Using points for DCL

[lovmy2girls]

We are thinking about maybe investing into DVC (which we should have done years ago!, but please I already know how much money I have spent, don't remind me! )

Anyway, now we are in love with the DCL now, and wonder how many points approx. to do a 4-day and a 7-day sail?



Thanks

 

[senecabeach]

Most DVCers think its not a good value to use pts for a cruise, but here you go..

A 7 night, Disney Magic cruise to the Eastern Caribbean is:

Here are the pts. by Seasons: Value Regular Peak Holiday
.....standard inside stateroom 133 184 227 231

.....deluxe oceanview 176 220 262 287

.....deluxe with balcony 214 273 338 362

.....family stateroom balcony 256 329 401 428

I used the highest priced in these categories..there are other less pts. in the same category.

 

[Dean]

Too many points and too many risks to make owning DVC to do DCL an extremely poor choice. Just buy the amount of points you'll use at DVC and pay cash for the rest, it'll be cheaper and safer for you over the years.

 

[CDNmouse]

I posted the same type of question about a week ago when we started planning a 2009 Disney cruise.

I came to the conclusion that using points for DCL is not a good idea at all. The points required are just too much to be a good value or good use of points.

You would be better off renting your points at $10/point and using the rental cash to pay for your DCL trip.

Gary

 

[CarolAnnC]

You can also book one person on points and pay for the others with cash through Member Services. They have a contracted price with DCL each year for those cash fares.

I have often cruised on points, and will be cruising next September with my husband on the DVC member cruise, using points for both of us. It is an individual decision. We have plenty of points and prefer to use them for all our vacations, if possible.

Last summer we cruised on the DCL Mediterranean 10 night cruise for points, and never could have afforded it on cash. So there are definitely cases when the numbers work out in favor of points.

Some people rent out their points and cruise on cash as mentioned above. Renting is not something we desire to do, so that works for some people but not for everyone.

Visit our Cruise Board here on the DIS for lots more information on DCL, too!

 

[bsusanmb]

I used my points for DCL. I thought it was a good deal compared to using them for my room in a villa. The cruise included my meals and entertainment. Have plenty of points, and this to me was a great alternative to cash.

 

[Anal Annie]

The point requirements vary WIDELY depending on the season you go in and the category cabin you choose. We are using 392 points for a Cat. 10 on a 4 n. cruise on the Wonder in July, which is a high season (2 adults, and 1 11 yr old). We were able to snag one of the least obstructed SPH rooms which is almost like a Cat. 8! The cash value for the cruise for this category / date etc. is in the neighborhood of about $3,500 I think (give or take a few dollars). So if you HAVE $3,500 laying around that you don't need for say oh, I don't know, the mortgage, then go on cash. If you buy your DVC to use as a timehare / any way you wish in order to have pre-paid vacations - use your points! They are yours and only you can determine what's the best use of your cash or your points! For us, it's keeping $3,500 in our pockets that would've ended up being charged on a credit card if we didn't use our points. That said, I am already planning for our next cruise in 2012 on one of the new ships! I figured it would take me at least 5 years to save up enough cash for a balcony cabin so that's what I'm doing. $25 / week x 5 years = $6,500 - hoping that will get us a decent spot paid in full! If that's not enough and we need more, then we still have the option to pay cash for 2 of us and use points for the 3rd person!

 

[Inkmahm]

Most DVCers think its not a good value to use pts for a cruise, but here you go..

A 7 night, Disney Magic cruise to the Eastern Caribbean is:

Here are the pts. by Seasons: Value Regular Peak Holiday
.....standard inside stateroom 133 184 227 231

.....deluxe oceanview 176 220 262 287

.....deluxe with balcony 214 273 338 362

.....family stateroom balcony 256 329 401 428

I used the highest priced in these categories..there are other less pts. in the same category.

I am booked on exactly that cruise for December, 2009. For TWO of us it was less than $3,000 total. And we have $200 in onboard credit due to booking on a previous cruise. We're in the deluxe with balcony, category 5,in value season. Your chart would say that we pay 418 points. That 418 points would bring in enough cash by transferring them or renting them to make the cash price at least $1,200 cheaper than using my points for the two of us. I'll always pay cash for cruises.

 

[crisi]

The other thing to be aware of is that while the points to stay at a DVC resort don't change (simplistic, but lets just say they generally don't), the points to do anything else are subject to change every year. And they generally go up. So cruising on points is a great option if you have enough points and want to do that this year, its much harder to buy points to use to cruise in an efficient manner.

 

[bsusanmb]

Of course it is an individual decision, but I paid a lot of money for my points, and I agree, I will keep the cash in my pocket. DH and I cruised on Wonder 4 nights after Thanksgiving. We had a category 6. We always stay in a one bedroom villa at DVC, and add the meal plan out of pocket, park passes, and car rental, the cruise was a good deal for us. Plus, we have a lot of points.
I was a little nervous doing it this way, and it was our first cruise together. it was a pleasant experience having the veranda, new entertainment for us, and all the food you care to eat, and daily/nightly maid service...it was awesome.

I like the idea of saving $25 a week.