Timeshare Vacations and confirmed exchanges

[SallyHoover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SallyHoover]

I don't get it !!! we are getting close to 30 responses here yet I posted this same thread on TUG and have had zero, zilch, nada in responses over there.

Maybe the folks over there have stopped traveling altogether.

You did ask here first and maybe nobody wanted to repeat what they already said here.

Anyway you look at it there have been some really NICE exchanges and NICE home resort vacations going on. So even if the time for timeshares is over for some for the people who posted here its alive and looking good.

Where is the icon for the turtle sitting on a lounge chair with sunglasses, a drink in hand and a BIG smile?

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I have had an excellent timeshare day! Out of nowhere one of my dream locations for prime summer (2012) turned up online, just sitting there, and for reasonable tpu rate. And the dates my close friend was desperately seeking for NYC also showed up. Granted, the NYC dates were rentals, but still a better deal than I was able to find for her elsewhere.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

My "daughter" Glitter gets around a lot, too - but here goes.

2011
January - Bluebeard's BeachClub, St Thomas (owned)
Manhattan Club - 2 weeks - shared with friends - last minute II exchange in the Penthouses and a sell-off week thru SFX
February - Morritt's Seaside - friend's owned week
March - Morritts Tortuga oceanfront - 2 weeks owned
May - Manhattan Club - SFX exchange
August - St George Club - Bermuda - RCI exchange
Sept - Carlsbad Inn - RCI exchange & Westin Mission Hills - II exchange
October - Harborside at Atlantis - II/SVN preference exchange
November - Solara Surfside - 2BR oceanfront using BG points with friends
December - 5 night stay Manhattan Club BG/RCI Points

Xmas/New Years 2012 - La Cabana, Aruba - 3 units 8 nights BG points & 7 nights Marriott Aruba Surf - owned
Jan/Feb - Australia/New Zealand Cruise with TUG/TS4M members.
February - Marriott Fairway Villas - II exchange long weekend.
March - Morritts Tortuga - 2 weeks owned & 1 week RCI exchange
Fall??? maybe transatlantic cruise?

2013
January - Bluebeard's BeachClub, St Thomas 2 weeks owned
February - Morritts Tortuga - owned
March/April? - China Tour (non-TS)
June - Fitzpatrick's Castle, Ireland - owned

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Where is the icon for the turtle sitting on a lounge chair with sunglasses, a drink in hand and a BIG smile?

Fat Turtle - Casual Dining Restaurant in St. Thomas’ Yacht Haven Grande. Live entertainment

We go here at least 2 times when we are in St Thomas.... In Yacht Haven Grand.

[Fern Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fern]

Las Vegas

I'll be in/near Las Vegas about 45 weeks +/- this year. So if you are coming this way, let me know and I'll be glad to show you one of the best BBQ Restaurants there is. Not only my opinion, but Mike Mills of Memphis BBQ is also a multiple winner of Memphis in May, and a member of the BBQ Hall of Fame.

Besides lunches and dinners, if you are interested in a good, Southern Sunday Breakfast, they do it on Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 2 PM. Bisquits and gravy, grits, and all the regular stuff, plus the best bread pudding I've ever eaten. Tasty, light, and with a sauce from heaven. Big enough for two.

Fern

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

OK, I'll jump in.

Ongoing Search has not matched anything. Been going (ongoing) over a year, but who's counting?

But there's 170,000 exchanges we could get!

Certainly a fine selection if it was what we wanted.

I have not given up entirely. There's lotsa places we have not checked off the list yet, and we may just wanna pick and go at the last minute, cuz that's the only way we will be.

It just isn't the 4-6 weeks a year it used to be.

[TomR Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TomR]

I'm a member of II and RCI and pretty satisfied with both, although I have been using RCI more for exchanges since it started using TPUs.

2011
Feb-- Grandview, Las Vegas 1 week RCI
March-- Royal Islander, St. Maarten 2 weeks owned
July--Sedona Summit 1 week II
August--Charter Club, Marco Island 1 week RCI
Sept--Banyan Resort, Key West 1 week, II
Dec--Aruba Beach Club 1 week II
Dec--Jackson Hole Racquet Club Christmas week RCI (gift to son)

2012
Jan --Towncenter at Jackson Hole 1 week RCI (graduation gift to friend's son)
March--Royal Islander 2 weeks owned
May--Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas 1 week II
June--LaCabana 2 weeks owned
July --The Ridge Tahoe 1 week II
Sept --Casa Ybel, Sanibel 1 week RCI
Oct--Charter Club, Marco Island 1 week RCI
Dec--Royal Islander St. Maarten 3 weeks owned

No exchange plans yet for 2013 although Las Vegas is always a top candidate.

Tom

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I'll be in/near Las Vegas about 45 weeks +/- this year. So if you are coming this way, let me know and I'll be glad to show you one of the best BBQ Restaurants there is. Fern

Fern, do you still TS any more?
As the 'queen' I wondered if you still own any and/or exchange?

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I misread the heading and thought that it was mainly about exchanges so didn't reply but now I see that it is about timesharing too. We love our timeshares and visit them every year but they all fall together as they are mainly fixed but we like it.

Timesharing will stay around but will not be so advantageous if maintenance fees are higher than renting something similar wherever you want to go. Exchanging seems to be a lot of work to us so we hardly do it so have no experience but other people seem to manage it very well so go to many different places.

[jmbklj Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmbklj]

I am in awe of all of you!

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

Feb-March 2011 ~5 weeks in Palm Desert and Scottsdale(TS)
April 2011~Escondido 1 week(II exch) and 4 days Disneyland (motel)
March & April 2011~3 short stays at Avila Bay using Diamond points
July 2011~Month long RV trip
Oct 2011~3 weeks in Kauai (II & TPI exchanges)
Dec 2011~4 Seasons Aviara week (II exch.)

Jan-Feb 2012~6 weeks Escondido, Palm Desert, Scottsdale (TS-II exch & own)
nothing else yet

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Feb-March 2011 ~5 weeks in Palm Desert and Scottsdale(TS)
April 2011~Escondido 1 week(II exch) and 4 days Disneyland (motel)
March & April 2011~3 short stays at Avila Bay using Diamond points
July 2011~Month long RV trip
Oct 2011~3 weeks in Kauai (II & TPI exchanges)
Dec 2011~4 Seasons Aviara week (II exch.)

Jan-Feb 2012~6 weeks Escondido, Palm Desert, Scottsdale (TS-II exch & own)
nothing else yet

You have a nice schedule and to escape the cold and snow again next January and February.

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

February 2010- Morritt's Grand, Grand Cayman
May 2010- Nantucket Memorial Day weekend
July 2010- Provincetown, Ma
September 2010 Nantucket weekend
December 2010 Dominican Republic

April 2011 Orlando (here, now, son's birthday)
May 2011 Sounding, Dennisport weekend
July 2011 Ireland (planned, not finalized yet)
August 2011 Sedona
October 2011 Orlando (Disney Food and Wine Festival)

March 2012 Morritt's Tortuga, Grand Cayman
May 2012 Orlando (son's B'day...he lives nearby)
June 2012 Tuscany and then a few days in Rome
September 2012 a few weeks in Greece at friend's apartment
October 2012 Orlando (Disney Food and Wine Festival)


That's it so far......

Joy

OK, some things changed. I didn't go to Ireland as planned, but I am going to Windjammer through Platinum.

March 2012 Morritt's Tortuga, Grand Cayman
May 2012 Orlando (son's B'day...he lives nearby)
June 2012 Tuscany and then a few days in Rome
July 2012 Cape Cod
August 2012 Cape Cod
September 2012 a few weeks in Greece at friend's apartment
October 2012 Orlando (Disney Food and Wine Festival)
November 2012 Windjammer Resort and Spa, St Lucia

I am unsure of what I am going to do for 2013, but will add on when and where.

Joy

[chellej Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close chellej]

2011

July Stoneridge - Blanchard Idaho
Meadow Lake, Columbia Falls Mt
Powhatan Plantation, Williamsburg - Family reunion

Sept
Branson MO....DH got sucked in to one of Bluegreens previews....I thought I had taught him better.

Oct
San Diego - TBD

Nov
Pend Orielle - Idaho

May/June 2012

Kauai Coast Beachboy
Hanalei Bay
Maui Schooner

July 2012

Pend Orielle - Idaho

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

I don’t recall seeing this lately so I thought I would start it off for my most recent timeshare vacations and planned vacations so far. We all complain about RCI and II but I am pretty happy with the following:


Windjammer Landing St. Lucia – Thanksgiving week November 2010 first visit as owner

Aruba 3 weeks January 2011 - first week at Aruba Renaissance where we own then 2 weeks at Divi Village Golf and beach resort first time using RCI points.

April 2011 confirmed for 3 weeks our annual family vacation for spring break Passover/Easter at Vacation Village at Weston, Florida. I went first week by myself to visit friends and family in area and drove down to Florida, then wife and son joined me for 2 weeks in a two BR plus my daughter and family including two grandkids came for 1 week. My other married daughter decided she wants to come down with her husband and 3 kids for one week but I it was too late to get them a 2BR.

May/June – Israel for 3 weeks and 3 days. Staying in hotel for 3 days at Dead Sea spa then 3 full weeks each;

Herod’s Palace, Eilat through II exchange
Dan Panorama. Jerusalem Hotel stay
Club Hotel Tiberius through II exchange

December, 2011- Two consecutive weeks St. Lucia and Barbados.

Back to Windjammer Landing then inter island flight from St. Lucia to Barbados

The Residences at the Crane Resort 1BR through RCI points

September 2011 includes labor day- Flagship Resort Atlantic City- Got this with an II AC just in case my wife can’t stay for entire week we can just make this a long holiday weekend

August 2012 – Planet Hollywood by Westgate got this from sightings board and again includes Labor Day weekend in case my wife can’t stay for entire week but I will.

Since I have been retired for about a year I am much more flexible with my vacation plans than most, but as you can see most of my vacations are during high demand weeks and or resorts.

So where has everyone else been and where have you gotten confirmed exchanges so far???

just added two more weeks. Not as exciting as some of our other exchanges but close to home with lots to do in both locations. Not sure if we will be staying for the entire week but since they are within driving distance of NY can come home at any time with no airline flights to deal with.

1)Week starting July 29th- Oak and Spruce Resort- Berkshires. MA. Always
wanted to visit this area for all of the cultural attractions like, Boston Pops
Symphany, Theater, Museums and visit several quaint New England towns.

Taking friends along who are not staying for the whole week so if my wife
needs to leave early she can ride back with them as she may need to get
back to work.

2) September 2 includes labor day weekend at Flagship resort Atlantic City. Hope to see some shows, gamble a little, walk the boardwalk and probably spend a day visiting Cape May.

Again if my wife can't stay entire week I can drive her home late Monday night and hopefully avoid labor day traffic. Stay home overnight and go back to AC on Tuesday morning for rest of week, unless I have lost all of my gambling money.