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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.

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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, 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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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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Lawrence Welk’s Mountain Villas

Monday, April 13th, 2009

I just got back from a 3 day stay at Lawrence Welk’s Mountain Villas, the newest resort on their north San Diego property. This is one of the nicest timeshares in either RCI or II. Here’s II’s resort description:

“Nestled in the foothills of North San Diego, just a short drive from world-famous attractions and sunny beaches, Welk Resorts San Diego offers a panoramic 640-acre vacation playground with dozens of family-friendly activities right on-site. The newest of all of the Welk villa communities, Mountain Villas offers beautiful cabin-style villas set high up on the mountainside, with spectacular views of the sprawling fairways and natural open spaces for which Welk Resorts San Diego are renowned in Southern California.”

There are only about 43 villas open at this time with new phases planned, so it will be a very difficult exchange-especially anytime during the summer. Your best chances are any other time of the year. Make sure you maximize your exchange power and plan 9-12 months in advance.

All units are 2 bedroom lock-offs consisting of a large one bedroom villa that’s approximately 850 square feet and a one bedroom suite that is about 584 square feet. Each one bedroom sleeps 4. Here are some pictures of the Villa:

villafloorplan

Notice the 3 sided fireplace in the master bedroom.

villamasterbd

Here’s the living room.

villalivingroom

And finally the bathroom.

villabathroom

The one bedroom suite is gorgeous as well.  Here’s the master bedroom.

suitemasterbd

The bathroom.

suitebathroom

And the kitchen/living room.

suitekitchlivingroom

And lastly, the second of 2 water parks on site.

waterpark

There are 3 different resorts on this property in Escondido.  You’d enjoy any one of them.  Those of you that want the newest Mountain Villas be sure to request code WMX in Interval International.  The other 2 resorts on this property are Villas on the Greens and the original Lawrence Welk Resort Villas.  You’ll find them in both RCI and Interval International.

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 18 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only and most authoritative in the timeshare industry.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.
For 3 free tips on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

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The Cliffs at Peace Canyon Las Vegas

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

The Cliffs at Peace Canyon in Las Vegas has gotten a lot of good reviews.  It even gets good reviews in Trip Advisor whose contributors are pretty persnickety  when rating resorts.

Cliffs at Peace Canyon

Cliffs at Peace Canyon

Here’s a picture of the living and dining room.

Living and Dining Room

Living and Dining Room

RCI rates it as a Gold Crown.  According to Timeshares Daily, “The Cliffs at Peace Canyon is one of the best timeshares in Las Vegas. Its located 15 minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip, near fantastic outdoor locations like Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam.

The property offers a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas gaming tables. It has a Spa fully equipped with saunas and offers hot-stone massages, European treatments, Swiss showers, salt scrubs, and more.

If you have a taste for golf, the property has an 18-hole golf course. After basking under the sun after the match, you can wash your fatigue away with a swimming pool nestled amidst the Peace Canyon.

The timeshare offers one and two-bedroom accommodations, both include a kitchen, a living room, and a dining area. When the desert breeze comes in, you can relax in front of gas fire places.”

As nice it is I wouldn’t exchange my timeshare for the Cliffs.  I did a quick search on Expedia and found that I could rent a 1 bedroom for around $55/night-less than my maintenance fee.  Even over the 4th of July weekend the average rate was only $72/night.

Do some research before exchanging your timeshare.  You want to use your exchange week in resorts that you would have to pay at least $150/night to stay in.

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Sonoma Barrel Tasting Weekend Part 2

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

We started our wine tasting weekend at the beautiful Korbel Winery, just outside of Guerneville, CA.  Many people think Korbel only produces cheap champagne, but their Premier Champagne, for about $25, is really excellent.  They also produce a very drinkable Chardonnay for about $15 as well.

This is a good place to start at 11:00 am.  Champagne at that hour is far preferable to red wine.

The Family

The Family

Our next stop was Iron Horse Vineyards for more champagne.  I had remembered it being better than what we tasted that day but the real reason I wanted to go there was for the view.

Our next stop was the Dutton Family Vineyards.  There we tasted the best wines of the day.  Their Chardonnay and Pinot’s were some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

After a couple of more stops we picked up some supplies from the grocery store and went back to the timeshare and bar-b-qued up some steaks and chicken and drink some of the fine wine we had purchased.

The WorldMark Wine Country Sonoma is perfectly situated in the heart of  wine country.  The resort is very well taken care of, the staff very helpful and friendly and the timeshare condos well appointed.  I highly recommend it as an RCI exchange.  Below are more pictures of the 3 bedroom unit I got with my 1 bedroom.

Kitchen

We had our own bar-b-que on the patio and the fireplace and entertainment center were great.

Bar-b-que

Fireplace & entertainment center

And finally pictures of the master bedroom.

Master BedroomMaster Bedroom

In the next post I’ll share with you some pictures of one of the most beautiful drives you can do anywhere.  If you ever want to exchange your timeshare to this area, you don’t want to miss this drive.

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The Crane Beach Hotel an RCI Resort

Monday, January 26th, 2009

This is the last post on the Crane Beach Hotel in Barbados.  The cover of Travel and Leisure’s December 2008 issue featured a photo of the exact room I stayed in.  I had exchanged my RCI timeshare to this incredible resort for only $184/week.  That room was probably about $400/night at the time.

These are a few pictures of the restaurant on site.

Restaurant Balcony

Dining Room of Crane Beach Hotel

This is the poolside bar.Poolside Bar

This is the view of the restaurant and pool from the pink sand beach below the hotel.

View from pink sand beach of Crane Beach Hotel

The Crane Beach Hotel is a highly demanded RCI timeshare resort.  Make sure you request far in advance to have a chance of exchanging into it.  To give you a substantial leg up on other timeshare owners requesting this resort, make sure you get a copy of The Timeshare Exchange Bible now.

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The Crane Beach Hotel a RCI Timeshare Resort

Monday, January 19th, 2009

It’s interesting to note that Travel and Leisure magazine lists rooms at the Crane Beach Hotel “starting at $410/night.”  I stayed there on exchange for $184/week by exchanging my timeshare.
In the last post of the Crane Beach Hotel , a RCI timeshare, I showed some pictures of the beautiful pool and beach. If you’ve never been to Barbados make sure you put it on your “must see” list.

These next pics are of the 2 rooms we had.  We were there for 10 days – 7 as a timeshare exchange that we paid $184/week and 3 days paying $350/night.

View from our living room.

Timeshare room at Crane Beach Hotel

This is the view from our patio.

Timeshare room at Crane Beach Hotel

View from patio of lawn, ocean and sculpture.

Timeshare room at Crane Beach Hotel

These next photos are of the 1 bedroom for which we paid $350/night.

1 bedroom at Crane Beach Hotel

Here’s the bedroom.

1 Bedroom at the Crane Beach Hotel

View from our deck on the second floor.

1 Bedroom at the Crane Beach Hotel

That’s it for now.  In the next and last post for The Crane Beach Hotel I’ll share some pics of the restaurant on site and some of the island’s other attractions.

This RCI timeshare is very difficult to exchange to, especially from Christmas through April.  Make sure you pick up a copy of The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition to give you the best chance of getting into the best timeshare resorts available.

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RCI and The Crane Beach Hotel Barbados

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

I’ve seen quite a few articles on The Crane Beach Hotel in Barbados, an RCI resort, lately.  Travel and Leisure magazine pictured the timeshare room I stayed in on their Dec 2008 cover.  I thought I’d share some photos with you when I was there on a timeshare exchange.

Theses photos are of the incredible pink sand beach that sits below the hotel.  Only hotel guests and locals use this beautiful beach so it was never crowded the week I was there.

View of Crane Beach from Hotel

The sand is very soft and fine.  (These are not my toes.  I prefer a different shade of red.)

These are not my toes Crane Beach Sand

Pictures of the famous pool that overlooks the beach and it’s Doric columns.

Crane Beach Hotel Pool

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I’ll be adding more to this post soon.  If you want to exchange your timeshare into this fabulous RCI resort make sure you request in advance.  You’ll want to supercharge your exchange power first.

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RCI Timeshare Otra Vez, Santa Fe, New Mexico Part 3

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

Sant Fe History

Santa Fe is the oldest capital in the United States and oldest European community founded West of the Mississippi River. Before American statehood, it was a Pueblo Indian dwelling, Spanish province, Mexican territory, trade route, and Confederate outpost.

From 1050 – 1607 contemporary Santa Fe was mainly a series of Pueblo villages called pueblos. Archaeologists confirm that Pueblos abandoned the site in the 1400’s for areas nearby Santa Fe. The Spanish arrived in the Santa Fe site in 1607 in an effort to colonize and conquer North America.
 

Don Pedro de Peralta, a conquistador, officially founded Santa Fe in 1607. He succeeded Don Juan Onante, the formative governer of Santa Fe. The Spanish sent soldiers, officials, and Franciscan missionaries to Pueblo Indians in the region. At the time, there were an estimated 100,000 Pueblos living in 70 towns around Santa Fe. The Spanish outfit attempted to convert the Pueblos to Catholicism. A band of Pueblos revolted against Spanish explorers and colonists. They pushed the Spanish back into Mexico and destroyed most of Santa Fe except the Palace of the Governers.

Don Diego De Vargas successfully resieged the city from the Pueblos in 1692. This placed New Mexico under Spanish rule once again. De Vargas led the expansion of Santa Fe and initiated trading agreements with the British, French, and Americans. Similarly, the Pueblos created a peaceful alliance with Comanche, Navajo, and Apache Indians.

In 1821, when Mexico finally gained independence from Spain, Santa Fe was named as the capital of the province of New Mexico. This ended the closed empire strategies of Spain; therefore, American explorers could enter the borders of New Mexico.

William Becknell led a group of trappers and miners down the Santa Fe trail from Arrow Rock, MS. In the Chimayó rebellion of 1837, New Mexican farmers killed the governer of Santa Fe and resisted Mexican rule. After Mexico defeated the farmers, Santa Fe plaza symbolized a peaceful founding with the planting of its cottonwood trees.

The Mexican-American War took place from 1846 to 1848 in New Mexico. Mexico eventually ceded New Mexico and California to the US.

The US recognized New Mexico’s statehood in 1912.  The Museum of Fine Arts completed construction in 1917 and in 1926, the Old Santa Fe Association commenced.The association aimed to preserve the charm and cultural heritage of Santa Fe.

City ordinances prevent construction of high-rise buildings to keep the panoramic views. The same zoning restrictions only permit adobe or Spanish Colonial style architecture downtown.

Don’t miss this interestingpart of the US.  There are several RCI timeshares and one Interval International timeshare located there.  Remember, because there are so few units available to place your request more in advance.

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RCI Timeshare Otra Vez, Santa Fe, New Mexico Part 2

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

The RCI timeshare Otra Vez is a great place to exchange to when visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I dropped by and saw an actual working unit, not a model.  On a scale of 3-5 I’d give the timeshare units a solid 3.  They are very comfortable and well taken care of and are furnished in typical Santa Fe style.

The kitchens are well supplied and have wood burning fireplaces. There is Internet available free in each room as well.

The 2 greatest things about the Otra Vez are its location and the parking.  It’s located on a quiet street just 2 blocks from the historic Plaza with all of its shops, restaurants and art galleries.  Once you arrive at the Otra Vez you can park your car in their lot and easily explore most of the town on foot.  Parking in Santa Fe can be a nightmare so being able to park at the timeshare is a big plus.

This RCI timeshare is highly demanded and only has 18 units so put in your request early-especially for the summer months.  I’ll be staying there on exchange for the Fourth of July 2009 and will have more to report.  I started a search in June of 2008 and was confirmed in August 2008.

In the next post I’ll give you a little history of this interesting town.

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