Points for cruise? What if you have to change dates?

[dvcnewgirl]

I think I am going to book a cruise today with points. I wish I could rent out the points but with banking and borrowing it would be too much of a hassle. Anyway, my last question before I take the plunge. What happens if I have to change the date? It is easy with cash to change the date. Does cruising on points make it much more difficult? I am booking a fall '11 date, which I should not have to change but that is awful far away not to have any options. Thanks for any info!

 

[erionm]

From the member website:

• A change to a reservation is considered a cancellation and rebooking. Any change to a Disney Cruise Line® reservation requires an additional non-refundable $95 transaction fee.
• One Reservation Point is equivalent to one allotted Vacation Point.
• Cancellation guidelines are subject to change without notice.
• Returned Reservation Points will be deposited in to the Use Year in which the cancelled reservation falls. Returned Reservation Points may not be used for Disney Vacation Club Resort reservations or for World Passport Collection exchanges and will expire at the end of your Use Year. Returned Reservation Points cannot be banked.

Full details are on the member website. Vacation Planning > Managing Reservations > Changing or Cancelling Reservations

 

[dvcnewgirl]

Thanks!

 

[PrincessDuck]

Anytime you change anything to a cruise reservation made with points you have to pay the $95 fee.

I am thinking also that the points come from the use year in which you are going to cruise? I may be totally wrong here, but I remember having to choose where with banking and borrowing I wanted the points to come from and it was based on when the cruise actually take place. You may already realize this and may not be an issue....for some reason it felt like I should mention it.

Daisy

 

[dvcnewgirl]

Anytime you change anything to a cruise reservation made with points you have to pay the $95 fee.

I am thinking also that the points come from the use year in which you are going to cruise? I may be totally wrong here, but I remember having to choose where with banking and borrowing I wanted the points to come from and it was based on when the cruise actually take place. You may already realize this and may not be an issue....for some reason it felt like I should mention it.

Daisy

Yes I spoke with MS this cruise will have some 2010,2011 and 2012 points. Thanks for the info though.

 

[PrincessDuck]

Awesome! I think that you can actually deposit points in RCI for later use? I just didn't want you to get something all planned out and then it not work out! Have a great cruise. We just went on our first cruise this past December. The kiddos loved it even though we did not make it onto Castaway Cay.

Yes I spoke with MS this cruise will have some 2010,2011 and 2012 points. Thanks for the info though.

 

[tay72699]

To avoid that $95 fee if you have to change the date, you can book through DCL (you will have to pay the deposit) and then have MS pick up the reservation once your date is firm. You can make changes up until the payment is due with DCL and won't have to pay a fee. You will have to transfer the ressie over the MS prior to the last payment being due and then DCL will refund your deposit. This is what we do and it works out well. Some have said that MS and DCL will not do this anymore, but I have confirmed with MS and DCL that there is not a problem with transferring the ressie. Also, if for some reason you cancel the cruise and you have used the points, those points can longer be used for DVC resort stays only for exchanges.

 

[CarolAnnC]

To avoid that $95 fee if you have to change the date, you can book through DCL (you will have to pay the deposit) and then have MS pick up the reservation once your date is firm. You can make changes up until the payment is due with DCL and won't have to pay a fee. You will have to transfer the ressie over the MS prior to the last payment being due and then DCL will refund your deposit. This is what we do and it works out well. Some have said that MS and DCL will not do this anymore, but I have confirmed with MS and DCL that there is not a problem with transferring the ressie. Also, if for some reason you cancel the cruise and you have used the points, those points can longer be used for DVC resort stays only for exchanges.

There is at least one potential problem with this scenario, though. And that is that DVC does not have unlimited availability on any given cruise. You may find that you want to switch it to DVC, but if they have sold the number of allotted staterooms that are allowed to DVC on that particular cruise, then you will not be able to make the switch.

That is probably why you have heard some say that MS and DCL will not do this any more - they probably ran into this problem.

 

[dvcnewgirl]

To avoid that $95 fee if you have to change the date, you can book through DCL (you will have to pay the deposit) and then have MS pick up the reservation once your date is firm. You can make changes up until the payment is due with DCL and won't have to pay a fee. You will have to transfer the ressie over the MS prior to the last payment being due and then DCL will refund your deposit. This is what we do and it works out well. Some have said that MS and DCL will not do this anymore, but I have confirmed with MS and DCL that there is not a problem with transferring the ressie. Also, if for some reason you cancel the cruise and you have used the points, those points can longer be used for DVC resort stays only for exchanges.

Thanks for the info! I am hoping I do not have to change. but this is good to try if I do.

 

[tay72699]

There is at least one potential problem with this scenario, though. And that is that DVC does not have unlimited availability on any given cruise. You may find that you want to switch it to DVC, but if they have sold the number of allotted staterooms that are allowed to DVC on that particular cruise, then you will not be able to make the switch.

That is probably why you have heard some say that MS and DCL will not do this any more - they probably ran into this problem.

You actually don't cancel your DCL reservation and change to points. Your reservation is transferred to MS. You keep the same stateroom, dinner seating, etc. You have to have your reservation # when you call MS so they can pick up the reservation from DCL. It's like your TA picking up the reservation after you book it while on a cruise...everything stays as you booked it.

 

[CarolAnnC]

You actually don't cancel your DCL reservation and change to points. Your reservation is transferred to MS. You keep the same stateroom, dinner seating, etc. You have to have your reservation # when you call MS so they can pick up the reservation from DCL. It's like your TA picking up the reservation after you book it while on a cruise...everything stays as you booked it.

DVC has only a certain number of staterooms to be booked through them on each cruise. When those are sold out, no more ressies may be taken for that particular cruise on points. I ran into this myself on our Med cruise booking in 2007.

Your scenario may work if there are rooms available for booking on DVC points for that particular category. But not if they have filled that category's space allowed to DVC. It is not unusual to find cash rooms available for booking through DCL, but no availablity for DVC members booking on points.

So, if you want to transfer your reservation to DVC points, but there is no availability left, then you are unable to do so. You would have to keep your cash cruise reservation, or switch to another cruise via DVC.