Marriott Vacation Club

What are the benefits of entering the point system with Marriott if you have already bought a timeshare week years ago.

I think this really depends on how you want to use your timeshare. If you go back to the same place each year or are OK with swapping a week for a week within Interval International, I see no advantage. If you want the flexibility to go on expanded vacations or split weeks, the the destinations program may be for you. You can join the destinations program and never use it, that is not swap for points and still use your resort as you have in the past. It will cost you the sign up fee and yearly dues but you will not have to pay Interval International yearly fees anymore. I think the current yearly charge is about $250. The major negative sides I see with the destination program are that the inventory of timeshares is limited to those that are swapping, the number of points that you get for your property are fixed, and the costs of the places you want to go can change at anytime. It is almost impossible to determine the true cost of the destination packages. It has been said that you can almost get a cruise for the same price as the fees that they charge you if you use the destination program. If you swap your property for points, you cannot get it back for the number of points they give you. This is the "profit" that the destinations program makes.

I have a Penthouse week at the Manhattan Club in New York City. How would I go about exchanging it for a week at the Marriott St. Kitts or for the Ocean Club at the Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica?

Thanks for your succinct explanation. I have come to the same conclusion.

I have Christmas week at Orlando Grand Vista. I don’t know how we could exchange but I would be willing to try if you’re interested.

You can't exchange in the forum .

caseyt21 wrote:

I don’t know how we could exchange but I would be willing to try...

Do you belong to any exchange companies such as RCI or II? You have to pay a membership fee plus exchange fee. Then you deposit your week with the exchange company and look for a week that the company has available for exchange.

Other exchange companies such as Dial-an-Exchange SFX, Trading Places International, etc. offer the same thing without a membership fee. Although they usually have less inventory for exchange than do RCI or II.

You can also go to Timeshare Users Group (aka "TUG"; tugbbs.com) which has a free direct exchange forum for members. Just remember that chances are quite slim (but definitely not impossible) that you will have a week that another member wants and that member will have what you are looking for.