A new Vidanta perk?

[rboesl]

There's been threads here in the past about Vidanta starting a cruise line. Well, I received a mailing yesterday about Vidanta Cruises. They've finished refurbishing an old cruise ship from the hull in. The resulting ship has been named the Vidanta Elegant.

According to the letter, and color brochure, the ship will have just 298 staterooms. All with a balcony and a sizable footprint. Another touting point is a 1-to-1 ratio of staff to guests.

What's the perk you ask? According to the letter, if you make reservations at Vidanta's Nuevo Vallarta property you can choose to split your week between land and sea.

With the first sailings scheduled for this summer it also, to me, looks to be a way for Vidanta to boost their summer business.

Grupo Vidanta acquires cruise ship
https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Grupo-Vidanta-acquires-cruise-ship

By Tom Stieghorst / Cruise / Travel Weekly / travelweekly.com / Mar 26, 2019

“Mexico resort developer Grupo Vidanta plans to sail a 298-passenger luxury cruise ship from its resort in Nuevo Vallarta, giving travelers the option for a cruise and resort vacation.

The company plans its inaugural voyage in the fall of 2019 on the Vidanta Elegant. Vidanta Cruises will be Mexico's first luxury cruise line, the company said.

Grupo Vidanta acquired a 15,000-gross-ton ship built for 540 passengers as the Crown Monarch. Built in 1990, the ship most recently sailed for Voyages of Discovery.

Grupo Vidanta refit the ship, reducing the number of cabins to 149. It has six public decks and dining areas, 11 bars and lounges, an entertainment venue, a full-service spa and fitness center, a top deck pool and several Jacuzzis, Vidanta said.

Information on itineraries, voyage length, destinations and cruising dates will be released at a later date.”

Photo: Travel Weekly

Another story...

www.riviera-maya-news.com/mexico-announces-launch-of-its-first-fleet-of-luxury-cruise-ships/2019.html

I think this ship was most recently operated by a German cruise operator. It made round-the-world cruises, divided into segments, and sold them to primarily German (and other European) passengers. It made a port call in Mazatlan last January while we were there, and was stopping at the usual West Coast Mexican ports. Rumor has it that Vidanta is upgrading the Northern Sea of Cortez port of San Carlos, where they have a resort, to be their cruise port.

Jim

 

[pittle]

We got one too.

Actually, it has 149 Staterooms and 298 guests.

It looks enticing, but no one has all the specifics yet, but are interested in the costs involved.

 

[rboesl]

Yeah, sorry. Misread those numbers. Gotta see the itineraries before deciding if it's worth it.

 

[Eric B]

My guess is that this is something to add value to the very low season and encourage people to come down in the summer. When we've come down then and asked, occupancy has been ~15% or so. Also, that time of year there aren't as many cruise ships in PV, so pied space should be easy to get. Itineraries and pricing are supposed to be announced this month.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Received a really nice brochure by mail today (March 29 2019) sent by Vidanta Cruises / Mayan Palace owners .
Not a lot of new information / other than plans to grow beyond one ship .

It does say: you can book a week vacation & split between cruise & Vidanta NV resort - with only one check-in procedure .

Classy presentation & pictures .

 

[hellolani]

Wow this is an interesting development!

 

[bizaro86]

Received a really nice brochure by mail today (March 29 2019) sent by Vidanta Cruises / Mayan Palace owners .
Not a lot of new information / other than plans to grow beyond one ship .

It does say: you can book a week vacation & split between cruise & Vidanta NV resort - with only one check-in procedure .

Classy presentation & pictures .

I couldn't imagine a world where I'd be willing to go through the Vidanta check-in procedure twice in one week...

 

[hellolani]

It's true and you're trapped onboard for the 1-1 ratio of presentation people to find you!

 

[pianoetudes]

I agree with Eric that vidanta wants to increase summer occupancy. I'm also sure everyone has received the email about $450 resort credit at any vidanta resort. I got the 'spam' email almost every week. The last one is to bring your mother to the resort for mother's day.

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

I agree with Eric that vidanta wants to increase summer occupancy.
I'm also sure everyone has received the email about $450 resort credit

The last one is to bring your mother to the resort for mother's day.
Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

it is a pretty good deal -
Especially if your MF is below $1000 .

*******
added - I would call it a promo / perk of ownership vs. just exchanging .

Vidanta owners almost always have bonus weeks in their contracts
that are for non-snowbird season use . (May- mid Dec)
This promo gives you a better deal for using those ownership bonus weeks .

 

[amycurl]

If they really wanted to increase their occupancy during the summer, they wouldn't charge those ridonkulous resort fees to exchangers during the summer...

 

[TravelTime]

Two things I do not like about these ships: 1) no balconies and 2) can’t escape the timeshare people. I was sailing on Tradewinds and doubt I will go again because the captain and the chef are timeshare salespeople. Not fun when you are socializing with them 24/7.

 

[mikenk]

This might help explain why they wanted a cruise line. Islas Marias is about 80KM from PVR.

https://www.vallartadaily.com/grupo-vidanta-planning-to-invest-in-a-tourist-complex-on-islas-marias/

It was an infamous prison - now closed down. Do you think this might be converted to a new sales office?

Mike

 

[Eric B]

This might help explain why they wanted a cruise line. Islas Marias is about 80KM from PVR.

https://www.vallartadaily.com/grupo-vidanta-planning-to-invest-in-a-tourist-complex-on-islas-marias/

It was an infamous prison - now closed down. Do you think this might be converted to a new sales office?

Mike

Well, it’s got all the right characteristics already....

 

[taffy19]

 

[buzglyd]

The LA Times has a story on Vidanta cruises as well.

https://www.latimes.com/travel/cruises/la-tr-travel-mexico-new-cruise-lines-20190417-story.html

 

[KathyAH475]

I agree with Eric that vidanta wants to increase summer occupancy. I'm also sure everyone has received the email about $450 resort credit at any vidanta resort. I got the 'spam' email almost every week. The last one is to bring your mother to the resort for mother's day.

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk

Hmmm....I did not receive and emails from Vidanta for $450 resort credit. Nor, the mother's day one.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Hmmm....I did not receive and emails from Vidanta for $450 resort credit. Nor, the mother's day one.

The $450 resort credit is for new reservations that are during shoulder seasons.
I do not think your dates( April 27- May 4/ posted in another thread) were ever
part of the various email promo dates sent to owners .

It is probably still worth calling Vidanta reservations - and politely asking if there is anything they can offer .
They generally ask your email to make sure their records are up to date . ( also - check your spam) .

The Mother’s Day one must be booked by April 26 / for travel by July 15

 

[Pathways]

It is probably still worth calling Vidanta reservations - and politely asking if there is anything they can offer

I received emails touting 5 different 'themes' for the discount, each with different coupon codes, expiration dates and different resorts. I finally called Vidanta, and they said it is actually good at all resorts until November 19. Just ask for it when making the reservation.

 

[TravelTime]

The LA Times has a story on Vidanta cruises as well.

https://www.latimes.com/travel/cruises/la-tr-travel-mexico-new-cruise-lines-20190417-story.html

This is a great video. It got me to thinking that they should start a hotel section and allow bookings outside of membership like Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Garza Blanca. Then their units will have a real market value like these other brands do. No one knows who they are because they only promote to foreigners at the airports in Mexico.

 

[KathyAH475]

The $450 resort credit is for new reservations that are during shoulder seasons.
I do not think your dates( April 27- May 4/ posted in another thread) were ever
part of the various email promo dates sent to owners .

It is probably still worth calling Vidanta reservations - and politely asking if there is anything they can offer .
They generally ask your email to make sure their records are up to date . ( also - check your spam) .

The Mother’s Day one must be booked by April 26 / for travel by July 15

Thank you! I actually am staying a second week, so I will call them later this morning.

 

[KathyAH475]

I received emails touting 5 different 'themes' for the discount, each with different coupon codes, expiration dates and different resorts. I finally called Vidanta, and they said it is actually good at all resorts until November 19. Just ask for it when making the reservation.

I called about the $450 resort credit, and was told I could not qualify because I booked too early. So, no credit for me, even though I have 2 three BR Spa units booked for week May 4-11. I never got any of these emails, however. Not in my spam folder, either. She checked to be sure I was signed up for all Vidanta emails, and said I was. Interesting.

 

[Eric B]

I called about the $450 resort credit, and was told I could not qualify because I booked too early. So, no credit for me, even though I have 2 three BR Spa units booked for week May 4-11. I never got any of these emails, however. Not in my spam folder, either. She checked to be sure I was signed up for all Vidanta emails, and said I was. Interesting.

In my opinion, Vidanta has a habit of setting up incentive systems that defeat their desired outcomes because they don’t consider the unintended consequences they come with. I don’t think all is lost for you on this, though. If you booked these weeks last year, there is a $50 cancellation fee and the usage fees went up $100 for a 3 BR Spa. As a result, it might cost you $150 each to cancel them, then re-book the reservations for the same weeks, thereby getting a $450 resort credit for each one. In addition, the reservation clerks are paid by the reservation they make, which ought to align the incentives for them with the outcome you want. No guarantees that it would work, but it’s in the shoulder season and they don’t have an automated reservation system that would snap up your weeks even if they were fully booked.

My take on the whole thing, though, is that Vidanta owners are much better off either exchanging back in with less expensive timeshare weeks in the off season or waiting until Vidanta realizes they need more heads in beds and adds incentives.

A more rational approach for them would be to realize that not giving you the resort credit is annoying and a disincentive to having owners come in the off season on their full fare weeks. They aren’t willing to reduce the fees then, so they should do something to align there incentive systems with the behavior they want to encourage.

 

[KathyAH475]

Thank you, Eric, for the insight on this. I did think of cancelling, and if it was just my immediate family going, I would. We are here now (booked the April 27-May 4 3 BR spa) in addition to the two for next week. I haven't exchanged into GL since ownership here, nor have I used SFX week, but I will definitely take your advice regarding that in the off-season. No one seems at reservations seems to know why I do not get emails regarding these incentives. They have my correct email, and I receive the cruise and Vida dollar (even though I stopped paying and can't use it) emails, but nothing else. Oh, by the way- what a surprise being dropped off at transportation central from the airport! We had to wait around 8 minutes for a shuttle to drive us to Grand Luxxe Lobby to check in, but once we got there, check-in went smoothly and quickly. Our room was ready before 1 pm. I asked if a couple of my benefit massages could be used this week instead of next week, and was told no, they could not move them from the week assigned. We have been enjoying the Salum area, and had a delicious meal and yummy mescal/ancho verde poblano based margarita at Limon y Sal (formerly Blue Fish). I was disappointed that Chiringuitos was closed for dinner for all of May and more. We enjoy seeing/hearing the very talented Natalia and Daniel, flamenco dancer and guitarist when we visit RM. I feel badly they are losing the weekly gig/income. There are multiple new Mercedes cars adorned with huge bows near the drop off at Salum. Appears to be incentives for top salespersons. I may need to change my mind on attending the dreaded update. I have been saying "no" to those over the last couple of years- perhaps that is why I do not get emails about incentives : )

 

[KathyAH475]

Question about internet: Was there always a 3 device limit on the RM GL member internet? I do not recall ever having to kick others in my party off their devices to use the internet.