toml85 states / asks: >> I own week 9 at the royal islander St. Maartan I currently have it for sale. I belong to RCI. I am going to use it this year. suppose I don't sell it. do I have to reserve it for 2009 to rent it out. How does this work?<< ----------------------------------------------------------------- It's not completely clear (to me, anyhow) from your posting, but I'll assume you mean that you own a DEEDED, FIXED week 9 at this particular resort. If so, you don't ever have to "reserve" a deeded, fixed week -- you OWN that week in that particular unit. So, if you own a deeded fixed week 9, then that specific week in that specific unit is yours to use or rent as you see fit, without ever again "reserving" anything as long as you own it.
If, on the other hand, you actually own a "floating" week there (which just happens to have been reserved for a week 9 in 2008 only), then you must actively reserve a specific week with your "float" week ownership --- in and for each and every individual year. ================================================
Re: >> Should I keep paying RCI 124.00 a year or forget them. <<
If there is a chance you won't succeed in selling your week (and in this economy, it's more than just a chance) and you might later want to (try to) exchange your 2009 week with RCI for a week somewhere else, you'll obviously have to have an active, current RCI membership to even (try to) do so. If your position is "I'll ONLY either sell my week or I'll simply just use it myself or rent it out", then there would seem to be no apparent benefit to renewing your RCI membership. Then again, if you fail to find a renter and need to "bank" the week, you need a RCI membership to "bank" into. Your RCI membership can't be transferred over to the next buyer, so the RCI membership itself certainly has no "value added" to a buyer as far as a selling point goes. The buyer would have to establish his/her own RCI membership in any case. ================================================== Re: >> How do I let the royal islander know I am going to use my week or do I just show up week 9 and they have my room available I'am confused on all this <<
Exact same answer as item 1 above, regarding whether or not it's a deeded, fixed week that you actually own. However, if you rent out your deeded, fixed week 9 (assuming that's what you actually own) for 2009, you'll obviously have to notify the resort in advance of the identity of whoever is showing up to use your week in 2009. No respectable resort is going to just blindly accept a stranger showing up unannounced saying... "Hi, I'm Joe Schmoe and I'm here to use Tom Timeshare's week this year." Some advance documentation to that effect from the owner of that week is both appropriate and necessary and in the best interest and protection of both parties.
Of course, you MAY be able to let the resort rent your week for you (this practice varies among resorts --- some do, some don't) but they will also keep 25-30% of the rental as their fee. One benefit of having the resort rent your week out for you is that THEY then assume full responsibility for any damages by the renter. If YOU rent the week yourself, YOU are fully responsible for any damages incurred by your "guest". Sure, you can have a renter sign an acceptance of responsibility for damages in the rental agreement, but rest assured that it is YOU the resort will come after in the event of damages, since YOU are the one who owns the unit/ week.
Hope this answers most or all of your questions.
