Let's see how it looks...

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Well, there are claims from RCI that weeks are used for cruises, that many people use their deposits in exchange for a cruise....Let us take a poll....and see how our community does it.

This poll is for RCI weeks owners only...I will post a second poll for RCI Points owners....if you own both, weeks and points, decide which poll you want to respond to, and you can add comments on the thread.

Points Poll is HERE

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

The "no's" seem to be popular....and it will be interesting to see as this poll continues...I have set it for 30 days.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Looks like we may be too thrifty to buy into the RCI cruise exchange. From what I have heard the only way it is worthwhile is when 6 or more people are going. Otherwise you can take a cruise just as cheaply without losing a week as well.

[DDI Par Member Find all posts View Profile Close DDI Par]

Good poll, KatieMack

RCI's contention that they must take weeks out of the exchange pool to pay for the cruises seems like a misrepresentation of fact. And of course, RCI will not release figures to support their claims ("proprietary"). And, Tony, I think your statement is correct, but can be modified--Cruise prices can be had way cheaper than those offered through RCI. Giving up your week for a cruise is really not a good deal.

DDI Par
Birdies are better, but par is good.

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

I haven't used points for a cruise, but did use them this year for an airline ticket to Hawaii for DS18. He decided after all the good fares had disappeared that he would go with us. I could have saved about $100 just paying cash for the ticket (over the cost of my points), but had points that I was going to have trouble using.

Sheila

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

I will be posting another poll for points members that will ask if you have used points for other than cruises, but I will do that later on in the month. Right now, I wanted to focus on cruises as that is the big propaganda that RCI uses when it says "weeks end up in the rental pool because many folks trade their weeks for cruises".

[BILL_B Member Find all posts View Profile Close BILL_B]

The point that needs to be remembered is that the people who read and post here and at the other forum represent only a small number of timeshare owners. There are a lot of people out there who paid full price because they were unaware of what the true value of their purchase is. Likewise a lot of them may be just as ignorant as to the costs of MF's, RCI fees, and cruise costs and therefor fall once again for the fables being told. There may be a lot more people trading for cruises than we perceive as we are only getting results from people who have taken the time to educate themselves.

Bill

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

The point that needs to be remembered is that the people who read and post here and at the other forum represent only a small number of timeshare owners. There are a lot of people out there who paid full price because they were unaware of what the true value of their purchase is. Likewise a lot of them may be just as ignorant as to the costs of MF's, RCI fees, and cruise costs and therefor fall once again for the fables being told. There may be a lot more people trading for cruises than we perceive as we are only getting results from people who have taken the time to educate themselves.

Bill

Ah, but you forget, that we were once newbies...and perhaps even in our now-well-educated group they HAVE exchanged for a cruise...isn't it just as interesting to know whether there have been some who have done this?

Each of us has a personal history of ts-ing....some of us are 20 year veterans, others 10...somewhere in between today and yesterday some folks found sites to help them figure out the intricacies, the value or not....so I think the poll can at least give us an inkling of how cruises are viewed....granted there will be a leaning away from a cruise exchange given our percentage of veterans on this site....but I still think we can learn something here....and as with any poll we give here, it isn't a scientific one .

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

RCI's contention that they must take weeks out of the exchange pool to pay for the cruises seems like a misrepresentation of fact. ...Cruise prices can be had way cheaper than those offered through RCI. Giving up your week for a cruise is really not a good deal.

DDI Par
Birdies are better, but par is good.

I agree DDI, that prices can be found much cheaper if someone does a little research....here are a few websites we have used to start the comparison shopping.

www.icruise.com
www.crucon.com
www.cruisecompete.com
www.travelocity.com (dig in to search for cruise bargains)
www.cruisevacationcenter.com

And of course, sign up for newsletters and specials at every cruise site if you can...for that is also how to grab up a bargain....when one finds out that you are paying RCI and giving away a week (remember to count the cost of your maintenance fees in that figure) ... you compare it with the actual sales figures on a cruise site, and you can see RCI is not the bargain.

Also, of note, calling a cruise dealer often gives more discount info, or coupons or other giveaway things.

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

One of my coworkers just told me that last year she had exchanged for a cruise...she was open to information about how to do it for less without losing a week...
Connie

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

One of my coworkers just told me that last year she had exchanged for a cruise...she was open to information about how to do it for less without losing a week...
Connie

There are countless discount cruise sites. Skyauction is one. A google search for 'discount cruise [enter name of cruise line to narrow results]' will yield many results...

I called RCI once before taking a cruise, the price I got myself was LESS than RCI quoted, and they were going to take my week on top of it...

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

There are countless discount cruise sites. Skyauction is one. A google search for 'discount cruise [enter name of cruise line to narrow results]' will yield many results...

I called RCI once before taking a cruise, the price I got myself was LESS than RCI quoted, and they were going to take my week on top of it...

Same here...I referred my coworker to some of the sites I had looked at before booking...she is amazed, just had never thought to look past the rack rate vs what RCI was offering. She won't do that again..
Connie