I am a dvc owner but looking to purchase another...non disney

[dis2cruise]

which timeshare would you recommend??

[ldo]

tug2.net is a timeshare users group. You can read the BB and post questions--the most important things are : determine what you need for vacations, where you most likely will travel (some (Marrriott) have better covereage East vs. West (HGVC), whether you want fixed weeks (2nd week Aug at the beach), floating, or points. TUG members know about subtle differences and issues you might not have thought of (and the reps won't tell you). Most of all--take your time and do your research--with the economy, it's a buyer's market right now. Elaine (ps--if I had to do it over again, I would probably get a good beach Marriott (their Myrtle Beach is great) or go with HGVC points).

[mecllap]

As PP says, do lots of research ahead of time: TUG ( http://tugbbs.com/forums/ ) is a great resource. The advice there is generally "do not buy from the developer" (altho in some cases that can work out -- DVC may be an example of that). Also, buy where you would want to stay every year, if you can't work out an exchange for some reason (exchanging is not always easy, for where and when you want to go). These days it's good to consider buying somewhere close enough for you to drive to. It's a long-term, expensive commitment (timeshares are not easy to resell), so renting a few times can be a good way to go. Do you want another points system (similar to DVC) or a fixed or floating week system?

There's no one good answer -- TS is not a one-size fits all situation -- lots of different factors to consider for what works for different people.

[js]

I too say purchase the membership at tug2.net.
We own DVC but also own a 3 bedroom at Orange Lake Country Club and another 3 bedroom at Waterside by Spinnaker in Hilton Head Island.
I LOVE both. Remember to purchase resale. But, before you purchase, make sure you read and read on tug.

[dis2cruise]

thanks everyone for all of your responses....tug it is :thumbsup2

[spruce]

Another good resource is Timesharing Today.

[SnootyBear]

We arent DVC (yet) but have had a time share through bluegreen for 5 yrs, I like it simply because it does not tie me down to one property, I can take use it at hundreds of places both in the US and internationally :)

[tomandrobin]

Another Tug supporter.

We own five other timeshares.....Scottsdale, Cancun, St John and Atlantis. All are Starwood Properties (Westin). We love our non-DVC timeshares as much as Disney.

First thing you need to decide is where do you want to go? You should buy a timeshare that you want to use and visit. Do not buy a timeshare strictly for trading until you get a very good understanding of that resorts system and II/RCI. Buy resale.

We bought our units for their destinations and internal trading system, similar to DVC. We use ST John and Atlantis or trade them directly with others. We use our Scottsdale weeks for II trades and for internal trades of the Starwood system. Cancun we bought to use, but have not yet.

[BUDDYBEAR]

we have hilton vac. club we love it also :cool1:

[toniosmom]

I'm waiting for them to come out with a timeshare on a cruise ship. :lmao:

Now THAT's one that I will jump at! :woohoo:

[tomandrobin]

I'm waiting for them to come out with a timeshare on a cruise ship. :lmao:

Now THAT's one that I will jump at! :woohoo:

Like this....

RCI points cruise (http://www.cruiserci.com/cruises/cruisedefault_2col-left.jsp?cobrand=108327&pid=2&langrecno=1&sessioni d=590FFCAA38AE117C7A3BB764AFF04499.tomcat&javascri pt=&jsessionid=590FFCAA38AE117C7A3BB764AFF04499.to mcat&webpagerecno=3820)

RCI weeks cruise (http://www.cruiserci.com/cruises/cruisedefault_2col-left.jsp?cobrand=20&pid=2&langrecno=1&sessionid=59 0FFCAA38AE117C7A3BB764AFF04499.tomcat&javascript=& jsessionid=590FFCAA38AE117C7A3BB764AFF04499.tomcat&webpagerecno=4064)

II Cruise Exchange (http://www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=60&p=faq-main&code=shortstay_faq)

[DenLo]

I'm waiting for them to come out with a timeshare on a cruise ship. :lmao:

Now THAT's one that I will jump at! :woohoo:

There is one. But it's bit expensive. Over a million dollars to join. Can't remember the name. I did see the ship once at a port while cruising in Europe. It was a medium size ship. Now that I think about it you might actually buy the unit like a condo on water.

Found the ship, The World. http://www.aboardtheworld.com/

[ADP]

I would go with Starwood/Sheraton.

[AnnaS]

I would also say browse the TUG website. You might have to join for $15 per year (10 after that).

We own DVC and no other timeshare. I enjoy reading/browsing their website and I also did some research when we finally/first exchanged DVC for our Cancun trip (The Royal Sands).

Happy reading.

[JimC]

As others have said TUG is a great way to learn a great deal about other timeshares. We also own MVCI (Marriott) for trips to Aruba, Phoenix, Palm Desert, Maui and Orlando.

[Dean]

which timeshare would you recommend??I would agree with TUG and spending several months educating yourself. What's best depends on your variables including how well you can plan, can you travel off or shoulder season, where do you like to go, your expectations, you appetite for risk, etc. What might be perfect for one might be totally wrong for another. That being said, Marriott and Starwood are a great option for many, Bluegreen and Wyndham for others. BG and Wyndham may be the best value for many situations. Diamond may be a good choice if Europe is a larger component of the expectations.

[dis2cruise]

I would agree with TUG and spending several months educating yourself. What's best depends on your variables including how well you can plan, can you travel off or shoulder season, where do you like to go, your expectations, you appetite for risk, etc. What might be perfect for one might be totally wrong for another. That being said, Marriott and Starwood are a great option for many, Bluegreen and Wyndham for others. BG and Wyndham may be the best value for many situations. Diamond may be a good choice if Europe is a larger component of the expectations.

thanks Dean,
My husband will sign up for tug this weekend and we will start reading and looking at all the different opportunities that we have.

[tomandrobin]

thanks Dean,
My husband will sign up for tug this weekend and we will start reading and looking at all the different opportunities that we have.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are plenty of knowledgeable folks here and there, that will help you along the way.

[logan115]

Another Tug supporter.


First thing you need to decide is where do you want to go? You should buy a timeshare that you want to use and visit. Do not buy a timeshare strictly for trading until you get a very good understanding of that resorts system and II/RCI. Buy retail.



Care to enlighten ?

I know that there are some benefits to buying retail, but I'm assuming they'd have to be massive to account for the savings that can be had buying RESALE.

Chris

[tomandrobin]

Care to enlighten ?

I know that there are some benefits to buying retail, but I'm assuming they'd have to be massive to account for the savings that can be had buying RESALE.

Chris

UGH...I meant buy resale.

A little subtle nudge would have been better.

There are times and cases to buy retail. One would be to obtain a certain level or to have a certain "perk" that can only be had via a retail purchase. I bought several Westin's from the developer to obtain 5 Star Elite and Platinum Status in Starwood. Sometimes, it is worth to buy from the developer at pre-sale prices. And sometimes, you have to buy from the developer to get hard to find, fixed weeks at top resorts.

[logan115]

UGH...I meant buy resale.

A little subtle nudge would have been better.



You should know better, that's about as subtle as I get ! I'm just not crafty enough to think of ways of doing things so that they just slip by without people noticing what I'm really doing..........:lmao:

Chris

[Dean]

here are times and cases to buy retail. One would be to obtain a certain level or to have a certain "perk" that can only be had via a retail purchase. I bought several Westin's from the developer to obtain 5 Star Elite and Platinum Status in Starwood. Sometimes, it is worth to buy from the developer at pre-sale prices. And sometimes, you have to buy from the developer to get hard to find, fixed weeks at top resorts.I agree up to a point. Almost always it is better to buy resale. However, there are often benefits one gets if they buy retail (or qualified) that you do not with resale. For Marriott it's the ability to trade for reward points and a few other negligible options. For Bluegreen, the benefits vary with the number of points but can be quite good and if you buy resale but qualified points, you can still get those benefits. Higher than other resale but much less than retail. Wyndham is similar but I don't know enough specifics to make suggestions there. As several have said, get educated so you'll know what works best for you and what is worth paying for.