# RCI cruise + timeshare week offer



## SteveH (Sep 3, 2007)

Hi all:
I just got a call from an RCI rep with a long winded selling job of a new certificate program.  In a nutshell, you put $2,495 US up front and you get a cruise plus 7 day timeshare package.  In the Caribbean the cruise will cover balcony cabins and any of the six major lines.  
I told the rep I might be interested if he could get me the cruise and the week on one of the Florida gulf islands before I plunked down any cash.  He said check with your better half and get back to him with my choices - he'd see if you could put the package together for me.  I'm always amazed at how RCI continues to remake itself.  
Has anyone had any experience with this type of certificate?  
Steve


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## Jimster (Sep 3, 2007)

*Hmm*

As with most things RCI, my guess is you can get a comparable package for less cost through a travel agent.  My feeling has always been RCI never really offers a bargain-for anything.


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## geekette (Sep 3, 2007)

Is that per person or include 2 people and that's TOTAL?  

I am also skeptical of RCI offering something you can't get for less on your own, but I would be interested in what you can find out.


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## charford (Sep 3, 2007)

There is a wide variety of balconies out there. $2495 can usually get you a 7 night cruise in a very nice balcony for two in prime time on most lines. For example, that is about what I paid for a D1 (highest category of balcony) on a Royal Caribbean 7 night cruise of the Caribbean for next March break. 

Check out cruisesonly.com or one of the cruise lines own websites to see what you could get for the money. 

Cruise lines have a very liberal cancellation policy which I would think the certificate would not have. I would guess that there would be a lot of restrictions on the certificate that they are offering.


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## moonstone (Sep 3, 2007)

We had the same offer months ago but the price was $2295/couple all in. There was a thead about this offer on here at that time. After much checking on the internet we declined their offer. We found our own cruise (from vacations to go.com) & week at a GC timeshare (last call) for almost half RCI's price.
~Diane


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## Liliana (Sep 3, 2007)

Someone called today but left a message about another RCI cruise deal. 

 I'd like to know if anyone thinks this is a good deal too. I tend to think no, since there are websites like vacations to go.com and cruise.com, etc that can give you great rates. The only thing I think you get more is the extra timeshare week but I am sure there are restrictions associated to that too. They also wouldn't let me get back to them the last time they called, I had to decide on the phone then and there if I wanted the deal, I had 2 years to book it and 3 to use the package. I said no, not ready to drop so much money without researching my options.


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## SteveH (Sep 3, 2007)

The offer was for two and we would want to travel during this January, so it would be high season (at least for a week on Marco, Sanibel, etc.)  As there almost never seems to be any of these weeks during Jan as exchange, I may see if they can come up with an offer first.  If I give a $700 value for the land week, which is probably the cost of an average exchange for me (MF plus exchange fees), then around $900 per person for a 7 day balcony on Princess wouldn't be too bad.
Steve


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## BevL (Sep 3, 2007)

What I'm interested in is how they could pull up a January week in Sanibel/Captiva/Marco Islands.  A little strange that there would be weeks in those locations at those times just sitting around not being used.  It will be interesting to see what response you get.


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## Carolinian (Sep 4, 2007)

BevL said:


> What I'm interested in is how they could pull up a January week in Sanibel/Captiva/Marco Islands.  A little strange that there would be weeks in those locations at those times just sitting around not being used.  It will be interesting to see what response you get.



Haven't you heard RCI's new motto - ''Why let a member exchange for it when you can rent it!''  These probably were declared ''excess'' and put in RCI's rental inventory as soon as they were deposited for exchange.  See soem of the threads from RCI employees on TimeshareTalk.


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## jstapleton (Sep 4, 2007)

Please check prices for a week in January for your cruise. It is not high season cruise wise and you can get very good deals for that time of year.
cruisecritic.com can give you reviews of the lines/ships.
Although I always book with buycruises.com, icruise.com usually has some very good prices.


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## tjnevers (Sep 12, 2007)

*RCI cruise deal*

I typed in the above on google & got to this thread. I too have recently been offered the $2,495 pkg., but was told it was only for an inside cabin on a cruise that would be a minimum of 7 days.  (Better cabins might be available for an upgrade fee ... not sure how much that would be.) The sales person rattled off a bunch of samples, including some 14-15 day cruises. My wife & I just finished our first cruise w. HAL to Alaska & had a superior veranda suite, (bought from Costco Travel) so I guess we are spoiled. I too am suspicious of RCI & feel if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Has anyone bought this pkg. & been happy with it?


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## dougp26364 (Sep 12, 2007)

jstapleton said:


> Please check prices for a week in January for your cruise. It is not high season cruise wise and you can get very good deals for that time of year.
> cruisecritic.com can give you reviews of the lines/ships.
> Although I always book with buycruises.com, icruise.com usually has some very good prices.



Actually, January is considered high season for Caribbean cruising. It's just that there are so many ships cruising the Caribbean at that time of year it keeps the prices relatively low. The cruise lines have to bring the ships back from Europe and the ships the were in Alaska have to be somewhere during the winter months. Combine those with all the new mega cruise ships out there and you have a glut of cabins for the Caribbean during the high season winter months.


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## dougp26364 (Sep 12, 2007)

tjnevers said:


> I typed in the above on google & got to this thread. I too have recently been offered the $2,495 pkg., but was told it was only for an inside cabin on a cruise that would be a minimum of 7 days.  (Better cabins might be available for an upgrade fee ... not sure how much that would be.) The sales person rattled off a bunch of samples, including some 14-15 day cruises. My wife & I just finished our first cruise w. HAL to Alaska & had a superior veranda suite, (bought from Costco Travel) so I guess we are spoiled. I too am suspicious of RCI & feel if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Has anyone bought this pkg. & been happy with it?




An inside cabin sounds more like what I'd expect from RCI. Most offers I've seen in the past have either been for an inside or maybe an outside cabin at best. 

Beware those cruise certificates. We had one issued for us to be used with either Royal Caribbean or Celebrity back in 2001. We specifically wanted an Alaskan cruise but had trouble getting one, even though we were told they would be "available". Most of what was offered was Caribbean cruises but not always the choicest dates or itenerary. 

Unless they were willing to book a specific cruise and a specific cabin I probably would pass. I'm not into trying to fit a cruise certificate around a week long timeshare stay when there are NO specifics but just generalizations. My bet is they're selling over supply at retail prices when it would go for considerably less at websites like http://www.vacationstogo.com of bookings less than 90 days out. 

There is absolutely NO WAY I'd give RCI that kind of money upfront without knowing all the details and restrictions AND see it in writing first.


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## tjnevers (Sep 12, 2007)

*Thanks for the reply*

Thanks for the reply, Doug.
This looks like a "pig in a poke" to me.
Regards,
Tom


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