Does it feel like everyone is planning a ski vacation, except you?

In the US, 6.8 million people go downhill skiing one or more times each year, (according to the 2006 Statistical Abstract of the US Census Bureau). This only leaves you and about 292 million Americans who won’t be making it to the slopes. 

But since skiing looks like such fun, good exercise, and a fantastic way to enjoy the wintry outdoors, why do you think you and those other 291,999,999 folks haven’t tried it yet?

Most people, when surveyed, site lack of time as their number one reason for never learning to ski, with lack of money as a close second. And of course, adversity to broken bones, desire not to make a fool of one’s self, and lack of opportunity all make the top of the list. Nevertheless, if you have not tried skiing—or haven’t been in years—aren’t you curious about what you are missing?

Those who love skiing sometimes speak about the feeling of being one with an Alpine mountain. They savor the smell of the snow and the taste of the crisp air as they glide silently over pristine powder in the Canadian Rockies. In the moment, they are connected to every skier who shares their devotion to the experience, and at the same time, they are entirely alone in their personal triumph. For a few short moments, Vail, Aspen, Snowmass, or Telluride takes them beyond the walking-running-jumping limitations of legs and gives them the ability to glide, slide, and sometimes even fly.

Even if you aren’t nearly this poetic, you’ve got to admit that the chance to get out in the fresh air, take on a sport like a kid again, and recharge your brain doing something totally different than your normal grind… sounds pretty enticing, doesn’t it? Add the backdrop of a vivid blue New Mexico sky or perfect white New England snow, and a luxurious timeshare ski resort ANYWHERE and you really have to question why you aren’t planning your own ski holiday right now.

The smart economics of timeshare ownership solve those issues of not enough time and not enough money. Ski vacations are so easy when you take advantage of timeshare accommodations.

Timeshare ski resorts offer a great place to stay, conveniently close to the slopes. Many resorts include discounts on lift tickets, on-property instruction, plus saunas, spas, and sometimes masseurs for after-ski relaxation.

Even if you find yourself intimidated by the thought of slippery slopes, don’t abandon the idea of a great ski holiday. Can you walk and chew gum at the same time?

Then consider cross-country skiing. It won’t take you long to master the rhythm of the skis, and once you do, there will be no holding you back.

Great timeshare vacations aren’t just a summertime thing!

Your relaxing vacation in Belize just got even better!

Effective immediately: timeshare operators, off-property consultants, and other timeshare-hustler types in and around Ambergris Caye, Belize, will have to back off. It seems the Belize Tourism Board was getting too many complaints from tourists (and locals) trying to enjoy a peaceful day at the beach or a leisurely stroll along the city streets and shops.

Many Belize timeshare operators were simply being too pushy. On December 8, 2005, timeshare representatives, the Belize Registrar of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation, area police officers, and members of the San Pedro Town Council met together to discuss the problem. As a result, a resolution was enacted requiring, “all timeshare operators cease and desist from soliciting timeshare sales in public areas.”

A second resolution requires that timeshare operators apply through the San Pedro Town Council for a trade license for their timeshare booths and kiosks. They will now be required to adhere to the guidelines and procedures stipulated by their trade license or face stiff penalties or a ban on soliciting.

Representatives from the following Belize timeshare properties participated in the decision: Captain Morgan’s Vacation Club, the Seven Seas Resort, The Villas at Banyan Bay, Aquamarina Suites, Costa Maya Reef Resort, and the Belize Yacht Club (Island Club Resorts).

It’s very encouraging to see more countries around the world getting tough on pushy timeshare sales tactics, and it is particularly gratifying to see Belize getting into the act. Obviously the Mayor and the six members of the San Pedro Town Council are serious about protecting the serenity of their community – and rightfully so, considering that Belize is a tranquil natural paradise in its own right. Just off the coastline of Belize lies the second largest barrier reef in the world—and the three incredible Belize atolls. Centuries of coral, in colors from red to green to vivid yellow, have helped form the atolls, and nowhere does the Great Belize Barrier Reef run as closely to the shoreline as it does in Ambergris Caye.

Earlier this week, MVCI reported stolen computer tapes containing personal information about more than 206,000 employees, customers, and others

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the US, with almost 10 million victims last year alone. And while those figures reflect only statistics in this country, the rest of the world is hardly immune to this serious and rapidly growing threat.

Just this week, Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) reported the apparent theft from their Orlando, Florida offices, of backup computer tapes containing information about 206,000 of their employees, timeshare owners, and timeshare customers. This tape DOES, according to Orlando news media reports, contain sensitive personal information, including credit card data, home addresses, and Social Security numbers.

Regarding the tapes, which were reportedly discovered missing in mid November, MVCI President, Stephen P. Weisz is quoted as saying, “We have recently mailed notifications to associates, timeshare owners, and timeshare customers and are available to answer any questions they may have.”

Are you a Marriott Vacation Club International member? Do you own Marriott timeshare? If you think you could have been affected, don’t wait for word to come in the mail. Contact Marriott Vacation Club International now at 407 206-6000, or visit MVCI’s contact page which lists many international toll free contact numbers. 

If you learn that your confidential information has potentially been compromised, take immediate action. Follow any precautionary steps recommended by the MVCI representative with whom you speak. These folks are there to help timeshare owners.

With the rapid growth of this crime, there are now many helpful resources to assist victims. Check the website of the Federal Trade Commission for tips, advice, and additional contact information.

You may find it necessary to notify the three credit reporting bureaus. Should you decide to file a fraud alert with any of the credit reporting agencies, all three will place a copy of the report in your file. Checking your credit report is easy and is wise to do on a regular basis.

Equifax, Inc.
P.O. Box 740123
Atlanta, Georgia 30374-0123
800 525-6285
http://www.equifax.com/

Experian
P. O. Box 9532
Allen, Texas 75013
888 397-3742
http://www.experian.com/

Trans Union Corporation
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, California 92834
800 680-7289
http://www.transunion.com/

Here’s some holiday wishes, plus a timely innovation which could help us achieve our goals in the new year.

As holiday festivities are already well under way in many parts of the world, the Timeshare Owners’ Blog would like to extend our best wishes and hopes to all of our readers, along with sincere wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

2005 is in her final days, never to seen again. Everywhere, people are trying to finish up this year’s activities to make room for next year’s workload. Accordingly, it seems quite timely to bring up the subject of “Clocky”. Clocky is the brainchild of scientists at MIT’s Media Lab, and is designed, to put it bluntly, to be the most annoying alarm clock on the planet.

The device itself looks harmless enough, except for its padded exterior and those suspicious wheels on either side. Wake up and bound out of bed, and Clocky is nothing more than a well-mannered home appliance. But be a slacker and hit the snooze button and Clocky will make you pay for your sleep-loving ways.

The snooze button brings out the worst in Clocky, causing it to immediately roll off your bedside table and seek the most inconvenient hiding spot possible. Whereupon, Clocky will sound the alarm again, forcing the sleepyhead to abandon warmth and comfort to find the alarming offender. 

Worst of all, Clocky is programmed to seek new hiding places each and every morning.

Actually, Clocky (which should be available to the public in 2006) may turn out to be an ideal solution for those of us who fight the interruption of peaceful slumber that is inevitably brought on each day by an alarm clock, a spouse, our children, the dog, the telephone, or that inexcusably noisy garbage truck on the corner.

Which brings me back to the timely matter of timeshares. Don’t just try to use your timeshare in 2006—DO IT. Don’t just think about renting a timeshare or investing in a timeshare resale—MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Schedule a vacation and take it. Leave your alarm clock—whatever kind you prefer to use—in a different time zone and go on holiday. There are plenty of well-meaning things (like Clocky) that make it easier do what we have to do. But there are only a few things—and owning a timeshare is one of them—that make it easier do what we really want to do.