# Trade Winds Cruise Club-BVI..?



## TN_Traveler (Oct 30, 2006)

Hi new TUG user here.  Great site with lots of good info.

Looking at a Trade Winds Cruise Club-BVI exchange in June.  Any advice on this time of year or anything I should watch out for?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## TAG (Oct 31, 2006)

*No, but. . .*

We're booked for the second week of December.  I'm really looking forward to it.- TAG


----------



## Cat (Oct 31, 2006)

I'd say to put in an ongoing search with RCI if you haven't done so already. Then check out the Sightings board every day to hedge your bets. Occasionally an ongoing search will miss something, but TUGgers rarely do!


----------



## riverside (Oct 31, 2006)

There's one on Extra Vacations for June.  That may be the one the O.P was talking about.


----------



## TN_Traveler (Oct 31, 2006)

Thanks for the replies, but I already have a week on-hold just wanted to know if I was looking at a bad time of year.

The week is now booked.... 

Look forward to your report TAG.


----------



## Sandy (Oct 31, 2006)

Don't forget to read the reviews. I posted the first review of the TWCC BVI trip. There are several others, including the TWCC in the other islands and the Elite Island Yacht club, very similar to TWCC


----------



## Alphadog (Nov 20, 2006)

HI Tn Traveler - We are also booked on a Tradewinds Cruise to the BVI in June.  When are you going?  We are booked for June 9th.


----------



## jtridle (Nov 20, 2006)

TN_Traveler said:
			
		

> Thanks for the replies, but I already have a week on-hold just wanted to know if I was looking at a bad time of year.



Although June is officially the beginning of the hurricane season, the odds are you will be okay.  Hurricanes are statistically more likely to occur later in the summer.  I sailed in the BVI's in June 2002 and the weather was perfect.  I think you will have a great vacation.  I've heard Tradewinds is just great and I plan to do it someday.


----------



## brego (Nov 21, 2006)

CAT, I am probably missiing the obvious but what is the Sightings Board and how do you use it?


----------



## TAG (Dec 18, 2006)

*Just back from cruise*

Hi,
We just returned from what may have been our best vacation ever.  We exchanged into Tradewinds Cruise Club in BVI.  The crew (Barry and Bridgette) were fantastic.  The group was really compatible.  The area is amazing.  I'll try to post a review in the next couple of days (we got home at 3AM, so I'm not _totally_ functional right now).

The food we had was wonderful.  I had supplied the office with my dietary restrictions in advance, and I was accomodated perfectly.  There was plenty of drink aboard the boat, although we did run out of diet Coke on the last day.  We felt that the all-inclusive fee was fair.

A couple of caveats:  The boat (Coral Dreams) is a bit over 4 years old and showing it's age - kind of like an over-used motel room.  It was clean but worn.  The cabins are small and hot.   

Dislikes:  We were subjected to a timeshare presentation while on board.  We exchanged in, and were not given the option to skip the presentation.  I felt that cheated us out of an hour of our vacation.  Not a big issue, but still irksome.  In addition, there are two nights at restaurants ashore.  We were informed in advance that there would be two meals at our own expense. The crew received 'comped' meals in exchange for herding the rest of us to a specific venue.  I don't think it should be called all-inclusive unless it's really all-inclusive.  Add to that the drinks you buy ashore and it gets to be fairly expensive.

All things considered, I really liked the area and crusing around on a boat.  This is my idea of a cruise - traditional cruise ships don't interest me in the least. 

We had a fantastic time.  Would I go again?  In a heartbeat!

-TAG


----------



## TN_Traveler (Dec 22, 2006)

Thanks for the quick update TAG, I look forward to the full review.


----------



## Cat (Dec 25, 2006)

brego said:


> CAT, I am probably missiing the obvious but what is the Sightings Board and how do you use it?



Somehow, I never found this post until tonight - sorry!

The Sightings board is a members-only board. You sign into TUG, and it will appear on the page that has all the boards listed on it. It's toward the bottom, in the members-only section.

TUG members post exchanges that they see on the II, RCI, or indepedent exchange sites such as DAE, which are called "sightings." Many people make it a habit to look at that board daily, or a few times each day. That way, they are in a position to snag weeks that come available (or points exchanges.)

It's my favorite board on TUG, but I'm a bit prejudiced!


----------

