Cruise points?

[KCMiller]

Hi,

Can someone point me in the direction of an FAQ or some other info on how to use points to take a DCL cruise? I'm not having any luck finding info on this. And the search function isn't working, at least not for me .


Thanks so much!


KC

 

[CarolMN]

Not sure what exactly you are wanting to know. The process is pretty simple for members who want to use points to cruise.

All you really have to do is call MS and give the CM the cruise date, cabin category and passenger info. The CM takes care of the rest and can answer all of your questions. He/She will explain all the ramifications regarding cancellations, changes, fees, etc.

There are charts on the member web site that specify the number of points required.

Is there something specific you are worried about or interested in knowing before you call?

Best wishes -

 

[KCMiller]

Well, I'm not a member yet, so I don't know what the member web site is . And I can find point calculators for the resorts, but I can't seem to find one for the cruises, so I guess that's my specific question - how many points does it take to cruise (and no, I don't have any special times in mind, I just want to explore and learn).

Thanks!


KC

 

[crisi]

The charts for cruising are really complicated. Someone would probably be willing to look some points up for you, but they'll want some idea on time of year and cabin category, plus how many people will be traveling and ages. There isn't a simple XXX points.

Also, points required to cruise can and do change from year to year. And they go up. So this years cruise chart won't be accurate for a cruise planned in 2006.

Most people here don't believe using points to cruise is a "good value." Generally, if you value your points at $10 per, its generally cheaper to pay cash.

 

[AOPI57]

We are going on our 3rd Disney cruise July 2, 2005 . We have always used a combination of cash and points. MS is very helpful and will answer all your questions.

 

[KCMiller]

So it sounds like that, unlike the resorts, where renting points makes great economic sense, renting points to cruise is not a good idea?


KC

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by KCMiller
So it sounds like that, unlike the resorts, where renting points makes great economic sense, renting points to cruise is not a good idea?


KC

No, most say it is not. That is based upon the premise that the average price per point in the rental market is $10/point. In almost all cases, a member can rent the points and use the proceeds to pay cash for a cruise and still have quite a bit (in the hundreds of dollars) left over.

The best value of a DVC membership is using it to stay at DVC resorts. If you plan to trade out (or use any of the non-DVC options available to members, including Disney cruises) more than occasionally, DVC will not be a good value for you.

My advice is to buy only the points you think you will use to stay at a DVC resort and use the "rest" of your discretionary vacation dollars to pay cash for the other options. Some people buy other (less expensive than DVC) timeshares to use for trading.

Best wishes -

 

[crisi]

Originally posted by KCMiller
So it sounds like that, unlike the resorts, where renting points makes great economic sense, renting points to cruise is not a good idea?


KC

Renting points for resorts doesn't necessarily make great economic sense either. If you only want weekends, points are expensive. APs often enable you to book rooms cheaper than points - particularly if you want to stay weekends. Points are only a good deal at the DVC resorts - so using points for a stay at the Poly or GF is seldom a good deal - regardless of if its a weekday or weekend stay. And, while points can get you a midweek stay at a Deluxe class resort (BWV or BCVs) it will probably still run you more than codes on a moderate at this point in time, and certainly more than a value resort or most offsite accomodations. If you want multiroom units, their are often great deals on the Ft. Wilderness campgrounds - or a ton of units off property.

Points usually require a lot of preplanning - and its unlikely you'll get a discount on the rate when new codes come out. Point rentals often come with cancellation clauses, you can cancel your CRO reservation and get your money back at nearly the last minute, you can't do that with DVC points - unless you find a very flexible owner.

Renting points is often a good deal. But the perception that its always a great deal not true.