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RCI Timeshare Exchange Directory: Why You Should Study It

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

RCI Timeshare Directory

I have found that many timeshare owners I consult with look at their RCI timeshare exchange directory once a year-usually just before they are ready to place an exchange request. I recommend you really get familiar your directory long before that.

How Getting to Know Your RCI Timeshare Exchange Directory Helps You Get Better Timeshare Exchanges

Rather than picking it up the day you want to request your RCI timeshare exchange, you should go through it before hand and not only star the resorts you like, but also cross out the ones you do not want. There is a lot of information packed into the listings that will help in Planning Your Next Timeshare Exchange

For instance, if you want to exchange to a RCI resort on the beach, some of the timeshare resorts listed may be blocks from the beach rather than right on it. Crossing them off now will save you the time of filtering through them when you’re ready to do your timeshare exchange.

Below each RCI timeshare listing there is a series of color coded, round symbols that will quickly give you important information. There are currently 48 of these symbols in the RCI timeshare exchange directory that will give you an insight as to what amenities are in the unit itself, on site at the resort and nearby the resort.

For instance, with a quick glance you can tell whether your unit has a washer/dryer, dishwasher and air conditioning. You can also tell whether the RCI timeshare resort is on a lake, beach or ski slope, whether it is an all inclusive and if the all inclusive is mandatory or optional.

For some people the most important criteria in doing a RCI timeshare exchange may be whether there is on site child care and organized children’s activities. For others it may be whether there is a casino or bar on site. Because of how the RCI timeshare exchange directory is formatted you can tell all of this and more with a quick glance.

Another nice touch is the phone numbers and websites to the RCI timeshare resorts are listed in the directory allowing you to get even more in-depth information. Questions like: does the resort provide free day care, are there organized activities for kids, are basic spices like salt, pepper and garlic powder provided, are there barbecues on site and what are some of the best activities they recommend nearby are just a few of the questions to ask that will better help you in determining your resort choice.

Don’t Be Afraid to Mark Up Your RCI Timeshare Directory

The RCI timeshare exchange directory is very nice so you may be hesitant to mark it up with pen and highlighter; but not only will this help you enormously in Getting a Great Exchange but you will get a new one next year.

So grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and have some fun with it. With about 4,200 resorts in RCI timeshare exchange directory this will help you to Plan Your Next Exchange Each year many new RCI resorts are added so keep your old directory for reference.

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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 RCI Timeshare Exchange Bible, and The Interval International Timeshare Exchange Bible, 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:

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Learn How To Get A Great RCI Timeshare Exchange

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RCI Timeshare: How To Increase Your Timeshare Exchange Power

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

How to Increase Your RCI Timeshare Exchange Power

How To Get The RCI Timeshare You Want

Here’s a big secret to increasing your timeshare exchange power to get the RCI timeshare resort you want – Bank Early!!

I know, you’ve heard this before and you’re thinking, “Big deal! What kind of advice is this?” In two words, extremely important!

I’ve found, that even though this is common knowledge, and RCI timeshare owners are constantly reminded of this, few people understand or use this simple strategy that really increases your timeshare exchange power. Here’s why.

Why Banking Your RCI Timeshare Early Increases Your Timeshare Exchange Power

Many timeshare owners believe they have to know which RCI timeshare they want to exchange to before banking their week. This is a big mistake that can really harm your timeshare exchange power and make it much more difficult to get the RCI timeshare you want.

You do not need to know which RCI timeshare you’re going to want for your next vacation in order to bank it. You just need to know if you want to use it in your home resort or not. If you answer no to that question then bank it as early as possible to increase your timeshare exchange power. You can decide later where to use it.

The reason banking your RCI timeshare early is so important is because of the pecking order of RCI timeshare exchange system. Simply put, if I bank my RCI timeshare week today, and you bank yours tomorrow, and every thing else between us is equal, I have priority over you just because I banked my week one measly day before you.

Insider Secret to Help You Get the RCI Timeshare You Want

The first quarter of the year is when RCI receives the largest amount of people banking their RCI timeshare week. This is because January is the most common month that HOA fees are due and it serves to remind the RCI timeshare owner they need to do something with their week. So here’s the secret.

Always bank next year’s week and put in your request this year to get ahead of the crowd to increase your RCI timeshare exchange power and to tap into the greatest amount of available inventory.

Here’s another little known fact….

Just How Far In Advance Should You Bank Your RCI Timeshare Week?

For every month over 7 months in advance you bank your RCI timeshare week your exchange power increases. For every month under 7 months your timeshare exchange power decreases. For example, if you bank a July 2009 week in May of 2008 you will have significantly more timeshare exchange power than if you bank that same July 2009 week in January 2009.

In addition, you’ll have a bigger window of opportunity to use it. You’ll have between May of 2008 and July of 2011 to decide where to use that week! Not only do you now have more than 3 years to make up your mind but you will also increase your timeshare exchange power enormously.

Remember, the more in advance you do things in the timeshare world, the more choice and power you have. So don’t wait, bank your RCI timeshare week today.

While banking your RCI timeshare early will increase your exchange power, there are many more things you can do to supercharge your timeshare exchange power! To learn more about that, check out my guidebook..

“The RCI Timeshare Exchange Bible”

It’s the only guidebook of its kind in the timeshare industry and is loaded with tips and secrets I’ve learned in the 22 years I’ve been in the industry. It comes with a 100% money back guarantee that you will get a far better RCI timeshare exchange than you are now.

To view this post on Ezine Articles click on RCI Timeshare now.

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Timeshare Exchange: How to Determine Which Resorts Are the Most Difficult to Get

Monday, July 5th, 2010
timeshare exchange

Frustrated With Doing a Timeshare Exchange

I just got this question from Gary who just purchased my Timeshare Exchange Bible – II Edition.

Jeff,

Reading through your guides. Quick question. You mention this: Owner Occupancy Level:

This is the percentage of timeshare owners preferring to stay in their Home Resort as opposed to doing a timeshare exchange through Interval International. Worldwide, 80% of timeshare owners timeshare exchange their week through Interval International and 20% use their week in their Home Resort.
This is, however, just an average. At some resorts these numbers are just the opposite, resulting in a high owner occupancy level and therefore making it much more difficult in getting a timeshare exchange.

Thinking out loud here: Is there a chart, table, reporting database, resort info, etc where this can be pulled from? I know about the Demand Index.

I want to do a timeshare exchange to Myrtle Beach, SC. The Marriot Ocean Watch is where we want to stay. If this is a timeshare resort where 80% use the home resort, and other Marriott timeshare owners get first crack at the open 20%, then others like me have a so-so chance. (obviously this is the opposite of your #’s above) Pulling those numbers would give me a better idea what timeshare resorts in Myrtle Beach I would have a chance at.

Thanks.

Gary

Timeshare Exchange: The answer

Hi Gary,

You have very good timeshare instincts.  You should do great getting a timeshare exchange into the best resorts.

You’re right, the 80/20 ratio is a world wide average and certain resorts and resort areas have much higher owner occupancy levels (OOL) than 20%.  Unfortunately, I know of no chart or report that gives this information on timeshare exchange.

Interval International’s (II) Demand Index, while a very handy tool for understanding the hardest weeks to get on exchange, really only reflects demand-not supply of timeshare exchange weeks being deposited.

You can count on  high owner occupancy in high priced and top of the line timeshares, especially in the peak seasons, and any timeshare that’s part of a club e.g. Hyatt, Hilton, Westin/Starwood Vacation Club, Disney Vacation Club, Welk Platinum Resorts, Diamond, VRI, Wyndham/World Mark and Marriott now that they have launched their points program.

For instance, you can expect very a high OOL when a person pays $50,000-$60,000 a week in Maui.  That owner is less likely to want to do a timeshare exchange to another resort because of what they paid – at least for the first 4-5 years or so.  But after flying the entire family to Hawaii for 5 years they may be more likely to trying out the exchange system opening up more availability.

But purchase price isn’t the only factor in a high OOL. A very nice resort like the Boyne Mountain in Michigan will have very a very high OOL both in the summer and winter even
though the weeks aren’t as pricey as a Maui week.

The owners in Boyne Mountain Resort will want to use it in the summer because it’s on a lake and has an 88,000 square foot indoor water park, and in the winter for skiing on the
61 downhill slopes and the numerous cross country trails. In addition, because it’s one of only 2 timeshare resorts in the entire state of Michigan in Interval International and you have the perfect storm of a high OOL. But some of those winter and summer weeks will make it into Interval International for you and I to do a timeshare exchange if we know what we’re doing.

Timeshare Exchange: Why Timeshare Clubs are so much harder to exchange to

Timeshare clubs are even harder to do a timeshare exchange. The reason clubs have a much higher OOL is that the members don’t have to use RCI or II to do a timeshare exchange to other resorts within the club. So far less inventory makes it into the exchange companies pools.

For instance, if you bought a fixed week at the beautiful Welk Resort in Escondido, CA some years ago, and wanted to use it in the Welk’s Desert Oasis in Cathedral City ( the Palm Springs area), you’d have to deposit or bank your week with either RCI or Interval Internatioal, get on the waiting list for the dates you want and pay them their exchange fee.

If, however, you purchased your timeshare from Welk after late 2006, you purchased points in their Platinum Club points system instead of a week.  A Welk Platinum owner simply calls Welk directly to make their reservation at any of their resorts in Escondido, Cathedral City, Branson, MO or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It’s an easier process for the owner, there are no exchange fees and the owner knows immediately if there is availability. This is a much more attractive way for the owner to use his timeshare therefore fewer weeks get deposited with the exchange companies.

So how does one determine how much availability there is in any particular resort at a specific time of year if there is no chart or report?  Easy. All you have to do is ask. You can ask RCI or II this question but depending on which exchange councilor you’re talking with, they might not give you the answer.  If that happens you can try again later or simply call the resort itself and find out.  If II tells you that typically only four 2 bedroom units come out of Boyne Mountain Resort in July, you had better expand your search to include more dates or add other resorts to you request.

Now, to answer your question about availability in Marriott’s Ocean Watch in Myrtle Beach. Recently I was talking with an RCI exchange councilor and, to my utter shock, he told me that Myrtle Beach is one of the most demanded and has one of the highest OOL’s in RCI. (I know that Marriott is in II but I’m certain they’d say the same) He said it’s because it’s so close to so many large metropolitan areas and timeshare owners in the past few years are sticking closer to home for their vacations.

So call II and the front desk of the Marriott to find out.  If you use my suggestions in the Bible and plan far enough in advance you should have a good shot at getting it.  You can always start your search for just that resort and add more later if you don’t get results.  The important thing is to start your search immediately.

Thanks for the question and your purchase.  I’ll be submitting this reply to article directories and on my blog to help others.

All the best,

Jeff Pierce – The Timeshare Expert

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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

timeshare exchange

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RCI Last Call and Extra Vacations for Timeshare Owners

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

I found this very helpful video on You Tube explaining how to get Last Call and Extra Vacations in RCI.  I found it at a site called X Force Articles.

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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

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Exchanging Timeshares: Getting a 2 BD Unit with a 1 BD

Friday, May 7th, 2010

This is a question I get quite frequently from clients about exchanging timeshares and that question is “if I put in two 1 bedroom units in RCI or Interval International, can I take out one week in a two bedroom?

And the answer to that question is “no, but…” Neither timeshare exchange company will allow you to do it that way BUT it’s not unusual to put a 1 bedroom in and take out a 2 bedroom when exchanging timeshares.

Now that’s going to depend on a couple of things, the first of which is how powerful a timeshare exchange you have, and also, if you’ve done everything possible to maximize your timeshare exchange power.  That’s a whole other story.

Exchanging Timeshares is Like Fishing

The first thing you want to do exchanging timeshares is to be broad in your request.  You want to think about exchanging timeshares like fishing.  The broader you cast your net the more fish you’ll likely catch.

So instead of giving RCI or Interval International one to three resorts you’d like as a timeshare exchange to, broaden it out to 8, 10 or 15.  That will increase your possibility of getting a 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom quite significantly.

Also, you’ll want to find out how many 2 bedrooms units are in each of the timeshare resorts you’re requesting.  A common mistake many people make when exchanging timeshares  is thinking that the majority of the resort’s floor plans are 2 bedrooms when in fact a particular resort may only contain 3 or fewer 2 bedrooms.  If this is the case then you should add another resort to you list.

When exchanging timeshares give an increase span of time

You’ll also want to increase the span of time with which you’ll accept a confirmation.  Instead of requesting just the second week in February, if you can, expand it to include any week in February through March or April.  Again, this will increase your possibilities of getting a 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom exponentially.

The way not to get a 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom timeshare exchange is to request only 1 or 2 resorts for only 1 or 2 weeks of the year.

In conclusion, broaden out the number of resorts you’re requesting, expand out your reservation window and learn how to maximize your exchange power and you’ll have a much easier time of getting 2 bedroom suites with your 1 bedroom deposit.  And as always, the farther in advance you do this the better.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets of exchanging timeshares into the best resorts in both the RCI Directory and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The RCI Timeshare Exchange Bible, and The Interval International Timeshare Exchange Bible, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of exchanging timeshares.

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

For 10 FREE videos on exchanging timeshares in RCI and Interval International go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

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Exchanging timeshares made easy

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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.

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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 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:

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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.

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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 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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Timeshare Exchange Tips For The Holidays

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Thanksgiving is over and we’re headed into the Christmas holiday season.  If you’re like most people, thinking about exchanging your timeshare is not high on your priority list.  But you should let the beginning of the holiday season be a trigger to remind you to deposit your next year’s timeshare weeks with RCI or Interval International.

Ideally, you should have already done this by now in order to maximize your exchange power, but it’s not too late.  Many timeshare exchangers make the mistake of waiting until they know where they want to go on vacation before depositing their weeks which usually results in decreased trading power.  Keep in mind that you do not need to know this to bank or deposit you week with either exchange company.  You just need to be fairly certain that you’re not going to want to stay at your home resort next year.

The reason that waiting until you know where you want to exchange to before depositing your week hurts your exchange power is because both exchange companies give you more exchange power the farther in advance you give up your week to them.  So if I give up my week today and you give up your week tomorrow, and everything else between us is equal, I have more exchange power than you.

Another tip you should know is that both RCI and Interval International receive a large amount of timeshare deposits in the first 3 months of each year.  The reasons for this are, as I previously mentioned, most timeshare owners aren’t concentrating on next year’s vacation now.  They’ve typically just taken a summer vacation, then had to get the kids back to school, prepare for Thanksgiving and are now preparing for Christmas and New Year’s.

But after getting through the holidays and New Year, many timeshare owners start thinking about their upcoming vacation and deposit their timeshare weeks into RCI and Interval International’s exchange pool.  To add fuel to the fire, many owners receive their annual maintenance fees in January as well reminding them to do something with their week.

What you want to remember is that even though RCI and II get a lot of deposits in the first quarter of each year, the best weeks are immediately taken back out by owners that are privy to this knowledge and are already on the waiting list leaving less for you.

In conclusion, not only should the start of the holiday season remind you to deposit your next year’s week, but when possible, you should place your exchange request as well.  Taking advantage of these 2 simple timeshare exchange tips will help you to get better exchanges and enjoy your timeshare more.

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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 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 Interval International go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter Facebook My Space

Posted in How Timeshare Works, How To Do A Timeshare Exchange, Timeshare Exchange Tips | 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.

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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 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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Exchanging Your Timeshare: Do the Best Weeks Even Get Deposited into RCI and Interval International?

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

It’s rumored that getting prime season weeks in RCI or Interval International’s best resorts, designated as Gold Crown and Premier respectively, are impossible because the owners are either using them or renting them out for a large profit.  If the premise were true, then it would follow that we wouldn’t have access to these prime weeks since they would never make it into RCI or Interval International’s exchange pool.  But it isn’t.

The reason this rumor exists is because so many timeshare owners don’t know how the exchange process works and aren’t using it correctly.  These prime weeks are there, they’re just hard to get.  I’ve been exchanging my 1 Bedroom summer week in a non-ranked resort in Whistler British Columbia for Gold Crown resorts for 20 years now.

One of the top 3 reasons people buy a timeshare in the first place is to exchange it. Certainly the owners of the very best RCI or Interval International affiliated timeshare resorts are less likely to bank them for exchange, especially prime weeks, but we’re only talking about 1-3% of the nearly 8000 resorts out there.

As for timeshare owners renting out their weeks, in the more than 20 years I’ve been in the timeshare business I’ve only worked for one company that had a rental program for their owners-Lawrence Welk Resorts.

None of these very high quality properties I’ve worked for in the past, Four Seasons Scottsdale, Westin Cabo San Lucas, Fairmont Heritage Club Ghirardelli Square, Sol Mar and Sheraton Hacienda del Mar, had a rental program. Renting a timeshare out on your own is difficult and not very profitable so few people are successful at it. Try it yourself sometime.

I just used RCI’s Enhanced Search feature to pull a bunch of Gold Crown, prime red weeks with my least powerful exchange week. It also pulled August 2010 weeks in Hyannis, South Yarmouth. While none of the resorts in the Cape Cod area are Gold Crown, they’re too old, getting a summer week there is extremely difficult. My exchange week did not pull Key West for August of 2010 but it did pull every other high demand beach area in Florida except Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Because my exchange week did not pull Key West, Sanibel or Captiva Islands, one might naturally interpret it to mean that none of those weeks ever get deposited into the exchange pool.

In reality it really means that the owners in those resorts haven’t gotten around to depositing their 2010 weeks yet. I know from past experience that if I’ve maximized both my exchange and request power, and started a pending search now, I would get it.  Certainly there are far fewer weeks coming out of these areas than out of Orlando, but the availability is only going to increase from now until March of next year when many timeshare owners will start depositing their August 2010 weeks. Timeshare owners will continually to want to exchange their timeshares and experience new places.

Also, you can forget the “like for like” basis on exchanging timeshares-that you must own a Gold Crown resort to exchange to a Gold Crown resort. It rarely pertains as evidenced by all of the great exchanges I’ve gotten in the last 20 years. My one bedroom week just pulled a Gold Crown 3 bedroom at the Club Velas Vallarta in March of 2010. And it also pulled plenty of other Gold Crown, 2 bedroom units in Florida, including the Hilton Grand Vacation Club, Cancun, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas in March as well-all this with a 1 bedroom in a non-ranked RCI Resort.

Don’t believe the rumors and give up on trying to exchange into the best resorts during prime season.  There are many steps to learn on how to get good exchanges so learn what it takes to do it right and you’ll enjoy your timeshare much more.

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

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Posted in How Timeshare Works, How To Do A Timeshare Exchange | 4 Comments »

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