Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy: What is a Cruise Placeholder?

If you’re prepping for a Disney Cruise, you might see people mention a “cruise placeholder”. And although you can’t get one until you get on board yourself, you’ll want to know about it! The cruise placeholder is Disney’s “see ya real soon!” way to bring you back on a future cruise. You put down a deposit of $250 while on board, and in return you’ll get 10% off a future cruise!

Does that sound like it’s too good to be true? It is a pretty sweet deal, but don’t be fooled. It’s good business on Disney’s part. You don’t have forever to book that next cruise; your placeholder is only good for two years. Your placeholder is fully refundable if you don’t use it. But Disney knows that just having it makes it likely that you will. Locking in that bit of money increases the odds that you’ll spend your vacation dollars with them, instead of somewhere else. Win for them, win for you.

Here are the key things to know about Disney Cruise Line placeholders.

⭐ You can only buy a placeholder while you’re on board. You’ll purchase it through the Navigator app, and you won’t see the option if you’re not connected to the ship’s WiFi. The good news is that you won’t have to look hard to find it – it’s at the top of the home screen and in a few other places. Don’t wait past the last full day of your cruise to buy your placeholder. The option will not be in the app on the final morning and you’ll need to go to Guest Services.

⭐ The $250 will be billed to your ship’s folio on board. It is a deposit toward the cost of the future cruise. When you book that cruise, your deposit amount will reflect the $250 already paid. You’ll pay $250 when you get the placeholder, but overall it does not cost you anything extra. And you can cancel it at any time if you should need the money. There is no real risk to getting one.

⭐ With your placeholder, you’ll receive 10% off a future cruise within the next 24 months. You must cruise within the next 24 months, not just book within 24 months. For cruises of 7 nights or longer, you’ll also get a reduced deposit. If you don’t use your placeholder before it expires, it will automatically refund to your original form of payment.

⭐ Each household address can book up to two placeholders. When booking the future sailing, one adult from the previous sailing must be in the party.

⭐ When you’re back from your cruise, you’ll get an email confirming the details of your placeholder with instructions on how to redeem it. If you have a favorite travel agent, you can transfer it to them within 30 days. If you booked your cruise through a travel agent, your placeholder will go to the same agent and they can redeem it on your behalf. If you don’t want to use them again, you have 30 days to transfer the booking to a different agent, or to yourself.

⭐ You can’t use a placeholder for concierge cabins or suites. You also can’t combine a placeholder with other discounts or special rates. And, there are some blocked-out sailings that you can’t book with placeholders. (See the list here.) However, you can cancel your placeholder and apply the refund to any new booking.

Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy is for first-time Disney cruisers looking to learn about the DCL experience. Got a question about a term that’s unfamiliar to you? Suggest it in the comments below!