Using points for cruise

[Flyerfan]

If we want to use a combination of points & cash for a cruise (1 person points, 1 person cash), do I reserve both through MS? What kind of cash price do you get through them? I mean, is the rate considered a double or single?

 

[CarolAnnC]

Yes, this would be booked via MS. The cash price is not the lowest you would ever find, but it is not the highest either. It is a contracted rate somewhere in the middle range.

There will be a $95 booking fee and the cash portion (along with the fee) will be due in full via credit card at time of booking.

The first two passengers booked in a stateroom are booked as adults. The points and cash will be based upon double occupancy. MS will be able to quote you the cash prices for the cruise dates you are interested in..

 

[Flyerfan]

Yes, this would be booked via MS. The cash price is not the lowest you would ever find, but it is not the highest either. It is a contracted rate somewhere in the middle range.

There will be a $95 booking fee and the cash portion (along with the fee) will be due in full via credit card at time of booking.

The first two passengers booked in a stateroom are booked as adults. The points and cash will be based upon double occupancy. MS will be able to quote you the cash prices for the cruise dates you are interested in..

Thank you. I'm hoping to do this in the future. Have you taken the Western Carribean Disney cruise and how did you like it?

 

[fluffykim]

flyer,

if you want to "use" points, you should consider renting your points out for cash (you can do this on this board) and use the cash to pay for the cruise

you will make out better with the cash value of the points than the point value of the points

just a suggestion

Kim

 

[CarolAnnC]

Thank you. I'm hoping to do this in the future. Have you taken the Western Carribean Disney cruise and how did you like it?

I have not taken the Western Itinerary.. We have done the Eastern twice and loved it very much.. I am sure the Western is every bit as nice and hope to one day do that one too. We have done several 3, 4, two 7 day, a couple of DVC Member cruise and the Mediterranean as well. Next on schedule is the 2010 Baltic.

flyer,

if you want to "use" points, you should consider renting your points out for cash (you can do this on this board) and use the cash to pay for the cruise

you will make out better with the cash value of the points than the point value of the points

just a suggestion

Kim

This is not always the case. When we sailed the Mediterranean we had two staterooms booked totally on points. The cash equivalent based on renting $10 per point came out to about the same. So depending upon when you book, the cruise and stateroom(s) you choose, points can and have been more advantageous at times.

Plus some folks just do not want the hassle. For my upcoming Baltic Cruise I used 3 master memberships, covering 3 different use years, 4 different resorts, and used 2009, 2010 and 2011 points. Would be a mess trying to rent out those and might even be a part time job doing it, LOL!

 

[codina818]

flyer,

if you want to "use" points, you should consider renting your points out for cash (you can do this on this board) and use the cash to pay for the cruise

you will make out better with the cash value of the points than the point value of the points

just a suggestion

Kim

yes, this is something that I have heard about... doesn't DVC only give you like $6-7 per point?

has anyone compared this for many cruises or is it just a couple?

I was thinking about booking with points but when I asked what the cash price was, it seemed like I was being ripped off by DVC...

I wasn't sure if it was just the cruise I was looking at or if it was all the cruises?

 

[codina818]

I found my notes on this.

I was trying to book a 7 night W. Carib. on Sept. 19, Cat. 9... on DVC pts. that is 161 pts X 2 plus a $95 booking fee.

On cruise.com, they were charging $999 per person and giving either a $25 or $50 gift card (couldn't figure that out).

So I figured that $2000 - 95 = about 1900.

1900 divide by 320 pts --- less than $6 per point... very unfair price for my points for that cruise..

But I wasn't sure because I am not really a cruiser so I was wondering if there was a difference between using Disney and Using someone else...

Called Disney and they sed that Cruise.com was okay.. they were authorized to book but told me to book directly on DCL if I wanted to, if I wasn't sure..

Still kinda confused but looks like using points ain't such a good deal...

 

[SnowWhite2]

I purchased two years ago. If I add my initial per point cost plus the maintenance cost per point, it is less than $6. I think it is a fair price. I don't have the hassles of renting the points. ALso, when you don't have the money available, but have points, why not use the points. They are your points to use as you wish.

 

[codina818]

That's all true, but you have so many people renting here... it don't look so hard...

there is a guy, Daddio, who has a web-site and everything.. he buys'em for $10 per point..

is it really that hard? I'm kinda new to this, but I am a retired accountant..

What about transferring points... i see a lotta people doing that also.. couldn't I get more than $6 per point?

I don't see nobody renting points for $6 a point unless there something wrong wit th e points... like they gonna expire in a few months or something like that..

If $6 was fair, how come everybody getting $9-$10 for each point?

 

[Inkmahm]

I found my notes on this.

I was trying to book a 7 night W. Carib. on Sept. 19, Cat. 9... on DVC pts. that is 161 pts X 2 plus a $95 booking fee.

On cruise.com, they were charging $999 per person and giving either a $25 or $50 gift card (couldn't figure that out).

So I figured that $2000 - 95 = about 1900.

1900 divide by 320 pts --- less than $6 per point... very unfair price for my points for that cruise..

But I wasn't sure because I am not really a cruiser so I was wondering if there was a difference between using Disney and Using someone else...

Called Disney and they sed that Cruise.com was okay.. they were authorized to book but told me to book directly on DCL if I wanted to, if I wasn't sure..

Still kinda confused but looks like using points ain't such a good deal...

Correct. Another option would be to transfer enough points to another member to cover the $1000 cost each- probably 200 points. Keep the other 120 points for yourself to use for nights at WDW before or ater the cruise, or maybe another vacation entirely! That's what DH and I do.

 

[Inkmahm]

I purchased two years ago. If I add my initial per point cost plus the maintenance cost per point, it is less than $6. I think it is a fair price. I don't have the hassles of renting the points. ALso, when you don't have the money available, but have points, why not use the points. They are your points to use as you wish.

Don't rent them, transfer them.

In the example given, wouldn't you rather pay $2000 for the cruise and use the 120 extra points for nights at WDW rather than pay 320 points for the cruise?

 

[Inkmahm]

That's all true, but you have so many people renting here... it don't look so hard...

there is a guy, Daddio, who has a web-site and everything.. he buys'em for $10 per point..

is it really that hard? I'm kinda new to this, but I am a retired accountant..

What about transferring points... i see a lotta people doing that also.. couldn't I get more than $6 per point?

I don't see nobody renting points for $6 a point unless there something wrong wit th e points... like they gonna expire in a few months or something like that..

If $6 was fair, how come everybody getting $9-$10 for each point?

I'm a non retired accountant. It's very frustrating when people don't understand about opportunity costs in using points for cruises instead of doing a transfer.

You're on the right track and no, it isn't hard at all. Transfering points at $10 or $11 each is easy. Just make sure you leave enough time to do that. In January 2008, I transfered my Oct 2008 UY points at VWL to someone who wanted to make a Christmas reservation for 2008, as I recall. Worked out great for both of us. I got the cash to use for a cruise, she got points to use at a resort that traditionally sells out for that time of year.

 

[photobob]

My DW and DD took a three night cruise last April and the cash cost was $1600. The number of points it would have taken times what points were renting for was $2300.

 

[disfanforlife]

I am new at this too. But thinking about future years if I wasn't going to use my points one year I would rather transfer than rent. If you transfer does that mean you are not responsible for the reservation as you would be if you rented. Is that why this is preferable? To me, even if I got more renting, I would be nervous about something going wrong with the whole transaction. So, if I got less for my points by using them on a cruise at least I still got to use the points.

 

[codina818]

I'm a non retired accountant. It's very frustrating when people don't understand about opportunity costs in using points for cruises instead of doing a transfer.

You're on the right track and no, it isn't hard at all. Transfering points at $10 or $11 each is easy. Just make sure you leave enough time to do that. In January 2008, I transfered my Oct 2008 UY points at VWL to someone who wanted to make a Christmas reservation for 2008, as I recall. Worked out great for both of us. I got the cash to use for a cruise, she got points to use at a resort that traditionally sells out for that time of year.

Thanks, I thought that I was just being to naive..

there is something else that I noticed -- If you make a reservation with cash, you only put down like a deposit -- you don't have to put down the whole amount--

I you use points, you gotta use up the whole thing..

Don't it make more sense to transfer the amount of points to someone and sell them for the whole amount of the cruise.--- then put that money into an intereset bearing account and hold the money--- if you change your mind 90 days beforehand-- you get your money back.

If you have to bank or borrow points, they are stuck in that use year---you seem to be stuck with a lot of points--- seems like another downside to renting points.