Costco Cash vs OBC

[adamki]

And if I use any Visa, I still get 2% off through Costco, but if I get a Costco credit card, then it becomes 2% + 3%?

The first 2% back has nothing to do with using a Visa, it's your Costco membership level. You get 2% back as an Executive Member (you have to be an Executive Member before you call Costco Travel, upgrade at your local warehouse if you need to).

You can use any Visa or MasterCard with CostcoTravel.

Can I still book my own excursions, if I want them through Disney, directly through Disney's online system?

Yes, you still have to check in via disneycruise.disney.go.com and from there you can book excursions through Disney if you wish. Costco will send you a link and a discount code to book excursions through their provider if you'd like or you can book privately. Whatever you prefer.

 

[AngelaC]

Thank you so much for this info!

 

[AngelaC]

Um, can you try calling Costco tonight? We had paperwork to fill out and email back that they, in turn, had to send to DCL. If you can get the paperwork started tonight, you might make the 30 day cut off. They told us to expect it to take 3 days, but maybe they'll rush it for you.

Oh, I wish I could! I just checked and they closed about 45 minutes ago! I'll call them as soon as they open in the am.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

 

[DetroitAvant]

Oh, I wish I could! I just checked and they closed about 45 minutes ago! I'll call them as soon as they open in the am.

If I remember correctly, you have to get a form from Costco, get Disney to approve it, and then send it back to Costco. We did it when we had a placeholder and it was kind of odd because they didn't have a cruise to put on the paperwork yet and it wasn't really in Costco's system but it did work - we called them up about 16 months after that and booked our cruise with no problems (other than the 3 hour wait because it was opening day).

Yes, you still have to check in via disneycruise.disney.go.com and from there you can book excursions through Disney if you wish. Costco will send you a link and a discount code to book excursions through their provider if you'd like or you can book privately. Whatever you prefer.

I didn't know about the excursions through Costco, thanks for the information!

 

[AngelaC]

Just an update. I did call Costco this am to try and transfer my Disney Cruise reservation to Costco. Today is day 29. The very nice woman on the phone tried to contact Disney (I believe) on the phone, but they Costco just got a new phone system today, which was flummoxing their employees. She contacted whoever by email, and then had them email me.
I was immediately sent the transfer form, printed it, signed it, copied and emailed it back. I called Costco and they verified the form had arrived.
Although their response to the form suggests that you wait 72 hours to call and continue the transfer, 72 hours would be Thanksgiving am. . . and day 32 for me. The Costco travel agent suggested I try calling back tomorrow afternoon and see if they'd been successful in beating the deadline.

So I'm hoping, but prepared to be disappointed. But now I know, and know exactly what I'll do next time I return from a cruise with a wonderful on-line booking.

I'll keep you posted and let you know what happens tomorrow!

 

[FigmentSpark]

Just an update. I did call Costco this am to try and transfer my Disney Cruise reservation to Costco. Today is day 29. The very nice woman on the phone tried to contact Disney (I believe) on the phone, but they Costco just got a new phone system today, which was flummoxing their employees. She contacted whoever by email, and then had them email me.
I was immediately sent the transfer form, printed it, signed it, copied and emailed it back. I called Costco and they verified the form had arrived.
Although their response to the form suggests that you wait 72 hours to call and continue the transfer, 72 hours would be Thanksgiving am. . . and day 32 for me. The Costco travel agent suggested I try calling back tomorrow afternoon and see if they'd been successful in beating the deadline.

So I'm hoping, but prepared to be disappointed. But now I know, and know exactly what I'll do next time I return from a cruise with a wonderful on-line booking.

I'll keep you posted and let you know what happens tomorrow!

You can also call DCL tomorrow and see if it's been put through. If not, maybe you can ask if they'd received the request from Costco. It doesn't hurt to try. Good luck.

 

[Billinaz]

If you want service, use specific TAs.

Costco works for people who are self service, who like hummus. The difference between OBC and a Costco card is just accounting if you typically soend buckets of $ there anyway.

But what service do you need after it was booked that you cannot do yourself?

 

[Billinaz]

Wow, tomorrow will be 29 days since we booked our 2018 cruise while on board the Fantasy. So all I have to do, tomorrow, is call Costco, and they transfer the booking to Costco. And then I continue to pay the rest of the cruise cost directly to Costco rather than online with Disney? But I still keep the onboard credit I got from Disney while booking it on the Fantasy?
And if I use any Visa, I still get 2% off through Costco, but if I get a Costco credit card, then it becomes 2% + 3%?
Can I still book my own excursions, if I want them through Disney, directly through Disney's online system?
This is amazing! Do I have all these details right?

Get this form to them tonight! By midday tomorrow I bet it will be done.

Just an update. I did call Costco this am to try and transfer my Disney Cruise reservation to Costco. Today is day 29. The very nice woman on the phone tried to contact Disney (I believe) on the phone, but they Costco just got a new phone system today, which was flummoxing their employees. She contacted whoever by email, and then had them email me.
I was immediately sent the transfer form, printed it, signed it, copied and emailed it back. I called Costco and they verified the form had arrived.
Although their response to the form suggests that you wait 72 hours to call and continue the transfer, 72 hours would be Thanksgiving am. . . and day 32 for me. The Costco travel agent suggested I try calling back tomorrow afternoon and see if they'd been successful in beating the deadline.

So I'm hoping, but prepared to be disappointed. But now I know, and know exactly what I'll do next time I return from a cruise with a wonderful on-line booking.

I'll keep you posted and let you know what happens tomorrow!

I emailed them the form, and it was transferred within a few hours. WHen you call Costco they can look on their system and see if it was transferred.

 

[Billinaz]

Here is the form.............https://media.disneywebcontent.com/...ic/pdf/BookingTransferFormAllDestinations.pdf

And the info for the Travel Agent part:

 

[LAX]

The first 2% back has nothing to do with using a Visa, it's your Costco membership level. You get 2% back as an Executive Member (you have to be an Executive Member before you call Costco Travel, upgrade at your local warehouse if you need to).

You can use any Visa or MasterCard with CostcoTravel.



Yes, you still have to check in via disneycruise.disney.go.com and from there you can book excursions through Disney if you wish. Costco will send you a link and a discount code to book excursions through their provider if you'd like or you can book privately. Whatever you prefer.

I have read in another thread that as long as you are an Executive member before the cruise starts (not when you book), you will still get the 2% back.

LAX

 

[adamki]

I have read in another thread that as long as you are an Executive member before the cruise starts (not when you book), you will still get the 2% back.

I don't think that's a good interpretation of the Costco terms. Here's the part that I think you're talking about.

For Executive Member purchases made directly from Costco Travel departing on or after September 1, 2017, a 2% Reward will be earned and applied after travel is completed. Must be an Executive Member when travel starts.​

There are two requirements.

First, "Executive Member purchase made directly from Costco travel ..." It wouldn't be an Executive Member purchase unless you are an executive member prior to the purchase being made.

Second, "Must be an Executive Member when travel starts." This means that you can't book a cruise for next year and then drop your membership level down and expect to receive your reward check from a previous year's Executive Membership. That makes sense because they are just tacking the travel reward onto the reward that you earn for warehouse purchases made during the year that you actually take the trip.

Since they're applying the reward after travel is completed, it's hard to say how the system would work in reality, but I think the intent is that you have to be an Executive Member before you call Costco Travel and make travel arrangements with them all the way through the time that you actually travel.

 

[AngelaC]

It worked! Just got off the phone with Costco and they went through the details with me. I'll be getting a $405 Costco gift card a few weeks after the cruise, $405 that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Even better, our plan is to book another cruise while on-line, in order to take our son and family (4) on a short Bahamas or Carribbean cruise in 2019. Truthfully, we've been stressing about this, but now that we know 1) on board bookings give a discount and on-board credit; 2) Using a Chase Sapphire credit card gives $300 travel credit each year, plus 3x points (travel) on any travel expenses and 3) transferring the reservation within 30 days to Costco, with it's 2% back in a gift card, makes it all just a bit more manageable.

Thank you everyone, for the info on this!

 

[wombat_5606]

@AngelaC, when you book onboard, or put a deposit on an OBB, tell DCL that Costco is your travel agent and you won't have to worry about the transfer process again.

Enjoy your giftcard!

 

[Billinaz]

Next cruise = "spend buckets of money."

Between two adults in glasses, contact lenses, sport snacks and general needs (hey, I NEED that box of guacamole singles), I can blow whatever Costco cash they give me in 30 seconds flat.

You should see our car struggle to get home with the lifetime supply of toilet paper.....

 

[Billinaz]

It worked! Just got off the phone with Costco and they went through the details with me. I'll be getting a $405 Costco gift card a few weeks after the cruise, $405 that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Even better, our plan is to book another cruise while on-line, in order to take our son and family (4) on a short Bahamas or Carribbean cruise in 2019. Truthfully, we've been stressing about this, but now that we know 1) on board bookings give a discount and on-board credit; 2) Using a Chase Sapphire credit card gives $300 travel credit each year, plus 3x points (travel) on any travel expenses and 3) transferring the reservation within 30 days to Costco, with it's 2% back in a gift card, makes it all just a bit more manageable.

Thank you everyone, for the info on this!

its 8.5%, plus an additional 2% you get at the end of the year with the Executive membership.

 

[epe105]

its 8.5%, plus an additional 2% you get at the end of the year with the Executive membership.

I just booked my first cruise through Costco. What is the 8.5%? Is that the percentage for the Costco card they give you?

 

[FigmentSpark]

Costco gives you 8.5% of the cruise cost (less port fees) in the form of Costco gift cards after you complete the cruise. In addition, if you are a Costco Executive member, you will get an additional 2% of the cruise price (less port fees, I believe) back in your annual membership rebate.

Some TAs will give you an onboard credit or a gift basket or something to show appreciation for using their services. Costco gives the cashback instead. (note: this is for DCL cruises, as they sometimes give on board credits or discounts for other cruise lines)

 

[Billinaz]

Just did a 2 night cruise that was booked through Costco. We felt like we cheated on our regular TA (who is wonderful, trains with Disney travel, always sends us information head of time and a gift), but when doing this we looked at this lower cost cruise and from our TA we would Get $50 OBC and from Costco we would get $95 cash card afterwords. Started through the process.. Tried to book online but it got stuck with an error, so had to call and wait on hold while they tried to do it, we PIF at the time and when our checkin window rolled around we got online and did our online checkin and booking activities. (a month before the cruise, we received an email from costco telling us it was time to checkin and book our actives). I called at one point to add gratuities to the cruise, the agent referred to the cruise as carnival and once again it was a long time waiting on hold with her to call Disney to figure out how to do it. So for $45 I wasted a bit of time and our next cruise we went back to our Travel agent who does it all for us.

To add money to your OBC (thats all you are doing to pay gratuities) all you do is fax the same form that you do for the stateroom celebrations, etc. Its on the bottom right corner.

 

[Billinaz]

I have read in another thread that as long as you are an Executive member before the cruise starts (not when you book), you will still get the 2% back.

LAX

Correct, I confirmed that with them before I upgraded my membership.