Recession?

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

I have the first week in June booked @ Shore Crest 2. My brother and his gf were going to join us. Last nite, my sister called, and she wants to come too. So I call this morning, and there is no inventory @ Shore Crest, 1 bdrm or 2, for the first week of June. The 3 bdrms @ the Grande are also booked. There was availability @ Harbor Lights.

(As it stands now, we're all just going to use 1 2 bdrm @ Shore Crest).

Should I be surprised that Shore Crest is booked this early?

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Shore Crest I and II and Carolina Grande always fills up quickly for the summer. In addition, when Bluegreen elmininated the 5 month rule for booking partial weeks, lots of people booked partial weeks at the 10-11 month mark in Myrtle Beach therefore resulting in the resorts filling up more quickly than normal. This was reported at the annual meeting last Sept.

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

No, don't be surprised that summer beachfront resorts book up.

[jabjaw7 Member Find all posts View Profile Close jabjaw7]

This is one reason, I am disappointed in the new rule by Bluegreen allowing partial weeks at 11 months. We do usually plan far in advance and now that we are gold, will always think ahead for our main vacation. I think there is going to be a lot of chopped up availability at the popular destinations for peak periods.

Easier to plan ahead and cancel than wait and be disappointed.

Have a wonderful 2009.
Justine

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

I think there is going to be a lot of chopped up availability at the popular destinations for peak periods.

I think BG looked at the relative demands of we owners and saw that there was a heavy demand for weekends from owners who only can go on weekends as well as a heavy demand for the week days from owners who want to stretch their points. This way both groups are satisfied. Unfortunately, those of us who want a week for a week's vacation will lose out.

I imagine if it turns out that there is a lot of unused space, BG will change the policy. The goal should always be 100% occupancy.

Charles

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

Rescession?

As to the recession part of your question . . . Yes.

We were on Sanibel last week, normally a wall-to-wall, bumper-to-bumper week (Weeks 51-16 are normally), and it was not. Lots of empty parking spaces at the resorts.

Our resort was pretty full.

Another factor is owners not depositing to exchange companies, but, normally, renting instead. The owners at the resort we stayed at get $1400 per week rent, so that is their first route. There were only 2 exchanges at the resort last week.

I happened to call the management company/rental agent for that resort not long ago, to see what rentals in our timeframe were going for, and they told me there have been quite a few cancellations due to the economy, and I could have rented 5 consecutive weeks if I wanted to pay the price.

Traffic was much lighter than normal in all of SW FL.

Recession . . . yes . . . that question was raised on a Branson forum yesterday, and when I googled in order to document my reply, just about all the major timeshare companies have laid off, including Bluegreen.

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

Yes, I'm with Charles on this.

If you are "preferred" you can be waitlisted before the booking window opens anyway, so already have an advantage. That applies to full and partial weeks, doesn't it?

I'm one of those that would rather not spend points for weekends so I'll take the fragmented weekdays!

I do believe that when BG changes rules, it's to try to benefit ALL owners.

I think BG looked at the relative demands of we owners and saw that there was a heavy demand for weekends from owners who only can go on weekends as well as a heavy demand for the week days from owners who want to stretch their points. This way both groups are satisfied. Unfortunately, those of us who want a week for a week's vacation will lose out.

I imagine if it turns out that there is a lot of unused space, BG will change the policy. The goal should always be 100% occupancy.

Charles

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

The sense I'm getting is that owners who use their time are still using it, because "it's paid for". They might cut back in other ways---fewer restaurants while they are there, etc.---but they're still going. The rental market, on the other hand, seems down.