Explain Cruise + Cash

[bc529]

Can somebody explain how to use points plus cash for a disney cruise. Sounds like it might be a good idea for me. Thanks for all your help everybody.

 

[CraftyMouse]

You must use points for the lead name on the reservation. After that you can split the remaining passengers up as you wish, paying points for some and cash for others. Each person must be paid for with either all points or all cash.

For example, if you make the reservation in your name then you must use points for yourself. You can then split up the others in your party as you wish, perhaps paying points for the adults and cash for the kids or cash for the 2nd adult and points for the kids. It's up to you.

 

[Poppins2000]

We just did this. We used points for me and paid in cash for DH. You do get a small discount for the cash person(s) as well (I think it was 10% off of the going rate). Just a warning; you have to pay for the cash ressies IN FULL and the $95 transaction fee when you make your reservation. There are no payment plan options....

 

[njschultz7]

Wow that is a good questions. When you say that you must pay all in points, or all in cash, that is not how my guide originally explained it, or I must have misunderstood. If I have 200 points, and for my wife and I to both go I need to use 220, can I use the 200 points, and then pay the difference in cash?

 

[CraftyMouse]

Wow that is a good questions. When you say that you must pay all in points, or all in cash, that is not how my guide originally explained it, or I must have misunderstood. If I have 200 points, and for my wife and I to both go I need to use 220, can I use the 200 points, and then pay the difference in cash?

No, you can't. Each person must be all-points or all-cash. The points cost are per person so you can't split that amount up to be part points and part cash. It's really no different than the way reservations work for the DVC properties, where the points cost is per night. Using your example, it would be like only having 20 points for a room that costs 22. You can't pay cash for the 2 points you don't have.

 

[bz8bls]

Went on 3-day wonder during 4th of July week-end.

We used points for DH and myself, and paid cash for three grandchildren.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Wow that is a good questions. When you say that you must pay all in points, or all in cash, that is not how my guide originally explained it, or I must have misunderstood. If I have 200 points, and for my wife and I to both go I need to use 220, can I use the 200 points, and then pay the difference in cash?

Well you can borrow from the next year's points too. Some people advise renting out points and then paying cash in full via DCL direct for the cruise. That is an option you may consider checking out too if you are so inclined.

 

[Alexander]

Well you can borrow from the next year's points too. Some people advise renting out points and then paying cash in full via DCL direct for the cruise. That is an option you may consider checking out too if you are so inclined.

This is a very valid point! Would it cost around $2200 if you paid cash? If not, or not even close, you may want to consider renting.

DS and I did a 3 day cruise in April. I cost me $798 for both of us. If I had used points it would have been 208 points. At approximately $10/point, that would have been $2080. That is a huge difference!

 

[disneylaurie]

Is there a way to find out how much the cruise would cost, for example, using points vs. paying cash? Or do you just call MS and they give you the figures? Thanks in advance!

 

[CraftyMouse]

DS and I did a 3 day cruise in April. I cost me $798 for both of us. If I had used points it would have been 208 points. At approximately $10/point, that would have been $2080. That is a huge difference!

The points costs are set based on the published rack rates for DCL. When you compare those rates to the points chart they work out to just about a break-even deal, although you can get a lot more "bang for your buck" using your points at the DVC resorts.

Occasionally DCL discounts the cruise prices, as in your case. When this happens the points cost is MUCH higher than the cash cost as the points cost is not discounted. You really do have to do your homework to see which is a better deal for the time of year and sailing you want to book.

 

[CraftyMouse]

Is there a way to find out how much the cruise would cost, for example, using points vs. paying cash? Or do you just call MS and they give you the figures? Thanks in advance!

You can go to www.disneycruiseline.com and price out the cruise you'd like to take. Then you can check the points charts for the same sailing. From there you can compare the two and see which is a better deal for you.

Remember that not all guests need to be paid for with points. After the first passenger, who must be paid for with points, you can split the rest of your party up as cash or points, as you see fit (as long as each person is all-points or all-cash).

 

[pinkpixey]

Does this sound right or am I just dumb? I just booked a 3 day cruise using a combo of points and cash. I checked the DCL web site first to see what the cost would be to pay totally oop, it was $2973.92 for 2 adults and 2 kids. The quote also said that price included transfers and insurance. So I call DVC to find out how to do points and cash. I get a price per person which adds up to $2694.95 and am told there is some sort of discount being applied. Sounds great right ?, because I assume that we are talking about the same package I saw online. I booked the cruise, paid cash for 2 of us, used points for the other 2. At the end of all of this I am told that I have to purchase the transfers at a cost of $70/pp and insurance is also additional. I go online to check this out because I am thinking that I must be stupid or something. I plug in the same info as before, cruise date, stateroom category, ages of kids, etc. This time I decline the insurance and transfers and the price comes up to be $2501.92! I don't get it because if I now add 4 teansfers @ $70/pp plus insurance I am paying more than the original online quote. Does this make sense to anyone? Please enlighten me.
Of course I called DCL and they wouldn't discuss it with me, I called DVC and they were closed. So I fired off a semi-angry email. I will call them today if I don't get a reply but I wonder if I am not understanding something. Plus on top of all this, is the $95 fee to book it and the fuel surcharges. I am wrong to be upset?

 

[CraftyMouse]

There is usually no discount to the cash price when booking through DVC. In fact, you usually pay full rack rates and I have always found it to be slightly more expensive than booking directly through DCL. If you want to use a combination of points/cash then the only way to do it is through DVC so you're stuck. The transfers & insurance costs are not included in the points price and must be added on separately.

 

[Dean]

There is usually no discount to the cash price when booking through DVC. In fact, you usually pay full rack rates and I have always found it to be slightly more expensive than booking directly through DCL. If you want to use a combination of points/cash then the only way to do it is through DVC so you're stuck. The transfers & insurance costs are not included in the points price and must be added on separately.

It's often been a minimally discounted (10% comes to mind) amount off the rack rates in the past.

 

[CraftyMouse]

It's often been a minimally discounted (10% comes to mind) amount off the rack rates in the past.

Perhaps that is offered only at certain times? I know that the times we have cruised on cash & points the cash price per person has been higher than it was going directly through DCL.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Each year DVC and DCL contractually agree to cash prices to offer Members booking on points/cash. The cash prices fluctuate somewhere between rack rate and DCL's lowest prices. Usually they are in the middle.

DCL books their cruises based on tiers. The earlier you book, the lower the booking tier you receive. Hence prices rise as time goes on and it gets closer to sail date.

I have booked on points and cash myself, and I found myself about midway on price. It was no where near rack rates, but it was above the discounted going rates at the time I booked.

It is an option, not for everyone, but it certainly was useful to me at the particular time that I used it.

 

[Dean]

Perhaps that is offered only at certain times? I know that the times we have cruised on cash & points the cash price per person has been higher than it was going directly through DCL.

Look at the brochure rate to compare, that will be the rack rate. I wonder if you were scheduling early enough that the early booking discounts would apply. As a rule, and assuming you plan sufficiently ahead, the direct cash price should be quite a bit cheaper than through DVC.