How does DCL work with DVC

[Can_Dannn]

Hello… Wondering how the process works for using DVC points for Disney cruise line. Does the Disney cruise line reservation work the same as a normal reservation for the cruise line with cash? Does it include dining on the boat? Activities?

 

[erionm]

You get the same standard amenities on DCL regardless of payment method (points or cash).

 

[Deb & Bill]

But you won't know how many points you need right away because they renegotiate the number of points needed every year. And it is a whole lot of points. You are better off renting out your points and using the cash to book your cruise. If you use points, you pay an additional $95 fee.

 

[Mommb]

The only difference between booking with DVC points and paying cash for a Disney Cruise is that if you pay with points, DVC acts as your travel agent and all fare-related issues go through them (such as adding a passenger or changing cabins or dates). If you are booking some passengers with points and others with cash, you may need to pay for the full fare of the “cash” passengers at time of booking, rather than at the typical final payment date — that’s how it worked several years ago.

You can still book activities online just as if you paid with cash, and there are no differences once you are onboard.

 

[Can_Dannn]

So is it REALLY not worth it if all your meals are included (and drinks?) If the cruise is all inclusive, and points include food/beverage, is the points needed not as bad as most say?

 

[alltwelve]

So is it REALLY not worth it if all your meals are included (and drinks?) If the cruise is all inclusive, and points include food/beverage, is the points needed not as bad as most say?

It really isn't worth it- even our DVC guide warned us to never use points for a cruise- you will be much better off renting them out and using those funds to purchase a cruise outright.

 

[erionm]

So is it REALLY not worth it if all your meals are included (and drinks?) If the cruise is all inclusive, and points include food/beverage, is the points needed not as bad as most say?

DVC only values your points at around $7/point on these types of exchanges. You could probably get twice that if you rent your points out yourself and pay cash for the cruise.

 

[Geomom]

I'll give you an example: I have a cruise booked with cash for next summer--4 nts on the Dream in a category 4E, $5800 for 4 people before my 10% OBB discount. It would cost me 549 pts to go on this cruise. We own 350 pts...so it would cost me all of 1 year and 200 pts from another year, leaving me only 150 pts to use at Disney World in 2 years.

In the past 2 years, we have spent 600 pts at Disney World--only 50 pts more than that cruise would cost us. This is what we got with our 600 pts: 4 trips to Disney: 25 nights in Disney resorts--21 nights in studios and 4 nights in a 2 bedroom. The rack rate for those stays would be $17,500.
Using our points at Disney is a much better value for us, and lets us stay at Disney more often than if we used them towards a cruise.

 

[CarolMN]

So is it REALLY not worth it if all your meals are included (and drinks?) If the cruise is all inclusive, and points include food/beverage, is the points needed not as bad as most say?

No matter how you pay, the cruise includes the same things. So the question really is " Do I want to pay DVC for the convenience of using my points, or would I rather save some money by converting points to cash myself " - ( by renting points and using the cash to pay DVC directly) There are pros & cons to each.

 

[Can_Dannn]

In the past 2 years, we have spent 600 pts at Disney World--only 50 pts more than that cruise would cost us. This is what we got with our 600 pts: 4 trips to Disney: 25 nights in Disney resorts--21 nights in studios and 4 nights in a 2 bedroom. The rack rate for those stays would be $17,500.
Using our points at Disney is a much better value for us, and lets us stay at Disney more often than if we used them towards a cruise.

In my opinion, you need to include meal pricing at DVC resorts when comparing to points used for DCL since meals and beverage is included with your DCL room reservation... So a better comparison would be the cost of your DVC points at (say BCV) + your dining plan price..... this would equal your DCL cost, so I feel like the would even out?

 

[Disney_Bliss]

It really isn't worth it- even our DVC guide warned us to never use points for a cruise- you will be much better off renting them out and using those funds to purchase a cruise outright.

I have heard the same from several sources - sounds like a well-supported direction (rent points and pay cash).

 

[Disney_Bliss]

I'll give you an example: I have a cruise booked with cash for next summer--4 nts on the Dream in a category 4E, $5800 for 4 people before my 10% OBB discount. It would cost me 549 pts to go on this cruise. We own 350 pts...so it would cost me all of 1 year and 200 pts from another year, leaving me only 150 pts to use at Disney World in 2 years.

In the past 2 years, we have spent 600 pts at Disney World--only 50 pts more than that cruise would cost us. This is what we got with our 600 pts: 4 trips to Disney: 25 nights in Disney resorts--21 nights in studios and 4 nights in a 2 bedroom. The rack rate for those stays would be $17,500.
Using our points at Disney is a much better value for us, and lets us stay at Disney more often than if we used them towards a cruise.

Wow, great example!

 

[Geomom]

In my opinion, you need to include meal pricing at DVC resorts when comparing to points used for DCL since meals and beverage is included with your DCL room reservation... So a better comparison would be the cost of your DVC points at (say BCV) + your dining plan price..... this would equal your DCL cost, so I feel like the would even out?

To use your example: The cruise I listed puts the value of the points at $10.56/pt. If I was at Disney World, using a dining plan plus points, I would still get 11 nts in a studio over the 4 nts on the cruise ship. I would spend 205 pts ($2165 using the $10.56/pt model) over those 11 nts and $3300 on the dining plan for 4 people So that would put me at about $5400 total. The dining plan also includes alcoholic drinks while DCL does not.

You can use your points as you'd like. If you have points you're not going to be able to use at Disney, using them on a cruise makes sense. But to me, the best value over the long term is to use the pts at a DVC property.

 

[Chuck S]

It really depends upon your personal situation. If you have points you know you won't be using at a DVC resort for a few years, it is fine to use them on a cruise rather than go through the motions of renting them. Probably the easiest scenario though, if you don't want to mess with the renter and collecting the cash directly, would be to rent your points through a broker, then use the cash for the cruise and you'll likely have some spending $ left over.

 

[crisi]

It really depends upon your personal situation. If you have points you know you won;t be using at a DVC resort for a few years, it is fine to use them on a cruise rather than go to the motions of renting them. Probably the easiest scenario though, if you don;t want to mess with the renter and collecting the cash directly, would be to rent your points through a broker, then use the cash for the cruise and you'll likely have some spending $ left over.

From an accounting standpoint - don't buy points to cruise - its bad ROI and there are cheaper ways to cruise. If you have points, and you want to cruise, the point cost is sunk and cruising might be better than letting points expire (although you'd still usually be better off renting the points out and cruising with cash - generally - and historically there have been a few, but not many, exceptions - you'd come out with a cruise and somewhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars in your pocket if you rented out all the points needed to cruise and paid cash.)

 

[jodifla]

We used points once to take a 4 night cruise. We booked only 5 months out, and it was spring break time so cash cost was crazy high. Using our points wasn't far off the cash cost, and it was so easy.

 

[crisi]

We used points once to take a 4 night cruise. We booked only 5 months out, and it was spring break time so cash cost was crazy high. Using our points wasn't far off the cash cost, and it was so easy.

Yep, sometimes (rarely) the cruise has filled to the point where rates are high (usually during a high season like Spring Break), there are still rooms available through DVC (there are only a limited number of rooms available) and cruising on points becomes somewhere near cost neutral - a few people have actually gotten decent "deals"

 

[AaronEuth]

In my opinion, you need to include meal pricing at DVC resorts when comparing to points used for DCL since meals and beverage is included with your DCL room reservation... So a better comparison would be the cost of your DVC points at (say BCV) + your dining plan price..... this would equal your DCL cost, so I feel like the would even out?

That is the incorrect comparison, the proper comparison is points cruise vs cash cruise; and gaining the cash via renting points.

Using the above example, the poster could have booked the cruise for 549 points or $5400. It makes more sense to remt out 400 points at $13.50 (fairly standard from the rental brokers). That gives exactly $5400, with 149 points remaining.

The question then becomes would you rather go on the point booked cruise, or stay in wdw for a week using the extra 149 points and then go on the exact same cruise. Alternatively you could rent out all 549 points, skip WDW alltogether, and rent out the last 149 points for $2011.5.

Exact same cruise; but renting out points would put $2000 of bonus spending money in the pocket.

 

[Sandisw]

I do think it comes down to the preference of an owner. If the points used for the cruise are replacing a trip to WDW that year, and the extra points needed to cruise on points doesn't impact future vacations in a way that the person would find detrimental, then I say use them. Is it the best "value"...probably not. But, dealing with renting is not for everyone. There are risks to owners if guests cause damage, etc. While using a broker makes it easier, IMO, it is still something you have to deal with and not everyone wants to, money aspect aside.

I have done a cruise on points once, and even though it did cost more, it was part of my yearly vacations that year so I was fine with it. I certainly wouldn't buy DVC with the intention to use them for cruises a lot, but to pay with points that are needed in the future without having to pay additional cash (and not deal with a renter), I think is fine if that is what someone wants to do with them!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Castaway Cay is getting hammered right now by Dorian.