# Frenchman's Cove 2011 update



## jimf41 (Feb 13, 2011)

We’re at MFC for a week now on an extended stay. The new Tortola bldg is great and the views are fantastic from the north side of the bldg. The bldg is angled to fit the shoreline with the first two rooms 1 & 2 facing the resort and the other rooms 3,4,5 & 6 facing the harbor on the CA side. The trampoline and iceberg water toys are in place but are somewhat difficult to get up on.  

The dock is finished but while some bigger charter boats come in for various excursions the dock is too high for the smaller shuttles to CA so you still have to walk to the Reef to get those. They have a permit on file to put a floating dock on the end so they will be able to use it.  Evidently the original permit was for a restoration sop they had to make it the same height as the original.

There is still no computer handshake with the Reef and Morningstar so you still have to use a CC or open a house account over there. The beach at Morningstar is very eroded. They lost at least 20’ of sand. At Coco Joe’s the surf comes up to the bulkhead. This has caused it to be very compact and crowded. When you walk in to the water there is a 3’ to 4’ drop and the first 10’ or so is very rocky. Once you get past that it’s sandy bottom. Really not very good for small children.

On the plus side the Cove beach is still nice and starting yesterday they closed it for three days while the put more sand on it. The GM says 6” to 1’ will be added. The snorkeling is pretty good this year on the right side by the coral formations. For those who don’t snorkel they rent clear kayaks so you can paddle over and get a look at the fish.

The “soft update” of the rooms will not start until 2013 but they will start replacing some of the cheap drawer slides in the original bldgs in the next few months before the main refurb.  The generator is online but it doesn’t kick on for about 15 to 20 seconds of power failure so if you get a momentary outage all the clocks need to be reset. I had them replace the batteries in my unit and that fixed the problem.

Construction on the last two bldgs will not start until 2015 at the earliest so what is here now will be the same until then. The two cranes are gone so the view isn’t spoiled by them anymore. I think there are about 150 of the total 220 or so units completed. Obviously the second pool won’t  go in until 2015 either. If you get to the pool/beach by 9:30 / 10:00 you still have plenty of spots to sit. After that it starts filling up and the shady spots become hard to find.

Megans, Emerald, Brewers and Secret Harbor suffered little or no damage from the Fall storms. Smith Bay and Sapphire had a little erosion but not much.  At Brewer’s they are constructing a permanent restroom and shower facility on the south side.

We decided to do a little exploring this year and took a trip out to the west end to see the Mermaid’s chair at Botony Bay. Unless you are a mountain climber I would advise against this. We made the hike, about 1.5 miles starting at 450’ and going down to sea level, but it’s not something I’ll do again. Also we drove up to Paradise Point for the first time. Pretty amazing views. The drive up is not for the feint hearted but you can take the tram.

We’ll be here a few more weeks so ask if you have any questions.


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## Numismatist (Feb 13, 2011)

Thank you very much for this great update.   We will be there this July.

If you get a chance, could you post a few pix of Morningstar - I'm very sad about this beach; it was our favorite due to the nice waves and shells.  I wonder if they intend to replace sand?

I hear they re-built MountainTop from the fire last year; it really does have amazing views!


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## pedro47 (Feb 13, 2011)

Can you take some photos and post them on this thread?  Thanks for the wonderful information.

Did you fly into Cyril E. King International Airport (STT)?

Also, what is your airline of choice to fly into St. Thomas from the east coast?


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## SpikeMauler (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks for the update Jim. Sounds like you're having a good time. We'll be there next month. Do you know if they finished the renovations at Coki beach? I know they were supposed to build a boardwalk, expanded parking, a central space for vendors, and new bathroom facilities. The work was supposed to be done by now. Just wondering if the place looked cleaned up.
Thanks
Pete


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## suzannesimon (Feb 13, 2011)

United has a direct flight out of Washington Dulles on Saturday mornings.


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## djs113 (Feb 13, 2011)

pedro47 said:


> Can you take some photos and post them on this thread?  Thanks for the wonderful information.
> 
> Did you fly into Cyril E. King International Airport (STT)?
> 
> Also, what is your airline of choice to fly into St. Thomas from the east coast?



Yes we fly into STT direct, non-stop from New York each year.  

Despite being from Long Island we would prefer flying on Continental from Newark as we think they are the best domestic carrier.

But their prices are usually way higher than American's, so we usually take American from JFK into STT.

They both have a direct, non-stop flight each day out of New York area.  I believe United does as well, but we haven't flown on them.

- David


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## chuck1955 (Feb 14, 2011)

*Flights*

Your choice of flights from the East Coast are basically:

Newark - Continental
JFK - American (not sure if this one is still running)
Philly - USAirways
Washington Dulles - United
Charlotte - USAirways
Atlanta - Delta
Miami - American

Also, both American and United have flights into San Juan, then it's a short shuttle over to STT.


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## SpikeMauler (Feb 14, 2011)

We fly American or Delta direct from JFK. We use whoever is cheaper.


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## jimf41 (Feb 14, 2011)

We use CO out of EWR. This year's price was $350 R/T with tax for a non-stop. Looking to next year it looks like the price has gone up to about $400. The reason we use EWR instead of LGA is that we drive in the night before and use the Park-n-Fly option at the Newark FFI. It's the cheapest way to park your car for an extended stay that we've found so far. This year was $249 for a one night stay and 29 days parking.

I'll have some photo's up later today or first thing tomorrow. I'll have a link set up on my signature line to Flikr account. Today I found out something interesting about the phone service. We use AT&T and the coverage is good with no roaming. I met someone yesterday that uses Verizon. She said there is a $7.50 per minute roaming charge. I have to call MVCI today so I asked the desk how to dial the 800 number from the hard line in the unit. She said there is a $2.50 per call charge for 800 #'s. You would think they'd at least waive that for Marriott's 800#'s.

We haven't been to Coki yet so I don't know about the renovations. We'll probably get over there this week and I'll pass on the info on that beach. I met two tuggers down here so far. I quite surprised at the number of folks who own MVCI resorts but don't know anything about TUG.

We're leaving on March 5th so if anyone is coming down at that time please contact me as we'd like to pass along some beach chairs, coolers and stuff we really don't want to take home. I'm going to ask the GM about setting up storage down here. They've got plenty of room in the oversize (lengthwise) parking garages.

Thank you POWERGUY for passing along your items.

Happy Valentine's Day to all the ladies. We're going to Oceana tonight, hopefully with a table by the water.


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## pedro47 (Feb 14, 2011)

JimF41 thanks for sharing your information.


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## maryk (Feb 14, 2011)

*Flights to St. Thomas USVI*

Good News -- Bad News --  
Good news we just got confirmed into Marriott Frenchman's Cove 
Bad News -- the flights are outrageous!  We don't know if we can go now due to the cost.

We are in ATL and are open for options to reduce the cost.

Any Suggestions?  We are confirmed for Apr 3 to Apr 10.
I really really want to go, but with such a short time to book a flight I am lost...........

maryk


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## chuck1955 (Feb 15, 2011)

Maryk,

Out of ATL your natural choice of airline would be Delta which has a direct flight from there, but I agree they are very high.  I fly out of Dulles (Washington) and have used Delta before thru Atlanta but both Delta and United's fares have gone thru the roof.  You should look at American (thru Miami) which in my experience has the cheapest fares.  I don't know when you are traveling but I was able to get roundtrip on American for less then $400 to travel in November.  Of course the key for that is to buy your ticket as far ahead as possible if the price is low.  The problem with airlines now is that they have reduce their schedules so much that they are almost always full and have been able to bump fares up quite a bit, plus the price of fuel keeps rising.

Another option might be USAirways thru Charlotte.

Chuck


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## chuck1955 (Feb 15, 2011)

Yes Jim, thanks again.  You are always a wealth of information.  I will also second that Tortola is the best building to stay in.  We were there in November and stayed in Tortola, although it was the side facing the pool and hotel, but it was still great.  I was wondering how people react when you tell them you are there for 4 weeks (I'm very envious!).  We always stay for 2 weeks and people usually have a very surprised reaction when you tell them that.  I would think multi-week stays there were more common there.

Have a great time!

Chuck


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## Numismatist (Feb 15, 2011)

I'm heading there, July 4th week; best I could get from Boston was $412.50 a piece  ; I have read in the local (USVI) papers, that they have added a bunch of flights to STT in recent weeks - perhaps wait until those get in the system; it may bring down prices.


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## jimf41 (Feb 15, 2011)

OK, I'm a novice at posting photo's so bear with me. The following link is to a Flickr account with some pics. If you guys can access this I'll edit them and add some comments so you know what your looking at.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34874673@N04/

Went to the presentation yesterday and found some interesting stuff. They are selling points and weeks down here now. Aruba and St Kitts have switched to points only, no more weeks for sale. The USVI government has approved, but not yet enabled, the sale of points. I don't know exactly what that means but according to the sales mgr weeks will continue to be sold until the points system is "enabled" and then it's points only.

Current price for points is $9.80. That's for everybody. Current weeks prices for a 2BDRM are;

Pres week           40,300
Week 51             37,900
New Year week    Sold Out

Plat     33,400
Gold    25,300
Silver   20,100


Another thing he showed us was a chart listing the top 10 resorts according to outstanding waitlist requests. Myrtle Beach was #1 with 195, MFC was #4 with 77 and Ko'lina was #10 with 37. I'll post the full list later. Heading off to Coki and Smith Bay for some snorkeling.


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## Janette (Feb 15, 2011)

Thanks Jim. We will arrive about 4 on Friday the 18th. Where should we stop for a few groceries on the way to the resort? Also, is there a place to pick up a quick bite before we arrive? Look for Tommy and Janette Wilkerson. We will be alone until Monday.


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## Numismatist (Feb 15, 2011)

Thanks, great photos!  Can't wait to try the water trampoline.:whoopie: 

Are they still doing the owner party at the pool with the local vendors?


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## Weimaraner (Feb 15, 2011)

Numismatist said:


> Thanks, great photos!  Can't wait to try the water trampoline.:whoopie:
> 
> Are they still doing the owner party at the pool with the local vendors?



Yes we were there in January and they had the party with giveaways, free rum punch, music and vendors.


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## pedro47 (Feb 15, 2011)

JimF41, your photos were outstanding.  We even saw our cruise lines of choice Celebrity Cruise Lines.

Was the Celebrity ship that close to the resort to take those awesome pictures?


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## djs113 (Feb 15, 2011)

jim

I booked room 364 for the week, and one of the other families we hang out with I put them in 363.

Should be nice

- David


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## JanT (Feb 15, 2011)

Jim,

Thank you for sharing the pictures.  They are great!  We are headed to FC at the beginning of June.  Can't wait to get there!


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## jimf41 (Feb 16, 2011)

Janette said:


> Thanks Jim. We will arrive about 4 on Friday the 18th. Where should we stop for a few groceries on the way to the resort? Also, is there a place to pick up a quick bite before we arrive? Look for Tommy and Janette Wilkerson. We will be alone until Monday.



If you are renting a car you can stop at Pueblo supermarket on the way in. Some folks don't like it but it's fine IMO. They have the lowest liquor prices I've found so far but they don't box them for shipping. Around the corner is a place called the Fruit Bowl. They have great DIY take out salads and fresh produce.

The Cove restaurant is actually pretty decent. Nacho's, burgers and sandwiches mainly although they have a few dinner items. I'd stay away from the wings, they weren't worth the money.


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## jimf41 (Feb 16, 2011)

chuck1955 said:


> I was wondering how people react when you tell them you are there for 4 weeks (I'm very envious!).  We always stay for 2 weeks and people usually have a very surprised reaction when you tell them that.  I would think multi-week stays there were more common there.
> 
> Have a great time!
> 
> Chuck



All I can say is jealousy is an ugly emotion.  Actually there are a lot of multi-week folks here. I met one fellow at the GM meeting who owns 4 plat weeks and is thinking of buying another.


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## jimf41 (Feb 16, 2011)

*Waitlist chart*

This is the full top ten waitlist chart as presented by the sales rep. I don't know how accurate it is or how current. It's the resort followed by the number of outstanding or as yet unfulfilled waitlist requests.

Myrtle Beach  195
Napoli & lahani towers 114
Lakeshore 84
MFC 77
Aruba Surf Club 75
St Kitts 61
Maui Ocean Club 54
Streamside Vail 43
Kauwai Beach Club 43
Ko'olina 37

Excuse my spelling the Hawaii resorts drive me nuts.

The beach restoration is complete and looks great. They are installing new showers at both beach exits. I organized my photo's and added some along with some comments. The link is in my signature line now. I'll post anything new put out at the GM meeting tonight.


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## Numismatist (Feb 16, 2011)

Thanks for the great photos of Morningstar; not as bad as I thought it would be from the Hurricane damage.  Still, I see where they lost a chunk of sand


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## californiagirl (Feb 17, 2011)

Thanks for the great pictures.  They make me wish I was there!!  We won't be going to FC this year.  We are going to Aruba instead.  I have not tried Smith bay.  Something new to try.


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## jimf41 (Feb 17, 2011)

We went to the GM meeting again last night. I find you pick up an interesting tidbit or two every time I go to one of these things. Last week the GM said that construction on the two remaining bldg's and the second pool wasn't going to start until 2015. Last night he modified that a little and said it had to start by 2012 or they lose their permit and have to reapply for a new one. The two cranes are down and I thought they had been removed completely but their still here just disassembled and placed on the north side of the property out of view.

Being here for a month you sometimes get a little tired of going to the beach and shopping. So last night we went looking for a little culture and attended a piano concert at Tillets Gardens by the Tutu mall. I expected a couple of high school kids playing some show tunes. What we had was two professional pianists from the NY metro area on a cultural exchange playing a classical concert selection. We actually got front row seating and were about 10' away from the piano. The worst seats in the house were 30' away. My better half drags me to a lot of this stuff at home but this was by far the best I've been to yet. It was absolutely amazing.

Off to Coki for some snorkeling.


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## Numismatist (Feb 17, 2011)

What a great time you're having!  Don't forget to check out XO Bistro at Red Hook, a small hole in the strip mall restaurant where I had the best meal I've ever had there - hands down.

Have they mentioned any news about shutting down down the Reef this summer for renovations?


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## GregT (Feb 17, 2011)

Numismatist said:


> What a great time you're having!  Don't forget to check out XO Bistro at Red Hook, a small hole in the strip mall restaurant where I had the best meal I've ever had there - hands down.
> 
> Have they mentioned any news about shutting down down the Reef this summer for renovations?



That's a good tip -- I've not been to XO Bistro, but we stay on the east end of the island when we go and will add it to the list.

Thanks!

Greg


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## Powerguy (Feb 17, 2011)

Jim-
It was great meeting you while we were there last week. Hopefully you are not bored with the weather yet. Hope to see you there next year.

Dave


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## jimf41 (Feb 17, 2011)

SpikeMauler said:


> Thanks for the update Jim. Sounds like you're having a good time. We'll be there next month. Do you know if they finished the renovations at Coki beach? I know they were supposed to build a boardwalk, expanded parking, a central space for vendors, and new bathroom facilities. The work was supposed to be done by now. Just wondering if the place looked cleaned up.
> Thanks
> Pete



Went to Coki today for a little snorkeling. The place is still a mess as far as the vendors and the parking conditions go. They are in the process of building a good size structure that I presume will contain the items you mentioned. Based on construction times here I'd say they are still a few months from completion. We parked at Coral World and kind of snuck in between the railings where they rent snorkel gear. They have big signs saying they will tow your car if you park there and are not visiting Coral World. We were there for about 45 minutes and got away with it.

If you want to see a lot of fish right off the beach this is the place to go though. We went to Sapphire right after and the snorkeling is much better but you have to be a good swimmer and be comfortable navigating some very shallow water over the reef and you have to go pretty far out. I didn't go to left where the sea grass is but a fellow who did said he saw three turtles.


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## Numismatist (Feb 17, 2011)

Excellent time!  Coki is always a mess but the fish being so close makes it worthwhile.  We feed them dog bones and they come right up to you nibbling at the Milk-Bone in your hand.


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## SpikeMauler (Feb 18, 2011)

jimf41 said:


> Went to Coki today for a little snorkeling. The place is still a mess as far as the vendors and the parking conditions go. They are in the process of building a good size structure that I presume will contain the items you mentioned. Based on construction times here I'd say they are still a few months from completion. We parked at Coral World and kind of snuck in between the railings where they rent snorkel gear. They have big signs saying they will tow your car if you park there and are not visiting Coral World. We were there for about 45 minutes and got away with it.
> 
> If you want to see a lot of fish right off the beach this is the place to go though. We went to Sapphire right after and the snorkeling is much better but you have to be a good swimmer and be comfortable navigating some very shallow water over the reef and you have to go pretty far out. I didn't go to left where the sea grass is but a fellow who did said he saw three turtles.


Thanks for the Coki update Jim. Looks like renovations won't be complete by the time we get there. Oh well, probably make a day of it with a Coral World/Coki Beach combo.
Thanks again for the updates and great pics Jim.
Pete


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## djs113 (Feb 18, 2011)

Jim

see you tomorrow, we fly out bright and early

- david


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## Whitesandybeaches1 (Feb 18, 2011)

Hi Jim... you are very lucky to get to spend that much time in relax mode. Can't wait to someday day be able to do that too.

We are coming to the Cove mid March for a week, we have never been to the island. Sounds like we should be requesting the Tortola building, do you have any suggestions on a specific room number if we'd like to be up high with view of CA rather then the pool? From what I've read we'll be spending a lot of time in our room after dark and on the patio so a view the cities lights would be preferred to a view of the the pool lights. 

Thanks!


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## dundeeyank (Feb 19, 2011)

*Parking?*

Jim,  I own a couple of weeks at the Cove and this will be our third year. This time we are bringing the family (adult children and grandkids). Thank you much for the photos.  I only saw one pic of parking for Tortola.  Is the parking any better this year than in the past?  Will be using our weeks stacked 12 - 19 March 2011.  Can't wait.:whoopie:


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## jimf41 (Feb 19, 2011)

dundeeyank said:


> Jim,  I own a couple of weeks at the Cove and this will be our third year. This time we are bringing the family (adult children and grandkids). Thank you much for the photos.  I only saw one pic of parking for Tortola.  Is the parking any better this year than in the past?  Will be using our weeks stacked 12 - 19 March 2011.  Can't wait.:whoopie:



Parking no problem at all. If you are on the 6th, 5th, or 4th floors there is a gravel parking lot that is right next to an entrance on the 5th floor. I'm on the 2nd floor so I park at the bottom and take the elevator up. I've had no problem at all although it is tight to park your car here.

If we get a rainy day I'll post some more pics but the wx hasn't been conducive to spending a lot of time on the computer. I suppose a person could have worse problems.

I'm going to repeat this. If anyone is coming down the weekend of the 5th of March when I leave PLEASE CONTACT ME. I've got a lot of stuff I'd like to pass along.


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## Janette (Feb 19, 2011)

We had a good flight and are in St. John on the fifth floor. We spent the morning by the pool and went to grocery this afternoon. We walked over to the hotel when we returned just checking out the place. We are in awe of the beauty and politeness of everyone we have met. We swapped our three bedroom for a two so we wouldn't have to move the second week. Our daughter is coming with her 6 year old Monday so we really didn't need the 3. Our view is perfect and we don't mind the elevators to get to the pool. It is no more trouble than walking to the beach at GO. Hope to make contact with you soon.


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## pedro47 (Feb 19, 2011)

Can you really see / view the various cruise ships in ports from the resorts?


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## dundeeyank (Feb 19, 2011)

*yep sort of*

As you have seen from several members photos, you can watch the ships come in in the morning and leave in the evening. From the end of the dock you can see the ships in harbor. On some days there are 6-7 ships for the day. Those are the days you avoid shopping in the city and stay at the Cove.  I haven't tried but you should be able to see the ships in the southern most building.


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## djs113 (Feb 20, 2011)

Janette said:


> We had a good flight and are in St. John on the fifth floor. We spent the morning by the pool and went to grocery this afternoon. We walked over to the hotel when we returned just checking out the place. We are in awe of the beauty and politeness of everyone we have met. We swapped our three bedroom for a two so we wouldn't have to move the second week. Our daughter is coming with her 6 year old Monday so we really didn't need the 3. Our view is perfect and we don't mind the elevators to get to the pool. It is no more trouble than walking to the beach at GO. Hope to make contact with you soon.





Janette

Received your email.  we are in tortola, top floor, room 364    we are on the beach today / sunday - our beach chairs / umbrella are near the beach hammock by the edge of the pool

Sure we will bump into you

- david


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## Janette (Feb 20, 2011)

Special to meet two Tuggers in pool at Frenchman's Cove. It is great to meet you, Jim and Dave. This place is really beautiful and it is nice to meet new friends.


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## usvi_islandboy (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks for the photos Jim!  We're coming down first week of august.  I heard the hotel resort will be closed then.  Do you know if it is the entire hotel or just portions.  

We are taking friends with us that have never been and I was excited to show them the hotel resort as well.

Thanks again!!


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## Numismatist (Feb 25, 2011)

Just the Reef will be closed, the Morningstar, Coco Joe, and Havana Blue will be open.

Here's the thread with details:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134304


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## wof45 (Feb 25, 2011)

the reservation page says

Renovation Information – The Frenchman's Reef portion of the resort will be closed for enhancements May 1, 2011-September 30, 2011. Our Morning Star Beach Resort will be open with uninterrupted service.

you can book morningstar but cannot book the reef


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## jimf41 (Feb 26, 2011)

A little further information on the Reef. Evidently while most of the Reef will be shut down they are going to keep the one section that faces Morningstar open. Registration and checkin will be in the Morningstar lobby. None of the facilities of the Reef will be available, only the rooms in that section. 

Several owners brought up the question of storage at the last GM meeting. If enough of us email the GM, pieter.knot@vacationclub.com and the Dir. of member relations, michael.wilcox@vacationclub.com we might actually get this done. Both of these folks are very responsive to owners interests.

We went to Maho Bay in St John yesterday. I was impressed with the snorkeling as Maho is not known for it. I saw a Stingray, a turtle, two barracuda and numerous other fish. I didn't take my underwater camera so you'll just have to believe me. I know, I know you should've seen the one that got away.

At the Cove they are renting glass bottom kayaks, paddleboards and some other water toys. I talked to the vendor and he's going to start renting snorkel gear and some sort of pedal operated boat soon.


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## djs113 (Feb 27, 2011)

Just finished our week at the Cove and I can say in the five years we have now gone since we opened it the first week it was unveiled, this was the best thus far.

The resort is running at full speed now.  The Cove has more employees than ever before, and all having a nice hello to say each time you see them.

The replenished sand on the beach is perfect - the beach is now softer and wider than ever before.

The water is much better now with access opened up via the new pier and the new entry point where the coral no longer exists.  The kids had a blast on the trampoline and well as on the iceberg.

We all enjoyed the clear, bottomed kayaks, and the standing / paddling surf boards.

The food service was much quicker at the Cove bar / restaurant,  and the weekend brunch buffet there was very good too.  

The views from the new Tortola building are great - looking straight over the water - we couldn't even see the resort unless we peered out on the balcony all the way to the left.

The newly resurfaced pool bottom is much smoother and looks great.  

They have many more umbrellas now on the beach as well.

And we found our new favorite restaurant on the island.  Its called Thirteen, and its up in the northwest part of the island - two coves over from Magens Bay.  It was the best meal we had there in the 7 years we have visited the island.

Only another month till we buy airline tickets for next year!

Any questions let me know

- David


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## Whitesandybeaches1 (Feb 28, 2011)

Thanks for the info Dave, does the Tortola building face CA at night, can u see the city lights?


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## Whitesandybeaches1 (Feb 28, 2011)

I think we`d like to overlook the pool area, the water and the city lights at night, can we get all three views from one building? If so, which one?


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## djs113 (Feb 28, 2011)

Pretty much every building on any high floor sees the CA lights

Buildings 1 and 2 are the closest to the pool area as well as the right hand side of building 3 (Tortola)

I took some really good pictures of the buildings from a boat on the ocean to give you a full view, IM me with your email address and i will email them to you

- david


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## jimf41 (Mar 1, 2011)

Whitesandybeaches said:


> I think we`d like to overlook the pool area, the water and the city lights at night, can we get all three views from one building? If so, which one?



The only bldg that meets this requirement is the original one, Jost Van Dyke. The downside is that it is the original bldg and it is the one showing the most wear and tear. You can also get those views if you get a top floor unit at bldg #5 St John. In the lower floors your views of the city become very restricted to non-existent. Just about any room in bldg #1, Jost Van Dyke, will give you what you want.


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## SpikeMauler (Mar 1, 2011)

Does anyone know where the 3br units are located in the Tortola bldg?


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## KathyPet (Mar 1, 2011)

Jim,  Your salesperson is mis-informed.  I just returned from St. Kitts 2 weeks ago.  They are only selling deeded weeks.  No points are being sold.  They have to get approval from the govt of St. Kitts to sell points and that approval has not been given.


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## jimf41 (Mar 1, 2011)

SpikeMauler said:


> Does anyone know where the 3br units are located in the Tortola bldg?



It is located on the 6th floor. All 3bdrms are on the top floors of every bldg.


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## suzannesimon (Mar 1, 2011)

Yes. We stayed in the the 3br in Tortola last Christmas.  it is on the 5th floor. I thought we were on the top floor until I looked at it from the pool.  There is a partial 6th floor, it appears, in that Bldg.  It overlooks the pool and the beach.


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## SpikeMauler (Mar 1, 2011)

suzannesimon said:


> Yes. We stayed in the the 3br in Tortola last Christmas.  it is on the 5th floor. I thought we were on the top floor until I looked at it from the pool.  There is a partial 6th floor, it appears, in that Bldg.  It overlooks the pool and the beach.



Are the 5th and 6th floors strictly 3br's? I own a 2br and wanted to request one of those floors in the Tortola building.


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## suzannesimon (Mar 1, 2011)

No - there are plenty of 2 bedroom units.  I believe there is only one 3br in each Bldg.  We had a 2 br and a 3 br next to each other, but separated by an elevator.  I don't believe the 3 br's have any common walls with another unit.


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## djs113 (Mar 1, 2011)

yes 3 br do share walls with 2 brs

on the top floor of tortola there were 3 apartments

365 was the 3br, i was next to it in 364 a 2 br, and 363 was also a 2br

all were next to each other


- david


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## pfrass (Mar 1, 2011)

Could someone please explain what the "waitlist" Jim was referring to is for?


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## jimf41 (Mar 2, 2011)

pfrass said:


> Could someone please explain what the "waitlist" Jim was referring to is for?



The waitlist in the DC program is similar to the Request First option in II. At 12 months out if there is no availability for the resort and date you want to go you can put yourself on a list so that when that date and resort become available you get it.

Unlike II though, you have to give up your week and convert it into DC points prior to being put on a waitlist. The other caveat is that while you can specify a range of checkin dates the amount of time you request is fixed. Let's say you want to go to XYZ resort from the 10th to the 17th, seven days in all. You can tell them that you'll accept the 10th, 11th or 12th as a checkin date. What their computer won't do is tell you that there are six days available starting the 10th or eight days available starting the 10th. You only requested 7 days and that's all the computer system is set up to search for.

In my case I want to go to MFC the first two weeks in February 2012. Originally I put in a 14 day request starting on the 4th. When I realized how this system worked I changed my request and made it two separate 7 day requests with one starting on the 4th and the other starting on the 11th. Last night the one starting the 11th came through. If I had left it a 14 day request it would have not come through because only 7 of the 14 days I requested were available.

It's a crazy system but so far it's working for me.


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## dioxide45 (Mar 2, 2011)

jimf41 said:


> The waitlist in the DC program is similar to the Request First option in II. At 12 months out if there is no availability for the resort and date you want to go you can put yourself on a list so that when that date and resort become available you get it.
> 
> Unlike II though, you have to give up your week and convert it into DC points prior to being put on a waitlist.



So it is more like a deposit first request in II, not request first.



> The other caveat is that while you can specify a range of checkin dates the amount of time you request is fixed. Let's say you want to go to XYZ resort from the 10th to the 17th, seven days in all. You can tell them that you'll accept the 10th, 11th or 12th as a checkin date. What their computer won't do is tell you that there are six days available starting the 10th or eight days available starting the 10th. You only requested 7 days and that's all the computer system is set up to search for.



If one requests 7 days starting ont the 10th 11th or 12th and there are eight days available starting on the 10th, why wouldn't the request be filled?



> In my case I want to go to MFC the first two weeks in February 2012. Originally I put in a 14 day request starting on the 4th. When I realized how this system worked I changed my request and made it two separate 7 day requests with one starting on the 4th and the other starting on the 11th. Last night the one starting the 11th came through. If I had left it a 14 day request it would have not come through because only 7 of the 14 days I requested were available.
> 
> It's a crazy system but so far it's working for me.


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## jimf41 (Mar 2, 2011)

dioxide45 said:


> So it is more like a deposit first request in II, not request first.
> 
> 
> 
> If one requests 7 days starting ont the 10th 11th or 12th and there are eight days available starting on the 10th, why wouldn't the request be filled?



Actually I look at it as a kind of combination of the two. With a deposit first you are giving up your week and have to find something other than what you gave. With a request first you keep what you have until your request is filled. But if it's not filled you still have your reserved week. With a waitlist you give up your week but you have the points. You can wait to see if your request is filled but if it isn't you're in a little better position IMO. You can wait right up to the last day and if it doesn't get filled you still have the same value of the points to use for another year or two. If you wait that long with a request first and then deposit at the last possible time your trading power is diminished. At least that's the way I understand it.

"If one requests 7 days starting on the 10th 11th or 12th and there are eight days available starting on the 10th, why wouldn't the request be filled?"

It would. But the converse is not true. If there were six days available on the 10th you wouldn't get it because you requested seven. If there were 7 days starting on the 9th you wouldn't get it because you didn't ask for that checkin day. This is in contrast to my dealings with II where if availability for something close to my request , but not exactly, comes available they contact me and say do you want this instead? In the DC system so far they only fill exact requests not the ones that are close.


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## dioxide45 (Mar 5, 2011)

jimf41 said:


> Actually I look at it as a kind of combination of the two. With a deposit first you are giving up your week and have to find something other than what you gave. With a request first you keep what you have until your request is filled. But if it's not filled you still have your reserved week. With a waitlist you give up your week but you have the points. You can wait to see if your request is filled but if it isn't you're in a little better position IMO. You can wait right up to the last day and if it doesn't get filled you still have the same value of the points to use for another year or two. If you wait that long with a request first and then deposit at the last possible time your trading power is diminished. At least that's the way I understand it.



I am still not seeing how waitlist is really different than deposit first in II.

With deposit first, you give them your week and have that on deposit. You place a request, if that request doesn't come through, you still have that week to use later for another request. This is the same as if your points waitlist doesn't come through, you would still have those points to use. In both cases your original week is lost and you can't get it back.

At the end of the paragraph you switched to comparing DC waitlist to request first in II. Those are very different. There is no true request first like option in DC unless you are a trust points owner.

The only benefit of DC waitlist vs II deposit first is that your deposit first request will be canceled at day 60 where it seems a waitlist would continue to search.


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## jimf41 (Mar 5, 2011)

dioxide45 said:


> I am still not seeing how waitlist is really different than deposit first in II.



With a deposit first you are giving up your guarantee of getting a Marriott resort. With a waitlist you are just changing the method of reserving a Marriott resort. You are still guaranteed a Marriott week somewhere. That's a pretty big difference IMO. But the DC program is new and has a lot of quirks in it as far as my usage of it.

So far the DC program has given me the week I want and II hasn't. My full request has not been filled yet by II or the DC program so I'm holding off any comment about which one works better.


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## dioxide45 (Mar 5, 2011)

jimf41 said:


> With a deposit first you are giving up your guarantee of getting a Marriott resort. With a waitlist you are just changing the method of reserving a Marriott resort. You are still guaranteed a Marriott week somewhere. That's a pretty big difference IMO. But the DC program is new and has a lot of quirks in it as far as my usage of it.



I don't think your guaranteed a Marriott week any more in DC than II. You can still give up and turn around and use DC points to exchange for a non Marriott through II.

I think for most, the big difference you noted is a stretch. Just because an II Marriott to Marriott exchange doesn't come through it doesn't mean that one has to settle for a non-Marriott. They can just try for a different time to travel. Just as you would do with an unsuccessful DC waitlist.


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## jimf41 (Mar 6, 2011)

KathyPet said:


> Jim,  Your salesperson is mis-informed.  I just returned from St. Kitts 2 weeks ago.  They are only selling deeded weeks.  No points are being sold.  They have to get approval from the govt of St. Kitts to sell points and that approval has not been given.



Hurmpf! I guess sales Mgr. spoke with forked tongue. How unusual.


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## jimf41 (Mar 6, 2011)

dioxide45 said:


> I don't think your guaranteed a Marriott week any more in DC than II. You can still give up and turn around and use DC points to exchange for a non Marriott through II.
> 
> I think for most, the big difference you noted is a stretch. Just because an II Marriott to Marriott exchange doesn't come through it doesn't mean that one has to settle for a non-Marriott. They can just try for a different time to travel. Just as you would do with an unsuccessful DC waitlist.



I guess we disagree on this one. It's my understanding that if you chose to stay with the MVCI reservation system, either weeks or DC points, you are guaranteed a Marriott resort. It's only when you opt out through a third party that you lose your guarantee. I don't really even see how you could ever not get a Marriott week through the DC system as they don't handle anything but MVCI properties.


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## dioxide45 (Mar 6, 2011)

jimf41 said:


> I guess we disagree on this one. It's my understanding that if you chose to stay with the MVCI reservation system, either weeks or DC points, you are guaranteed a Marriott resort. It's only when you opt out through a third party that you lose your guarantee. I don't really even see how you could ever not get a Marriott week through the DC system as they don't handle anything but MVCI properties.



You are guaranteed a Marriott reservation if that is what you want. I just don't see how it is any different than with II. If you want a Marriott week in II, there is nothing stopping you. You may not get exactly what you want but there is plenty of Marriott inventory up for grabs. Just like DC. In fact, II is handling far more Marriott inventory than DC.

The comparison was DC waitlist to IIs deposit first. There really is no difference between the two. In both you are giving up your home resort reservation option in hope of an exchange. DC and II are both exchange companies. There is no guaranty with either. If you want to go back to your home resort you can try to trade back in with either option.


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## Lisa Wiggins (Apr 6, 2011)

Numis...:  I will be at MFC from July 2 through the 16th.

David:  My son absolutely loves Thirteen.  He first went there two years ago when he was 6 years old and devoured the muscles.  We had to go again last year, and I know he will insist we go again!

Air fare prices are insane (the oil companies are capitalizing on the unrest in the middle east and jacking up the price of gas).  I almost canceled my plans to go down this year, when I saw that tickets from San Francisco to St. Thomas are going to be over $1000 a piece for coach!  I ended up biting the bullet, and bought the two tickets.  Family Camp is now completely off the summer plans, and our only vacation this summer will be to St. Thomas.  Oh well!


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## Numismatist (Apr 6, 2011)

Lisa Wiggins said:


> Numis...:  I will be at MFC from July 2 through the 16th.
> 
> David:  My son absolutely loves Thirteen.  He first went there two years ago when he was 6 years old and devoured the muscles.  We had to go again last year, and I know he will insist we go again!
> 
> Air fare prices are insane (the oil companies are capitalizing on the unrest in the middle east and jacking up the price of gas).  I almost canceled my plans to go down this year, when I saw that tickets from San Francisco to St. Thomas are going to be over $1000 a piece for coach!  I ended up biting the bullet, and bought the two tickets.  Family Camp is now completely off the summer plans, and our only vacation this summer will be to St. Thomas.  Oh well!



Excellent!  We'll be there July, 3-11.  The 4th we'll be on a day trip to Yost Van Dyke.  Perhaps we should 'poll' TUGGERS here in this thread for that week and we can all meet at the pool!  That'll have the sales team shaking...:rofl:


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## stthomaslovers (May 5, 2011)

Hate to bump a semi-old thread. We bought a gold week in St Thomas end of March. Although we did pay retail for it, we don't regret it at all. Not that we have loads of money to throw around - but we bought exactly what we wanted. 2 bedroom villa in St Thomas deeded. Not that we had much of an intent to buy before going down, as we stayed at Frenchmen's Reef, which the hallways smelled like feet and wet dog - that's beside's the point.

I've been reading on the boards for the last few hours and have soaked up so much information that I think my brain might explode. Regardless, we're happy with our purchase. Next purchase WILL be resale though. Never buying retail again unless we "have to have it."

Anyways, wanted to say that we hope to see some of you there. Not sure when we're booking this year. Probably towards the end of summer. But we're itching to go back. 

Nice thing about the 2 bedroom is that if just the two of us go, fine. But we have room for at least another 2-4 people comfortably. We opted for the 10% discount instead of the PlusPoints or the Marriott Rewards Points upon purchase. Total purchase price with 10% down was about $23k. I know, I know....you all may think we're nuts. But hey, first timeshare purchase with no research done prior. Our own fault. Again, regardless, we love it and are SO excited to go back.

Some stat's on us: I'm Jeremy and my girlfriend is Kerri. We're both from New York. Early twenties. Tons of family and friends that have already asked "when are we invited to go?" 

I know I veered off topic but hey, I've got St Thomas goggles on.

THANKS!
-Jeremy & Kerri

Edit to add: A few questions...
- Is deeded really that much better than just buying points? Does us holding a deed entitle us to priority reservation versus just owning points? What does a deed really get us?
- Is it TOO hot during summer? 90+?
- Does airfare get any cheaper? We're seeing, for end of summer, $500+ per ticket. That's what we paid when we just went in March and I booked our tickets in the beginning of March. No difference in price even a few months out, huh? We flew AA.
- Any awesome restaurants you guys recommend? We hit up Havana Blue - it was "ok." (Keep in mind we're from NY. Tons of great food a few miles away in NYC - maybe we're food snobs? )

Thanks again!!


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## m61376 (May 5, 2011)

stthomaslovers said:


> Hate to bump a semi-old thread. We bought a gold week in St Thomas end of March. Although we did pay retail for it, we don't regret it at all. Not that we have loads of money to throw around - but we bought exactly what we wanted. 2 bedroom villa in St Thomas deeded. Not that we had much of an intent to buy before going down, as we stayed at Frenchmen's Reef, which the hallways smelled like feet and wet dog - that's beside's the point.
> 
> I've been reading on the boards for the last few hours and have soaked up so much information that I think my brain might explode. Regardless, we're happy with our purchase. Next purchase WILL be resale though. Never buying retail again unless we "have to have it."
> 
> ...


Welcome to Tug!
Don't kick yourselves too hard- plenty of people here have bough directly, some even after discovering this board, btw. You are smart to look at it as you've made the purchase, so enjoy it. And you bought at a great time in your lives; my only regret is that we didn't discover how great the Marriott timeshares were until after our kids were probably around your age. They are great for taking along friends and family, until you have a family yourselves to fill it (in which case, it's very conducive to 3 generation travel).

I will let the St. Thomas experts address most of your questions, but as a deeded owner you are guaranteed a week reservation every year during your owned period, where you own. Point owners can shop between different resorts, but aren't guarantee anything. Week owners trading in weeks have to go through II, whereas point owners and enrolled week owners (who can opt to exchange for points in any given year) have the added flexibility of length of stay, arrival day and location (subject to availability) but, generally speaking, the added flexibility comes at an added cost (skim and lower point allocations than required to book the week being exchanged in).

HTH- and, again, welcome to Tug  

As for airfare- it really can fluctuate. I know for Aruba I find Jet Blue great- if I book and then it goes down, I can call and get a credit. Last year I got over $200pp in credits that way.


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## jimf41 (May 5, 2011)

Welcome to TUG and to MFC. The first thing you should do is rescind if you are within the ten day period.  I own three weeks at MFC and I bought them all from MVCI. There wasn't any resale market when I bought them and if you wanted to go to MFC you had to buy from MVCI. 

That isn't the case any longer. The resale market is healthy with Gold weeks advertised between $8k and $15k. In addition MVCI has initiated the DC program but MFC is one of the resorts where you really don't get enough points to make it worthwhile to join if that's all you own.

To answer your questions yes deeded weeks are better than points IMO because you are assured of getting a week in the season you bought. With DC points you are assured of getting a week sometime in some resort in the system. The deed also gets you the right to sell at anytime to whomever you desire as there is no ROFR at MFC. Nobody really knows as yet how you sell trust points.

I've been there once in summer and it was hot but not unbearably hot IMO. The average high in Gold season is about 90 but the average high in the winter is 86 so the temps don't really vary much between seasons.

Airfare is different in the platinum season. You really have to buy 10-11 months out to get a good fare. $400-500 would be a good fare out of NYC in plat season. I don't think you'll do better than $300 in Gold season. Next year I got a R/T out of LGA on miles with AA, 30k each.

I know what you mean about being from NY and what you consider a "good" restaurant. You're not a food snob and neither am I but what most people don't realize about the NY metro area is that there really aren't very many chain restaurants. We're used to individually owned places that compete with other individual restaurants for your money. St Thomas is very similar. The only chains are Hooters, KFC, McD's and a few other fast food places. All the good restaurants are individually owned. Havana Blue is also but I agree it's not that great. Virgilio's, Oceana, Bella Blue, Craig and Sally's, Mafolie are a few but I left out at least six others that I think are good.

Now I have a question for you. Were you allowed to enroll your week in the DC program? If so what incentives did they offer?


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## Numismatist (May 5, 2011)

Welcome to Tug and MFC!

We're Gold season owners too.

There is a great restaurant called XO Bistro in Red Hook, also Wikked in Yacht Haven Grande.

It's hot, but remember, the great crystal blue ocean is just steps away!

Take some time and research the BVI and book a day trip there, you won't be disappointed.  There are a number of charters that go to the various islands of BVI.

St. John also, a must see destination.

In fact, that's what's so great about MFC and the Virgin Islands:  there are SO many island nearby to visit, all with their own unique feel.:whoopie:


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## Weimaraner (May 5, 2011)

We really enjoyed The Cellar when we stopped in Red Hook. Might be one to consider for the fellow food snobs. We don't live near NYC but we own a food business so I suspect we might qualify. It's from the same owners of Havana Blue, a restaurant we didn't go to but others enjoyed and charged to our account during our stay.


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## stthomaslovers (May 5, 2011)

Thanks all for the comments. Overwhelming welcomes are great too. I'm a member of MANY forums revolving around MANY different topics and have NEVER gotten such a warm welcome as I did here. Very comforting.

Thanks for the restaurant tips as well.

As far as the DC program - I'm not quite sure what that is, yet. I know our sales rep mentioned us becoming a member of II for $90ish per year but that was only if we wanted to trade. But I've also read that the membership is included with the maintenance fees? I'd assume not?

I also appreciate the replies on airfare, weather and the deeded vs non-deeded properties/timeshares. 

I WILL be back. Thanks so much, everyone! Hope to see some of you down there.

- Jeremy

Edit to ask: What is a "lockoff" unit? Are there any available at FC? I understand that you can trade a 2-bedroom for 2x 1-bedrooms? Where does the phrase "lockoff" come into play in this situation? Thanks!


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## djs113 (May 5, 2011)

Jeremy

STT has many really good restaurants

Being a Wall Street person and living on Long Island - you can definitely take my word for it

When you get closer to going, ping us, and I can give you a whole list

One thing you will definitely need to get used to - ISLAND TIME  !

NYC to STT will be the opposite ends of the world here - no quick dinners down there

Welcome to our St Thomas club

Lisa - Yes "13" is our new fav restaurant on the island


- David


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## Weimaraner (May 5, 2011)

Stthomaslovers
Saw your question on the term lock off. Frechman's Cove doesn't have any. Just 2 or 3 bedroom units. Aruba has lockoffs so you could split a 2 bedroom into a 1 bedroom and a studio. It's nice because you can use one side and rent out or exchange the other. i still love MFC even though it doesn't have this feature.


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## stthomaslovers (May 5, 2011)

David,
Thanks so much for your reply. We'll have to meet up sometime and grab a cup of coffee in the city and discuss. All we were able to do on our 5-day "long weekend" at FR&M was hit some shopping downtown and Magen's Bay - which we LOVED. Coney Island has nothing on Caribbean beaches.  We want to make it to Red Hook and St John next time. We were going to make a day of it but we figured - first time here, lets enjoy the local scenery and then next time we'll explore a bit more. On another note; is it true that the Enhanced Driver's License/ID gets you to the BVI's? Or do we need passports? I know the logical and simplest answer is to just get passports, but whatever. I like to be difficult! Thanks again, David!

Edit to add: David, tell me about it! NYC time is water where Island Time is Pitch. What a difference.



Weimaraner said:


> Stthomaslovers
> Saw your question on the term lock off. Frechman's Cove doesn't have any. Just 2 or 3 bedroom units. Aruba has lockoffs so you could split a 2 bedroom into a 1 bedroom and a studio. It's nice because you can use one side and rent out or exchange the other. i still love MFC even though it doesn't have this feature.



So "lockoff" means you can physically lock off part of the suite? For example, if our 2 bedroom was a lockoff, we could rent out the guest area (2 beds/1 bath) as if it were a hotel room? Or is lockoff more of a metaphorical term? Or both? Thanks for your reply, Weimaraner!


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## RedHook (May 6, 2011)

stthomaslovers said:


> So "lockoff" means you can physically lock off part of the suite? For example, if our 2 bedroom was a lockoff, we could rent out the guest area (2 beds/1 bath) as if it were a hotel room? Or is lockoff more of a metaphorical term? Or both? Thanks for your reply, Weimaraner!




Yes, the guest bedroom would physically be locked off. People do this to get two weeks of vacation instead of one. For one trip, you use the main part of the villa while someone uses the locked off part, then for your next trip you use the "hotel" type room. But like someone said, the Cove doesn't have these.


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## Numismatist (May 6, 2011)

Great thread and responses.  What I like most about STT/MFC/Cove and its proximity to other islands and the BVI is that its a great destination for exploring.  There are just so many different experiences to have.

We've been going since 2003 long before MFC existed, and have yet to see it all.

Enjoy - you've picked a great destination; and buying deeded was very smart.


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## stthomaslovers (May 6, 2011)

Numismatist said:


> Great thread and responses.  What I like most about STT/MFC/Cove and its proximity to other islands and the BVI is that its a great destination for exploring.  There are just so many different experiences to have.
> 
> We've been going since 2003 long before MFC existed, and have yet to see it all.
> 
> Enjoy - you've picked a great destination; and buying deeded was very smart.



Thanks for the comments. We're super excited about it and are thinking first week in December for booking - still undecided. 

Question, for anyone, if we don't use our week in 2010, do our points automatically get rolled over? And, for any rollover to happen, automatic or manual, do we have to be enrolled in the DC program? 

From what I gather, we bought a deeded week at FC. Period. But in order to convert that to the Vacation Club points, we have to enroll in the DC program? And in order to exchange our week with other people, we would typically use II? Of course the salesman pitched it as if this was all part of one program. But then towards the end, when we started asking questions, he then told us about the DC program and II. So he pitched it like we could trade our week, cash in for points, bank & borrow, etc all through MVCI. But from what I read here, that's not the case it seems...?

Thanks again,
Jeremy

PS: Thanks, RedHook, for the lockout information. Perfect explanation.


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