When Did They Start the Placeholder?

[g3pak]

Hey Friends,

We went on a cruise in March and I booked a dummy cruise for next Fall so we can change to a legit cruise when we decide what we want. I did not know they started the placeholder option. When did they start this?

 

[lanejudy]

I want to say it's been at least a couple of years now...

 

[JimGA]

Am I allowed to book a placeholder through a Travel Agency?

 

[lanejudy]

Well, a "placeholder" can only be booked onboard a cruise -- it's to hold a reservation for an as-yet-undecided future cruise date. If your current cruise was booked using a TA, you can name that same TA to the placeholder reservation. If you did not use a TA or want to change TA, you can transfer the placeholder after you are back on land.

 

[DCLDVC1]

March 2015

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Well, a "placeholder" can only be booked onboard a cruise -- it's to hold a reservation for an as-yet-undecided future cruise date. If your current cruise was booked using a TA, you can name that same TA to the placeholder reservation. If you did not use a TA or want to change TA, you can transfer the placeholder after you are back on land.

Such transfers must be done within 30 days.

 

[gismo1554]

I booked my placeholder in 2015 and am using in September (last possible date I could). I also specified my TA when booking so it was eventually moved to her (originally they put me as the TA but then I worked out what they did). Just make sure that you check it to make sure. Its a good option for booking future cruises. The two year thing is a little bit of a pain as I am probably aiming for the 2019 transatlantic and the dates need to fit in that two year window. knowing my luck I'll be one day out lol

 

[g3pak]

Thanks everyone. Somehow I missed that option so I just booked a 3 day dummy cruise as a placeholder. Oh yeah, we used Costco for our cruise in March and I put them down for our next one, but I did not see that they did not get Costco entered when they set it up. I called just the other day and they said "sorry, it has been more than 30 days so we can't help you." Ugh

 

[SteveMP]

I want to say it's been at least a couple of years now...

We did ours Nov 2015.

 

[gismo1554]

Thanks everyone. Somehow I missed that option so I just booked a 3 day dummy cruise as a placeholder. Oh yeah, we used Costco for our cruise in March and I put them down for our next one, but I did not see that they did not get Costco entered when they set it up. I called just the other day and they said "sorry, it has been more than 30 days so we can't help you." Ugh

Its a bit of a pain to be honest as you now have to check it did go through. I emailed my TA when I got back and said I'd booked one. I had an email didn't even look at and then about a week later my TA mentioned she still hadn't received my booking. It was only then I checked the booking and it had me down as the TA. Luckily it was within the 30 days but I can imagine how frustrating it would be if it had been outside those.

 

[Disneybridewifemama]

If we have an existing reservation for a future cruise, can I transfer that to a dummy cruise once I'm on board to be able to get the discount?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If we have an existing reservation for a future cruise, can I transfer that to a dummy cruise once I'm on board to be able to get the discount?

I believe the onboard bookings (to get the perks) must be a new booking. I know that, if you "reshop" an existing reservation onboard, they have to cancel the existing one and make a new one. You don't just transfer the reservation to an onboard booking.