Disney Cruise Line’s onboard booking promotional offer has been revised and will go into effect across the fleet, beginning with the Disney Fantasy on September 28, 2019.
In the notice, Disney Cruise Line states they regularly evaluate and adjust promotional offers based on a variety of factors. Guests who would like to book a future cruise while onboard may visit the Vacation Planning Desk to learn more.
Sailing Guests booking a future Disney Cruise Line vacation, in stateroom categories 4A – 11C, will still receive a 10% discount. Also, those Guests booking cruises that are seven nights or longer will still receive 50% off the required upfront deposit.
However, this offer will no longer include an onboard credit. This promotional offer is unique to sailing Guests and not available through any other booking channel.
This revised onboard booking promotional offer goes into effect on the following dates:
- Disney Fantasy – September 28, 2019
- Disney Magic – September 30, 2019
- Disney Wonder – September 30, 2019
- Disney Dream – September 30, 2019
For reservations booked prior to September 28, 2019 onboard the Disney Fantasy and September 30, 2019 onboard Disney Magic, Disney Dream and Disney Wonder, an onboard credit will still be offered.
Tracy from Travel on a Dream, spoke with Disney and was informed that concierge and friends as well as family bookings (cast member promotion) will still get the onboard credit as they are not getting a discount. Basically, it’s one or the other.
While not specifically mentioned, it would appear any previously purchased placeholders will still include the onboard credit as they were purchased prior to the policy change.
More details on this offer such as blockout dates are available on our Onboard Booking page which will be updated as more details surface starting next week.
Come on Disney, you are already raising prices. Now you are removing benefits. Not cool
Have to agree, this is pretty cheap of them. Maybe not the Disney experience on another cruise line but hard not to notice the significant difference in prices. Don’t want to leave Disney, but not sure we can continue justifying the prices. The loss of the OBC is just another reason to not rebook.
This is a good time to voice your concerns. When Disney limited the OBB window to 18 months I contacted DCL to share with them how that policy had lead me to not book OB for the first time since I started cruising Disney. My family had reached our limit with 3/4 night cruises and to make a 7 night work we needed 2 years to fund it. While I don’t have any illusions that my call/email made a difference, I also know I wasn’t the only one and if Disney gets a sense that a policy might hurt brand loyalty, they would be wise to reconsider it.
I agree, we are loyal Disney cruisers and we tell our friends how great they are. We just sailed in Fantasy with our friends which made our group 11 total. They paid for two rooms because of family size. Having to give up perks like this is exactly what turns people away. Build the ships and the people will come, but don’t loose the magic. As it is our kids are 7,14, and 16. We will have to pay for 4 adults next time. That will probably make these to expensive for us which breaks my heart.
Lthisnos very disappointing.
The value is diminishing rapidly at DCL. Our recent cruise on the magic had less character greetings than previous. I know navigators and toiletries were removed for environmental reasons, but there is also savings for the company from these. Palo price increases (whilst still good value) and other increases here and there, it’s becoming less and less good value.
We always use the OBC to help cover gratuities. Virgin Voyayes are launching next year with NO gratuities required (although we would always add extra – as we do with disney) and the same free drinks options as Disney.
The Walt Disney Company is a business – I understand the need to make a profit – but the Parks and Resorts segment makes BILLIONS of dollars of profit a year – itball just seems very greedy – certainly when the cost of cruises with Disney continues to increase massively every new schedule release.
We made the decision a few years back that the value just isnt there for the US disney parks. Disney cruise line is reaching that point slowly. The value is much better if you can travel to the Asian disney parks.
This can only mean great things for other cruise companies!
Disney with three new ships becoming available over the next few years will add a significant number of new staterooms that have to be filled. Assuming that the older ships and the three new ships continue to serve only the North American market Disney may start to regret removing the on board credits and increasing cruise prices as they have over the past couple of years. Given the laws of supply and demand – Disney may have to scramble to “Fill” both the new and older ships – like maybe restoring on board credits and lowering cruise prices. We like Disney, but with cruise price increases and less on board benefits (and in our case a weak Canadian dollar) we probably will start to look elsewhere to spend our hard earned vacation money.
We left Disney as much as I love them they cost too much. Norwegian cruise was good not as good but way cheaper.
I’m so sad. I planned on booking a cruise for my family, all 14 of us while on our October cruise. I’m really not sure now.
Just disgusting. Disney, every single person knows that you are “hurting” now with the lower attendance (due to you raising the prices), and the failure of Galaxy’s Edge as well as a multitude of other things, but to outright take this one thing that has actually, for me at least, helped push me over the edge for booking future cruises, this one actually hurts the most. Clearly they want to make up money in other places, but this is one place that should be left alone.
How very disappointing and petty. Most people are using this OB credit for what – overpriced drinks? Overpriced souvenirs? While this won’t make me stop cruising with Disney, I won’t book a placeholder again. I’d rather use my travel agent who WILL give the credit – so, have fun paying the commission to her.
You can book on board and give the reservation to your travel agent. These are not mutually exclusive options. We do that every year.
You can email Disney here to express your disappointment regarding the new OBB policy. dcl.guest.communications@disneycruise.com the more that comment about it the better.
Thanks for sharing the address. I sent them an email.
I’m afraid that we will see more changes as it gets closer with the new ship and Disney will increase prices and cut back on perks as they know people will still pay for the Disney experience. It’s getting tough for us to afford a 7 night and when you can do 2 cruises on another cruise line for the same price as 1 Disney cruise. There will be a special place in my heart for Disney but my wallet is only so deep!
This is really not cool. Aren’t onboard bookings from repeat cruisers a large portion of their customers? Why would they want to make all of us annoyed? I hope this, combined with the never ending price increases, makes it harder for them to fill ships. At the Parks, they have been raising prices for years and now it is catching up to them. Attendance is down. There has to be a tipping point.
This one hurt. I’m not as worried about me and my husband as I am families or people who offset some cruise costs with onboard booking credits. This will put so many people at a disadvantage. I wrote to DCL and I plan on complaining (as kindly as possible) about this on the ship.
First the parks raising the prices of tickets (annual, daily, etc), now this. As a member of everything Disney (Platinum DCL, DVC since 1999, Resident Annual Passholder, D23) I am starting to rethink my feelings on the so called “Magic” of Disney. Disney has truly started to loose their way in more ways than one. What happened to the humble days of Walt himself who once quoted we all need to remember “It all started by a mouse”. Maybe the Disney Company needs to fail at something, the same way Walt did, several times in his career, and maybe as dedicated fans we can finally stand up and say “NO MORE!!!”, and make that failure possible. Sorry for the rant, but enough is enough. Disney is making billions, I don’t think a few hundred bucks for OBC would hurt them.
Well said and I completely agree
DCL has been chipping away at perks, and other things they used to offer, over the years. I recall getting an OBC when using my Disney VISA Card. Disney took that perk away several years ago. I recall Disney offering a ‘Chocolate Buffet’ on select sailings. Disney took that away. Now this perk being taken away. I am a business major, but I graduated from college many years ago. I do NOT like today’s business model. Disney feels people will come/pay any way, so why give them so much. Disney will continue to raise prices and chip away at what they offer until it affects them financially. THEN, they will bring back certain things on a limited basis. Sad, very Sad.
Our 4th Disney Cruise is this January and our 5th is booked for October 2020. I know it’s only a $200 credit but this greed of Disney has pushed me over the edge and we will be switching over to Celebrity Cruise Line. Goodbye Disney.
Now that we’ve finally reached Platinum Status, this latest ploy of DCL has really shown how Disney is all about greed and profit. We’ve been on several other cruise lines and over the years have always returned to Disney for the total overall experience but this latest ploy is reaffirming our decisions to start booking with other cruise lines. We have a Nov 2020 scheduled on the Fantasy but sadly this may be one of the last on Disney, unless something changes. I’m afraid with the new cruise ships they will only continue to raise prices until only a few will be able to afford a Disney cruise!!!
That credit was a huge help to us. As a family of 5 trying to making DCL as affordable as possible, we always book two deluxe inside rooms on Deck 2. Those credits almost cover tips for us. The 10% discount is very much appreciated but I’m very sad to see the on board booking credit go. It’s not enough to make us stop sailing with DCL but it’s been a stretch to afford the trip every 2 yrs as it is. I can see us eventually having to give that up and just go less often even though we’ll also be giving up that 10% discount.
Disney, is taking away the credit really worth losing guests? Disney is supposed to be better than the rest, not offer the same or less. Celebrity cruise offers shipboard credits, tipping, wifi and drinks included. Disney please reconsider this decision.
We just finished our cruise and dd not realize they pulled the OBCs – I noticed on the app you could book a placeholder, and that it didn’t mention the OBCs. When i went i person to ask, they confirmed it – i decided not to re-book. It appears, at least qualitatively that many felt the same way, as the ‘vacation planners’ who historically are swamped on Friday night, were not very busy at all. I won’t say ‘never’ to a Disney cruise, but i am less likely to say ‘only’ a Disney cruise…
I think it’s a very cheap move by Disney Cruise LIne to take away the OBCs when booking another cruise onboard. Geez, good business practice would say, keep the OBCs and just raise the price of the cruise to make up for it. Wake up Disney!!!
I think this (and recent price increases) is a deliberate move by Disney to outprice the middle class consumer. Disney wants to bring in people with deep pockets because they know they will spend more on the extras. Walt would not approve!!!