honeymoon in Jan.?

[Christine]

We would like to go somewhere warm for our honeymoon in Jan., many places in the Carribean and South Pacific seem so expensive ($600 + per night!)
Does anyone know how to get a good deal?

[Beth]

I hear camping in Alaska would be cozy and cheap that time of year! :D Sorry.

I would scan the internet (travelocity and others), check you newpaper travel section, the travel books (fodors and such) and work with a travel agent to get a good idea of what's possible before getting booked into anything you have to put money on or can't cancel. You might look into finding a condo or something if you don't mind not being waited on during your honeymoon (which can turn out to be a plus). That is prime time for those sites, so you'll have to hunt, and if you can't find something that seems right maybe go there another time. The Grand Canyon dusted with snow is supposed to be gorgeous and probably wouldn't be as crowded as some other warm climates or ski resorts.

Good luck. Whatever you chose, your honeymoon will make it special.

[Beth H]

If you're willing to consider a non-beach vacation, how about Europe? January is one of the cheapest months to fly there, and with the current strong exchange rate, continental Europe is not expensive. The weather probably would not be good -- but, Paris is romantic any time of year!

[mightyh]

My favorite travel website is www.frommers.com

They even have a special section on honeymoon destinations. They always post great package deals and have good ideas about almost every destination, including lodging, sites, and food. Check it out and hopefully you'll find something that catches your eye. While it is a "budget" travel site, don't think cheap--it just helps you get a better deal on great places.

I use it almost every vacation.

[Gina O]

I subscribe to a weekly email of the top 20 travel bargins. I once got round trip tickets to the USVI's for under $400 (a major bargin) as a result of this email. I would suggest subscribing to it and checking it out each week. To subscribe got to: Travel Zoo (http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/)

Also, cruises are a fairly economical way to enjoy warm weather. The biggest hurdle you are facing is that January through about March is the busiest season for warm destinations, therefore, few real bargins are offered. Related to cruising, if you are not interested in the huge ships, I would check out Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (http://www.windjammer.com/) they are smaller tall ships that take you on a more intimate cruise. My next trip to the Carribean will probably be on a Windjammer cruise.

Good luck, Gina

[beejayw1]

Hi, there - (or should I say 'Aloha'?)

I used to live in Hawaii, your $600/night sounded just a trifle high, so I did some checking.

Going into Expedia (www.expedia.com) I found the following with a projected departure (MN) date of 1/13/02 and a 1 week stay:

Round-trip air fare: $1,091 per person. (You can pay $120 less but have a 5-hour longer flight)

Hotel in Lahaina, Maui: $163 per night (studio with partial ocean view). Actually, the Aston hotels all averaged between $163 and $200 per night.

checking air/hotel packages, I saw that the spread for two people was between $2,600 and $3,000. This included fees and taxes. Did not include meals or a car, which you would want.

I used Maui as a destination, but you could go to Hawaii (the big island) or to Oahu (though that has become built-up, and I wouldn't recommend spending all my time in Honolulu). Lahaina in Maui is lovely, and the island itself, shaped like a figure-eight, is almost like 2 separate islands.

Anyhow, that's the info. The Pacific isn't so expensive after all!

[Beth]

Okay, now that I reread this thread, I see "someplace warm." I was trying to be humorous with camping in Alaska, but was not trying to be the village idiot with the continued cold suggestions. Guess somedays I operate about as well as the BB. Call it a ditz day. Sorry.

Have you looked into Cancun/Cozumel? A lot of people from this area go down there and to Belize for scuba diving. Hawaii sounds good too. Good luck and have fun.

[valeriek]

Have you looked into the All Inclusive resorts in the Caribbean? At first glance the price might seem high, but it includes EVERYTHING - all meals, activities, and I'm pretty sure even alcohol (my understanding is that you have to pay for alcohol on cruises - at least thats what a friend told me since I've never been on one myself). A good friend of mine got married in February and they went to and all-inclusive in Antigua. They said it was absolutely incredible. They also said almost everyone they met were honeymooners. They made a lot of friends on their trip! Plus, the place sponsored games for everyone including the Newlywed game! After thinking about how much you would spend on entertainment and food etc. by going to a normal hotel, these all-inclusives can be pretty reasonable.

I know you said warm weather, bur to me there is nothing more romantic than renting a nice cabin near a ski resort. They usually have trails for snowshoeing or cross country skiing at the resort and the cabins can have fireplaces. I live in the mid-Atlantic states and usually go to a place up in Maryland for these getaways. Very nice.

I'm almost done rambling. I would suggest going to a respected Travel Agent. If you can find a good one (there are those that specialize in honeymoons - they can usually be found at local bridal shows), they can recommend places you had never even thought about. Plus, they are working for you and so are trying to find you the best deal. Tell them what your budget is, and see what they come up with. You aren't obligated to go where they recommend, but they really can tailer a trip to meet your needs.

[Christine]

Thanks, everyone!
I don't know about an all-inclusive deal, since neither my fiance nor I drink hardly at all, and we don't eat a whole lot either. I wonder if it would still be a good deal?
I'm trying to find more about St.Thomas-there was one place on it called "Pavilions and Pools" that looked good.
I might look more into that, and also Mexico.

[funnybone]

When in January? We have friends who prefer to vacation at the end of January because prices go down. 1 week before Christmas and about 2 weeks into January seem to be doubled of any other times. There are "last minute" deals that cater to people who book a week in advance. If you don't have your heart set on a particular destination, you can get last minute deals to Islands and resorts. You just have to be flexible. Also, some hotels with really high prices are "all inclusive" which includes all food and drinks. Food can be very expensive in the islands, so all inclusive is usually the way to go.

Oh, another thing, join the cruise websites emails (if interested in a cruise). I just got an email from NCL with cruises starting at $299. When you think of all meals included, it really is a bargain.

Good luck! You have 5 months to plan - I hope you find something reasonable!

Oh, another "trick" is to check prices on connecting flights separately. For example, since you live in Mnpls, and if you wanted to go to Hawaii, the price from Mnpl to Honolulu could be $1000. However, because of some seat sales, the price from Mnpls to LA could be $300 and and LA to Honolulu could be $300. By booking separate, you could save money. I have a friend who used to be a travel agent and she always told us that this happened a lot.

[mb]

for warm honeymoons in January, I'd suggest a cruise. it's relaxing and you don't have to really worry about anything. once you get on the ship, you unpack once, and pretty much everything else is taken care of. you don't have to research restaurants in your destination, etc. plus, the caribbean is fairly warm in january.

the only problem is that in florida & the caribbean, january through march is pretty much the high season, since everyone up north wants to get away from the snow!!! we took a cruise for our honeymoon (first week in march...also happens to be spring break! yikes!), and it worked out great. it wasn't anything super-fancy, but it was so relaxing. i was glad we did that rather than go to europe or somewhere where we'd be constantly on-the-go. also, we chose a cruise over an all-inclusive place since we'd get to see several islands vs. just one.

two great discounters for cruises are:
www.bestpricecruises.com
www.buycruises.com

my family thinks i'm a cruise fanatic and that i should be a travel agent. if you have cruise questions, PM me and i'd be happy to help out with suggestions on cruiselines/itineraries/etc., if you'd like.

marisa :)

p.s. happy wedding planning!!!