dvc 2020 member cruise

[dwight16]

i am sorry this is totally disgusting on DVCs part this cruise's cost 15000 dollars for a family of 4. 7 nights in alaska i mean come on. i know they are going for the 1% maybe even .5% of the people out there but this has to stop. with flights this is a 20k plus vacation you can take 2 disney cruises on the fantasy and still have money left over. you would think they might learn a lesson based off 2019 still being available to book and i doubt they will sell them out. i truly hope they lose money and the greed stops. i am just sad that is gotten to this place i will always use my DVC but my disney travel budget is shrinking each year.

 

[keaster]

We have no interest in cruising to Alaska. We had considered the Bermuda member cruise this year for just DH and I, but even that was a bit too rich for our blood given our US/CDN exchange rate.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I like DVC Member Cruises, and I am going on both this year. However, I am also going to Alaska after the West Coast MC, and going on Princess because we want to do a land excursion, we want to get to Denali.

Next year will be our year to head to Australia in the fall, so no DVC MC for us in 2020.

 

[Madame]

This is one of the many reasons that resale is a better choice for the average DVC buyer. Many of the perks are either not accessible (think getting lucky enough to have MM fall on a trip AND lucky enough to score tix) or too expensive (think points trade for cruising or the members' cruise).

 

[dwight16]

This is one of the many reasons that resale is a better choice for the average DVC buyer. Many of the perks are either not accessible (think getting lucky enough to have MM fall on a trip AND lucky enough to score tix) or too expensive (think points trade for cruising or the members' cruise).

oh its 1900 points for that cruise. lets have some math fun....say you did own 650 points you would need 3 years of points for 1 week. i will use 6.5 in maintenance fees that is 12350 dollars of maintenance fees you spending and you giving up and 7.5 weeks in an average one bed room on property. PLEASE can we the members put an end to this maddness!

 

[Mathmagicland]

I am happy to see the return to Alaska. The 2015 MC there was my first and it was an awesome experience. Alaska is so beautiful. Last time it was May so I’m happy to see August this next MC to see Alaska at a different time of year. I was just talking a few days ago about wanting to go back to Alaska, as there is so much to see and do.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

They don't lose money on MCs. It is actually a "benefit" that is a profit center for DVC.

 

[tidefan]

Oh, I so want to do this! We did the Alaska 2015 MC and it was BY FAR our best cruise we’ve done. It would be $7,200ish for our family of 3.

Unfortunately, whereas the last one was end of May and the first week we were out of school, our schools go back around August 5-10, so we can’t do this one as it is during the school year...

 

[tidefan]

They don't lose money on MCs. It is actually a "benefit" that is a profit center for DVC.

It is, but the other reason it costs more is, if it’s like last time, they capped the ship at 2,000 passengers.

That 2015 was “sold out”, but late dining was maybe half full. Other weird thing on that cruise. There were only about 150 kids whereas they usually get about 600 on a sailing.

 

[dclpluto]

I was planning on going on a Alaska cruise in late 2020. I was on dcl first ever Alaska cruise so it’s been a while. I looked at the prices and nope should of known I will go the week after this cruise or even the last cruise and save a couple thousand $$$$.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We would love to do a member cruise as well as an Alaskan cruise. I might consider this a once in a lifetime splurge if it wasn't right after school starts (that's why I think there's hardly any kids - they tend to be at inconvenient times) and also if we didn't have to pay in full at booking. If I could pay it off over the next year it would be much easier.

 

[Mathmagicland]

If I could pay it off over the next year it would be much easier.

The Disney rewards VISA lets you pay off the charge over six months without interest, if that might help.

 

[dwight16]

why does DVC value our points at basically nothing? does anyone else find this crazy? 1900 points for a cruise that ends up costing 15k cash but that's 12k in maintenance fees that's valuing the points at 1.5 dollars per point. you also can tell people are tried of the gouging years ago this a dvc cruise post would have had page upon pages of responses......at what price point does this model stop working?

 

[bobbiwoz]

why does DVC value our points at basically nothing? does anyone else find this crazy? 1900 points for a cruise that ends up costing 15k cash but that's 12k in maintenance fees that's valuing the points at 1.5 dollars per point. you also can tell people are tried of the gouging years ago this a dvc cruise post would have had page upon pages of responses......at what price point does this model stop working?

I do not know why, and I think it is a poor use of points as you have paid so much in maintenance fees.

I think our first DVC Member Cruise, 2005 was paid for by points. It was the only way we could have gone, and I never looked back or regretted it.

 

[Mathmagicland]

The cash pricing is in line with Disney Alaska cruise costs in general...yes there is a slight mark up, there always is, likely to help cover costs for invited guests & etc ( my guess I do not know for sure but that is a standard practice for presenters invited to conferences and meetings). Alaska in general is a more expensive cruise compared to other cruises offered in other locations. We will not know 2020 pricing until next week for a more accurate comparison so I’m looking at 2019 pricing today.

Everyone has to decide for themselves if the value & destination is worth the cost in money or points to their travel and family situation. I really enjoy the extras that come with a DVC Member Cruise, and the atmosphere of all DVC members, so if the destination is a place I want to go, then the pricing is OK & I’m in....if I can get thru on the phone lines!

 

[CarolynFH]

why does DVC value our points at basically nothing? does anyone else find this crazy? 1900 points for a cruise that ends up costing 15k cash but that's 12k in maintenance fees that's valuing the points at 1.5 dollars per point. you also can tell people are tried of the gouging years ago this a dvc cruise post would have had page upon pages of responses......at what price point does this model stop working?

My understanding is that the point cost is negotiated between DVC & DCL. I agree it’s ridiculously low and would rent out my points and pay cash instead.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

My understanding is that the point cost is negotiated between DVC & DCL. I agree it’s ridiculously low and would rent out my points and pay cash instead.

I always thought the Member Cruise was a charter? So DVC would be paying DCL for the ship and then whatever they charge is their own choosing for this one. As another example I know that TCM has chartered one of the DCL boats a couple of times and then they would charge their customers whatever rate they chose to.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I always thought the Member Cruise was a charter? So DVC would be paying DCL for the ship and then whatever they charge is their own choosing for this one. As another example I know that TCM has chartered one of the DCL boats a couple of times and then they would charge their customers whatever rate they chose to.

I have heard references to the DVC Member Cruise being a charter as well. I heard it relative to qratuities being included on charters.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yes, the DVC Cruise is a charter. So DCL, as it were, charge a set rate to DVC. DVC decide what they charge to the member, in both points and cash.

This is slightly different than "using points to cruise" on a scheduled sailing, where the negotiation is not based on the full ship or reprogramming the entertainment. While DCL still set what DVC must pay them for a member sailing on points, and DVC then decide the point rate, it's a different math because a "normal" sailing might have only 8 people sailing on points, and the cash rate is set differently. Anyone, non-members too, can just go book on the DCL site for the prevailing rate.

 

[CarolMN]

why does DVC value our points at basically nothing? does anyone else find this crazy? 1900 points for a cruise that ends up costing 15k cash but that's 12k in maintenance fees that's valuing the points at 1.5 dollars per point. you also can tell people are tried of the gouging years ago this a dvc cruise post would have had page upon pages of responses......at what price point does this model stop working?

They pretty much value them at the cost of the annual dues when you use them for anything other than a DVC resort. If you think about it, the MF are all that is available to DVC - the portion of the point value attributed to the original buy in went to DVD (profit) and is not part of the $$ available to DVC.

DCL is more expensive than other cruise lines and others have already spoken about why the Member charter might cost more. FWIW, $15k/1900 = $7.90 per point. That's a ballpark average of current MF, maybe even a little more.

We've already been on an Alaska cruise (twice with other cruise lines, and it is an awesome vacation) & since the cost is way too much for me comparatively, we'll be passing.