Welcome Home, Conrad! Thanks for stopping by the
Disney Vacation Club corner of planDisney. It is always the best day ever when I meet a fellow Member, and I am excited to help with your question today.
There are so many great
benefits of being a Disney Vacation Club Member, but the flexibility to use your
Vacation Points for adventures beyond the DVC resorts is probably the best in my book!
Vacation Points can be used for a wide variety of experiences and destinations around the world that are part of the
Disney Collection, and this includes voyages beyond the reef on
Disney Cruise Line. I've sailed with DCL on several occasions, most recently this past fall with my planDisney classmates, and it is truly a magical way to travel!
To get an idea of how many points are needed for your desired cruise itinerary, check out the
Points Charts, which list the point exchanges on each ship in the DCL fleet for each available stateroom category. They are typically listed as point ranges that correspond to the four separate sailing seasons (Value, Regular, High-Value, and Peak). The ranges represent the number of points for
one Guest staying in a double-occupancy stateroom (so Guests #1 and #2 would
both require that number of points). For additional Guests in the same stateroom beyond the first two, refer to the bottom section of the chart, which shows the point ranges required for those bookings.
It's a good idea to book your cruise early as the
Rule of Four applies in this scenario--meaning that you cannot book within four months of the end of your
Use Year. Contact the always-helpful folks at
Member Services to make the exchange from Vacation Points to Reservation Points. There is a non-refundable fee required for the transaction (currently $95, subject to change). Once the exchange goes through, you cannot convert the points back to Vacation Points--if the cruise booking is canceled or modified, the points can only be used for another Disney Collection exchange and it must occur before the end of your Use Year.
Conrad, your Vacation Points can only be used for a vacation or trip of some sort--there is an endless menu of
destinations to choose from! Points cannot be used for dining or merchandise, although your Membership may entitle you to discounts at various locations. I always check the most up-to-date offers before I leave for my next Disney adventure to make sure I know where these perks apply.
I hope this information is just what you were looking for and that you'll be planning an exciting adventure soon. If you have additional vacation planning questions, please
reach out to me directly--I'm happy to help!
Stay Magical!
Susan