I know that DCL is not the best use of points...

[mom2kandj]

Hi all! Not a DVC member yet, but trying to figure out how to make it all work!

The predicament:

My family of four would like to sail on DCL's eastbound panama canal cruise 08/08. Pricing is not yet out, but I am anticipating spending more on that 15 night cruise than I've ever spent on vacation. (probably in the $8000 range) If I become a DVC member, I'd like to look into the option of using points and cash together for the cruise.

From what I have read here, I'm understand that DCL is not the best use of DVC points. But nowhere can I find an approximation of how many points it would be for passenger 1/2 or 3/4 on a longer length cruise. (unlike the 160pts to trade into the Passport collection/outside timeshare)

Anyhoo, a little about me and my family to help fill in the blanks and help understand where I thinking I would get and use those points.

My husband just greenlighted a small DVC resale purchase. He's thinking 50pts at OKW and I'm just keeping my options open(more like 75 pts at VWL).

We plan to visit WDW every two to three years after the cruise. One bedroom is fine for now.

We currently own two weeks at Westin Mission Hills and Westin Ka'anapali Maui. We have used both to visit and also to trade(including two DVC trades).

So...

If I buy in now(let's say 75 pts), get the points and then borrow 75 from 2008, I'll have 150 points. Then I currently have a 1 bedroom 4th of July 2007 week at Westin Ka'anapali that I could direct exchange/transfer 160pts to my account if I found the right DVCer, giving me a total of 310pts. Would that crazy scenario work? Is that enough points to lessen the DCL cash pain? FWIW, we will rent out the Westin Maui week for cash if not for DVC points and that money could then be used to pay down DCL.

I just thought that since DH wants into DVC and we wouldn't be using it until 2009, I could try to use the points for DCL.

If you've gotten this far, thanks!

Rose

 

[Dean]

You'd be better off paying cash and buying a lot less points. Or if you can go outside the highest season, simply trade in through II.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Seems too complicated for me to plan a vacation around. To many things depend on something else.

Good luck.

HBC

 

[mom2kandj]

I know that it would probably be easier to rent out my Westin Maui weeks and use the cash towards DCL, but I want DVC and DH said I could have it! (Okay, tantrum over! )

I was just trying to find a way to push me off the fence and the idea that I'd be using our DVC points towards a cruise was enticing.

Anyhoo, I'm the trip planner in our house and I "know" that we don't really "need" to buy DVC at this moment. Our travel needs are pretty well balanced now between the two timeshare weeks and DH's frequent flyer miles. We worry about the future II exchanges into DVC and how our off season traveling with the kids is now moving to more in demand seasons, hence the desire to buy small into DVC to eliminate the "need" to use II. Also, we have the means now and MF on a contract that small is manageable, too. Too many decisions...

Thanks for letting me think out loud.

Rose

 

[Deb & Bill]

A 15 night cruise would use thousands of points for two adults (not even considering the two kids).

 

[M&C]

Saw that you have Westin timeshare. We have DVC but would love to go to Hawaii for Christmas break 07. My problem is that I'm worried about II trade since I don't know the resorts except for a couple. We're also using points for a 10 day Med Cruise this summer. For a family of 4, me, DH, DD11 and DD4, I'm using a little over 1200 points. I know it wasn't the best use of points, but that's not why we bought into DVC anyway.

I guess I have two questions: Would you consider trading Hawaii for a Disney Resort with me? And, how happy are you with your Westin timeshare? I'm terrified of buying anything other than DVC.

I don't know if this outright trade is doable, but I though I'd ask.

Thanks!

Corazon

 

[Dean]

Saw that you have Westin timeshare. We have DVC but would love to go to Hawaii for Christmas break 07. My problem is that I'm worried about II trade since I don't know the resorts except for a couple. We're also using points for a 10 day Med Cruise this summer. For a family of 4, me, DH, DD11 and DD4, I'm using a little over 1200 points. I know it wasn't the best use of points, but that's not why we bought into DVC anyway.

I guess I have two questions: Would you consider trading Hawaii for a Disney Resort with me? And, how happy are you with your Westin timeshare? I'm terrified of buying anything other than DVC.

I don't know if this outright trade is doable, but I though I'd ask.

Thanks!

Corazon

If you can go earlier, say ending the third weekend of Dec, you will have a great chance of getting an exchange. For Xmas week the chances are very slim even for an owner within that system who has internal trade preference. But it never hurts to try.

 

[hbg4]

"an approximation of how many points it would be for passenger 1/2 or 3/4 on a longer length cruise"

You can use dvc points to book at least one passenger whole cruise fare on points and the others using cash. DVC does not allow partial point use per person, it's all or nothing.
To give you an idea I had to use my dvc points for myself for the west bound Med cruise, since I was in a use it or lose it situation. It cost me 506 points for one adult in Cat. 5 and that is at the discount rebook on board rate for 14 nights instead of the 15 night panama canal cruise for 2008.
If you do the maths, 3 years of accumulated points 2006-2008 will not cover 1 adult unless you purchase or rent more.

 

[CarolAnnC]

We are booked on a DCL 10 night Mediterranean Cruise this coming summer. For two staterooms, 2 adults in each room, one a category 6 and the other a category 11 it took 1786 points all total.

Was it the best use of our points? For us, the answer is YES!! I priced it for cash with DCL direct and the cost was $16K plus.

 

[tor]

We are booked on a DCL 10 night Mediterranean Cruise this coming summer. For two staterooms, 2 adults in each room, one a category 6 and the other a category 11 it took 1786 points all total.

Was it the best use of our points? For us, the answer is YES!! I priced it for cash with DCL direct and the cost was $16K plus.

Did you try other travel agents when we did 7 day carib last august 7 people two outsides Disney wanted 8200, cruises only 7800, we booked with cruise value for 6200 airfare not included in any of these. For points it was coming to 1260 points so we ended up selling points on the DIS and used the cash to pay

 

[Dean]

We are booked on a DCL 10 night Mediterranean Cruise this coming summer. For two staterooms, 2 adults in each room, one a category 6 and the other a category 11 it took 1786 points all total.

Was it the best use of our points? For us, the answer is YES!! I priced it for cash with DCL direct and the cost was $16K plus.

When did you book it? Could it be you missed the early discounts?

In general DCL will return a value between $4.50 and $6.75 per point. The exceptions may be for higher level cabins and for specific cruises that aren't discounted much for early bookings. As always one should look at all options and decide what's best. In Carol's example she is getting about $9 per point which is reasonable. However if she had booked cash she could have cancelled until a couple of months prior without penalty. If she has to cancel using the points she'll have a ton of reservation points that will expire at the end of the use year. Given those specifics I would have rented out the points and paid cash if I was more than 4 months away from the cruise.

 

[Pluto 2]

A 15 night cruise would use thousands of points for two adults (not even considering the two kids).

im going on a 14 night disney cruise this year the points were 749 for three of us. of course that was cat 11 and the panama cruise might be more points than the transatlantic repo.