Add on incentives while on a DCL cruise?

[FrancisK7]

I sailed on the Wish last week, went to the DVC party and also met with the onboard DVC headperson in her office.

There were no special incentive exclusive to DCL, but they seemed more flexible on payment plans.

For adding 150 points direct to PVB they were willing to take a $6000ish payment every two weeks, for ~3 months.

I also learned magical beginnings was only eligible for the USA. As a Canadian I wasn't eligible, but she said they'd still give me my 2024 points free of dues so I could still use them.

 

[DanCali]

Our last cruise - Feb. '25 - our in-laws received a free Hai-hai magnet guy for attending the presentation.

It's amazing how I get $300-$500 in value at Marriott presentations and DVC still gets away with luring people with a magnet or a plastic water bottle... Don't get me wrong - I do go for the water bottles and magnets too, but always wonder how much longer they can keep getting away with that

(grant it, the Marriott presentations are usually 90-120 minutes and more high pressure, but at least you get something valuable in return for that time)

 

[Tumnus]

It's amazing how I get $300-$500 in value at Marriott presentations and DVC still gets away with luring people with a magnet or a plastic water bottle... Don't get me wrong - I do go for the water bottles and magnets too, but always wonder how much longer they can keep getting away with that

(grant it, the Marriott presentations are usually 90-120 minutes and more high pressure, but at least you get something valuable in return for that time)

The first DVC pitch we ever did when we didn’t know much we got $200. I’m assuming Marriott doesn’t keep giving you money once you buy. DVC will do cash, plus it’s much lower stress no fighting them and being pressured.

 

[DanCali]

The first DVC pitch we ever did when we didn’t know much we got $200. I’m assuming Marriott doesn’t keep giving you money once you buy. DVC will do cash, plus it’s much lower stress no fighting them and being pressured.

Yes, DVC is much shorter and much less stress. But I believe DVC will only give you a gift card if you are a non-member?

With Marriott you get the "bribe" even when you are an owner. We've owned with Marriott/Westin for 15 years and they contact me before every trip to try and bribe me to attend a presentation, even multiple times per year if applicable. That "gift" can be a choice between a Visa Gift card (usually $150-$250), 35K-50K Bonvoy hotel points (I value those hotel points at $0.01/pt), and most recently they also offered us 500 OTU Marriott Vacation Club Points good for 2 years that I promptly applied to a reservation at one of their properties we have for next year (I value those at $1/pt - for perspective, the annual dues for MVC points owners are about $0.81/pt). Those OTU points are the best; they stopped offering them for the last couple of years and now they allegedly do it again, but they told me no more than once per 12 month period.

When you read this paragraph in their annual report, you understand why they do it:
(https://ir.marriottvacationsworldwide.com/static-files/90d9c115-e7e7-462d-bb13-e9abbaf359bc - page 7)



DVC is not a separate public entity, so they wouldn't report that, but I wouldn't be surprised if that number at DVC was also 70% (or more).