Which is best for Teens

[Doreen0521]

I am fairly new to TUG but I have been toying with purchasing a resale Marriott week for a long time now. After doing much research, I think I am better off with purchasing a fixed week during the week I want to travel and a place that I would be willing to go each year. Also, buy resale. I have a 14 year old boy who loves fishing, playing basketball and is an avid baseball player and would love to take in some preseason games in Florida. I am trying to decide between Oceana Palms, Ocean Pointe or Crystal Shores. I am also looking at deeded weeks 7 and 16 since this is during his school vacations. Anyone out there with teen active boys that might have some advice? Also, what are the advantages/disadvantages of buying a resale from marriott directly? They offer Rewards Points with all of their resales but not sure if that is worth the higher purchase price? Are there any other benefits to going with them? Thank you all for your help.

 

[dioxide45]

Only Crystal Shores has both weeks 7 and 16 as possible fixed weeks, only because they have a full fixed week calendar. Oceana Palms has a fixed week 7. Ocean Pointe has no fixed weeks.

For teens, I think the best resort would be Ocean Pointe. Getting either week 7 or 16 as a single week owner would be rather challenging though.

I also think finding a specific fixed week at either Crystal Shores or Oceana Palms my be another challenge. They are rare and you will also pay plenty of money for them.

 

[JIMinNC]

As a fellow parent of teenagers - 19 yr old boy and 15 year old girl - I would simply say that in four years or so, your teen's school schedule will be different. He will graduate high school, so will those weeks you mentioned still be weeks you want to use? College breaks will be different than his current breaks and once they go off to college, a lot changes, but the maintenance fee is "forever."

In my opinion you should look beyond the next four years or so and decide on ownership based on your longer term needs. Get something that will work for now and will also work for the long term.

 

[DB-Wis]

As a fellow parent of teenagers - 19 yr old boy and 15 year old girl - I would simply say that in four years or so, your teen's school schedule will be different. He will graduate high school, so will those weeks you mentioned still be weeks you want to use? College breaks will be different than his current breaks and once they go off to college, a lot changes, but the maintenance fee is "forever."

In my opinion you should look beyond the next four years or so and decide on ownership based on your longer term needs. Get something that will work for now and will also work for the long term.

I completely agree. I'm not trying to discourage you from buying a week -- you're doing exactly the right thing in trying to plan for some great and memorable vacation experiences with your kid. But in a blink of an eye your kid's interests and his availability (and desire) to vacation with you will be very different. I encourage you to buy based on a longer-term consideration of your interests and those of your son.

 

[Fasttr]

At Oceana Palms, I don't believe a ton of individual weeks were sold before the DC came along, and the rest of the weeks were tossed into the Trust. Would that work to the OP's advantage if they just purchased a floating Platinum week. It seems that availability at Oceana Palms is currently easiest among the three of the resorts mentioned (who knows what years out will bring), but wouldn't it be logical that for the next few years where the OP is tied to weeks 7 and 16 that she could likely nab one of those weeks fairly easily if calling right at 12 months out wile owning a floating Platinum resale week simply due to limited competition at that particular resort? That would leave the flexibility in future years to move vacationing there to other Platinum weeks as needs change.

ETA] After looking at the calendar, it appears week 7 is Platinum Plus.

 

[MabelP]

Week 7 is Presidents' Week. Your son will be out of high school in four years and you will then be free to travel any week. Presidents' Week has crowds and high air fare!

 

[elaine]

agree with PP--14 is a hard age to plan long term--we found out, and now bank/trade some of our timeshares regularly. In HS, teams, clubs, etc. must be considered, with tourny play sometimes during spring break, etc. Also, our kids tastes changed A LOT over the years. Now, none of our kids are really beach/water teens (and we have a fixed 4th of July week at HHI). We now go EOY and trade it the other years.
My thoughts on Marco-we went to HGVC for spring break 2014 with teens, DD13, DS14, DD17. There is not a ton to do otherwise except be on the beach/pools. Things we did to keep teens active--family deep sea fishing ($900 for the boat/captain), jet ski--teens cannot drive unless 16+ with boating course--so teen double rode with Dad as driver for 1 hr ($170), rented bikes ($15/day) and explored the island. Did not get over to Everglades. We had a great family trip experiencing above activities, but once was enough and no one wants to go back anytime soon.
I would probably rent at a place your are interested for the next year and then get the lay of the land for HS. Pay attention to when clubs/teams do stuff this next year. For ex., I found out that spring break is when the French club takes a trip to Paris each year.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I am fairly new to TUG but....is an avid baseball player and would love to take in some preseason games in Florida. .....? Thank you all for your help.

Preseason baseball games are in MARCH ... neither week 7 or week 16 is in that month.

I have found AZ (PHX area) to be lots of fun and less hassle than FL ... newer stadiums, $5 grass seats, online booking of available seats, lots of games, less crowds, different activities, better highways ... etc. Even my siblings have become serious Phoenix area and the Spring training adventure fans. March 2015 will be our 3rd year in PHX.

PS ... We are Phillies fans but the experience and weather is just GREAT in PHX. We loved the game where 6+ members of a professional baseball team's scouts sat directly behind us ... most had radar guns, listening in on their comments they were taking note of, play by play/pitch by pitch evaluations ... we did NOT leave early nor for snacks ... and about every other inning, a technical question posed by a serious fan brave enough to asked, was very politely answered by the HEAD SCOUT -- his staff did not. They stayed the whole game. And so did we.

And just to be clear, I hated baseball; my 2 siblings with me, LOVE BASEBALL.