THANKS for all the answers on my first question. We have been looking at timshares for a couple days now but if I could ask this - For those that have a place in Aruba do you find it easy to trade into other areas that are comparable to Aruba ? And for those that have a place say in the States is it easy or hard to trade into Aruba ? Seems like all the folks we have met NEVER go anywhere but Aruba . I can see why - thanks

We own a timeshare with the Marriott in Florida and a timeshare in Hawaii..NO it is not easy to trade into Aruba. We have been trying for 12 years now and only once got in on a trade. We always pay to stay at a hotel..Most people who own in Aruba never trade or if they are not using their unit will rent it out to get the maintence fee paid for the year..If you check out the rentals..some of them are pretty hefty and people will pay just to get to aruba.

we own in Palm Desert and trade to Aruba during Presidents Week. We own a Marriott but we dont stay their in Feb but we do get a trade to Aruba!. We have aslo been to other great places using our timeshare. You just have to plan ahead. We have even been to Key West and Sanibel Island.

My fiance and I are looking into buying timeshare at the Aruba Surf Club and wanted to know what different places are paying for maintenace/taxes for their timeshare. Can anyone help?

Call it beginners luck, but we bought at Marriott's Fords Colony February 2003 and traded it in right away and got into Aruba in August last year. We also limited them to a specific week and got our confirmation early April. While in Aruba we bought because we liked it so much and we wanted to be able to go back each year. If we had the chance to do it all over again we would have bought two timeshares in Aruba instead. We paid the same price for Virgina and Aruba $17,000. Maintenance fee for our Virgina timeshare was $581 this year, in Aruba it is about $150 more but we haven't gotten the bill yet. Oh and we have friends who also own at Virginia and they traded this year so that they can go with us to Aruba in August and they got confirmation right over the phone imediately and that was back in Nov!

I have a one week available for sale at the Ocean club for 10k. It is a Gold week. If you are interested let me know.

Timeshare exchange was a snap to Aruba.. we own at New Orleans "QuarterHouse" a 5 star in Fr. Quart. In the process of trying for an exchange in 2000 for a new Fla resort..thru I.I. (it fell thru--the Fla place after I had checked w. family and got back to the associate at I.I) she immediately said... Ever thought about Aruba?? so the rest is history... we have a very nice 1 bdrm there now.. at Paradise Beach Villas on Eagle Beach. Due to Surgery upcomming we will not be able to go this yr. Do you want it... go and see it on the virtual tour paradisebeachvillas.com or send me your email and I'll send you my pics.. bh2441@msn.com Please note.. we have two weeks there.. now. Week 26 and week 39 and love it.

It's not all inclusive nor have I had time to do another round of research in order to update the information. But, it is representative.
Go to:
http://www.geocities.com/daka630/
Use the link named:
"Maintenance Fee Information"
(under the image)
hth