Timeshare/Hotel Loyalty Cruising

Has anyone out there on the 'virtual' sea taken a cruise as a result of being a time-share owner or loyal guest of some hotel chain and redeemed their points/credits or exchanged their timeshare usage for a cruise? I've booked my first 2 cruises this way and am interested in hearing from anyone who has done it, is doing it, or have been contemplating doing it.

We have had dinner table mates on different cruises, who booked via their timeshare program. So I am sure you will find more people who booked this way.

What is it you need to know? We have used our RCI points for the last 2 cruises we have taken....?

Arzeena

I posted on the Roll Call for NCL Star 10/21 and we were on the Dawn 10/10 cruise. Would like to contact you but not sure if I can leave my email on this post. Catlady461

What is it you need to know? We have used our RCI points for the last 2 cruises we have taken....?

I was mainly curious how common an occurance it was. We are using hotel loyalty/reward points for the 2 cruises we have currently booked. I know that Interval International offers a cruise redemption option, but I have been less than impressed with their value as it seems (based on the out of pocket expense still involved) you are effectively 'giving' your timeshare usage away while still paying for a cruise. The company we own our timeshare with is now offering a cruise redemption option directly through them, and it looks promising (seems you can actually get a cruise for exchanging your timeshare usage with little/no out of pocket expenses). However, we'll wait to get through our first two cruises (to determine how much we like cruising) before deciding whether to explore a cruise option through them.

We have a timeshare with RCI that we never use (and need to actually get rid of it as our "points" always expire on us)... That said, let me give you an example of what we paid for our cruise we just booked:

Oceania Marina, August 24 2013, Stockholm to Copenhagen over 10 days, Category B4 (lowest grade balcony cabin).

Oceania quoted us: $5400pp (with "free air")

RCI quoted us: $3400pp (with no air) + 40,000 points + about $200 in fees. Air will cost us about $1000pp give or take (too soon to book still).

So we "save" about $800pp. Considering we don't use our RCI timeshare, this is a wash with the maintenance fees we pay every year. BUT - we also booked another cruise on Azamara (for another 40,000 points + $200) and we saved over $1000pp so we are actually ahead this year to the tune of $2000 total.

I don't think it's a great option if you actually use your timeshare, but I work for the largest hotel chain and get very good rates on rooms so we find that we just don't need the timeshare so we elect to go with the cruise discount.

Clear as mud? :)

would it still be a deal had you booked an inside cabin?

Jealous of your Oceania cruises. :D

Yes it would have been a deal still. The "discount" goes down a bit for each major level you drop (e.g. suite/veranda/OV/inside) but I think between the Veranda and the inside for the Oceania cruise was about $200 (discount). So instead of 2,000 saved, we would have saved $1800.

Or something along those lines! :)

I too am jealous of my Oceania cruise :p - our first time on small ships is this December (Azamara Quest - Rio to Buenos Aires) and we are beyond excited! We just got really tired of the large ship experience and the multi-class system (hear that Cunard?)... so we said, what the he#l - let's do it! Plus I LOVE to cook and we are both huge foodies so the Marina with it's culinary classes and focus on food seemed like a perfect fit, and once again, we said what the he#l!?

Glad we are actually USING our timeshare in some fashion... such a pity to pay for it and waste it. Working for the big M hotel chain has us staying in hotels or their timeshares for about 1/8 the rack rate and it just doesn't make sense to go through the hassle of the timeshare.

We have a timeshare with RCI that we never use (and need to actually get rid of it as our "points" always expire on us)... That said, let me give you an example of what we paid for our cruise we just booked:

 

Oceania Marina, August 24 2013, Stockholm to Copenhagen over 10 days, Category B4 (lowest grade balcony cabin).

 

Oceania quoted us: $5400pp (with "free air")

RCI quoted us: $3400pp (with no air) + 40,000 points + about $200 in fees. Air will cost us about $1000pp give or take (too soon to book still).

 

So we "save" about $800pp. Considering we don't use our RCI timeshare, this is a wash with the maintenance fees we pay every year. BUT - we also booked another cruise on Azamara (for another 40,000 points + $200) and we saved over $1000pp so we are actually ahead this year to the tune of $2000 total.

 

I don't think it's a great option if you actually use your timeshare, but I work for the largest hotel chain and get very good rates on rooms so we find that we just don't need the timeshare so we elect to go with the cruise discount.

 

Clear as mud? :)

That's interesting. The Mega-hot hotel chain that we redeemed rewards points for our first 2 cruises through charges a fixed number of points for a fixed dollar amount voucher that you then redeem toward a cruise through their cruise provider - Mr. Cruises Only (I wonder if there is a Mrs. Cruises Only. I know there's at least one opening for a Mrs. Cruise, but that's another story). :cool:

Yes it would have been a deal still. The "discount" goes down a bit for each major level you drop (e.g. suite/veranda/OV/inside) but I think between the Veranda and the inside for the Oceania cruise was about $200 (discount). So instead of 2,000 saved, we would have saved $1800.

 

Or something along those lines! :)

 

I too am jealous of my Oceania cruise :p - our first time on small ships is this December (Azamara Quest - Rio to Buenos Aires) and we are beyond excited! We just got really tired of the large ship experience and the multi-class system (hear that Cunard?)... so we said, what the he#l - let's do it! Plus I LOVE to cook and we are both huge foodies so the Marina with it's culinary classes and focus on food seemed like a perfect fit, and once again, we said what the he#l!?

 

Glad we are actually USING our timeshare in some fashion... such a pity to pay for it and waste it. Working for the big M hotel chain has us staying in hotels or their timeshares for about 1/8 the rack rate and it just doesn't make sense to go through the hassle of the timeshare.

You will love Oceania and the smaller ship experience. No hairy chest contests, no photographers in your face and no one hustling the drink of the day at you. Although there is quite a discussion on the Oceania board at the moment about this subject, but generally there are few children on these ships.

The food and service is out of this world...even better that you are a foodie; you'll really appreciate it.

The experience is refined without being snobby and I love the Country Club Casual policy.

We too have a timeshare, but in order to take advanage of the other travel rewards (like cruises), it's $200 a year (on top ot the yearly maintenance fees). We generally go to Whistler a lot or Zihuatanejo.

Enjoy your cruises!

Arzeena

I posted on the Roll Call for NCL Star 10/21 and we were on the Dawn 10/10 cruise. Would like to contact you but not sure if I can leave my email on this post. Catlady461

Hi Catlady,

You can email me: arzeena6@gmail.com

I do not want to be harassed by the Roll Call Bandit and his Gang on our Oct roll call. He has made this pre cruise planning and chatting with co cruisers a misery for me.

Hey! the 10/10/10 cruise was the best ever!!!!! :) Quite a few people from 10/10/10 crusie are on this cruise with us!