Has anyone ever booked a cruise using club points?

[roni973]

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Rooms & Rates

10 Nights Europe, Mediterranean
Seven Seas Navigator
Cruise # SID84590676
Depart: May 14, 2024 from
Return: May 24, 2024 to
View itinerary
Seniors (55+): 2

How many in your travel party?​

Max Occupancy for this cruise is 4.
Number of guests may affect pricing and availability
Adults
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Seniors(55 +)
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Children(age 1-12)
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Infants(Under 2)
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All Staterooms
Suite
4,000 CP's
+ $0 per person
Balcony
Ocean View
Inside Cabin
3 Staterooms Available
All rates shown in Club Points per person based on double occupancy

A - Penthouse Suite
Deck: Deck 10, Deck 11, Deck 6
Occupancy: Sleeps 2 guests, some sleep 3
The Penthouse Suite features 1 European king size bed convertible to 2 twin beds, marble bathroom a sitting area and a private balcony.


Your Price with Club Points and Cash

C293504
Best Rate
Refundable deposit

6,000 + $0
BOOK

D - Concierge Suite
Deck: Deck 7, Deck 8
Occupancy: Sleeps 2 guests, some sleep 3
The Concierge Suite features 1 European king size bed convertible to 2 twin beds with a sitting area, marble bathroom and a private balcony.


Your Price with Club Points and Cash

C293504
Best Rate
Refundable deposit

4,000 + $0
BOOK

NS - Navigator Suite
Deck: Deck 11, Deck 9
Occupancy: Sleeps 3 guests
The Navigator Suite features 1 European king-size bed convertible to 2 twin beds with a sitting area, 1 marble bathroom and a private balcony.


Your Price with Club Points and Cash

C293504
Best Rate
Refundable deposit

9,500 + $0
BOOK

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CP is abbreviated for Club Points.

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[roni973]

Sorry, I am new at posting and couldn't figure how to add my question to the above. I called and asked how to book with the points value shown and they said "oh, that's a mistake-the true cost is $18k plus 25,000 Vacation Club Points." How does Marriott get away with this blatant misrepresentation?

 

[sparty]

For price it's always better to convert points or weeks to cash then book the cruise on your own. For convenience, maybe a different story.

 

[roni973]

I was not happy with the bait and switch aspect-they SAID on the marriott cruise web site 4,000 vcp per person + zero cash, but when you call, the number went to $18,000 AND 25,000 vacation club points!! That is what frosted my cookie!

 

[Dean]

I have never seen a situation where it made sense for MVC using points for cash type options like Cruise or Collette. Now if one has a bunch of use or lose points it might be worthwhile in some cases. Fees and Port taxes are always extra for cruises. BTW, this same thinking applies to other points systems I know and use that allow the option (DVC & Bluegreen). I've seen one and only one situation for DVC, that was the inaugural year they did AK and it was $10 PP plus fees which was slightly less than the going rental rate. I've seen on person post that they got $18 PP once on a transatlantic with DVC but I am more than skeptical.

 

[roni973]

This is a screen shot where it show the cost in points-I don't understand how they can show this and then not honor it?

 

[Fasttr]

This is a screen shot where it show the cost in points-I don't understand how they can show this and then not honor it?
View attachment 87084

Email the Customer Advocacy team. Email address found here….

Contact Us - Marriott Vacations Worldwide

CONTACT US

www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com

 

[roni973]

Email the Customer Advocacy team. Email address found here….

Contact Us - Marriott Vacations Worldwide

CONTACT US

www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com

Interesting-thank you for this. I will!

 

[Dean]

I did some investigation looking at bookings. The cash price for that Cruise is over $21K. I suspect when you get to the bottom of it, the price in just points will be more in the 32-35K points range total. I also strongly suspect the person you were dealing with was clueless on using points for the cruise and that the answer you got will be quite difference once you get the true price. That said, the points coming up for the quote you got are clearly wrong. I would not have any expectation that this would be honored so I'm not sure talking to customer advocacy is likely to be all that helpful. Just a Junior Suite on RCL for a comparable 11 night sailing is over 19K points. The Grande Suite I used for comparison was over 25K points. Let us know what you find out please. It's somewhat like a misprint in a sales ad, there is no obligation to honor such though often they will in good faith if it's not that far off.

 

[Sicnarf]

The misrepresentation may be intentional as the use of CPs for cruises is one of main reasons to buy CPs according to the sales weasels who showed me this example in their sales presentation.

 

[igopogo]

If it were me, I’d give it a go with customer advocacy. They do have some obligation to honor their advertising, especially if they commonly make mistakes. I’ve seen similar deals to good to be true. It might be a long shot but the payoff would be quite good!

Airlines make a lot of mistakes in print and online advertising, and from what I’ve seen they honor them until a retraction is made, sometimes a bit longer.

 

[Dean]

The misrepresentation may be intentional as the use of CPs for cruises is one of main reasons to buy CPs according to the sales weasels who showed me this example in their sales presentation.

I don't think so as other options I looked at are more in line with reasonable expectations.

 

[roni973]

I did some investigation looking at bookings. The cash price for that Cruise is over $21K. I suspect when you get to the bottom of it, the price in just points will be more in the 32-35K points range total. I also strongly suspect the person you were dealing with was clueless on using points for the cruise and that the answer you got will be quite difference once you get the true price. That said, the points coming up for the quote you got are clearly wrong. I would not have any expectation that this would be honored so I'm not sure talking to customer advocacy is likely to be all that helpful. Just a Junior Suite on RCL for a comparable 11 night sailing is over 19K points. The Grande Suite I used for comparison was over 25K points. Let us know what you find out please. It's somewhat like a misprint in a sales ad, there is no obligation to honor such though often they will in good faith if it's not that far off.

This information comes directly from the owners.marriottvacationclub.com web site. You go to "use points" then "exchange options" a click "cruises, hotels and more." The line is Regent Seven Seas and there are dozens of point listing just like the 5,500 per person I listed. It seems that there are way too many misprints to be a typo-multiple ships, sailing dates, etc.

 

[dougp26364]

In an owner update this past year, I brought up what a lousy exchange rate cruises were. We’ve booked a few over 25 years and it’s always been a use it to lose it proposition. Some value was better than no value for our week/points. What he told us was the mass market cruises like Carnival and Royal Caribbean were the worst deals. His opinion was you would nearly break even on the luxury cruises. While I didn’t believe it, I had no proof.
You’ve provided me the proof. I can see the salesman’s point if you’re only looking at the online price/value. It appears when you, as an owner went to book, the value evaporated. A salesman or anyone else would never spot that unless they were trying to book a high end cruise.

 

[roni973]

In an owner update this past year, I brought up what a lousy exchange rate cruises were. We’ve booked a few over 25 years and it’s always been a use it to lose it proposition. Some value was better than no value for our week/points. What he told us was the mass market cruises like Carnival and Royal Caribbean were the worst deals. His opinion was you would nearly break even on the luxury cruises. While I didn’t believe it, I had no proof.
You’ve provided me the proof. I can see the salesman’s point if you’re only looking at the online price/value. It appears when you, as an owner went to book, the value evaporated. A salesman or anyone else would never spot that unless they were trying to book a high end cruise.

Only problem was when I called to book it, the agent said that it was an "error" and the true cost was 25,000 Vacation Club Points AND $18,000 CASH!!! The Marriott web site clearly says 5,500 Vacation Club Points per person AND Zero Cash. My issue is not what the real cost is IF IT"S SHOWN BEFORE trying to book-it's the bait and switch that is bothersome.

 

[Dean]

This information comes directly from the owners.marriottvacationclub.com web site. You go to "use points" then "exchange options" a click "cruises, hotels and more." The line is Regent Seven Seas and there are dozens of point listing just like the 5,500 per person I listed. It seems that there are way too many misprints to be a typo-multiple ships, sailing dates, etc.

Only problem was when I called to book it, the agent said that it was an "error" and the true cost was 25,000 Vacation Club Points AND $18,000 CASH!!! The Marriott web site clearly says 5,500 Vacation Club Points per person AND Zero Cash. My issue is not what the real cost is IF IT"S SHOWN BEFORE trying to book-it's the bait and switch that is bothersome.

It actually comes from a different company, Our Vacation Center, as in the small print in your OP. If you're only looking at Regent, it seems they must have a glitch, typo or some other issue. I think you'll find the numbers are more in line with expectations if you look at other companies. It would be unrealistic to think Regent Seven Seas significantly less than RCL for the same time of year and location as an example. In addition I further suspect the person you talked to was misinformed or did something else wrong as it also does not make sense to be 25K points and $18K both as that would equate to around 52000 points total. Note that many times points bookings do not include all discounts available on cash. I'd call back but regardless I would not think this purposeful for bait and switch. Chances of getting them to honor the price you posted is ZERO IMO.

Cruise escapes are fulfilled by arrivia, Inc. d.b.a. Our Vacation Center, a travel provider for Abound by Marriott Vacations™. Certain Itineraries qualify as cruise escapes will vary by seasonality, availability, and will change throughout the calendar year. Sail dates, Cabin type, destination and number of nights will vary and are subject to availability.

As a generalization, we can assume that such cash type exchanges will always been a poor value looked at simply on $$$ per point. Renting out the points or reserving a good reservation and renting that out are likely to put you in a much better position than using points for about every scenario I can think of. Now some will not want to fool with it and take the hit and that's their choice. Past this I would not put a lot of work into this issue. The only good that can come out of it is that you'll let MVC know it's not a good value and they know that already. Anytime they have to turn the points into reservations then into cash, this is the expected outcome by the time you consider commissions and that not all such points will be rented or for full value.

 

[dougp26364]

Only problem was when I called to book it, the agent said that it was an "error" and the true cost was 25,000 Vacation Club Points AND $18,000 CASH!!! The Marriott web site clearly says 5,500 Vacation Club Points per person AND Zero Cash. My issue is not what the real cost is IF IT"S SHOWN BEFORE trying to book-it's the bait and switch that is bothersome.

That’s exactly why I said the salesman was wrong. If you go by the website, it looks like a good deal. When you call you find out it’s just as bad of a deal as any other mass market cruise.
Before I had no proof that the luxury cruises were just as bad of an exchange rate. Your experience proves it out. The only reason the salesman thinks luxury cruises are a good deal is because the website is lying about the true price.

 

[roni973]

It actually comes from a different company, Our Vacation Center, as in the small print in your OP. If you're only looking at Regent, it seems they must have a glitch, typo or some other issue. I think you'll find the numbers are more in line with expectations if you look at other companies. It would be unrealistic to think Regent Seven Seas significantly less than RCL for the same time of year and location as an example. In addition I further suspect the person you talked to was misinformed or did something else wrong as it also does not make sense to be 25K points and $18K both as that would equate to around 52000 points total. Note that many times points bookings do not include all discounts available on cash. I'd call back but regardless I would not think this purposeful for bait and switch. Chances of getting them to honor the price you posted is ZERO IMO.

As a generalization, we can assume that such cash type exchanges will always been a poor value looked at simply on $$$ per point. Renting out the points or reserving a good reservation and renting that out are likely to put you in a much better position than using points for about every scenario I can think of. Now some will not want to fool with it and take the hit and that's their choice. Past this I would not put a lot of work into this issue. The only good that can come out of it is that you'll let MVC know it's not a good value and they know that already. Anytime they have to turn the points into reservations then into cash, this is the expected outcome by the time you consider commissions and that not all such points will be rented or for full value.

Thank you for your detailed reply-I agree. Maybe my frustration has to do with accuracy and accountability that we are held to with Marriott and their ability to use the "oopsie" clause legal wording to cover themselves. Just MHO, though.

 

[Dean]

Thank you for your detailed reply-I agree. Maybe my frustration has to do with accuracy and accountability that we are held to with Marriott and their ability to use the "oopsie" clause legal wording to cover themselves. Just MHO, though.

Again, this is a third party not MVC. It looks like they made a mistake in some ay or have an IT glitch. If you follow up I think you'll get a third answer that's in between, more in the 30-32K points range plus fees and taxes so maybe more in the range of $1000 or so (rough numbers). My guess is that when you call MVC they are going on the Cruise Company website and booking it and not doing so internally. I understand it's frustrating but in this exact situation it falls under the heading of "If it sounds too good to be true" category. One thing to be careful when comparing for Regent Seven Seas, among others, is that often the cash prices include air so you have to look at the non air price to get a fair comparison. I'd love to get a look at their conversion chart though it's not difficult to deduce what value they are putting on a point for most things. What it doesn't tell you is if MVC is getting a discount. I doubt they are for cruises but it has appeared in the past they are getting a 20-25% discount for Collette.

 

[goodbadugly]

For price it's always better to convert points or weeks to cash then book the cruise on your own. For convenience, maybe a different story.

Agree. You pay ~35% premium by going through MVC. What a surprise!!!!

 

[goodbadugly]

In an owner update this past year, I brought up what a lousy exchange rate cruises were. We’ve booked a few over 25 years and it’s always been a use it to lose it proposition. Some value was better than no value for our week/points. What he told us was the mass market cruises like Carnival and Royal Caribbean were the worst deals. His opinion was you would nearly break even on the luxury cruises. While I didn’t believe it, I had no proof.
You’ve provided me the proof. I can see the salesman’s point if you’re only looking at the online price/value. It appears when you, as an owner went to book, the value evaporated. A salesman or anyone else would never spot that unless they were trying to book a high end cruise.

It's real easy to prove it with Collette Tours. Just go on their website. The exact same tours are ~35% more using MVC points. It is the biggest con MVC promulgates. They position it as they "negotiate" great fares and pass the savings onto MVC owners. In actuality they negotiate deals for MVC and then charge owners~35% more. I've complained up and down the MVC organization. They are "deaf, dumb and blind" on the issue. I even volunteered to negotiate with Collette for MVC. HA!!

 

[Dean]

It's real easy to prove it with Collette Tours. Just go on their website. The exact same tours are ~35% more using MVC points. It is the biggest con MVC promulgates. They position it as they "negotiate" great fares and pass the savings onto MVC owners. In actuality they negotiate deals for MVC and then charge owners~35% more. I've complained up and down the MVC organization. They are "deaf, dumb and blind" on the issue. I even volunteered to negotiate with Collette for MVC. HA!!

It's easy to prove with cruises as well, there are a boatload of sites where one can work out the actual cash price of a given cruise. Just take the price without fees/taxes and compare to the number of points just like you would Collette. I'm not sure MVC touts the options as a great deal outside of sales who we all know not to pay attention to. It's simply a choice. The same is true for DVC where it's probably a worse deal for many reasons. While Bluegreen allows you to reserve using points for cruises, they do so differently. They take the cash price and give you a Per Point credit such as 3¢ PP though it varies a little with status. I'm pretty certain that's basically what MVC is doing as well they are just not being as transparent about it. IMO it's not worth paying a lot of attention to and certainly not worth spending time and emotions complaining about it. Knowing that the deal with DVC is just as bad or worse and having confidence DVC is not making money on it based on my investigation, I am of the opinion that they simply offer it as a choice, largely as a sales incentive rather than a direct income stream.

 

[dougp26364]

I think you’re missing my point. I know these are bad deals. What the salesmen will tell you is that the LUXURY cruises aren’t as bad or are even break even deals on MF’s. The web site makes it seem like a realistic statement. If the low point costs advertised on the website aren’t real and when you call you discover the price is considerably different, it proves the salesman’s statement that the luxury cruises are better deals to be false.

We’ve booked cruises three times. Once as a weeks exchange through II. Once using our HGVC points. Once using Abound points. All have been with Royal Caribbean. All were a poor use of our timeshare ownership financially. We’ve never really looked at the luxury lines like Regent, so I couldn’t really dispute the salesman’s a statement that luxury cruises were a better deal.

 

[igopogo]

Whether it’s a good or bad deal does depend on how much you are paying for your points. There are still some properties with sub-40c maintenance fees. If the 35% markup quoted above is based on 70-80c pp, then at 40c pp it should be a pretty good deal. I’d still rather use our points for MVC properties, though.

My favorite way to pay for a cruise is through Costco executive travel. You get the same price and perks as any other site, plus a generous gift card and your executive rebate. 5-10% back in my experience before any credit card rebate.

 

[roni973]

FOLLOW UP-so Marriott customer advocacy got back to me and said that the price show was incorrect. Quote:
It was determined that that the website is in fact showing the price that you are seeing, however the pricings on the site are not live prices (my emphasis) and is no longer the price available. This information is listed under the Terms and Conditions on the website, and we are working to update the site to show the correct or more approximate price.

So there's Marriott's answer. From my point of view, having the cruise booking option is a waste of time.