Booking RCI

[phorsenuf]

Due to some extenuating circumstances we banked some points into RCI to extend their shelf life. I was trying to look things up to see how to see what and where we could book.

Has anyone done this before and could give a tutorial on the process? I'm not quite sure under what category (or level) we are eligible for and how points translates to nights/weeks.

Thanks so much!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Due to some extenuating circumstances we banked some points into RCI to extend their shelf life. I was trying to look things up to see how to see what and where we could book.

Has anyone done this before and could give a tutorial on the process? I'm not quite sure under what category (or level) we are eligible for and how points translates to nights/weeks.

Thanks so much!

Check the member website. It should give you the info you need.

 

[phorsenuf]

Check the member website. It should give you the info you need.

I'm sure it would, but I'd still like to hear some first hand experiences.

 

[Dean]

Due to some extenuating circumstances we banked some points into RCI to extend their shelf life. I was trying to look things up to see how to see what and where we could book.

Has anyone done this before and could give a tutorial on the process? I'm not quite sure under what category (or level) we are eligible for and how points translates to nights/weeks.

Thanks so much!

As noted, the website gives you the points requirements for the various options. How many points did you bank and how would you like to use them?

 

[JimMIA]

In order to give you good advice, we need more info. How many points do you have to work with? Are you looking for weeks or short stays? Where do you want to go? What kind of vacation do you want?

There are literally thousands of options -- some very easy to get, others nearly impossible. But we have no clue what you are interested in.

 

[phorsenuf]

In order to give you good advice, we need more info. How many points do you have to work with? Are you looking for weeks or short stays? Where do you want to go? What kind of vacation do you want?

There are literally thousands of options -- some very easy to get, others nearly impossible. But we have no clue what you are interested in.

We have 93 points. I'd like to find something for a week. As to where, I really have no idea!
Kinda just wanted to poke around and see what was out there. We love tropical places, and really enjoy snorkeling. I so wish we could use them for a cruise. <sigh>

I have been playing some on RCI's website. I was hoping there would be a way to just look through places and points requirements without having to put in dates though.

 

[Dean]

We have 93 points. I'd like to find something for a week. As to where, I really have no idea!
Kinda just wanted to poke around and see what was out there. We love tropical places, and really enjoy snorkeling. I so wish we could use them for a cruise. <sigh>

I have been playing some on RCI's website. I was hoping there would be a way to just look through places and points requirements without having to put in dates though.

93 points won't get you a full week in all likelihood. 80 is the lowest for a full week in a low season studio that's not gold crown in low season. In reality you're looking at 130 pts for a high season studio to 150 for the same in a 1 BR for Gold Crown. You could find something for less than a week but there is a lot less to chose from and there should be an extra housekeeping fee charged to you if you do accept something for less than a week. For anything decent, you also need to plan well ahead. Anything less than 10 months is short notice where RCI is concerned.

 

[dallastxcpa]

There are many properties that you can trade into on a nightly basis. We have stayed in a property in New Orleans. We did a long weekend a couple of years ago. We put our request in and had it confirmed within a couple of weeks. Of course we were traveling in January which isn't really high demand for New Orleans. I believe the 1 bedroom was 16 points a night.

I will tell you no matter where you stay and how nice you will find yourself comparing it to DVC. Just little things like the 1 bedroom we stayed in didn't have a washer/dryer in it. It was a beautiful historic building and had a gorgeous courtyard.

 

[JimMIA]

In any thread like this, you will eventually get some discussion that RCI trades are not a good use of your points because of resort quality, fees, etc, etc, etc. However, in your case, I think those arguments are irrelevant. You have 93 "lost" points and anything gives you an enjoyable stay is a good use of the points.

As Dean said, unless you deposit more points into RCI (probably quite a few more), you are unlikely to get anything for a full week.

Your best option would probably be to look for a nice nightly-stay option within driving distance of your home for a long weekend kind of thing. The points costs for those will be higher per-night, and as Dean said you may have some extra fees (should be small), but at least you'll get to enjoy something from the points.

If you decide to deposit more points and go for a weekly stay, you will need to learn about Ongoing Searches on RCI because they will give you the best (often only) chance of success.

 

[Dean]

In any thread like this, you will eventually get some discussion that RCI trades are not a good use of your points because of resort quality, fees, etc, etc, etc. However, in your case, I think those arguments are irrelevant. You have 93 "lost" points and anything gives you an enjoyable stay is a good use of the points.

Since Jim brought it up, I would agree that it's somewhat irrrelavant in this situation. My position otherwise is that there are absolutely no situatons where it's reasonable to buy with the intent of trading, any trading. Most trades are a downtrade using DVC but there are a few that are comparable or better. Realizing that one loses control of the reservation including unit locations/type/assignment and has increased risk when changing/canceling. As long as one knows what they are and are not getting, that's really all that matters. Investigation is key and IMO it must be far beyond DVC and Tripadvisors.

 

[Brian Noble]

Is it possible to initiate an ongoing search in the DVC portal without having the required points on deposit? I know that's possible with e.g. Wyndham---once you match, the unit is held several days for you to deposit the required # of points and confirm the unit. If the DVC portal also has that capability, that could be a good strategy for the OP. Depending on what turns up, it might be worth depositing some extra points. For example, if the OP is interested in Hawaii, an exchange into one of the better resorts there could be a good value vs. booking at Aulani. We've got two Hawaii weeks for summer '16, one in a 3BR penthouse at HGVC's Lagoon Tower. That would require about 350 DVC points, and that wouldn't even get you a 2BR at Aulani in summer. Granted, DVC points aren't the most efficient way to do that, but still, for the OP, that might not matter.

 

[Dean]

Is it possible to initiate an ongoing search in the DVC portal without having the required points on deposit? I know that's possible with e.g. Wyndham---once you match, the unit is held several days for you to deposit the required # of points and confirm the unit. If the DVC portal also has that capability, that could be a good strategy for the OP. Depending on what turns up, it might be worth depositing some extra points. For example, if the OP is interested in Hawaii, an exchange into one of the better resorts there could be a good value vs. booking at Aulani. We've got two Hawaii weeks for summer '16, one in a 3BR penthouse at HGVC's Lagoon Tower. That would require about 350 DVC points, and that wouldn't even get you a 2BR at Aulani in summer. Granted, DVC points aren't the most efficient way to do that, but still, for the OP, that might not matter.

It is, from what I've seen it's even possible to initiate the ongoing search without having the DVC points available at all at the moment the search is initiated. It's a little unclear though how it's actually done. Pulling from direct RCI points membership info (DVC is a hybrid but closer to RCI points), historically one could only do an ongoing search for RCI weeks inventory. However, DVC has always been primarily search first without a deposit even with II which didn't have the option as such. It appears that there were those within DVC that did manual searches and matched them must like the II or RCI reps can do if you called them (and had direct access to the internal systems). For DVC though it's a match with no chance of free cancelation where with all of the other options I know of with II and RCI, there is a 24 hr grace period. With an ongoing search the $95 exchange fee becomes non refundable and the usual cancelation rules apply from minute one. In the OP's case, it appears that if they matched an ongoing search during the period the current deposited points would apply, DVC would just take the additional points and combine them. To a degree, they do seem to be making this up as they go though. To my knowledge, none of the info on partial deposits is published anywhere. They should call DVC and discuss with the exchange specialist to be sure the exact options.

 

[disneyberry]

I exchanged into RCI for a short weekend trip a few years ago at a resort that allowed nightly stays. Everything can be done online through the DVC member website, including looking up exactly which resorts you can book.