World Passport

[ajtux]

We have been confirmed for our fiirst Interval International trade for Grand Cayman, the Royal Reef Resort in Jan. 2005.

Has anyone done these vacations at other places that could tell me if you also had to pay $200 plus 75 to DVC for fees? The call it utilities and taxes. I don't pay that much for utilities in my house for 4 months and we're only staying a week. I don't mind spending miney, but I don't like being ripped off either.

 

[dianeschlicht]

$200??? We only paid the $75 exchange fee when we went to Hawaii last year.

 

[Doug7856]

I don't know about the fee as we haven't exchanged yet, but I looked at the resort web site and it looks like an impressive resort. I know that Disney charges a $100 resort fee for II trades INTO DVC.

http://www.thereef.com.ky/

 

[dianeschlicht]

Are you doing 2 weeks?

 

[pumpkinboy]

Wow, sounds like a much better deal to trade some points with a DVC member who also has another II property (like me). On it's own, II charges $121 to make a ressie and $39 to change the name on the ressie, plus the II membership fee (~$100) : total expenses for II trade for me = ~$250, plus my maintenence fee on the non-DVC timeshare (~700). The DVC folks get the same request power than anyone else who deposits a week with II gets; just with DVC you have one of our great CMs who already understand the II system doing it for you (kinda like a Travel Agent)

So for an II exchange it might be more cost efficient to go thru someone like me (or go thru TuG, the timeshare users group) and swap a lower number of DVC points (I'd do it for 110 points ), no exchange fees and get the same thing in the exchange.

Now those charges you incurred could be standard, so you may not have gotten badly hosed. There are just more efficient ways of doing it. (Yeah! go thru me next time cuz I can always use more points)

 

[dianeschlicht]

There is definitely something wrong here. There is a flat exchange fee to trade out of DVC for another II timeshare. When we did our Hawaii one, it was $75 for the week. I don't understand where the $200 fee is coming in.

 

[rocketriter]

Please call MS and push back a little, since most of us are under the impression that the $75 (or $95) fee is all you have to pay. Then please let us know what they say!

 

[Dean]

Many countries charge an occupancy tax. This is something the resort has no control over. A number of resorts also charge extra for AC/utillities. I wan't aware that the reef did this though. It's no longer the Royal Reef as the Royal resorts are no longer associated with the resort. DVC charges an extra $95 fee as well. Some would call this poetic justic. I've emailed a top level person at the Reef and hopefully he'll respond either to me or this board directly.

 

[TomCayman]

I think I can help clear things up, as I run The Reef

We do charge US$200 for Utilities each week. That is charged to everybody, so we are not singling out DIS members in any way.

Utilities (especially electricity for air conditioning) are brutally expensive in the islands, this is our actual audited utilities cost per unit.

As someone also pointed out, utility charges are commonplace in the Caribbean, for just these reasons.

Someone else mentioned occupancy taxes, and I have to report that is is an additional US$10 per night that we collect and pay to the Cayman government.

Now, on a much more positive note, The Reef is in extremely high demand for II exchanges, so only II members from the highest of high demand resorts (such as top Disney resorts) have a chance of getting into The Reef, particularly in the winter high season.

Oh, a couple more points of reference. Maintenance fees (before utilities) are US$800 per week for a two bedroom. Two bedroom units in winter months are around US$35,000 per week, the resort sells fixed weeks only.

I am not saying that to be in any way commercial as (to be frank), we have very few winter weeks left and are not building any more, I am only mentioning this so DIS members can recognise comparative exchange values.

Any questions, please feel free to email or PM me.

BTW, per an earlier post, I am still interested in offering a direct exchange for an October week at BCV in at least a 1BD for a 1BD week at The Reef anytime in 05.....

 

[pumpkinboy]

Wow, TomCayman, well said! That really clears thing up now, doesn't it. Come to think of it, pretty much everything on an island is godaweful expensive, and I can imagine utilities would be more so, not being able to connect to and share resources with neighboring jurisdictions (no regional grid, regional water authority...). We Mainlanders tend to forget this.

So ajtux, you weren't hosed after all. Still, next time you want to trade out to II, better to do it thru me (or another person who owns DVC and an II property) or maybe Tom down there in the Caymans.

 

[ajtux]

Well, I guess now I know. Thanks to all who took the time to answer my questions. Next time I'll be better prepared and shop around a bit.

Pumpkinboy and Tomcayman, I will definately keep you guys in mind in the future.

Ajtux

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for the clarification. It was a totally new idea for me!

 

[Dean]

One thing to add is that these things should never be a surprise when you actually accept the exchange. It's likely you won't know though until it comes down to actually booking the exchange though.