Points ...RCI cruise Points Poll

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

Here is the Points members poll...additional comments are welcome.

If you own a weeks membership with RCI, you can vote HERE

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

Results are becoming interesting ....

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

Later in the month I will post another poll regarding other ways you have used your points with RCI...right now I wanted to focus on the points for a cruise....if you wish to suggest how to construct the next poll, please post your comments below.

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

A poll such as this provides statistics which are meaningless, IMHO. Why do I say that? This website is a place where savvy timeshare owners tend to hang out. If they aren't "smart users" when they join, they get educated. That's a big part of our mission, isn't it? And once educated, we know that exchanging for a cruise is not a good use of points.

There are exceptions to all rules, of course. I have a friend who had a ton of WM Points she wasn't going to use. She was in a "use it or lose it" spot. She used her points for a cruise, and was very happy with it. Now she's not "timeshare savvy," and WM's special cruise for points deals are fairly good. Can't say the same for RCI Points.

I think there are timeshare owners who *aren't* "timeshare savvy" and use Points/Weeks for cruise exchanges, but you won't find them here.

JMHO, of course, and not meant to be a criticism.

Fern

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

Well, in part I agree that we are a higher educated TSsavvy group, but we were all newbies once....and some people bought in only for the points programs, and had to have had that drooling feeling at the sales table that says "hey, honey we can even go for a cruise!"...so I am going to risk this poll for the while, as I think there are some meaningful aspects to it....

As it is--the weeks poll is showing that there are a few who might consider exchanging for a cruise...but I find it pretty interesting that all the talk about points for cruises from RCI cannot be backed up so far by one person here claiming that they have done it!

Where are the points people going? I will post a poll on their use later this month but I am trying to just focus on the one aspect for now: Points used for a cruise.

It seems there are no points members who even plan to consider taking a cruise with their points...

Yes, we are a limited group ...but over the course of this month, I am hoping we can find more people coming to the board, and hope they participate in the poll, for whatever it reveals...and yes, I know it is unscientific!

Thanks for your thoughts, Fern.

[penguinpower Member Find all posts View Profile Close penguinpower]

I am actively searching for a cruise deal right now, and checked out using my RCI points or weeks as an option. HA!

Let me repeat that: HA!

RCI is the most expensive cash-wise, and I would have to give up points or weeks to boot.

I am going to use an online cruise discounter I have used before--the per person cost is $280 less than the RCI cost, and I don't have to use any of my points or weeks. My savings by booking with the discounter rather than RCI--almost $1,000!

I would rather let the points or weeks go unused than hand them over to RCI and pay an outrageous cruise rate on top of it!

But, on the other hand, after the cruise we'll be staying an additional 2 weeks in Hawaii thanks to some sweet RCI trades So RCI taketh away, but giveth as well.

[gjw007 Member Find all posts View Profile Close gjw007]

I checked on doing a cruise once using an exchange. It cost more with the value of the exchange, the exchange fee, plus the additional fee than justing paying cash. Using an exchange is not a good way to do a cruise or most other Points Partners programs from those I looked at.