Mark your calendar for week 29 next year. We're all going on vacation to Hilton Head. We bought a timeshare. Those were the words my mother-in-law said to me 28 years ago. I didn't know when week 29 was, nor did I know what a timeshare was but 28 years later, I have come to appreciate, understand, and anticipate week 29. Over the years, we have met perspective spouses, watched our babies grow, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and even shed tears caused by family deaths on that beach at Hilton Head. The proverbial circle of life with week 29 as a backdrop. No matter the severity of the winter weather, sunny week 29 was waiting. No matter the stress of our day-to-day jobs, relaxing week 29 was waiting. No matter the 51 hectic weeks between trips, mellow week 29 was waiting. Last year my mother-in-law could not go to Hilton Head because of cancer, but this year she was back stronger than ever. She was ready to treat everyone, especially her new great granddaughter, to ice cream. What lies ahead? Who knows? But what we do know is that week 29, our timeshare, and the Hilton Head beach will be there to soothe our jangled nerves.
- Submitted by: worldtraveller
I had never been on a vacation before...ever. For our wedding gift, my in-laws gave my husband and me two weeks at any RCI affiliated resort. We chose to go to St. Maarten in the Caribbean and it was paradise! We went to two different resorts - equally wonderful - and when it came time to go back home, I cried and begged to live there forever. Three years later we were invited to hear about RCI at a local hotel. Of course we went and bought a timeshare right then and there. Our honeymoon experience was so amazing that we wanted to always have the option of great vacations! Thanks for starting us off right!
- Alexis P. from Maple Valley, WA
We became RCI subscribing members over 30 years ago when a very young family struggling to make a living after moving to Queensland for a life-change. Our daughters and then grandsons grew up loving the annual week at Don Pancho Resort at Bargara where we watched turtles laying eggs and hatchlings emerging. Over the years we have travelled the world with RCI. Now retirees, we spend much of our time planning "Where to next?" As we tell everyone - we are definitely Timeshare Junkies!
- Eileen W. from Queensland, Australia
Our subscribing membership with RCI began when we purchased our first timeshare at Breezy Point, MN in 1985. We made our first exchange the following year for Spring Break with our three daughters to Oceanside, CA. In 1989 we traded for a week in Cancun and purchased another timeshare. We made other exchanges to locations in Florida, California, Hawaii, New Orleans, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Greece and Canada over the years. We even made an exchange for a houseboat in Florida! We have always been able to get an exchange for the location of our choice. All trips were enjoyable, but Greece was the most outstanding. It was on the island of Crete, which has beautiful scenery and rich history. It was our first experience with Greek culture and we loved it. We have visited Greece many times since. RCI has been a winner for us!
- Norma V. from Burnsville, MN
I have been an RCI subscribing member for over twenty years. I have used my week to exchange and to stay at my home resort. I love my RCI membership. I have used my exchanges to travel all over the world plus many fine resorts in the U.S. I have so many wonderful memories of the places I have been with my husband, my family and my friends I could not possibly pick one. If there is ever anyone at the pool talking timeshare and RCI I am the one promoting the virtues. I would never have been able to stay at these fine resorts if I had not been an RCI member.
- Marlene M. from Nisswa, MN
For Joan K. from Northamptonshire, England, an RCI subscribing membership unleashed her inner adventurer and she has enjoyed two decades of travelling the world with RCI. Joan has always been passionate about travel and this independent divorcee made sure her son, Mark, grew up with the same appreciation for the wonders the world holds for the curious mind. For Joan, a week’s timeshare in Antigua was the perfect gift for Mark. “I wanted to enable him to see the world and to share the experience with friends,” she explained. “Through travel I’ve discovered that I have a real sense of adventure – not for me lying around on a beach all day! I want to get out into the local communities to experience different cultures and the different ways of life the world over.”
After joining RCI in 1991 when she bought a week at Club Tarahal in Tenerife on the Canary Islands, Joan immediately exchanged for a week in Acapulco in Mexico and loved it so much she bought a second week of timeshare, there and then at the resort. Joan shared some of the most exciting and memorable moments of two of her RCI exchange holidays in the European edition of Holiday, The RCI Magazine. Her story (read it here!) sees her on safari in South Africa where she witnessed a ‘kill’ first-hand, and sharing a quiet bathing spot in a hilltop lagoon with monkeys in India. Of course, she got some much needed R&R in fabulous RCI affiliated resorts along the way to recharge her batteries!
This week on the RCI blog, we’ll be sharing stories and photos from those of you who have been RCI subscribing members for 20 years or more. Be sure to check back to hear about all the great places our members have traveled over the years.
In May 2008, my husband, daughter and son went to the Grand Mayan at Riviera Maya. We had coordinated our trip with my brother-in-law and his wife and daughter who also exchanged a room for their timeshare week. The Grand Mayan had large rooms for ourselves and our adult children to share. There was plenty to do at the resort. We explored the Riviera Maya activities, and even enjoyed some spa treatments. The highlight was celebrating our son's 21st birthday...The most difficult part of the trip was navigating the Mexican highways. I'm just glad that my brother-in-law did all the driving instead of my husband. I also came to understand what a terrible backseat driver I am. Both couples came away from that trip appreciating our own spouses. We had a great time and enjoyed the pampering of a luxury resort. Now to plan another trip...
- Jane K. from Denver, CO
What an amazing week we had in Seapoint! The resort was fantastic, could not do more to be helpful. One evening we sent my daughter down to ask if someone could open a bottle of wine for us as we had no corkscrew - she returned with the bottle opened and in a silver bucket of ice!
We did not need a car - the resort shuttle service was better than any we have ever experienced before in our 21 years of timeshare ownership!
The highlight of our week was Table mountain, I did the trip up in less than 10 minutes by cable car, my husband and daughter age 11, did the 3 hour climb to the top. The views were amazing.
- S. Gilfrin from Ruislip, Middlesex, UK
This was our first real trip using our timeshare. We were told by everyone that you have to trade Gold for Gold, Silver for Silver, and so on, that is so not true. With RCI on your side the world is open...We traded for Cabana Beach just outside of Durban, South Africa, the top RCI affiliated resort in the country. WE GOT IT! What an adventure we had. The resort was wonderful, right on the water with spectacular sunrises over the Indian Ocean. Cabana was home base to a week of once-in-a-lifetime day trips. We went diving with sharks, saw a recreated Zulu Village in the day of King Shaka and went on a game drive. Sharks withstanding the game drive ended up giving us the biggest threat of all. Halfway up the mountain we were met head on by a young bull elephant. Nowhere to turn around and he started walking right towards us! We had to back up down the road all the way, with the elephant flapping his ears and swinging his trunk. We later learned from the rangers that there was a new born calf and he was being big brother. Loved it!
- Richard S. from Houston, TX
San Juan turned out to be a great town. My plans were to cruise for a week then stay in Puerto Rico for 6 more days. The Sol Melia Resort turned out to be the most beautiful place we could have chosen. It was a very modernly designed facility from the check-in areas to the rooms themselves. The pools were magnificent, huge, clear, blue, and the perfect temperature. The most special part of staying in this timeshare was that we were in such close proximity to the only rainforest in the U.S. National Park Service. It is worth a million dollars to see and experience this magnificent treasure only in Puerto Rico. We had such a fun and adventurous time. I recommend it to everyone. It's only about one hour from San Juan and the airport.
- Angela G. from Middle River, MD
I was wondering what I could give my niece and godchild for her 21st birthday. I really wanted to make her birthday memorable as it's such a milestone in life. I decided the only gift that she would remember for the rest of her life was an RCI vacation. I was able to deposit my week and she requested a week in Aruba. Typical soon-to-be 21 year old, she was very specific on the week and chose only 2 resorts in Aruba. It came down to the wire but just 2-3 weeks before her chosen date, I got a call from the RCI guide to let me know RCI was able to accommodate LeeAnne and her mom (my sister) the actual week they wanted in August at the resort in Aruba that was her number one choice. I was a hero to my niece!
My niece, LeeAnne, invited a friend and her mom to join them on this adventure and according to all 4 they had a blast. It was a great mother/daughter bonding trip and no one wanted the week to end. They said they were treated great by all the staff and the RCI exchange was the best vacation they have had! Needless to say, my sister now wants to buy my timeshare and wants to be a member of RCI so that she can travel every year with minimal hassles. Thanks so much for helping me make my niece's 21st birthday a memorable one.
- Abigail V. from Cave Creek, AZ
I had not had a real birthday party in a long time, so I decided to throw myself one! Fortunately, I found a Last Call vacation through RCI at the beautiful Kings Creek Plantation resort in Williamsburg, VA. It was very reasonably priced but when I got there, I thought, "Oh my, I should have paid waaaay more for this." It was so nice to have my family come with me. We had enough room for everyone! One of my husband's gifts to me was 'Guitar Hero' and my family and I had a blast taking turns playing it on the big screen television! I was skeptical at first because we are fairly new to the whole timeshare thing, but now that we're confident that RCI will do their best to accommodate our needs, we won't travel any other way! As a matter of fact, we're leaving Monday for a week in Walt Disney World...yippee!
- Steven B. from Suffolk, VA
We drove from our PA home to check out Cape Cod for the first time and were not disappointed. The fresh seafood and beautiful coastal scenery experienced on that late August drive, was just a small indication of the wonderful time in store for us! We stayed at the Harbor Hill resort at the very tip of the cape in Provincetown. Entering our timeshare unit was like walking into a palace in terms of luxury and size! The resort was surrounded by water on three sides with magnificent views of the town and the beaches from nearly every vantage point.
There were many activities to keep us busy: whale watching, swimming at the one of the many beaches and exploring the unique culture of Provincetown. The weather was picture perfect every day of our stay.
A most memorable day was our trip to Martha’s Vineyard. We parked and rode the ferry; had a great lobster for lunch at Coop de Ville, and after an informative bus tour of the island, we browsed through the shops on Circuit Avenue while scoping out a dinner spot. Outside one of the restaurants we had earlier considered, a motorcade pulled up, and from beyond the gathering crowd, we made out President Obama and family entering the restaurant. We barely missed having dinner with the President!
After checking out, we drove to Boston, explored Faneuil Hall, the New England Aquarium and then dinner at La Famiglia Giorgio’s, with ample portions of expertly prepared Italian food “where everyone is treated like family”. A perfect way to end a perfect vacation experience!
Check back on the RCI blog this week when we share photos and stories about Cape Cod from RCI subscribing members.
For the last three years my wife and I have traveled to Orlando for vacation. We first went to Walt Disney World and other activities in the area. We went to three Braves baseball games during the March spring training. The next year we went to nine baseball games but included the Astros to our game plan all in the same Orlando area.
Well, last year we used our RCI subscribing membership and traded into five weeks of timeshares for 31 spring training games in 34 days. It was a lot of fun and we got season tickets at the Nationals and the Astros parks. We had the same seats every day so the people we were sitting with became friends and we will do it again this year. What a great way to spend a vacation and enjoy friends that we have met in past years.
- Robert W. from Hayes, VA
Here at RCI we frequently discuss how to create an amazing experience for our subscribing members – it is the major topic of conversation – but we rarely get to meet our members. It’s true. Most of us have friends or neighbors who are RCI members – with 2.6 million members in North America it is a likely occurrence to know a few – but few of us ever meet with those we don’t personally know. Until now.
For the first time in North America, RCI will be holding regular events open to timeshare owners at affiliated resorts. Our pilot program will be at The Manhattan Club in New York City – a location near many members, former members and timeshare owners.
Events will run most Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings and will be open to timeshare owners interested in learning more about the recent enhancements to the RCI Weeks program. The first event will take place Wed., July 13 for RCI subscribing members who are also Manhattan Club owners. The last event will take place on Wed., September 28.
Don’t have time to attend an event in New York City during your visit? No worries. We already have one of our best Vacation Guides on site at The Manhattan Club (Wed. – Sun. 9am-5pm) to answer your questions and provide information.
You don’t need to be an RCI member to attend. We welcome everyone visiting New York or coming into New York for work or play to head over to The Manhattan Club and meet us at the RCI Welcome Center.
In honor of our exciting events in the Big Apple, we will be sharing photos and stories about New York from RCI subscribing members this week on the RCI blog. Be sure to check back and don’t forget to visit us at The Manhattan Club!
Having moved to Hawaii from S Africa we decided that instead of visiting the other Hawaiian Islands again we'd do a trip to somewhere we had never been to. Took a look on the internet at Washington state and thought it sounded interesting we booked a timeshare unit at Snowater in a National Forest. Spent a few days in Seattle to see the "big city lights" then motored up to Bellingham and Snowater. Arrived late afternoon with light fading and booked into our bungalow, it was so dark and disappointing, had to put on lights to see anything. We decided we'd stay the night and then move on. However come morning, we opened our Lanai door to see the Nooksack River flowing cheerfully by, amidst the tallest trees I've ever seen. We decided to take a walk alongside the river and did so every day listening to and watching the water rushing over the rocks. After our first day we decided this was what we needed, complete peace - no phone or TV. Had a most rejuvenating week having long conversations, reading, playing cards, walking and the highlight was going to "Artist Point" about 20 miles from Snowater where the most magnificent views of snow capped mountains and glassy lakes surrounded you at every turn.
This was one our most memorable timeshare vacations and highly recommended to "get away from it all"
- Sylvia B. from Haleiwa, HI
We spent two weeks in Italy. One of those weeks was in an RCI affiliated timeshare in Northern Italy on the coast. What a beautiful place. One day we took a ferry boat ride along the coast to four little villages that were built on the steep hillside with only a very small harbor. We stopped at all four of the harbors for about 30 minutes and walked up a couple of steep streets to see some very beautiful homes built on the steep hill side. At the fourth stop we walked up the hill about 1/4 of a mile to the railroad station, found a quaint little cafe and had a wonderful meal then road the train back.
- Mike W. from Salt Lake City, UT
In August of 2007 our family spent a week of vacation at a wonderful RCI affiliated resort property in the Algarve region of Portugal. Our view from the balcony was not only of the beautiful pool and palm trees but beyond that we could see the fabulous beach and rock formations. Hundreds of colorful umbrellas dot the sand while sun worshiping tourist stroll up and down the shoreline. We enjoyed a fun family night buffet out at the pool with entertainment by performing "Parrots" and dancing to a live band. Our regular timeshare is at the amazing Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, but this visit to Portugal gave us the advantage of visiting relatives and having a great vacation at the same time. We love the options that an RCI subscribing membership gives us to fully utilize the benefits of time-share ownership. Thanks RCI.
- Julie J. from Corcoran, CA
A few months ago, many of you probably watched the news and saw the devastation firstly caused by the horrendous floods and then followed by Cyclone Yasi. This would be enough to make you think that it may take years of recovery. WRONG. Queensland is definitely open for business with the major tourism destinations of the Gold Coast, Whitsundays and North Queensland ready to welcome you. It takes more than a few natural disasters to close Queensland down.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said "It's no secret the Tourism industry, like many industries in Queensland, has taken a hit by the floods and is still haemorrhaging because of the negative publicity that spread world-wide.
"That's why we're taking action now to get the message out to our interstate and international guests - Queensland is still a world class destination and we have our arms out ready to welcome you.
"While the floods tried to do their worst, the Queensland spirit is well and truly alive and a Queensland holiday is a holiday of a lifetime.
"We said it before the floods and we say it now, Queensland is where Australia shines and never has it shined as brightly as it does now."
Now is a great time to take advantage of your exchange options and try some of the great Australian destinations. Whether it is the beautiful beaches of the Gold Coast, The Great Barrier Reef, or you may even fancy a bit of trout fishing in Tasmania. The options are endless, and the opportunities to explore are abundant.
With any holiday, the most important part is in the planning. Do your research first so that you know what resorts are of interest to you.
If you are coming in from overseas use the opportunity to save your Weeks or Points so that you can stay longer by using them together, and while you are here why not look at cruise options as well. What a great way to see the Australian coast line and visit some great ports on the way. There is nothing better than unpacking once, visiting a range of new holiday destinations, and relaxing, eating and drinking on the way.
Whatever choice you make, I hope you have a ball.
To learn about the Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council go to www.athoc.com.au.
We were fortunate enough to visit Hilton Head for the first time through our timeshare using RCI. Our trip was fabulous. The condo was very spacious and had more than what we needed to have an enjoyable week. Our kids enjoyed swimming in the pools. The beach was fantastic and we spent a lot of time riding our bikes along the miles of trails on the island. Thank you for making it possible to experience a wonderful vacation. We look forward to many more!
- Trina T. from Mechanicsville, VA
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