# Extra Charges in Caribbean Timeshares



## Pressman (Apr 10, 2009)

I own timeshare in St. Maarten and obviously pay maintenance fees (no extra)
I have thought of exchanging to U. S. Virgin Islands or St. Lucia but a lot of the resorts have extra charges,

EX.  A studio at Topic Liesure Club wants $ 30 a day per couple for utilities surcharge and telephone use.

Thats $ 210 for a week!

Windjammer Landing also has a substantial surcharge for utilities.

This also is now also prevalant in Aruba and Grand Cayman.

Question: If you own at these resorts and have to pay it when you go, why not have it in the maintenance fees? (maybe owners don't have to pay it and only guests or exchangers have to)

Is it that you feel you should only pay it when you go?

Don't you feel guilty when you exchange into a resort (mine for example) where there no addittional fees?  (no wonder my resort is so popular)

Should I have a talk with management and have a few $$$ taken out of my maintenance fees and only pay it if and when I go?

Should't RCI (I know it is too much to expect) have some say in this as they arrange the exchanges?

Does this also happen a lot in the good old USA?

Just wondering!!


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## dchilds (Apr 10, 2009)

Pressman said:


> I own timeshare in St. Maarten ...
> 
> Don't you feel guilty when you exchange into a resort (mine for example) where there no addittional fees?  (no wonder my resort is so popular)



Don't all timeshares in St Maarten have a $50 timeshare tax collected when the customer checks in?


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## Carolyn (Apr 10, 2009)

Everything, especially electricity, is very expensive in the Caribbean.  On some islands, you need to buy drinking water also.  Food is expensive because it has to be shipped in, so transportation costs are factored in.  In my opinion it is a small extra price to pay to enjoy the islands.  One good thing......rum is cheap  

Carolyn


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## caribbean (Apr 10, 2009)

Carolyn-

One good thing......rum is cheap 

AND GOOD !!!!


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## Pressman (Apr 10, 2009)

To reply to the reply's about my question.

It was specifically with regards to utilitiy fees and how in whole or in part they are collected by the resort.

Yes there is a government tax in St. Maarten (I never thought about but do the timeshares on St. Martin (ex Cottages de Lonvillers or Nette Bay) pay a tax.  paid by all timeshare occupants as I believe there is in Aruba, Cayman Islands and possibly others.

for example the following list is of timeshares who do not currently to the best of my knowledge charge a utility surcharge, Pelican (they tried it a number of years back) the Mulllet Bay Towers, Royal Islander La Plage, La Terrasse , Great Bay, the Summit, Flamingo, Royal Palm (I would hope not with that maintenance fee) Belair, La Vista, Divi and a few I missed I'am sure.

The following are a list of resorts that I read about or have stayed there,  The Atrium, the Ocean Club, Sea Palace and Sapphire.

I know about costs of food, air fare etc. can vary.

I apologize if I left your resort off either list.

Reply's??


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## brother coony (Apr 10, 2009)

I exchange into the Oyster Bay Resort in St.Martin, and Paid $5.00 per day for electric in a studio,


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## caribbeansun (Apr 11, 2009)

Because then you'd pay it if you exchanged



Pressman said:


> Question: If you own at these resorts and have to pay it when you go, why not have it in the maintenance fees? (maybe owners don't have to pay it and only guests or exchangers have to)



Sure, that works



> Is it that you feel you should only pay it when you go?



Not at all and if your resort is so popular then presumably you are enjoying better trade power because of it.



> Don't you feel guilty when you exchange into a resort (mine for example) where there no addittional fees?  (no wonder my resort is so popular)



If you think it makes sense, why not?


> Should I have a talk with management and have a few $$$ taken out of my maintenance fees and only pay it if and when I go?



Why should they, it's a resort issue.  If you don't want to pay the fees then don't exchange to one of these resorts.  RCI and II should advise people of the additional fee in advance of making the exchange however.



> Should't RCI (I know it is too much to expect) have some say in this as they arrange the exchanges?



How is that relevant?


> Does this also happen a lot in the good old USA?



All resorts have different mf's so how is it "fair" that someone paying a higher fee trades into a location with a lower fee or the other way around?

If someone that buys a $400 mf week trades into a $1,200 mf week it's not as if anyone is saying they should compensate the $1,200 owner for the $800 difference.  I suspect you might find that Caribbean resort mf's are on average much higher than USA based TS even those with the "additional charges".  So how do you resolve that anomaly?


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## sandkastle4966 (Apr 12, 2009)

RCI does tell you that you will have additional fees at these resorts - you need to clich a "yes" button that you have read it....


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## riverside (Apr 12, 2009)

I'm visiting the Caribbean and staying in a fabulous resort for LOTS less than if I were going through a travel agent.  If I have to pay a few extra $$$ for utilities, I'm willing.  I'm still WAY ahead of the game.


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## Sandy VDH (Apr 12, 2009)

I personally think it is annoying, as in the US and other places all of those fees are included in the MF.  But Management and owners of these resorts want to keep their MFs down, so to do so they charge the user of the resort not the owner of the resort.  

I am less annnoyed if everyone who uses the resort has to pay it.  I am VERY annoyed when owners are exempt but exchanges are on the hook.  I think that is unfair.  Giving owners a discount on extra activities and things I can live with.  But sticking exchangers with all kinds of fees that owners are not required to pay is tacky and cheap.  So I don't go to those resort that often if at all.

So I have to decide when I see all these extra charges, do I really want to go there, and do I really want to pay for them.  Sometimes, and often the decision is yes, as I want a caribbean vacation.  But other times the charges are just so out of whack that I opt not to go to that resort and pick another instead. 

In the US the 2 resorts that come to mind with extra fees.  Disney only punishes exchangers.  If you are an owner using your DVC week you don't pay.  If you exchange in via RCI you pay a fee.  That annoys me.  But Disney just plain gets away with it.

Manhattan Club and their hospitality fee is another crock.  Yes I have an exchange this fall, but I now will only take a Executive studio at $15 extra a night instead of having the space and taking the 1 BR at $25 a night.  For what.  I am not sure if owners pay the hospitality fee at MC or not.

You just have to decide on a case by case basis.


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