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II Gold membership for cruise exchanges

potchak

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Now I have heard that this isn't a wonderful value, but I would like more information. I would have put this on the exchange board, but didn't seem right to me since I would like info specific to Marriott exchanges.

Has anyone bought the gold membership just to exchange into cruises? What I am trying to figure out is how much a cruise would cost me after the $154 exchange fee through interval. They say it is based on the week used and the cabin type, location, season of the cruise.

So let's say I get a July week at MMC or MSE, what could I expect to pay for a cruise -typical 7 day Caribbean on Princess cruiselines, middle of the way oceanview cabin guarantee in midseason (we don't typically travel in the summer/high seasons)?

Appreciate the help.
 

gmarine

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Over the years with II I've found that discount off the cruise barely equals the amount of the maintenance fees of the week I have offered them. The exact amount you would pay does vary because cruise prices vary greatly depanding on the location, ship and cabin type.

In my experience it has never been worth it.
 

Dave M

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I concur. The overwhelming majority of postings on TUG about exchanges for cruises suggest that such exchanges through the major exchange companies are generally not cost effective.
 

iamnotshopgirl

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Michelle

I agree with gmarine. I took out my gold membership on a solicitation from II. One of the reasons I took it was because of the crusie exchange offer. I looked into it about two years ago using one of my Aruba 2BR OS weeks and they quoted me a price of about $1600 minus their fees which dropped it below $1500. I get a better discount with Holland America Line as a repeat customer. I sure any other cruise line would offer similar discounts. I also thought at the time that all you had to do was exchange the week up to Interval and you could use it to exchange for cruise at any time. Wrong! Learned the lesson the hard way. I tried to exchange a 2BR that I had on line with them just last week and was informed by them that at the time you decide to send the unit up to Interval you specifically have to say it is for a cruise, give all the information concerning the cruise (date, cruise line) and then they will give you a quote for the week.

Bob

upcomming trips

Sable Palms December 7-14, 2008
Ryndam Holland America Alaska Cruise Tour May 23-June 5, 2009
Surf Club July 3-10, 2009
 

dougp26364

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It's been maybe 5 years ago but I'll post what I remember.

I had a week that wasn't going to be used as we wanted to take a cruise to Alaska. We booked a July week for the cruise in a balcony cabin on Royal Caribben sailing RT inside passage from Vancouver, BC. As for cruise pricing this isn't one of the least expensive inside cabins going to the caribbean in the middle of hurricane season. It's not the most expensive either but you probably get my point.

I paid something like an additional $59 to become a Gold member and the $154 international exchange fee. My discount was equal to that years MF's, which was around $650. So I paid the cruiselines price less $650 plus the exchange fee of $154 plus the Gold membership fee of around $59.

Now for the bad part. I could have purchased my cruise cheaper than what I.I. was charging if I had gone to an online cruise discount TA like Cruisequick or Cruise Compete. In the end, the discount I received would have been the difference between I.I.'s price and the discounted price of an online TA (about $200 for this cabin type and sailing) plus the Gold membership fee plus the international discount fee.

The discount was around $650 - $154 (exchange fee) - $59 (Gold membership fee - $200 (discount off the price I could have recieved by using an online dicount TA = $237 in actual savings off the cruise price. BUT WAIT! I still had to pay my yearly MF or approx $650 for that year. So in essence I was in the hole $413!

My advice would be, if you're REALLY curious what I.I. will do for you now, pay the Gold membership fee, call them and find out what they'll offer. Then go out and price the same cruise and cabin through different outlets and find out if you can get the cruise cheaper than what I.I. will sell it to you. The problem is it's going to cost you the Gold membership fee just to find out and that's a rip-off in my opinion (pay us first and only then will we show you the cards).
 

dougp26364

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Michelle

. I also thought at the time that all you had to do was exchange the week up to Interval and you could use it to exchange for cruise at any time. Wrong! Learned the lesson the hard way. I tried to exchange a 2BR that I had on line with them just last week and was informed by them that at the time you decide to send the unit up to Interval you specifically have to say it is for a cruise, give all the information concerning the cruise (date, cruise line) and then they will give you a quote for the week.

Bob

That's because those weeks don't hit the exchange pool. I.I. rents them out to make up any discount they give you for the cruise. If you've already made the deposit, then it's already in the exchange pool and they can't get it back to rent it out.
 

dioxide45

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That's because those weeks don't hit the exchange pool. I.I. rents them out to make up any discount they give you for the cruise. If you've already made the deposit, then it's already in the exchange pool and they can't get it back to rent it out.

And in fact, it may already be exchanged out to another II member. Not just in the exchange pool.
 
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