Using DVC for Cruises

[PrincessX4]

My family of 5 is planning on taking a 7 day cruise in March 2007. A friend suggested using the $15k to $20k that we were going to spend on the cruise and join th DVC. This friend said if we signed up now we could bank enough points to use for the cruise but be in the Club as well. Is this accurate?

 

[agotta]

We went on a 3-night cruise with our points last April. We spent 2 nights at POFQ, 2 nights at SSR and 3 night cruise for 2 years worth of points. Maybe not the "smartest" thing to do with your points, be we had a blast!

 

[Ed T]

We just got back from the Jan 7th 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. My wife and I, my daughter 21 and a friend 21. It cost us 560 pts in an outside stateroom, category 8. At $ 10 per pt $ 5600.00 Would we have spent that on the cruise anyways, probably. With the cost of the maintainence fees about $2000 and $ 75 transfer fees we had a great time. We do have 490 DVC pts. My feelings I have the points, I am paying $ 2000 in fees each year we took the cruise, had more than 2 weeks vacation at WDW, pretty cheap money.

I'd say join because your future vacations will be paid for.


Good luck with the decision.

Ed
DVC 1994

 

[Plutofan]

Using points for a cruise is better than cash if you already own DVC but it is not the best use of points. We are going on a 4 night cruise in 2007 and the value placed on Disney is around $7.5 per point based upon the cash rate I could get from a travel agent specializing in Disney vacations. The going rate to rent out your points is $10 - $12 which is better than $7.5. When you factor in your initial cost per point, dues and mortgage interest (or lost investment earnings if you paid cash) your cost in DVC is probably a lot more than $7.5 per point.

 

[LIFERBABE]

20K is steep for a family of 5 (even for DCL) but if that is what it will cost you, 20K will buy you 240 SSR points under the current incentive. That would give you 2005 bankable points, current 2006 points and the ability to borrow 2007 points, for a max total of 720 points to cruise on.

720 points would not allow you the equivalent stateroom category that 20K would afford you, but it would get all 5 of you on the ship depending on the ages in your party. You would also have to pay dues for 2006 and 2005 which would be around $1200 each year.

The pro is after all that money is spent, you still have a DVC membership that will allow you to vacation in 2008 and for many years to come for the cost of dues, because you were going to spend that 20K anyway.

This only applies if you plan on regular vacations at WDW but even if you don't, it is still something to consider.

The point charts for DCL are not out for 2007 yet, and not sure if you would want to stay in a lower category to have future WDW vacations but what your friend said is accurate. DVC members can book DCL cruises 11 months out. So you could buy before the incentive ends and then bank and borrow to book your cruise in April 2006 for March of 2007.

HTH

 

[paults]

PrincessX4

first post huh.

WELCOME TO THE BOARDS

 

[IamAnniM]

I had recently purchased timeshare which had double points which had to be used quickly. I used the points and took the 3 night cruise.
I had a WONDERFUL time - on Disney wonder but did not feel that using points is point-efficient. I am taking another cruise, I liked it so much, but am paying cash. Just keep checking for specials and I'm sure you can have a wonderful cruise.
It sort of felt like it was a freebie as I did not have to pay any out of pocket expenses. Loved the bahamas and used extra points to book Atlantis (as a result of the cruise

 

[joshua121301]

$15-$20K seems very high for the cruise. Not sure where that figure came from. We are a family of five booked into the Roy Disney Suite and not spending anywhere near that amount.