• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Off to Vistana in a couple days

CeeWoo

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Washington State Ellensburger
We leave on Saturday. We've been there many times during Hurricane season, but this time it seems especially busy! :eek:

Hanna should be north of us when we arrive Saturday night and Ike might be coming thru before we leave. Anyhow, we'll be in one of the (sort of) new Fountains 2 br units. I intend to take pictures and will post them for all wondering how they look when we get back.
 

nodge

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
1,321
Reaction score
1
Points
36
Location
Portland, Oregon
Have a great trip!

If you need any extra room at Vistana Resort during your stay, RCI’s “last call” currently has a full 2 BR Lock-off (sleeps 8) available with a check-in date of this Sunday for $249/week.

I’m just thinking, but if you found a way to use this “last call” week instead, and re-booked your owned week for a later day that is at least 14 days out (The least amount of time out that RCI will accept a deposit according to its published rules), and then deposited that rebooked week with RCI or another exchange company that will take it, you’d have a nice exchange on deposit for future use.

But then there’s Saturday night to think about. So, it’s probably too much of a hassle to bother with . . . unless of course your returning flight on Saturday leaves late in the day and you were planning on buying an extra day on the tail end anyway instead to avoid the 10 AM early check-out requirement, because you’d have the “last call” place all the way to next Sunday . . . . ..

Ah, the planner/deal finder in me never stops working.

Have fun!

-nodge
 
Last edited:

CeeWoo

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Washington State Ellensburger
Ah, the planner/deal finder in me never stops working.

Have fun!

-nodge


Thanks nodge--That would have been a great idea, but since I've joined SVN I let my RCI membership lapse and my II membership won't let me do anything until it goes into effect on Jan 1. In fact, I had even checked with Starwood previously to see if I could deposit the week in II and was told-'nope'.

Couldn't do anything with SVN until Jan 1 either (with the '08 week). It became a use it or lose it kind of deal
 

nodge

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
1,321
Reaction score
1
Points
36
Location
Portland, Oregon
I let my RCI membership lapse

I know I’m in the minority here on TUG, but I like RCI.

I haven’t really tried to exchange much with it. But RCI has three strengths that keep me paying my RCI dues each year.

1. It has way more availability in NYC than any other timeshare exchange company out there. We really like NYC;

2. It tends to have more availability in the Pacific Northwest (which means places that are driving distance from Portland), albeit many of those places would probably not be considered an “equal” exchange for what I own; and most importantly,

3. It has tons, upon tons, of cheap “extra vacations” / “last call” deals in Florida and Arizona during the winter and spring.

My folks live in the Midwest, and like most Midwesterners, they must migrate to Florida and/or Scottsdale for a few weeks each year to escape the worst of the winter weather back home. RCI’s “extra vacations” are usually way cheaper and more readily available at these locations than anything I’ve seen as an II “getaway” or the like.

Using RCI, I can usually find ‘em a nice place with full kitchen, etc. in Orlando for a week or two, and then another week along one of Florida’s coasts for less than $100/day during peak tourist season. (So far, they have resisted the pressure to sit through any timeshare pitches, which is the biggest risk in all of this).

So all-in-all, even though both of my timeshares are in SVN, and I can also exchange both of them through II, I still consider RCI a valuable tool in my vacation planning arsenal.

I know your circumstances may differ, but just be aware that you need not give up an existing RCI WEEKS membership when you join SVN as a Vistana Resort Fountains owner, and there may be reasons other than exchanging down the road for keeping your RCI membership alive.

-nodge
 

CeeWoo

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Washington State Ellensburger
You may well be correct about all that (I've never belonged to II before so can't comment). Point one isn't of much interest to us. Point 2--I've been trying to get to either the WA or Oregon coast for about 15 years during some season other than winter without success---How many times can I go to Lake Chelan LOL. And 3 (for us)--With my wifes job (I'm retired) her vacation time is limited enough that it's difficult to take much more than we do now. Honestly, we also RV (term used loosely-it's a small trailer) and enjoy getting out to the hills (or using it to go to the coast). And that seems to take up most of our extra time.

I really don't have any problems with RCI, but at this point for us it's difficult to justify belonging to both.

take care Nodge. You & I are fortunate to have some great vacation opprotunites right outside our doors (only a couple hours from Mountains, Ocean, Desert, Forest). BTW-I grew up just outside Longview WA and in HS worked at Timberline Lodge :D it's all good

I know I’m in the minority here on TUG, but I like RCI.

I haven’t really tried to exchange much with it. But RCI has three strengths that keep me paying my RCI dues each year.

1. It has way more availability in NYC than any other timeshare exchange company out there. We really like NYC;

2. It tends to have more availability in the Pacific Northwest (which means places that are driving distance from Portland), albeit many of those places would probably not be considered an “equal” exchange for what I own; and most importantly,

3. It has tons, upon tons, of cheap “extra vacations” / “last call” deals in Florida and Arizona during the winter and spring.

My folks live in the Midwest, and like most Midwesterners, they must migrate to Florida and/or Scottsdale for a few weeks each year to escape the worst of the winter weather back home. RCI’s “extra vacations” are usually way cheaper and more readily available at these locations than anything I’ve seen as an II “getaway” or the like.

Using RCI, I can usually find ‘em a nice place with full kitchen, etc. in Orlando for a week or two, and then another week along one of Florida’s coasts for less than $100/day during peak tourist season. (So far, they have resisted the pressure to sit through any timeshare pitches, which is the biggest risk in all of this).

So all-in-all, even though both of my timeshares are in SVN, and I can also exchange both of them through II, I still consider RCI a valuable tool in my vacation planning arsenal.

I know your circumstances may differ, but just be aware that you need not give up an existing RCI WEEKS membership when you join SVN as a Vistana Resort Fountains owner, and there may be reasons other than exchanging down the road for keeping your RCI membership alive.

-nodge
 

abdibile

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
759
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Germany
How exactly is the timeline of joining SVN?

Also you signed the documents some time between April and Sept 2008 you can do whatever you want with your 2008 week (provided you are RCI or II member for exchanging), correct?

Would it be a problem to have 2009 week deposited with RCI or II although you joined SVN? Or does SVN have a first call on your week?

What can you do with the 2008 week after Jan 2009? It has passed.


Thanks nodge--That would have been a great idea, but since I've joined SVN I let my RCI membership lapse and my II membership won't let me do anything until it goes into effect on Jan 1. In fact, I had even checked with Starwood previously to see if I could deposit the week in II and was told-'nope'.

Couldn't do anything with SVN until Jan 1 either (with the '08 week). It became a use it or lose it kind of deal
 

littlestar

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Messages
2,647
Reaction score
367
Points
468
Location
Midwest
Resorts Owned
Disney Vacation Club, Marriott & Wyndham pts
Fair enough. There goes my commission from RCI . . . .

-nodge

We just joined RCI a few months ago. We booked an RCI Last Call in a Sheraton Vistana one bedroom for after we check out of a week in a Disney Vacation Club resort. Even though we aren't using the Last Call for the full week, it was a good enough value that it was still worth it.

I don't plan on exchanging any of our weeks with RCI (we'll exchange with II), but I thought the Last Calls and Getaways at resorts we can't get through II made it worth while.

Hopefully no hurricanes when we travel here in the next three weeks.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
How exactly is the timeline of joining SVN?

Also you signed the documents some time between April and Sept 2008 you can do whatever you want with your 2008 week (provided you are RCI or II member for exchanging), correct?

Yes, once your deed is recorded you can deposit your week with whatever exchange Co. the resort is affiliated with, or an independent.

Would it be a problem to have 2009 week deposited with RCI or II although you joined SVN? Or does SVN have a first call on your week?

SVN has no control over your week as far as who you deposit it with - you choose.

What can you do with the 2008 week after Jan 2009? It has passed.

Nothing - the 2008 week expires at the end of 2008.
 

AwayWeGo

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
15,686
Reaction score
1,630
Points
699
Location
McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
Resorts Owned
Grandview At Las Vegas

[triennial - points]
Maybe Not Exactly A Minority.

I know I’m in the minority here on TUG, but I like RCI.
Maybe it's just a minority of people admitting to it, while lots more out there are basically satisfied with RCI but keep mum about it for reasons of their own.

Full Disclosure : I am OK with RCI.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

abdibile

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
759
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Germany
Thanks, but I was not talking about signing the documents to buy a Vistana, but signing the documents to join SVN with your Vistana Fountains unit that was recorded 2007.

Would that change any of the answers?


Yes, once your deed is recorded you can deposit your week with whatever exchange Co. the resort is affiliated with, or an independent.



SVN has no control over your week as far as who you deposit it with - you choose.



Nothing - the 2008 week expires at the end of 2008.
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
Thanks, but I was not talking about signing the documents to buy a Vistana, but signing the documents to join SVN with your Vistana Fountains unit that was recorded 2007.

Would that change any of the answers?

No - it makes no difference.
 

CeeWoo

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
212
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Washington State Ellensburger
Well, we made it down and it appears that at least here in Orlando, the hurricane gods are happy with us.

Just a little FYI-despite what we have heard, the Fountains units are no all yet complete (with the remodeling). When we checked in we were told that our unit had just been completed...close but no cigar. When we opened the dishwasher, all the tags were still in it and the drain hose was still rolled up in a nice little bag on the top dish rack inside. No hot water in the kitchen (shut off for installing the dishwasher). No problem though-one call to engineering and they took care of us right away.

The new units are beautiful. But I'm still not sure if it was worth the $ for what was accomplished. Oh well, water under the bridge. We used VIP checkin and it was worth it. Quick, no lines-they gave us about a half dozen rain ponchos and a bottle of sparkling cider...IT'S ALL GOOD.

Did the owners presentation/sales pitch today. They ran us over to the Villages and showed a couple of units there. We wanted to see the lockoff to see if either side would work for us to use with Star Options and extend our stays in the future. With most of our trips being just the wife & I in the future, we don't need a 2BR and even my DW wife says that either would be fine...so looks like our stays in the future will be longer.

anyhow
more later
-Monte
 
Top