New and UPSET!

[JimC]

I'll make this short and sweet--if you bought DVC points exclusively for use on Disney cruises, you need to call and cancel the deal as quickly as possible.

You're paying tens-of-thousands of dollars up front along with thousands more per year in annual dues on the DVC points. When you compare the DVC cost with cash cruise prices--particularly if you can take advantage of re-booking prices and/or early booking rates--it will take you 20-30 years to break even on the DVC purchase...assuming you will even do so.

I don't know what you were told by the salesperson (or what you THINK you were told), but DVC is NOT the way to finance cheap Disney cruises.

Solid advice!!

 

[JodyTG]

I'll make this short and sweet--if you bought DVC points exclusively for use on Disney cruises, you need to call and cancel the deal as quickly as possible.

You're paying tens-of-thousands of dollars up front along with thousands more per year in annual dues on the DVC points. When you compare the DVC cost with cash cruise prices--particularly if you can take advantage of re-booking prices and/or early booking rates--it will take you 20-30 years to break even on the DVC purchase...assuming you will even do so.

I don't know what you were told by the salesperson (or what you THINK you were told), but DVC is NOT the way to finance cheap Disney cruises.

I completely agree with this as well. We did use points for a DVC cruise last Christmas, but...we had banked points that would've been lost if not used...we're not going this Christmas, so more points that would've been lost...we don't want to hassle with renting...etc. There are many reasons to book DCL using points, but many, many more to not do so.

But, as said by many people previously, the point costs for DCL as well as any Disney World hotel can, and usually do, go up. I believe that our 4-night cruise for the four of us was a bit over 300 points. One full week in a standard studio in adventure season at BWV is 85 points...and will always be 85 points until the contract ends. The 4-night cruise that we took may cost 1,000 points in 10 years.

You will be wasting so much money if you only bought into DVC to take cruises.

 

[dizzi]

I am hearing what you are saying......
WE bought this on NOV 2 so we do have 2 more days to cancel RIGHT?

BUT please if you would look at my #s and see if you still think this is not worth it to keep.

We purchased 225 points and were given an incentive of 160 points.

We paid @ $18,000 and our dues will be $924.

We WILL have this paid off in 3 years or less. So we will not have a large amount of interest.

The next 3 cruises( in the next 4 years) we plan on taking would cost us about $11,500 - 12,000.
Plus in those years We will have enough points to have 3 Nights of Adult only stays at resorts each year. HAVE NO IDEA what the value would be for those rooms.

After those cruises we will be only paying the DUES.
$924...........

At that time it will only be 1 child sailing with us so even if we have to pay for her That would be a cruise for 2 adults for $924?

Does this make any sense or do you think we shoudl still CANCEL??

ALSO thank you for all your input, i am going to have my Dh get on here and read this thread as well.
And that also

 

[dizzi]

Also we did make it VERY CLEAR that we would ONLY be purchasing the points to take cruises at least for the next 7 years! For our kids then i am sure we will explore other things!
IF what you are saying is true and i dont doubt it is then i am very surprised that THE DVC lady lead us astray!
SHAME ON HER!

 

[simzac]

What catagory stateroom are you planning on reserving? And which cruise length and date? This will have a big bearing as to whether you have enough points or not.

 

[tjkraz]

More specifics would be helpful. What are the ages of your party? What dates are you using for the cash estimate?

Here's one example I looked at on-line. A 3-night cruise next November in Cat 11 for two adults can currently be booked via the DCL website for about $1032. The same cruise costs 104 DVC points per adult. That's 208 DVC points. Your dues alone (at 2007 prices, assuming SSR purchase) will be $856.96 (that's 208 points x $4.12 per point.) Add in the $95 booking fee and your out-of-pocket total is $951.96.

So compared to the cash rate of $1032, you're saving less than $100 by using DVC points. At that rate you would NEVER make up the $18k you're spending up-front for the points.

Now, if you do plan to start using the points for hotel stays down the road, it may be easier to justify--particularly since you're getting the 180 bonus points now. Still, I don't think the finances of cruising on points are going to look nearly as good as you think.

Again, it would be helpful to know the exact cruise / cabin / party size you would be using the points for to find out how accurate your numbers are.

 

[dizzi]

What catagory stateroom are you planning on reserving? And which cruise length and date? This will have a big bearing as to whether you have enough points or not.

We plan on doing a 7 day cat 11 ..........
i know that it is enough points i have figured it every way possible.

Right now for our October 2008 cruise i have all the begining points which i have already banked (225 plus the 160) and then 2008 points (225), Our cruise is 566 yes that is high but it is a double dip in a regular season.

The others we plan on the least pointed 7 night we can get.

 

[Claire L]

As said earlier 220 pts per year is not a great amount towards a cruise, you say you got 160 incentives points, did they tell you those were only available once and have to be used within 12 months?

Claire

 

[dizzi]

Oh right now we have 2 adults 2 children............
In 3 years we will have 2 adults 1 child..............

we would most likley go in value season cat 11

 

[simzac]

We are using points to cruise this coming January 3rd, 3 night cruise. It cost us 268 points for 2 Cat 11 staterooms for 4 people. If the OP has more than 2 people going on the cruise, I can safely say thay they don't have nearly enough points to cover 3 cruises in 4 years. JMO

 

[simzac]

Oh right now we have 2 adults 2 children............
In 3 years we will have 2 adults 1 child..............

we would most likley go in value season cat 11

3,4,or 7 nights

 

[simzac]

Sorry, I missed one of your posts.

 

[dizzi]

7 night

 

[Claire L]

Even a cat 11 cheapest ie value season for 7 night cruise is 133 per adult and 61 per child in the youngest category over the age of 2 rising to 92 points for 13 +, so the least points used can be 388 points.

Claire

 

[simzac]

If both your children are under 2, the minimum a 7 night cruise would cost you in points is 318. Children older are going to push the point requirements up substancially. Not to be nosy, but how old are your children and do you plan on staying all in a single cabin? TIA

 

[dizzi]

actually if you book within the 3 days after a cruise the book i have... is you save 29 points for each adult making that 104 for each adult.

so this is how i have it figured out.

2008
total points.......610
cruise...............566
adult nights.......36

remaiining 2008...18 to bank

2009................225
2010................150 borrow
total................393
7 night ............363
adult................30

2010...............75 bank
2011...............225
2012...............225 borrowed
total..............525
7 night cruise 2011

this is all i have figured out so far and of course this is if the points stay close to the same for the next 3 1/2 years

 

[JodyTG]

this is all i have figured out so far and of course this is if the points stay close to the same for the next 3 1/2 years

Chances are that they won't stay the same.

 

[Claire L]

So you have cruises planned for 2008, 2009 and 2011 if I am reading your calculations correct. Have you allowed for where your UY is in these calculations? If so then they seem to follow well, but alot of points for just 3 weeks vacation in 3 years. Also the points can increase alot compared to the DVC resorts which are basically ficed until they run out in 35/50 years time.

Claire

 

[simzac]

This is the first I ever heard of saving on points if you book within 3 days of your last cruise, so your point totals would be lower. However, you are banking and borrowing points for your next 3 cruises, it looks like you are using 5 years points for 3 cruises if I read it right, so you must figure MF for 5 years also to offset it. Also there is a very good chance that point requirements will go up in future years, forcing you to either pay cash for part of your cruise or add more points, again additional cash outlay. Once again, we are using points this one time for a 3 night cruise, but I agree with the others that using points for cruising is not a wise use of DVC points. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[simzac]

Also, FWIW, a quick comparison of value. Using your calculated point totals for your 3 cruises(3 weeks), you could get 16 weeks in a studio at OKW over the next 5 years.