Oceana Palms trade for spring break?

[Stefa]

I need the advice of my fellow TUGgers. I just snagged an exchange into Oceana Palms for next Thanksgiving. I found the week sitting out on Interval.

Here's the deal. I had originally requested spring break for 2013. I was hoping that with the new tower opening in February 2013 that we might have a chance of getting that trade. Do you think it is realistic to hope for a spring break week or should I just keep the Thanksgiving week and be happy?

I am using a 1br plat Willow Ridge (Branson) so I will likely be near the bottom of the Marriott pecking order for exchanges.

TIA

 

[dioxide45]

It doesn't seem that there are any 2012 Spring Break weeks just sitting out there. The earliest week is late April. This would mean that a) they have all been taken, b) they haven't been deposited yet, c) they won't get deposited early and are being held back for points and will be late deposits.

My guess is that it would be a stretch to get a prime spring break week with a 1BR Branson, but anything is possible. It would likely require an ongoing request to be placed. Only you can decide if you want to keep the Thanksgiving week or not. I saw it out there also and then saw it gone. There was also an early November week that appears to have been picked up also.

 

[Stefa]

Thanks for the feedback. I was looking for spring 2013, but I agree with everything you said. I did have an ongoing request, but I had to give it up to take the Thanksgiving week. (I understand how to play the trading game.)

 

[jdunn1]

Might be too late for you to cancel the Thanksgiving exchange but I think I would keep it, anyway. I do think you would be successful at getting the Spring break week, if you waited, but you would likely be waiting a long time for it and then it might not come through.

With that said, don't knock the power of you Willowridge week. Best I can tell there is only one kind of week Willowridge won't pull and that is prime summer Carolina weeks. Every other kind of week is obtainable with Willowridge.

What you can do between now and then is monitor the on-line inventory and should a Spring break week show, you can cancel your Thanksgiving week and rebook, for just the price of another exchange fee. I just happen to think getting Thanksgiving week is a very good deal since you will probably only need to miss three days of work and your kids, only two days of school (if you even have kids in school to worry about).

Dare to dream with that Willowridge week, just not for summer Carolina weeks. I just happen to think Thanksgiving week is a great exchange, so why push your luck, though I do see the value in a Spring vacation, verses a late fall vacation.

 

[Stefa]

Thanks for the replies. I have decided to keep the Thanksgiving week. Spring break was obviously my first choice, but Thanksgiving was second and I'm already getting excited.

One reason I am a happy Marriott owner/exchanger is that I try to be realistic about trades. I'd rather be happy with the very good trade I got than worry about the slightly better, but highly unlikely, trade I might prefer.

 

[jdunn1]

I'm glad to hear you kept the week. Just so you know, I was able to get Easter week 2012 at SurfWatch with the one bedroom side of my Willowridge week. Not OceanPalms, I know, but still a very good trade, I think. So, spring break weeks can be had, just luck of the draw, I guess.

Thanks for the replies. I have decided to keep the Thanksgiving week. Spring break was obviously my first choice, but Thanksgiving was second and I'm already getting excited.

One reason I am a happy Marriott owner/exchanger is that I try to be realistic about trades. I'd rather be happy with the very good trade I got than worry about the slightly better, but highly unlikely, trade I might prefer.

 

[dioxide45]

Thanks for the feedback. I was looking for spring 2013, but I agree with everything you said. I did have an ongoing request, but I had to give it up to take the Thanksgiving week. (I understand how to play the trading game.)

I was using 2012 as an example of what is likely to expect for 2013 spring break weeks. There is a huge difference in demand from Thanksgiving week to Spring Break weeks. Thanksgiving TDI is 100 (which is average), where every week from week 5 through 14 is maxed out at 150. This is why I would expect a Spring Break Oceana Palms week close to impossible to get with any 1BR, not just Branson.

Size is king when trying to exchange for prime weeks, I would think in order to get a prime 150 TDI you would need to be giving up an equivalent week in terms of unit size.

We were able to get a Spring Break week in Myrtle Beach using a 1BR Harbour Lake. Realize though, that even while it is Spring Break, the TDI for Spring Break weeks in SC is far lower than prime summer. I would never expect to get a 150 TDI 2BR unit with a 1BR unit anywhere.

I think it was a good choice to keep the Thanksgiving week. Thanksgiving is a good time to travel if you are able to pick days to fly that are not the peak travel days.

 

[thinze3]

I agree that trading a 1BR into a 2BR Spring Break week at Oceana Palms would be very difficult unless your 1BR were somewhere like Maui. If the exchange happened it would probably be too late to get put together cost effective travel plans.

Your Thanksgiving week is a great option.