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Hi,
My husband and I bought a Diamond Resorts timeshare when we were vacationing in Maui in Jan. 2015. As part of the deal, the sales rep gave us a bonus week certificate for a 2 bedroom villa for Interval International. We have a wedding to attend in November so we thought we would use this certificate and therefore purchased the timeshare. We have put in a request for 3 different resorts for over a month now and there is nothing available. We have already purchased plane tickets and now I'm starting to wonder if I have to book hotel accommodations too if there are no exchanges available.
How does the exchange work? Does someone at the location I want to go to give notice that they will not be using their timeshare for the dates I am requesting?
This is the first time I have bought or used a timeshare and do not know how to use it. Can someone give us some tips? Would anyone be interested in exchanging St. Thomas with us to stay in the Ka'anapali Beach Club in Maui? (That's where we have ownership in).
Jennifer
There are apparently only three resorts here which participate so if none of them has space available I guess you'll not be able to use the certificate during your trip. Sorry I can't help on hoe these timeshares work but hopefully someone else will be able to fill you in on that.
If worse comes to worst, hop onto www.vrbo.com and look for a condo at Sapphire (Sapphire Village. Sapphire Beach and Crystal Cove) or Elysian to check availability and price. November is a busy month so don't wait too long! The aforementioned are all on the East end of the island, very easily accessible and on beautiful beaches.
Good luck!
You can also check on www.flipkey.com and www.vrbo.com for available rentals during your timeframe should you need accommodations. It's still early enough in season so you should be able to find what you may need for a vacation rental. Things don't generally pick up until after Thanksgiving. Secret Harbor, Anchorage and Cowpet Bay are also options on east end of island.
Can't help with timeshare info.
You should contact Interval International, directly to find out how the exchange program works and see if they have some sort of message board to post exchanges with owners of timeshares in the VI.
Good luck to you.
We have II timeshares and used to trade into St. Thomas before we purchased our condo. This is 12 years back or so. Our first trade we got a villa at Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina. The timeshares at SBRM are no more. After that we always got Bluebeards Beach Club and I'm not sure if they are still Interval International. A lot of places have switched to RCI for timeshare trades. Keep going back to the site and checking. Until someone decides to turn their unit in for a trade there will be none available. We always have trouble getting a trade in New Orleans. For months there will be nothing and then bam! there's 3 to pick from.
SapphireBeach08 wrote: After that we always got Bluebeards Beach Club and I'm not sure if they are still Interval International.
Bluebeards Beach Club is one of the three I mentioned earlier:
https://www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=1502&areaCode=950&areaName=U.S.+Virgin+Islands%2C+St.+Thomas
I am a member of RCI, which has Blue Beards, Elysian, Blue Beards Beach Club and Megan's Point Resort as places you can trade into. Sugar Bay at Windham (I think that's where it is) was just added, but has ridiculously high all inclusive rates that range from $180-400 a night per person. I'm not sure if Interval has the same choices, but when I go on the RCI website, I can search for vacations on my own and there are several weeks available in November at all of those resorts as of today's date.
One suggestion would be for you to call an Interval sales rep and ask your questions directly. RCI also allows you to put in a search request for a specific location and date, but they contact me when something comes up. One possibility is the "bonus" week you were given has restrictions on it that you are not aware of. I would ask about that when you speak to an Interval agent. Good luck.
