No Borrowing Points or a Cruise?

[islandtimect]

sorry, should say FOR a cruise. Is it true that you can't borrow points to book a cruise? MS told me I can't use my April 2013 UY points for a 3/24/13 cruise. I'm shocked.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I borrowed lots of points to book my June cruise. Are you sure the cruise was available for point booking? Or does this hit that "rule of four" about what you can do in the last few months of a use year (which I never really understood)?

 

[tjkraz]

I can't think of any rules which would prohibit that. The so-called "rule of 4" says that you cannot book AND travel outside of DVC in the last 4 months of your Use Year. But that shouldn't come into play until December 1st.

Could be that there's an issue with cruise availability. In recent years it has been difficult to book DCL on points on less than 9 months' notice. Perhaps some DCL availability issue is the actual problem.

Call back and speak to another rep. See if you get a different answer.

 

[islandtimect]

I called back MS and the next agent clarified things. I wanted to change my cruise date from June 2013 to March 2013, and those pts can't be borrowed because they stay in the uy of the original ressie. I don't have enough remaining 2013 pts to borrow. So as the other poster said, yes, you can borrow "clean" pts for a cruise. thanks all, but bummer for me and my family!

 

[tjkraz]

I called back MS and the next agent clarified things. I wanted to change my cruise date from June 2013 to March 2013, and those pts can't be borrowed because they stay in the uy of the original ressie.

Yup, that would definitely pose a problem. Once you've committed points to a cruise, they are effectively stuck in that Use Year and are slapped with the designation "Reservation Points", meaning they can only be used for non-DVC destinations. That's one of the pitfalls of using points for a cruise.

 

[k3chantal]

sorry, should say FOR a cruise. Is it true that you can't borrow points to book a cruise? MS told me I can't use my April 2013 UY points for a 3/24/13 cruise. I'm shocked.

Yes, you can borrow and bank points for a cruise. We did this last year for a seven day cruise on the Wonder. We have 280 points a year and the cruise for my family of five 'cost' us somewhere in the 500+ point range.

 

[CarolMN]

As Tim K posted, reservation points cannot be borrowed or banked.

Once you use points to book a cruise (or anything in the Adventurer's, the Concierge or Disney Collections), those points become reservation points.

 

[Dean]

I called back MS and the next agent clarified things. I wanted to change my cruise date from June 2013 to March 2013, and those pts can't be borrowed because they stay in the uy of the original ressie. I don't have enough remaining 2013 pts to borrow. So as the other poster said, yes, you can borrow "clean" pts for a cruise. thanks all, but bummer for me and my family!

This is one of the risks using points for a cruise however, if you've already converted the points to reservations points for the cruise, I'm not sure the UY is as applicable as it would be otherwise, esp for an earlier time. I'd call back and talk to a supervisor.

 

[Sandisw]

This is one of the risks using points for a cruise however, if you've already converted the points to reservations points for the cruise, I'm not sure the UY is as applicable as it would be otherwise, esp for an earlier time. I'd call back and talk to a supervisor.

I think it stems from the fact that the points that come from a canceled June 2013 cruise have to stay in her April 2013 UY. The new cruise would be in her 2012 UY , those can't be "borrowed" back into the 2012 UY.

 

[Dean]

I think it stems from the fact that the points that come from a canceled June 2013 cruise have to stay in her April 2013 UY. The new cruise would be in her 2012 UY , those can't be "borrowed" back into the 2012 UY.

I realize the issue but I'm not sure it completely applies in this situation. They would expire the end of the 2013 UY but other than that, UY doesn't have a lot of meaning for this situation as it applies to reservation points. I'd call and press further because they points won't be expired and the transfer to reservation status has already been completed. I do know that they generally try to use points within the same UY unless you'd be 2 UY's ahead. Put another way, I know there's a preclusion against banking reservation points but I don't believe there's a written policy preventing borrowing them. If it's me, I'm make the point to a supervisor and see what happens.

 

[com_op_2000]

Multiple times I have banked and borrowed to book a DCL.

 

[Dean]

Multiple times I have banked and borrowed to book a DCL.

I think they've done that already. In this case they already have a cruise booked and would be canceling that one and rebooking in a different UY. These points would be reservation points, not DVC points.

 

[islandtimect]

Unfortunately 2 MS reps told me you cannot borrow reservation pts, period. I checked our DVC materals and it does state this. Do you think it's worth trying to ask a supervisor to allow it, especially since we're looking to move it only 7 days into the 2012 UY? ie 4/1/13 UY and 3/24/13 cruise.

 

[chalee94]

nothing is impossible, i guess - but i doubt they have that much discretion.

 

[queendarvet]

I would call again and see. We had wanted to change a cruise date where the first day of the cruise fell in the UY preceding ( the cruise we wanted to switch to was November 30. The original cruise was for December 7th. We have a december use year). The CM I had did put me on hold and switched my points around. I think she did this because this was our first time making any such changes (our first time mulligan so to speak). Of course I ended up changing our cruise again but stayed within the new use year for my cruise points.

 

[Dean]

Unfortunately 2 MS reps told me you cannot borrow reservation pts, period. I checked our DVC materals and it does state this. Do you think it's worth trying to ask a supervisor to allow it, especially since we're looking to move it only 7 days into the 2012 UY? ie 4/1/13 UY and 3/24/13 cruise.

I see nothing within the rules that would preclude borrowing, only banking. I'd call back, ask for a supervisor and make that point if necessary.

 

[CarolMN]

I see nothing within the rules that would preclude borrowing, only banking. I'd call back, ask for a supervisor and make that point if necessary.

This is from page 3 & 4 of the Home Resort Rules and Regulations (posted on the Members' Website):

3. Reservation Points. Reservation Points are Home Resort Vacation Points used to reserve accommodations at non-DVC Resorts, except accommodations available through the RCI® External Exchange Program. One Reservation Point is equivalent to one annually allotted Home Resort Vacation Point in the Central Reservation System. Reservation Points have no other relationship with or comparison to Home Resort Vacation Points, and Reservation Points are established for convenience of reference only. Reservation Points expire at the end of the Use Year in which they are allotted.

Reservation Points cannot be banked, borrowed, transferred or used to reserve accommodations through the RCI® External Exchange Program, nor to reserve accommodations at DVC Resorts. Reservation Points cannot be returned to a Club Member as Home Resort Vacation Points.

 

[islandtimect]

We decided to move the cruise to April to stay in our uy. DD will have to miss a few days of school but at least we still get to go.

 

[Dean]

This is from page 3 & 4 of the Home Resort Rules and Regulations (posted on the Members' Website):

3. Reservation Points. Reservation Points are Home Resort Vacation Points used to reserve accommodations at non-DVC Resorts, except accommodations available through the RCI® External Exchange Program. One Reservation Point is equivalent to one annually allotted Home Resort Vacation Point in the Central Reservation System. Reservation Points have no other relationship with or comparison to Home Resort Vacation Points, and Reservation Points are established for convenience of reference only. Reservation Points expire at the end of the Use Year in which they are allotted.

Reservation Points cannot be banked, borrowed, transferred or used to reserve accommodations through the RCI® External Exchange Program, nor to reserve accommodations at DVC Resorts. Reservation Points cannot be returned to a Club Member as Home Resort Vacation Points.

Thanks, that's different than last I checked. I'd still ask a supervisor in this situation.