bluegreen (or similar) tour: best deal ever (if everything checks out)!

Weekend New York Times Travel Expo opened at NYC's Javits yesterday. It takes hours to walk all exhibits. Of hundreds rather regular deals, this one, listed in AMEX book handed out, stands out:

CITY AND SEA WITH BLUEGREEN RESORT & CRUISE VACATION ONLY $199
2 nights (2bdrm) at Fountains Resort Orlando + 4 night Carnival Cruise (for two) + Bluegreen Vacation Club sales presentation = $199 plus, of course, "all taxes".

1. I'd love to hear first-hand dollar-and-cents experience of this (or similar to bluegreen)
2. I don't want to hear one word about Sales Pitch involved (for an intellegent, courteous Single parent or a couple = two-hour non-event, not worth discussion)
3. What's important in this discussion: black-outs and advance reservation, taxes (I'm afraid hotel and especially ship taxes may amount to hundreds) and qualifications (I read at bluegreenonline.com/dop/minivac.html even about a min. credit score - how strict is all this fine print in practice?)

Search for Bluegreen and see the issues.
First hand experience? I know you don't want to hear but others might... Over 3 hour high pressure sales pitch. Had other upset owners there with issues with their ownership being "used needing rebuilt payment plans". Asking for documentation means the sales guy gives generic information. I was there over 3 hrs and never got firm numbers on ANYTHING! Blackout dates... anytime the hotel/resort is "full" which means any peak vacation travel times.

excellent contribution by StartByServing. So is it possible to structure a nice one-week deal?

Thanx Start, u r obviously putting time into this deal - always greatly appreciated! I'll first put the timeshare to rest, so that NOT TO DISTRACT ANY MORE from deal objective. When receptionist offers u a seat, say: "I don't see a timestamp machine here, kindly dial my cell". u r there to 1.earn great gift 2.to eat as well as possible 3.to charge and surf your handheld 4.to let kids enjoy daycare 5.to glimpse at 5-star resort. Of dozens tours, I never received anything else than was promised (one exception was a top "$5-million-a-year" producer, who 10 minutes into the meeting wrote out an extra restaurant voucher for my entire party and led me to gift redemption desk, to save his time). Cobol's (post above) dismay of not receiving answers/numbers is off-topic: his goal didn't fall within 5 goals listed. Anyone else who deems this simple instruction too clever or has issues - kindly opt for a suitable forum, DO NOT HINDER current topic discussing a possible (?) outstanding one-week deal. I've personally enjoyed ALL dozens presentations I've ever attended anywhere in the US; I pursue MY agenda, am a totally easy-going person with no psychological issues. Your only obligation is to spend 120min; buying anything ever at any presentation HAS NO PLACE ON NORMAL PERSON's AGENDA. What they/you say during 120min (never spend another minute) is of zero consequence, u just fulfil your only obligation of BEING on premises 120min from your cell timestamp. I've never had unpleasant experience there, or hardly anywhere in life. All I've ever chosen to see (during 120min or less) were intellegent mutual smiles in nice settings (not dumps). I've never looked for disgruntled owners, for information which I know in advance to be an uninteresting deal, for serial murderers presenters/supervisors. Gift-food-pastime-beauty. Period. Love everything, not buying today, 120 minutes done, thank you good bye.

We wasted enough ink above. I agree with StartByServing that AMEX brochure headline was misleading: this is unlikely a ONE WEEK LONG vacation. From the link that he'd found, it appears that you first pay $199+tax for 2 nights at the Fountains (which is close to market rate), where you attend a presentation to walk away with cruise voucher. Seems about the same benefit as the free 3-night cruise offer by Travel Services in my older topic...

It would be great to hear of similar current opportunities, as well as from someone who'd actually done this

apples and oranges CobolGod: I was asking for "dollars-and-cents first-hand experience of purchasing a heavily discounted travel package" from bluegreen (or similar). We are yet to hear first-hand.

As far as timeshare shpil, the only first-hand experience I'd entertain is how to sign up for HIGHER GIFT tour. There is no info in failure to get something; only how someone succeeded and got A LOT is valuable info. All other stories rehash under-achieving, not info leading to financial success.

I got offered a similar deal and asked around and found someone selling their timeshare and wanted to know some hard info like when I can actually use the weeks. Sat through over 3 hours of HARD sell with every question being avoided. Definitely used car salesman shady. I just stayed for 3 nights in the resort which was nice. The resort stay was free for the hotel but I got charged a 'resort fee' each night. When I tried to book the cruise with the fees they charged it was actually cheaper to buy it online.

So overall I saved a little on a hotel room, felt like years were drained from me during the presentation, and never got the cruise. Never bought the timeshare from them or the guy selling his used timeshare.

I participated in a timeshare offer with Tahiti Village/Las Vegas around the time Alan Thicke was doing their TV advertising. I don't feel cheated, and got exactly what was advertised. Free hotel stay, I received a refund of so much for airfare credit, and some meals and shows were all provided. Yes, the sales pitch was too much. There was nothing they could do to get me to buy and I believe I had to say no and hear a separate pitch from like 3 managers. But eventually (usually plan for about double their estimate), you'll get out of there.

What I can add to this discussion were qualification requirements. They said many times that you had to have a credit card, specifically not a debit card, and you had to meet certain income requirements. Looked very similar to Bluegreen's terms. I was self employed so I was worried about income verification and what "proof" they would need, and at the time, I wasn't far away from a bankruptcy so I had no credit cards. When asked for a credit card at the event to refund some charges to, I provided them with my bank Visa debit card in direct violation of what they had told me via phone and no one said a thing. Further, the only checking they did for my income was asking me to sign a form stating that all of the information I provided them was true and accurate. That wasn't hard

Is there a link online where I can read more about this specific offer?

Still anxious to see Cobol's numbers...

right. Anyone complaining about presenters must be of pre-college maturity. I mean really: you're an adult with brains, so is your domestic partner if any. Your only obligation is presence during 90-120min tour. If you or your half create any problem in the course of this fleeting affair - then you may be better off to have never had your relationship... Also, remember Eddie Murphy: the best way of dealing with nasty rich people is turning them into poor people. These a-holes can find themselves no better profession (really, unreal) than duping thousands year-round into writing checks for inflated air. We should view this as OUR occupation to make $50-$200/hour to take some of it back - and enjoy the process all the way