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Using HGVC point for cruising

L

limin

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I have been considering using some HGVC points for a cruise. Most of what I read indicates that current year points only can be used.

I am wondering if this is really correct or perhaps I am just interpreting things that way. I would really like to be able to use current year and borrowed points from next year for an anniversary cruise.
 
We have cruised several times using HGVC points. You may use current year points and borrow points from next year. Another option is to move 2010 points into 2011 and borrow 2012 points into 2011 for a dream cruise in 2011. We have done things like that in the past without any difficulty.

We took a cruise out of Barcelona earlier this year and posted about it in an earlier thread. Have a good time.
 
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Piano Dinosaur,

I hope you can help me decipher what I am seeing on the cruise website. The club points plus $ is the price for one person? However, since you must have a minimum of 2 people, it is actual double the amount. For example, a cruise that requires 4800 pts, suite, plus $700 means 9600pts plus $1400 for double occupancy.

Thanks
Deros
 
Be aware that the prices you see on the website are only approximations. You really have to call the get an exact quote. We're taking a W. Med cruise this October and used 14,000 points to offset the price. We will be sailing in a Junior Suite stateroom on a Royal Caribbean ship. The total price after our loyalty discount and using 14,000 points will be $1,250 for the both of us plus the processing fee, which I believe was $39. This figure does not include travel insurance or airfare.
 
I was looking at the cruise website last night trying to figure out if it is worth it money wise. Can someone tell me if the HGVC points listed is a per person fee (website says it is per person) or if that is points per cabin???

It seems like it would be cheaper just to go on the cruise as a paying customer. Once you pay the maintenance fees, and bank/borrow, etc. it doesn't seem to make money sense. What am I missing or am I not figuring this out correctly?
 
From a strictly financial standpoint, it is cheaper to cruise without using timesharing at all. In fact, if all I wanted to do is cruise, it would be far cheaper than using HGVC points. Therefore, my critics are justified.

However, sometimes I want to time share and sometimes I want to cruise, and sometimes I want to vacation in a hotel. My main reason in purchasing timeshare units is to force me take real vacations. It has succeeded in doing so. I do not perceive my membership in HGVC as a financial investment but rather as an investment in myself to have a good time.

I have seen far too many of my friends and colleagues get divorced, commit suicide, or both. Therefore, I truly treasure the time I take out to enjoy my wife and our time together away from the rat race. So, if we have the points and would rather cruise, I really don't care if it is the maximum use of our points as long as we have a good time together.

We really love timesharing as well. Our trips last year to the Grand Mayan Riviera Maya and Club Intrawest Whistler were fantastic. We will be timesharing again in Lake Tahoe this October for my wife's birthday.
 
pianodinosaur said:
I have seen far too many of my friends and colleagues get divorced, commit suicide, or both. Therefore, I truly treasure the time I take out to enjoy my wife and our time together away from the rat race. So, if we have the points and would rather cruise, I really don't care if it is the maximum use of our points as long as we have a good time together.
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My feelings exactly. I also had to many of my friends have their lives cut short, and while I am still in the Army, my life will continue to be in peril. So, I plan to take vacations as much as possible and enjoy it with my family, immediate and extended.

That being said, I can only take so 1 expensive vacations a year. So, if I go on a cruise, I am not staying at a resort that year. So, I might as well use my points to offset the price of the cruise a little.

Deros
 
Most of the time you're going to do better booking the cruise on your own but, there's an if to this story. If you use a discount TA. All but two cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, allow TA's to discount the cruise price by rebating a portion of their comissions. When you go through HGVC, you're going to pay whatever the list price is at that time for you cruise.

If you're sailing Royal Caribbean or Celebrity, I've found the discount is almost equal to the MF's we pay on our Las Vegas units. The reason we'll book a cruise using HGVC points would be because we've either got to many weeks to use one year or, we want to take a cruise vacation and need to do something with some of our timeshare ownerships in order to not carry to many weeks/points into the next year. With HGVC we've done this twice.

If you do book a cruise using HGVC points, make note of the price without using points when you initially book. After that keep watching the price to see if it goes down. If the price of your cruise does go down, call the TA (HGVC uses Cruises Only right now) and ask for a reduction in your cruise price. Recently we caught a price decrease but, rather than ask for a reduction in the price of the cruise we upgrade to a much nicer cabin and still saved about $150 off the cost.
 
off topic but where do you find discount cruise info? we are interested in a mediterranean one in the next couple of years, maybe starting in spain, italy or just doing the greek isles. never been on a cruise before.
 
pianodinosaur said:
I have seen far too many of my friends and colleagues get divorced, commit suicide, or both. Therefore, I truly treasure the time I take out to enjoy my wife and our time together away from the rat race. So, if we have the points and would rather cruise, I really don't care if it is the maximum use of our points as long as we have a good time together.

.
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sometimes i wish i could relax and think that way.
I guess i was too poor growing so i am always worried about getting the best use of every dollar

But it definatly stress's me out. I cant even order fast food without figuring out what will fill me up for the least money. To heck with the taste.
(Taco bell .99 1/2 pound burritos is the most food for the money)

I will splurge on my wife. She is worth every cent
 
hicksville said:
off topic but where do you find discount cruise info? we are interested in a mediterranean one in the next couple of years, maybe starting in spain, italy or just doing the greek isles. never been on a cruise before.
Click to expand...

When you go to the HGVC site, there's a link for using your HGVC points. One of the options is a cruise vacation. If you click on cruises, it will take you out of the HGVC site (opens up another window) and over to the Cruise Only site. You won't be able to book a cruise directly from this site. Instead, it will ask you to call a counsler to book your cruise. The prices on the web site are estimates only and they don't really seem to keep them up to date very well. The cruise we booked was higher than what was showing on the web site.
 
jjking42 said:
sometimes i wish i could relax and think that way.
I guess i was too poor growing so i am always worried about getting the best use of every dollar

But it definatly stress's me out. I cant even order fast food without figuring out what will fill me up for the least money. To heck with the taste.
(Taco bell .99 1/2 pound burritos is the most food for the money)

I will splurge on my wife. She is worth every cent
Click to expand...

If you keep in mind that you can't take it with you when you go, it might start making things a little easier.

Years ago I couldn't understand the spending habits of a co-worker. He never spent more than he had but, he spent his money freely. I asked why he did things the way he did and he told me, "It's only money." I still didn't get it.

Then my father died at age 52 and my mother died at age 60. Suddenly, I got it. They never retired and never got to do some of the things they wanted to do or, things they were putting off for when they retired. A lot of things have changed in my life since then. I don't wait anymore and, while money is still important for the things it can do, "It's only money." I don't go tossing money around willy nilly but, we don't deprive ourselves when it's within our reach and it's something we really need, want or desire and within reason.
 
dougp26364 said:
A lot of things have changed in my life since then. I don't wait anymore and, while money is still important for the things it can do, "It's only money." I don't go tossing money around willy nilly but, we don't deprive ourselves when it's within our reach and it's something we really need, want or desire and within reason.
Click to expand...

Good way to live life and a great attitude to have... Life is short, and I'm sure many of us have seen examples of that fact. I agree, and tend to follow the same advice. (a heart attack 4 yrs ago - as a healthy/healthful 40 something year old, helped cement that attitude...)
 
There is no right or wrong….it’s whatever works best for you

In my twenties, my mother succumbed to cancer at age 52 after a ten year battle. My mother worked hard to support the family and looked forward to retirement. It had a profound impact on me and my sisters. Cancer runs in the family on both side.

For me, life is too short...I don't know what tomorrow will bring for me, my sisters, my father, in-laws, nephews, nieces, cousins, Aunts and Uncles..... I could easily stay in a hotel room since it’s just me and my hubby. I bought our timeshares primarily for extended family vacation. I hated having to decide between going away on a trip vs visiting relatives. Timeshares provide an affordable way for me to take extended family with us so we can have the best of both worlds. My timeshares have given me and my extended family members, PRICELESS VACATION MEMORIES that everyone will treasure forever.

I no longer live to work.. working long hours & weekends/holidays, on call with beepers, etc...with hopes of rewards in the end. Now, I work to live..I still enjoy work but I have balance now which allows me to see & do all I can within reason.

LOL, because I want to do it all, I always try to take advantage of the best deals whenever I'm shopping for airfares, car rentals, food, clothing, a house, a car, a timeshare, a camera or whatever. I like to know all of my options and the value of each option to help determine which one is best for me. I own HGVC points in Orlando, Vegas and Oahu but I'm not a two bedroom platinum Orlando or Vegas owner so the cruise exchange option is less of a value to me. However it doesn't mean that I would never take this option in the future. It just won't be my primary option for cruise vacations.
 
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alwysonvac said:
In my twenties, my mother succumbed to cancer at age 52 after a ten year battle. My mother worked hard to support the family and looked forward to retirement. It had a profound impact on me and my sisters. Cancer runs in the family on both side.

For me, life is too short...I don't know what tomorrow will bring for me, my sisters, my father, in-laws, nephews, nieces, cousins, Aunts and Uncles..... I could easily stay in a hotel room since it’s just me and my hubby. I bought our timeshares primarily for extended family vacation. I hated having to decide between going away on a trip vs visiting relatives. Timeshares provide an affordable way for me to take extended family with us so we can have the best of both worlds. My timeshares have given me and my extended family members, PRICELESS VACATION MEMORIES that everyone will treasure forever.

I no longer live to work.. working long hours & weekends/holidays, on call with beepers, etc...with hopes of rewards in the end. Now, I work to live..I still enjoy work but I have balance now which allows me to see & do all I can within reason.

LOL, because I want to do it all, I always try to take advantage of the best deals whenever I'm shopping for airfares, car rentals, food, clothing, a house, a car, a timeshare, a camera or whatever. I like to know all of my options and the value of each option to help determine which one is best for me. I own HGVC points in Orlando, Vegas and Oahu but I'm not a two bedroom platinum Orlando or Vegas owner so the cruise exchange option is less of a value to me. However it doesn't mean that I would never take this option in the future. It just won't be my primary option for cruise vacations.
Click to expand...

The funny thing is, I often find myself working extra shifts to afford the vacations we want to take. I've been doing that for the last 10 years or so but, I'm starting to back off a bit and work fewer hours. Vacations are great but, there's something to be said for having more home time as well.
 
The only way I would use points for a cruise would be if I had to get rid of points and had no other way!
I am running in a point defecit right now and hope to continue on that path!
I learned that from Uncle Sam!
 
dougp26364 said:
If you keep in mind that you can't take it with you when you go, it might start making things a little easier.

Years ago I couldn't understand the spending habits of a co-worker. He never spent more than he had but, he spent his money freely. I asked why he did things the way he did and he told me, "It's only money." I still didn't get it.

Then my father died at age 52 and my mother died at age 60. Suddenly, I got it. They never retired and never got to do some of the things they wanted to do or, things they were putting off for when they retired. A lot of things have changed in my life since then. I don't wait anymore and, while money is still important for the things it can do, "It's only money." I don't go tossing money around willy nilly but, we don't deprive ourselves when it's within our reach and it's something we really need, want or desire and within reason.
Click to expand...

My mother died at 49 and my dad at 62
Both got cancer
I don't smoke but wonder how long I have with my gene pool. Now (47) in perfect health but i feel old sometimes.

I still have children 13 and under so I am trying to save up for them when I am gone.

If it wasn't for time sharing we probably would not vacation at all
I am a compulsive worker
At least now I work from home and don't commute
More flexible but work time and family time get blurred together
 
dougp26364 said:
The funny thing is, I often find myself working extra shifts to afford the vacations we want to take. I've been doing that for the last 10 years or so but, I'm starting to back off a bit and work fewer hours. Vacations are great but, there's something to be said for having more home time as well.
Click to expand...

Yes, vacations can be expensive. And now at age 45 with a much smaller retirement nest egg due to the economy, I'm changing my vacation strategy.

Instead of several short trips within a year, we will be taking less trips but staying for longer lengths of time. I've found that I need to escape every 6 months just to clear my head, relax and recharge. Fortunately with all of my point based timeshares, I can take advantage of banking and borrowing so I can use them for longer trips every other year or every three years.
 
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