Any difference between DVC cash reservation and CRO?

[dmunsil]

We're booking a trip at XMas and I have 6 nights of our planned 8 in a SSR Grand Villa, with a two-night gap in the middle. I'm waitlisting the missing nights and checking online regularly, and I have a cash reservation that I made weeks ago that covers those nights. So if I can't get the nights on points, I can shrink my cash reservation to those two nights and have the various reservations marked as "continuing" so they'll allocate the same room for us.

I called MS to see if there was a DVC member discount available for those two nights in cash, and there isn't at this point. But there is still cash availability, so I could rebook the cash portion through DVC. I asked if that was advantageous in some way and the CM said it really wasn't. When they have cash reservations, either through DVC or CRO, they can't really be fully linked to a DVC reservation, but either way they can mark them so the room allocators can keep you in one room.

I could have sworn someone here mentioned that DVC cash bookings are different in some way from central reservation cash bookings. Any other firsthand info about that? The only thing I can think of is that right now the DVC MS folks can't see my CRO reservation in their system. If I rebook it, at least I can make one phone call to manipulate both reservations. Not sure if that's worth much, though.

 

[drusba]

I believe what I have seen mentioned before is that DVC discounted cash reservations do not get daily room service; CRO cash reservations do. Also, with CRO cash reservations I believe you can purchase dining plan when you arrive; with DVC point or discount reservations, you need to purchase at least two days in advance of arrival.

The way linking works now -- where it is noted and resort then keeps you in same room but you still need to get new room keys and close out initial account on the transition day -- I do not think having DVC discounted ressie or CRO ressie will make any difference as to keeping room and transitioning between the two reservations.

 

[DebbieB]

We're booking a trip at XMas and I have 6 nights of our planned 8 in a SSR Grand Villa, with a two-night gap in the middle. I'm waitlisting the missing nights and checking online regularly, and I have a cash reservation that I made weeks ago that covers those nights. So if I can't get the nights on points, I can shrink my cash reservation to those two nights and have the various reservations marked as "continuing" so they'll allocate the same room for us.

I called MS to see if there was a DVC member discount available for those two nights in cash, and there isn't at this point. But there is still cash availability, so I could rebook the cash portion through DVC. I asked if that was advantageous in some way and the CM said it really wasn't. When they have cash reservations, either through DVC or CRO, they can't really be fully linked to a DVC reservation, but either way they can mark them so the room allocators can keep you in one room.

I could have sworn someone here mentioned that DVC cash bookings are different in some way from central reservation cash bookings. Any other firsthand info about that? The only thing I can think of is that right now the DVC MS folks can't see my CRO reservation in their system. If I rebook it, at least I can make one phone call to manipulate both reservations. Not sure if that's worth much, though.

I believe what I have seen mentioned before is that DVC discounted cash reservations do not get daily room service; CRO cash reservations do. Also, with CRO cash reservations I believe you can purchase dining plan when you arrive; with DVC point or discount reservations, you need to purchase at least two days in advance of arrival.

The way linking works now -- where it is noted and resort then keeps you in same room but you still need to get new room keys and close out initial account on the transition day -- I do not think having DVC discounted ressie or CRO ressie will make any difference as to keeping room and transitioning between the two reservations.

To purchase the dining plan through CRO, you have to book a room/ticket package and payment is due 45 days in advance.

 

[dmunsil]

I believe what I have seen mentioned before is that DVC discounted cash reservations do not get daily room service; CRO cash reservations do. Also, with CRO cash reservations I believe you can purchase dining plan when you arrive; with DVC point or discount reservations, you need to purchase at least two days in advance of arrival.

We never get dining plan, so that's not a problem. The CM did say that sometimes discounts will come and go, so it's worth checking back to see if a discounted room comes up. But she said she can't recall ever seeing a DVC discount on a Grand Villa.

Thanks for the info!