Help for a Newbie?

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

Hi- total newbie here- I understand how to work within the Disney DVC timeshare system,but can't figure out the RCI thing at all so far
I have been on their site,but how do you figure out where/when you can book a stay? Do you use a resort ID? I know for DVC,you call and ask for a specific resort- is this the way RCI works too?
Any info AT ALL on where to figure this out would be SO great!
I know there are exchanges,trades,and bookings,but am looking desperately for HOW to use this!
IS RCI difficult to use or understand? What am I missing?
TIA!

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

Starting at the beginning, do you have a login and password registered with RCI?

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

Hi- total newbie here- I understand how to work within the Disney DVC timeshare system,but can't figure out the RCI thing at all so far
I have been on their site,but how do you figure out where/when you can book a stay? Do you use a resort ID? I know for DVC,you call and ask for a specific resort- is this the way RCI works too?
Any info AT ALL on where to figure this out would be SO great!
I know there are exchanges,trades,and bookings,but am looking desperately for HOW to use this!
IS RCI difficult to use or understand? What am I missing?
TIA!

I get the impression that you don't have an RCI membership?? (Approx $120 per year). If you don't you can still go onto the RCI website and click on the visitor tab at top right of page. From there you can go into the Resort Directory tab at the top of the page and see the various resorts that RCI has to offer. However you can only look for availability for these resorts if you are an RCI member.

If you are a RCI member then the website is fairly easy to use, however to look for an exchange/trade you first have to bank a week with RCI from your "home" resort.
However you can go to Vacation offers and view extra vacations and also Last Call vacations, to book any of these you pick a resort and look at the availability, check the week you want and then hit continue and follow the instructions. As long as you have a credit card it's straight forward.

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

Ok...let me see.... it's actually a family member who has owned for a few years, and we have used it together,but now it's more 'in my hands' than it was before,so I need to understand better how it works,as the family member is no longer interested in maintaining it- I'm sort of taking over,at least the 'managing' it part,to help her maintain use of it,KWIM?
We have a member #,and we are logged in on the site. being points members,I am trying to get a feel for how it all works,first by reading as much as I can- also been looking at properties where we might be able to use the points etc,but not sure If I'm doing it right. For instance,if we have (X) amount of points,we go in under standar reservations,and book our resort of choice using our points? is it that simple? It dosen't seem that simple,just starting out here......
Also looking on the site for info regarding fees,dues,etc. and the schedule of paying such things,also the procedure for 'saving' points over till the next year.
I can't find much on the site,but maybe I'm looking in all the wrong places?
Again, I hope I'm not asking all the wrong questions here,and I apppreciate being pointed in the right direction!

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Log on to RCI points and scroll down to the bottom of almost any page and look for the link called 'Disclosure Guide'. You will find a very lengthy document that has a lot of what you are looking for. There is a terms and conditions link in the same area that will give you a smaller version of that info. The 'help' link at the top right will bring you to a page with more links to topics that may interest you, such as 'How much are the RCI Points® transaction fees?'

You go in under standard reservations,and book your resort of choice using your points, it is that simple. You can do the same under Weeks reservations. These are two different pools of resorts. Standard can be booked for 1 to 40 day increments and Weeks gives you 7 days (unless you choose to leave early).

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

Ok...let me see.... it's actually a family member who has owned for a few years, and we have used it together,but now it's more 'in my hands' than it was before,so I need to understand better how it works,as the family member is no longer interested in maintaining it- I'm sort of taking over,at least the 'managing' it part,to help her maintain use of it,KWIM?
We have a member #,and we are logged in on the site. being points members,I am trying to get a feel for how it all works,first by reading as much as I can- also been looking at properties where we might be able to use the points etc,but not sure If I'm doing it right. For instance,if we have (X) amount of points,we go in under standar reservations,and book our resort of choice using our points? is it that simple? It dosen't seem that simple,just starting out here......
Also looking on the site for info regarding fees,dues,etc. and the schedule of paying such things,also the procedure for 'saving' points over till the next year.
I can't find much on the site,but maybe I'm looking in all the wrong places?
Again, I hope I'm not asking all the wrong questions here,and I apppreciate being pointed in the right direction!

Ok firstly if you are not the owner and the owner is not actually going on the vacation then you must get a guest certificate for any vacation you book (approx $50).

Excluding Last Call and Extra Vacations there are two types of vacations you can book with your points, Standard Reservation and RCI Weeks Reservation. The RCI weeks reservation is exactly as it says, you get access to weekly vacations that have been given a points value and typically you would go for a week. On the Standard Reservation you get access to a much wider range of choices including Points only resorts plus you can also book for 2, 3, 4 nights whatever you want. If you book say for a 4 night stay quite often there is also a room cleaning charge. For instance my Son is going to a Timeshare skiing resort today, for 3 nights, using my Points membership. The cost is $79 RCI fee + $49 Guest certificate + $40 cleaning fee.

To book a vacation enter your date range, your preferred unit size and the area you want to look at and then hit the submit button. That will generate a list of Timeshare resorts, you then decide on a resort and then hit the Available units button for that resort. At that point a list of units available within your date, and unit size will appear, at the end of those line a point value will appear telling you how many points you will have to use to book that particular vacation. Choose the vacation you want by clicking on the small circle at the start of the line and then hit the acknowledgement of rules square below the rules and regs. After that you hit the Continue button at the bottom of page. You will then get put to a Reservation page which gives you all the details and you then hit the continue button again to confirm, you will then be asked if you want a Guest Certificate and asked for a credit card number. At that confirm the vacation and print off the confirmation for your records.
Once it's booked you will be able to go into the my account tab - vacation plans - confirmed, once in there you will be able to see the vacation you have booked.

My Points go into my RCI account on Sept 1st, I have 2 years from that date to use them, if I don't use them all, I have an option to pay RCI a fee (approx $115) to keep them for a 3rd year. If I dont use them by Aug 31st of the 3rd year I lose them.

Hope this helps.

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

thanks a million! I'm heading to the site now to check this out-
so to 'save' points,it's 'auto save' for the 1st year?
to clarify,if our points are use year june 2009,then they will auto save this coming June,when we get the June 2010 points?

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

thanks a million! I'm heading to the site now to check this out-
so to 'save' points,it's 'auto save' for the 1st year?
to clarify,if our points are use year june 2009,then they will auto save this coming June,when we get the June 2010 points?

Yes RCI automatically save your points for 2 years. If you dont have enough points for the vacation you want, with one year of points, you could wait out the 1st year and then when your next years points go into your account you could combine them, as long as the start date for the holiday is not before your older points have run out.

A couple of other details. If you book through Standard Reservations the maximum time ahead you can book is 10 months, if you book at a RCI weeks resort using points, you can book upto 2 years in advance. That would mean if your points go into RCI June 1st 2010 you could book on the Weeks Reservation site up until your final allowed travel day of May 31st 2012.