I Just Cancelled 11/17/07 Zuiderdam

[diveoz]

:D ... and rebooked it through RCI (Resort Condominiums International).

 

As a reminder, the cruise is a surprize for my DW's 40th Birthday.

 

I had booked our cat SA and never considered trading a timeshare spacebank week with RCI because it's usually a VERY bad deal - like $200 to $400 in "exchange value." But for some reason, RCI is giving a $1,259 "exchange value" for purchase of cat SA's. This is off a $2,499 base fare per person.

 

Total savings to us after accounting for the spacebanked week's cost (holding cost of 10% + maintenance fees) is about $700!:D

 

Now that should go toward some fun on the ship and in ports!

 

Yeah!!!

[maxout]

Nicely done! :D

 

Never hurts to check does it?

[Jade13]

:D ... and rebooked it through RCI (Resort Condominiums International).

 

As a reminder, the cruise is a surprize for my DW's 40th Birthday.

 

I had booked our cat SA and never considered trading a timeshare spacebank week with RCI because it's usually a VERY bad deal - like $200 to $400 in "exchange value." But for some reason, RCI is giving a $1,259 "exchange value" for purchase of cat SA's. This is off a $2,499 base fare per person.

 

Total savings to us after accounting for the spacebanked week's cost (holding cost of 10% + maintenance fees) is about $700!:D

 

Now that should go toward some fun on the ship and in ports!

 

Yeah!!!

 

My boss did this for a time share he had inherited and how he ended up on a HAL ship. It must be the same place. Can you post the link with info on the time share etc.?

[Mary Ellen]

Our timeshare (Disney Vacation Club) is one that can be traded for HAL Alaskan cruises. We've never done so, as our two vacation spots are cruising and DisneyWorld.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sounds like a great deal -- congratulations!!

[diveoz]

My boss did this for a time share he had inherited and how he ended up on a HAL ship. It must be the same place. Can you post the link with info on the time share etc.?

 

Jade,

 

To do this you need to own a timeshare that exchanges through www.rci.com. Then you need to have banked a week for exchange. I stopped looking at cruise exchanges several years ago b/c you can usually find a better or equal deal through alternate sources without giving away your week.

 

Very important in the consideration is the cost and value or the unit you are exchanging. If you have a unit that has a value of $10,000 and $1,000 annual maintenance fees, the annual cost of ownership is in the range of $1,500 using a 5% return on the value (your holding cost) added to the $1,000 in annual fees.

 

Normally the value RCI gives for the unit in exchange is well below the cost of ownership.

 

When I was looking to see what I could get I surveyed every Princess, Holland America and Royal Caribbean ship departing on the 17th or 18th of Nvember.

 

Catagory SA on Zuiderdam was the only exchange where the exchange value was higher than $600.

 

If my week was a Disney week like Mary Ellen's I probably would not have traded it becuase my cost of ownership would have had a higher bases and I might have just broken even, or lost value in the trade.

 

Hope this helps to explain, but again, it is rarely a good deal to trade a timeshare week for a cruise week! I believe I got very lucky! That said, I will pay more attention to the cruise trade values in the future.

[rebeljohn]

Sounds like you got a nicer deal! Congrats! We'll be boarding the day you get off. Save some food for us................