Cruise Escapes - New MVC program?

[TravelTime]

I just got an email from Marriott about a new program called Cruise Escapes. They are saying that now you can book with fewer DPs. Does anyone know anything about this? Is it now more cost effective to sail using DPs? Or is this just marketing?

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Book New Cruise Escapes

There’s never been a better time to book a cruise for your next vacation adventure. Our Vacation Center, a travel provider for Marriott Vacation Club®, recently launched cruise escapes. Now you can sail exciting ports for even less, with cruises starting as low as 500 Vacation Club Points per person. Choose from a variety of popular destinations like the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, and more. But act fast — these special sailings sail within 12 months or less. New inventory is added often, so check back to see what’s new.

Don’t forget, any cruise booked with Our Vacation Center using your Vacation Club Points is eligible for up to $150 shore excursion credit on the first cabin booked per sailing — even cruise escapes sailings.

 

[DanCali]

I just got an email from Marriott about a new program called Cruise Escapes. They are saying that now you can book with fewer DPs. Does anyone know anything about this? Is it now more cost effective to sail using DPs? Or is this just marketing?

WKOVRN 2BR OF is worth 8325 destination points. That is a huge points generator and efficient with MFs. I own EOY and pay about $3200 for one week ($1600 EOY). With it worth 8325 DPs, that comes out to $0.38 vs DP cost of about $0.65 in MFs.

These things are rarely cost effective if you do the math the right way, as opposed to how it's marketed to you...

I included a quote from you where you discuss your Vistana week conversion value. It converts to 8325 points. you are saying that your MF is 38c/point, so around $3150. If 8325 points get you a couple of cruise tickets, is it a good deal? You might say that for $3150, it is (that's how Marriott wants you to think about it).

But what if I told you that you can rent 8325 points for about $5700 cash? If $5700 a good deal for that same cruise? Probably not so much...

The bottom line is that it may appear to be a good deal when compared to the cost of MF. It is often not a good deal if you compare it to the alternative use of a week like renting out the week itself or the points it converts to.

 

[TravelTime]

These things are rarely cost effective if you do the math the right way, as opposed to how it's marketed to you...

I included a quote from you where you discuss your Vistana week conversion value. It converts to 8325 points. you are saying that your MF is 38c/point, so around $3150. If 8325 points get you a couple of cruise tickets, is it a good deal? You might say that for $3150, it is (that's how Marriott wants you to think about it).

But what if I told you that you can rent 8325 points for about $5700 cash? If $5700 a good deal for that same cruise? Probably not so much...

The bottom line is that it may appear to be a good deal when compared to the cost of MF. It is often not a good deal if you compare it to the alternative use of a week like renting out the week itself or the points it converts to.

I am not asking about point value or conversion rates or rental rates. I know the cruises have historically been a poor value using DPs. MVC is saying this is new and different than their traditional cruise program. My question is whether Cruise Escapes is really different than others cruises that can be booked with DPs.

BTW, if I can now rent my DPs for $5700 and my MF is $3200, that is a pretty good thing to consider instead of renting the week as a week. I rented my week for $4800 last year so I would much prefer to rent it as DPs now. However, renting the week was only because I was not going to use it last year. Normally I do not rent anything.

 

[DanCali]

Regarding cruises, I don't know the details but my guess is it's a marketing spin. While some may have been grateful to elect Bonvoy points during the pandemic in 2020, all these alternate uses are rarely good value.

 

[VacationForever]

I agree that it is a marketing spin. Not different from cruise lines dropping price on cruises within 30 days of sailing. I clicked on the so-called 500 DC Points or cruises a couple of days ago. Nope. It just gave a regular search for cruises - 3 days, 5 days, 7 days etc.

 

[TravelTime]

I agree that it is a marketing spin. Not different from cruise lines dropping price on cruises within 30 days of sailing. I clicked on the so-called 500 DC Points or cruises a couple of days ago. Nope. It just gave a regular search for cruises - 3 days, 5 days, 7 days etc.

That is what I was guessing. I would not book a cruise through Marriott. It seems too complicated to me anyway. I would prefer to book a cruise directly with the cruise company, unless there were some benefit booking a cruise in another way.

 

[californiagirl]

I received the same email. We cruise at least 1 time per year, this year will be 3 times. We have been on several cruise lines but generally gravitate toward Princess. We have a Caribbean cruise booked in February of 2023 on Regal Princess. I just did a trial booking for the same cruise in January. Using points the farthest out I could book is January. Princess‘ price is the same for January and February at this point. Here is what I found:
-cost in dollars is $3362 including taxes and port fees for a club class mini-suite for 2 people
-cost in DCPs is 11,500 for 2 people for the same cabin category, unclear if that includes taxes and port fees

Pros:
-easy to find a specific cruise, date and ship
-easy to find a specific cabin category
-ability to apply a future cruise deposit (unattached $100 pp booking purchased onboard a prior cruise…if you cruise you know what I’m talking about) and getting a small discount in DCPs
-ability to use DCPs to book
-multiple cruise lines available to book

Cons:
-VERY expensive use of DCPs, if you have points that will go to waste and you don’t want to rent them out, this may be a good use for them
-unable to book online, once cabin category is chosen, the website shows point cost and then refers to a phone number to complete transaction
-unclear if point cost includes taxes and port fees
-unable to choose and hold a specific cabin online
-unable to book longer than 9 months out; unsure if able to book farther out if inquiring by phone, the best cabins are usually taken by 9 months out
-no apparent discount for booking last minute; last minute cruises are generally deeply discounted

Unsure what the cancellation policy is using points. Bottom line, we would never use our points for a cruise. I would rent the points out and pay cash for the cruise. YMMV.

 

[TravelTime]

I received the same email. We cruise at least 1 time per year, this year will be 3 times. We have been on several cruise lines but generally gravitate toward Princess. We have a Caribbean cruise booked in February of 2023 on Regal Princess. I just did a trial booking for the same cruise in January. Using points the farthest out I could book is January. Princess‘ price is the same for January and February at this point. Here is what I found:
-cost in dollars is $3362 including taxes and port fees for a club class mini-suite for 2 people
-cost in DCPs is 11,500 for 2 people for the same cabin category, unclear if that includes taxes and port fees

Pros:
-easy to find a specific cruise, date and ship
-easy to find a specific cabin category
-ability to apply a future cruise deposit (unattached $100 pp booking purchased onboard a prior cruise…if you cruise you know what I’m talking about) and getting a small discount in DCPs
-ability to use DCPs to book
-multiple cruise lines available to book

Cons:
-VERY expensive use of DCPs, if you have points that will go to waste and you don’t want to rent them out, this may be a good use for them
-unable to book online, once cabin category is chosen, the website shows point cost and then refers to a phone number to complete transaction
-unclear if point cost includes taxes and port fees
-unable to choose and hold a specific cabin online
-unable to book longer than 9 months out; unsure if able to book farther out if inquiring by phone, the best cabins are usually taken by 9 months out
-no apparent discount for booking last minute; last minute cruises are generally deeply discounted

Unsure what the cancellation policy is using points. Bottom line, we would never use our points for a cruise. I would rent the points out and pay cash for the cruise. YMMV.

It sounds horrible. I wonder why they are marketing this as a new cruise program with the new Cruise Escapes name. It does not sound like there is anything new. As an experienced cruiser, have you noticed there is anything different between Cruise Escapes and what already exists?

 

[Passepartout]

I wonder how many times we need to repeat, "Use timeshare points for timeshare stays. Use cash for all the rest!"

Too many fingers in your stash of points/weeks mean too many opportunities to dilute their value. Also having the cruise line dictate which cruises and dates are eligible allows them to cherry pick the lesser demand times to book TS owners than cash-paid cruisers.

Want to get the best deal on a cruise? Book it as soon as it's announced. You will only have a minimal deposit of cost, you get the best choice of cabin, and you will get any discount that is offered before final payment is due. Get your travel insurance then too. It will have coverage for pre-existing conditions, and you can add on the cost of airfare, excursions, extensions, etc. as the trip develops.

Jim

 

[Dean]

Every time I've looked at a cash type option where I could use points, it has not been a favorable situation. The best I've see in the Collette tours where it's always been right around 43¢ PP, everything else is usually very close to 34¢ PP. I strongly suspect Collette is giving MVC a discount and paying the cash price that would equate to about 34¢ PP. Given they have to turn those points into cash and other departments likely take a cut along the way (just like every other similar system I'm aware of like DVC), this is not unexpected.

 

[Zagrid094]

We were introduced to the Cruise Escapes concept while attending a sales presentation at MGO in early April. Supposedly due to feedback from MVC owners, Marriott finally received the message we’ve been preaching for years is that the better value is for one to book a cruse directly through the cruise lines rather than using DP’s. We were told that Marriott has negotiated improved rates for their VC owners commensurate with those available directly through the cruise lines. I received an official notice about Cruise Escapes through an email from MVC Insider yesterday. After logging into the MVC website the initial screen announces the Cruise Escapes and has a link to this “new” program. The link takes you to the familiar “Our Vacation Center” where one can select their cruise itinerary for booking. Our salesman showed us examples of reduced cruise rates using DP’s, especially if one can travel within 60-90 days. I have not had a chance to see if there are cruise offers with truly reduced rates using DP’s. It remains to be seen how much, if any, reduction in points will be realized with Cruise Escapes.

 

[dioxide45]

Every time I've looked at a cash type option where I could use points, it has not been a favorable situation. The best I've see in the Collette tours where it's always been right around 43¢ PP, everything else is usually very close to 34¢ PP. I strongly suspect Collette is giving MVC a discount and paying the cash price that would equate to about 34¢ PP. Given they have to turn those points into cash and other departments likely take a cut along the way (just like every other similar system I'm aware of like DVC), this is not unexpected.

Yet every timeshare presentation we go to, the rep tells us about some cruise they booked (lately Alaska or River cruise) where it only cost them 5,000 points but the cruise would have cost them $8,000 in cash. It seems that they always tell us about those very unique situations, but "individual results may vary".

 

[elysium5]

I just got an email from Marriott about a new program called Cruise Escapes. They are saying that now you can book with fewer DPs. Does anyone know anything about this? Is it now more cost effective to sail using DPs? Or is this just marketing?

I extremely doubt that this will be any better than the old system.

In travel, you should always use your points/miles for their 'core use'. All other redemptions are normally bad value.

AMEX points should be transferred to air miles. Hotel points should be used to book rooms. Air miles should be used to book flights. MVC points should be used for timeshare stays.

AMEX allows points to be used against transactions, but it offers shockingly bad value. I feel like these companies offer more redemption possibilities, because they want people to undervalue their points.

Bonvoy has a program called 'cruise with points', where you earn bonvoy points when you book a cruise. That can offer good value, due to promotions

 

[elysium5]

Yet every timeshare presentation we go to, the rep tells us about some cruise they booked (lately Alaska or River cruise) where it only cost them 5,000 points but the cruise would have cost them $8,000 in cash. It seems that they always tell us about those very unique situations, but "individual results may vary".

Cruises get discounted so much, then figures like that are surely nonsense

 

[VacationForever]

Yet every timeshare presentation we go to, the rep tells us about some cruise they booked (lately Alaska or River cruise) where it only cost them 5,000 points but the cruise would have cost them $8,000 in cash. It seems that they always tell us about those very unique situations, but "individual results may vary".

I have yet to find one salesperson who could back what they said to us about greatly "discounted" cruises by using MVC points. When we got them to look at the cruises which we had booked, the prices would be about double what we had paid. At that point, some continued to lie and others just basically said we were done with the presentation.

 

[Passepartout]

Marriott finally received the message we’ve been preaching for years is that the better value is for one to book a cruse directly through the cruise lines rather than using DP’s. . . . Our salesman showed us examples of reduced cruise rates using DP’s, especially if one can travel within 60-90 days.

Easy enough to compare , 'apples to apples' using vacationstogo.com/ 's 90 day ticker for last minute pricing of leftover cruise inventory.

 

[rthib]

If you click on the email, it give you details.
Yes it is new program (sort of)
Cheaper cost (cheaper being relative to the insane costs before) and shorter advance. Still questionable on cost but an attempt to try and get the price down.

 

[Dean]

Yet every timeshare presentation we go to, the rep tells us about some cruise they booked (lately Alaska or River cruise) where it only cost them 5,000 points but the cruise would have cost them $8,000 in cash. It seems that they always tell us about those very unique situations, but "individual results may vary".

I've gotten to where I take my laptop and ask them to show me a real time example. If they can't you know they're lying and they know you know as well. If that ends the presentation, even better.

 

[frank808]

You will have to use hotspot on your phone here at MKO. I noticed on my last owners meeting, that the in house wifi did not work in the sales floors. Another way to keep unsuspecting marks from arguing. Luckily I have unlimited data on my phone.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[mbstn6254]

I have found the difference in the dollar cost of a cruise with DPs is 40-50% higher than when booking directly with the cruise line or an accredited travel agent.

 

[rickandcindy23]

We were introduced to the Cruise Escapes concept while attending a sales presentation at MGO in early April. Supposedly due to feedback from MVC owners, Marriott finally received the message we’ve been preaching for years is that the better value is for one to book a cruse directly through the cruise lines rather than using DP’s. We were told that Marriott has negotiated improved rates for their VC owners commensurate with those available directly through the cruise lines. I received an official notice about Cruise Escapes through an email from MVC Insider yesterday. After logging into the MVC website the initial screen announces the Cruise Escapes and has a link to this “new” program. The link takes you to the familiar “Our Vacation Center” where one can select their cruise itinerary for booking. Our salesman showed us examples of reduced cruise rates using DP’s, especially if one can travel within 60-90 days. I have not had a chance to see if there are cruise offers with truly reduced rates using DP’s. It remains to be seen how much, if any, reduction in points will be realized with Cruise Escapes.

The best question for them would be, "How would that save me anything?" and make them prove to you that it was a good value. Shut that sales' spiel down immediately.