New and UPSET!

[dizzi]

I am very upset with this DVC thing at the moment.........
I was told one thing by one person and wanted to make sure this is what we REALLy wanted to do, and waited 2 days and called back and was told something different by the next person.

This something different is going to make us not be able to take the trip we wanted to take. Or if we do take it have to pay cash for some of it.

Also the first person i spoke with was very nice and helpful, and put me on hold for about 15 minutes finding out the answer to the question i had.

The second person i had was rude and put me on hold for so long that when she came back she said you will have to call back tomorrow we are closed now!!!!!!

No it isnt the END of the WORLD >>>>>>>>>>BUT

If i had went ahead and booked the first day i called i would have not had to borrow so many point sand not have had to use any $$$$$

Should this really happen?
Is there someone i can talk to about this at DVC?
My Dh is about to explode!

 

[2tink4u]

I think more information is needed? Can you be more specific about what happened briefly?

 

[JimMIA]

What on earth are you talking about?

 

[dizzi]

First i booked a cruise with in the 3 days of getting home from our last cruise..........where we bought the DVC.

Then i called back because we wanted to change our cruise after looking more into our points and how it worked etc.etc. And that is when i asked can we still have the member on board rebooking credit.........since we are changing and the gentlemen said he didnt know but would find out........after about 15 minutes he came and said yes, he told me the amount of points and i wanted to look into the points further...( WE ARE NEW TO THIS AFTER ALL)......and he siad no problem that he would note that in our account so that when we called back to book we would not have to wait to find out the answer again.

CALLED this evening and the LADY who was rude said........nope cant be done absolutley not, dont care what he put in your account......you are changing your booking you cannot use the the memeber on board rebooking credit.

You know.......i understand that this is a perk to get people to rebook, and i understand that people who are aware of how this owrks and have been there before know what to do and how to do it..........

But i had literally had my points for 2 days when i had to make a decision on how weaher to rebook or not.............not to mention it was MY FIRST CRUISE ever and my freakin head was spinning after wards.

To have to look at the book uynderstand it and book another cruise in 3 days was kind of crazy!

 

[dizzi]

What on earth are you talking about?

read the second part and you may understand more!

 

[wdwstar]

To be honest, its not a good idea to use points for a cruise, you are better of renting your points and paying cash. but with that said you are new and renting your points probably wouldnt be a good idea either.

Did you pay cash for the cruise or are you using points for the cruise.
remember one thing, if you book your cruise using points and make any kind of a change you will pay the $95. fee, wether you are new to DVC or been with DVC since day 1. once you book your cruise on points and decide to cancel the cruise, your points can only be used at non DVC resorts and since DVC changed their rule about booking non DVC resorts you will have to pay $95 fee to book a non dvc resort.

Dont be in such a hurry to make decisions, until you understand your consequences, otherwise you will really mess up your points and or owe a couple of $95 fees and then you will really be mad!

 

[JimMIA]

Okay, I can certainly see why you are both confused and upset.

Frankly, I don't know enough about DCL cruises to offer you any helpful advice on that topic.

The advice I would give you is -- before you make your next ressie -- get very familiar with your DVC account. DVC is very flexible and very powerful, but unfortunately that also means DVC is pretty complicated. There are all sorts of things you can do with your account -- but there are also all sorts of ways to shoot yourself in the foot.

Unfortunately, the assumption is that we all have perfect understanding of our accounts. That's not true of course, but that is the assumption MS has to make.

The key things I've learned are to keep asking questions until I'm satisfied that I understand, and also to have the MS CM go back over everything I've done so I understand fully how many points I've used, where they are coming from, etc.

These boards (as you already know, from your post count) are a great source of help. There are members here who will dissect every possibility of an option you may have, and offer sensible advice -- so USE this board.

Obviously, the best time is prior to making a decision. Sound advice up front is always better than supportive hugs after a disaster.

 

[dizzi]

To be honest, its not a good idea to use points for a cruise, you are better of renting your points and paying cash. but with that said you are new and renting your points probably wouldnt be a good idea either. I dont understand why it is nt a good idea to use points for a cruise................This is all we plan on doing with our points and of course the lady who sold it to us thought it was a good idea!!!

Did you pay cash for the cruise or are you using points for the cruise.
remember one thing, if you book your cruise using points and make any kind of a change you will pay the $95. fee, wether you are new to DVC or been with DVC since day 1. once you book your cruise on points and decide to cancel the cruise, your points can only be used at non DVC resorts and since DVC changed their rule about booking non DVC resorts you will have to pay $95 fee to book a non dvc resort.

Actually the fee i paid was $75, which they dont tell you any of this when purchasing your POINTS! And unfortunatley i am aware of having to pay again.....will be wiser next time..but to get better points for the cruise you only have 3 days after your previous cruise to rebook!

Dont be in such a hurry to make decisions, until you understand your consequences, otherwise you will really mess up your points and or owe a couple of $95 fees and then you will really be mad!

Wel again, if i didnt make the reservation 3 days after the cruise i would have had to use almost 50 exta points!

We plan on cruising once a year ....... we are pretty much done with the parks and the kids loved the cruise so until they are too old for the stack we think it will be cruising for us.................So why should i sell the points and pay cash?

 

[Beca]

First, I am sorry you are going thru this. However, please do not think that we are all experts at trading DVC for cruises. I feel pretty confident that the majority of DVC owners have never traded for a cruise. Most of us do not know any more, and actually probably know less than you. The general ignorance regarding this situation is probably what made the next MS person be "less than stellar" with you....I bet most members are ignorant when doing this sort of thing.

However, if you are still within you 14 day "trial" offer with DVC, you do have someone else who can help you....your guide. I would call and explain the situation, and mention to your guide that this has made you question whether or not you should keep your DVC. I am willing to bet your guide can help you sort this out.

And...enjoy it...that "new" period only happens once!!!

Good luck!!

 

[dizzi]

First, I am sorry you are going thru this. However, please do not think that we are all experts at trading DVC for cruises. I feel pretty confident that the majority of DVC owners have never traded for a cruise. Most of us do not know any more, and actually probably know less than you. The general ignorance regarding this situation is probably what made the next MS person be "less than stellar" with you....I bet most members are ignorant when doing this sort of thing.

However, if you are still within you 14 day "trial" offer with DVC, you do have someone else who can help you....your guide. I would call and explain the situation, and mention to your guide that this has made you question whether or not you should keep your DVC. I am willing to bet your guide can help you sort this out.

And...enjoy it...that "new" period only happens once!!!

Good luck!!

GOSH i didnt even know i had a "GUIDE"
Wish i had known that one too!

And i am really shocked that people dont trade for cruises?!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I am still going back and forth about using points for a cruise. Some reasons for using them are 1) still paying on points from my original purchase; don't want to pay more cash when I can use the pts I'm paying on 2) even though points are higher than at DVC resort, it does include most all your food and entertainment, 3) renting pts. for cash for the cruise seems like a hassle
Reasons for NOT using pts. 1) can charge the cash vacation on Disney rewards card and get 0% for 6 mos on cost of the trip, 2) additional $95 fee for booking with points, 3) if have to cancel trip and using pts, can't reuse pts. at WDW resorts and have to use them in current UY, even if you borrowed pts. What to do???

 

[tjkraz]

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.

 

[owensamo]

While I don't have any advice for you re: the rebooking, I can say that we are using DVC points for our upcoming 7-night Eastern in January. We calculated it out using vs. renting the equivalent points and paying cash and it came out pretty much a wash and not worth the rental effort. We're paying cash for our 5yo DD, and it actually is cheaper to do so via DVC than through DCL.

Do we always use points? No! We are also taking a 4-night in June on cash. The points for that cruise wouldn't make it a worthwhile trade. But if you research it enough, there are certainly times when it makes sense.

That said, I don't think I'd use a DVC purchase *only* for trading for DCL - even without the parks, the WDW DVC resorts are well worth staying at, and there's always Hilton Head, Vero Beach, and the upcoming resorts at the Grand Californian and in Hawaii.

 

[dianeschlicht]

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.

ABSOLUTELY correct! Timeshares that are point based like DVC are always best used within their own system. When you trade out of system, you will be spending much more than if you stay with your home resort or club system. DVC is a great product that has wonderful accommodations. Cruises are not part of the DVC system. They are trades "out of system", and as such will be more costly than using with the DVC system. On top of that, the cruise will cost more and more points every year as the cost goes up. The point cost must be renegotiated annually between DVC and the Cruise line.

Most of us don't exchange for a cruise or even a stay at the Grand Floridian. It just isn't a good use of points. It might be worth it on a rare occation, but if your main purpose is to cruise and NOT stay at WDW, then you should cancel the sale ASAP, because you will not be getting good value from your purchase.

 

[Dean]

ABSOLUTELY correct! Timeshares that are point based like DVC are always best used within their own system. When you trade out of system, you will be spending much more than if you stay with your home resort or club system. DVC is a great product that has wonderful accommodations. Cruises are not part of the DVC system. They are trades "out of system", and as such will be more costly than using with the DVC system. On top of that, the cruise will cost more and more points every year as the cost goes up. The point cost must be renegotiated annually between DVC and the Cruise line.

Most of us don't exchange for a cruise or even a stay at the Grand Floridian. It just isn't a good use of points. It might be worth it on a rare occation, but if your main purpose is to cruise and NOT stay at WDW, then you should cancel the sale ASAP, because you will not be getting good value from your purchase.

It depends. Certainly when compared to cash equivalent options I would agree. However, some systems lend themselves to trading up in one or more exchange companies in dramatic fashion, esp when you compare the overall cost of the system. That's especially true of cheaper but good systems like Bluegreen, Wyndham, Shell and the like. In many cases one can trade through an exchange company back into a system resort cheaper than reserving directly would cost, even taking into account the risks and other costs. For example, Bluegreen points are worth around 10¢ a point if you plan ahead to rent them. I have two exchanges planned back in to a resort we are staying at on points next June. Total cost should be 6000 points plus about $300 for two 2 BR units where it would be 20K points if we reserved directly.

 

[crisi]

You ALWAYS for cash or points need to book ON BOARD to get any on board booking discount. Disney has always been very strict with this. They will let you move your cruise around after you get off and keep the discount, but I haven't heard (and I've been hanging on the cruise board about as long as on the DVC board) of them letting you get the discount if you didn't book on board. DVC has no control at all over this.

There are lots of reasons you shouldn't use points to cruise - particularly long term. If you are doing it occationally, they are your point to do with what you want (they are your points anyway). To me the biggest arguement against what you arei intending, cruises go up - more points are needed. You'll be in a position of always adding on in order to cruise (or paying for one family member in cash - which sort of defeats the point).

 

[Dean]

You ALWAYS for cash or points need to book ON BOARD to get any on board booking discount. Disney has always been very strict with this. They will let you move your cruise around after you get off and keep the discount, but I haven't heard (and I've been hanging on the cruise board about as long as on the DVC board) of them letting you get the discount if you didn't book on board. DVC has no control at all over this.

There are lots of reasons you shouldn't use points to cruise - particularly long term. If you are doing it occationally, they are your point to do with what you want (they are your points anyway). To me the biggest arguement against what you arei intending, cruises go up - more points are needed. You'll be in a position of always adding on in order to cruise (or paying for one family member in cash - which sort of defeats the point).

In the past you've needed to start the arrangements onboard but actually book after you return, generally within 3 days of the return date. When you could book up till 11 months out but wanted to book further out, you had to call and get on a list then call back at 11 months out.

 

[CarolA]

The other thing no one has pointed out to the OP is the POINT cost per cruise is NOT guranteed. So let's say he bought enough points TODAY for his cruise needs. Say a 4 day....

Next year the point charts come out and he could easily have the wrong amount of points. There is no gurantee that a 4 day cruise won't go up dramatically for example. With the resorts there are some gurantees that a "week" won't incresase in point cost.

IMHO this was NOT a well thought out purchase. If I were the OP I would cancel and spend some time in DETAILED research. He/she can always buy again!

 

[JimMIA]

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 tend to agree with Tim on this.

I would never recommend a DVC purchase to be used even 50% for things outside of DVC resorts. Actually, I'd have to look long and hard at the math if I expected to use my account even 25% outside of DVC resorts. It's nice to have those options, but I certainly would not buy DVC as a vehicle to cruise.

The points costs are too high, and as mentioned above, there is no guarantee that they won't dramatically increase over time. If you are buying DVC to cruise on, you're really not buying anything guaranteed.

Florida has a 10-day recision period on real estate sales, but DVC usually allows 14 days. If you are within that period, I would certainly cancel.

Don't get into a 50-year contract that doesn't work for what you want in order to get some momentary price advantage. You're going to be paying for that insignificant benefit long after the one-time savings are forgotten.

 

[cherylp3]

Also there are much better rates you can get as a Florida resident than you can with points.