14 Day Cancellation Paid with DVC Points

[WDWKid4Life]

I have seen a lot of posts around cancelling within the 14 day window (covid positive or exposure) and getting refunds or future cruise credit. Has anyone had to cancel within the 14 day window who has paid for all or part of the cruise with DVC points? I'm curious if they refund points to DVC, and how that may impact the use year. Do they only offer the option to reschedule, etc.?

Also, we have a group where all of our reservations are linked, but can arrange travel so that not all of us would come in contact with each other before boarding the ship. Most of our staterooms are either going to qualify for the 90 day letter, or are hoping to stay negative through embarkation. If one of the staterooms tests positive within the 11 days prior to sail, are we able to cancel all of the linked staterooms with the 14 days COVID cancellation window? Or does the policy only apply to the individual room that test positive (assuming everyone else is clear).

 

[erionm]

I have seen a lot of posts around cancelling within the 14 day window (covid positive or exposure) and getting refunds or future cruise credit. Has anyone had to cancel within the 14 day window who has paid for all or part of the cruise with DVC points? I'm curious if they refund points to DVC, and how that may impact the use year. Do they only offer the option to reschedule, etc.?

You need to contact DVC Member Services to see what the cancellation policy is. DVC is your TA and only they can answer that.

 

[Travel60]

Following because we are in same "boat" and have been since Norway cruise cancelled 2020 and we used points to schedule WBPC. They told us that once points are out of DVC they cannot go back. They became reservation points and can be used for another cruise or maybe Adventure by Disney or Disney Resort. Maybe a trade out.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

When our 4 2020 cruises were canceled, moved, canceled, moved, canceled, moved, canceled, moved, and are now set for the July cruise, any excess was NOT put back into DVC points but were converted into Reservation Points (DVC turns the pts to Reservations point for DCL). Reservation points are only good on the hotel side of Disney. Never again using DVC points because of the hassle. Luckily we have family in FL that have been whittling away the Reservation pts. Totally useless to us. Oh, and they go back to "use them or lose them" this use year. We are UY Sept so they have to be used by Aug 31, 2022.

 

[sjuncfan]

Also, we have a group where all of our reservations are linked, but can arrange travel so that not all of us would come in contact with each other before boarding the ship. Most of our staterooms are either going to qualify for the 90 day letter, or are hoping to stay negative through embarkation. If one of the staterooms tests positive within the 11 days prior to sail, are we able to cancel all of the linked staterooms with the 14 days COVID cancellation window? Or does the policy only apply to the individual room that test positive (assuming everyone else is clear).

I can't help with the DVC part of your question, but for the other part, DCL is not asking for proof to cancel within the 11 days prior to sail. If you can and say you were exposed and want to cancel, it won't be an issue to cancel. You don't need to even test positive.

 

[Purplejewel]

When our 4 2020 cruises were canceled, moved, canceled, moved, canceled, moved, canceled, moved, and are now set for the July cruise, any excess was NOT put back into DVC points but were converted into Reservation Points (DVC turns the pts to Reservations point for DCL). Reservation points are only good on the hotel side of Disney. Never again using DVC points because of the hassle. Luckily we have family in FL that have been whittling away the Reservation pts. Totally useless to us. Oh, and they go back to "use them or lose them" this use year. We are UY Sept so they have to be used by Aug 31, 2022.

Hello, My husband and I are in the same situation as you. We cancelled 4 cruises in FY2020 and have moved all of them multiple times over the following 2 years. We currently have 2 of the cruises scheduled back-to-back the last two weeks in July. When I rescheduled these 2 cruises this last time, I was told the same thing that you were told - that the Reservation Points go back to "use them or lose them" this Use Year based on what Use Year DVC points we used to book the original cruises. Our Use Year is August so I scheduled these two cruises as close to the beginning of our Use Year as possible. My husband made a personal choice not to get the COVID vaccine so if Disney Cruise Line does not change their Vaccine policies before these two cruises, we can't go and I have been told that we will not be allowed to use the Reservation Points to reschedule the cruises past 7/31/22. I think it is unfair that we are not allowed to move the cruise again if Disney does not change their vaccine policy for cruises by July. When we first booked these cruises in 2019 with DVC Points, there was no vaccine mandate in place or we would not have converted our DVC points to Reservation Points and booked the cruises if we had known about this policy. Even if we called them right before the cruises and told them that we had just tested positive for COVID and, therefore, could not go on the cruise or if we actually tested Positive at the Port, they will not honor their current "Cancellation Policy" for us because we used DVC points to book the cruises instead of paying cash. I apologize if I sound bitter but the cash equivalent of these two cruises is approximately $12,000.00 and looking at the high probability of "losing" that much money is hard to swallow. I really hope that Disney Cruise Line changes the vaccine mandate by July.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Hello, My husband and I are in the same situation as you. We cancelled 4 cruises in FY2020 and have moved all of them multiple times over the following 2 years. We currently have 2 of the cruises scheduled back-to-back the last two weeks in July.
I apologize if I sound bitter but the cash equivalent of these two cruises is approximately $12,000.00 and looking at the high probability of "losing" that much money is hard to swallow. I really hope that Disney Cruise Line changes the vaccine mandate by July.

Now, we know just how the DVC and DCL system works. That's why we will never use points again after the July cruise. Our May cruise is cash and a TA.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I've used DCL points when it was cheaper than paying the current price. It does happen if you are closer to your cruise date. I would never do it when the cruise was many months away.

 

[MomOTwins]

Just rebook the cruise. They are not DVC points any more they are “reservation points”and without wading into the complexities I only half understand as I am a pretty recent DVC member, I do know enough to know the common wisdom is you do not want to touch that can of worms with a ten foot pole wearing a full hazmat suit.

 

[Purplejewel]

Just rebook the cruise. They are not DVC points any more they are “reservation points”and without wading into the complexities I only half understand as I am a pretty recent DVC member, I do know enough to know the common wisdom is you do not want to touch that can of worms with a ten foot pole wearing a full hazmat suit.

DVC will not allow us to rebook the cruises past July 31, 2022 because the DVC Points (that were turned into Reservation Points) that we used to book the original cruises are from our 2019 Use Year and because of COVID they were temporarily allowing people to keep rebooking using those reservation points for almost 2 years but they are not allowing that any longer now that cruises are actually happening.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Just rebook the cruise. They are not DVC points any more they are “reservation points”and without wading into the complexities I only half understand as I am a pretty recent DVC member, I do know enough to know the common wisdom is you do not want to touch that can of worms with a ten foot pole wearing a full hazmat suit.

Tagging on with @Purplejewel: our cruise was booked in March 2019 for Sept 2020 B2B. That cruise was rebooked, rebooked, and rebooked to the current July 2022 Cruise. If the July cruise is canceled for any reason, we have to use those 2019 points by 31 August, as in get on a cruise and get off a cruise by 31 Aug 2022. Period. Lose the points. Never again using DVC points on DCL.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It is kinda funny that people get upset when we warn against use of points, but the cancel policy has always been awful once they become reservation points.

I would not expect vaccine mandates to be gone this year on DCL because the Bahamas require it for Castaway.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

It is kinda funny that people get upset when we warn against use of points, but the cancel policy has always been awful once they become reservation points.

I would not expect vaccine mandates to be gone this year on DCL because the Bahamas require it for Castaway.

You are correct. We have been using DVC points since 2009 and never had an issue. 2020 came around and it really showed the flaw in the system between DVC and DCL.

 

[MomOTwins]

DVC will not allow us to rebook the cruises past July 31, 2022 because the DVC Points (that were turned into Reservation Points) that we used to book the original cruises are from our 2019 Use Year and because of COVID they were temporarily allowing people to keep rebooking using those reservation points for almost 2 years but they are not allowing that any longer now that cruises are actually happening.

Lots of cruises between now and end of July. If the cruise is in the summer, I would move it up earlier even if you have to sacrifice itinerary. That way if you test positive if won’t be too late to rebook.

 

[Travel60]

I *think* we can also use those points for Disney hotel stays and Adventures by Disney trips. Have not tried....hoping WBPC sails with us on it.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Lots of cruises between now and end of July. If the cruise is in the summer, I would move it up earlier even if you have to sacrifice itinerary. That way if you test positive if won’t be too late to rebook.

They are out because of vaccine mandate, though, so that won't fix anything.

I *think* we can also use those points for Disney hotel stays and Adventures by Disney trips. Have not tried....hoping WBPC sails with us on it.

This is the case, subject to availability. For the person without vaccination, ABD is out - ABD has a vaccine mandate (full vax, all participants), but some hotel use may be possible in the US.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I *think* we can also use those points for Disney hotel stays and Adventures by Disney trips. Have not tried....hoping WBPC sails with us on it.

Yes, Disney Hotel will redeem the reservation points but the cost to value is horrible. We had 476 resv pts to use up by 31 August 2022. Not enough for a cruise or ABD. We have family who lives in the Orlando area and has been using them on short stays. There are 79 left to use. At Grand Floridian (their favorite hotel) 79 DVC pts would get a DVC studio for 3-4 nights but 79 resv pts get only one night in a basic hotel room. Never again DVC pts on DCL.