Let’s Talk DVC Cruise Exchange Rates

The Disney Destiny recently set sail on its maiden voyage. In March, the Disney Adventure will do the same. Presuming plans hold, these two vessels hint at a dramatic expansion of Disney Cruise Line, which should operate 13 different ships by the end of 2031. 

As a Disney Vacation Club member, you’re either already a cruise aficionado or you’ve heard good things. In truth, I may be the person who told you the good things, as I love cruises. Still, even I would never recommend that you use your precious DVC Points for a Disney cruise. Let’s talk about DVC cruise exchange rates and why they’re a poor use of points.

Let’s Start with the DVC Member Cruise 

DVC members have a lot of fun together, as we know that we’re hanging out with kindred spirits. That’s why theme park attraction sneak previews, Moonlight Magic events, and the DVC Member Cruise have proven so popular. 

These are communal get-togethers where we bask in each other’s company. Anyone who enjoys that should happily spend their DVC Points however they see fit, especially if that’s the DVC Member Cruise. I’m not trying to talk you out of anything you enjoy. 

This conversation is more about whether DVC cruise exchange rates provide the most value. So, I’m starting with the biggie, as various cruise prices fluctuate dramatically, depending on the cruise length, ship, and itinerary you choose. 

Here’s a link to the Points Chart for the 2026 member cruise, which is sold out. They always sell out, which tells an important story. We collectively LOVE these cruises. They’re just not great membership value, though.

The Math of the DVC Member Cruise

A Standard Inside Stateroom, the bare minimum ship cabin, costs 370 DVC Points. Now, this is a seven-night cruise, which makes it one of Disney Cruise Line’s lengthiest itineraries. Still, these cabins don’t even feature a view; instead, they use digital porthole displays to mimic the effect of a room overlooking the ocean. 

An Oceanview Stateroom costs 379-410 points, while a cabin with a highly coveted Verandah starts at 410 points. So, let’s average the 370-point minimum and the 410 points for the Verandah as our baseline. Thus, you should expect to pay 390 points for a cabin for DCL’s DVC Member Cruise.

What can you get for those same points? You could book Christmas Week in a Studio with Lake View at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for 270 points. Then, you could head back in September and spend another week in a standard Studio there for 120 points! So, it’s the equivalent of two weeks at the most luxurious Walt Disney World resort.

A creative member could do a lot more than that, but I think you get the point. The opportunity cost of these cruises is off the charts. You’re expending plenty of resources you could leverage in other ways. 

You’ll Find Better Options

For example, DVC Rental Store will happily buy your DVC Points, paying up to $18 each for them. Let’s say that your points are worth $16 each, and you sell those same 390 points. You’d gain $6,240 to spend toward a cruise you book on your own. 

And this seems like the perfect time to pull the rug out from under you. Remember the 390 points I just mentioned for the DVC Member Cruise? Yeah, that’s for one person in a presumed double occupancy room. You’d actually spend 780 DVC Points for that one week on a cruise ship. I am not joking. 

You could book a Bungalow for a week at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for 824 points. That should go a long way in identifying just how ridiculously DVC has priced its cruises.

Circling back to the $6,240 in hard cash, DVC also offers cash rates for its member cruises. Verandahs start at $3,838 per person, so double occupancy would cost $7,676. You could easily rent your DVC Points and then spend less than $1,500 in cash to book the same cruise. Doesn’t that sound like a MUCH smarter play than using your points to book a cruise? 

Similarly, you should remember that DVC Rental Store also has a cruise exchange program. You can just skip a step by using your DVC Points to book a cruise through them. 

Since the DVC Member Cruise always sells out, it may not be worth the aggravation to you. Also, not everyone can take a weeklong cruise. Personally, four days is the sweet spot for me and mine. Besides, the DVC Member Cruise has restrictions for who can book, which disqualifies many owners anyway.

Folks, I get why you want to use your DVC Points to try other vacations. 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. Meanwhile, you can leverage your points via the programs at DVC Rental Store to increase their value dramatically.

Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.

If you’d like to make an offer or request a free consultation about buying or adding to your DVC contract, the DVC Resale Market team is here to help!