13 month advantage fails

[MOXJO7282]

I couldn't secure a NCV July week even using the 13 month rule when I called the other day. Very disappointing as we were trying to go for my son's b-day.

What is even more upsetting is the rep tols me there is no July weeks left from the 50% allocation of the 13 month rule because other owners have already strung multiple weeks together and used up the entire allocation.

This means that it is fruitless to try and call next week to secure a late 2010 July week using the 13 month rule because there are no more 13 months July weks left at the NCV.

I screwed up because I could have called June 28th with my MOW July 4th week and added NCV consectively from there.

 

[ciscogizmo1]

You can still call at 12 months. I wouldn't give up hope just yet.

 

[jme]

call every day....stuff happens. every once in a while, a week or two will appear for various reasons....... just trust me....jme

 

[SueDonJ]

I haven't yet been able to take advantage of the 13-month rule when trying to book my first choice consecutive Gold/Platinum weeks (straddling Memorial Day weekend) because (one) there are only 5 of those specific Gold units I own that are available before the 12-month mark, and (two) other multi-week owners string together consecutive weeks before I'm able that eat up those units. It's frustrating, isn't it?

This year I tried something different and booked the Gold/Platinum combination that was available at the 13-month mark and then tried for my other Gold at the 12-month mark by using the online reservation system instead of the phone. Don't know why I didn't trust it before, but finally I listened to all the folks who said it was quicker than the phone and Voila! - success! Give it a try right at the 9EST opening and good luck.

Of course now we're sitting on reservations for two units for the same Gold week and one for the consecutive Platinum week for next year. Could be we'll have lots of company for that first week, or we'll cancel and re-book one week, or an exchange to somewhere new and exotic is in our future. Who knows?!

 

[dougp26364]

You can still call at 12 months. I wouldn't give up hope just yet.

I think what she was saying was, there were enough owners with Multiple weeks that they were able to string them together, in advance of the 13 month rule, to take up 100% of the weeks in July. For me that would be hard to believe but, NCV seems to have issues wtih availability during the summer months.

The sad thing is some of these units will be taken strictly for exchange with owners wanting the "highest" trade power whether they need it or not. It may be possible for the OP to reserve her NCV week, then put in an ongoing exchange back into the resort and get the week they want. This is the one thing I don't care for with Marriott's reservation system vs the points system of Hilton Grand Vacation Club. Owners can take the most prized weeks to exchange rather than use, leaving owners who would actually want to use those weeks out in the cold.

 

[dioxide45]

I think what she was saying was, there were enough owners with Multiple weeks that they were able to string them together, in advance of the 13 month rule, to take up 100% of the weeks in July. For me that would be hard to believe but, NCV seems to have issues wtih availability during the summer months.
.

I don't think this is the case. The OP did indicate that all of the 50% allocatoin was used up for July, not that all July weeks were gone.

 

[leylandpark]

I was able to to secure July 11th 2010 at NCV using my 13-month and had no problems. Now you do have to call the first thing in the morning to make your reservation. Don't delay.

 

[dougp26364]

I don't think this is the case. The OP did indicate that all of the 50% allocatoin was used up for July, not that all July weeks were gone.

You may be right. I get it wrong a fair amount of the time.

 

[MOXJO7282]

I was able to to secure July 11th 2010 at NCV using my 13-month and had no problems. Now you do have to call the first thing in the morning to make your reservation. Don't delay.

Called at the stroke of 9am EST

 

[m61376]

Joe- Hope you already tried again this morning and had some luck today.
Things do open up and, of course, 50% are still open for single week owners.

 

[thinze3]

Joe- Hope you already tried again this morning and had some luck today.
Things do open up ...

... and the reason often is because people book certain weeks as a backup and then change their reservations later as their most desired weeks come available. Call weekly just after the phones open for the new weeks and then call again about 30 minutes later.

Also, at the 12 month time period, start calling at about 7:58 and keep hitting redial until the lines open (when the recording is no longer there). Of course you will have your laptop going and keep hitting refresh as well.

 

[ciscogizmo1]

What is even CRAZIER!!! is that someone bought multiple weeks of timeshares just to stay the week or July 4th or rent it out. Just seems silly to me to do that just for one week.

 

[m61376]

What is even CRAZIER!!! is that someone bought multiple weeks of timeshares just to stay the week or July 4th or rent it out. Just seems silly to me to do that just for one week.

Isn't the 4th a Holiday week (Plat. Plus) at NCV?

 

[ciscogizmo1]

Isn't the 4th a Holiday week (Plat. Plus) at NCV?

You are right. I don't know what I was thinking I assumed this poster was trying to reserve a 4th of July week. But it looks like he was just reserving a week in July. My mistake but still I don't get the logic of owning multiple weeks when you just want one particular week in July. To me it would be a waste of my vacation dollars but that's me.

 

[ldanna]

Isn't the 4th a Holiday week (Plat. Plus) at NCV?

Week 26 at Newport Coast is a fixed week (Platinum Plus). You don't need to reserve it, it's alreadly reserved for you.

Platinum season runs from week 23 throght 51, except week 26.

 

[taffy19]

I don't think this is the case. The OP did indicate that all of the 50% allocatoin was used up for July, not that all July weeks were gone.

OK, now I have a question again. When 50% of the inventory is released to single week owners and the other half to multiple week owners but there are more multiple week owners now, does that mean that they are having a harder time today getting the desired weeks as more owners are competing for the most desirable weeks in the multiple week owner group?

This was my argument all along when we owned a single floating week because at that time there were many more single week owners than multiple week owners like there may be now and it was practically impossible for us to make our reservations after the 13 months perk was introduced. It seems to me now that the scale has tipped again in favor of the one week owners or do I see this wrong again?

I am no longer affected so it is no longer my concern but it is a problem for many floating week owners either in the first or second group depending which one is the biggest group now, I believe.

I am well aware too that the NCVs have too many platinum weeks and that doesn't help the problem either.

It is also true that weeks may become available later in the day or even weeks later because of cancellations. Good luck to Joe!

 

[leylandpark]

As a multi-week owner, I always take advantage of the 13-month reservation and book in July and August. You get better trading power during the summer months.

 

[leylandpark]

I forgot to add the most common mistakes are (1) not knowing the day to call for making the 13 month reservations and (2) not calling exactly at 9am on the day.

 

[jme]

Here's The Way It Works

There seems to be some confusion, or at least I perceive that because of the way some comments were worded. But here's the scoop:

Those calling to book a week 13 months out (multiple week owners only) can only receive 50% of the inventory for that week, period. That means that the other 50% of those weeks remain for ANYONE to book the following month (single week owners, MORE multiple week owners who were denied, i.e.,ANY OWNER wishing to book). You just have to book it fast enough to be one of the lucky ones to get the first 50% of the weeks.

Now, since only 50% of those weeks can be given out at that time of 13 months out, it means that the other 50% are NOT BOOKED, still available, but can only be booked as early as the 12-month-out day, or AFTER. Simple as that.

They don't hold inventory for "single-week owners", per se. They have 50% of the weeks left, so at the 12-month-out day, the other 50% become available for booking by anyone who calls, including single-week owners, multiple weeks owners, any owner.

It's frustrating, sure, but some weeks are simply more desirable than others, and seem to be in higher demand for whatever reason......last two gold weeks prior to summer are typically the most highly sought-after, because of kids getting out of school, and families are therefore already available for travel. Two weeks earlier , the kids are still in school, and the demand isn't there, even tho the weeks are still gold weeks. jme

 

[SueDonJ]

There seems to be some confusion, or at least I perceive that because of the way some comments were worded. But here's the scoop:

Those calling to book a week 13 months out (multiple week owners only) can only receive 50% of the inventory for that week, period. That means that the other 50% of those weeks remain for ANYONE to book the following month (single week owners, MORE multiple week owners who were denied, i.e.,ANY OWNER wishing to book). You just have to book it fast enough to be one of the lucky ones to get the first 50% of the weeks.

Now, since only 50% of those weeks can be given out at that time of 13 months out, it means that the other 50% are NOT BOOKED, still available, but can only be booked as early as the 12-month-out day, or AFTER. Simple as that.

They don't hold inventory for "single-week owners", per se. They have 50% of the weeks left, so at the 12-month-out day, the other 50% become available for booking by anyone who calls, including single-week owners, multiple weeks owners, any owner.

It's frustrating, sure, but some weeks are simply more desirable than others, and seem to be in higher demand for whatever reason......last two gold weeks prior to summer are typically the most highly sought-after, because of kids getting out of school, and families are therefore already available for travel. Two weeks earlier , the kids are still in school, and the demand isn't there, even tho the weeks are still gold weeks. jme

To add to this, here's something that I've posted previously in another discussion:

>>Technically, it's only correct that 50% of the inventory is held back for the 12-month mark (as opposed to it being technically correct that 50% is available at the 13-month mark.) It is theoretically possible for the advance-release inventory to be reserved at any point prior to the 13-month mark. Consider the owners who reserve consecutively -- multi weeks reserved consecutively will result in all of those units being taken out of the pool on the first day that reservation can be made, which is 13-months in advance of the first check-in day. For example, the six consecutive weeks from 2/1/10 - 3/14/10 could theoretically be booked on 1/1/09 by a single owner.<<

I'm not sure how or if this helps the question of which group of owners - single or multi-week, holds the advantage for booking based on how many of each type of owner exists. I agree with jme, though, that the true advantage lies with whoever is fast enough to book whatever inventory is available as soon as it becomes available.

 

[jme]

To add to this, here's something that I've posted previously in another discussion:

>>Technically, it's only correct that 50% of the inventory is held back for the 12-month mark (as opposed to it being technically correct that 50% is available at the 13-month mark.) It is theoretically possible for the advance-release inventory to be reserved at any point prior to the 13-month mark. Consider the owners who reserve consecutively -- multi weeks reserved consecutively will result in all of those units being taken out of the pool on the first day that reservation can be made, which is 13-months in advance of the first check-in day. For example, the six consecutive weeks from 2/1/10 - 3/14/10 could theoretically be booked on 1/1/09 by a single owner.<<

I'm not sure how or if this helps the question of which group of owners - single or multi-week, holds the advantage for booking based on how many of each type of owner exists. I agree with jme, though, that the true advantage lies with whoever is fast enough to book whatever inventory is available as soon as it becomes available.

You make a good point that some weeks can, and often are (actually always are), taken out of the pool at an early point. I just didn't get that technical about it, because it's the overall concept of NOT allowing total booking of weeks at the 13-mo date that I was alluding to. Your point is entirely correct.

I didn't mean that there are always exactly 50% and 50% of weeks available at 13 and 12-month dates, but only that there are a LARGE portion of weeks booked at the 13-mo day, and an "approximately equivalent" LARGE portion of weeks held back until the 12-mo day, so that it becomes a more FAIR process.

I didn't mean a mathematical half and half, but it was figurative, symbolic, or whatever we want to call it. I think we both agree that for fairness' sake, Marriott holds a large portion back, that's all.

News Flash: *****There are also a very few minimal weeks held onto by a special resort executive for certain purposes, which are not given out at either prior date, so that those special weeks can be utilized at a later date should something unusual arise.

For instance, if the Queen of England wished to visit my home resort on a certain date, the resort "special executive" would have a certain number of weeks which would be immediately available. By the time the weeks roll around, they are placed back into the pool for use if the need never arose. That's why I say always keep checking back and back and back.....you never know when a week will show up.....of course they are snapped up as soon as they hit the available pool, but nevertheless, they were there. jme

 

[davidvel]

I always love these 12/13 month threads.

Can anyone point me to anything in writing that says 50% of weeks are reserved for single week owners?

Also, is there anything in writing that says that if you own any two Marriott weeks (as opposed to 2+ weeks in the same resort) that you have a deeded right to reserve at 13 months out?

Just curious.

 

[SueDonJ]

I always love these 12/13 month threads.

Can anyone point me to anything in writing that says 50% of weeks are reserved for single week owners?

Not me.

Also, is there anything in writing that says that if you own any two Marriott weeks (as opposed to 2+ weeks in the same resort) that you have a deeded right to reserve at 13 months out?

Just curious.

In the Owner Reference Guide that we were given on the day we bought, it says this:

"If you are a multiple-week Owner who wants to reserve concurrent or consecutive weeks to occupy, you may make reservations beginning 13 months prior to the first check-in day of your desired week."

Nothing in there or in any of the ownership documents that specifies the consecutive/concurrent weeks need to be at the same resort, and I've never seen a post from anyone here which stated that they were unable to use two different resorts.

BUT there is that pesky "to occupy" which is never enforced, as far as I know, and in fact is completely ignored by the sales reps and Vacation Ownership Advisors. Think about it, though - how is it even possible for an owner "to occupy" two or more concurrent weeks?

 

[SueDonJ]

... For instance, if the Queen of England wished to visit my home resort ...

I agree with everything in your post but this particular line made me laugh. We invite company to travel with us whenever we have the extra space, and Don's line is always, "I don't care if the Queen of England wants to join us, nobody else is getting the master bedroom!" :hysterical:

 

[dioxide45]

I always love these 12/13 month threads.

Can anyone point me to anything in writing that says 50% of weeks are reserved for single week owners?
.

No one can provide this because it doesn't exist. No weeks are reserved for single week owners, see previous posts. 50% are held back from early booking by multiple week owners but that doesn't mean that only single week owners can book them.