Ahoy, Robert! Thanks for sailing over to
planDisney with your Placeholder Reservation question.
I’m sorry to hear that you weren’t able to use your Placeholder Reservation this time, but I still always recommend getting one when you sail aboard Disney Cruise Line. Since the
Onboard Offer is entirely refundable, there is absolutely no risk at all. You can either use the benefit of getting a 10% discount off a future cruise that sets sail within 24 months of booking your Placeholder Reservation or get your 100% refundable deposit back. I personally almost always use mine, but I did have to get a refund when one expired during the pandemic and can tell you that your deposit will automatically be returned to your original form of payment without you having to take any kind of action.
When you booked the Placeholder Reservation back in March 2024, you should have received an email confirmation from Disney Cruise Line that included a reservation number. That email will also indicate the latest departure date that you can sail and have the onboard booking offer benefits apply, which is two years from the date the Placeholder Reservation was originally booked. Your refund will be processed back to your original form of payment after that latest departure date occurs, but can take several business days for it to be reflected on your credit card statement.
If you cannot find the original email, don’t panic because you can now also find the details online. Start by going to the
Disney Cruise Line website, click on the tab labeled “Already Booked,” and you will be prompted to login to your MyDisney account. After you login, click on the “My Reservations” option under “My Disney Cruise” and you will be able to select any of your upcoming cruises or Placeholders. You should see the “Future Cruise Placeholder” page and it will list the expiration date, which is the same as the latest departure date. Your refund will be automatically processed after that date, but there is also an option labeled “Cancel My Placeholder” if you would like to initiate your refund immediately instead of waiting. Just know that once you cancel a Placeholder Reservation, you cannot get it back.
If you have any other concerns or need to verify which original form of payment you used, you will need to call Disney Cruise Line directly. Even if the Placeholder timeframe didn’t work for you this time, I hope you will be setting sail again soon. Happy future sailing!
Catherine