Timeshare Points or Blocked Weeks?

Timeshare Points or Blocked Weeks?

 

Many people who are new to timeshare get confused about the new vacation ownership products being offered by the top timeshare companies. One of the main confusions relates to knowing the difference between timeshare points or blocked weeks.

In order to look at the benefits and differences between timeshare points or blocked weeks it is worth returning for a moment to look at the history of timeshare.

In the 70s and 80s when the timeshare concept first began to take shape, the concept was fairly straightforward in that property usage was divided by 52 and sold as individual weeks. That is, you bought one or two weeks at a property and could use it during your vacations. These blocked weeks could be fixed weeks, in that you use the same week every year or could be rotating meaning they would skip forward or back a week each year on a rotation. Likewise, these blocked weeks could rotate within a season and so forth. In simple terms blocked weeks are pretty self explanatory – you own a set week at a timeshare property.

The timeshare points scheme is a more modern modification of the blocked weeks program as a means of offering greater flexibility to owners. You buy the equivalent timeshare points to the value of a blocked week timeshare but can then use those points to stay for periods longer and shorter than one week, without having to stick to 7 day periods. The timeshare points can be used within particular seasons or with no limitations, depending on how many points you buy and your membership type.

timeshare points revolutionized the timeshare market as it then meant that timeshare members could take shorter vacations (like weekends) twice a year or could extend vacations for 10 days rather than losing 4 days of your membership as would be the case in the blocked week model if you only stayed for 10 days. Other advantages of timeshare points is that they can be saved and borrowed to upgrade units for special occasions and can also be used to purchase services like spa treatments and all inclusive meal plans.

The great difference, therefore between timeshare points or blocked weeks is flexibility, although many people like the guaranteed dates and community that is formed at fixed week timeshare complexes where the same faces can be seen each year during the same time.

The first thing you need to consider when choosing either timeshare points or blocked weeks is what you want from your vacations. Do you like routine and using the same weeks each year, or do you like to have more choice and flexibility. At the end of the day, you need to choose a timeshare program that matches your needs.

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