Using points for cruise?

[sullymoscow]

I was wondering if using points for a cruise, can I use points for the 2 adults and pay OOP for the 2 kids? Has anyone had any experience doing it that way?

Thanks
Lori

 

[CMOORE185]

I was wondering if using points for a cruise, can I use points for the 2 adults and pay OOP for the 2 kids? Has anyone had any experience doing it that way?

Thanks
Lori

Yes, we have used our points for some passengers and payed cash for the other passengers. For each individual person you have to use all points or all cash. So yes you can use points for 2 adults and pay for the 2 kids.

 

[Crystal_27]

Yes, you absolutely can! We are doing the same thing when we book our June, 2010 cruise...using points for DH and I and paying OOP for DD. If I recall correctly, my Guide said that on some cruises you can receive a discount for the third/fourth passengers, but that discounts aren't offered on every cruise. Good luck!

 

[sullymoscow]

Do you just book through MS, and then they will let you know how much $ is owed?

Thanks for all the quick replies!

 

[CMOORE185]

Do you just book through MS, and then they will let you know how much $ is owed?

Thanks for all the quick replies!

Yes

 

[yitbos96bb]

I was wondering if using points for a cruise, can I use points for the 2 adults and pay OOP for the 2 kids? Has anyone had any experience doing it that way?

Thanks
Lori

Check the pricing though. Based on what i have seen, you do much better if you rent out the DVC points you would spend on the cruise and then use that money to buy the cruise. I think what I calculated was renting and buying saved about 50%.

Check it out.

 

[Crystal_27]

Check the pricing though. Based on what i have seen, you do much better if you rent out the DVC points you would spend on the cruise and then use that money to buy the cruise. I think what I calculated was renting and buying saved about 50%.

Check it out.

And also note that you will be charged a $95 transfer fee for using your points outside of DVC resorts.

 

[Inkmahm]

Check the pricing though. Based on what i have seen, you do much better if you rent out the DVC points you would spend on the cruise and then use that money to buy the cruise. I think what I calculated was renting and buying saved about 50%.

Check it out.

I personally don't like the risks of renting my points to non-DVC members but I DO transfer my points to fellow members if I'm not going to use them and would rather have the cash to use instead. I did this for a cruise in 2007. Was MUCH better off paying cash for the cruise.

 

[Imagineer5]

I've seen this brought up a number of times but cannot find anywhere to actually see how many points a cruise would be...?? Can anyone tell me how many points their cruise used? I'm thinking a 7-day in an outside view room...thanks...

 

[LisaZ1113]

I've seen this brought up a number of times but cannot find anywhere to actually see how many points a cruise would be...?? Can anyone tell me how many points their cruise used? I'm thinking a 7-day in an outside view room...thanks...

Hi. I am about to book my honeymoon aboard the Disney Magic

We are looking to go Dec. 4th, 2010, the eastern carribean.

We are getting a category 5, with verandah, and it is 482 pts. total for the two of us.

It is a lot, but we priced it as if we were paying cash, and we end up saving $300 (give or take) while using our points.

I'm still trying to decide if it;s worth it to use the points, or just use the points for one of us, and pay cash for the other one?

 

[drewmisha]

Sometimes it is cheaper to pay with points for one person and pay cash for the 2nd person. You can call member services and find the cash amount for the 2nd person. You just have to play with the numbers a bit to find out the best price.

For our 8/29/09 cruise, the cash price for 3 adults was ~5300. The point cost for 2 adults was 231*2=462. By paying points for the 1st two adults and paying the dvc price of 860 for the 3rd adult, I am saving ~1400 dollars off the dcl rack rate price. The 1st adult cost was (6.35/pt)(231)=1467. The total price was 1467*2+860+95=3889 (points/cash) vs 5300.

Ymmv depending on the cruise. Renting the 462 points=4620 + 800 (3rd adult)=5400. A savings of 100 is not worth my time to rent it out for this particular cruise.

Hi. I am about to book my honeymoon aboard the Disney Magic

We are looking to go Dec. 4th, 2010, the eastern carribean.

We are getting a category 5, with verandah, and it is 482 pts. total for the two of us.

It is a lot, but we priced it as if we were paying cash, and we end up saving $300 (give or take) while using our points.

I'm still trying to decide if it;s worth it to use the points, or just use the points for one of us, and pay cash for the other one?

 

[Inkmahm]

Hi. I am about to book my honeymoon aboard the Disney Magic

We are looking to go Dec. 4th, 2010, the eastern carribean.

We are getting a category 5, with verandah, and it is 482 pts. total for the two of us.

It is a lot, but we priced it as if we were paying cash, and we end up saving $300 (give or take) while using our points.

I'm still trying to decide if it;s worth it to use the points, or just use the points for one of us, and pay cash for the other one?

That's odd because I'm on the Dec 5th 2009 Eastern cruise in a category 5 and we are saving a bundle by paying cash rather than using points. The cost is just less than $3,000 and we also have $400 in onboard credits. That includes a 10% discount for booking the trip while we were on another Disney cruise in December 2007. Still, I'm surprised the cash price would have increased that much in a year to make it $4,500. (Is that what it is compared to points at $10?)

 

[Inkmahm]

Sometimes it is cheaper to pay with points for one person and pay cash for the 2nd person. You can call member services and find the cash amount for the 2nd person. You just have to play with the numbers a bit to find out the best price.

For our 8/29/09 cruise, the cash price for 3 adults was ~5300. The point cost for 2 adults was 231*2=462. By paying points for the 1st two adults and paying the dvc price of 860 for the 3rd adult, I am saving ~1400 dollars off the dcl rack rate price. The 1st adult cost was (6.35/pt)(231)=1467. The total price was 1467*2+860+95=3889 (points/cash) vs 5300.

Ymmv depending on the cruise. Renting the 462 points=4620 + 800 (3rd adult)=5400. A savings of 100 is not worth my time to rent it out for this particular cruise.

We also got a $400 onboard credit for our next cruise though which you do not get using points. For $400 plus the extra that you paid of $60 ($5,480 vs $5420) makes the savings close to $500 by paying cash (assuming you'd be able to get the same deal we did on OBC...)

 

[CarolAnnC]

That's odd because I'm on the Dec 5th 2009 Eastern cruise in a category 5 and we are saving a bundle by paying cash rather than using points. The cost is just less than $3,000 and we also have $400 in onboard credits. That includes a 10% discount for booking the trip while we were on another Disney cruise in December 2007. Still, I'm surprised the cash price would have increased that much in a year to make it $4,500. (Is that what it is compared to points at $10?)

Yes, the price on a cruise can definitely go up that much in a year (though you say you booked it two years ahead). DCL books in "tiers" as most cruise lines do. There are a select amount of reservations available at a particular cost, and that price rises in steps as they book the ship.

This precludes many from being interested in renting out points, as it would have to be done so far in advance of the cruise date in order to realize such savings. Some are hesitant to reserve on a cash deposit, with the market for renting now so volatile they may find themselves without sufficient rental income to cover their cruise at due date.

You can book late in the game on points and pay the same as you would have much sooner.

But, to each his own.

 

[toniosmom]

Has anyone tried booking a cruise with cash and then switch their reservation to using points? Just wondering if you can do that.

 

[Inkmahm]

Yes, the price on a cruise can definitely go up that much in a year (though you say you booked it two years ahead). DCL books in "tiers" as most cruise lines do. There are a select amount of reservations available at a particular cost, and that price rises in steps as they book the ship.

This precludes many from being interested in renting out points, as it would have to be done so far in advance of the cruise date in order to realize such savings. Some are hesitant to reserve on a cash deposit, with the market for renting now so volatile they may find themselves without sufficient rental income to cover their cruise at due date.

You can book late in the game on points and pay the same as you would have much sooner.

But, to each his own.

I didn't PAY for our cruise in 2007, just reserved it then. I don't understand why making a reservation in advance has anything to do with renting point to pay for it much less "precluding" someone from taking that approach.

If you can't rent or transfer your points to get the cash by the time you need to pay for the cruise, you can always cancel then and get your deposit back. It's paying with points that ties up your points permanently as you can't "undo" a reservation and then use the points for WDW instead. Not to mention the $95 charge to make the reservation and then again to cancel and use the points for something else other than WDW.

Reserving with points if far more risky than reserving with a cash deposit IMHO.

 

[Inkmahm]

Has anyone tried booking a cruise with cash and then switch their reservation to using points? Just wondering if you can do that.

I think you'd have to cancel the cash and rebook with points.