Cruising with DVC Points - Good deal?

[Stevegriswold]

We are DVC members and just got back from our first Disney 7 day cruise. It was great. We booked free kids, for $3500. ocean view deck 2 and paid cash.

We would like to do another cruise in the future, maybe one a year or every two years.

Is it worth buying more DVC points just to use for cruises, or is it cheaper to book and pay cash?

I figure each DVC point is at least $5 cost per point since I pay that in dues each year for BCV.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Crystal_27]

I don't necessarily think that it would be a good idea to go out and buy more points just to cruise on points. Even though the charts for the cruises do seem to have become friendlier to those of us wanting to cruise on points, you never know if DVC is going to axe the program or if the charts are going to be amended to cost more points for cruises. Even if you had the money to buy, say, 500 points at OKW (to get a family of 3 an inside stateroom on a 7 night cruise during most seasons), you are talking about spending about $35,000 upfront, and then maintenance fees of $2,350+ each year. For just a couple hundred more than the cost of the maintenance fees, you can pay cash for a cruise each year. Doesn't seem like the best use of funds, in my opinion.

 

[js]

Hi. You will see MANY posts on crusing and using points.
When you come down to dollars and points, you are loosing money.
For my next Disney cruise I booked two connecting 6Bs verandah rooms.
This is will cost me about 900 points. I priced it out for renting my points at $10 a point (going rate on dis) and paying cash with a discounted rate I get from my cruise TA that I use often (not DCL).
IF I rented all my points and paid cash for my two cabins, I would be ahead approximatey $2,500, but after giving it MUCH thought, I decided we have the points to use and I VERY much do not want the headache of trying to rent my 900 points, making sure I receive checks, payments, stressing about people cancelling, etc.

So, if you want more points JUST for cruising, I would say no. If you want more points for your Disney stays with a cruise thrown in here and there, go for it!

 

[Stevegriswold]

Thanks for the info.

We have points that we use each year for WDW, and that amount is good for us. I hate to use those points for a cruise and then not have a WDW trip for three years, after I bank and borrow to get enough points.

From my quick math it does not look like I save anything by buying more DVC points vs just paying for a cruise with cash.

We did book a future cruise while on board and they give you a discount (20% because we were on a cruise that got cut short by a day) plus $200 on board credit, plus the travel agency tosses in another $100 on board credit.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[disneybirds]

We booked using points and cash. You only have to pay for one person by points. The cash price for the other passengers was less than if we had booked through their website. Just another option.