Crystal Shores Exchange

[Dean]

Yesterday EARLY AM I saw that one of my exchanges had matched to CS for our planned extended retirement trip. I did not get the email until early this AM a full 24 hours later. This is a Gulf View unit and starts on Thursday. We have the week prior booked for 7 nights Sunday to Sunday using points so overlapping for 3 days. I'll just shorten the current reservation to 4 days and shorten the week after which is also a points based reservation with a different timeshare system. I know exchanges to CS are not super common but the data point I was most interested in sharing was that this matched without contact to a Thursday unit, which is outside II's written policies. For us this is fine, we'll just have a longer stay at CS and shorter in Marathon which was a fill in between CS and Key West anyway. Our points reservation is Pool side higher floor, I'll ask of be in the same unit but realize with them being different view types we'll likely have a move units, not ideal but not a big deal either.

 

[chunkygal]

I've never been able to exchange it.

 

[Dean]

I've never been able to exchange it.

I've followed availability for months, usually checking between 3 & 5 AM at least once daily plus other times when I could. I've only seen one unit pop up. That was a week or so ago and for a few weeks earlier than we needed. This matched to a 2 BR Willow Ridge. I had also been searching using a 2 BR mid summer Grande Ocean week that I got when I bought a week a couple of years ago also. That one never matched to CS but it did end up matching to Grande Ocean for week 27 for 2026 a little over a month ago so it was not in play at the time of this exchange match. And I had other searches in that it could have matched to. Including Willow Ridge smaller units, GV 1BR, GC 1 BR and Ocean Point 1 BR. I've love to know whether it was the 2 BR that made the difference or just the luck of the draw though I'd guess it was the 2 BR that made the difference. I'm glad it was this one that matched as it expired a year earliest than most of my other deposits.

 

[dioxide45]

We've exchange in twice, both times for September and both times ended up being gulf front. One was during covid in 2020 but the other was last September. Both exchanges were using 2BR deposits but not very good weeks. One was a 2BR gold Grande Vista and the other was low season Canyon Villas.

 

[Dean]

We had exchanged in three times previously, 2 before the expansion. May 2009, early Sept 2020, early Nov, 2016 plus this one. The Sept was inside 60 days and likely had a covid effect. Plus it was a retrade using a studio at WR IIRC. I don't know that any of my other experiences would provide insight for now or going forward though.

 

[Zagrid094]

Congratulations on your retirement, Dean, and enjoy your trip! We love Key West (although it has been many years since we’ve visited) and Crystal Shores.

 

[Dean]

Congratulations on your retirement, Dean, and enjoy your trip! We love Key West (although it has been many years since we’ve visited) and Crystal Shores.

Thanks, excited and sad at the same time. I've had a great life and still do. I love what I do but I feel it's time. I also love the planning for trips and to be honest, the chase of the exchange and reservations. It will be weird going on a 2 month trip. I'm looking forward to Key West. My only experience there was off a cruise ship, one where we left late out of Tampa which shortened our time there.