What our Owners Say

The Savadge family left the cold winter behind for a week of turquoise blue water and warm Caribbean breezes.

On using Vacation Club Points for a Caribbean cruise:
Just this past January, we took a cruise on the Celebrity Solstice, and that was the ultimate. I was looking out at the water and the sky and the scenery and thinking how could you top this? Here we were on this beautiful cruise, and we were able to do that cruise and have leftover Destination points, too.

On the vacation options offered by Marriott Vacation Club Destinations:
With the Destination points, there are so many more options. I mean, you have your whitewater rafting if you want to do that, you have the Epic tours, you have the cruises...your possibilities are absolutely endless.

Gayle used Vacation Club points to continue a decadelong tradition of annual family vacations with her best friend.

On using Vacation Club Points for their families' annual get-together:
We still maintain the once-a-year with getting all the kids together. It's the only time that they get to see each other, and they've become really good friends. When we're long gone, they're going to be talking about all the incredible vacations that we created — the memories.

On future dream vacations with Marriott Vacation Club Destinations:
I actually think it's exceeded my expectations. I'm really looking forward to going on a tour. I really like the tour for Argentina, the wine tour. I like Beijing. My sister just went on an Africa safari and loved it. So that's something I'm considering also.

Jad and Diane's trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary was full of discoveries, including finding their family coat of arms.

On a memorable vacation experience with the Epic Explorer Collection:
It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, the best trip we've taken. We saw locales that we would never have found on our own in Ireland without Collette. We definitely plan to do a few more Collette trips using our Marriott Club points in the future.

On the value of the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
This gives you a chance to upgrade a family vacation. I was bragging to my work colleagues that this was the best and fanciest vacation with no out-of-pocket cost. We just used our points; that for us is a cost saver.

Barbara and Dennis invited their granddaughter and grandson to join them on an Alaska cruise to celebrate a momentous occasion: Graduation from the eighth grade.

On celebrating a special family occasion aboard an Alaska cruise:
We took two of our grandkids, and we all had a wonderful time. We shared many interesting and awesome sites and enjoyed all the excursions. They were interested in the sporting activities. I was interested in the cooking classes. It was fun, one of our best vacations ever.

On Marriott Vacation Club Destinations:
We have been so pleased with Marriott. When we got the information on the new Destinations program, I thought, 'Wow. This is terrific.' I'd recommend it to anybody.

Joseph and Margaret returned from a safari in Kenya with photographs, journals and memories that "will stay with us forever."

On what it's like to travel with the Epic Explorer Collection:
It's the first time we vacationed as part of a tour. Having lodging, meals and destinations already planned for you took the stress out of the vacation. It truly felt like we had no worries and were on vacation. The group was fun to be with. Our tour manager and all three drivers were an absolute delight as well.

On making their bucket list vacation dream a reality:
Africa has been on our bucket list; and when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped on it. It was a trip of a lifetime. We will talk about it and remember it fondly for the rest of our lives.

Barry and Lela are independent travelers who found their guided tour of Ireland to be "a nice combination of planned activities and time to explore on our own."

On the Epic Explorer Collection travel experience:
We were not sure if we would like touring in a group on a planned itinerary. However, we were both surprised and pleased with our vacation. Collette is a very professional organization with a very well-thought-out itinerary. Thank you for making these Collette tours available. We would definitely do another one.

On the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations™ program:
It gives us a lot of flexibility and options. We like the option of going for shorter periods or staying in smaller accommodations. With Vacation Club Points, you can really stretch out your vacations.

Osagie and Mary love yearly vacations at their home resort, Marriott's Grande Vista. Now, with the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations™ Exchange Program, they also visited Chicago and New Orleans with City Explorer packages, spent Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach, and plan to take their grown kids on a cruise.

On what they like about the City Explorer vacations:
A friend's sister was getting married in New Orleans and we used the opportunity to attend the wedding. We really enjoyed it and we plan to come back and see the city again. This gives you the opportunity to see a lot of different Marriott properties. It lets you take shorter trips, do a couple of days here and there.

On the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
It's an excellent program. Great job. Keep the good ideas coming.

For Marlene, climbing the Great Wall of China with her family was "a dream come true, and I'll never forget it."

On the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
The Destinations program includes every place I want to go: Egypt, Africa and China. Having a group tour option that was endorsed by my Marriott partnership gave me the motivation I needed to book the trip. I probably would not have done it without the points program.

On the joy of sharing special vacations with her family:
Spending time with my daughter and grandchildren was of course number one. For each of us to be able to climb the Great Wall! It is so unbelievable and so very amazing. What a blessing it is for me to have been able to do this with my family.

With the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations™ program, Jack and Bonnie are planning a rafting trip, a cruise and a trip to China — experiences "that never before were we able to anticipate doing."

On referring the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program to friends and family:
Oh, it's definitely a product we'd recommend because it offers a wide variety of things. If you want to go to a hotel, you can do it for two or three days. If you want to go to a resort, you can do that. If you want to take a trip down the Colorado River or an Alaska cruise...it's wide open as to what you can do.

On the ease of planning vacations with their Vacation Ownership Advisor:
Having an advisor, someone you can call, someone who says 'Hi, Bonnie, Hi, Jack' — you really feel warm and that they're interested in making your vacation very special.

Paul and Sylvia have always wanted to go on a cruise to Alaska and say using Vacation Club Points was "a great way to utilize our Marriott Vacation Club."

On the flexibility of the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
You do a good job of asking us what we like. We're really happy with our properties and especially more so now — it gives us flexibility to do something else.

On the value of the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
We are just thrilled this is being offered. As for value, I think it was an excellent value. For people who have not enrolled, I think they're missing a really good opportunity.

Janice's trip to Washington with her sister to visit her great-grandson was just one of many ways she is taking advantage of the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program's variety of options.

On a memorable weekend getaway:
My grandson has a new son, and we decided to go and visit. At the Renaissance Mayflower, we were treated like queens! It was just perfect.

On using Vacation Club points to travel the world:
I have come to know the program so well, and it works beautifully. I've taken a Princess cruise through the Inside Passage, ending up in Beijing. I used points for five days in Waiohai, taking my sister, her husband and a friend. And I'm working with my advisor on going to Africa in April.

Domenic and Kathleen saw the opportunity to increase their options and "used our points right away to go to Alaska."

On why they enrolled in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
We just wanted to give ourselves more options. When the vacation club offered this cruise option for using points accrued through our property's exchange value, we decided to take advantage of the offering.

On what it was like to cruise to Alaska:
Alaska is unique. We took advantage to learn as much as possible about Alaska's natural features and its varied populations. The shore excursions allowed us to explore an environment that was totally new to us.

Howie and Andrea are multiweek Owners who are taking advantage of the choices and flexibility of Vacation Club Points.

On the affordability of vacationing with the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program:
We really enjoy ourselves and do about three vacations a year. Both of us just have regular jobs. We're just out there working hard for our money and really making the most out of your program. Destinations is the way to go.

On maximizing their ownership with the value of Vacation Club Points:
I knew when I saw the program that it was going to be well worth it, especially for multiweek Owners. Now, when my wife and I travel by ourselves, a 1-bedroom is acceptable for fewer points, and we can trade in our 2-bedroom villas and stockpile points.

Larry and Peggy saw all the opportunities available to them with the Exchange Program and feel "like it's really going to open up the world."

On why they enrolled in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Exchange Program:
We saw the opportunity to have vacations in our future that we would not even dream about. We decided to give it a shot. And we're happy we did it, real happy.

On the value of Vacation Club Points:
And the value was tremendous. I recommend anybody who can do it today. Do it because it will pay back tenfold in the future.

One of the things Chuck and Karen enjoyed most on their trip was savoring a variety of food and wine, "from divine paella in Barcelona to sipping limoncello in Sorrento."

On the ease of making a perfect vacation dream come true:
Our dream vacation was made possible by the Destinations Exchange Program. Options galore, we decided on a Mediterranean cruise and found your Vacation Center to be most helpful in matching the cruise experience with our travel preferences. The fit was perfect for us.

On maximizing their Ownership with new vacation options:
Thank you Marriott Vacation Club International for thinking outside the timeshare box. We now have experienced the benefits of the Destinations Exchange Program personally, and we can attest to its power in setting our inner tourism-selves free!

Michael and Kathryn enrolled their week at Marriott's Aruba Surf Club to enjoy new vacation options using Vacation Club points and say, "We've been totally happy."

On the Epic Explorer Collection travel experience:
This was one of the best vacations we've ever taken. Costa Rica was beautiful. The tour guide was excellent. We saw so many sites we would not have seen on our own.

On the value of Vacation Club Points:
For us, the points program has worked out perfectly. We'd never taken a tour before, and it was something we always wanted to do. We felt like we got our money's worth.

Marilou and her husband Bob recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows during an Ocean Explorer cruise, and enjoying a second honeymoon in Aruba.

On their decision to use their ownership to go on a cruise:
We didn't want the day to go by without being special. So we decided we would use Vacation Club Points to take a cruise. It was wonderful—a great way to use ownership in a different way. The people were unbelievable and celebrated with us.

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations™ program:
Through the years, because we own a business, we haven't had an opportunity to use all our weeks at once. I just thought we needed another avenue to get more flexibility. I'm really excited about this new program—I'm hoping it will be easy to get to the places that you really want to go to.

Angela used Vacation Club Points to book a Maui vacation for herself and her husband, their four children and their significant others, and Angela's parents.

On using Vacation Club Points to plan large family vacations:
Traveling with a larger party, the points-based option was a better way to go because we were able to borrow points from our account—so our whole family could enjoy vacationing together. We were able to book our trip for the week we wanted, as well as obtain 3 units in close proximity to each other.

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
It gives us more flexibility. We can choose to utilize our Vacation Club Points, as well as borrow points to take a big family vacation; or if it is just me & my husband vacationing, we can utilize our ownership the original way.

Roberta used Vacation Club Points to go on a 7-day Bermuda cruise.

On using Vacation Club Points to enjoy cruises:
Bermuda is beautiful. I'd had my eye on that Bermuda cruise for a long time — I had been in Bermuda a couple times before but thought it would be fun to spend more time there. I plan to focus now on cruises. I'm going to try to do one once every year and a half or so.

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations™ program:
When I first bought, I just thought of staying at the resorts. Then I got into trading and using Marriott Bonvoy points for hotels and airfare for all those years. And then to suddenly find out we could do cruises was really exciting, because I do love cruising! If you've had your properties for a while, it's the natural thing to do, in order to take advantage of new vacation possibilities.

Bob and Wendy recently enjoyed a vacation most people only dream of — back-to-back cruises in Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands!

On using Vacation Club Points to explore new places:
"We have a bucket list and we're working off the bucket list. The Galapagos Islands and Antarctica were on the list, and we've now accomplished them. Of all the cruises we've taken, [the Galapagos cruise] was probably the highlight of my life!" (Bob)

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
"We've expanded to cruising and other things, so the new program was really up our alley. We're like, 'Oh, it's so exciting, where are we going to go next?' It has been phenomenal." (Wendy)

Bill and Karen had always wanted to visit Costa Rica and used Vacation Club Points to explore the country's cloud forests, coffee plantations and coastal beaches.

On using Vacation Club Points for an unforgettable experience:
"We love outdoor experiences, seeing the animals and geographical features, and Costa Rica is rich in these experiences. The tour itself was extremely well-organized. The accommodations were very nice, and the events and itinerary stops fun and meaningful. We met several other 'Marriott' couples on the trip, and we all had a great time. We loved the people, the country and the experiences. We'd love to go back."

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
"We were interested in doing other things and wanted to try the vacations, but only had a limited amount of time to spend on one this year, so we decided to give this one a try. It just turned out really great."

Hobie's trip to Italy was a gift for a friend who had never been to Europe but had always dreamed of visiting the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.

On using Vacation Club Points to visit the treasures of Tuscany:
"Great trip. Interesting itinerary. Outstanding tour. It's a good way to see the country if you want to learn something, meet nice people and experience Italy. Setting up the tour was easy; I simply called in and joined."

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
"It's well worth it because it expands your horizon of opportunities. I think it's an excellent way to use my timeshare, to segue into something new — to be able to go to Italy or France. You can do something different every year. I highly recommend this."

A tour through the Tuscan countryside was Edward's gift to Linda after her recent retirement.

On using Vacation Club Points to visit Tuscany:
"It was the most fantastic thing ever. From the minute we arrived to the second we left, it was fantastic. Our tour manager was so intuitive, such a people person. He taught us some Italian, which I used when I bought porcelain from a florist shop in Montecatini. The people, the locations and the guests made this truly first-class — exactly what we have come to expect of anything associated with Marriott!"

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
"I crunched the numbers and found it could work. I like the ease of paying one fee and you're done with it. It's all covered."

Paul and Marilyn had one dream destination they always wanted to visit: Ireland, the birthplace of Paul's great-grandfather.

On using Vacation Club Points to make a lifelong vacation dream come true:
"My husband's ancestors are from Ireland, and he always wanted to go there. This was the only way we could do it. Everything was handled for us, and all we had to do was enjoy ourselves, which we did. My husband said it was a vacation of a lifetime. He just loved it."

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
"When the Destinations program came out, it was just perfect for us. We like a little variety, and we do like the options that Points offer. I highly recommend it."

The Davis family used Vacation Club Points for two vacations: a fun-filled cruise and a relaxing week at Marriott's Legends Edge.

On the flexibility of Vacation Club Points:
"We don't have to necessarily go to a property every year. We can do something completely different. We're going to do another cruise, we're going to hit Europe, and we're going to white-water raft at some point. The vacation is never going to get boring."

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
"I like that with the Destinations program you're not limited to a specific property or resort – that we were able to book a cruise and do our vacation that way as well. I was speechless over it. I think the point system is a huge step in the right direction for a lot of people."

Jack and Linda celebrated a friend's 70th birthday aboard a cruise to Bermuda; it was Linda's first cruise.

On using Vacation Club Points for a new kind of vacation:
"It was something different to do with our points. I was reluctant to cruise, but I am so glad I did because it opened a whole new realm of vacation possibilities. We thought it was so great that when we got back, we called our salesperson and bought more points."

On enrolling in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program:
"I would recommend it. I like the fact you have more liberty to do what you want to. We just have more choices. I'm very excited about it."