Disney Cruise Line Points and Cash

[Dean]

I have no problem using my points for a cruise. For me it is a good use (the posters who tell me otherwise are not the ones who paid for my points )

Agreed, my intent and I'm sure that of others, is to point out what one gets and does not get when using points for a cruise including value returned and risks involved. IMO already owning points is a significantly different issue than buying points to use for cruises and the like but even then, the decision is up to the individual. I reserve the right to have an opinion on the general options of buying for that intend and to express it where appropriate. What individuals do with the info is up to them but no one should be offended if they bought points to cruise and I, or anyone else, feels that's not a good choice in general terms.

 

[Huggups]

Would cash and points also be available for the DCL Alaska cruise? I would love to book it this way for my husband's 60th.

 

[Breyean]

If you're a DVC member but book a cruise through DCL using cash only, do they know when you board that you are DVC? Or is that only when you use points to book?

 

[erionm]

If you're a DVC member but book a cruise through DCL using cash only, do they know when you board that you are DVC? Or is that only when you use points to book?

They usually know regardless of booking method. If you don't get the member gift (box with DVC Member lanyards) in your stateroom or the member magnet on your door, stop by the DVC info booth and let them know.

 

[Breyean]

They usually know regardless of booking method. If you don't get the member gift (box with DVC Member lanyards) in your stateroom or the member magnet on your door, stop by the DVC info booth and let them know.

Thanks. This will be our first cruise using cash so I wasn't sure if we had to do anything to flag us as DVC.

 

[intertile]

I've done this twice now. I found the cash rate through dvc to be better than the discounted rack rate in both occasions. keep in mind a couple of things though:
1) I booked both trips around 11 months out from sail date....Had I booked at there initial offering the discounted rate will have been slightly better. (I cannot make travel arrangements that far in advance though)
2) Both Cruises are on New Years week. This is the most expensive week to cruise. So with the demand being high, the rack rate goes up very quickly.
3) This and Christmas week, were the only 2 weeks of the year where a combination of cash and points gave me a $14/pt value. (paid cash for adults, points for child..the only case where this happened)

 

[cwdefouw]

Would cash and points also be available for the DCL Alaska cruise? I would love to book it this way for my husband's 60th.

Cash and points are available for the Alaska cruise. But be warned, the point values and likely the cash prices are very high. We cruised in 2011 using points and it was a ridiculous amount of points, they have come down some now, but it is still high, ie. most of the 7 night Alaska cruises are more points than the 14 and 15 night Panama Canal cruises. You can find point charts on the DVC Members web site. You have to call for the cash prices.

All this being said, of the 9 DCL cruises we have done and the 6 on other lines, the Alaskan Cruise was our absolute FAV.

 

[jimeasley]

I'm thinking of doing a 3 night cruise on the Dream next year (paying cash) for 3 of us, then staying 5-6 nights at WDW. Would I be better off booking everything through DVC member services or booking the cruise separately through either an agent or DCL direct?

From what I've found the rack rates for the cruise are the same everywhere, it's just a matter of picking what incentive you want based on where you purchase.

Also, does Magical Express work for DCL, if you are staying at WDW either before or after your cruise, or do you get nailed with the $70 pp transfer regardless?

 

[erionm]

I'm thinking of doing a 3 night cruise on the Dream next year (paying cash) for 3 of us, then staying 5-6 nights at WDW. Would I be better off booking everything through DVC member services or booking the cruise separately through either an agent or DCL direct?

From what I've found the rack rates for the cruise are the same everywhere, it's just a matter of picking what incentive you want based on where you purchase.

Also, does Magical Express work for DCL, if you are staying at WDW either before or after your cruise, or do you get nailed with the $70 pp transfer regardless?

If you book the cruise thru MS you have to use points for at least the first passenger. If you use cash for any of the remaining passengers, it will be at a negotiated rate between DVC & DCL.

All DCL ground transfers require payment ($35 per person, each way). DME only runs between MCO and the Disney Resorts.

 

[Dean]

I've done this twice now. I found the cash rate through dvc to be better than the discounted rack rate in both occasions. keep in mind a couple of things though:
1) I booked both trips around 11 months out from sail date....Had I booked at there initial offering the discounted rate will have been slightly better. (I cannot make travel arrangements that far in advance though)
2) Both Cruises are on New Years week. This is the most expensive week to cruise. So with the demand being high, the rack rate goes up very quickly.
3) This and Christmas week, were the only 2 weeks of the year where a combination of cash and points gave me a $14/pt value. (paid cash for adults, points for child..the only case where this happened)

Were you looking a year or more out? The other issue is that you'll often find a "better" deal when looking at higher cabins that are often not discounted or discounted as much. I'd say look and compare but don't lose sight of the fact if you do this on a shorter term you may be throwing away potential savings.

 

[intertile]

I'm not sure I understand what you meant Dean. I was on a new years cruise this past year, and booking on the cruise for new years week the following year gave me a price of $7500 in a cat 5a room, using the obc discount. I paid dvc $5500 + 129 pts(going off memory, may have been a little more) . The points were for my daughter, and the cash for myself and my wife.
These are rough numbers, but within a few hundred dollars. I checked at around Valentine's day for new years 2015 and came up with roughly same price.

Again, this and Christmas were the only werks I saw this work out so well.

 

[Dean]

I'm not sure I understand what you meant Dean. I was on a new years cruise this past year, and booking on the cruise for new years week the following year gave me a price of $7500 in a cat 5a room, using the obc discount. I paid dvc $5500 + 129 pts(going off memory, may have been a little more) . The points were for my daughter, and the cash for myself and my wife.
These are rough numbers, but within a few hundred dollars. I checked at around Valentine's day for new years 2015 and came up with roughly same price.

Again, this and Christmas were the only werks I saw this work out so well.

In part I was using your post to make a couple of more general points. Those being that some options would be discounted more than others and thus affect the return per point using DVC points and thus one should look closely when considering one vs the other. The other that if one books late, you often give up discounts that on the surface may make you think you're getting a better deal than you really are. The other point that I often would make in this discussion is that I consider the risk of using points for a cruise done far in advance to be too great for my taste for break even at best. Assuming you're looking at the Dream 4 day and with 2 children, the cash price currently is $7100 including taxes (the on board credit would have reduced the price) and I believe it's 722 points done all on points assuming the children are in the 6-12 range. That gives you just under $10 a point (ignoring the obi) and that's because it doesn't have much or any discounts.