Booking with cash and points - need help

[Lisa D]

Hi everyone - need some help and/or advice.

I want to book an April 2005 Western Cruise using both cash and my DVC points. I know renting my points is an option, but 1) some will be borrowed and a small amount is banked, so I can't rent those, and 2) DH is way too nervous to do a transaction like that.

I'd like to book the cruise when I get our tax refund. Do I have to go through DCL if I'm planning to convert to points in the future, or can I still go through Dreams Unlimited? I think we will pay cash for one adult - the other adult and one or both kids will be points. And again, I won't know exactly until the 2005 Cruise Points charts are available.

This is something I really want to do and I hope someone can explain the best way to go about doing it! I hope this wasn't too confusing.

Thanks in advance,

Lisa

1990 CBR
1994 OKW
1998 BWV
1999 BWV
2001 BWV & Vero Beach
2002 BWV
2003 BWV & 3-day Wonder

 

[bethsg]

If you are going to book a room with a combination of points and cash, you must book through DVC members services. You must have at least one person on points in the room, and the cash price is predetermined by DVC, and has no connection to the published cash prices from DCL.
However, if you are talking booking more than one room then a fully cash room could be booked outside of DVC.
But if you are booking one room with cash/points it all must go through DVC. Also note, when you book with cash and points through DVC, you must pay the cash portion in full at the time of booking, along with the $95 fee. No deposit and payment plan. Cash in full up front. Really not too fair in my opinion for them to sit on my cash for up to a year.

 

[gary in florida]

Your right bethsg, except that the fee is $75 - just booked last week.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Remember if part of your transaction is with points, you can only book 11 months out--so you'd have to wait until May anyhow.
Robin M.

 

[Quirky Cruiser]

Bethsg did a great job summing up how it works with booking on points, but I'll add a few more things since we booked on points for our upcoming Wonder cruise. Unless they changed the booking fee (which is possible....we booked in September) we paid $75, not $95. This is not per person, it is per reservation.

Like Bethsg said, only one person NEEDS to be booked on points - you can decide whether to use cash or points for the rest. Keep in mind, DVC's cash price is usually HIGHER than DCL's. Next, make sure you have all your requests in order when you make the reservation - everytime you make a change - whether you change a person's name, stateroom location, etc, you will pay a $75 fee. Also, since you are booking through DVC, you have to work on their schedule - they are closed on weekends and holidays - this became important for us, since we almost needed to cxl a person for next month - and even though we would have had till this monday to cxl her outside the 30 day period, because DVC is closed, we had to let them know by 5pm friday (luckilly, she is going). Before you book, make sure you understand the cancellation penalties fully - I should have asked more questions!!! Also, if you do book some people on cash, you do have to pay everything upfront - regardless of how far away the cruise is.

If you are nervous about renting the points, use them for the cruise - lots of people book on points! Good luck!!!

 

[bethsg]

I stand corrected. The fee for a Conceirge Collection or Adventure Collection increased to $95. The Disney Collection remained at $75. Thank you for pointing that out.

 

[Lisa D]

This makes everything much clearer. At least now I know there's not something I should be working on right now! I'm a very plan-ahead type person. DH will have a cow knowing we have to pay in full up front, but he's also the one too nervous to rent points!

Thanks again,
Lisa

 

[dcbrown]

I am going to add my 2 cents and it is opinion as well as some facts. I am cruising for the 3rd time this year. The first 2 times I split between pts for myself and cash for my 2 children. As stated before, when you book partially w/pts you must go through DVC....who has their own rules concerning the cruise all mentioned previously....besides the fact that they have their own price guidelines. Which happen to be more than the DCL themselves or Dreams.

When I cruise this April I will be paying cash only. I booked onboard and will be getting a $200 on board credit.....with that credit, I will be paying the same amount for all 3 of us.....same category....same time period......as I did for just my 2 children as when I used pts for myself.......so why spend the points?

The only reason I could see to use points is that you have a bunch that you don't know what to do with....otherwise, to me, it does not make financial sense.

DCBrown

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by dcbrown
The only reason I could see to use points is that you have a bunch that you don't know what to do with....otherwise, to me, it does not make financial sense.

I agree 100% with your post above.

 

[married@wdw]

Financial sense depends on financial situations. DH and I really wanted a fun trip for our 5th anniversary but we're cash poor as our house takes up most of our money. We knew we'd only have around $1000 cash for the trip, which we would need to cover food and spending. But we did have almost two full years of DVC points available (about 300 points). While I know that the cash price of our 3-day Wonder cruise was much less than than the value of the points (we also did 5 nights at the Boardwalk), it made perfect sense for us, as we simply didn't have the cash to put towards the cruise.

I too am a planner and a nervous person and renting my points was not an option I was comfortable with. But by using points, I was relaxed, well planned and had the best vacation I've had in years (5 years to be exact!).

While I'd rather have cash to pay and save my points for more stays at WDW, I'd definitely use points again if I was in the same situation.