cruise booking question

[cherylcheryl]

I am not a DVC member, but I rent points from them quite often for WDW resorts. I am wondering if anyone can tell me if points can be used for cruises also. And if so, can DVC owners also rent out their points for this.
Any info would be great!
Thanks!

 

[pdeep]

You can use points to pay for your cruise but that is not the most cost effective way to buy your cruise. When I checked with Disney it would have cost about 620 points to pay for our cruise for the 2 of us. Paying cash it cost us about $4200. So I sold some of our points to pay for the cruise for $10 per point and saved 200 points!

 

[mowog]

We're DVC members and I don't ever see cruising on points. We just had 3 rooms on a 4 night Wonder and are signed up for the 10 night September cruise, all using cash. Using points at a WDW DVC resort is an excellent value, but to use them anywhere else is not cost effective in my opinion. As mentioned you're better off paying cash then renting/using DVC points for a cruise.

Jean and Bob

 

[MommaluvsDis]

We do use our points for cruising. We love the hassle free booking and paying our $75 and we're good to go. Cruising is the main reason we bought into DVC. To each his own. However, if I wasn't a member already, I'd pay cash verses renting points.

 

[kimszath]

Cheryl--Do NOT rent points to book a cruise! What a nightmare that would be! Many (if not most?) DVC members rent their points for the cash, and then book their cruise using cash. If I read your question correctly, it sounded like maybe you were asking if you (not a DVC member) were asking if you could book a cruise with points? I don't think it would be possible, especially since, if you had to cancel, you have to have a "holding place" for the points (which you don't have!) But no, most folks won't recommend cruising on DVC points, unless you really have a LOT of points to burn. If you're booking more than a year or so out, the points required to book your stateroom will probably more than exceed the cost of paying cash for that same reservation, if you rented your points out for, say, $10 per point. Plus there's no $75 booking fee... PLUS your points wouldn't be in limbo if you needed to cancel. For example, I just booked a December 2007 cruise--7-nighter. Would have been 424 points to book on points, PLUS $75 booking fee. I rented out 260 of my 300 annual points for $2600, and that covers the cash cost of my cruise! Of course, if I were to wait until the middle of next year, the cash cost of that same cruise might be up over $4000, and I'd have to look closely at whether it's still a good deal to pay cash, or if points might be the better way to go (the "points price" of the cruise doesn't go up as the cruise date gets closer). My 2 cents!!!