Timeshare Scoop Interview: Houseboat Vacation

Our latest Timeshare Scoop winner is Lea Collins, who wrote us about her houseboat timeshare vacation on the St. John’s River. Go here to read Lea’s story, “A Lifetime of Wonderful Excursions!”
Q: What resort did you stay at, and how was the overall experience?
A: We stayed at the Holly Bluff Marina in St. John’s River, in Deland, Florida. The people there are extraordinary. They teach you how to captain the boat, and make your houseboating experience the best it can be.

Q: What did you like most about the houseboats?
A: I love the fact you can be on the river, enjoy nature, and yet have the kitchen right there, the bathroom, and beds for my grandkids to take their naps. We go back to the marina most nights and tie up. My husband loves the fact that we have cable, but we can still fish off the back of the boat in the marina.

Q: Would you recommend a houseboat vacation to others?
A: We seem to be able to relax more on the housboat than other vacations. There is no running here and there to be entertained. We just go out on the front or back deck and enjoy.

Q: How long have you been timesharing, and what made you decide to do it?
A: We bought our first timeshare 10 years ago. We love the beach, so we bought one on Daytona Beach. Later we bought one near Disney World for trading purposes. Funny, we live in Florida, and all of our timeshares are within an hour of each other.

Q: What are your favorite timeshare resorts?
A: We have been to the Banyan Tree Resort and the Sunset Harbor in Key West, Sky Valley in Clayton, Georgia, Club de Soliel in Las Vegas,and Fairfield Bay in Heber Springs, Arkansas. I love Key West. Both of the resorts there were excellent.

Q: What do you most like about timesharing?
A: I don’t like eating every meal out. I love that we have a kitchen, and if we decide we want just a lazy day, we don’t have to go out to eat. We often have company with us, so private sleeping areas are great. When we went to Las Vegas, it was for a convention. While my coworkers each paid $189 a night, my husband and I both stayed at the Club de Soleil for $129.00 for the week.

Q: Have you learned any “tricks” to exchanging?
A: Yes, we found that our Disney timeshare did not quite have the trading power that we thought it would, but if you do last-minute booking, you are more likely to be upgraded because of cancellations and resorts wanting to fill their space.
Do you have a timeshare story? Tell us about your timeshare vacation, recent or past. Share how you and your family or friends use timeshare. If we feature it on our Timeshare Story page, you’ll receive a FREE RCI Week. Visit our Timeshare Story Page for more information.

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