Bookin a cruise in advance

[drag n' fly]

We are thinking of booking a cash/points combination cruise for the spring of 2010. Since we can book 24 months in advance, how do I book one if the point tables are not even out yet? I am sure there must be a simple answer to this tia

 

[Anal Annie]

The DCL itineraries are not out yet for 2010 so you really can't book that far yet!! Once they publish those schedules (perhaps by fall this year but more likely in EARLY 2009) you can make a ressie with points based on an estimate from the 2009 point charts. But it is only an estimate. The cruise charts usually aren't out until March or April.

The amount of points actually required will most likely fluctuate and you would make the ressie with the understanding that you might need more points once the charts are out. If you cannot match the points then I believe they will let you cancel the ressie without a penalty. It's also a gamble when do a combo like that because I think if you are paying for some people with cash you have to pay that amount in full at the time you make the ressie. I probably would not make such a reservation w/o the charts being out yet. We booked a 4 n cruise for this July on points last March. The itineraries came out the end of January, but the charts didn't get published until March so we waited until we knew for sure how many points we'd need. THIS year, they changed the charts and added a couple more "seasons". This is a benefit if you are planning to travel in an "off-season" as it reduced the number of points required. However, for us, traveling in a peak period if we were planning this for 2009 the required number of points we would need went up by 65! (We're using 392 but next year it would take 457!)

I think a lot of people made ressies ahead of time for the Mexican Riviera cruises and the repos last year w/o really knowing how many points they would need then they were shocked when the charts came out and had to cancel.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

The DCL itineraries are not out yet for 2010 so you really can't book that far yet!! Once they publish those schedules (perhaps by fall this year but more likely in EARLY 2009) you can make a ressie with points based on an estimate from the 2009 point charts. But it is only an estimate. The cruise charts usually aren't out until March or April.

The amount of points actually required will most likely fluctuate and you would make the ressie with the understanding that you might need more points once the charts are out. If you cannot match the points then I believe they will let you cancel the ressie without a penalty. It's also a gamble when do a combo like that because I think if you are paying for some people with cash you have to pay that amount in full at the time you make the ressie. I probably would not make such a reservation w/o the charts being out yet. We booked a 4 n cruise for this July on points last March. The itineraries came out the end of January, but the charts didn't get published until March so we waited until we knew for sure how many points we'd need. THIS year, they changed the charts and added a couple more "seasons". This is a benefit if you are planning to travel in an "off-season" as it reduced the number of points required. However, for us, traveling in a peak period if we were planning this for 2009 the required number of points we would need went up by 65! (We're using 392 but next year it would take 457!)

I think a lot of people made ressies ahead of time for the Mexican Riviera cruises and the repos last year w/o really knowing how many points they would need then they were shocked when the charts came out and had to cancel.

They only let you rebook for the following years cruise, right? I am cruising May 2009, but want to book a 7-nite for 2011. I can't book that far ahead even though the pts. charts aren't out, could I? If so, and then the charts came out beyond our pts. means, then what your saying is we can cancel and get the $95.00 fee back? Is there any advantage to early booking with points?

 

[Anal Annie]

They only let you rebook for the following years cruise, right? I am cruising May 2009, but want to book a 7-nite for 2011. I can't book that far ahead even though the pts. charts aren't out, could I? If so, and then the charts came out beyond our pts. means, then what your saying is we can cancel and get the $95.00 fee back? Is there any advantage to early booking with points?

It's not just the point charts! The cruise schedule / itineraries only go thru 2009 at this time. I don't think that DCL will book cruises that don't exist yet. I know if you re-book onboard with a regular cash ressie for a date in 2009 that once the 2010 dates are out you can transfer it to a 2010 date. Then I believe when they release the 2011 dates you transfer it again. But I don't know if it would work the same way for booking on points and I do not know what the policy is on that $95 fee if you cancel a vacation that you book outside of DVC. They may charge you that fee over & over again to keep transfering it IF THEY EVEN ALLOW YOU to transfer it. You would really have to call MS and ask them to know for sure.

 

[drag n' fly]

Gee and here I thought it was a simple answer. It states on the member website you can book a cruise up to 24 months in advance...me thinks I better call MS

 

[Laxmom]

Please let us know what you find out. I, for one, would like to know too!

 

[Anal Annie]

Gee and here I thought it was a simple answer. It states on the member website you can book a cruise up to 24 months in advance...me thinks I better call MS

Well, maybe MS will take your points from you but if DCL hasn't released an itinerary you wouldn't know where you'll be going yet!!! Why would you want to tie up your points like that? Personally, I would want to know where they were sending which ship first. I'm just curious to know what's the rush to book something that's not even there yet? Unless you're trying to book the Roy or Walt suites of which there are only 2...the ships have plenty of staterooms. Why not just wait for the itineraries to be announced? I'm just not following your rush to book on DCL at 24 months. I am also an anal planner, but I think you can only plan so far out with this one.

We're going on the Wonder this summer and I hope to rebook onboard with a cash ressie in order to get the cash discount and OBC - but in reality I want to transfer it forward to 2011 or 2012. I am planning on using cash as I think the points will be up too high by then for us to use points for any of us. But we'll only be out $200 pp deposit not 2 or 3 yrs. worth of points. We won't decide on WHEN until we can make an informed decision about WHERE they're sending the ships. By then, there will be 4 to choose from.