Original Message:
Re: Diamond Resorts reduces owner benefits again! (by Charles S.):
Hi Johnk,
I can feel your frustration. Remember that you don't get the full value for your points using them for cruises or anything else other than accommodations, but you might as well put those points to work.
You can do cruises. It just depends on where you want to go. I am taking a cruise to the Carribean in early December on Carnival Cruise Lines with my wife. Now it costs for the 2 of us about $650. I can trade in 19,500 points for $1365. I also bought cheap plane tickets for my wife and I to go to Fort Lauderdale for a total of about $450. So with airfare and the cruise for two the total is $1100 so I have an extra $265 for gratuities and transportation to the ship. All on points.
For you with 15,000 points that is the equivalent of $1050. I would look under Diamond Selections page on the DRI website. Click onto cruises. Select a cruise you may be interested in. You can actually book it online but you need to call DRI and talk with one of their agents and tell them which cruise you are interested. They will book it for you and you have to give them a deposit. You will have to eventually pay it up front, but they will reimburse you with the $1050. Depending on where you want to go and more importantly when you want to go you can get a great deal. You should have a book called Destination Discovery and Diamond Selections that came in the mail. It explains how to use your points for cruises, airline tickets, hotels, and even activities at places you visit. It is also online on the website. I would suggest you review it so that you can stop losing points. At the worse, you can use them for airline miles if you are stuck with them. You can even use some of them for maintenance fees.
Feel free to ask again. Let me know if you decide to take a cruise. I would get a great deal of pleasure if I knew I really helped someone out. Please look at the suggestion I gave the young lady I posted above yours about reviewing the other websites. They can really help provide you with even more information.
CS