Hello everyone!
So these "DVC member cruises".....whats the deal?
Do DVC members get a discount? Do they have to pay with their points? Do they do anything special for them?!
Thanks!
Well that just seems silly to me. I'm a member and I see no reason why I would spend twice as much for it. What on earth are they paying for? I love Castaway Cay but geez...
Better be some pretty amazing guest speakers.
sissy_ib said:I think for most members, these are the only cruises they ever go on. The points charts are on the members website if you want to take a look. I saw the price is the same per person as my husband and I are paying total for the same thing two weeks later and I closed the window!!
They also give more swag than you can possibly imagine.
I think this depends on the year. We went in Sept. 2011 and were completely UNDERwhelmed. Especially for the 20th Anniversary of DVC there was a lot of talk beforehand that the gifts would be over-the-top. Not so, IMHO. About the only thing I can remember was a cute litle suitcase (mini totebag size, but not really - and not really useful for anything afterwards - it's hard to describe ) and some wine glasses (we don't drink). There were other odds and ends but nothing to wow me.
Although ... I did see some of this year's stuff (DVC monopoly, if I recall, and other stuff) and I was wowed by it.
We won't ever be doing the member cruise again. It was nice to see the new ship (the Dream) but we had a lackluster experience. I will, however, do more 7-day, non-member cruises!
Gratuities for my husband and I would be $96 on a 4 night cruise, yet the cost is $1,400 more! All the gifts and guest speakers look neat but, for us, not worth it.We go on one about every 4-5 years. It is more expensive, however, all stateroom and main dining room gratuities are included in the cost, so when you consider that it is not quite so bad. The guest speakers are nice. They also sometimes do a special show in the main theater. The last time we went in 2008, they had four leading ladies from four of the Disney Broadway shows come on board and perform, that was pretty special. They also give more swag than you can possibly imagine. Every time you leave your room, when you come back there are more gifts laid out on your bed. We weren't expecting this the first time and had to buy a huge dufflebag in the store just to get it all home. If you are looking to buy more points for DVC, this is also a good time to do it as they usually roll out new and additional incentives on the member cruises. The atmosphere is more that of a chartered cruise, where you know all of the other guests have something in common, and many times you meet up with other DVC members, friends from the past.
I think for most members, these are the only cruises they ever go on. The points charts are on the members website if you want to take a look. I saw the price is the same per person as my husband and I are paying total for the same thing two weeks later and I closed the window!!
aymekae said:I don't think these cruises cover "most members". On our first cruise last December, I swear every other person we met on board were members. At our table, in the hot tub, walking down the hall, sitting next to in Bingo, we were chatted up by member after member after member and nary a bad word was said about it. Not to mention the many many staterooms we passed with member magnets. Hence why we became members that cruise, too!
We've only been on one cruise, have one more planned, but I'm still working on my DH agreeing to go once in awhile, not to mention spending a lot more for a members-only cruise. We'll be passing those up for a long time, I think.
Yeah, I think I should have said most who go on the members cruises. I'm really interested to see how fast this one sells out. I wonder if there is still room on the January members cruise.
I believe the January 2013 Member Cruise still has some rooms open.
On the Meets thread for this one, someone said the cruise roster was closed. They weren't allowed to book, this was about 2 weeks ago.
Based on the rate chart that came out last week for the October 2013 member cruise, the rate for a comparable cruise a week later is only about $84 less, and the DVC member rate includes gratuities, so you would actually save money. We haven't ever done one, we're booked for the January 2013 Member cruise, but are seriously considering the Sept. one.