Husband Paul and I in late April with our 2 studio units (week 33) and joined BluegreenVacation Club at LaCabana. Bluegreen takes the units into a "trust" and converts your units to "points". Unfortunately our "points" did not add up to make it worth our while and so we opted to buy 5,000 more points giving us a total of 20,000 points. Those 5,000 points in reality are another unit that was deeded to us and turned over to "trust" with Bluegreen. (a week 19 studio unit)

So that all being said.

We know have 20,000 points to use anywhere Bluegreen has properties.
LaCabana is one of the properties. No other properties in Aruba.
At any given time during all of this the main focus was on "points" , not availability....as Lacabana told us availability is not an issue as there is a large inventory.

So, I called Bluegreen today to use 13000 of my points Set 9 - 18.
But low and b ehold, no units available at LaCabana . (LaCabana is their only property in Aruba)
I asked why no availability......answer was there are only a few units available at any given time.
I asked for numerous dates. Made up dates. Dates that were in the lowest of low and the highest of high and medium, seasons and NOTHING is available. With the exception of 3 days here and there.

I spoke with Quality Assurance mgr (in Indianapolis Jean Kenney) and she said that LaCabana has high demand and low inventory making the process difficult.

She told me that I can bank my points with RCI and put in a request that way. I may do that/I may not.

What I did tell this woman was that in no document that i signed, and in no conversations that we had were we told anything was based on availability.
We were told just to be concerned with points.

We were told that we even had "bonus points". 2,000
So, in actuality we have 22000 points but cannot get any date of our liking or even not to our liking in Aruba at LaCabana.

We were also told that we could reserve (notice i say reserve...not REQUEST) 2 days to 13 months prior. We were told we could roll over our points for a yr.

Ever feel like you have been screwed with your pants on?

I asked for full reimbursement of what we paid them in April and that I wanted my 2 original units back to us and the 3rd unit the $$$$ that we paid.
Answer, was a long pause and then I think a no answer.

So, we have air tix for Sept 9 - 18. Own about $19,000 (22,000 points)worth of timeshares and cannot use them.

Suggestions on RCI? Anyone have good luck using RCI? RCI seems to be an option now since Bluegreen is not an option for Sept 9 - 18.

And, BTW as owners at Lacabana BRC we received a letter from them telling us of Bluegreen's plan and we should stop by the office. That is why we stopped in there in April while we were in Aruba. We went in there of our own free will and not coerced off the beach by a timeshare hawker.

If you want to post your replies feel free. If you want to private message me feel free.
thanks
Andrea

andrea-

My brother in law and friend both use the points system with success but they go to Disney and Cozumel, respectively. I use my mom's RCI week some years on exchange and found them easy to deal with and professional. However, I never requested Aruba.

My question - if they are telling you there is no availability, what happened to your original Week 33 units?? Why wouldn't they still be available to get with your points? Have they sold them already?

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Oops, never mind! Just read your post!

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When the words "lawyer, lawsuit, misreprentation" are used along with sufficient tears all was rectified.

We got our Sept 9 - 18 in Aruba
Got our Nov 19 -15 in Bradenton Beach Fl
and
still have enough points left over to hopefully steal another week in Aruba in
early May.
All without having to use RCI.
Bluegreen customer service (Jeanne Kenney) was the BEST!

Thanks for the private messages and suggestions. :-)

LaCabana is not even affiliated with RCI. It never has been, so what are they telling/lying to you about?

Bluegreen members "automatically" are enrolled in RCI for 2yr membership.
(and there are 9 RCI resorts in Aruba)
Yes, Lacabana is NOT in RCI. I do not recollect my saying that we'd be using RCI @ LaCabana. My words and I am quoting myself from a prior post.....

"were still have enough points left over to hopefully steal another week in Aruba in early May. All without having to use RCI."

Bluegreen's ONLY Aruba resort is Lacabana BRC (not villas)
RCI has other Aruba options, not including LaCabana but INCLUDING
Aruba Grand
Occidental Allegro
ABC
CDM
Costa Linda
Divi Phoeniz
Divi VIllage
Divi Dutch
Playa Linda

understand now?
ANDREA

Andrea,

Just a question from a newbie to LaCabana timeshare. My MIL gave us her timeshare there now that dad has passed away and she doesn't want to go back without him. We are with interval to swap out which we've used before successfully in the past. This is our first trip to LaCabana. Should we expect a sales pitch when we get there? The points thing just sounds confusing and like something we shouldn't even consider.

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Steve&Mo

I would suggest that you do nothing to change you unit status until you become more familiar with timesharing. Go to la cabana and enjoy the vacation. Skip the sales tours at la cabana but if you want take a few at other properties, just to see what they are like.PLAN to buy or sign nothing this trip. Just get experience with the process and different properties. Then when you get home join www.tug2.net and find out about buying TS on resale and save a bundle.

If you need a refereal to TUG you can use my name.

Marty Doctrow

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Aruba 6/25/2006, 10/10/2006, 11/27/2006 Sorry I could not go more but 2007 see you 1/14/2007

Steve & Mo-

This is excellent advice from someone else who has a timeshare at LaCabana.

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I agree with the last two posters. Go and enjoy La Cabana. There is a little desk in the lobby with a Bluegreen sales person sitting there all day. You are not accosted by them. Just ignore for now.