How Much DVC Cruise Exchange Rates Cost

I’m a Disney Vacation Club member with plenty of points to spare, and I just booked a Disney Cruise Line vacation. Let me be clear that I am NOT using my spare DVC Points for this trip. The reason why is simple. The exchange rates are terrible. I mentioned this in January, but now I’d like to give you a real-world example. Here’s how to interpret DVC exchange rates for cruises…and why they’re just a terrible use of your points.

The Joy and the Agony of DVC Cruises 

In April 2025, I set foot on a Disney cruise for the first time. Within the day, I knew I was a cruise person. Not just that, I’m also apparently a Disney Cruise Line evangelist. I say this because I’ve somehow convinced multiple family members to join me on my next cruise. It wasn’t even intentional; it just happened. 

During Easter dinner, I mentioned a Disney cruise my wife and I are taking. Now, at least five and possibly six family members are joining us on our vacation. Thanks to this turn of events, I can provide you with a case study of what I discussed in January. 

At the time, my conclusion was, “I’d happily recommend DVC cruises as an option if Disney didn’t do that ridiculous “double occupancy” thing. It makes the price prohibitively expensive for the overwhelming majority of DVC members.” 

In case you’ve forgotten, Disney lists the points chart for its Disney Collection, which is part of the Membership Extras program. So, you may not even be a qualifying member anyway. 

Presuming that you are, I’m here to tell you that the temptation to spend your precious DVC Points on a cruise is real. Of course, I’m also here to tell you that you really shouldn’t do that. 

Disney Destiny – Disney Cruise Line

Let’s Talk Family Vacation Plans

As proof, I just game-planned this option for my family. It was an enlightening exercise. First, I should tell you the specifics. My wife and I will be booking a Deluxe Family View Stateroom with Verandah because I’m 6-3/215, which is to say a large human being. 

My brother, his wife, and their adult son will be joining us. My nephew is a high-functioning autistic adult who will stay in their Cabin. So, they’re booking a Deluxe Family View Stateroom with Verandah as well. However, theirs is category 4B, while ours is 4A. My understanding is that the primary difference is in the Cabin location, even though we’re on the same level of the ship. 

My sister pleasantly surprised us by deciding to go, too. She’s not a Disney person like my brother and I are, having last visited the parks a decade ago. She only went then because her daughter had a high school competition at Walt Disney World. 

My sister has two adult children, both of whom may join her…or maybe not. They’re both employed, with one living on the other side of the country. So, we’re not sure about his schedule yet. My niece is a dentist who usually vacations with her mother, but it’ll depend on her dental schedule this time. 

I mention the specifics because my sister could have anywhere from one to three people in her Cabin. That’s important for the sake of this conversation. Since she booked later than us, she took what was available on this virtually sold-out cruise. It’s a Standard Inside Stateroom in category 11C. 

Here’s What We Would Pay in DVC Points

Here’s something you may not know about using DVC Points for Disney cruises: The price varies depending on the cruise ship, date, and itinerary. We’re traveling on the Disney Destiny since my wife hasn’t experienced Haunted Mansion Parlor yet. Here’s the DVC Points chart for this ship. 

We’re traveling on September 14th – if you’re on that cruise, feel free to say hi – and so that’s the applicable Points Chart. Here are the standard DVC Points required for our Cabins:

• 4A – 160 DVC Points 
• 4B – 159 DVC Points
• 11C – 118 DVC Points

However, that statement is a bit misleading. As I previously discussed, that’s the price for one person in a presumed double occupancy Cabin. So, the price is actually double, which would be:

• 4A – 320 DVC Points
• 4B – 318 DVC Points
• 11C – 236 DVC Points

We’re still not done, though. My brother’s family will have a third person in the Cabin. This will require at least an additional 77 DVC Points, bringing their total to 395 DVC Points for three people to take a four-night cruise. 

My sister’s situation is even more complicated. She could pay 236 DVC Points just for herself in a Cabin. If one of her children joins her, the price would remain the same. If both go, her price increases the same as my brother’s, despite the fact that he’s staying in a nicer Cabin. She’d pay 195 DVC Points. Well, she theoretically would, but as a non-Disney fan, she’s not in DVC.

Here’s Why DVC Points Shouldn’t Be Used for Cruises 

Overall, DVC would expect my family to spend a whopping 910 DVC Points (!) for three cruise Cabins. Compared to what DVC Rental Store would pay for those points, we’ve just spent more than $16,300 on a Disney cruise.  

Speaking of DVC Rental Store, this is when I remind you that this business offers a cruise exchange program. Conveniently, if you click that link, one of the listed examples is for a five-night cruise on the Disney Destiny this October. That’s a more expensive cruise per the DVC Points page for October. Here’s the DVC Points cost of the same Cabins through Disney:

• 4A – 534 DVC Points (for Double Occupancy)
• 4B – 526 DVC Points (for Double Occupancy)
• 11C – 366 DVC Points (for Double Occupancy)

Your mind should be reeling now, as the data emphasizes the point. DVC Rental Store charges just 241 DVC Points for the same booking. Now, that’s an estimate that fluctuates a bit depending on the Cabin, but you can see the value here. Disney overcharges on the DVC Points exchange rates; a proper cruise exchange program can undercut them by at least 35 percent and possibly more than half. 

So, when I say that you should never use your DVC Points for a cruise booked through Disney, I mean it. If you want to use your points to book a cruise, you should definitely use DVC Rental Store’s exchange program instead.

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