Useing it for a cruise

[dwight16]

So I just got the new book for 2014 and I was glancing through and noticed the cruises and saw its 100 points for some voyage is that 100 a person? So really it's 200 points? I know I feel dumb for asking. Has anyone used their points for a cruise is it worth it? General thoughts please.

 

[disneynutz]

Read the fine print below the chart. It's per person for the first 2 people based on double occupancy. There is a listing for each additional person.

Usually using your points for anything other than a DVC resort stay can be an expensive use of points. The point requirements increase each year, there may be a limited number of cabins available and you have to pay a $95 booking and change fee.

Bill

 

[AnnaS]

Everything Bill said and again read the fine print so you know the cancellation policy. Always best to book with cash or rent out your points.

Having said that, we have used a combination of points and cash for each of our four cruises. Next month - three cabins, two cabins cash, one cabin points.

If you combine points and cash, the cash portion must be paid in full at the time of booking. I did not want the hassle to rent them out, have had an excess number of points/banked points a few times due to deaths in the family so this worked out for us.

You will need to figure out what works best for you.

 

[k3chantal]

So I just got the new book for 2014 and I was glancing through and noticed the cruises and saw its 100 points for some voyage is that 100 a person? So really it's 200 points? I know I feel dumb for asking. Has anyone used their points for a cruise is it worth it? General thoughts please.

We think it is 'worth it'. In fact, we enjoyed our first cruise taken on points so much that we have booked a second cruise on points. We like the fact that it is 'inclusive' since it includes most of your food and entertainment. For a family of five, once we have booked a WDW resort, we still have five mouths to feed while at WDW and five tickets to purchase to get into the parks. The first cruise left port in California so we even 'saved' that way since we did not have to take a plane.

It does usually take a lot of points and your best bet is to call Members' Services and speak to them directly to get a complete idea of how many points it will take.

And yes, you could rent your points and use that cash to pay for a cruise. For us, we like keeping things simpler and once you figure in the costs of food and entertainment into your point calculations, I don't think the exchange is that terrible IMO. You are getting more than just accommodations when you cruise.

 

[BestDadEver]

We think it is 'worth it'. In fact, we enjoyed our first cruise taken on points so much that we have booked a second cruise on points. We like the fact that it is 'inclusive' since it includes most of your food and entertainment. For a family of five, once we have booked a WDW resort, we still have five mouths to feed while at WDW and five tickets to purchase to get into the parks. The first cruise left port in California so we even 'saved' that way since we did not have to take a plane.

It does usually take a lot of points and your best bet is to call Members' Services and speak to them directly to get a complete idea of how many points it will take.

And yes, you could rent your points and use that cash to pay for a cruise. For us, we like keeping things simpler and once you figure in the costs of food and entertainment into your point calculations, I don't think the exchange is that terrible IMO. You are getting more than just accommodations when you cruise.

This is how I feel about it the fact you wails need to pay for nothing else but airfare and alcohol . Makes the points IMO pretty fair priced . People that say the cruise is not a good value of points I question if they had recently paid cash for a cruise cause mine was quite expensive .

 

[disneynutz]

This is how I feel about it the fact you wails need to pay for nothing else but airfare and alcohol . Makes the points IMO pretty fair priced . People that say the cruise is not a good value of points I question if they had recently paid cash for a cruise cause mine was quite expensive .

How many points would that cruise cost you and what was the cash cost?

Bill

 

[theOCdisney]

We too have used points for a cruise. I would do it again in a heartbeat. (*See note below.) So easy. For us, it paid for ALL of our food. We don't drink alcohol and we didn't eat at the specialty restaurants. We had a fabulous aft balcony cabin. I felt like the point cost was reasonable.

*My only complaint with a disney cruise is that besides our cabin there really was not a truly quiet place on the ship. Princess has the sanctuary. Disney Dream had an adult pool and spa area...both felt like thoroughfares. We would only cruise Disney again if we did it with grandchildren.

 

[BrerNashville]

One cruise I was looking at would have cost 295 points per adult for two adults, and 184 points per extra child. This was for a 7 night cruise during high regular season.

That same cruise cost $1911 per adult and $994 per extra kid for cash booking now. Thus, they are giving you about $6.50 credit per point for the adult fare (and $5.50 per point for each kid). Contrast that with renting for $11-$12 per point.

 

[disneynutz]

One cruise I was looking at would have cost 295 points per adult for two adults, and 184 points per extra child. This was for a 7 night cruise during high regular season.

That same cruise cost $1911 per adult and $994 per extra kid for cash booking now. Thus, they are giving you about $6.50 credit per point for the adult fare (and $5.50 per point for each kid). Contrast that with renting for $11-$12 per point.

So you can pay $4,816 cash for 2 adults and one child or you can use $9,288 worth of points if rented out at $12 per point plus the $95 booking fee.

Is that correct?

Bill

 

[BrerNashville]

Yes -- but my actual numbers would be even worse -- i have three kids. I also think the per person breakdown was before tax, or at least before certain surcharges, b/c my total cruise was about $7200 (again, for 2 adults and three kids).

 

[BrerNashville]

But, your point remains: $7200 cash for the cruise, or 1,142 points that I could rent for $13,704 (plus $95 booking fee )

OR, about 3 and a half weeks in a 2 bedroom standard view at BLT, our home resort.

 

[aan1701]

This is how I feel about it the fact you wails need to pay for nothing else but airfare and alcohol . Makes the points IMO pretty fair priced . People that say the cruise is not a good value of points I question if they had recently paid cash for a cruise cause mine was quite expensive .

Well I just got off the WBPC. Paid cash. Never considered using my points. Why? For the room I booked (cat. 5B) it would have been anywhere from 462-496 per person with points. I sailed for $2600 total for two people. So even if I rented at 10 a point I still would double my money. I will never cruise on points unless they are going to expire. It's not a good trade at all. .

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[BestDadEver]

But, your point remains: $7200 cash for the cruise, or 1,142 points that I could rent for $13,704 (plus $95 booking fee )

OR, about 3 and a half weeks in a 2 bedroom standard view at BLT, our home resort.

There is quite a hassle and liability renting 500-1000 poinys IMO . Ill get you my numbers when I get a chance to sit down and look at the point chart .

 

[disneynutz]

There is quite a hassle and liability renting 500-1000 poinys IMO . Ill get you my numbers when I get a chance to sit down and look at the point chart .

If you feel that way then using points for a cruise is good option for you. I just wanted readers to know that it can be an expensive option.

Bill

 

[Micca]

We're using points for a DCL cruise, honestly I haven't done "the math". We bought points to use for vacations and that's what we're doing. I have analyzed vacation expenses more times than I'd care to. Part of my vacation is not "doing math"

 

[disneynutz]

We're using points for a DCL cruise, honestly I haven't done "the math". We bought points to use for vacations and that's what we're doing. I have analyzed vacation expenses more times than I'd care to. Part of my vacation is not "doing math"

Since we are buddies, I will pay for your cruise.

All you need to do is transfer me your points that you would have used. Depending on how many points were are talking about, I might even throw in a gift basket for your cabin.

Bill

 

[Dean]

So I just got the new book for 2014 and I was glancing through and noticed the cruises and saw its 100 points for some voyage is that 100 a person? So really it's 200 points? I know I feel dumb for asking. Has anyone used their points for a cruise is it worth it? General thoughts please.

You'll generally get between $6-7 a point on most cruise situations where you don't miss the early booking window. That's barely maint fees for most resorts and not even for VB non subsidized. However, IMO there really are 2 questions here. Do you have plenty of points and want to use them or are you considering buying to cruise and thus buy more points than you'd need otherwise. For the first I can see it if you have the points and even more so if the points might be somewhat limited. As for buying for this purpose this is NO situation where that's a reasonable choice as a long term plan.

There is quite a hassle and liability renting 500-1000 poinys IMO . Ill get you my numbers when I get a chance to sit down and look at the point chart .

The reality is that the risk is FAR more using points well in advance than renting done reasonably and it's really not that much of a hassle compared to a several thousand dollar difference in many cases. I think most people in this situation who balk at the rentals simply don't understand them well enough. Your choice of course.

 

[BestDadEver]

My cruise would have been around 350 points and cost me $4500 . I cant find the exact chart but going off the 2012 high season for 8 days , witch I didn't sail in the high season was 386 points . I did the NYC cruise . Using $12 per point it comes to about the same thing IMO .

I wouldn't buy DVC to cruise but I would use the points I have to . For example ill most likely cruise on points but ill probably only book 1-2 of us with point and pay the other cash cause I wont have 350-400 point . The way I look at it is it may cost me $1500 for the extra person but id be spending more on food tickets if I was at WDW .

 

[Dean]

My cruise would have been around 350 points and cost me $4500 . I cant find the exact chart but going off the 2012 high season for 8 days , witch I didn't sail in the high season was 386 points . I did the NYC cruise . Using $12 per point it comes to about the same thing IMO .

I wouldn't buy DVC to cruise but I would use the points I have to . For example ill most likely cruise on points but ill probably only book 1-2 of us with point and pay the other cash cause I wont have 350-400 point . The way I look at it is it may cost me $1500 for the extra person but id be spending more on food tickets if I was at WDW .

Actually the part on points and the rest on cash can be the worst approach given that the contract price is usually significantly more than the early booking discount price. I don't think I've looked at a cruise going forward (not looking back like some try to do) that returned over about $7.50 a point except for early AK sailings, usually under $7 a point. I simply pulled out one, the 12 day Mediterranean next June for 11A (11C didn't show up for cash) and it came out to $6.94 ignoring the $95 fee, I didn't look at any other options looking for a good example, I just took what came for a cabin that's normally discounted. There will be an occasional glitch for all of the cash options where you'll find something that's not generally discounted otherwise that will end up being a reasonable choice. However, with cruises, the way most people try to make it sound reasonable is they miss out on the early booking discounts and then try to justify the cost as representative. My suggestion is to always look at both if you have the points to possibly use but assume using cash type exchanges will almost never be a good return of value and is never a good reason to buy to use for.

 

[nyck]

We're using points for a DCL cruise, honestly I haven't done "the math". We bought points to use for vacations and that's what we're doing. I have analyzed vacation expenses more times than I'd care to. Part of my vacation is not "doing math"

Totally agree. I bought my DVC to use, not to hassle with renting points out so I can pay cash for something months later.