RCI Timeshare

published on April 19th, 2010 in RCI Timeshares tagged , , , , , , , ,

RCI (Resort Condominiums International) Time Share Exchange was founded in 1974 and has quickly grown to be the worldwide leader in vacation exchange. With a worldwide community of over three million timeshare owners, RCI Time Share has facilitated easy exchange to over 5,000 affiliated resorts in over 100 countries. By using either a week-for-week exchange as well as a points-based system, these exchanges have made the possibilities for timeshare owners practically endless. RCI Time Share Exchange has expanded from simple exchanges to a full service travel marketplace, with RCI Travel agency, RCI Cruise, Last Call getaway vacations, Endless Vacation Rentals, and more.

RCI Time Share Exchange is divided into two programs—RCI Weeks, and RCI Points.

The RCI Weeks program is the original format for vacation exchanges and has proven to be one of the most popular. With this traditional vacation exchange system, timeshare owners are able to exchange their vacation week for a similar unit at another resort. With over 4,000 RCI affiliated resorts in over 100 countries, the possibilities are endless. When a member wishes to exchange, they simply deposit the week into the RCI SpaceBank system. Weeks can be deposited up to two weeks in advance, or as late as 14 days before the start date. This week is added to the pool or weeks deposited by members globally. Next, a request is put in for a comparable resort or location. Each week has a different “trading power” which is based on factors such as supply, demand, and usage of the week, resort, and area, unit size and maximum occupancy, how far in advance the week is deposited, and the rating provided by RCI and it’s members. If one of the desired resort choices is available, the exchange can be confirmed immediately. If there is no availability, members can keep an ongoing search for the specific request or similar options.

The RCI Points program is the largest points-based exchange system, allowing for the ultimate in flexibility. With over 4,000 RCI affiliated resorts in over 100 countries, the options are unlimited. When you purchase or convert a vacation week, it is assigned an RCI Points Value. This value is determined by a number of factors, including supply and demand, unit size, season, and resort location. These points can be used to make reservations at any resort in the network, and also can be used in exchange for cruises or spent like dollars for other products and services suited towards a traveler’s lifestyle with the Points Partner program. With the RCI Points program, members are permitted to book less or more than a week, subject to availability. RCI Points memberships will always be connected to the “home resort” that was originally purchased, and reservations can be made 12 months in advance at that home resort, while exchange requests can only be put in 10 months in advance at any other resort in the network.

Points can be saved for an additional use year to exchange later, Members can also borrow or rent points to exchange now if they have insufficient points for their desired vacation. Another benefit of the RCI points program is the “Last Call” vacation. Booked on short notice, these vacations only require a small amount of points for a full week in any unit size available worldwide.