timeshare points

Changes to the Marriott timeshare points program were the subject of much speculation long before the new program came into effect late last month. Marriott timeshare owners and prospective owners, however, continue to have questions about how the program actually works.

While there is no indication that guidelines for the program will be revised again in the future, let’s assume that no timeshare program is written in stone and there is a possibility that Marriott could make changes to it. But unless Marriott does implement such changes, future timeshare resale owners cannot participate in the new timeshare points program.

Are You Already a Marriott Timeshare Resale Owner?

If you owned your Marriott timeshare resale before June 21, 2010, then you have the option to join the new points program. Anyone who buys Marriott timeshare resale after that date cannot enroll, and the restriction appears to apply even to anyone who closes on a Marriott timeshare resale after June 21, 2010, even if the transaction commenced before the deadline. You can still buy and sell Marriott timeshare resales, getting great deals and ideal vacation opportunities, but at the time of resale, any Marriott timeshares that are part of the new points system and are closed after the cutoff date, simply revert to deeded timeshare.

Follow this link to learn more about Marriott Vacation Club points through the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program and remember that while not all Marriott timeshare owners are happy with the new program, it is not mandatory to enroll in it, neither is it the only Marriott points program option.

More from The Timeshare Authority Blog:

• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions
• More Details on New Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Timeshare Points

Buying timeshares just does not mean what many people think it means. Instead of a one-week holiday each year in the same timeshare resort, year after year, many timeshare programs are points based and function like currency.

When you buy timeshare in a points based system, or when you take advantage of timeshare exchange, you may have options that include exchanging your timeshare for other travel benefits including airfare and cruises.

Timeshare owners who are members of “The Regency Collection,” for example, can exchange timeshare for one-of-a-kind travel experiences, which include Cunard cruise lines, Crystal Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Silversea and The Yachts of Seabourn. The Regency Collection members also have options that allow them to take advantage of members-only discounted cash options on other cruise lines including Disney, Princess, and Celebrity.

The savings to timeshare owners who want to enjoy luxury cruises can add up quickly. One option offers credit exchange where a portion of “The Regency Collection” members’ credits afford them a savings of up to $1,500 USD per cabin, based on double-person occupancy.

The Regency Collection Timeshares

Currently some 30,000 timeshare owners are members of Wyndham Exchange and Rental’s The Regency Collection, giving them access to over 175 luxury properties worldwide, including condo hotels, timeshare resorts, high-end fractionals, private residence clubs, and fractional yachts. The July 4 holiday weekend is a great time for backyard cookouts, parades, and fireworks. But if you were a member of The Regency Collection, you could be spending this holiday (and many more to come) on board one of the finest cruise ships in the world.

…And although we all appreciate hotdogs with those crispy black edges from being cooked over an open flame, sometimes we just need (and deserve) a little time with a gourmet chef and cruise ship crew at our beck and call.

Last week, Marriott Vacation Club timeshare announced its new timeshare points program called, Marriott Vacation Club Destinations.

Lee Cunningham, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Marriott Vacation Club, North America, explains, “… we have successfully evolved our product offering based on Owner feedback, and the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program reflects a tradition of Owner involvement and was designed specifically for both current and future Owners.”

The news of this new program, long rumored to be coming, has brought on a great deal of discussion, speculation, and questioning by the timeshare community, specifically Marriott timeshare owners and all those who are considering buying Marriott timeshare and timeshare resales.

In profiling the new Marriott program. Sara Clarke, writer for the Orlando Sentinel, wrote:

The Timeshare Authority blog promised you information as we confirm more about the program. Here is some general information and some updates:

• Marriott Vacation Club Destinations is designed to offer expanded opportunity and flexibility to new Marriott timeshare owners.
• Current Marriott timeshare owners will have the option to choose to participate in the program or to stay in their current plan, without losing ownership privileges.
• Each year, Marriott Vacation Club Destinations members will receive timeshare points that they can use, bank, borrow against, or add to by purchasing more.
• Marriott Vacation Club Destinations focuses on four Vacation Collections: the Marriott Vacation Club Collection; Marriott Collection; Explorer Collection; and the World Traveler Collection.
• Membership in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations entitles you to access the services of a personal Vacation Ownership Advisor. Your personal Advisor can assist in travel arrangements within the four Collections.
• Those who enroll now receive bonus points at the time of enrollment.
• Marriott Vacation Club Destinations members have the option to check in on any day of the week or season of the year.
• The annual membership fee in Marriott Vacation Club Destinations is $165 (in most cases) and provides members the flexibility to change reservations, change their length of stay, and to select the accommodation size that best fits their needs.

As with any timeshare or vacation club, one size never fits all. Marriott Vacation Club Destinations will be more valued by some Marriott timeshare owners than by others, and at the moment, has some Marriott timeshare owners questioning whether the program will help or hurt them. As it stands now, Marriott timeshare owners who bought their timeshare as a Marriott timeshare resale are eligible to be part of Marriott Vacation Club Destinations, however, timeshare resale buyers going forward will not be. Although Marriott Vacation Club Destinations membership is not transferable when you sell timeshare, this is an annual membership program in which you can opt out of membership at any time.

Because so many timeshare owners are abuzz about this topic, you can probably expect both more clarification coming from Marriott Vacation Club and perhaps even some adjustments to guidelines and policies over the upcoming months. The Timeshare Authority blog will do its best to keep you up-to-date.

More on Marriott timeshare points:

• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions

Marriott Vacation Club timeshare is expanding with the addition of the new timeshare points-based Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program for North America and the Caribbean. The new timeshare points program is designed to increase flexibility for timeshare owners. This announcement comes after months of speculation by timeshare owners and prospective timeshare buyers about the rumored changes or additions to the options for Marriott timeshare exchange.

Lee Cunningham, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Marriott Vacation Club, North America and the Caribbean says, “Over the years, we have successfully evolved our product offering based on Owner feedback, and the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program reflects a tradition of Owner involvement and was designed specifically for both current and future Owners.”

Describing the program as Marriott timeshare’s, “…most significant program innovation in our history,” Cunningham goes on to point out that the new Marriott timeshare points exchange program will afford timeshare owners ease of use and expanded choices for enjoying their timeshare product.

The new Marriott Vacation Club timeshare program will be available to new Marriott timeshare owners, but current owners will also have the opportunity to enroll. Here are a few other specifics about this timeshare exchange program:

• The new Marriott timeshare points program means simplified fees. Timeshare owners will be able to pay one annual fee as a consolidation of all their bookings; eliminating a la carte fees. Inclusive in the fee will be the costs for changing your reservation, changing your length of stay, your Interval International membership fee, and possible other benefits. The fee will reported be $165 per year. Your current timeshare maintenance fee should remain the same.
• This program is available to residents of the US, including the District of Columbia, however NY residents should check to make sure they are eligible to participate.

• Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove timeshare (St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands) is excluded from the new timeshare points program.
• And, based on the information we have currently, it appears that Marriott timeshare owners who purchased their vacation ownership as a Marriott timeshare resale will be eligible to participate. Whether this will apply to timeshare resale purchases in the future is not clear at this time.

This new timeshare points program is an interesting development at Marriott Vacation Club, and as more facts are confirmed, we’ll keep sharing them here on The Timeshare Authority blog.