Booking Cruise with DVC points

[KennyK]

Hi All,

Can anyone explain how you would book a future cruise say in 2004 on board using future DVC points.

These boards are the best, we go on the Oct 13th Wonder 4 day cruise and was thinking about booking a future cruise on board but using DVC points for the cruise.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

KennyK

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Kenny,
I am looking into booking on DVC points now. The downside is that you have to wait until 11 months out to book. I am looking into getting two connecting category 10 rooms (less points than a category 4--we have 3 kids). The "secret porthole" rooms are long gone in that category so I'll have to go with deck 2.
Also, the points are kind of high--we have a few to burn since we bought an addon, so we are OK, but on the 4 day we are still going to have to pay cash for one child, or give up our WDW vacation the following year.
If we get addicted to DCL we are in TROUBLE!
There are posts on the DVC board regarding this as well. Some feel it is not the best use of vacation points. Others, like myself, feel the points are to be used on the vacation of your choice. We have DVC points, but we don't have a lot of cash to spend, and having 3 kids really limits your DCL choices, cash or points.
Robin M.

 

[WorknFires]

We booked 2 connecting rooms onboard the Wonder using our DVC points (thanks to a resell we just bought) We were having a fit trying to get them to push our resell thru faster so we could take advantage of a DVC discount. But everything worked out just right for us. Just contact DVC at your 11 month window and they'll hook you up. Piece of cake. Lots of people debate over the "cash vs. points" thing but this works out and is most convenient for us. Good luck!

Cheryl

 

[KennyK]

Robin & Cheryl

Thanks for the information. I guess if you can't book until the 11 month window, that lets out booking on board, paying deposit with cash and getting the $250 on board credit for booking on the ship, Or can you do that and then transfer reservations to DVC for use with DVC points for the remainder of the cost.

Robin,
Like you said, I like to take 2 vacations to Disney, we take one in February and if we enjoy the cruise like I think we will, I'd like to do that again also, But $'s are a factor because we take my DD28,DGS (9), and of course DW on all our Disney trips.

Oh well we'll have see what happens.

Thanks for the replies.

KennyK

 

[MCazer]

Last year we booked our Halloween cruise (7 day) with DVC points, and then months before the cruise the point rate went down for this time (Fall Fantasy), and they credited our account the excess points. At that point I called up and changed our reservation to a category 5 with verandah from the Category 9 that we had, and I still had a few points. I did get charged another $75 for changing the reservation, but I did get $150 Shipboard credit for Fall Fantasy! So that covered the two $75 charges!

We are going again, this time with cash on the Aug 3 Western! We are in a Category 6 and are doing the Amex White Glove Package for $59 and get a $250 Stateroom credit, and numerous other gifts from Amex and Castaway (as we are now repeat cruisers). Of course, we did burn a significant number of points, but hey we have 40 more years to use them!

 

[WorknFires]

It's no $250 but we did get $50 shipboard credit for each of the rooms we booked so it worked out for us... a discount on using points AND the $100.

We're pleased,
Cheryl

 

[CarolAnnC]

Or can you do that and then transfer reservations to DVC for use with DVC points for the remainder of the cost

If you book a cruise ressie with cash, you cannot later turn it into a DVC ressie using points. You would actually have to cancel your cash reservation, subject to normal cancellation policy, and rebook a new reservation with Member Services to use DVC points.

I have cruised twice on points and just got off the Wonder today. I booked this cruise two months ago and had no trouble obtaining a category 6 and category 11 staterooms. You should be fine booking 11 months out. Enjoy!