Royal Islander Effiencies do they have kitchens.

[wbtimesharer]

Hi Tuggers,

Just exchanged into the Royal Islander for a May trip with the wife. We got into an effieciency and wondered if they have kitchens. My next step will obviously be to call the resort.

Thanks


Bill

 

[maja651]

If you are talking about the lockoff, they have a small college dorm size refrigerator, but nothing else in regards to a kitchen. I have heard that if you call the staff and ask for a coffee pot they will bring one to your room. Hope this helps!

Michelle

 

[wbtimesharer]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. My wife is the coffee drinker so a coffee pot may be handy. I wonder if they will lend us a blender as we like to concoct our own drinks.

Thanks again.

Bill

 

[cymomtx]

The only problem in that plan is there is no ice makers in the resort (you can buy big bags of ice at the store, but too big for your fridge unit) and very little if any freezer space in the unit you will have. To make frozen drinks will be very difficult in a lock-off unit. You might consider bringing a cooler to store ice in possibly.

 

[JEFF H]

If you used II for this exchange I suggest you keep calling and pay a new exchange fee to upgrade to a 1-BR or 2-BR unit as they have full American Kitchens.
Royal units are pretty easy to get 51 days or less befor check-in during the month of May and you should have many to choose from.

 

[wbtimesharer]

Actually, we are still within our 24 hour cancellation window and are considering doing that with the knowledge that the lockoffs don't have the above mentioned amenities. I was concerned that we wouldn't be able to get a unit at all as we want to stay at the Royals. But the lockoff appears not to be what we want.

Thanks

Bill

 

[JEFF H]

Actually, we are still within our 24 hour cancellation window and are considering doing that with the knowledge that the lockoffs don't have the above mentioned amenities. I was concerned that we wouldn't be able to get a unit at all as we want to stay at the Royals. But the lockoff appears not to be what we want.
Thanks
Bill

I would cancel and wait for a 1 or 2 bedroom unit then without a doubt.

I have been booking 2 weeks at the Royals in May for the last several years and have used AC's to book them 59 days or less befor check-in.
My experience for the last 4 years has been several 1-BR and 2-BR units show up within the flex-change window for the month of May.
You need to keep looking everyday and sometimes 2-3 times a day as I have done exactly that and seen weeks come in and get booked with more showing up in a day or so. I have actually been able to cherry Pick the specific resort and unit I wanted doing this.

 

[wbtimesharer]

WooHoo, patience has its virtues and rewards

Followup. We backdoor cancelled the studio. I used my Door County week on Sunday morning to check and found a 2bd RI. Called II and they had to cancel the studio to then look for that same unit with the CM cottage unit. Couldn't see it.

We then went back to get the studio and it was long gone. My wife bout went ballistic and I sent her shopping to cool off. She is not TS savy and has a low patience threshold.

We had an ongoing search and left it in place. I checked it about 4 hours later and it had disappeared. Called II and was told they had gotten a 2bd Royal Mayan for the week we had wanted to go initially and were verifying it.

The next day we got not only the confirmation but also, surprisingly, an AC. For a blue week, I was shocked that we even got one of the two let alone both.

We turned the AC into a Fall get away in Northern Wisconsin. The last AC we got is still sitting out there if we want to travel to say Turkey, Timbuktoo, Siberia, North Pole, or Williamsburg VA.

 

[maja651]

Great!

Qucik question - what is an AC?

Michelle

 

[wbtimesharer]

Michelle,

AC is Accomadation Certificate. II randomly gives them out when you deposit a unit they deem nice to have in inventory. It allows you to obtain a studio($199), 1bd($249), or 2bd($299) unit at select resorts based on a grid they provide. Most often they are for off/non prime weeks at resorts in areas that aren't in high demand. Its not a lot of fun having to search through their inventory 6 selections at a time as they don't allow you to do an ongoing search. Their website isn't exactly designed to make the search easy.

We got one last year for depositing a Door County unit that we used to book for Disney this year. Unfortunately or not, we did a lot of vacationing last year and just couldn't find a use for it and they expire 1 year after issue.

As soon as we got this one, we went looking and found a week over Turkey day up in Eagle River. We will be doing a lot of traveling/flying this Spring and Summer and wanted something in driving distance. Branson is one of the areas available, but no weeks were available during our kids breaks from school.

Bill

 

[maja651]

Bill,

Thanks for the reply! Awesome for you to get an extra week!

Michelle