Disney Cruise Line

Just returned Back from a Disney Cruise Line and had such a wonderful Time,
I have 2 weeks Wyndham Bonney Creek Resort already And thinking of Buying Directly from Disney to be able to use it in the future towards DCL. as we Like to Cruise every other year but before doing so I have few questions.
What is the most cost effective way to cruise?
I was advised by the disney sales rep. that in order to use your points towards the Cruise line you have to buy directly from disney, even the discounted cash offers on their cruises is only offered to the members who directly purchase from them and they are not offered to the resale members.
any thoughts?
is it worth it?
Thank you

I would not buy retail from ANY developer for cruise discounts, but that's just me. I am neither a huge Disney fan (once every 2-3 years is plenty), nor does money grow on my trees.

You ask, "Is it worth it?" Not to me, but Disney seems able to fill multiple, 3,000 passenger ships every week, so they're doing something right.

Jim

Oh, you also ask for the most cost-effective way to cruise? I like www.vacationstogo.com for cruise discounts.

I agree -- cruising with points is a very poor value. Before you consider using DVC points for cruises as a benefit -- check the cruise points charts! You will find the costs quite high.

Also don't forget that cruise points costs are NOT limited like timeshare points costs -- they can and do go up. In addition, there have been several extended periods (close to a year at a time) when NO cruises were available for DVC points.

But most important regarding cruises...the ability to use DVC points for cruises is NOT GUARANTEED. It is a perk of direct purchase which can be changed, restricted, or eliminated entirely at any time -- just like it was for resale purchasers. That fact alone is why I would not consider cruising as even a minor factor in any purchase decision. I would not pay a premium for something that is not guaranteed.

I think most knowledgeable people would agree that the real value of any timeshare is in using it for lodging in that timeshare system's own internal resorts.

Ditto... don't buy DVC points for Disney Cruises

This has been discussed before.. here are some old TUG threads
- DVC Cruises (May 2013) http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191501
- Disney restricted cruise line tickets (Aug 2013) http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196652

There are lots of sites with cash discount information.
For example Mousesavers.com has a dedicated page - http://www.mousesavers.com/disney-c...dvice/disney-cruise-line-discounts-and-deals/

If you're planning to do a Disney Cruise every other year, I recommend hanging out at the Disney Cruise Line forum on the Disboards. It's where all of the diehard Disney fans share information and tips - http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

We have our 1st extended family Disney Cruise planned for 2015

Good Luck.

Some big downsides to using points:

Your cost for MFs is almost always higher than the cash cost of the cruise.
You have an additional $95. fee for using points.
You have to pay in full for any extra passengers, etc, things that you normally can pay over time when booking for cash.
You don't get the ship board credit that many TA's offer. (they give you part of their commission).
Cancellation is a lot more difficult and you are guaranteed to lose some money and in the process.

Benefits of paying cash for cruises:
You can take any of the discount fares at the discount.
You can make payments over time and you can cancel without any penalties up to something like 75 days before departure.
If you use a TA (pm if you want names) who will give you a ship board credit.
If you book through Costco, they give you a costco gift card (after the cruise).
You don't have to pay $95. fee to covert your points to a cruise.

We have been DVC members since 1993. During this time we have gone on three cruises using points or points and cash including a Transatlantic cruise in 2010. And we are going on the Transatlantic next fall again- a real bargain whether using points or cash. Like vacation rentals and airfare, timing is everything: some cruises are a bargain while others are spendy. We have found off-season cruises to be economical (a week cruise per person with food runs the cost of a week in a studio at WDW.)

Disney Cruise Line has tiered pricing where prices go up as the sailing date approaches. DVC point rates are always based on the lowest available cash rate and do not increase over time. We have been upgraded twice to better cabins though this may have been for other reasons than owning DVC. Occasionally, point discounts are available for some cruises.

I would not buy DVC only to do a Disney cruise. But if you own the points, it is nice to know that the cruise option is available where you do not have to use cash (other than MF's that you would pay anyway.)

We use our DVc to stay at DVC. We love DCL and pay with cash, not points. We went on the DVc Members cruise last Aug. It was great! You must own DVC direct from DVC to go on members cruise. Most cost effective is to NOT cruise at Christmas or Easter break. If you can cruise non-peak, it's not too bad. Elaine

We have been members since 2000. We did buy all of our points direct. We also like the option and have taken advantage of cruising with our points for various reasons.

We have taken 6 DCL cruises. 4 cruises - 2 cabins each time. 1 cruise - three cabins. Last cruise - just hubby and I.

We have paid a combination of points and cash. Some cabins with points and some cabins all cash or half and half. It all depends on the $$ situation and banked points at any given time. We like the flexibility and the option.

BUT having said that - I would not buy DVC with the intention of using points for cruising most or all of the time.

Good luck with your decision.

We have sailed with Disney Cruise Lines three times. This is a great cruise line for the whole family. I personally would not purchased DVC just for cruising. There are so many others cruise lines you can enjoy that are cheaper than Disney.

elaine said:

We use our DVc to stay at DVC. We love DCL and pay with cash, not points. We went on the DVc Members cruise last Aug. It was great! You must own DVC direct from DVC to go on members cruise. Most cost effective is to NOT cruise at Christmas or Easter break. If you can cruise non-peak, it's not too bad. Elaine

Click to expand...

I own resale DVC and I do not believe you have to buy direct to go on members cruise. Need to verify this.

capjak said:

I own resale DVC and I do not believe you have to buy direct to go on members cruise. Need to verify this.

Click to expand...

A few years ago, DVC took away some of the benefits to resale buyers. It reduced the cost of buying resale, that's for sure. I was terribly disappointed DVC would play the same game as the other developers. Resale purchasers who bought from a person who paid full price do not enjoy the same benefits as the original buyer. Someone paid for those benefits and paid in full for them. If these developer point owners want to sell what they own down the line, they aren't selling what they bought. It seems wrong to me.

I wonder if Disney tells buyers their benefits will not pass to a resale buyer, which devalues the product in my mind immediately. They wouldn't sell anything that way. Seems that leaving out information is as bad as lying. Disney is not as honest at the sales table as they used to be.

Johndiver said:

Just returned Back from a Disney Cruise Line and had such a wonderful Time,
I have 2 weeks Wyndham Bonney Creek Resort already And thinking of Buying Directly from Disney to be able to use it in the future towards DCL. as we Like to Cruise every other year but before doing so I have few questions.
What is the most cost effective way to cruise?
I was advised by the disney sales rep. that in order to use your points towards the Cruise line you have to buy directly from disney, even the discounted cash offers on their cruises is only offered to the members who directly purchase from them and they are not offered to the resale members.
any thoughts?
is it worth it?
Thank you

Click to expand...

Have done 6 Disney Cruises and joined the DIS board cruise groups for each one.

The conventional wisdom is you get a MUCH better deal, bang for your buck by renting your DVC Points for $12 a point and paying for your cruise. In your case, unless you want to use DVC points to stay at Disney, you are better off not buying any points and just pay cash for the cruise.

rickandcindy23 said:

I wonder if Disney tells buyers their benefits will not pass to a resale buyer, which devalues the product in my mind immediately. They wouldn't sell anything that way. Seems that leaving out information is as bad as lying. Disney is not as honest at the sales table as they used to be.

Click to expand...

They make it very clear on their marketing material and disclosures.

capjak said:

I own resale DVC and I do not believe you have to buy direct to go on members cruise. Need to verify this.

Click to expand...

I believe you DO have to be a direct purchaser to go on the Members Cruise...even paying cash.

I would call MS just to be sure, but I think they made that change last year or the year before.

We became DVC Members (160 point owners at Aulani) while cruising the Eastern Caribbean on the Disney Fantasy during spring break 2013. Great Cruise! We used DVC points to book the Western Caribbean on the same ship during spring break this last year for the first two passengers and paid cash for our 2 kids. Another great cruise! We are happy with DVC and decided before the cruise we would add another 160 points at Aulani. We are using DVC points to go to Aulani for spring break this year, and had enough points to pay for the first two passengers on the upcoming August Member cruise and paid cash for our kids again. In Oct we'll have another 320 points to use.

Just thought I'd share our experience with DVC for your consideration. As for us, we love it!

JimMIA said:

I believe you DO have to be a direct purchaser to go on the Members Cruise...even paying cash.

I would call MS just to be sure, but I think they made that change last year or the year before.

Click to expand...

I have 1 DVC purchased prior to the changes and one after at that time the only restrictions were Disney Collection, DCL and ABD could not be booked but no mention of not honoring you as a member on a member cruise, pretty sure this is not restricted by resale if you pay cash, but will confirm, a little hard for me since I have one that has full benefits and one that does not

capjak said:

I have 1 DVC purchased prior to the changes and one after at that time the only restrictions were Disney Collection, DCL and ABD could not be booked but no mention of not honoring you as a member on a member cruise, pretty sure this is not restricted by resale if you pay cash, but will confirm, a little hard for me since I have one that has full benefits and one that does not

Click to expand...

I've read a number of posts on this on the DIS. I've heard grandfathered resale points qualify you to pay cash for a Members Cruise -- and I've heard they don't. I honestly don't know.

I've also read that the cash price for a Member Cruise was double what the same cruise the following week cost...but that could be one of those change-of-season quirks.

I think the only way to get a clear answer is to call MS.

And please post the authoritative answer here so others will know.