I'm letting everything I have just die on the vine and shifting over to Armed Forces Vacation Club.

[pedro47]

True. But you do get to do it without having to get a time share given to you, join an exchange program, and possibly be on the hook for a random $6000 assessment or whatever. So I think the reward is worth the risk with AFVC.

The OP, is correct he is not on the hook for yearly maintenance fees , Club dues or any special special assessment. IMHO

 

[GTLINZ]

I have to admit that I am spoiled going to Marriotts and Sharatons in Orlando thru Interval getaways. I never was interested in RCi extra vacations when I was with HGVC after we got spoiled staying in their locations. I got some nice RCI trades, but i never pulled the plug on Extra Vacations based on what I saw. We don't spend a lot of time at parks so the resort itself is our biggest draw. If you are interested in the parks and spend your time mostly doing that, it probably does not matter where you stay as long as they have decents standards.

If it works for you, it is an cost effective plan for sure.

 

[GoodTimes]

So, I'm not a Veteran so I assume I couldn't use AFVC anyway, but TBH, yea, I like the owned TSs for "the fancy / location / date specific" stuff, and I then try and fill in with RCI Extra Vacations and Last Calls and II Getaways.

Who is eligible?​

A membership with Armed Forces Vacation Club is free to all current, veterans, and retired members of the United States military, National Guard, Reserves (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard); including Gold Star families and Civilian employees of the DoD (appropriated, non-appropriated, or retired), Association of the US Army (AUSA) members and the immediate families of all the above (spouses, parents, and/or children).

You can join AUSA for $40 https://www.ausa.org/membership/premium

 

[GoodTimes]

Is there a better List of Timeshare Rental websites that everyone uses? These are the main ones I use (adding Vacation Candy to the list from my earlier post). I put the direct links to rentals in (parentheses).

• Redweek (https://www.redweek.com/timeshare-rentals)
• Ebay Travel Lodging (https://www.ebay.com/b/Travel-Lodging/16123/bn_1865369)
• Vacation Candy (https://www.vacationcandy.com/)
• Go-koala (https://www.go-koala.com/)
• Skyauction (http://www.skyauction.com/vacation/vacation-rentals)
• tugbbs (https://www.tug2.com/timesharemarketplace/rentals and https://tugbbs.com/forums/forums/last-minute-discounted-timeshare-rentals-offered.45/)

 

[bshanebowl]

Very interested to see some members mentioning a couple of exchanges I've not heard of. Will have to drill a little deeper and come up with a top three or my something I check every time I want to travel. Who knows maybe tug will make the cut. Got a penthouse in Myrtle Beach for $100 a night through TUG when I first started several years ago.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I sold my Grandview Las Vegas and that cancelled my RCI. I still have a timeshare in Maine which I'll keep to use unless someone wants me to give it to them. I let my II membership expire with them. I joined a vacation club (Club Newport) which has good cruise rates and appears to be a good aggregator of other travel resources at competitive prices but it was pretty pricey unless you traveled a lot so I may elect to stop paying my renewal fee. I am looking at Armed Forces Vacation Club as my go to now. Seems to have everything everyone else has with no maintenance fees and it's very affordable. Just booked a resort in Orlando for about $400 for a week. And that's over spring break. Magic Tree I think it's called. Anyhow, I did a lot of research before starting with timeshares and things worked out great with them but maybe if I did a deep dive I might have just decided to deal exclusively with AFVC had I been aware, at least for land travel. Highly recommend so far.

I'm assuming you have to be retired military or currently active military to join this club or can anyone join?

 

[dioxide45]

I'm assuming you have to be retired military or currently active military to join this club or can anyone join?

See post #28.

 

[bshanebowl]

I'm assuming you have to be retired military or currently active military to join this club or can anyone join?

Veterans, did employees and families. Stuff like that.

 

[bshanebowl]

Veterans, DOD employees and families. Stuff like that.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Do children need to be under 18? What if military family member has been deceased for many years?

 

[4TimeAway]

Do children need to be under 18? What if military family member has been deceased for many years?

Pretty sure its just an honor enrollment. As I saw it, children don't rent timeshares.

Places like USAA seem to be a bit tougher to join.

 

[bshanebowl]

Do children need to be under 18? What if military family member has been deceased for many years?

Just go to their website and call their customer care number and ask them. I personally interpreted it as saying if you are the child of a veteran then you qualify regardless of if the veteran has passed or how long they have passed.

 

[pedro47]

DOD employees are also eligible to join.

 

[jeffox]

I went this route 10 years ago when Diamond was taking back weeks for $250. I was able to use AFVC last year to rent the same unit I used to own for the same price after all fees for the same price I paid as an owner for maintenance fees in 2004. I feel like a big shot when I bring family along in the second room and not charge them anything because it's costing me less than $100 a night.

 

[billymach4]

This seems like a great option. I am a USAF veteran. Can prove it also with my DD-214.
They don't appear to require any verification or validation when joining? Must be the honor system.

 

[billymach4]

AFVC is not to be confused with https://www.armymwr.com/travel/armed-forces-hotels-resorts

 

[dioxide45]

Must be the honor system.

Or the karma system...

 

[bshanebowl]

AFVC is not to be confused with https://www.armymwr.com/travel/armed-forces-hotels-resorts

Those specific places are great but I think they are for active duty and retired only. I loved the Hale Koa when I was stationed at Pearl.

 

[chapjim]

One of the best deals for military personnel is the New Sanno hotel in Tokyo, run by the US Navy. https://www.thenewsanno.com/

Over the years, I worked on shipboard weapon programs with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force and an aircraft program with the Japan Air Self Defence Force. We held program reviews at the New Sanno, an awesome facility in the heart of (what used to be) one of the most expensive cities in the world.

 

[bshanebowl]

This is what a confirmation looks like for this particular resort after booking through AFVC.

 

[bshanebowl]

One of the best deals for military personnel is the New Sanno hotel in Tokyo, run by the US Navy. https://www.thenewsanno.com/

Over the years, I worked on shipboard weapon programs with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force and an aircraft program with the Japan Air Self Defence Force. We held program reviews at the New Sanno, an awesome facility in the heart of (what used to be) one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Loved Japan but never stayed at that spot. It all seemed great no matter where.

 

[chapjim]

Loved Japan but never stayed at that spot. It all seemed great no matter where.

I loved the stays in Japan but abhorred the trip!! Dulles-Narita was 14 h 20 m on ANA. Once at Narita, you had to go through customs and immigration, buy some yen, recover luggage, then take a 2½ hour bus ride into Tokyo. The New Sanno was always the last stop for the shuttle.

I was homeported in Yokosuka in the late 60s on USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5). With an exchange rate of 360¥ to the dollar, you couldn't afford to leave stuff there -- stereos, Nikon and Asahi Pentax cameras, Noritake china, etc. On-base taxis were 90¥, off-base were 100¥. One time the ship did a port visit in Sasebo before proceeding to Yokosuka. Two other officers and I took leave, went to Beppu, Matsuyama, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, and on to Yokohama to get down to Yokosuka. A lot of train rides, and boat rides to/from Matsuyama. We all knew a few words/phrases in Japanese but the Japan Travel Bureau offices were awesome in helping to plan sightseeing. Did a ship visit later to Otaru, port city for Sapporo. So, I can say I've been to all four main islands (five if you count Okinawa -- been there, too!).

 

[billymach4]

Those specific places are great but I think they are for active duty and retired only. I loved the Hale Koa when I was stationed at Pearl.

INDEED

 

[bshanebowl]

Or the karma system...

There does appear language that appears to state that proof of service should be provided.

 

[gravityrules]

Is there a better List of Timeshare Rental websites that everyone uses? These are the main ones I use (adding Vacation Candy to the list from my earlier post). I put the direct links to rentals in (parentheses).

• Redweek (https://www.redweek.com/timeshare-rentals)
• Ebay Travel Lodging (https://www.ebay.com/b/Travel-Lodging/16123/bn_1865369)
• Vacation Candy (https://www.vacationcandy.com/)
• Go-koala (https://www.go-koala.com/)
• Skyauction (http://www.skyauction.com/vacation/vacation-rentals)
• tugbbs (https://www.tug2.com/timesharemarketplace/rentals and https://tugbbs.com/forums/forums/last-minute-discounted-timeshare-rentals-offered.45/)

I seem to be one of the few on TUG that admit to having used Skyauction.com Their website says they are privately held. They seem to have an arrangement with RCI or it's parent TNL for inventory.

I used them for a summer week at Wyndham Pagosa this year and was quite pleased. The confirmation was through a TNL subsidiary (Not Wyndham or RCI).

There are very frequent great last minute deals in Orlando area particularly, some are fixed price and some are auctions. Not everything is last minute, sometimes a listing will have a range of dates or a list of dates.

I'm on their email list so the 'deals' page linked looks a bit different than what I see from just pulling up the website.