DVC-II Question

[AJKMOM]

We were given a gift of a week at II (points thru Sunterra) and I just realized we could trade for DVC. Does anyone know if the timeframe is the same as when you want to make reservations not at your home resort? In other words, do I have to wait until the 7 month window to see if I can reserve a DVC villa thru II?

I tried today for Nov. and it said there was nothing available. We already used up our 2006 points but want to go back for autistic son's 18th birthday.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Janet Hill]

You should probably put in for an ongoing search through II. Don't expect to see the full range of DVC available through II. I exchange into DVC a lot through II and most of the availability is in May, end of Aug, Sept, Oct for, studios and 1 BR with an occasional 2 BR. It's mostly Old Key West and Saratoga Springs that make it to II. Yes other resorts and other times do show up, but not with any regularity.

I'm not saying that it's not possible to get DVC through II, just don't expect to have all of the options that you have with DVC points at the 7 month window, because the 7 month window is irrelevant. You basically have to choose from the few options that DVC makes available to II for exchange purposes.

You also have to consider that when trading you will have to pay the $135 exchange fee to II, the $49 guest certificate fee to II (somebody else gave you this exchange), and the $95 resort fee to DVC. In essence you will be paying an extra $279 to possibly stay in a smaller unit if all you can get is a studio.

If you do a search first then if you aren't successful you do not have to sacrifice your week. In essence with search first, you can decide when you want to go, and the smallest size unit that that you will accept. II will keep searching for you, if DVC becomes available great, if not you can always stay at Sunterra. Exchanging is great, but it does require a bit more flexibility.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Does anyone know if the timeframe is the same as when you want to make reservations not at your home resort? In other words, do I have to wait until the 7 month window to see if I can reserve a DVC villa thru II?

II members do not have to wait until seven months before check-out.

When a DVC member trades out to a World Passport Collection II resort, DVC Member Services (MS) deposits a comparable week into II.

MS reserves weeks for deposit to II with points from the DVC members who are trading out, so MS is bound by the same rules as the DVC members. In other words, MS can deposit a week from a member's home resort 11 months before check-out or from another DVC resort 7 months before check-out. (Presumably MS is pooling member points, because there's not a direct relationship between the World Passport Collection chart and DVC resort charts.)

Once a DVC week is deposited, II can use the week to to fulfill an ongoing request. If there are no ongoing requests from an II member with sufficient trading power, the week becomes available for an immediate confirmation.

DVC weeks tend not to sit around II very long. The demand is high and the supply is low. Most weeks are used to fulfill ongoing requests. DVC is high on the II food chain, so someone who is trying to trade a lower tier II week may not be able to pull DVC at all.

I agree with Janet Hill's advice.

Another option to consider is to trade into a Marriott Vacation Club resort in Orlando. There are six of them, and they're all very nice. You can read about them at http://www.mvci.com/

It's much easier to trade into Marriott. You'll save the $95 fee. And you're much more likely to get a 2-bedroom villa.

 

[AJKMOM]

Thanks for the advice, I guess I should read the fine print.