You may hear all kinds of terms floating around when you learn more about what a timeshare is and how timeshares work. For the most part, many timeshare owners are part of vacation clubs that offer points. Points are used for flexibility and freedom. However, before points came around, timeshare floating weeks were highly popular. So, what is a timeshare floating week?
Floating Week Timeshare Definition
According to ARDA, the American Resort Development Association, the definition of floating week timeshare is a type of timeshare ownership where the usage is subject to the owner reserving their week within a season purchased, or in some cases, throughout the year. Depending on the resort or developer, you have the option to make a reservation within your specific season, or some allow owners to make a reservation during any week of the entire year. They call it “floating” because your designated week is only assigned to a specific period of time, not one week.
So, What Are Timeshare Seasons?
As you learn more about what a floating week is, it’s also important to learn about what a timeshare season means. Timeshare seasons are a specific span of time that the resort or developer identifies throughout the year. There are multiple seasons, and each brand will distinguish its seasons by different names. For example, there are Platinum or Gold Seasons, but they are likely not the same span of time across brands. Seasons normally identify high demand weeks or low demand weeks.
Your floating week timeshare may be available during a “Platinum” or “Gold” season. This means you can make reservations during any week within that period of time.
Fixed Vs. Floating Timeshare Weeks
Fixed weeks are the original model of timeshare ownership that gave owners a guaranteed week to vacation at their resort, in their unit every single year. However, some travelers want the freedom to vacation whenever they want to. Floating week timeshares were introduced to allow for just that. There are pros and cons of each, so choosing between a floating vs. fixed week timeshare ownership can really depend on your preferences.
One benefit of fixed weeks over floating weeks is the guarantee to vacation during your designated week number(s) every year. Depending on the season of your floating week ownership, you may have to plan well in advance to make a reservation for a specific week. While floating weeks can offer more freedom for when you travel, you also need to keep in mind that high-demand seasons book up quickly.
How to Buy a Floating Week Timeshare
For the most part, many developers have started pushing points-based ownerships to new buyers, but you can still find floating week timeshares for sale on the resale market. Some of the best vacation clubs like Bluegreen Vacations or Breckenridge Grand Vacations offer floating week ownerships.
You can also search the resale market for floating weeks available, and purchase them for much less than you would directly from a developer. Browse the Timeshares Only resale marketplace today for timeshares for sale and make an offer online. You can search by top brands, resorts, season, or week number. Need help? Contact us at 1-800-610-2734 or email [email protected] for assistance.
