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Redweek Releases Its Top 25 Timeshare Exchange Resorts List

Friday, January 28th, 2011
Timeshare Exchange

Timeshare Exchange

Top 25 Timeshare Exchange Resorts

Article by Mark Silverman from the Timeshare Examiner

Redweek.com, the on-line marketplace for timeshare exchange, rentals and resales has released it’s annual listing of top 25 timeshare exchange resorts, according to it’s memberships.
While interesting, the list is by no means scientific; the responses come from  the 1.5 million Redweek members, which is about 20% of the owners world wide, and skews to the United States, home for most of the sites members.
The results were also not compiled as part of any kind of random sampling, and it is unlikely that any of the respondents have significant exposure to more than a couple of dozen propetries each. As a matter of fact, the rankings are based on the resorts members information requests.
All that aside, the results are still interesting.
I may comment in future columns, in the meantime I present the list for your feed back

Top Timeshare Exchange List

1. Disney’s Beach Club Villas – Lake Buena Vista, Florida
2. Disney’s BoardWalk Villas – Lake Buena Vista, Florida
3. Harborside Resort at Atlantis – Paradise Island, Bahamas
4. The Manhattan Club – New York City, New York
5. Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club – Lahaina, Hawaii
6. Costa Linda Beach Resort – Oranjestad, Aruba
7. HGVC at Hilton Hawaiian Village – Honolulu, Hawaii
8. Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Lake Buena Vista, Florida
9. Disney’s Old Key West Resort – Lake Buena Vista, Florida
10. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club – Kapolei, Hawaii
11. Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club – Palm Beach, Aruba
12. The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas – Lahaina, Hawaii
13. Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club – Palm Beach, Aruba
14. Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas – Newport Coast, California
15. The Royal Sands – Cancun, Mexico
16. Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club – Koloa, Hawaii
17. Playa Linda Beach Resort – Palm Beach, Aruba
18. Marriott’s Grande Ocean – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
19. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort: West Village – Kissimmee, Florida
20. Marriott’s Ocean Pointe – Palm Beach Shores, Florida
21. Kaanapali Beach Club – Lahaina, Hawaii
22. The Westin St. John – Virgin Grand Villas – St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
23. Aruba Beach Club – Oranjestad, Aruba
24. Sheraton Vistana Resort – Orlando, Florida
25. The Galleon Resort – Key West, Florida

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter Facebook My Space http://twitter.com/TimeshareExpert

Timeshare Exchange

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Hilton Timeshare Adding To Their Hawaii Timeshare Resorts

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort

Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort

Good news for the timeshare industry.  Hilton announced that they will be adding two more timeshare towers to their Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort in Oahu. The new project, which is self-financed, will nearly double the timeshare accommodations capacity at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort.

Here’s what the Hilton Corporation has to say about their resort:

“Discover the unique environment and culture of Hilton Hawaiian Village® Beach Resort & Spa – our exquisite Waikiki hotel. Imagine lush tropical gardens, waterfalls, exotic wildlife and priceless artwork. This one-of-a-kind Honolulu Hawaii hotel resort is the only true resort property in Waikiki.

  • Nestled on 22 oceanfront acres
  • 2,860 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites
  • The only true resort in Waikiki
  • Just 20 minutes from Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
  • Strolling distance to Hawaii Convention Center”

    • The good news is not only will there be more exchange availability in the always difficult Waikiki are but also a sign that Hawaii’s economic recovery has begun.  The University of Hawaii Research Organization expects that tourism and visitors to Hawaii will increase by 2.9 percent in 2010 and that spending will stabilize.

    Timeshare owners and timeshare renters, vacationing in Hawaii timeshare spend an average of $4202 each time they visit. An astounding eighty-six percent of these dollars don’t wind up just in the busiest Hawaii timeshare destinations such as Waikiki timeshare or Kaanapali timeshare, but are spent away from the resorts in malls, grocery stores, entertainment, restaurants, and even convenience stores.

    I don’t know about you, but I’m long overdue to return to Hawaii.  I lived in Maui at one time and have done many exchanges there.  The Hawaiian Islands are a good destination to exchange your timeshare because the prices of good hotel rooms are so expensive.

    Add to that the price of not having to eat out every meal when staying in a fully furnished condo, and you can save quite a bit of money to use at other attractions.  As always, you’ll want to put in your request with RCI as far in advance as possible. 

    Remember, avoid going to Hawaii in September if possible.  The second and third weeks in September are the most likely time to be hit by a tropical storm or hurricane.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges. 

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog. 

    For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.  

    Join me on:

    Twitter   Facebook    My Space           

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges. 

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog. 

    For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.  

    Join me on:

    Twitter   Facebook    My Space          

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    International Timeshare Convention Held in Las Vegas

    Monday, March 22nd, 2010

    Las Vegas

    I’ve just returned from Las Vegas where I attended, for the first time, the yearly convention for the timeshare industry.  It is held by ARDA, The American Resort Development Association which is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA today has nearly 1,000 corporate members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with expertise in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC).

    The convention is geared toward the timeshare developer and the ancillary companies that service them while this blog is aimed at the timeshare consumer but I came away with a very positive feeling for the industry.  Certainly the current economic climate has taken its toll, but the best minds in the industry were there to put on educational sessions to deal with this and other factors affecting the industry.

    While surviving in difficult economic times was certainly one of the focuses of the convention, ARDA also sets the standards and identifies best practices and innovations for the industry.  There were sessions on going green, running an effective HOA, understanding today’s leisure traveler, innovative ways to improve owner satisfaction and fundamentals of resort management – all of which will contribute to timeshare owner’s enjoyment and satisfaction.

    ARDA also does a great job lobbying in Washington DC for timeshare owner rights.  They have been instrumental in keeping us from having to pay transient hotel taxes when we do an exchange in many parts of the country.  They are a nonprofit so feel free to make donations.  To learn more about this very important and useful organization click here.

    The most exciting thing for me personally was that RCI has a copy of my Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition and has read some of the articles I’ve done about them.

    At first I thought that they would now put out their own Bible to compete with mine.  But to my surprise, RCI encouraged what I was doing and offered me assistance in getting out information on another of a long line of product and service enhancements they have been making of late due out later this year.  Rather than seeing me as their competition they want as many timeshare owners as possible to understand the best procedures of getting a good timeshare exchange.

    All RCI members are going to be greatly pleased by what they will be rolling out regardless of where they own.  In my opinion, what RCI is doing will be considered one of the great leaps forward in the timeshare industry since its inception.

    RCI has already broken the mold with RCI TV and continues to strive to improve their service.  But I promised not to tip my hat early on this so you’ll have to wait until later this year.

    I also got to speak briefly with Howard Nusbaum, President and CEO of ARDA, about The Timeshare Exchange Bibles and he asked me to send him copies.  He also thinks it imperative to educate timeshare owners on the art of getting good exchanges.

    Refer back to this blog for further updates and be the first to learn of the new RCI enhancements when they pull the trigger.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

    Join me on:

    Twitter Facebook My Space

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    New Timeshare Resort: Grand Lodges Mount Hood Timeshare Resort

    Monday, February 1st, 2010

    Interval International recently announced the addition of Grand Lodge to its network of resorts.  Grand Lodges Mount Hood is tucked into Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range just a few miles from Mt. Hood that offers year-round downhill and cross-country skiing.  The resort is being sold as fractional, with a minimum 3 week purchase, starting at $49,900.  Grand Lodges Bedroom

    “The central location of Grand Lodges adjacent to three ski areas is ideal for our upscale members, who will have the opportunity to visit this high-quality ski-in/ski-out resort,” said David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International. “This destination offers a wonderful variety of recreational options, including an extensive night skiing area at Mt. Hood Skibowl and summer skiing at Timberline Palmer Snow Field.”

    Since it is being sold as fractional, it typically means that for exchangers we’ll have a harder time getting either the winter or summer weeks.  Fractional resorts usually package together the prime with the not so prime weeks when sold.  For instance, the 3 week package probably contains 1 winter ski week, 1 summer week and 1 spring or fall week.  The week most likely to get deposited with Interval International is the spring or fall week-at least for the first 4 or 5 years.  After that, we can expect to see some winter and summer weeks up for exchange.

    If you jump on it right away, it’s possible to exchange into the Grand Lodges, even in prime time, because the developer’s usually have more inventory than owners.  They give some of that inventory to II to fill their rooms and as a way to market them as well.  But you’ll need to jump on it now and maximize your exchange power.

    The resort has 16 open-plan units with three different floor plans that range from 1,800 to 2,300 square feet.  The units include three bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, and a private balcony with access from the master bedroom and living room, as well as offer a rustic elegant style with Brazilian cherry hardwood floors and Cascadian stone fireplaces in most units.

    The developer of Grand Lodges and managing member of Mt. Hood LLC II, Kirk Hanna says, “Our vision was to create the ultimate balance between a getaway retreat and a comfortable home,” Kirk Hanna is also the owner of Mt. Hood Skibowl and continued to say, “Units are acoustically engineered to give owners a quiet appreciation of the stunning panoramas. The on-site recreation center and full-service concierge and spa will provide first-class pampering. And, our affiliation with Interval International completes the picture by expanding our owners’ vacation options to other quality locations worldwide.”

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

    Join me on:

    Twitter Facebook My Space

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    Posted in Alerts-Exchanging Timeshares, New Timeshare Exchange Resorts, Travel Destinations | No Comments »

    Disney names its Hawaii resort ‘Aulani’

    Sunday, January 24th, 2010
    The new Disney hotel and timeshare resort is progressing nicely. They’ve given its first family destination resort in Hawaii a Hawaiian name — Aulani.

    Disney Senior Vice President Joe Rohde said Tuesday that “aulani” means “the place that speaks for the great ones” or “the place that speaks with deep messages.”

    Located on 21 acres of oceanfront property in the Ko Olina Resort & Marina development, Aulani is to include 360 hotel rooms and 481 timeshare vacation villas. The first phase is to open in fall 2011.

    Recreational highlights include pools, hot tubs, a snorkeling lagoon, play programs for children and a river suitable for tube floating.

    The resort will also have an 18,000-square-foot spa, two restaurants, a 14,545-square-foot conference center and 48,685 square feet of outdoor venues.

    With 481 timeshare villas expect to see some weeks showing up in RCI available for exchange.  Unfortunately, it will take 3-5 years before any appreciable amount weeks are deposited.  And you’ll have to really supercharge your exchange power and request very early to have a chance of getting in.Disney Timeshare Resort Hawaii

    In addition, the fourth installment of the popular Disney movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean” series is scheduled for filming in Hawaii during the summer of 2010. Johnny Depp will return to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in “On Stranger Tides.” The film, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, is estimated to mean roughly $85 million to the economy of Hawaii.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos, a $97 value, on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

    Join me on:  Twitter FaceBook LinkedIn


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    New Welk Timeshare Resort in Cabo San Lucas-Sirena del Mar

    Friday, January 15th, 2010
    Sunset in Cabo San Lucas
    Image via Wikipedia

    Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq:IILG), yesterday announced that Welk Resorts Cabo – Sirena del Mar has joined its vacation exchange network. Overlooking the Sea of Cortez near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, this is the first international location in the Welk Resorts portfolio launched by legendary entertainer Lawrence Welk.

    “Those familiar with the Welk history know that we strive to ensure whatever we do at our resorts is done with the highest quality standards,” said Jon Fredricks, president of Welk Resorts. “Welk Resorts Cabo – Sirena del Mar, the newest addition to our family of resorts, clearly exemplifies this commitment to excellence.”

    Craig M. Nash, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Interval Leisure Group, parent company of Interval International, added, “We are very proud to welcome Welk Resorts Cabo – Sirena del Mar, Welk’s sixth property, to Interval’s worldwide network. The resort’s stunning location and full range of amenities carry on the tradition of quality that has made Welk Resorts one of the most respected independent brands in the vacation ownership industry.”

    Set on a 65-foot bluff near the popular resort town of Cabo San Lucas on the tip of the Baja California peninsula, Welk Resorts Cabo – Sirena del Mar is being built in tiers to maximize its panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez and El Arco, the landmark stone arch. There are two pools on the seven-acre property and cascading decks have wet wall water features, a vanishing edge waterfall and spa, thatched palapas, and a fire pit. At the rim of the seaside cliff, a spiral staircase leads to a swimmable cove beach.

    While the setting may be a world away from other resorts in the Welk Resorts portfolio — including the Welk Resort north of the San Diego suburb of Escondido, the 400-acre flagship property, and the Ozark Mountain-themed Timber Ridge Lodge in the heart of family-friendly Branson, Missouri — the quality and flexible, points-based product is very familiar to more than 43,000 owners at Welk Resorts. Sixteen of the 20 two-bedroom villas in phase one of Welk Resorts Cabo – Sirena del Mar are lock-off units, adding another layer of flexibility. (The remaining four units are two-bedroom penthouses.) The build out is scheduled to progress in five phases for a total of 222 units with a range of configurations, including one-bedroom junior suites.

    All units will include luxury amenities such as whirlpool tubs, stainless appliances, multiple flat screen TVs, complimentary Internet access, and pillow-top king-sized beds.

    Phase one owners and guests will be able to enjoy a range of on-site amenities including two outdoor pools (one with a swim-up bar), a fitness center, game room, an owner’s lounge and shop selling beverages and sundries. Just five minutes from the property, Cabo San Lucas offers the full spectrum of shopping, dining, golf and water sports.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos, a $97 value, on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

    Join me on:  Twitter FaceBook LinkedIn

    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

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    American Idol Star and Cabo San Lucas Timeshares

    Saturday, January 9th, 2010

    Cabo San Lucas' El Arco

    Katharine McPhee, runner up in Season 5 of American Idol, says her favorite places to relax are Cabo San Lucas, Mexico timeshares. Her heavy-duty travel schedule keeps her in and out of hotels, many of which this self-professed “clean freak” says she re-cleans herself because they do not meet her standards. Explaining that she always removes the spreads and blankets and relegate them to the closet, McPhee adds that she sometimes uses the hotel towels to cover a dirty floor or carpet.

    It seems, however, that timeshares suit the singing star much better. In an article published by Showbiz Spy, McPhee says her favorite resort destination is, “Cabo (San Lucas, Mexico) because it’s two hours from my home in Los Angeles and you feel like you are in a different world. It’s quick and easy and I love the restaurants. My family has a timeshare so I try and get down there at least once per year.”

    “Lying on the beach or sitting by the pool is so amazing. Every once in a while I will rent jet skis. There is nothing quite like jet skiing on the open ocean.”

    Katharine is not alone in her love of Mexico timeshares; many vacationers believe them to be some of the most beautiful resorts in the world. And you have it straight from a clean freak that although many hotels fail to live up to her standards, her favorite Mexico timeshare is an ideal place to vacation and relax.

    The newest resort to open in Cabo is Welk Resorts “Sirena del Mar”.  They grabbed about the last piece of ocean front left in the coveted corridor area some years ago and just opened 35 of 200 units.  It sits 3 miles from the town of Cabo San Lucas and all of the first phase units have ocean front views.  In fact, because of its location, not only can you hear whales spout from the pool area, but at this time of year you can see both sunrise and sunset.

    Welk has deposited some exchange weeks into Interval International but don’t expect them to last long.  Nor will there be many weeks from their Cabo resort deposited in the future since Welk went to a club system with internal points like Disney Vacation Club and Hyatt Vacation Club.

    Make sure you maximize your exchange power and request far in advance if you want to get a timeshare exchange into the beautiful new resort.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos, a $97 value, on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

    Join me on:  Twitter FaceBook LinkedIn

    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

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    RCI TV Goes Public

    Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
    The current RCI logo.
    Image via Wikipedia

    “RCI announced that RCI TV, its innovative web-based television network that until now was exclusive for RCI subscribing members, is live and available to all consumers on RCI.com.” (from CNNMoney.com) To read entire article Click Here.


    Great, now you don’t even have to belong to RCI to see and rent timeshare weeks from their website.  RCI claims in their press release that RCI TV will bring enhanced awareness about timesharing to non-timeshare owners, ostensibly to help developers sell more timeshare, but it sure won’t hurt their rental business. One can only surmise that increased demand from the non-timeshare owning public to rent weeks will dry up the supply of desirable exchange weeks even further.

    RCI goes on to state:
    “This new accessibility allows the general public to view educational and entertaining “Resort Showcase” and “Destination” channels along with other information dedicated to increasing timeshare industry awareness and promoting the benefits of vacation ownership. Through the Resort Showcase channel, prospective purchasers can also link directly to selected developers’ websites for more information or a chance to visit resorts.”

    I applaud RCI for setting up RCI TV.  It’s a great resource and planning tool for the timeshare owner to obtain information on resorts before they start an exchange request, but I see even greater advantages for the company and timeshare resort developers-possibly at the expense of us.  Let me know what you think by leaving your comments.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

    Join me on:

    Twitter Facebook My Space

    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

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    Posted in Alerts-Exchanging Timeshares, How Timeshare Works | No Comments »

    Exchanging Your Timeshare for a Discount Cruise and the Swine Flu

    Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

    Cruise Ship

    Cruise Ship

    Hurricane season is about over and prime cruising season is about to begin. Timeshare owners can exchange their week for a discounted cruise through either RCI or Interval International but you may want to stay on solid ground this cruise season because of the prevalence of the H1N1, Swine flu spreading across the world.

    The cruise industry would say that they have prepared for this pandemic and to yes, book your cruise. Executive Vice President of the Cruise Lines International Association, CLIA, Michael Cyre, explained that the cruise industry is taking proactive steps “to keep H1N1 off of  cruise ships and appropriately manage and treat influenza illnesses when and if they occur”.

    One of the ways cruise companies are relying on to keep the H1N1 virus off the ship is through the use of mandatory pre-boarding health screening questionnaires.  All passengers are required to complete and sign a written questionnaire prior to boarding. If a passenger answers affirmatively to having flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat a secondary screening will be conducted.  A secondary screening will also be
    conducted if a passenger reports that they have had contact with with a confirmed H1N1 case.  In either instance a fully paid passenger may be denied access to the ship.

    Some cruise companies have started using thermal imaging cameras to screen passengers for elevated body temperatures.  A higher than normal temperature may lead to a secondary screening and denial of boarding.

    If you’re planning a cruise this season you should check carefully the company’s refund and insurance policy regarding this issue.  You may find that the cruise portion of your fare may be fully or partially refunded if you’re denied boarding but not your pre-boarding hotel and airfare.

    But being denied boarding at the outset of your cruise isn’t the only way your cruise vacation may be ruined.  If a passenger exhibits flu like symptoms while under sail the ship may be denied docking at their port of call.

    On June 10 and June 11, 2009, a Royal Caribbean vessel, the Adventure of the Seas, was denied entry to two Caribbean Islands. Both St. Lucia and Antigua did not let the Adventure of the Seas dock after the ship reported that three people on-board exhibited flu symptoms. But, after tests came back, it was then discovered that those persons did not have the H1N1 virus.

    Last May, the Pacific Dawn, a P&O Australia vessel was denied entry to all of its ports on a 10-day itinerary. This decision was based on the ship reporting flu symptoms experienced by three persons onboard. Tests later came back negative for the H1N1 virus.

    Most cruise lines will provide some sort of compensation if an itinerary is severely affected but to what degree is anyone’s guess.  Compensation may come in monetary form, credit towards another cruise or a combination of both.

    Although the cruise industry is taking rigorous action to monitor swine flu both pre-boarding and while under sail, keep an eye on the news this season to see how it will affect cruise itineraries.  With  cruise ships reaching the size of small cities today the chances of a passenger slipping through the screening process increases greatly.

    If you do choose to take a cruise this season, be sure to thoroughly review both the insurance and refund policies of your cruise line.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

    Join me on:

    Twitter Facebook My Space

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    Posted in Alerts-Exchanging Timeshares, How Timeshare Works | No Comments »

    RCI TV: New Timeshare Exchange Tool

    Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
    Sunset in Cabo San Lucas
    Image via Wikipedia

    RCI has just launched a great new resource that will help you greatly with planning your timeshare exchange.  It’s called RCI TV.  It’s a new and innovative technology that enhances member experience by delivering important information by way of video.

    RCI TV offers an entertaining and educational network filled with stories about RCI, products and services, and travel and resort information.

    It’s hosted by the likable “Dan The RCI Guy” and consists of different channels you can click on to get more information.  As of now the 5 channels consist of; 35th Anniversary, Meet RCI, New Releases, Previews and Destination Reviews.   Unless you want promotional and background information about RCI you can forego the first two channels.

    The New Releases channel demonstrates how to use RCI’s new search feature, Enhanced Search.    Enhanced Search has radically changed the online experience by providing members with a broad view of real time exchange vacations available to them and the ability to search using filters to help find the exact vacation experience they want.

    On the Preview channel Dan talks about new features to expect in the near future.  Some nice enhancements to come are email notifications of the status of your current search, instant confirmations, side by side comparison or two resorts at once and personal resort recommendations based on your previous exchanges.

    On the Destination Reviews channel you’ll find excellent recommendations of things to do on your timeshare exchange in different vacation areas.  Each video is only about 5 minutes long, shot in HD and worthy of being on The Travel Channel.

    Currently there are 14 different vacation destinations with many more to come.  The videos on Hilton Head Island and Cabo San Lucas, two places I’ve lived and worked, included most everything I would recommend to someone headed there.

    There will be a new channel called “Resort Showcase” to show off different resorts in HD.  They currently have 50 resorts signed up but the channel is not live yet.  This will be a great resource to use when doing a timeshare exchange, especially now that you’re able to see availability real time.  Now, instead of seeing a few old photos of a resort you’re interested in, you’ll be able to see new HD videos of the resort.

    Here’s what the president and CEO of RCI had to say:

    “The response to RCI TV and our Resort Showcase channel has been overwhelmingly positive. The response in Mexico alone was so tremendous that we were asked by both developers and the Government in that great ‘vacation nation’ to develop a destination promotion along with an all-inclusive channel to help spotlight the many features that the all-inclusive resorts there have to offer.  This is just one more way that we are working to support and promote our affiliates worldwide.”

    To read the whole article, click here.

    When doing a timeshare exchange we need all of the help we can get and RCI TV promises to be a very useful tool.

    ***************************************************

    Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

    His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

    I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

    For 10 FREE videos on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

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