Which is better to use your points for a DCL or a great deal from a TA??!!

[kritter]

I am thinking of using points for a future cruise. But this time I am cruising and have a great deal from my TA with a really great onboard credit. For those of you who have used points for a cruise. What do you think about this???????????

 

[LoriLuvsDisney]

I feel it really depends upon how many points you need to use (and borrow). We recently returned from a 7 day Eastern cruise. If I were to use my points for a category 6 room for 2 adults and 2 kids I would have used up my points for 2 1/2 years - not getting a Disney vacation in that time. Instead, I booked the cruise a year and half ago, got a great deal for early booking and a great on-board credit through my TA- neither of which DVC could have given me. I paid off the cruise monthly over the past year and half so it didn't hurt me financially all at once. And I was still able to enjoy 3 disneyland vacations and tacked 3 days at BCV on after the cruise too.

At DVC you can use both points and cash, but they wouldn't match the early booking cash price I was quoted from my TA.

 

[covereddish]

Personally, unless it was a "special offer" cruise from DVC, I would not use points. I would take the TA deal, with the onboard credit.

The points for the cruise are typically so high, you would use up all points, and for only a few days!

More bang for your buck if you pay for the cruise and use points elsewhere!

 

[surfer_ed]

Using $10 per point (the going rate for rental) in the stateroom category I use, I have always done better with re-booking on-board or a good TA in advance.

 

[sjcampbl]

What is TA?

 

[covereddish]

Travel agent!

 

[Anal Annie]

I think it depends on your cash flow. If you HAVE the cash to pay for the cruise that you want (time of yr. / length / category cabin etc.) then it's probably better to pay with cash. IF however, you don't have the cash but you DO have the points you need accumulated then I vote for using the points.

We were able to take a weeks vac. this past summer & bank the rest of our points into next yrs. and have enough to cover all 3 of us on a 4 n Wonder in July (a peak / expensive season). We really wanted to do a 7 n cruise but didn't want to do the Mexican Riviera again so we then turned around and booked the same cabin on a cash ressie for the 3 n cruise. This mix of points & cash kept about $3,200 in our pockets that we really didn't have just lying around unused.

 

[bsusanmb]

When I think of what it costs for meals etc, I used my points. But I have plenty of points and it won't effect my future vacations...well, i may have to settle on a studio rather than a one bedroom for DH and I, but it will be well worth it. Never use the kitchen anyway...

Susan, AKA, Hi, I'm Dori (I've got a problem with my brain!)