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Would this be right for us?

Johnnyweekend

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We attended a Marriott Vacation Club today and obviously didn't buy. I have been reading this site all day and wanted to get your thoughts. Our biggest criteria is to be able to to any location. We don't want to be tied down to any one spot. Our interest is mostly international. If we want to do Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Russia (one per year) and throw in some cruises here and there.
Would Hilton be something worthwhile for us? How many points would we need (1 bedroom for about 6-7 days)?
How would converting to a cruise work (say Alaska).
Also we aren't a fan of planning 1 year in advance, more like 6 months in advance.
Would one of the other hotel chains be better for us?
I have been trying to find points values for Hilton properties but all I found was for properties in the US and a few abroad. Is there a better spot to search?

Thank you!!!
 

DeniseM

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In general, timeshares work best for timesharing in the USA. They don't work well for international travel or cruises.

Remember that the sales person is not your friend - his only goal was to sell you something so they will say what ever you want to hear. You have to independently verify everything they say, because most sales people lie, to get you to buy.

Also - timesharing doesn't work well when you wait until 6 months in advance to try to get a reservation, because everyone else started planning 12 mos. in advance. By 6 months, the best dates and resorts are gone.

What to buy questions: https://www.tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/what-to-buy-questions-for-newbies.208742/
 

dayooper

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Hmmmm . . . Hilton might not be the best for you. Not counting the Anantara resorts that will not be affiliated with HGVC after the new year, the only international locations within HGVC are Scotland (4 resorts), Portugal (1 resort with limited availability), Italy (1 resort), Japan (couple of resorts), Mexico (several resorts) and Barbados. Otherwise, you are exchanging into RCI or using Hilton Honors points, both of which aren’t always a great use of points.

HGVC is a extremely flexible system, but not really meant for international travel. Not sure on other systems, but HGVC wouldn’t give you what you need.
 

Johnnyweekend

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Thank you.
Maybe move this post to
New to Timesharing? Look Here! to open it to more people.
 

vacationhopeful

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There are few timeshares in Europe ... and they are mostly in rural areas. You did not post a region where you live or LIKE going to. Europe is NOT easy or cheap to get via timesharing .... few city locations. Nor is it a 'decent or good' deal to use your timeshare product to book cruises (ok, it stinks, IMHO) or hotel rooms.

I hosted teenage French students for 3+ weeks in the Summer and several families invitied me to visit their homes (which I did twice) the following winters. LOVED the Europe/France I saw that way.

Did parts of Eastern Europe a few months after major US Airlines started flying to those capital cities ... after The Wall opened up. Visited Budapest and Prague twice for a total of 4 weeks. Liked Budapest, Krakow (Poland) and Karlo Vary, CZ (Last Holiday was filmed there ... LL Cool J movie). Did not rent cars in Europe ... used the trains and city buses.

PS My European trips were NOT group trips ... usually solo, but meeting up for part of the trips with a friend or family of a teenager I hosted in the US.
 

Passepartout

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Timeshare is not for the OP. Too much advance planning is necessary. International timeshares are NOT where Americans want to travel. Cruises are a bad exchange. all you get is a small discount from the rack rate. Really, you will be better served taking last minute bargains from outfits like Travelzoo.com.

Jim
 

vacationtime1

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OP should consider renting timeshares, not buying them.
 

Jadida5

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Thanks you for posting this question. I too am looking to buy for similar reasons. We do mostly last minute trips with flexible times. I take several trips a year. One big one for a week and then a couple of 3 or 4 days. I'm looking to buy a Hilton south beach property because we go there once or twice a year. That is where we would use the points. We are very interested in weather or not we can get open season international discounts and good cruise discounts.
 

DeniseM

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Timesharing doesn't work well for last minute travel, because other owners are making their reservations as soon as the reservation window opens - so at the last minute, you will be looking at the leftovers.

You don't get a good deal on cruises: You have to give up your timeshare week, plus pay a high fee that is nearly as high as the price of a discounted cruise.
 

Johnnyweekend

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Timesharing doesn't work well for last minute travel, because other owners are making their reservations as soon as the reservation window opens - so at the last minute, you will be looking at the leftovers.

You don't get a good deal on cruises: You have to give up your timeshare week, plus pay a high fee that is nearly as high as the price of a discounted cruise.
There is a fee to get a cruise?
 

DeniseM

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Yes - you have to give them your timeshare week PLUS pay a fee that is almost as much as the price of a discounted cruise.

Timeshares are the best value when you stay in them - trading for cruises, hotels, airfare, etc, is almost always a bad deal.
 

Passepartout

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The only time you come out ahead exchanging TS points for cruises is when you reserve several cabins. Otherwise, the discount is just a little below a cruise discounter's price. And, you don't get to choose from ANY cruise.

Jim
 

Johnnyweekend

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Yes - you have to give them your timeshare week PLUS pay a fee that is almost as much as the price of a discounted cruise.

Timeshares are the best value when you stay in them - trading for cruises, hotels, airfare, etc, is almost always a bad deal.
Thank you, didn't know there is a fee. During the Marriott presentation they just showed that it requires a lot of points but no mention of fee.
For example purposes, say we want to do a 7 day Alaska cruise, what would be an estimate on the fee. One cabinet, 2 adults.
 

DeniseM

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Timeshare people lie, and lie by omission - they only care about their commission.

The fee would be almost as much as paying for a discounted cruise PLUS you have to give them your timeshare week - so you have to include the value of your timeshare to the cost of the cruise.

So trading your timeshare it's actually more expensive than just buying a discount cruise.
 
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