2004 Cruise Points Good and Very Bad News

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I just got off the phone with MS regarding next year's cruise points. I only discussed "Regular" Season Seven Day Western Cruises with them but I would think the other times and cruises will be similar.

7 Day Western Regular Season:

Points for 1st and 2nd Person in the cabin only went up five points from 247 to 252 points. This is a 2% increase, which is very good IMHO.

They have broken the under 18 rates into one additional group than they had been in the past. This year kids 13 to 18 are 164 points. This is up a whopping 28 points or 21% from last year's 136 points.

Children 6 to 12 years old (last year this catagory was 3-12) is up 28 points from 110 to 138 points. Or a 25% increase. YIKES!

I did not get a point amount for the new age grouping of 2 through 5 because it didn't pertain to me and I was shocked by the other numbers.

Good luck to those of you planning cruises.

HBC

 

[reneesam]

I'd be very interested to see more on this...the kids' price jump was always between 2 and 3 which in my mind corresponded to more programming for older kids (Oceaneers Club.) Now it seems this breakdown is based more on how much the kids eat! Glad we just cruised with our 2 yo!

Other views on this?

 

[floridaminnie]

I wonder if they are going to start doing this for "regular" cruise prices also not only for cruises with DVC points?

 

[ncligs]

As usual, points for cruising keep going up every year will there ever be a year it doesn't go up??

 

[ArthurAmish]

I just called member services and was pleasantly surprised with my cruise point question. We are interested in the 7-day Western, in the May 2004 value season, category 6. The points actually dropped from 198 to 197 per adult. We are going to pay cash for our then 5 year old, which I was quoted as $734. My only concern is the booking window. Member services told me that they didn't think that should be problem, even though I will have to wait until June to make a reservation.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I already have a cash deposit on two cat. 10 (at least they are sph) rooms for July 2004. It is costing me $6800. Since we have a family of 5 we are limited to that or a category 4 (this is for a 7 day western). A category four would have cost another $2000!
I have 166 points left for 2004 and can borrow some 2005. If I can get a decent cash cost for our cruise in a cat. 4 (by paying points for one adult) I will do it. Plus, I don't think I could afford much more since all of my kids will be in that 6-12 range--spec. 6, 9 and 12! But the way I figure it, if the cash cost is less than $5200 (the price I'm paying minus the money I would get for renting out the 166 points) it will be on the positive side.
Negative side--coming up with all that cash in August!!
The point charts are not online yet and of course the cash cost isn't either. But with these increases I can see why people think it is a better deal to pay cash.
Robin M.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

As long as members are willing to spend two years (or more) of points to cruise with their family, DCL will continue to stick it to DVCers. I bet that CRO rents out your points, pays for your cruise and pockets lots of extra $cash$. The only way we'll see a better points chart is to not cruise on points at all. I know I've made that decision.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by Johnnie Fedora
As long as members are willing to spend two years (or more) of points to cruise with their family, DCL will continue to stick it to DVCers. I bet that CRO rents out your points, pays for your cruise and pockets lots of extra $cash$. The only way we'll see a better points chart is to not cruise on points at all. I know I've made that decision.

Well said Johnnie!!