Help! for getting Feb 2013 at MMOC 13 mod out??

[thinze3]

This shouldn't have been an issue, at least not yet. Looking at the call in calendars for resorts with Thursday checkin and those with Friday. The call in day is Monday on both. This is the case for checkins up to the end of February. After February the call in date for resorts with Friday checkin goes back to "normal" and is a day later than those with Thursday. It probably has something to do with the leap year.
...

Am I missing something? Where did you see this?

Are you saying because Thursday one year in advance is a Saturday?


For everyone:
Here is a link to calendars at all Marriott resorts.

 

[BocaBoy]

I would not expect February to be the highest demand time for Maui Ocean Club - that honor goes to Christmas, Easter/Spring Break, and the summer months. That makes your difficulty all the more vexing.

Actually, February is a very high demand time in Maui. In addition to being a time to get away from winter weather on the mainland, it is when the whales are at their peak.

I had the same 13-month February problem as the OP last year and did a lot of investigating and analysis and learned a few things. Contributing to the OPs problem is the fact that many OF weeks in Lahaina Tower (and a few in Napili) were sold as fixed weeks. Lahaina Tower was 100% sold out and there were relatively few left in Napili when DC was introduced, so I do not think that the DC is much of the problem.

Perhaps the biggest factor (which is not readily apparent) is that there are a lot of multiple owners of OF floating weeks in the new towers who want to spend several weeks in Maui during the winter. They make 13-month reservations (from that relatively small pool of floating weeks) to start in January and continue into February, several weeks ahead. Because the summer, Christmas, spring break weeks are in high demand largely due to families, those weeks are typically shorter stays. February is the high point for reservations of three weeks and longer. This is the main reason why all 13-month reservations are gone so far ahead for February.

It is much easier to make reservations at the 12-month mark if you do it the first day.

 

[SueDonJ]

Am I missing something? Where did you see this?

Are you saying because Thursday one year in advance is a Saturday?


For everyone:
Here is a link to calendars at all Marriott resorts.

Terry, your link is best for figuring out the first day of every check-in period, based on which days of the week are check-in days at every resort. As well, it delineates the seasons at every resort.

This one, new from Marriott in the last year, leaves no question about what the Call-In Date for every check-in day is. It's probably what Dioxide used to figure out that, for example, the Call-In Date using the 13-month window is 12/5/11 whether your first check-in day is Fri, 1/4/13 or Thu, 1/3/13. (I used SurfWatch's Fri-Sat-Sun and DSV's Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon calendars to check this.) As he says, the pattern seems to follow for check-ins through the end of Feb, 2013.

 

[SueDonJ]

... It is much easier to make reservations at the 12-month mark if you do it the first day.

The other thing to remember is that if you're not able to make a reservation until the 12-mos mark for the first week of the multi-week reservation that you want, at that point you will be inside the 13-mos window for any consecutive weeks as well. So if you get your first week through the online portal at 12-mos, you can immediately call in to Owner Services and ask them to check on availability for the second in your string. If it's available then, great! If not, you can try the online portal again the following week immediately when the consecutive week's 12-mos window opens.

If what you want is concurrent weeks and you don't get the first until the 12-mos window through the online portal, you can immediately try for the second through the same channel or by calling Owner Services.

 

[thinze3]

Terry, your link is best for figuring out the first day of every check-in period, based on which days of the week are check-in days at every resort. As well, it delineates the seasons at every resort.

This one, new from Marriott in the last year, leaves no question about what the Call-In Date for every check-in day is. It's probably what Dioxide used to figure out that, for example, the Call-In Date using the 13-month window is 12/5/11 whether your first check-in day is Fri, 1/4/13 or Thu, 1/3/13. (I used SurfWatch's Fri-Sat-Sun and DSV's Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon calendars to check this.) As he says, the pattern seems to follow for check-ins through the end of Feb, 2013.

Thanks. You can compare DSV & MOC below. On many months there is a distinct difference on call in days, but most months say call in on Monday regardless of the resort or check-in day.

DSV
http://img.vacationclubsurvey.com/images/ownercomm/LeapYear/2013/InventoryRelease2013_TFSSM_DE.pdf

MOC
http://img.vacationclubsurvey.com/images/ownercomm/LeapYear/2013/InventoryRelease2013_FSS_MH.pdf

 

[Southerngirl528]

Wow! Thanks to ALL of you for your amazingly detailed info!! It's just what I was looking for and what I need. I had heard nothing but great things about TUG, but had only lurked a handful of times. I am REALLY glad I just went ahead and joined yesterday!

I have definitely been going to the website often since the 2nd, when I called & tried to get my reservation. Checking it often. I do have a print-out of MVC's Call-In dates/Inventory Opening chart right at my computer desk.

SueDon, thanks for shedding a little more light on exactly what I planned to do. Bocaboy, thanks for sharing your research. Did you ever get what you wanted last year? What dates did you end up with?

I am a Platinum season, though not entirely sure what that means...... Thanks again to each of you for your ongoing insights and assistance. I am truly grateful.

 

[SueDonJ]

I know exactly how you feel, Southerngirl! The "What Day Do I Call?" and "Why Isn't There Availability?" questions were the hardest ones for me to figure out for the longest time, and it was only through TUGgers' help - and Marriott's helpful links that were only introduced last year - that I finally got it. Like most others, though, I still have heart palpitations waiting for reservation windows to open, and I still pray to the Timeshare Gods while I'm working though the phone and online systems. It's very nerve-wracking!

Only a couple more hints - don't wait until the day your 12-mos window opens to familiarize yourself with the online portal. Sign in to your account and click through the Windows to get an idea of what you should be seeing ("sign in, Book My Vacation, etc.) Maybe somebody who owns only weeks will step in here and tell you the quickest clicks to take - I don't know if my DC-enrollment makes my windows look different than yours. Then that morning before 9AM, click through as far as you can until you're just at the point where the calendar opens. Every second saved helps!

And finally, watch for your email about your TUG membership. There are a couple steps you'll have to take to change your TUG status from Guest to Member. Welcome!

 

[jpc763]

Here is the step by step to reserve from a weeks owner not enrolled in points

Log In and you get this screen

Click on "Check Availability" and you get this screen

Click on "Use My Week" and you get this next screen

Note: If you unit is a lockoff, you will have multiple options as in the above screen. On this next screen, you will see your season as well as available check in days that are open.

Once you choose, there are more screens but I did not go past this one.

Good luck!

 

[scrapngen]

.....and Welcome to TUG!!!

 

[Southerngirl528]

Oh SueDon, you crack me up!! But I feel EXACTLY like you!!!

And JPC, wow! Thanks for sharing all the pages!!! Those are the exact ones I've been going through to check availability online, but it sure is good to know from seasoned MVC owners what is what!!! Thank you for taking the time it took to do that!! Every time I sit down at my computer since Monday's sad attempt at my desired res, I have my MVC screen open to "check availability"!

I think the thing that is chapping me is that as a DVC member for almost 20 yrs, I do well know the ropes of supply/demand and the importance of being one of the very 1st callers on the day when inventory is released, and I have perused MVC's site to familiarize myself. DVC is just getting ready to have online booking for the 1 1st time, in just a few days. That will be interesting, because like all of you, we have very savvy members ( I like to think I'm one of those, but maybe not....), and they ferret out every molecule of info possible. Like all of us, yes??

Which is EXACTLY what brought me here! DVC is quite different in many respects from MVC. So, when I don't know something, I'm gonna look for the experts!! And here you are!!! Yippee!!! I am thrilled to own a teensy piece of Maui, which I absolutely adore. Just feels like home to me. And no one wants me to be happier with my purchase than ME!!

Thinze, you will have to post here to let me know how your Monday morning fares. I was just now able to switch to a closing shift so that I will be able to be home to focus on getting this reservation nailed!!!

Once again, as I read and re-read all your posts, I am soaking it up like a big ol' sponge!

 

[Southerngirl528]

Thanks, Scrapngen!

 

[DeniseM]

Hawaii Travel demand index - Feb. does have pretty high demand:

 

[ahdah]

Same problem with a silver week on Hilton Head

I have always called the first thing (12 months out) and reserved my week. This year, I was calling for Grand Ocean, silver season, and even though it was 3 or 4 minutes past 9 a.m. I did not get a reservation. They said they were already booked. I think I was their second caller. They said it was owners with two weeks who called 13 months in advance. I couldn't believe that this is the first year that all of those owners wanted their week.

 

[BocaBoy]

Bocaboy, thanks for sharing your research. Did you ever get what you wanted last year? What dates did you end up with?

Yes, I did. We were trying to get a week at Ko Olina followed by three weeks in Maui. I was able to get the Ko Olina week and the first Maui week at the 13-month mark and then got the last two Maui weeks at the 12-month mark. We ended up with January 28-February 25. The week we could not get at 13+ months was February 11-18.

 

[Southerngirl528]

Thanks, Boca! That's good to know! Say a little prayer for me to get my reservations!

 

[dioxide45]

Hawaii Travel demand index - Feb. does have pretty high demand:

I am starting to think the new TDIs are bunk. I think there is an error in these. This doesn't make any sense. The "Market Average" is 100. How then can all weeks be equal to or higher than 100? Average would mean that about half are below and about half are above. More exactly, if you were to add all the numbers up for all 52 weeks and divide by 52, you should come out to around 100.

 

[BocaBoy]

Thanks, Boca! That's good to know! Say a little prayer for me to get my reservations!

Let us know how you fare. This is a subject of keen interest to me since it is our primary home resort.

 

[thinze3]

...

Thinze, you will have to post here to let me know how your Monday morning fares. I was just now able to switch to a closing shift so that I will be able to be home to focus on getting this reservation nailed!!!

Once again, as I read and re-read all your posts, I am soaking it up like a big ol' sponge!

This weekend I decided to wait until February and reserve mid-March weeks instead. I was going to use a Presidents week BeachPlace to place a request first in Hawaii, but I have had so much luck renting mid-March weeks at BeachPlace that I decided to stick with it. That way I can have a request and a rental ad at the same time.

Based on everything I read, I'm glad I didn't frustrate myself yesterday.

 

[MOXJO7282]

Well I screwed up and didn't call until 3 pm and didn't get all the weeks I wanted at MOC. Did get 2 of the 3 Pres week, so I need to try for the third at the 12 month mark. Used my Aruba Surf on the front end.

 

[Southerngirl528]

Hi All!

Thinze, you're probably smarter than me for the date switch. And Moxjo, I'm happy to hear you got what you wanted, even though you did not call 1st thing! Woohoo!

Update on my quest to actually USE my new Maui Ocean Club Napili membership....... Monday the 9th, I had changed shifts, had my member website up and ready, and was dialing, dialing moments before & at 9am EST. Somehow, I missed that magical blink and BOOM, the queue was overloaded!! So guess what, I kept getting "kicked off" while nonstop calling back to at least get into that queue. It took me 19 minutes to even get into the queue, then another 15+ minute wait for an advisor. So, I'm sure I don't have to tell you pro's the "rest of the story". STILL no reservation. I can be a little flexible on my dates, but not a lot, as our business is slower in Feb, we can't really lose any extra income (in this hostile economy).

Sooooo, again thank you to ALL of you for your support and empathy, and for the wonderful info I am getting from you all!! I'm still trying for that 2013 vacation.........

 

[Southerngirl528]

Okay, I just saw a very, very old thread about "a very unpleasant group from NY" that goes to MMOC in February?? Does this still hold true? And if so, the current dates of the onslaught?

 

[puckmanfl]

good afternoon...

Southern Girl, this MMOC is Aruba...the unrulies usually descend in Aruba late january... Maui should be fine!!!

 

[thinze3]

For some reason Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club owners sometimes call their resort MOC, and this confuses all of us.

If anything, they should call it AOC.

Marriott's Maui Ocean Club is the most typical mention of MOC.

 

[Southerngirl528]

Thank you, Puckman!! I'm still "green", so I'm learning (thankfully with the help of you guys!!).

Soooo, when I write "MMOC", I'm assuming that means Marriott Maui Ocean Club. Does it not? Just want to be sure I'm using the right verbage/jargon. I am grateful for any advice!!

 

[Michigan Czar]

For some reason Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club owners sometimes call their resort MOC, and this confuses all of us.

If anything, they should call it AOC.

Marriott's Maui Ocean Club is the most typical mention of MOC.

That's because the Interval code for Aruba is MOC
The Interval code for Maui is MMO