My brother and his fiance are looking to take their honeymoon somewhere tropical, but are having trouble figuring out where would be the best place. They are going the first week of May.
So far they’ve come up with Key West, and I’ve suggested Jamaica. I still think we can come up with something more creative for them. Beachy places within the U.S., preferably.
Dopers are always good for these kinds of things, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask y’all. Thanks in advance.
How about the US Virgin Islands? They aren’t all that inexpensive but they are part of the US, accessible, and world class tropical island with that exotic appeal. There are three of them and they have distinct personalities. I go to St. Croix a lot and it is the largest and the least touristy of the 3 but it has some great secluded white sand/aquamarine water and excellent snorkling. St. Thomas is the touristy island and has all kinds of night life and attractions. St. John is basically a big Carribean Island nature preserve with some hotels and private villas.
Air fare from Boston usually runs $400 - $600 per person round trip. Hotels might be expensive but I am sure there is a way to get cheaper housing if you try. The USVi are fairly poor and there are people always out to make a deal. That would probably mean staying away from big name hotels but the overall experience would be memorable.
Well, they could go to Indiana Beach, Monticello, Indiana - The Beach Bar, drink about 5 Hurricanes each, and they will think they are on a tropical island as they stumble down to the beach.
Price is right - although might not be so much fun this time of year…the fauna is a tad sparse in Indiana in February.
My SO and I are off to Hawaii on Thursday, and in researching the trip, I found some great deals on flights and then, if you were on a budget, there are some upscale camping alternatives that are a far cry from a pup tent. They looked quite nice and the price was ridiculously cheap!
But friends have been to the Virgin Islands, Jamaica and other islands down there, and many have said there are some good deals if you look hard enough. Might be time to do some serious internet price comparisons, and be prepared to jump on a deal when you find it!
Hope they have fun, wherever they wind up going!
The so-called Mexican Riviera–Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, etc., seem to be pretty reasonable. I think they could find a week stay at an all-inclusive resort, plus air, for around 2K. Of course, those are prices I see with Los Angeles as the starting point. Where would they be flying from?
They should NOT come to Southern California, we’re mostly overcast that time of year and the beaches are colder than other areas.
Hawai’i always has good deals…
JetBlue is flying to Nassau (Bahamas) from several Eastern cities…
Mexican Riviera might not have completely rebuilt from the last hurricane…
We went to Hawai’i on our honeymoon and it was perfect- just exotic enough to feel like we were getting “away” but we spoke the language and no passport needed! We had also been there a lot of times so need for touristy bullshit…
Although you can find good deals to “get to” and "stay"in Hawaii, the problem with Hawaii is that you still need to eat ($$). And though you can get a rental car as part of your package, you’ll need to buy gas ($$$ - although you can’t drive all that far, except on the big island, so you may not need to buy that much gas). And if you want to “do” anything (helicopter ride, snorkelling trip, etc.) - $$$$. Those deals to “get to and stay” in Hawaii are like the cheap hotel rooms in Las Vegas - just to lure you there. Once you’re there, the place is pretty expensive.
For economical, I’d go with Mexico (Cancun, Mexican Riviera) or Belize if they’re adventurous. Cozumel got slammed pretty good by the last hurricane, so I’m not sure how well they’ve recovered yet.
You might have them check into places like Fiji or Bali. The bulk of the cost will be airfare (and you might be surprized at the deals you can find), as hotels, food, activities are real cheap. It seems like it might be too expensive, but you might be surprized.
Puerto Rico is gorgeous in May. No passports to get there, no currency issues, almost everyone speaks English, and it is usually a cheap flight out of Chicago. We were able to visit a rain forest on Puerto Rico proper and then head out to Vieques to swim in a biolumenescent lake(Every time you move in the water you glow. Bring goggles.) San Juan has nightlife, food, and a big spanish fort.
Have they considered cruises? We just booked one for next December for our honeymoon because we wanted to have as nice a vacation as we could while keeping the cost as low as possible. We’re doing a nice 5-night Celebrity cruise out of Miami for $600/person for a room with a balcony. Shorter cruises or interior cabins would be cheaper. All food is included as are some drinks. Activities on the ship are included, but side trips aren’t.
Definitely compare different cruise lines and try Orbitz or Travelocity to find deals. And don’t forget to consider what kind of trip they’re looking for - different lines and/or ships have a different demographic - some are party-focused, some cater more to retired folks, some are family-oriented. Look for what suits them the best.
I came in here to recommend a cruise. We took a 7-night cruise for our honeymoon in 2001, and I’m pretty sure 2k is about what we paid, when you factor in airfare, hotel (we flew in the night before to be safe), cab fare to and from the port, and shore excursions. You only unpack once, and you get to see a little bit of 2 or 3 different locations. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are included - but NOT sodas - and available 24 hours a day. There’s a wide range of free entertainment on every ship. When you get to a port, you can book an excursion or just get off the ship and explore.
We went to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and New Orleans on our honeymoon. On Grand Cayman, we swam with the stingrays. At Cozumel, we did a Mayan ruins tour, then hit the beach and then did some shopping. In New Orleans, we walked the city on our own, and rode the trolley out to the Garden District and back.
We did our second cruise this past October (which was MUCH cheaper). We went to San Juan, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas. We were scheduled for a Western Caribbean itinerary, but Wilma changed our plans. We didn’t have much time in San Juan, but were more adventurous on St. Maarten. We took the public bus over to the French side ($1.50 per person as opposed to $25 or $30 for a cab), and found a quiet beach behind a hotel. We saw 7 other people on the beach. It was wonderful! We did some shopping on our way back to the ship. On St. Thomas, we took the touristy gondola ride to the “top” of the island, then did some shopping (we were tired from St. Maarten). We loved it, and can’t wait until our next cruise!