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Tim Larison December 2002
Editor's note: I used points for a Disney cruise in 2000 and I wondered at the time if it would have been better to rent the points and pay cash.
Back in 2002 I looked into this some more and wrote the article
below. The conclusions reached are still valid today as I
periodically check using DVC points to book the Disney cruise vs
paying cash. Here are the conclusions I have drawn from an
analysis of using DVC points vs paying cash for a Disney cruise.
See the bottom of this article for the raw numbers I used in this
analysis in 2002 on various 2003 Disney cruises.
Advantages of renting your points and paying cash for a Disney Cruise:
1. If you can get the "going rate" for your points, $10/point, you
will have enough money to pay for the Disney cruise and have money
left over, compared to using the same number of points to book the
cruise. In most cases if you can even get $7 to $9 per point you will come out ahead.
2. If you use points for a cruise, you can reserve your cabin 11 months ahead of time. If you pay cash, you can reserve the cruise far in advance (for
example December 2005 Disney cruise prices were announced in May
2004). By reserving far in advance, you can get a better cash price and you have a better choice of staterooms (such as one of the 6 "secret" category 10 staterooms that are sold at the deluxe inside stateroom price but really have an obstructed view window).
3. If you use points for a cruise and you have to cancel, you have to use the points at a non-dvc resort. If you pay cash, you get a cash refund. If you cancel within 59 days of the cruise there are penalties in both cases (you lose points or cash per person)
4. If a special comes along that will reduce your fare after you book, I as a travel agent can reduce your cash price later. With dvc points, you are pretty much locked into the rate you book at (unless a "point" special comes along later). When I paid cash for my kids using dvc points in May 2000, I found I was not eligible for a discounted kids rate that came along later.
5. You can't use dvc points for a category 12 stateroom, or a category 1-3 stateroom. You have to pay cash for those.
6. You have to pay an extra $75 fee to use dvc points for a cruise. This isn't figured into the above "cost" analysis.
7. You can save your dvc points for staying at a dvc resort - where you get the most value for the points.
Advantages of using your points for the Disney Cruise:
1. It's easy. You don't have to work to rent your points to someone you don't know. It's analogous to buying points from Disney vs buying a resale - a resale can save you money but it's more work. For a cruise you can save money by renting points but it is also more work. When I took my cruise on points in May 2000, I had alot of extra points that were about to expire. It was easy to apply them to a cruise.
2. You get better value out of your dvc points for a cruise if you cruise during peak season (summer) rather than at other times of the year.
3. Generally the category you book doesn't make much difference when you use points. You get about the same cost per point value if you book a category 11 or a category 4.
If you want a points vs cash comparison for a particular date, fill out
this form
I can also do this for any other cruises you can book on dvc points.
If you pay cash for a cruise through me or through Disney I feel in the long run it's a better deal than using points. But I also realize that using points for a cruise is the most convenient option for many dvc'ers.
Tim Larison Here are the raw numbers: Below I have listed three different 2003 cruise dates in three different "seasons", with the number of points you'd have to spend to take the cruise, the Disney cash price
in 2002, and a discounted price available for a limited number of staterooms through my agency
in 2002. Cash prices include all port taxes and fees.
April 12, 2003
7 night Western Caribbean Cruise
Category 11 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1433.77 per person
disney price: $1613.77 per person
dvc points: 210 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$6.83 for the agency price
$7.69 for the disney price
Category 10 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1483.77 per person
disney price: $1663.77 per person
dvc points 216 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$6.87 for the agency price
$7.71 for the disney price
Category 9 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1583.77 per person
disney price: $1763.77 per person
dvc points 229 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$6.92 for the agency price
$7.71 for the disney price
Category 6 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1983.77 per person
disney price: $2223.77 per person
dvc points: 289 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$6.87 for the agency price
$7.70 for the disney price
Category 4 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: same as disney's
disney price: $2803.77 per person
dvc points: 364 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$7.71 for the disney price
April 26, 2003
7 night Western Caribbean Cruise
Category 11 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $ 943.77 per person
disney price: $1073.77 per person
dvc points: 139 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$6.79 for the agency price
$7.73 for the disney price
Category 10 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $ 993.77 per person
disney price: $1123.77 per person
dvc points: 146 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$6.81 for the agency price
$7.70 for the disney price
Category 9 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1093.77 per person
disney price: $1223.77 per person
dvc points: 159 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$6.88 for the agency price
$7.70 for the disney price
Category 6 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1393.77 per person
disney price: $1523.77 per person
dvc points: 198 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$7.04 for the agency price
$7.70 for the disney price
Category 4 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: same as disney's
disney price: $1933.77 per person
dvc points: 251 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$7.71 for the disney price
June 21, 2003
7 night Western Caribbean Cruise
Category 11 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1373.77 per person
disney price: $1493.77 per person
dvc points: 178 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$7.72 for the agency price
$8.40 for the disney price
Category 10 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1423.77 per person
disney price: $1543.77 per person
dvc points: 185 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$7.70 for the agency price
$8.35 for the disney price
Category 9 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1523.77 per person
disney price: $1643.77 per person
dvc points: 198 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$7.70 for the agency price
$8.31 for the disney price
Category 6 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: $1903.77 per person
disney price: $2063.77 per person
dvc points: 247 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$7.71 for the agency price
$8.36 for the disney price
Category 4 1st/2nd passenger -
agency price: same as disney's
disney price: $2603.77 per person
dvc points: 312 per person
minimum you'd have to rent your dvc points for to come out ahead:
$8.35 for the disney price
Notes:
The "agency" price above does not take into account an additional $50 to $100 off
per stateroom on some sailing dates.
The children prices are not figured into the above analysis. If you use dvc points and pay cash for the kids, most likely you are paying a higher kid's price. For the April 12th sailing, for example, the dvc kids cash rate for an 8 year old is $1044. My agency's kid rate is $943.77.
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