booked into two adjoining staterooms with one adult booked in each room. Does that mean we can rebook two rooms, or four? The only other advice I would give is to remind people that the line at the Future Cruise Sales Desk gets really long on the last night of the cruise.

Technically because you are in the same household, you’ll only be able to book two staterooms, which is a little crazy to me. It doesn’t hurt to ask onboard though!

Very true about the lines! Don’t wait until the end of the cruise!

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I am a mom who loves all things Disney, but especially Disney Cruises! I enjoy sharing everything I have learned and hope that it will help others plan their own vacations.

Disney Cruise Line Onboard Booking Benefits

May 29, 2015 by Disney Cruise Mom 51 Comments

The best way to save money on a Disney cruise is to rebook while onboard.  Here is how the process works:

While on the ship you need to visit the Future Cruise Sales Desk (right next to the atrium) and put down a $250 (per stateroom) deposit ( this increased from $200 on 12/5/15 ). This secures you a place holder without you having to decide on a specific sailing or room at that time. You may go ahead and book a specific sailing if you already know what you want to do, but if not, you can go home and think about it and then choose your sailing and room at a later date. If you change your mind after you get home, the $250 is refundable. Also, you have to start your cruise within 24 months of the day you reserve the placeholder (if you think you will be pushing the limit on this, visit the future cruise desk at the end of your cruise rather than the beginning to gain a few days). If you take advantage of this offer, you will receive:

10% off the base cruise fare (except concierge rooms – no discount for those)

Onboard credit of either $100 (3-6 night cruises) or $200 (7+ night cruises)

DCL removed this onboard credit benefit at the end of September 2019, except for concierge rooms which still get the onboard credit but not the 10% discount

Reduced deposit (10% instead of 20%) for 7+ night cruises

Some important notes:

Every time we have booked another cruise while onboard we were required to pay the deposit with a credit card. They would not charge it to our room (thus not allowing us to use any onboard credit).  You could also use a Disney gift card.

If you reserve a concierge room onboard (or reserve a placeholder onboard and then switch it to a concierge stateroom after you get home), the deposit will always be non-refundable, as is the case with any concierge reservation.  You may move it to different sailings and even downgrade your room category, but that initial deposit amount will always remain nonrefundable.

This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts.

Offer is not valid on 2 night cruises.

This offer is limited to 2 staterooms on 1 future cruise date (per household sailing).

Name changes may by made on the reservation so long as 1 adult on the original booking remains on the reservation.

Certain sailing dates are considered block-out dates and will  NOT  receive the 10% discount.

Finally, just a little bit of information about the Future Cruise Sales Desk onboard the ships.  They are often busy and even if there are only 2 or 3 people ahead of you in line, you may end up waiting for quite a while since some people have lots of questions and need a while to decide exactly what they want to do.  If there are 5 or 6 people in line, you could possibly end up waiting up to an hour or more.  So, if you happen to walk by and there is a Cast Member there AND no line, jump at the opportunity if you can!  The chance may not occur again for the rest of your cruise.  They have recently begun using a virtual line, where you scan your KTTW card to be assigned a place in line.  There is a monitor that shows the line order.  You will get an alert on the Navigator App and a message to your room’s wave phone when you are the next person to be helped. 

Another option is to fill out a card (provided at the desk) stating what you would like to book and drop it in a box on the desk.  This will get you your onboard booking, but obviously will not provide you with an opportunity to ask any questions you may have beforehand.  But, this would be a good option if you know you just want to pay the $250 for the placeholder.

ETA 11/2019:  You can now reserve a placeholder on the Navigator app and avoid the Future Cruise Sales desk altogether.

I strongly encourage you to think about this ahead of time so that you know what you want to do once you get on the ship.  I have talked to people who have not rebooked onboard and really regretted it, so don’t be one of those people!  Have a plan before you get onboard!

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September 23, 2015 at 10:30 am

We plan to book on board–question though…I used target bought disney gift cards to pay for the current. Would you recommend buying them in advance for the deposit too? Or is that overkill?

September 23, 2015 at 10:41 am

I actually do not know if they would allow the use of gift cards for the deposit or not. You may need to call DCL and ask or ask your travel agent, if you use one. I DO know that they will not allow you to charge the deposit to your on board account – it MUST be charged directly to a credit card (I asked because we had an on board credit that I would have loved to have used for the deposit). We have always used the credit card that we have on file for our room charges to be charged to. I guess it is possible that they may view a gift card the same as a credit card and allow you to do it, but unfortunately I do not know the answer to that.

April 9, 2016 at 11:37 pm

Put the cards into the Disney Savings Account and bring your account number with you so that you can use the Disney Savings Account to pay for the $250 deposit.

July 23, 2019 at 2:15 pm

What is a Disney Savings Account? Is it a special Disney-sponsored thing? I’ve never heard of it.

July 23, 2019 at 5:20 pm

Hi Dawn! I’m pretty sure the Disney Savings Account doesn’t exist anymore.

June 9, 2016 at 9:46 pm

Can you still get the 10% discount if you book onboard for a cruise departing less than 4 months away? I’m cruising in 10 days. I would like to book a room (onboard) for my parents to join us on a cruise that we are already booked for in October. Is that doable?

June 10, 2016 at 6:48 am

Yes, less than 4 months away is no problem. However, one name on the new, onboard booking reservation must remain the same or the benefits will be cancelled, so think carefully about whose names you put on which rooms. Your name (or your husbands, if applicable) must be on the new reservation and thus taken off of the old reservation. I have never done something like this so I am not 100% sure on the rules, but the cast member at the future cruise sales desk on the ship will know. Or, if you want to be certain beforehand, you can call DCL and ask. I hope this helps!

July 13, 2016 at 9:13 am

Everything I am reading says that you can do the onboard booking for friends, but that you may have to put your name on the cruise. The information says as long as “One adult in each room remains the same” you can change names on the reservation. However, DCL says that the primary on the reservation cannot be changed, even though that is not exactly what the policy says. Can anyone clarify? We have friends sailing in August that were going to pay our deposit as a gift and book our two rooms for our cruise in September of 2017, but it doesn’t do anyone any good if they have to put their names on it and those names can’t be removed, as they are not sailing on our cruise in Sept 2017. Help please?? Thanks!

July 13, 2016 at 9:49 am

No, they cannot do that unless they are sailing with you on the future cruise. When they are onboard in August, they may reserve up to 2 rooms, on the same sailing, on a future cruise. The wife’s name will be put on one room, and the husband’s name will be put on the other. Your friends must be somewhere on the reservation. You may add/change other people to these 2 rooms, but the initial adult may not change. But, DCL doesn’t care who sleeps in what room but they do have to be on the ship. So what would work, is for your friends to book 2 rooms, and they sail in one room and your family sails in the second room. One of their names will be on your room reservation (and some of your family’s names may be on theirs, depending on room capacity), but each family can sleep in their own room. IF your friends don’t plan to sail with you on the future cruise, then you are out of luck. I think DCL does this to make sure that only past cruisers reap the benefits of the discount. I hope this helps!

August 26, 2016 at 3:16 pm

We have our first cruise scheduled for this November but have already booked another for next Summer. Will we be able to apply the discount onboard on the cruise we booked for next year?

August 26, 2016 at 4:59 pm

Hi Kat! The onboard booking discount only works for new reservations, so you will not be able to apply it to your existing reservation for next summer. But, here’s what to do to get around that…..While onboard, book a new reservation for the same sailing and same stateroom category as your existing summer reservation, pay the new deposit, and then once you get home, cancel the old reservation. Since it is so far out from the sailing, you can still cancel and get your deposit back in full (unless your summer reservation is for concierge, in which case the deposit is nonrefundable and this tactic wouldn’t work, but concierge rooms aren’t eligible for the 10% off anyway). The only thing about this method is that you may or may not be able to get the exact same room, if this is important to you. If you want to try and get the same room, your best bet is to call DCL when you get home from your November cruise (or have your travel agent do it if you are using a TA), and ask them to cancel the old reservation and then immediately switch the newer reservation to that same stateroom once it becomes available again in the system. It may work, but there is always a chance that someone else could grab that room in the few minutes it takes to complete the process. Hope this helps!

November 28, 2016 at 11:18 am

Hi. We just took our first Disney Cruise that ended November 25, 2016 (3 days ago). I went by myself with my 4 children so I was so busy wrangling 4 little kids that I didn’t have the opportunity to explore this further. Is it possible that they might honor the onboard booking discount if I were to book another cruise in the next few days? Thank you!

November 28, 2016 at 1:32 pm

Hi Lara! Unfortunately you are probably out of luck. Occasionally people receive a 10% discount coupon in the mail shortly after their first cruise, if they didn’t rebook onboard. We got one, but it was back in 2013 and I don’t know if they are still doing it or how often. I do hear of people getting them occasionally, but I think it is pretty rare. Cross your fingers and check your mail carefully over the next few months!

November 28, 2016 at 5:00 pm

Aw shucks. I’ll keep an eye out for a mailer. Fingers crossed!

January 11, 2017 at 6:33 pm

To get the onboard credit do we have to pay for the cruise with our Disney Visa or can it be any credit card? Our onboard credit would equal $200 and I would rather get airline miles versus points for cash.

January 11, 2017 at 7:18 pm

Hi Karen! You can use any credit card while rebooking on board and still get the $200 on board credit.

January 26, 2017 at 5:47 pm

I see the question above about friends possibly booking a cruise for friends who are not currently on the cruise. My question is if the family on the cruise books a future cruise and adds a room for a friend, if the first family ends up canceling, does the second family(who was not on the original cruise) still reap the benefits of the 10% discount and onboard credit?

January 27, 2017 at 7:27 am

Hi Jen! The second family would not get the discount if the first family cancels. The rule is that one adult name on each room (the primary reservation holder) must stay the same. The family that goes on the cruise would book 2 rooms for a future cruise at 10% off, and the man would be the primary on one room, and the woman would be the primary on the other room. These names may not be removed without the entire reservations (and thus the 10% off) being cancelled. Hope this helps!

March 30, 2017 at 8:22 pm

Can we book ahead more than one cruise? I’d like to book one in January 2018 and then another in September-October 2018. While on board in May, can I prebook both?

March 30, 2017 at 8:42 pm

While onboard in May, you can book both but you will only get the full benefits (10% off, onboard credit, reduced deposit) for one of them. The other would be a normal booking, although you would still get an onboard credit, but no 10% off and no reduced deposit. You would have to wait until you were onboard in January 2108 to book the one for Sep-Oct 2018 in order to get the 10% off and reduced deposit.

May 18, 2017 at 10:28 am

Hello there! I know this is an older post, but I thought I’d ask anyway… We have an upcoming cruise this September, and I would like to book a cruise for the following September, but I’m concerned that availability may dwindle and prices may go up if I have to wait until our cruise in September to book. Is this fear founded or am I worried over nothing?

May 18, 2017 at 10:37 am

I think it is possible that prices may go up before your cruise in September. The best thing for you to do is to go ahead and book the cruise now, and then when you are onboard in September, “reshop” the same cruise with the future cruise sales person. They will help you determine if it would be cheaper for you to keep your current reservation, or cancel and rebook with the 10% off + onboard credit. If it is cheaper to rebook, then they will make the new reservation for you, and when you get home you can cancel the old one and get a refund of the deposit (as long as it is not concierge, where the deposit is not refundable). I don’t think they could do the cancellation for you onboard, but you could always ask. This way you have ensured that you get the cheapest price possible. I hope this helps!

August 29, 2017 at 2:04 pm

My questions is about the Onboard credit. If you book 2 rooms does each room get $200 OBC or does does room only get $100 OBC so the total reservation is $200? I can’t find an answer to this anywhere.

August 29, 2017 at 3:09 pm

Hi Nancy! If you book 2 rooms, each room gets its own reservation number and therefore each room gets $200 OBC for a total of $400.

September 11, 2017 at 10:51 am

Hello, if i make an onboard booking without date…how many times can i change a reservation if i choose a date and i change my mind later or we cannot travel in that date?

September 11, 2017 at 11:46 am

Hi Carlos! You can change the date as many times as you like as long as the sail date remains within the 24 month window of the original booking date, and as long as it is before the pay in full date of the currently booked cruise as that is the date that cancellation penalties begin to occur if you were to change dates.

September 24, 2017 at 6:33 pm

is there a discount on a 7 day cruise that occurs over thanksgiving

September 24, 2017 at 9:11 pm

Unfortunately, I have never seen a discount on a holiday cruise. In fact, the prices on holiday sailings are usually about double the cost of non-holiday sailings.

October 11, 2017 at 8:05 am

If I book a two night cruise, will I be able to get a placeholder for the next longer cruise? I know you can’t use the placeholder on a two night cruise.

October 11, 2017 at 8:10 am

Hi Amanda! Yes, you can book a placeholder cruise while onboard your 2 night cruise. The placeholder will be subject to black out dates as usual, which like you said includes 2 night cruises.

October 22, 2017 at 9:18 am

Like yours, our travel agent has cut the onboard booking credit in half, Have you found one that still offers full credit? We love the DCL Port Adventures and could use all the onboard credits we can find.

October 22, 2017 at 4:09 pm

Unfortunately, I have not. 🙁

November 2, 2017 at 4:13 pm

Hello! I think you’ve answer this question, but I want to clarify because my travel agent thinks differently. I did the place holder for 2 rooms on a cruise back in May. My intention was to use one room for my family, and one for a friend. I had forgotten about the 10% discount, but my travel agent said that it will only be applied to one room. I asked if she put my name on one room, and my husband’s on the other, could the discount be applied and she said no. Is this true? Should I call DCL directly?

November 2, 2017 at 4:58 pm

As far as I know, as long as your name is the primary name on one room, your husband’s name is the primary on the other, and your kids and the other family are spread out amongst the 2 rooms, then the 10% discount should apply to both rooms as long as they are for the same sailing (of course DCL doesn’t care where people sleep and will even change whose cards open which room after you board). But, I’m pretty sure that the primary name on each room cannot change once the reservation is initially made, or the discount will be lost. So, you would to have needed to name you and your husband as the primary guests of each room when you made the placeholder on the ship, which you had to have done unless there were other adults traveling with you, because a child cannot be the primary guest. If you did this, then you can add/switch out the other names on each reservation without losing the discount. Of course DCL has the final say on this, but this is the way I have always understood that it worked. Hope this helps!

November 7, 2017 at 8:07 pm

Hi! Are the transatlantic cruises normally eligible for the 10% off onboard reservation discount? Thanks!

November 8, 2017 at 9:39 am

Hi Karina! So far, the transatlantic cruises have all been eligible for the 10% discount, and I don’t expect that to change.

February 17, 2018 at 10:40 am

Is the $250 applied toward the cost of your cruise?

February 17, 2018 at 10:59 am

Hi Dara! Yes, the $250 goes towards the cost of the cruise.

March 9, 2018 at 3:07 pm

Is the 10% discount applied to the total cost of the cruise or only to the cruise price excluding port taxes etc.

March 9, 2018 at 4:15 pm

The discount only applies to the cruise fare, not taxes & port fees.

May 23, 2018 at 1:02 am

I put down a deposit for my next Disney Cruise while onboard. This was 5 months ago. I’m now ready to book my next cruise for next year. How do I get my deposit applied to my next cruise?

I have a reservation #. Do I put that number somewhere to apply the credit?\

Just curious.

June 25, 2018 at 12:54 pm

If you do this on board, is the $250 party of what you would be paying for the cruise or its an extra fee to just hold a spot and a cruise?

June 25, 2018 at 2:50 pm

It is applied to the price of the cruise.

August 1, 2018 at 11:41 pm

We booked a placeholder on April 23, 2018.

Does the next cruise have to be completed (meaning disembarked / cruise over) by April 23,2020?

Do we just need to have a sail date that embarks prior to April 23,2020 (ie: Sail date April 18, 2020 and ends April 25, 2018)

Thank you in advance!

August 2, 2018 at 11:02 am

Hi Joe! According to my travel agent, the cruise only needs to start no later than April 23, 2020, and it can end after that date.

August 2, 2018 at 4:33 pm

Thanks for the speedy reply! This is what we were thinking!

March 16, 2019 at 8:08 pm

Hi! I have already booked a cruise for December 2020 because I needed to get a HA room for my parents and there was only one that had an available room next door (2 cabins total). I wanted to know if I could cancel/rebook the exact same rooms onboard when I cruise in July? Also, I booked directly though Disney because I wanted the process to be easier to rebook, but am I shooting myself in the foot by skipping out on using a TA for onboard credit? My concern is that my cruise will have increased in price by July which would negate my 10% discount and the chance of a decent onboard credit. July is my first cruise, so I am a newbie. Thanks in advance.

March 16, 2019 at 10:05 pm

Hi Shellie! Since you booked through DCL and not a travel agent, you may be able to cancel & rebook onboard and get the same rooms. I don’t know for sure as I’ve never tried it, but you should talk to the booking agent onboard about it and see what they say – they might be able to do it for you. If not, they could give you advice for the best way to go about it. If you had used a TA, I am almost certain you would not have been able to cancel/rebook the same rooms onboard because your TA would have to do the cancellation, the agent onboard would not be able to cancel it. So, it may be to your advantage that you did not use a TA. However, you are right about the prices possibly going up enough to negate the 10% off and onboard credit. That is just the nature of the game and there is no way to avoid that – you just have to take your chances and have the booking agent onboard do the math and see if it’s a better deal to cancel/rebook or keep the original reservation. Also, you have 30 days to transfer a reservation booked through DCL to a travel agent. Some travel agents will only give half on their typical onboard credit amounts to transferred reservations vs. reservations initially booked by them – you would have to check and see if the agents you are interested in do that or not. I hope this helps and please don’t hesitate to ask more questions if you think of any!

March 17, 2019 at 2:48 pm

Thanks so much for your speedy response!

September 3, 2019 at 12:11 pm

I am travelling with my husband and granddaughter in Feb and would like to do two placeholders. My granddaughter is 10 and the second room would be for her and her parents travelling with us on a future cruise. Can I book the second room in her name even though she is a minor, or does the lead name need to be an adult. I’m trying to avoid having to deal with changing our room keys around once we are on board the new cruise.

September 3, 2019 at 4:50 pm

Hi Valerie! Unfortunately the lead person on each room must be an adult so after boarding you will have to go to guest services and while they can’t reprogram a card to open a different room, they can give those that need it a second card that will only serve to open the room that they are staying in.

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Disney Cruise Onboard Credit

How to find the best onboard credit promotions for your next disney cruise line vacation.

Disney Cruise onboard credit is often referred to as a bonus , a promotion , or an incentive . You can also think of it as free money offered to you by travel agencies when you book a cruise. Whatever you want to call it, onboard credit for Disney Cruises is definitely something you want to take advantage of. It will reduce some of your cruise ship expenses so that the total cost won’t be as burdensome.

So what counts as onboard credit, how can you use it on your next Disney Cruise Line vacation, and who exactly offers this perk?

Continue reading and you’ll find out everything you need to know about Disney Cruise onboard credit.

What is Disney Cruise Onboard Credit?

What is Onboard Credit?

Onboard credit (also called shipboard credit ) is a special promotion that many travel agencies offer their clients as an incentive to book a cruise. More specifically, it’s a certain amount of money you’ll receive that’s meant to be applied toward the balance on your stateroom account.

The amount of shipboard credit you receive (from your travel agency) will depend on the total cost of your Disney cruise .  In other words, the more you spend, the higher the dollar amount of onboard credit you’ll likely receive.

In recent years, awarding onboard credit has become more of the standard practice in the cruise industry.  As the landscape has become increasingly more competitive, travel agencies are doing what they can to entice new clients.

This is great news for you – the client – because most of the reputable Disney travel agencies now offer onboard credit when you book a Disney Cruise Line vacation.

Another way to obtain onboard credit is if you were to book a future Disney cruise while you’re currently on a Disney cruise. However, booking a cruise in this manner typically results in fewer onboard credits  (but more in the way of attractive discounts and reduced deposits).

How is Onboard Credit Applied on Disney Cruises?

Onboard credit can be applied to purchases on the ship which would otherwise be added to your stateroom expenses.

For example, if you have a $400 onboard credit applied to your account, this means that these extra expenses you charge to your stateroom will automatically be deducted from your $400 onboard credit. After that, any expenses you accrue beyond that $400 credit will be your own expense to cover via cash or credit card.

So you can think of onboard credit as free money to spend as you wish while you are onboard a Disney Cruise Line ship.

It’s a pretty great deal!

What can be charged to your Disney cruise onboard account?  Here are some specific ways to spend your cash bonus:

Ways to use Onboard Credit

• Alcoholic beverages
• Gratuity (given at your discretion)
• Port Adventures booked through Disney Cruise Line (read more )
• At shipboard spa and salons (see list )
• Adult Exclusive Dining (see list )
• Upcharge Character Dining experiences
• Upcharge experiences on Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay
• Gift shop purchases
• Photo Purchase
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• Some room service items, specialty ice cream shops on the Dream & Fantasy, specialty coffee shop, smoothies, popcorn
• Anything else that would be charged to your stateroom

Ways to Get Disney Cruise Onboard Credit

Onboard Credit from Disney Travel Agencies

The most common way to obtain onboard credit when cruising with Disney is through a travel agency.

Whether you work with a large Disney travel agency or an individual travel agent, you should always ask them about onboard credit before you book a trip .

We find that the most reputable Disney travel agencies do offer their clients onboard credit as a booking bonus. Some of the larger and most aggressive travel agencies offer a sliding scale of up to $1000 in onboard credits.

Rates vary from agency to agency and they are subject to change at any time. Therefore, it’s best to lock in a great deal when you see it.

If you contact a travel agency that doesn’t offer a generous amount of onboard credit, it would be wise to skip them and find one who does!

Best Disney Travel Agencies for Onboard Credit

Read our  Disney travel planners article to learn about the benefits of using a travel agency to help you book a Disney vacation. They can help you plan and book a Disney cruise, as well as find the best cruise packages for your needs.

Hint: We recommend The Vacationeer because of their generous onboard credit promotion and excellent customer service. See their pay-out schedule  here .

Booking your Next Cruise While on a Cruise

While you are already aboard a cruise, Disney sales associates try to lure you into booking another cruise in the future.  They offer some great deals, lower deposits, as well as some great onboard credits.

If you think you may want to set sail again, we recommend that you first compare the deals Disney offers with the onboard credits a travel agency offers before you commit to anything.

Since onboard credits and Disney packages tend to vary, there’s no clear-cut way of knowing which method of booking (directly with Disney or via a travel agency) will save you the most money without calling around first.

How do Payments Work on Disney Cruise Ships?

Many people wonder if they’ll need to bring cash, credit cards, or foreign currency with them on the cruise. The simple answer is “no.”

All purchases, services, and incidentals will be charged to your stateroom folio while you are on the ship.

However, you may wish to carry cash or a credit card when you are in port to buy items such as souvenirs and snacks.

Avoid Credit Card Issues

To ensure you won’t have any problems using your card during the cruise, it may be a good idea to contact your credit card company to give them a heads-up that you will be traveling outside of your home country.

Payments on the Ship

Shipboard transactions are processed in US dollars and handled in a trouble-free, cashless way. Services and purchases – including beverages, souvenirs, gratuities , photography, spas, salons,  laundry, and medical services – will accumulate on your stateroom folio and be charged thereafter.

Upon check-in at the Disney Cruise Line terminal, you may present your credit card to be used for charging incidentals. The following cards will be accepted:

• American Express
• Discover Credit Card
• Disney Visa Credit Card
• Diners Club International
• Japanese Credit Bureau

To make payments toward your folio, you may choose to use the credit card on file, make payments with cash, or use American Express-issued Travelers Cheques denominated in United States Dollars.  If you happen to have any old Disney Dollars laying around, you can use those, too.

Disney Cruise Line policy requires that all charges must be settled before leaving the ship.

Payments in Ports of Calls

In the  Caribbean  and the  Bahamas , major credit cards and U.S. dollars are accepted nearly everywhere.

For European and Mediterranean Disney cruises, USD paper currency or American Express Travelers Cheques in USD are the preferred currency choices in ports for foreign currency exchange in local currency or euros.

Major credit cards with embedded chips (especially Mastercard and Visa) are accepted by most merchants in these ports of call.

We hope that you can apply some of this information to get the most value out of your Disney Cruise ship vacation. Enjoy your voyage!

Thank you for reading our Disney Cruise Onboard Credit page. Hopefully, this article will help you formulate a plan to save money on your stateroom expenses.

For more useful Disney vacation information, please review additional pages on  MagicGuides  like our   Book a Disney Cruise , Disney Cruise Ships Ranked , Disney World Map , Disney World for Adults , Disney World Weather ,  and Reasons to Use a Disney Travel Agent articles.

Please contact The Vacationeer at 1-833-4MY-TRIP – or via the contact form – to get started. They can help you plan and book your next Disney cruise ship vacation – at no cost to you. Plus, you will receive valuable onboard credits for your next cruise!

We hope you have a magical Disney cruise ship vacation!

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What Is A Disney Cruise Placeholder? Plus 3 Perks To Placing One

• Cruises and Sailing
• Disney Cruises
• Types of Travel

A Disney Cruise placeholder is an incentive to book future cruises only available to passengers while they’re on a Disney Cruise. 

If sailing with Disney Cruise Line is in your future, you’ll want to be savvy about Disney Cruise placeholders (referred to by Disney as “onboard booking offers”) before setting sail. There are so many fun things to do on Disney ships that, while they’re not a secret, it’s easy to miss booking that cruise placeholder if you don’t know the opportunity exists. This guide to placeholders and the perks (and limitations) of booking one will give you all the information to help you decide whether signing up for this discount is right for you. Spoiler alert: It probably is.

If you’ve enjoyed your time aboard one of Disney Cruise Line’s five ships and can reasonably foresee another cruise within the next 2 years, booking a placeholder makes sense and gives you something to look forward to between vacations.

What’s A Disney Cruise Placeholder?

Pretty much what it sounds like. While you don’t actually book your future cruise while you’re on a Disney Cruise, you pay a deposit that sets you up for a future discount that can be used within the next 24 months. You’ll get an overall 10 percent discount on your cruise when you book it.

The deposit is $250 per stateroom, which will go toward the cost of your future cruise. If you work with a travel planner, you’ll have 30 days to transfer the booking. Disney Cruise Line will send you a confirmation email, so just forward that to your planner/agent if you use one.

Here are some perks of booking a Disney Cruise placeholder.

1. It’s Super Easy

Here’s how to do it. If you want to take advantage of the cruise placeholder, you can do it on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app (available on Google Play and the App Store ). A couple of taps is all it takes, and the credit card associated with your stateroom will be charged. You’ll be able to see the charge in your folio, along with anything else you might have charged to your stateroom while on board (like alcohol, souvenirs, spa treatments, and so on.)

If you’re tech challenged, you can look for the Future Cruise Desk on board. Disney Cruise Line has gone increasingly digital (one recent unpopular decision was to eliminate the paper Navigator that listed daily activities), and you might have a difficult time finding the Future Cruise Desk manned. We’ve seen the Future Cruise Desk on our last two Disney Cruises (both in 2022) but haven’t seen humans at that desk once. If you want to talk to a live person before booking a cruise placeholder, or just need help, go to guest services.

You can book up to two staterooms (one sail date) per household on board.

2. It Saves You Money

Disney Cruise Line’s prices are at the high end of the cruise pricing spectrum. If you’re looking for discount prices on cruises, Disney isn’t typically going to be where you look. The cruise placeholder discount is one of the few that Disney Cruise Line consistently offers.

Ten percent off your cruise might not seem like a ton, but it’s about as good of a discount as you’re going to get with Disney. The initial deposit also goes toward the cost of your future cruise. You may be required to pay an additional deposit when you actually go to book your cruise, but your cost will be reduced by $250, so the amount may not seem as daunting.

3. It Mitigates The ‘Sad Trombone’ Of Getting Off The Ship

Cruise time always seems to be at warp speed for me. I look forward to my cruise for what seems like ages, and it’s over all too quickly. Our family is always a little mopey on that last day because we don’t want our good times to come to an end. Booking the cruise placeholder gives you that little treat to look forward to and turns a goodbye into a “See you real soon.”

Guardrails And Limitations To Be Aware Of

While booking a cruise placeholder is a good deal, there are some limitations passengers need to be aware of before they start pushing buttons in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.

Don’t wait too long. The link to the placeholder in the app goes away at midnight on the last full day of the cruise, although you can check with guest services if you miss the booking window in the app.

Disney is strict with the dates. The placeholder is good for 24 months, not 24 months and 1 day. Reserve your placeholder as late in the cruise as possible (so as little as possible of your 24-month clock is ticking while you’re still on board), but don’t leave the actual booking until the last minute.

The Disney Cruise placeholder discount cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts. “The onboard booking offer (AKA placeholder) can be a great value to save on a Disney Cruise,” says Disney Cruise Travel Planner Karen Shelton . “Sadly, all concierge staterooms and suites are excluded from the discount.” If you’ve got your heart set on concierge, this discount won’t be any good to you. 

The biggest drawback to booking a cruise when you’ve reserved a placeholder is that you must call and book your cruise versus reserving online. Traditionally, travelers have experienced long hold times on opening day (the first day new cruises/routes are available to book), but cruisers have reported ordinary calls to the Disney Cruise Line call center to be extra long in 2022. You can eliminate the wait time by giving the cruise over to a travel agent (they’ll be the ones waiting on hold, not you), but you’ve only got a 30-day window to do that.

What’s The Catch?

There really isn’t one. Booking a placeholder is about as zero risk as it gets. If you don’t book a cruise within the allotted time, your deposit will be returned to you. You’ve got 2 years to find a cruise, book it, and sail, but if that doesn’t happen, you’ll get your full deposit back. Other than having $250 tied up for 2 years, there’s no risk to booking a cruise placeholder, so if you think you’re going to want to be a repeated Disney cruiser within the allotted time, booking that placeholder is probably a smart decision.

Related Reading:

• 6 Tips For Saving Money On Drinks During Your Disney Cruise
• Here Are My 10 Favorite Experiences On Board The First Disney Wish Cruise
• 5 Best Small Ship Cruise Lines

Although Jill is an expert in Texas travel and theme park travel, she'll jump at the opportunity to go just about anywhere. From multigenerational trips to couples getaways, Jill never met an adventure she didn't like. Her most memorable travel experience was when her adult daughter took her to Morocco for her 52nd birthday, affirming that the travel bug has been successfully passed to a new generation.

The Easiest Way to Save Money on a Disney Cruise – That Even Experienced Cruisers Miss

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Imagine sailing the seas with Mickey Mouse, enjoying great shows, and making unforgettable family memories—all while saving money.

Sounds too good to be true?

Not with a Disney Cruise Placeholder.

This special booking option lets you save money on future Disney cruises and gives you the flexibility to plan your dream vacation later.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Disney Cruise Placeholders, from how they work to the benefits they offer.

What is a Disney Cruise Placeholder?

A Disney Cruise Placeholder, also called a “dummy booking,” is a reservation you make while you’re on a Disney cruise.

This placeholder lets you book a future Disney cruise within 24 months, often at a lower price and with extra onboard credits.

The best part?

You don’t have to pick the exact cruise dates or itinerary right away.

You are probably thinking there is a catch?

Not really, but the only thing is that you do have to be sailing on a Disney Cruise to book a placeholder.

But you would be suprised by how many people sail on a Disney cruise and completely miss out on this benefit because they do not realize it is available.

Do not be one of those people!

How to Book a Disney Cruise Placeholder

• Be Onboard a Disney Cruise : You must be on a Disney cruise to book a placeholder. You can’t do this after you leave the ship.
• Visit the Navigator App Remember once again this has to be during your cruise. If you have any difficulty finding this on the App then just go to Guest Services and they will help you.
• Pay the Deposit : You need to pay a $250 deposit to secure your placeholder. This deposit is fully refundable if you decide not to book a future cruise within 24 months of the date that it is paid. This can be paid with the credit card that is linked to your onboard account.
• Receive Confirmation : After paying the deposit, you’ll get a confirmation of your placeholder booking sent to your email. This will have a booking number, which you will need to know when you book your placeholder cruise.
• When You are Ready to Book you need to call the Disney Cruise Line Call Center at (800) 951-3532 to convert your placeholder to a booked reservation.

Important Considerations

• Eligibility : Only guests currently on a Disney cruise can book a placeholder.
• Time Frame : You have 24 months from the booking date to use your placeholder.
• How Many : You can only book up to 2 staterooms on one sail date per household on board regardless of the number of adults in the household. 
• Not for Concierge : you can use your placeholder for any stateroom in catogories 4 to 11. This means that you can’t use a placeholder for a booking of a Concierge stateroom.

Related: Experiences that are Worth the Cost on Your Disney Cruise

Benefits of Booking a Disney Cruise Placeholder

Financial Savings

One of the biggest benefits of booking a Disney Cruise Placeholder is saving money as you will get a 10% discount on your next cruise.

Reduced Deposit

If you book a cruise that is 7 nights or longer with your placeholder you will pay a reduced deposit.

Flexibility and Peace of Mind

A Disney Cruise Placeholder offers great flexibility.

You don’t have to decide on the specific cruise dates or itinerary right away, giving you plenty of time to plan with family and friends. Plus, knowing you have a future Disney cruise secured can give you peace of mind and something exciting to look forward to.

Is there an Onboard Credit With a Placeholder?

It used to be that you did get an onboard credit if you booked a placeholder with Disney, but that benefit is not available anymore.

If you are interested in getting an onboard credit for your Disney Cruise then contact our recommended Disney Authorized Diamond Cruise Planners at The Vacationeer.

Their travel agents are there to help you in any way they can, and have experienced sailing on Disney ships, so they know all the inside tips and will help you get the best rates and staterooms.

Maximizing Your Disney Cruise Placeholder

While the placeholder gives you flexibility, it’s still a good idea to start planning your future cruise early. Popular itineraries and sail dates can fill up quickly, so having a general idea of when and where you want to sail can help you get your preferred options.

Combine with Other Discounts

Disney Cruise Line sometimes offers extra promotions and discounts. Keep an eye out for these deals, as you can sometimes combine them with your placeholder booking for even more savings.

Related: Disney Cruise Special Offers

Common Questions About Disney Cruise Placeholders

Can I book multiple placeholders?

Yes, you can book multiple placeholders, but each requires a separate $250 deposit. This can be useful for families or groups planning to book multiple staterooms.

What happens if I don’t use my placeholder within 24 months?

If you don’t use your placeholder within the 24-month window, your deposit will be refunded, and the placeholder will be canceled.

Can I transfer my placeholder to someone else?

No, placeholders are non-transferable and must be used by the person who booked them.

Are there any restrictions on which cruises I can book with a placeholder?

Yes, you can often combine your placeholder with other discounts or promotions, but it’s always a good idea to confirm with Disney Cruise Line or your travel agent.

Here are the block out dates for 2024/2025 at the time this article was written.

Disney Dream

03/31/2024 11/23/2024 11/27/2024 12/21/2024 12/26/2024 12/30/2024

Disney Fantasy

03/23/2024 03/30/2024 06/08/2024 11/23/2024 12/22/2024 12/26/2024 12/29/2024

Disney Magic

06/06/2024 11/25/2024 12/29/2024

Disney Wish

03/25/2024 03/29/2024 04/01/2024 11/25/2024 12/23/2024 12/27/2024 12/30/2024 04/14/2025 04/18/2025 04/21/2025

Disney Treasure

12/21/2024 12/28/2024

How do I apply my placeholder when booking a future cruise?

When you’re ready to book your future cruise, simply contact Disney Cruise Line or your travel agent and provide your placeholder confirmation number. They will apply the placeholder to your new booking and any applicable discounts or onboard credits.

Final Thoughts

A Disney Cruise Placeholder is a great way to save money and enjoy the flexibility of planning your dream Disney cruise.

By booking a placeholder while onboard you will get a 10% discount for most cruises. Whether you’re a seasoned Disney cruiser or planning your first voyage, a placeholder can make your next Disney cruise even more magical.

How much does a Disney Cruise Placeholder cost?

A Disney Cruise Placeholder requires a $250 deposit, which is fully refundable if you decide not to book a future cruise.

Can I book a placeholder for someone else?

What is the time frame for using a Disney Cruise Placeholder?

You have 24 months from the date of booking to use your placeholder for a future Disney cruise.

Can I use a placeholder for any Disney cruise?

Placeholders can be used for most Disney cruises, but there may be some restrictions on certain sailings. Check with Disney Cruise Line for specific details.

Can I combine a placeholder with other discounts or promotions?

Yes, you can often combine your placeholder with other discounts or promotions, but it’s best to confirm with Disney Cruise Line or your Travel Agent to ensure compatibility.

Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando.  In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.

Wednesday 12th of June 2024

A placeholder use to come with $200 onboard credit and Disney took it away along with many other great benefits over the years. But they did add something... the increasing cost of the cruise and less benefits!

I remember those days. It used to be a lot more of a benefit.

The Disney Cruise Line Blog

An unofficial disney cruise line news, information, weather, and photo blog..

Onboard Booking Benefits Expiration Date Calculator

Use this calculator to quickly determine when your onboard booking benefits will expire. As of October 28, 2014 you have 2 years from the time you original book to set sail. You can learn more about the Onboard Booking promotion including the sail date excluded from the offer here .

The calculation is currently based on 730 days which we recently learned is the number DCL is using to calculate this date on their end. Please keep in mind DCL can change or modify this variable at any time without prior notice. To be safe always check with DCL before it is too late.

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9 Replies to “Onboard Booking Benefits Expiration Date Calculator”

I learned that DCL calculates by the number of days rather than months. Several emails back-and-forth finally resulted in the following information: I need to sail by Saturday February 13, 2016, for a cruise booked on Friday August 15, 2014. This differs from your calculator by a few days, but is significant enough to influence cruise plans if I intend to retain my OBB benefits.

Denise, Thank you for sharing this information. I was hoping DCL assumed 30 days per month (540 days), but in your case this is a difference of 547 days. I guess it could be 540 +7 days to account for the different number of days in a months and to give guest flexibility to embark during the last week of the booking window.

Scott, when calculating the OBB date, does the new booked cruise need to start by that date or end by that date?

Tammy, I want to say start, but I have not been able to get a clear answer. Ultimately, when it is close, I’d suggest having this discussion with DCL.

what is Onboard Booking Benefits ??

Esra, You can read all about the offer in this PDF .

Does this also apply for just the $200 deposit (no specific cruise selected, just a deposit placed to be used for later date?)

This is an older thread, but being a new Disney Cruiser the info would be helpful to understand. The referenced pdf link by Scott Sanders goes to nowhere now. A page somewhere on this site with some basic explanation of what to expect for the Onboard Booking benefits would be helpful.

Hi Patrick, I updated broken link to now bring up the PDF. You can find more information about the onboard booking promotion on this page .

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