Disney Cruise

[Terri730]

I was wondering if anyone has used points for a cruise before. It's seems like so many points and that we would have to borrow from next year. Plus put money towards it. Can anyone offer information if you have used it for a disney cruise?
Thanks

 

[soxyes]

We did. We bought a resale contract last year and it had points that we had to use or they would expire. We decided to spend 4 nights on property and then take a 3 night cruise (actually it was 2 nights, 3 nights, 2 nights but I guess that really doesn't matter). As we worked through it all, we paid cash for one child on the cruise, but otherwise used points for the 1 bdrms and the other three of us.

I know there's all kinds of posts stating that we could have rented them out, paid cash for the cruise, and then come out ahead. They may very well be right, but it sounded like too much hassle/risk for us at that time.

I agree that cruises seem points heavy, but then they include dining too, so maybe it's not as bad as it seems. I don't know if we'll decide to do it again. I bet at sometime we will, but I think using our points for the parks is probably the best deal.

 

[sleepydog25]

Soxyes is correct in saying that most posters will tell you that using points to pay for a cruise is not the best use of said points. If you do the math, figuring $10 per point, then it's easy to see that you could cover much of the cost of a cruise by renting. That much is obvious. However, there are inherent risks and hassles involved with renting, and when you use your points, all you have to do is pretty much make a phone call or two. I have used points to cruise and paid OOP, and in neither instance did I second guess myself. I doubt I will cruise using points in the future, but I certainly understand why people do. Use your points how you wish, just make sure you understand what it will mean for your point balance in the future.

 

[mouseaider]

You know what ? That's the beauty of being in DVC. You can use your points what ever way you want. They are your points.

We are new members and haven't had time to use points for any thing other than a week at BWV, but we are adding another small contract and I'm sure we will look at using some points for a cruise in the future.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

[liemge]

We are booked on Dream next month. It is our second cruise on points and we have no regrets! if you find yourself with extra points for some reason, why not.

 

[DeeCee735]

Yup, we've used points for cruising. When we first bought, it was in 2000, and we had just gotten back from a week in WDW (our last paid stay). So, we received points we weren't going to use that year and banked them. Then we borrow some into 2001. We took the 4 night Wonder with our young kids, and did 3 nights in a BW studio. For us it was so worth it.
That trip alone was almost 1/2 the cost of our initial membership contract.

Since then we've added on a few times (again and again and again and again!!!!) and decided to do another 4 night cruise on the Dream, just DH and I Why not? It cost $95.00 to exchange and all the food is included AND we get to experience Disney in a whole different way! We are very happy with the option to do so without the cash pay out.

Enjoy your membership! (anyway you want )

 

[Inkmahm]

I was wondering if anyone has used points for a cruise before. It's seems like so many points and that we would have to borrow from next year. Plus put money towards it. Can anyone offer information if you have used it for a disney cruise?
Thanks

I would never use my points for a cruise. Take a look at this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2639980

 

[CarolMN]

W...(snip)......I agree that cruises seem points heavy, but then they include dining too, so maybe it's not as bad as it seems. .

If you pay cash for a cruise, it also includes the dining, so this really shouldn't be factored in as a plus for using points. It should only be considered if you are comparing paying points for a cruise vs paying points for a DVC resort stay.

If you use points for a cruise, you pay a premium for the convenience. Up to the member whether it is worth the premium or not. Some say yes, others say no.

Keep in mind that there are some other negatives to paying with points. One is the $95 fee. If you make certain types of changes to a points reservation, you have to pay the $95 again, too.

Cancellations are tricky. If you have to cancel, you can't use those points for a stay at a DVC resort or for a trade via RCI. You have to use them for another cruise for for something else in the Disney Collection, Concierge Collection or Adventurers Collection before the end of the use year.

 

[smnslc]

We are using points for the Dream in June. We became DVC members in June 2009, DEC use year. We used 2009 points for 2010 trip, used 2010 and 2011 points for cruise along with OOP for DD(6). Because we are spacing out our trips to the parks (early one year, late the next because we want to try every season) we are still traveling yearly. 2012 points (DEC use year) will be borrowed for Dec 2011 trip or March 2012 trip. By 2013 we should be back on track. I think that they are your points and they are there to do with whatever you want. One of my husbands stipulations when we joined is that we get to use our points for DCL as well as the parks.

 

[Sandisw]

We have not yet, but won't hesitate to do so if we choose to cruise one year instead of visiting DVC.

We bought DVC to cover our yearly vacations to WDW and for the most part, that is what we will do. However, there certainly could come a time where we want to cruise instead and if that is what we decide, I will not hesitate to do so.

Getting in to the rental aspect, no matter how much it saves me, is not worth it. But, I know to many, it is so it really comes down to a personal choice in how comfortable you are either renting your points to cover the cash booking or have a reason that banking the points is a better option for that year.

Good luck!

 

[bbn1122]

I think the point about your food is included is a big one!

You are talking 3 meals a day (appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert at dinner), plus snacks. You could eat all day if you wanted.

Plus, you do not have to pay extra for entertainment, no park tickets. Activities, movies, show, Castway Cay and now the Aqua Duck and mini golf on the Dream. Tons of activities.

I am going on my second DCL, we just bought into DVC and I plan to use points to help pay for my next cruise when I book onboard this August.

Good Luck in whatever you decide.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We've used points from a resale that would expire for a 3 night cruise and we used points for the Member Cruise in 2005. It's the cancellation policies that keep me from using points for more cruises. Normal cancellation policies of cruise lines are much more liberal than DVC's are using points.

Bobbi

 

[Inkmahm]

I think the point about your food is included is a big one!

You are talking 3 meals a day (appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert at dinner), plus snacks. You could eat all day if you wanted.

Plus, you do not have to pay extra for entertainment, no park tickets. Activities, movies, show, Castway Cay and now the Aqua Duck and mini golf on the Dream. Tons of activities.

I am going on my second DCL, we just bought into DVC and I plan to use points to help pay for my next cruise when I book onboard this August.

Good Luck in whatever you decide.

Actually, NONE of those points have anything to do with a comparison of using your points for a cruise vs paying cash for a cruise. You get the same things on a cruise no matter how you pay for it so it doesn't matter if you paid cash or use points.

Now if the question is whether you should go on a cruise at all or go to the parks instead, THAT is an entirely different question. For that decision, you would looke at extra costs involved in a park visit vs. a cruise.

 

[AnnaS]

We have also used points for cruising. We have actually used a combination of points and cash for each of the four cruises we have taken. We have had two cabins each time also. We might not want to use all points, we might have banked points, it really depends where we stand at time of booking more or less.

 

[dzorn]

If you pay cash for a cruise, it also includes the dining, so this really shouldn't be factored in as a plus for using points. It should only be considered if you are comparing paying points for a cruise vs paying points for a DVC resort stay.

If you use points for a cruise, you pay a premium for the convenience. Up to the member whether it is worth the premium or not. Some say yes, others say no.

Keep in mind that there are some other negatives to paying with points. One is the $95 fee. If you make certain types of changes to a points reservation, you have to pay the $95 again, too.

Cancellations are tricky. If you have to cancel, you can't use those points for a stay at a DVC resort or for a trade via RCI. You have to use them for another cruise for for something else in the Disney Collection, Concierge Collection or Adventurers Collection before the end of the use year.

The difference in cancellation policy is enough for me not to book a cruise on points again.

Denise in MI

 

[tjkraz]

I was wondering if anyone has used points for a cruise before. It's seems like so many points and that we would have to borrow from next year. Plus put money towards it. Can anyone offer information if you have used it for a disney cruise?
Thanks

Depends on how many points you own. Some members have hundreds or thousands. No banking or borrowing required there to cruise.

As you can see, most will tell you it's not a great value. When you consider the annual dues being paid for the points plus an amortized amount of the initial purchase, cruising on points is not a great value.

That said, I can certainly see how cruises may appeal to members over time. I suspect most people buy into DVC with some idea of how they want to vacation annually--a certain number of trips/weeks/days per year forms the basis for the number of points to purchase. But after 5, 10 or 20 years, one may want to try something different. Disney cruises are a nice dose of different. We've taken 2 cruises and have a 3rd booked...although all of those were cash bookings.

If you have some plan for cruising on points every "X" years right out of the gate, I'd say dismiss that thought immediately. Do NOT buy or add-on DVC points with the express intention of using them toward cruises. Buy less for resort stays only and use banking/borrowing to your advantage.

But cruising on points is a nice feature to keep in the back of your mind on the "maybe someday" list. Be sure to consider the restrictive rescheduling guidelines before making a commitment. Better be darn sure you won't have to cancel. And for a better value, consider renting the points to cover the cost of the cruise.

 

[crisi]

Another way to look at it is opportunity cost - in this case "what would you do with those points if you didn't cruise."

For us, we have a small number of points - so rather than using those points for low value options - or renting them - we only purchased enough to use them at Disney. Using them to cruise would mean skipping WDW - and we only do every other year to start with. For us, it only makes sense to cruise - as long as we want to continue to take every other year trips to WDW.

Now, if I had so many points that I wasn't using them to fill my WDW addiction, I might use them to cruise or do any of the other things DVCers can do. But I've never had significantly MORE points than I need for WDW.

(The cancellation policy on points also scares me).

 

[arthur06]

I am with the vote of "there your points, use them as you wish"

Many people take family and friends, stay in GV or gift there rooms to others. Is taking others on your points a good use? Is trading out to RCI a good use of points? They are your points, use them as you wish...

 

[Anal Annie]

ooops! slow DISboards = double post...

 

[Anal Annie]

I was wondering if anyone has used points for a cruise before. It's seems like so many points and that we would have to borrow from next year. Plus put money towards it. Can anyone offer information if you have used it for a disney cruise?
Thanks

We did it once...probably would never do it again. We basically traded 22 nights on land for 4 nights in a Cat 10. DOH!!

For grins I checked the point charts for our Med cruise this summer...we would need close to 900 points for our Cat 5C which at $10 pp (if we used that figure to value the cruise because that's the avg. rental rate) would run close to $9,000 for the cruise. We are booked in a 5C for less than $4,500. Using points would put the cost of the cruise at about double what the actual cash price was for us. Oh, and we have a $400 onboard credit... So you can tell yourself it includes all the food you want...it still doesn't work out to a fair trade IMHO.

NOW, if you don't have any other plans for those points then sure, go ahead. WE can (almost) always find a way to plan a trip to use up points tho!