New owners at Oceana Palms

[Kulanu]

Hi, my husband and I are new owners at Oceana Palms — we came for a week last year and loved it. We are new to timeshare ownership and at this point plan to only return to Oceana Palms annually. We will be there in late January and are hoping to learn the ropes of future reservations, etc. We’d appreciate any response from owners who might be there at the same time or who could give us some pointers on how to navigate this new world.

Thanks so much,
Jennie and David

 

[dougp26364]

We will likely miss your stay as we’re there more towards the beginning to mid month

 

[Kulanu]

Thanks for getting back to me. I watched your video — you did a great job of portraying it. I will definitely get in touch with you if we have any questions that we come up with.

 

[Tuggernaut]

Jennie, welcome to TUG. Timeshare info wise, this is the place to be! I have never stayed at Oceana Palms. If you purchased a deeded week there, what season (aka usage date range) did you purchase and what view (Ocean front or Ocean View)? Much of the timeshare learning curve is related to exchanging your timeshare for a timeshare at a different location. If you plan to return to Oceana Palms every year for the next few years, then you have plenty of time to learn about Abound and Interval International. The key to getting the most from your timeshare ownership is advance planning. You should be reserving and/or putting in exchange requests for timeshare stays at least 8 months in advance.

 

[Kulanu]

Thanks so much! We purchased Oceanfront Platinum. The whole exchange system is overwhelming to us and for now not applicable as we do intend to return to OP for the foreseeable future. So it’s good to know that our biggest administrative challenge will be securing our desired week for the next year.

 

[jwalk03]

Just make sure you know when you can book- so you can secure the date you want!

Owning a single week- you can book 12-months out from the first check-in date of the week.

Here is the link to the When Can I Reserve Tool to help- https://ownerservices.marriottvacationclub.com/os-site/release-calendar/resort-list.html

 

[Kulanu]

Thanks so much. We have received that information but we do really appreciate the confirmation from a user!

 

[dioxide45]

There isn't much to learning the ropes if all you plan to do is go back to your home resort year after year. If you ever plan to exchange, you would probably be better to pick up a different week that locks off as trading Oceana Palms through II probably isn't the best use of the week.

 

[MikeM132]

Thanks so much. We have received that information but we do really appreciate the confirmation from a user!

You're in the right place to learn all the ins and outs of exchanging. Is your week "enrolled" in in the Abound thing where you can exchange for points if you want? You probably know Marriott pretty much got out of selling timeshare weeks quite a while ago and went to a points system. You can exchange weeks with other legacy resorts (most resorts) but some of the newest resorts have no weeks to trade and are points-only. Like the one on the Big Island in Hawaii. I am a believer (strongly) that owning a week is still the best deal and will remain so. Stick around here and you'lll learn all about everything.

 

[Kulanu]

Thanks so much for that information. We have not enrolled in the Abound thing as we are not looking to exchange at this time, although it’s good to know more about it for the future. We will definitely ask all you well-informed folks for more info when we look to make a change.

 

[jwalk03]

Thanks so much for that information. We have not enrolled in the Abound thing as we are not looking to exchange at this time, although it’s good to know more about it for the future. We will definitely ask all you well-informed folks for more info when we look to make a change.

If you bought your week on the secondary market- than enrolling really isn’t a viable option- unless you are willing to spend several thousands of dollars making an additional purchase directly from Marriott that includes enrollment of your week.

 

[Kulanu]

yes, we bought on the secondary market. That is good to know about this issue — again, pretty happy to be staying put at Oceana Palms for now.

 

[Superchief]

Thanks so much for that information. We have not enrolled in the Abound thing as we are not looking to exchange at this time, although it’s good to know more about it for the future. We will definitely ask all you well-informed folks for more info when we look to make a change.

I wouldn't suggest enrolling in Abound if Oceana Palms is your only MVC timeshare. The Abound point values are among the worst in the system. For some reason, reservations at Oceana Palms require the same number of Abound points as Ocean Pointe for the same time period, but owner receive substantially fewer points for their enrolled weeks at Oceana Palms. If you want to exchange it in the future through Interval, an II membership is much less costly and Oceana Palms has good value for exchanges. The best value is to actually use your week there, as you currently plan to do. The key will be to reserve your week immediately as soon as it becomes available, and to be flexible regarding check-in days. It has become very difficult the past two years to get a Saturday check-in.

 

[pedro47]

Thanks so much. We have received that information but we do really appreciate the confirmation from a user!

Welcome to the TUG Website. There is so much to learn about Marriott’s Vacation Club and timeshare. IMHO.

Superchief, just gave you some great information.

 

[Kulanu]

I wouldn't suggest enrolling in Abound if Oceana Palms is your only MVC timeshare. The Abound point values are among the worst in the system. For some reason, reservations at Oceana Palms require the same number of Abound points as Ocean Pointe for the same time period, but owner receive substantially fewer points for their enrolled weeks at Oceana Palms. If you want to exchange it in the future through Interval, an II membership is much less costly and Oceana Palms has good value for exchanges. The best value is to actually use your week there, as you currently plan to do. The key will be to reserve your week immediately as soon as it becomes available, and to be flexible regarding check-in days. It has become very difficult the past two years to get a Saturday check-in.

That’s great info as well. We actually prefer a midweek check-in, so hopefully that will be advantageous in the future.

 

[Kulanu]

Perhaps this is not the right place to ask this question, but I am trying to figure out the sign-in to BBS issue — i.e. why I am still showing as guest. I think I need some kind of separate password?

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Perhaps this is not the right place to ask this question, but I am trying to figure out the sign-in to BBS issue — i.e. why I am still showing as guest. I think I need some kind of separate password?

Did you pay the $15 to become a member?









.

 

[Kulanu]

Yes, I did, but I think there is a separate step (a special BBS code word) that I read about elsewhere on this website but it’s a little confusing to me.









.

 

[Makai Guy]

Well, yeah, the best place to post questions about the Bulletin Board itself is the About TUG BBS forum.

Please see this post in the Help Section:
TUG Member shown as 'Guest' on TUGBBS

For future reference, answers to most of your BBS operational questions can be found via the Help & Advice link in the blue navigation bar near the top of all TUGBBS pages. On mobile devices, or on narrow windows, this is in the pull-down menu accessed via a three-line icon in the upper left corner.

 

[Kulanu]

Thank you, I think I figured it out with your help!