SS Member Cruise for resale buyers

[jfahome]

I saw this statement on the SS Member cruise points/price chart:

"Memberships not purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc. on or after March 21, 2011 will not have access to 2012/2013 S.S. Member Cruises."

I am curious if anyone who is purchased a resale after the date above has been able to book a SS Member cruise? I assume I can get around this by purchasing 25 points directly.

I purchased 150 points resale in December and I know I can't use the points but I thought I would be able to at least go on the cruise.

 

[pyrxtc]

then you can only use those 25 points towards the cruise and will have to pay cash for the rest.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO Disney is shooting itself in the foot. The Members cruise is not worth the money IMO and Disney uses it as a profit maker to fill a ship during low seasons.

There has been much talk on DVC websites that Disney actually did resale buyers a favor restricting the use of points because the use of points at those locations are a poor value.

Bill

 

[ToddyLu]

I actually wrote an Email to MS about the inability of resale members to book on the cruise. DH and I bought our points direct but it still was not fair. I understand that it may be a poor use of points but it was the fact of the matter that people were being excluded.

It is called the Member's Cruise, not the Direct Member's Cruise. I was also very upset that the initial date changed after my husband had already picked vacation in Oct in hopes that I could book it just once. I mean it was written in black and white in Disney Files...come on folks...really?

So now, while I love owning DVC, I will never do a Member's Cruise.

They did call me back, I was at work, so they left a message on my cell. They did at least acknowledge my comments, which was all I wanted or expected.

 

[smjj]

We purchased our resale points many years ago and are OK for that. Having said that we will not be doing another. We have now done two and that is enough. The last(2011) was just not a very good use of points. The cruise being so expensive on points was our big complaint. Other points were the free gifts, entertainment and food were just not as good as I remember from our first Member's Cruise 3 years before. One real nerve was the constant bombardment of hard sell by the onboard DVC folks to buy, buy, buy. We did enjoy the 2 stops at CC and the ship is very nice. We will be taking other Disney cruises but just not Member's Cruises...smjj

 

[tomandrobin]

As of now....no.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Are you saying that they couldn't pay cash for the cruise?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Are you saying that they couldn't pay cash for the cruise? I thought in the end those people could pay cash.

 

[tomandrobin]

Are you saying that they couldn't pay cash for the cruise? I thought in the end those people could pay cash.

Any resale after March 21 can not go on the members cruise, including paying cash.

I filed a complaint with DVC. They did call me back and listened to my rant on why I thought it was not fair. The cruise is not a DVC sponsored event and has no bearing on our DVC memberships.

 

[jvelasco]

I wonder if DVC will change their mind regarding resale members since the upcoming member cruises have not sold out.

 

[Muushka]

I wonder if DVC will change their mind regarding resale members since the upcoming member cruises have not sold out.

That was my thinking.
I called the other day and the message playing while I waited was that the cruises were not booked.

It is a mystery to me how they get away with these cruises. (bad time of year, expensive.....)

 

[smjj]

That was my thinking.
I called the other day and the message playing while I waited was that the cruises were not booked.

It is a mystery to me how they get away with these cruises. (bad time of year, expensive.....)

Having gone of two I am now asking how we talked our self into taking them. I mean they were fun, we meet a lot of nice people and the ship is very nice and the two stops at CC is very nice. We can say the same thing about a regular Disney cruise. The first one we took (5 years ago) was very nice. The food, entertainment and free stuff was nice. The last one we took(2011), not so much. All had been downgraded and the points for this cruise made it just not worth it. Just about every time we walked thru the main lobby, we were surrounded by DVC CM's hocking their products. We will not be taking any more Member's Cruises...smjj

 

[nunzia]

There was a big thread awhile ago on this and it was stated that resale purchasers couldn't go on a Member's Cruise AT ALL..even by paying cash for their stateroom, but again, buying 25 points direct could circumvent that, I'm sure.

 

[Pikezh638]

I'm not trying to hurt feeling or step on toes, but that is the reason you buy directly from Disney. You saved money by buying resale why would they give you full privelages when you didn't buy from them? There wouldn't be a point to buy from Disney if resale/direct got the same things.

I apologize if this came across rude or hurt anyone's feelings.

 

[Califgirl]

I'm not trying to hurt feeling or step on toes, but that is the reason you buy directly from Disney. You saved money by buying resale why would they give you full privelages when you didn't buy from them? There wouldn't be a point to buy from Disney if resale/direct got the same things.

I apologize if this came across rude or hurt anyone's feelings.

I don't think the OP is upset because they can't use their resale points to book the cruise. It sounds like they are upset because they cannot even pay cash for the Member Cruise. Resale or not they are still DVC members. Even if they don't have the perk of using points to book the cruise, they should still be able to participate by paying cash if they wish.

 

[Dean]

I'm not trying to hurt feeling or step on toes, but that is the reason you buy directly from Disney. You saved money by buying resale why would they give you full privelages when you didn't buy from them? There wouldn't be a point to buy from Disney if resale/direct got the same things.

I apologize if this came across rude or hurt anyone's feelings.

I think we all understand that issue. I am one of the most understanding you'll find on this site when it comes to the business side of DVC and timeshares in general. I generally find myself making the case that many things are reasonable, if not necessary and/or in the best interest of the membership as a whole including reallocation and the removal of valet parking. However, I cannot defend the restriction not to allow members to cruise by paying cash. I understand it to a degree, but IMO, there simply is no defense.

 

[disneynutz]

I don't think the OP is upset because they can't use their resale points to book the cruise. It sounds like they are upset because they cannot even pay cash for the Member Cruise. Resale or not they are still DVC members. Even if they don't have the perk of using points to book the cruise, they should still be able to participate by paying cash if they wish.

Disney should change the name from "Members Cruise" to "Direct Buyers Cruise we care about you because you gave us money".

Bill

 

[disneynutz]

I think we all understand that issue. I am one of the most understanding you'll find on this site when it comes to the business side of DVC and timeshares in general. I generally find myself making the case that many things are reasonable, if not necessary and/or in the best interest of the membership as a whole including reallocation and the removal of valet parking. However, I cannot defend the restriction not to allow members to cruise by paying cash. I understand it to a degree, but IMO, there simply is no defense.

Sometime greed clouds our better judgment.

I am sure that Bilby knows our feelings about this restriction by now. Maybe it's time to start emailing her bosses boss, Tom Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, tom.staggs@disney.com .

Bill

 

[Dean]

Sometime greed clouds our better judgment.

I am sure that Bilby knows our feelings about this restriction by now. Maybe it's time to start emailing her bosses boss, Tom Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, tom.staggs@disney.com .

Bill

Maybe, I doubt they went into with the intent of excluding some members using cash. My guess is they didn't even think about it initially then made a knee jerk reaction they were stuck with. We'll likely never know and as I said before, I won't be surprised if they later reverse the decision.

 

[disneynutz]

Maybe, I doubt they went into with the intent of excluding some members using cash. My guess is they didn't even think about it initially then made a knee jerk reaction they were stuck with. We'll likely never know and as I said before, I won't be surprised if they later reverse the decision.

IMO they did it knowing exactly what they were doing. Using the restriction to cause people to by direct. Which according to the small sampling here on the DIS has caused people to add on direct. If they wanted to include cash guests they would make a change and issue a statement, "because we value our members, due to received feedback" we will let you pay cash for our (expensive sales presentation), strike that, Member Cruise.

Bill