DVC points to buy a Cruise

[ashman]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but here goes. I have been reading up some on the DVC, I read somewhere that the points can be used on a cruise. Does anyone know of a link that would show how many points a cruise costs? What happens if you don’t have enough points? Do you have to buy the difference at current prices? I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer, especially from those who have personally done this before. Thanks in Advance!

 

[CarolMN]

The number of points depends on the date of the cruise, the cabin category, the length of the cruise, the itinerary and the number of adults and the ages of any children sharing the cabin.

The chart is on the Members' website. I dont know of anyplace a non-member can access the chart.

You only have to pay for one person (adult) with points. The rest of the people sharing the cabin can pay with cash. You can't mix points and cash for the same person.

The cash price will be the one DVC negotiated with DCL - depending on when you book, it could be more or less than the per person cash price currently being charged by DCL or a TA.

If you are interested in a particular cruise, post the details of what you need and one of us can look up the points required for it.

Best wishes -

 

[ashman]

I appreciate all of the feedback! I was toying with the outside possibility of pursing a DVC membership, I have clients who absolutely love it! I see my family going on more cruises than WDW vacations. I stumbled across the DVC (BTW this board has much more info on it than the official website!) and was investigating to see if it would make sense to use it to help defray my growing cruising addiction. I have been on three , once as a kid (RCCL), once for my honeymoon (NCL) and once for my 10 year anniversary last year (Celebrity). I am looking to introduce my kids to the cruising world and DCL is looking to be the way to go. DCL by way of DVC seems like a bad road from what y’all are saying

Again thanks



PS-I used to think I was a cruising expert, here on this board I feel like a clumsy neophyte!

 

[Mary Anne]

Yes, to buy DVC just to cruise is not the way to go. To buy DVC to enjoy DisneyWorld and once in awhile possible bank, borrow points to do a cruise on points is always doable.

Last year my family of 4 took a 7 day cruise that "cost" us 470 points. I guess I could have rented those points and booked with the cash and still come out ahead but we enjoyed the ease and no worry of just booking with points. So yes it can be done. Would we do it every year, nope.

 

[MommaluvsDis]

Most posters on this board would not use points for cruising. However, after paying cash for our '04 cruise, we fell in love with the DCL way of pampering us and bought into DVC while onboard. We cancelled that contract when we got home and we bought resale and saved money and was able to get more points.

This year we used our points to cruise and loved the fact that we paid $75 for the booking fee! Wish we'd had it last year as the 7 day for 4 cost us a lot of $$$$$!

We got our points, 350, mainly for cruising. It's stress free!

As I said, we cruise and that's the main reason we're DVC members! Only wish I had done it SOONER!

 

[kritter]

where can you buy resale point of DVC I need to get more points?? thanks

 

[MommaluvsDis]

The Timeshare Store (TTS) is where we bought into the DVC. I can highly recommend them! They sponsor this site. Simply click on Current DVC resales at the top of this page. Don't see what you need? Just give them a call. They're very helpful.

 

[kritter]

Do you have the link for them??

 

[MommaluvsDis]

At the top of this page under their logo, just click on the Current DVC resales link.

 

[JimMIA]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but here goes. I have been reading up some on the DVC, I read somewhere that the points can be used on a cruise. Does anyone know of a link that would show how many points a cruise costs? What happens if you don’t have enough points? Do you have to buy the difference at current prices? I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer, especially from those who have personally done this before. Thanks in Advance!

There tend to be two schools of thought regarding the use of DVC points for cruises, and also for many of the outside transfers to the other "collections." The one thing both sides agree on is that you get better value for your DVC points when using them at one of the seven DVC resorts.

With cruises, many say you are better off paying cash and renting points to cover the cash outlay. That will cost you less money, and I believe you can also book quite a bit farther in advance than you can with points.

Others say they bought their points for vacation options, and if the points are higher for a cruise, that's okay with them as long as they get good value. They also don't want the time and effort - and risk - of renting points.

One of the many good points about DVC is that you have many options - including the option of taking cruises either way.

 

[Tiggeriffic]

If you plan on buying DVC to mainly use for DCL, it is important to know that
the number of points that it takes to cruise can go up. Over the last few
years the point increases have put cruises out of my reach with the number
of points that I own and the time of year that I can cruise. I did cruise this
year but chose to pay cash and save my points to use at the DVC resorts.

 

[KAR3600]

I have a different attitude on point spending. I purchased DVC so it can do what I want it to do. If it costs me more points to cruise, so be it. Next year I get more points, and will spend them the way I want to travel then. It may not be the perfect "bargin", however, buying in to DVC was, so I feel I'm ahead of the game. I'll be cruising on July 24 (4day Wonder) It only cost me $75.00 to book. The only other "cash" layout will be what I purchase on the ship........ pictures, and souveniors, plus a couple of those Rum Runners!!!!!

 

[CarolMN]

I have a different attitude on point spending. I purchased DVC so it can do what I want it to do. If it costs me more points to cruise, so be it. Next year I get more points, and will spend them the way I want to travel then. It may not be the perfect "bargin", however, buying in to DVC was, so I feel I'm ahead of the game. I'll be cruising on July 24 (4day Wonder) It only cost me $75.00 to book. The only other "cash" layout will be what I purchase on the ship........ pictures, and souveniors, plus a couple of those Rum Runners!!!!!

Nothing wrong with doing what you are doing.

That said, I think the point is that for those who plan to mostly cruise (rather than mostly stay in a DVC resort), it is much cheaper to just pay cash for cruises as you go. You could just open a savings account for vacations and put so much in it each month. You would come out ahead economoically.

Best wishes -

 

[mlshields]

We (family of 4) have been on two 7 day cruises on the Magic.

Category 8 - Oceanview window - no balcony

One time totally points - another time - adults on points - children(3rd & 4th passengers) on cash for roughly 400.00 each child.

Would do it again in a hearbeat!

P.S. The second time we used cash to stay at the boardwalk prior to the cruise on points!