Using points for a cruise...facts

[malonefamily]

Hey DIS-whizes...

We're paying cash to go on the Wonder's June 7th sailing to Alaska in a Cat 5A, it costs about $5,500 (it would have been even more, but we booked during their brief Kids Sail Free promotion-- Alaskan cruises are expensive, and on DCL even more so). We almost used points for some of this cruise, and finally decided to pay cash.

If we had booked on points, it would have cost 389 points per adult for a 5A, and 210 per child (ages 3 and 10). That's 1198 points for a 7 night cruise! (basically all our points from both our contracts for 3 years... yikes). If we had done that, when the kids sail free promo came out could we have gotten back the 420 points used for the kids' payments? I know cash paying customers were allowed to get refunds for their kids when the promo came out, if they were paying attention to the prices and called DCL to ask.

If point based bookings don't allow you to take advantage of these not-super-uncommon special offers, it's a HUGE drawback to cruising with points. Certainly I'm glad to pay $5,500 instead of consuming 1200 points!

Next year, if we choose to cruise, it will probably be the much less expensive Mexican Riviera... but we live in Seattle, so this itinerary was just too much to pass up. The darn boat practically goes past my front door every Tuesday all summer long (I can see the Puget Sound from my porch, it's pretty)!

 

[Dean]

Hey DIS-whizes...

We're paying cash to go on the Wonder's June 7th sailing to Alaska in a Cat 5A, it costs about $5,500 (it would have been even more, but we booked during their brief Kids Sail Free promotion-- Alaskan cruises are expensive, and on DCL even more so). We almost used points for some of this cruise, and finally decided to pay cash.

If we had booked on points, it would have cost 389 points per adult for a 5A, and 210 per child (ages 3 and 10). That's 1198 points for a 7 night cruise! (basically all our points from both our contracts for 3 years... yikes). If we had done that, when the kids sail free promo came out could we have gotten back the 420 points used for the kids' payments? I know cash paying customers were allowed to get refunds for their kids when the promo came out, if they were paying attention to the prices and called DCL to ask.

If point based bookings don't allow you to take advantage of these not-super-uncommon special offers, it's a HUGE drawback to cruising with points. Certainly I'm glad to pay $5,500 instead of consuming 1200 points!

Next year, if we choose to cruise, it will probably be the much less expensive Mexican Riviera... but we live in Seattle, so this itinerary was just too much to pass up. The darn boat practically goes past my front door every Tuesday all summer long (I can see the Puget Sound from my porch, it's pretty)!

If they offer any specials or reduce the cash price, DVC members do not participate. The negotiated price whether paid by points or directly in cash, is the same. The exception would be if the DVC price ($$$ or points) changed, I believe this has happened once. This is one of the reasons I wouldn't use points even if the rate of return were reasonable. I feel the risks and hassles of renting are far less than those of using points for a cruise until you near the time when cancellation options increase the costs for cash. It's also one of the reasons I generally cruise with RCCL over DCL, they have a more liberal cancellation policy. IIRC, DCL used to be 75 days out with a full refund but I believe it's now loss of deposit. RCCL is full refund up to 60 days out. The other issue for us is that living in FL and being empty nesters, we have more flexibility both choosing lower lost times and in shooting for times when FL resident rates are likely to be applicable.

 

[taaren]

If they offer any specials or reduce the cash price, DVC members do not participate. The negotiated price whether paid by points or directly in cash, is the same. The exception would be if the DVC price ($$$ or points) changed, I believe this has happened once. This is one of the reasons I wouldn't use points even if the rate of return were reasonable. I feel the risks and hassles of renting are far less than those of using points for a cruise until you near the time when cancellation options increase the costs for cash. It's also one of the reasons I generally cruise with RCCL over DCL, they have a more liberal cancellation policy. IIRC, DCL used to be 75 days out with a full refund but I believe it's now loss of deposit. RCCL is full refund up to 60 days out. The other issue for us is that living in FL and being empty nesters, we have more flexibility both choosing lower lost times and in shooting for times when FL resident rates are likely to be applicable.

The cancellation policy for my Sept 20, 2011 cruise is 75 days out full refund. Just rearranged my booking last week so unless policy has changed since then ...
Booked cash since we never have leftover points, and if we did DH wants to get a Grand Villa with them!

 

[Dean]

Duplicate post, sorry.

 

[Dean]

The cancellation policy for my Sept 20, 2011 cruise is 75 days out full refund. Just rearranged my booking last week so unless policy has changed since then ...
Booked cash since we never have leftover points, and if we did DH wants to get a Grand Villa with them!

DCL cancellation policy. It looks like they have made some changes for 2011, likely based on when you made the booking. It reads a little different for 2011 than 2010 but I still think NON suite cabins are still full refund (minus any charges by a travel agency) until 75 days out. I know when I was looking at booking the Dream online for June, there was language at the time that suggested there were cancellation penalties from the start.