Cruise: First passenger on points, the rest on cash

[catislander]

I know the points v. cash cruise debate has been done to death, but I have a bit of a different question.
My DH and I both remember our guide telling us that when it comes to using our points to cruise, we could pay for the first passenger with points and then would only have the pay the supplemental cash portion for the second and third person. In other words the second passenger would pay the third person in the stateroom charge.
Does anyone know if this is true?
Wouldn't that save quite a bit off the rack rate?

 

[vicki_c]

That doesn't make any sense to me. Isn't the price for the 2nd person the same as the 1st person? Pricing is per person, based on double occupancy. That's my understanding anyway.

 

[DenLo]

The first two adults are the same and the third and fourth are less. And then there's the rate for children.

 

[catislander]

But if you pay for the first person with points and the second with cash, does the second person pay the rack rate for the cruise or the third person discounted rate?

 

[vicki_c]

But if you pay for the first person with points and the second with cash, does the second person pay the rack rate for the cruise or the third person discounted rate?

They pay the 2nd person rack rate because they are the second person.

 

[bwvBound]

They pay the 2nd person rack rate because they are the second person.

Agreed! Furthermore, the full payment for the cruise is due at the time of booking. Your points and your credit card will both be hit immediately -- unlike booking on cash through DCL where you pay only a deposit with balance due some months prior to sailing.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Each year DVC contracts with DCL for a cash price for members on each of the various cruise dates. This contracted price is definitely not the cheapest that DCL offers, but it is also not the most expensive. It is somewhere in the middle usually..

The 3rd and 4th person is a lesser cash price to add on. You can obtain the cash prices for those booking at least one person on points through DVC Member Services.

 

[joksten2000]

We use it for a family vacation (nine people-Us 2 kids-3 grandkids). We would never be able to afford sailing as often if we paid cash. We've had 13 vacations on points-cash value $143,000, cost to buy DVC & Dues $121,400 to date. So our family cruises will now cost us just dues, about $5k.

Our 2011 b2b on the Dream would have cost over $20,000. Only cost us about $11k in dues.

I think if the people who go to WDW would add in the cost of the whole trip, useing points isn't so crazy. I'm biting my tongue as I write that. Hopefully with two bigger ships the points to cruise won't keep going up.

 

[jel0511]

I have done the points/cash thing a couple of time for cruises. The cash price DVC charges is a negotiated rate with DCL. It's not the lowest rate they have, but not the highest. If you're interested, if you price the cruise you're interested in on DCL, you'll see the cash price per adult/child. DVC's cash rate will be in the same range generally. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. The DVC cash price includes all taxes, etc, whereas the DCL rate does not. If you book far in advance on points, most likely the cash rate you'll be paying through DVC will be higher than the current cash price through DCL. Our 4/17/11 Wonder cruise is almost close to being sold out, so DVC cash price was better than the current pricing, to give you an example.

 

[TiszBear]

so if I am planing on going on the member cruise for 2011 and there are 2 of us, I in theory can use my points for me and pay cash for the other person, correct? And ad the time I book the trip I have to pay for the 2nd person at that time in full.

 

[jel0511]

so if I am planing on going on the member cruise for 2011 and there are 2 of us, I in theory can use my points for me and pay cash for the other person, correct? And ad the time I book the trip I have to pay for the 2nd person at that time in full.

correct