let’s say I book a DCL with my points- doesn’t that include meals and drinks? Aren’t the DCL all inclusive?
As others have pointed out, using DVC points IS an option when booking a DCL cruise, and there's nothing wrong with doing so. However, the cost of a cruise in terms of points is extremely high. Here is some math to support this claim. Say you want to take a 4-day cruise for two people in a mid-level room on the Dream. Let's say the cruise would cost the two of you $3800. For one person, the cost of the room in points might be as high as 300 points, perhaps more. So, you'd be using 300 points for a $1900 booking (one person, remember), so a little over $6 per point in value. If you rented those same points, you could get in the neighborhood of $14-$16 per point. Using the smaller figure, those same 300 points would be worth $4200 which would, in theory, pay for your entire cruise for both people.
The upside to using your DVC points for a cruise boils down to ease of use. One call to a CM (and an extra, non-refundable $95 fee), and you're all set. Depending on how many points you have, you may still owe more, of course. That's it; you're done with the financial side. On the other hand, renting your points is a bit more time consuming. If you do it yourself, it could be a fair amount of work with a small amount of risk involved based on to whom you rent your points. Or, you could use a DVC point rental company in which you'd pay a fee for the services, so you'd make less than renting them yourself. However, much of the risk goes away, and you'll stay make more than the theoretical $6 a point used above in my explanation. Either way, you get the exact same amenities as anyone else who books the cruise--the meals, entertainment, room service, bookable excursions/classes, access to lounges, et. al.
Others above have offered great advice and links to this topic. Good luck going forward!