Cruise Swap via 3rd party brokers

[juliebee]

For the Cruise Swap we typically suggest booking sailings that depart at least 5-6 months from now, so there is enough time to rent your DVC points prior to final payment being due to Disney. To rent your points, you claim reservations that meet the points you are looking to rent, and secure reservations on behalf of our guests. We hold the funds you earn from renting your points and apply them to the total cost of the cruise.”

Do you know if doing that is preferred or can you book a reservation and then offer it as a confirmed reservation with the funds going into the swap program?

Does DVC Rental Store offer onboard credit for bookings? I imagine they can't use existing place holders since those are tied to another agent (or Disney) so it would be rack rate at the time booked.

Also, if your amount of rental funds doesn't equal the cruise cost, can you just pay the remaining amount or does it require it to be all via points?

 

[VGCgroupie]

Do you know if doing that is preferred or can you book a reservation and then offer it as a confirmed reservation with the funds going into the swap program?

Does DVC Rental Store offer onboard credit for bookings? I imagine they can't use existing place holders since those are tied to another agent (or Disney) so it would be rack rate at the time booked.

Also, if your amount of rental funds doesn't equal the cruise cost, can you just pay the remaining amount or does it require it to be all via points?

Davids was offering a small on board credit I believe. You can pay the difference if the cruise cost more.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Does DVC Rental Store offer onboard credit for bookings? I imagine they can't use existing place holders since those are tied to another agent (or Disney) so it would be rack rate at the time booked.

Also, if your amount of rental funds doesn't equal the cruise cost, can you just pay the remaining amount or does it require it to be all via points?

I am extremely curious if this can be combined with your placeholder booking discount as well. My understanding is that you can have your TA use the placeholder, so I’m not sure why they couldn’t be combined if you use the broker exchange program.

It sounds like David’s pays 10% less but then you can use the money for a cruise less than a year in advance, whereas DVCRS effectively makes you cruise at least 10-11m out (considering that renters are going to want a 7m+ booking window and then you need another 90 days before final payment…and I assume you’re just screwed if the renters cancel)?

 

[WxKristin]

I have a DCL trip coming up this Oct and used DVC Rental Store for the booking. This is our first ever cruise, so we didn't use a placeholder, but my understanding is a future placeholder (if I choose to set one up during our cruise) would go back through them as they are technically my TA for the cruise.

I have rented points both personally through the Facebook groups and now with the swap. I have both CCV (resale) and VGF (direct).

When renting through the swap program I only used my VGF points and only in the 7-11 month booking window since they "credited" more towards my swap. I had an email alert sent to me when a booking request was made for VGF in that window. So it took very little effort. Additionally, I never had to deal with the renters other than modifying dates or names if someone canceled and in this case I would get another $50 credit towards my cruise for my time.

Renting personally, I have a contract and have a bit more freedom which points I use and when (such as CCV and in the 7 mo window). However, I had to deal with Facebook and many direct messages plus searching availability and adding requests and confirming payments and methods as well as people flaking.

 

[CarolynFH]

my understanding is a future placeholder (if I choose to set one up during our cruise) would go back through them as they are technically my TA for the cruise.

If/when you buy the placeholder during your cruise, as part of the purchase process you can choose whether to give it to your current TA (DVC Rental Store) or not. If you don't give it to your current TA, you have 30 days to assign it to a different TA.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

If/when you buy the placeholder during your cruise, as part of the purchase process you can choose whether to give it to your current TA (DVC Rental Store) or not. If you don't give it to your current TA, you have 30 days to assign it to a different TA.

Are you saying that within 30 days of buying the onboard placeholder you have to pick a travel agency to assign it to or you can’t at all? I’ve never used a TA for DCL before and I got a placeholder last week so this is a very important piece of information.

 

[CarolynFH]

Are you saying that within 30 days of buying the onboard placeholder you have to pick a travel agency to assign it to or you can’t at all? I’ve never used a TA for DCL before and I got a placeholder last week so this is a very important piece of information.

That is my understanding, after reading multiple posts on the DCL forum here. I don't see it on my placeholder confirmation email, but we had not used a TA for the cruise where we bought the placeholder, so maybe it was on other documentation.

You can Search or ask on the forum here https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-cruise-line-forum.9/.

 

[juliebee]

Are you saying that within 30 days of buying the onboard placeholder you have to pick a travel agency to assign it to or you can’t at all? I’ve never used a TA for DCL before and I got a placeholder last week so this is a very important piece of information.

In my past cruises, when I had booked my cruise directly through Disney, they became my agent and the placeholder that I made was also assigned to Disney directly unless you arrange a transfer within the 30 days after submitting the placeholder.

 

[Arguetafamily]

We are doing it now, booked three months ago for July 2025.
We paid nothing to book. She booked it, two staterooms for 9 people total. The cost was given to me, I have until April 2025 to rent out all my points via their “claim listings” website. Very easy to do, no hiccups so far. I’ve used all my points for 2024 and 2025 use year. Still have $2200 balance for a $18500 cruise. I can either pay the balance cash or use some 2026 points, all Dec use year.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

We are doing it now, booked three months ago for July 2025.
We paid nothing to book. She booked it, two staterooms for 9 people total. The cost was given to me, I have until April 2025 to rent out all my points via their “claim listings” website. Very easy to do, no hiccups so far. I’ve used all my points for 2024 and 2025 use year. Still have $2200 balance for a $18500 cruise. I can either pay the balance cash or use some 2026 points, all Dec use year.

Which agency was this?

 

[Arguetafamily]

Which agency was this?

DVC Rental Store

 

[lilsonicfan]

I appreciate this thread! Returning to say that I decided to do a cruise swap today through David's, so far the process seems to be quite smooth and I liked that they had non-DCL options. I love Disney cruises, but the cost for 5 of us is pretty high, even for Caribbean cruises where there is more competition. So we are going with Royal. DCL quote on the Treasure for 7 nights was $12,400 (two inside rooms). RCCL quote on the Wonder of the Seas for 7 nights was $6,400 (also two inside rooms). I know the Treasure is brand new right now but the Wonder is pretty new too... oh but I did get a quote for DCL for 5 nights on the Magic which was $6,800 for two inside rooms... anyway.

Are you saying that within 30 days of buying the onboard placeholder you have to pick a travel agency to assign it to or you can’t at all? I’ve never used a TA for DCL before and I got a placeholder last week so this is a very important piece of information.

I hope you got this sorted, b/c yes this is correct, with DCL you only have 30 days to move the placeholder to a travel agent. The placeholder has a reservation # that will become your reservation # when you book a cruise, so DCL treats it as a reservation. Any reservation you book on the DCL site directly can be transferred to a travel agent, but only within the first 30 days. There's a form you fill out to get this done.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I appreciate this thread! Returning to say that I decided to do a cruise swap today through David's, so far the process seems to be quite smooth and I liked that they had non-DCL options. I love Disney cruises, but the cost for 5 of us is pretty high, even for Caribbean cruises where there is more competition. So we are going with Royal. DCL quote on the Treasure for 7 nights was $12,400 (two inside rooms). RCCL quote on the Wonder of the Seas for 7 nights was $6,400 (also two inside rooms). I know the Treasure is brand new right now but the Wonder is pretty new too... oh but I did get a quote for DCL for 5 nights on the Magic which was $6,800 for two inside rooms... anyway.


I hope you got this sorted, b/c yes this is correct, with DCL you only have 30 days to move the placeholder to a travel agent. The placeholder has a reservation # that will become your reservation # when you book a cruise, so DCL treats it as a reservation. Any reservation you book on the DCL site directly can be transferred to a travel agent, but only within the first 30 days. There's a form you fill out to get this done.

Ohh excited to see how it all turns out. I’ve yet to get the ball rolling since I love all my DVC points I’m having a hard time letting any of them go.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Thanks for the follow-up @lilsonicfan — I just had my 2023–>2024 UY banked points loaded and I promised myself that I’d rent them to make my own magical beginnings but now that I actually have the points like @VGCgroupie, I am reluctant to part with them. Also, if I take the $2500 and book an additional cruise it’s not exactly a saving… I have the Destiny booked for next Thanksgiving (2025)…I think I’m just inside the 30 day transfer window? Would that work on the timeline with DVCRM or David’s?

 

[lilsonicfan]

Thanks for the follow-up @lilsonicfan — I just had my 2023–>2024 UY banked points loaded and I promised myself that I’d rent them to make my own magical beginnings but now that I actually have the points like @VGCgroupie, I am reluctant to part with them. Also, if I take the $2500 and book an additional cruise it’s not exactly a saving… I have the Destiny booked for next Thanksgiving (2025)…I think I’m just inside the 30 day transfer window? Would that work on the timeline with DVCRM or David’s?

I'm not sure if you mean a) that you just booked the cruise using placeholder less than 30 days ago (ie converted a placeholder to a cruise) or b) that you bought the placeholder less than 30 days ago. If it's a) and the placeholder itself is older than 30 days then I think you would be out of luck to transfer it to either DVCRM or David's. If it's b) you might still be okay.

For me I will be renting out somewhere between 300-400 points to make the cruise cost. It was between a cruise or or a week at Aulani, and honestly a week at Aulani would cost me around that 400 points anyway as we would need a 1BR at least. Figure that with food included on the cruise, we are slightly ahead by taking a cruise hahaha.

Maybe I just have too many points and therefore am too happy to part with them

 

[VGCgroupie]

Maybe I just have too many points and therefore am too happy to part with them

#goals

 

[lilsonicfan]

#goals

hahaha i have what feels like more than enough without getting into numbers i see thrown around here!

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I'm not sure if you mean a) that you just booked the cruise using placeholder less than 30 days ago (ie converted a placeholder to a cruise) or b) that you bought the placeholder less than 30 days ago. If it's a) and the placeholder itself is older than 30 days then I think you would be out of luck to transfer it to either DVCRM or David's. If it's b) you might still be okay.

Actually it was secret option C, both A+B. I got a place holder Sept 5 or 6 and then I booked the Destiny after getting off that sailing.

Couldn’t actually use the placeholder yet because they are blocked out on holiday cruises.

We own at AUL and our kids love it, but I do think a RCCL cruise will be a better value easily, and I personally don’t think we need more than a week at AUL every other year…at least, that’s how I budgeted the size of our contract, but I already find myself borrowing and renting.

 

[lilsonicfan]

@HyperspaceMountainPilot One thing to be aware of re: transferring is that some agencies will not give you the same bonuses (OBC for example) if you transfer a cruise vs if you had booked with them directly. I have no idea about DVCRM or David's, to be fair. I have transferred my DCL cruises to Costco Travel and still end up getting the full cash back (it's so so worth it if you shop at Costco). That's not really helpful in terms of a cruise swap; however, if you're already doing the cruise anyway.... could be useful

 

[lilsonicfan]

Small update for anyone who is interested in doing this - the process with David's has been really smooth so far. It goes without saying that I could definitely get more per point renting elsewhere but this is a great option especially as it is a straight exchange and no money hits the paypal account. David's pays $18 per point for the premium resorts booked at 7-11 months. I sense the demand is pretty high for points to be rented as I have been able to rent enough to pay for our cruise in under 2 weeks.