Anyone else "win" a trip from Grand Caymanian Resort?

[rthiebes]

Hello all,

 

My radars are up...just got a call from the Grand Caymanian Resort (http://www.grandcaymanian.ky) saying we won an 8 day 7 night stay at their resort to be used in the next three years. I know they got the info from a pink entry form I filled out and dropped off in Georgetown, Grand Cayman (our cruise room # was on there)..think it was that Toucan shop upstairs. Anyway, they say it's a one bedroom facing the water/beach....the catch, we'd be paying 85% their full rate, which he quoted as $3000. He also emphasized this is not a timeshare and that we would not have to sit through any kind of talks. He wants to call back later when my husband is home...any thoughts?

[cruisinqt]

If you have to pay anything other than just taxes, it isn't free. And paying over two grand for a hotel is a lot of money. You're not getting it for free. You're just getting a discount on your hotel stay. Does it include airfare? What about transportation around the island? If not, you may end up spending a LOT of money. The Cayman islands are beautiful but expensive! My brother and his wife stayed there on their honeymoon and everything cost so much more there. The food cost more, the souvenirs cost more, the hotels cost more, the transportation cost more. They couldn't believe how expensive things were there.

 

I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying "Buyer Beware! This is not free!" And it will be a beautiful but expensive vacation. You could also check them out at the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been lodged against them. It sounds to me like they are just trying to drum up some business. It could also be that the up front cost seems good until you find out all of the "hidden fees." I would check them out at the BBB before I went any further. And just go into it knowing that the trip will not be free or inexpensive, just discounted.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I wouldn't jump on this offer - no way.

There has to be a catch some where. Are meals included? Transfers to anf from hotel to airport? Airline included?

Since you don't have any paper work - you can't read the fine print.

Buyer - Beware!

[Krazy Kruizers]

You mentioned that you filled out a pink slip with your cabin number on it. I assume that you also gave your home address and telephone number out as well.

If you didn't have to fill out that information - how did they get it? They sure know a lot about you.

[rthiebes]

Hey all, I did research this a bit. When we were on Mariner of the Seas at the shopping talk on the ship, we were to fill out a pink slip to try to win a trip and drop it off at the Toucan Shop in Georgetown...so instead of getting a 'free' trip, this timeshare thing must call the names that are dropped off...very slick...wonder if anyone gets a complete free trip and the others in the bin just get called to see if they can get roped into this timeshare thing. I did check the resort. It is a legitimate resort/timeshare in Georgetown on the back side of the island...not close to anything but they did have free shuttles..there are some ameneties that are included in the resort, but it did seem boring to me. I did check http://www.epinions.com and folks seemed to like it, no complaints there (except about the hot water heaters)..even read some other reviews, very few complaints, so the place itself was legit. The price quoted was $450 for all four of us in a one bedroom oceanview condo for 7 nights...no airfare was included. On the hotel websites, rooms go for $160-215 per night for these rooms. Yes, this is a great deal...IF you are interested in timeshares and the like...no, we were not required to sit thru any talk...I guess they figure you fall in love with the place when you go? Airfare would only have been $500 per person (I checked that separately)....but you know, it bothered me that the guy tried to make us feel special, ie we won, when in fact it wasn't totally free. We decided not to do it. And you're right, Grand Cayman IS expensive and once you see the Stingrays, the turtle farm and 7 mile beach, what else is there to do if you are not a snorkeler? Thanks for all your input!

[rthiebes]

I know it's a timeshare...perhaps he was trying to say I wouldn't have to sit thru a talk..I don't know...doesn't matter anyway because we declined! The guy was really nice about it, not pushy....when he found out my husband was in the military, they talked about five minutes about their jobs, etc...the guy was a Reservist and was literally praying he wouldn't get called up yet again. We wished him good luck with the next person he calls and moved on...