Abound reservations, exactly what time 13 months in advance?

[luv_maui]

So I want to reserve RC St. Thomas 2/1/26 check-in, with chairman status. Reservation calculator states I can first reserve on 12/31/24. Exactly what time should I be making my reservation ?.

 

[ljmiii]

9AM EST. But...the RCC St Thomas has been very flaky about actually releasing at the 13 month mark the past few years.

It can't hurt to try at the opening bell, but don't be surprised to find that nothing is available. Just keep trying periodically through the first day and then again every day or three. I've succeeded in getting Jan/Feb reservations every year since about 2000 sometime between the 11 and 13 month marks...though lost two of those to COVID.

 

[luv_maui]

9AM EST. But...the RCC St Thomas has been very flaky about actually releasing at the 13 month mark the past few years.

It can't hurt to try at the opening bell, but don't be surprised to find that nothing is available. Just keep trying periodically through the first day and then again every day or three. I've succeeded in getting Jan/Feb reservations every year since about 2000 sometime between the 11 and 13 month marks...though lost two of those to COVID.

Ok, thanks for the info

 

[dioxide45]

You can also try online at midnight the day of inventory release

 

[jimf41]

It looks like we're competitors. That said, in the spirit of tuggers helping tuggers I'll give you some tips. When you read call at 9:00 on the first day the inventory opens it means 9:00 not 9:01. I actually dial at 8:59:57. It requires some practice to see how much time it takes for the phone to ring on MVC's end as close to 9:00 but not 1 second before. I've been doing this now for about 3 weeks and I just snagged Christmas week at MFC a few days ago. I've never seen that open up in the 10 years or so I've looking.

As for RC there are three days open in JAN but nothing for 7 days at Aruba or the STT resorts. Good advice to look 11-13 months out but make sure to use the same 9:00 trick at the 12 month mark also. I n the past when traveling for myself I have picked up individual days and managed to fill in a week with three or more reservations. That's unwieldy if you plan on renting the unit as MVC won't combine reservations until two weeks out.

Keep checking as often as you can online, I recommend daily. As to checking online at midnight the day of the reservation I've snagged a few like that over the years usually around 3-4 AM. I'm fully retired now so I don't work nights anymore so I haven't tried that in awhile.

Good luck

Jim

 

[SueDonJ]

A reminder that when booking Weeks the inventory release happens at 9:00AM on the dot, but when booking Abound Points even though they say it's 9AM, it's usually available sometime after midnight on that same day.

 

[Dean]

A reminder that when booking Weeks the inventory release happens at 9:00AM on the dot, but when booking Abound Points even though they say it's 9AM, it's usually available sometime after midnight on that same day.

Or even 1 to 2 days before at times. The most common time I've seen is 5 pm the day before unless the day before is a holiday then 2 days before.

 

[jimf41]

Great thread, I'm adding more info to my booking strategy.

 

[dougp26364]

Sometimes, if your booking points at a resort that sold all weeks, you never know when inventory might show up. Customer House has always been tough to book as a for instance. A couple of months back I was able to book not one, it two identical weeks at Custom House for the end of September first week of October.

EDIT: after thinking about it, I had to go back nd look at the date we booked those Custom House weeks. Turns out I booked than]m on the opening day of the 12 month mark and didn’t even realize it. I do so many random searches I guess I wasn’t paying attention.

 

[Bill4728]

When I want to use the 30% discount at 60 days that chairmen and presidential owners get, I have found I can add time starting at midnight eastern ( or in my case 9pm the day before pacific time)

 

[dioxide45]

When I want to use the 30% discount at 60 days that chairmen and presidential owners get, I have found I can add time starting at midnight eastern ( or in my case 9pm the day before pacific time)

The inventory is already released in these situations, the system is just looking for system time to determine the applicable discounts. Thus midnight Eastern Time works.