MVC Insider 2/16/12

[SueDonJ]

Here's the Premier Plus web version of today's e-mail newsletter.

The most important thing is the 6/12 price increase for Weeks enrollment. It definitely deserves its own thread which has already been started by TUGger DanO.

The January Insider talked about an Owner Cruise that looked interesting and said to watch for upcoming details - no details on that yet.

This one's "latest and greatest" is a 28-day tour of Australia with a starting cost of 30,000 Points! There are no details on the available dates, it just says to contact a VOA. But the itinerary looks pretty full:

Enjoy a welcome dinner in a revolving restaurant overlooking the Sydney cityscape.
See the sights of Sydney, including Kings Cross, Harbour Bridge and Chinatown.
Take a guided tour and enjoy a performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Learn how to surf at the famous Bondi Beach.
Embark on a dinner cruise across Sydney Harbor.
Stay for 2 nights on Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.
Travel overnight aboard the Sunlander train to Cairns and admire the spectacular scenery along Queensland’s eastern coastline.
Board a high-speed catamaran to the outer Great Barrier Reef, where you can snorkel or see marine life from the semi-submersible.
Discover the native heritage at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Center, where you can throw a boomerang or play a didgeridoo.
Visit Hartley’s Croc Farm for the chance to see crocodiles in their natural habitat.
Journey to the heart of the outback, where you’ll see the sandstone domes of the Olgas and enjoy a sunset champagne toast at Ayers Rock.
Fly to Christchurch, New Zealand, where you’ll go sightseeing in the city’s magnificent gardens, cathedral and downtown park district.
Attend an authentic Hangi dinner and presentation at the Tamaki village.
Traverse rugged countryside to Mount Cook, where you can take a nature walk or an optional glacier flight-seeing tour.
Dine at the Skyline restaurant in Queenstown with breathtaking views of the city, the Remarkable Mountains and Lake Wakatipu.
Journey through Hollyford Valley to Milford Sound and cruise the fjord.
Travel through the Southern Alps to the Franz Josef Glacier Region, where you can take an optional flight-seeing tour.
Visit the vertical blowholes at Pancake Rocks.
Take a leisurely scenic cruise along the coast of Abel Tasman National Park.
Stop at a Nelson vineyard for a wine tasting.
Board a ferry to Wellington on the North Island, where you’ll see landmarks such as the Beehive, Parliament, St. Paul’s Church, Te Papa Tongawera Museum and the Maori Experience.
Explore Tongariro National Park, New Zealand’s oldest national park and home to numerous Maori religious sites at the foot of the sacred Mount Ruapehu.

Hmmmm. Not saying that I'm going to sign right up pronto! but if I was interested it would cost me two years' worth of Weeks plus 1,800 rented Points. That's not terrible for what looks like a pretty busy month in Australia (depending, of course, on exactly how the itinerary is detailed AND what's included in that minimum 30K Points price.) Of course we can expect that it would be nowhere near the MOST value you can get out of Weeks/Points, but if a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia is on your bucket list and you can get it with Weeks/Points, some might say, "why not?"

Last thing, that handy-dandy usage chart that I think makes it so much easier to keep track of basic DC stuff.

 

[sail27bill]

Thanks Sue. Now I regret not buying points.

Actually, I lived in Sydney for a year from 1999 to 2000 and it was incredible. Going to the Olympics, traveling around Australia, and seeing the Great Barrier Reef was awesome. Celebrated my 29th birthday at the revolving restaurant. Ah, the warm memories. If anyone wants to gift 30,000 points in the near future, I would be more than happy to accept them.

Anita

 

[dioxide45]

Here is the web version of the newsletter for Standard Owners.

An interesting thing I noticed is their advice on exchanging in weeks through II. They are not promoting going through MVCI to facilitate the deposit.

WEEKS OWNERS: Exchanging Your Week
The first step in exchanging your week with Interval International is securing a reservation at your home resort during the season you own. Interval International exchanges are determined by a number of comparability factors. One important factor is the TDI of the week you are relinquishing: It will be compared to the week you are requesting. If the week you relinquish from your home resort has a low TDI, and you are requesting a week with a high TDI, the exchange will be more difficult to confirm. The reverse is also true. So it’s important to understand the TDI of all the weeks at your home resort during the season you own. For a better exchange experience, secure a reservation for a week at your home resort that has a high TDI, and request a vacation with an equivalent or lower TDI.

 

[thinze3]

Here is the web version of the newsletter for Standard Owners.

The only difference is the "Discover the land down under" link.

 

[SueDonJ]

... An interesting thing I noticed is their advice on exchanging in weeks through II. They are not promoting going through MVCI to facilitate the deposit.

WEEKS OWNERS: Exchanging Your Week
The first step in exchanging your week with Interval International is securing a reservation at your home resort during the season you own. Interval International exchanges are determined by a number of comparability factors. One important factor is the TDI of the week you are relinquishing: It will be compared to the week you are requesting. If the week you relinquish from your home resort has a low TDI, and you are requesting a week with a high TDI, the exchange will be more difficult to confirm. The reverse is also true. So it’s important to understand the TDI of all the weeks at your home resort during the season you own. For a better exchange experience, secure a reservation for a week at your home resort that has a high TDI, and request a vacation with an equivalent or lower TDI.

Another interesting thing is that they seem to look at TDI differently from the way it's usually promoted on TUG. Don't TUGgers usually say that the TDI is a measurement that applies within a region, and shouldn't be used to compare weeks across regions? Here they seem to be saying that you should reserve a week with a TDI at least as high as the ones you're requesting, regardless of region.

Doesn't really matter, because the TUG wisdom is always to reserve a week at your resort with the highest possible TDI. But it's interesting.

 

[dundeeyank]

enroll or not enrolled

I own weeks at Frenchman's Cove on St Thomas. If I plan on using my weeks, I don't enroll the weeks. If i trade for Club points and then use them at my resort, I don't get a full weeks use in the high season (Jan to end of May). However my 6 nights (plat Holiday week) will get me 12 nights at Christmas at Marriott resort in Panama City FL.
I have found that using the club points for a cruise is NOT a good deal. Looks like I will using my home resort or looking at other Marriott Resorts most of the time.

 

[dioxide45]

Another interesting thing is that they seem to look at TDI differently from the way it's usually promoted on TUG. Don't TUGgers usually say that the TDI is a measurement that applies within a region, and shouldn't be used to compare weeks across regions? Here they seem to be saying that you should reserve a week with a TDI at least as high as the ones you're requesting, regardless of region.

Doesn't really matter, because the TUG wisdom is always to reserve a week at your resort with the highest possible TDI. But it's interesting.

Generally the TDI is setup to help people determine their best chances of an exchange. II advertises it much the same as MVCI did in the newsletter. Reserve something with a high demand and look for something with a lower demand will increase your odds of a successful exchange. This is how TDI works. I don't think they were making specific mention of a direct tie between TDIs in different regions.

 

[chunkygal]

I own weeks at Frenchman's Cove on St Thomas. If I plan on using my weeks, I don't enroll the weeks. If i trade for Club points and then use them at my resort, I don't get a full weeks use in the high season (Jan to end of May). However my 6 nights (plat Holiday week) will get me 12 nights at Christmas at Marriott resort in Panama City FL.
I have found that using the club points for a cruise is NOT a good deal. Looks like I will using my home resort or looking at other Marriott Resorts most of the time.

I am trying to trade into frenchmans cove without finding much availability. I am wondering what I will do with my 5600 points from Hawaii. Looked at the cruises, but not much for me yet.