Travel Guru's (Update in Comments)

brij2006 · September 2015

Help me figure out where to go for vacation this year.

It's just going to be my H and I. It will be in January or February. Our DD will be 1 year old at that point, but we're thinking we will keep her home with grandma and grandpa. It's in the negatives and lots of snow around here at that time, so we want somewhere warm. We would be flying out of Chicago area.

My H wants all-inclusive and preferably adults only. He likes to just relax and veg out. I like excursions and seeing new things. We have done Dominican Republic and Cancun, so would prefer somewhere different.

We've been looking at St Lucia, Antigua, and Costa Rica. But have no idea if we're missing any other places that would have this type of thing.

Would prefer to stay between $3-5k.

vlagrl29 · September 2015

wherever you go stay at a Sandals resort - they are awesome. we went to st lucia back in april and it was great. For me it was nice not to have to worry about anything - no cooking, tipping, and they had shuttles to take you to the other resorts on the island. The cost was $6k for 7 nights - luckily half of that for us was paid for by the wedding DH booked down there. I too love to just relax on vacations but you have to do stuff too. We did a 1 day excursion on the island where a shuttle took you to all the attractions - it was a jam packed day but so worth it. It included a sunset boat ride, snorkeling, mud bath, bathing in the springs, botanical gardens, and a drive in volcano. I also got a massage at the spa on the resort, candlelight dinner on the beach just the 2 of us, private yoga lesson at the resort, and no kids means you can actually have adult conversations LOL. DH and I really enjoyed that part of it.

jessica490 · September 2015

vlagrl29 said:

wherever you go stay at a Sandals resort - they are awesome. we went to st lucia back in april and it was great. For me it was nice not to have to worry about anything - no cooking, tipping, and they had shuttles to take you to the other resorts on the island. The cost was $6k for 7 nights - luckily half of that for us was paid for by the wedding DH booked down there. I too love to just relax on vacations but you have to do stuff too. We did a 1 day excursion on the island where a shuttle took you to all the attractions - it was a jam packed day but so worth it. It included a sunset boat ride, snorkeling, mud bath, bathing in the springs, botanical gardens, and a drive in volcano. I also got a massage at the spa on the resort, candlelight dinner on the beach just the 2 of us, private yoga lesson at the resort, and no kids means you can actually have adult conversations LOL. DH and I really enjoyed that part of it.

Ditto Sandals in St. Lucia or any of them I'm sure! It's really a great, relaxing time. We are going back to one in 2017 for our 5 year anniversary.

Also, have you even been on a cruise before? Royal Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale, FL are great! Go for one of their bigger ships around the Caribbean islands and you will have a blast!

AprilZ81 · September 2015

I've not been to AI resorts in either of those locations, but Antigua has beautiful beaches. St. Lucia is very tropical (like Hawaii) but since it is a volcanic island the beaches are more "gritty" and not as pretty. The resorts truck in sand I think so it might not matter.

formerlyGDaisy09 · September 2015

We had a wonderful time at Sandal's Grande Riveria in Jamaica. it's one of the less expensive sandal's resorts. We tracked their sales for a long time and took advantage of one of their 65% off + 2nights free...air fare credit+spa credit deals.

we ended up staying in one of the butler suites (a little weird at first, but ultimately it was nice to not have to worry about making dinner reservations, any outing reservations, etc, plus they would randomly deliver snacks to us poolside...or bring us lunch if we wanted), but at the time we booked the trip the butler suites cost the same as the basic rooms because they qualified for the 2 nights free and the basic rooms didn't.

We did choose to book our own air travel, I think that saved us a few hundred dollars (the air credit is deducted from the room, so you don't loose out on that). we did book one excursion, and it was amazing fun (we did a catamaran cruise with snorkling and a hike up dunn's river falls). and we upgraded our 30 minute massage credit to a 60 minute. I think by the time the whole trip was done we spent just under $4,000, counting all ground travel, meals at airports, gifts for my parents for taking the dog for the week, etc.)

my only complaint about that trip was the travel time to get there, but we couldn't get a direct flight, and had a 3 hour layover in newerk...and then an hour delay because they overbooked the flight.

AprilZ81 · September 2015

Very few places are going to have nonstop flights (NYC, Miami and maybe Dallas). Air fare patterns are mostly early morning flights down and mid afternoon flights back. There aren't a lot of options in airlines or flight times.

brij2006 · September 2015

AprilZ81 said:

Very few places are going to have nonstop flights (NYC, Miami and maybe Dallas). Air fare patterns are mostly early morning flights down and mid afternoon flights back. There aren't a lot of options in airlines or flight times.

We pretty well know for a fact that we will have a layover. It's usually in Atlanta, but we're okay with that. My H is 6'5" so he doesn't mind the stop over somewhere to be able to stretch his legs. But if we can get a direct flight, we definitely jump on it.

formerlyGDaisy09 · September 2015

AprilZ81 said:

Very few places are going to have nonstop flights (NYC, Miami and maybe Dallas). Air fare patterns are mostly early morning flights down and mid afternoon flights back. There aren't a lot of options in airlines or flight times.

ours was only so painful because we had a 90 minute drive to the airport (2 hours check-in for international travel), 1 hour flight, 3 hour turned 4 hour layover, 4 hour flight, and then a 90 minute ride to the resort, we spent 14+ hours traveling.

On the way back we did pay for admission to "Club Mobay" at the airport, since the resort bus dropped us off 4 hours before our flight, I think the beer there took the edge off our return travel.

hoffse · September 2015

We honeymooned at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica. It was very nice, and it's one of the best bangs for your buck in the Sandals chain because ALL of the rooms are oceanfront, even the lowest level. We stayed in the second-lowest level for like $25 more for the week because it got us on the top floor, and that was worth it to us (I don't like noise at night).

I liked the AI thing, and it was nice to have everything prepaid, but it does end up being more than it would probably cost a la carte if you did it that way. That said, there was a night when my husband ordered a sea bass... and then he ordered filet after he was done with the sea bass. You aren't likely to do that when paying a la carte.

Also remember that Jamaica and other Caribbean nations are very poor countries. You may drive through some sketchy areas before you get to the resort. I'll be honest, I felt guilty seeing the conditions that people live in there, compared to the resorts. There's sort of a post-colonialism thing happening down there, and as wonderful/relaxing as it was... I'm not sure we will return.

Another AI possibility that can be VERY inexpensive is a cruise. Check out vacationstogo.com for some great deals. Right now Celebrity is running a deal for a 7-night cruise from San Juan Puerto Rico for less than $1000/person. You can also pay another $350 or so for your cabin to have a premium drinks package, prepaid gratuities, unlimited wifi, etc. It's a heck of a promotion. There are lots of January dates open right now.

If you were willing to do something other than an AI, I would be looking hard at Costa Rica. The Nayara resort in Arenal, CR is consistently ranked as one of the top resorts in Central/South America, and it looks incredible. You can buy packages where food is included, but you can also just pay for the room separately. Also check out some of the resorts in Manuel Antonio. It's a national park, and it is one of the few places in the world with a completely unique ecosystem.

You could also go to Peru for that budget and visit Machu Picchu. It takes a little more planning because you have to consider altitude. Start your trip in the Sacred Valley for a couple days to acclimate, then visit MP, and then end the trip in Cusco, which is the highest altitude. You would fly into Lima and then take another flight to Cusco. Peru has a huge range of prices and quality. You can stay at 5 star places or you can stay in hostels and everything in between.

Finally, here's a wild idea, but what about Cuba? That would take some research, but I'm dying to go before the resorts take over.

brij2006 · September 2015

@formerlyGDaisy09 That's our situation as well. We're a 2 hour drive from the airport, so that's something to factor in to our travel time as well. It makes for a long day.

Xstatic3333 · September 2015

Here's my Caribbean experience:

Bahamas (both Grand Bahama and Nassau) have plenty of nice AIs and plenty of opportunities to both relax and do fun excursions. That said, they're pretty touristy and overrun with Americans. I'd consider it for the right deal, however, and do think it meets your needs.

Puerto Rico doesn't have a ton of AIs, but we were able to stay in a luxury hotel with a beautiful beach for dirt cheap. The food from local restaurants was soooo tasty. The relaxing was perfect, and there were also historical sites and the nation's only rainforest national park (El Junque) which is a great excursion. I'd love to go again. That said, our friends from PR tell us that the safety situation has gotten worse there in the last year or so, so I'd do a little more research. This could be extremely affordable right now since their economy is having trouble. Flights tend to be very cheap, at least from Boston.

The DR is off your list already, but there I felt the post-colonial awkwardness that @hoffse mentioned very strongly. I won't be returning.

Bonaire was my favorite by far, but I think they have few or no AIs. Still, there are great hotels, it is far less touristy, and has less of a division between tourist areas and local areas than any other island I have visited (a plus for us). There are plenty of nice places to relax, but most beaches aren't white sand unless resorts truck some in (mine didn't). Main excursion options here are snorkelling (best snorkelling in the Caribbean), diving if you want to try it out, wind surfing (plenty of intro lessons) and a breathtaking national park where you can drive around, hike a bit, and explore. Not much nightlife if that is something you are looking for, but awesome restaurants.

I think overall none of these places would beat Costa Rica, but Puerto Rico could be worth keeping an eye on. How fun to plan!

I'll also mention that as sketchy as it sounds, I would keep an eye on the website cheapcarribean.com. I've booked two trips through there and it went great both times.

Edit: Grammar

brij2006 · September 2015

@hoffse Are you familiar with Costa Rica at all? Can you find an AI easily? I'm trying to look at things online, but am not finding many options for an AI.

My H is pretty adamant about being able to not worry about a bill at the end of dinner or a day drinking at the pool. We're big drinkers and quite the foodies, so we are probably the minority who level out with an AI package.

I'm not sure I can get him on board for a cruise. I would love to have the multiple stops and see many things, but we're both afraid of how quickly things will add up. 5 stops = 5 excursions or paying to lay on a beach and spending money shopping, etc. I've also heard that just about everything on the cruise has a cost. I'm cheap, and he knows we won't do much because I won't want to spend the money. ;-)

formerlyGDaisy09 · September 2015

brij2006 said:

@formerlyGDaisy09 That's our situation as well. We're a 2 hour drive from the airport, so that's something to factor in to our travel time as well. It makes for a long day.

It did make for a very long day, but we recovered quickly, we got to the resort with enough time for a nap and shower before dinner, and went to bed early, then were up for watersports the next morning. The bus the resort sent also didn't have AC, so we were all dressed for chilly airport/airplane travel then we had a 90 minute ride without AC in Jamaica, the return trip to the airport had AC.

I LOVED that we went the AI route, and we had a great time just relaxing by the pool. I don't think we'll plan another "relaxing" vacation for a while (Tuscany is next on my list of places I'd like to go). but I wouldn't let the travel time stop me from going back to the caribbean again, It also didn't help that I spent the night before we left at the emergency vet with the cat...I was literally there until 1am and we had to leave for the airport at 3:30.

hoffse · September 2015

brij2006 said:

@hoffse Are you familiar with Costa Rica at all? Can you find an AI easily? I'm trying to look at things online, but am not finding many options for an AI.

My H is pretty adamant about being able to not worry about a bill at the end of dinner or a day drinking at the pool. We're big drinkers and quite the foodies, so we are probably the minority who level out with an AI package.

I'm not sure I can get him on board for a cruise. I would love to have the multiple stops and see many things, but we're both afraid of how quickly things will add up. 5 stops = 5 excursions or paying to lay on a beach and spending money shopping, etc. I've also heard that just about everything on the cruise has a cost. I'm cheap, and he knows we won't do much because I won't want to spend the money. ;-)

Costa Rica doesn't have many AI's either, but you can usually buy packages through the resorts. Again, check Nayara for the Arenal volcano region and for Manuel Antonio I would look at the Gaia resort. If there is something included in the packages you don't want to do, I think they'll just swap it out for you for an equally-priced thing (or you pay the difference in price if you want to do something more expensive). I got very close to booking a trip to Nayara over Christmas this year and decided at the last minute to visit Belgium instead to see H's family. But when I was doing the research I emailed with the resort, and they were super happy to do pretty much whatever. They would arrange transportation between the resorts too if you needed.

Cruises can nickel and dime you, but that's why I mentioned the package Celebrity is offering. That would cover most of the extra costs people run into, with the exception of excursions. In the caribbean though... I don't know if I would pay for more than maybe one excursion (if any). All of the ports are very accustomed to cruisers, and so you can get off the boat and usually just walk into town or head to the beach. I think that promo even gives you some cabin credit so you could book a massage or something:

http://www.vacationstogo.com/fastdeal.cfm?deal=30048

Probably the most expensive thing at sea is internet. The second most expensive thing is the drink packages. As long as you budget for the costs of a cruise upfront, there don't have to be any surprises at the end. The lower level cabin fares are so cheap that adding on a drink package, etc. would still be way under your budget.

Xstatic3333 · September 2015

brij2006 said:
@hoffse Are you familiar with Costa Rica at all? Can you find an AI easily? I'm trying to look at things online, but am not finding many options for an AI.

My H is pretty adamant about being able to not worry about a bill at the end of dinner or a day drinking at the pool. We're big drinkers and quite the foodies, so we are probably the minority who level out with an AI package.

I'm not sure I can get him on board for a cruise. I would love to have the multiple stops and see many things, but we're both afraid of how quickly things will add up. 5 stops = 5 excursions or paying to lay on a beach and spending money shopping, etc. I've also heard that just about everything on the cruise has a cost. I'm cheap, and he knows we won't do much because I won't want to spend the money. ;-)

I turned up a few AIs in Costa Rica on Google. The top hit was www.palacecostarica.com. Looks awesome!

hoffse · September 2015

If y'all are really serious about a true AI, then I have to agree with the others that Sandals is probably the best. They don't even allow tipping (and in fact, staff can be fired for accepting tips there). All the water sports are included, and even the diving is included, up to two dives per day per person.

The only things that aren't included are the spa treatments, the excursions, and dinner on the beach. We did some excursions, but I don't know that I would bother again. Dinner on the beach was pretty nice. The spa was incredible. My H said, "next time, fewer excursions, more spa." And he's a dude.

Again, you can price out the add-ons before you go and decide whether you want to add it to the budget or not. We actually paid for those add-ons before we even left and had reservations in place when we got there. I think our total cost AFTER the trip was $20 for food at the airport and $15 for something at the gift shop that we bought while we were there.

Sandals Whitehouse has quite a few restaurants. Eleanor's is by far the best, and it is on par with any upscale restaurant you might find in the states. If we ever do go back, we would probably eat there every night. Their drinks are also all included, except for some very expensive wine that didn't sound appealing anyway after being in the sun all day. You can drink mojitos and daquiries to your heart's content though.

als1982 · September 2015

Just because its all lumped together in one bill doesn't make it cheaper. We've done the math and AIs aren't worth it for us, nor is adding a drink package to the cruises we go on. The most I would drink a day would be 4 drinks, and even at $10 a piece that's at least $15 less than what you'd pay per day for booze at an AI or as part of a cruise ship package. (H might drink more, but 8 beers at $5 each). Also don't forget that AIs usually charge additional for excursions, snorkeling, etc. Also, to get the best AI rate you typically have to book flights through them, which are most often pricier than if you booked yourself.

hoffse · September 2015

Oh and if you do go to jamaica, take my advice and pay the $50 or whatever to jump the line at immigration and go to Club Mobay. Seriously, when a third world country offers skip-the-line privileges for a small fee, you take them up on it. It sounds ridiculous, but that was the only upgrade my H insisted on for the entire trip. It was worth every penny.

formerlyGDaisy09 · September 2015

hoffse said:

Oh and if you do go to jamaica, take my advice and pay the $50 or whatever to jump the line at immigration and go to Club Mobay. Seriously, when a third world country offers skip-the-line privileges for a small fee, you take them up on it. It sounds ridiculous, but that was the only upgrade my H insisted on for the entire trip. It was worth every penny.

Agreed, worth every single penny.

dragonstarjk · September 2015

I think its at least worth looking into a cruise. H and I have been on two and absolutely love them; in fact, I think there will be more in our future. All the 'extras' really depend on you guys, and knowing how budget-conscious you are you probably won't fall into the traps of photo packages, drink packages, souvenir cups, and all that other stuff that cruises try to sell you.

Also, you don't have to book an excursion every time, and in a lot of ports of call you can either walk or take local transportation to a beach or shopping or wherever, for much less.

AprilZ81 · September 2015

If you are foodies, be sure to manage your expectations about the food. In my experience the food was just "okay" so don't get your hopes up.

I would not go to the Bahamas in January/February. The chances are high that the weather (and water) will not be warm enough to lay by the pool all day. Keep in mind that they are off the coast of Florida and in the Atlantic, not the Caribbean.

Costa Rica is best done as an "active" vacation from what I hear. They have great adventure options (zip lining, hiking, waterfalls, rafting, etc.) so personally I would find it a waste to fly all that way to sit on a beach the whole week. You can do that in the Caribbean.

I've also cruised a lot and like most other vacations you can spend as much or as little as you want.

There are slight variations from cruise line to cruise line, but generally once you get on board here is what is included:

all you can eat meals (some ships have a small fee for late night room service or a small cover charge for a small selection of restaurants but those are easily avoided)
Water, iced tea, coffee (not fancy frappachino types), juice with breakfast, milk and some flavored water
***Drink Packages: You can buy drink packages at different price points to make this more of an AI experience. Most lines offer different types like "Beer and Wine" "Beer, Wine and Liquor" and "Premium Sprits". You can also buy a soda package good for fountain drinks at any bar/restaurant on the ship. Fair warning, you have to drink a lot to break even on these packages.
***Bringing drinks on board: FYI most cruise lines will allow you to bring one bottle of wine per adult on board without a charge. Most will also allow reasonable quantities of bottled water and soda. Beer and the hard stuff is never allowed but lots of people manage to sneak it on, just be prepared to have it confiscated.
Onboard entertainment: Vegas style shows, comedy shows, seminars
And of course, your cabin

Do *NOT* do a cruise ship excursion if you are just going to the beach. You can grab a taxi pretty cheap depending on the port if the beach isn't in walking distance and chair rentals are usually $5-10 each. You can stay as long or as little as you want to instead of having limited time because you have to get back on the bus. It is pretty easy to find the names and locations of the beaches with the amenities you are interested in. You can also do day passes at hotels/resorts that sometimes are "all you can drink".

Things that cost extra on a cruise are things that you can easily avoid unless you want to splurge. The casino, bingo, spa and bars are the biggest money drains. The shops are over priced (better deals on shore). The art auctions are a scam. The more tempting places to spend your money are the cover charges for some of the restaurants, the specialty coffee, soft drinks.

A great source of info (other than me) for cruising is www.cruisecritic.com They have tons of message boards with information on how to save money, info on each cruise line, the ports, airfare and everything else you can think of.

Carnival tends to be the cheapest but I don't like their ships. Royal is similar priced but a little more expensive and much better ships (especially their newer ones). NCL has a bad rep for the "nickle and diming" Celebrity and Princess are both a "step up" and are a level between the common mass market lines and the luxury lines.

hoffse · September 2015

Yes you do have to drink a ton to break even on the standard drink packages for cruises, unless they are bundled with other things you would be paying for anyway.

I just checked, and that one package I mentioned is $45/person/day for premium drinks, unlimited wifi, a $300 cabin credit, and prepaid gratuities.

So you're looking at an extra $90/day, or $630 for a 7-day trip to make it really AI for both of you.

If you subtract out the $300 cabin credit you're at $330 for everything else. Gratuities will run you about $18/day for higher end lines, and you really have to pay that, so now you're at $204. Wifi is stupid expensive, but let's assume that's something you wouldn't use so it has no value to you. In that case you're looking at just over $100/person for a week of top-shelf drinks. That's not so bad, and you would probably break even on after a few days, even if you were just moderate drinkers. The wifi could be bonus.

Now the $300 cabin credit... would you necessarily pay for that without the package deal? Probably not, but it will make your trip nicer. You could use it at the spa or eat at one of the paid restaurants. In that sense it might force you to have a nicer trip than you otherwise would be getting.

I wouldn't recommend buying a drink package on its own without some bundled deal though, because you can get seriously gauged.

Just gotta do the math. Realistically, you also have to know that you're probably going to spend more for an AI experience than a non-AI experience. I think it's almost impossible to break even on the unlimited drinks at AIs, unless you DRINK DRINK DRINK or there's some cut-rate deal. I think that's OK, as long as you know that going into it. We are always talking about saving money around here, but it's ok to spend it now and then too. You certainly don't need to chose the very cheapest vacation option.

Xstatic3333 · September 2015

Good point about the Bahamas in the winter, @AprilZ81. It was winter when we went the second time, and although I did swim in the ocean it was cold enough that many chose not to. Air temp for pool lounging was mostly fine, but there are plenty of other places where it won't even be a concern.

csuave · September 2015

I think cruises are a nice option too, but are there any that are adults only?

Costa Rica is great but maybe not what you are looking for now since AI isn't as much of a thing there and might be a bit too much sightseeing. I went years ago and stayed close enough to the Nicaragua border to do a day trip there. Loved seeing part of that country, it was a great way to spend the day.

I'll also support Puerto Rico. Great place. A lot to see but some excursions are easily skipped and the island is so small the travel time on excursions is low.

Your criteria are similar to mine and it is hard to find something that hits on all of them. I'll be interested to hear what you decide!

brij2006 · September 2015

It's so hard to find a happy medium. If it were up to my H he would do an AI back to Dominican again and sit at the swim up bar from 10am-6pm. He isn't a huge adventure person, so excursions are something I have to drag him on. And I don't like to just sit there being bored.

If it were solely up to me, we would be going to Europe and having a jam packed week of travel. ;-)

But I'm trying to figure out a vacation with a guy who has gone to Vegas 5 times because he likes it. To where I want to go somewhere new and do something different every time.

Now off to do some research through the link Hoffse posted.

csuave · September 2015

It is very far and I'm not sure of the price or availability of AI's but maybe you can check into Abu Dhabi. There is stuff to see there but you can do the highlights of the city quickly/easily. Beaches are gorgeous and any hotel experience would likely be top rate.
I personally like AD better than Dubai.

I went on a cruise to the Middle East in Feb a few years ago and it was the perfect solution to the cold winter blues! Even the long flight felt relaxing as I watched movies, read and generally enjoyed being on vacation if it was on an airplane.

dragonstarjk · September 2015

AprilZ81 said:

If you are foodies, be sure to manage your expectations about the food. In my experience the food was just "okay" so don't get your hopes up.

I would not go to the Bahamas in January/February. The chances are high that the weather (and water) will not be warm enough to lay by the pool all day. Keep in mind that they are off the coast of Florida and in the Atlantic, not the Caribbean.

Costa Rica is best done as an "active" vacation from what I hear. They have great adventure options (zip lining, hiking, waterfalls, rafting, etc.) so personally I would find it a waste to fly all that way to sit on a beach the whole week. You can do that in the Caribbean.

I've also cruised a lot and like most other vacations you can spend as much or as little as you want.

There are slight variations from cruise line to cruise line, but generally once you get on board here is what is included:
all you can eat meals (some ships have a small fee for late night room service or a small cover charge for a small selection of restaurants but those are easily avoided)
Water, iced tea, coffee (not fancy frappachino types), juice with breakfast, milk and some flavored water
***Drink Packages: You can buy drink packages at different price points to make this more of an AI experience. Most lines offer different types like "Beer and Wine" "Beer, Wine and Liquor" and "Premium Sprits". You can also buy a soda package good for fountain drinks at any bar/restaurant on the ship. Fair warning, you have to drink a lot to break even on these packages.
***Bringing drinks on board: FYI most cruise lines will allow you to bring one bottle of wine per adult on board without a charge. Most will also allow reasonable quantities of bottled water and soda. Beer and the hard stuff is never allowed but lots of people manage to sneak it on, just be prepared to have it confiscated.
Onboard entertainment: Vegas style shows, comedy shows, seminars
And of course, your cabin
Do *NOT* do a cruise ship excursion if you are just going to the beach. You can grab a taxi pretty cheap depending on the port if the beach isn't in walking distance and chair rentals are usually $5-10 each. You can stay as long or as little as you want to instead of having limited time because you have to get back on the bus. It is pretty easy to find the names and locations of the beaches with the amenities you are interested in. You can also do day passes at hotels/resorts that sometimes are "all you can drink".

Things that cost extra on a cruise are things that you can easily avoid unless you want to splurge. The casino, bingo, spa and bars are the biggest money drains. The shops are over priced (better deals on shore). The art auctions are a scam. The more tempting places to spend your money are the cover charges for some of the restaurants, the specialty coffee, soft drinks.

A great source of info (other than me) for cruising is www.cruisecritic.com They have tons of message boards with information on how to save money, info on each cruise line, the ports, airfare and everything else you can think of.

Carnival tends to be the cheapest but I don't like their ships. Royal is similar priced but a little more expensive and much better ships (especially their newer ones). NCL has a bad rep for the "nickle and diming" Celebrity and Princess are both a "step up" and are a level between the common mass market lines and the luxury lines.

I am addicted to Cruise Critic, I go on there even when I don't have a cruise booked....just cuz

short+sassy · September 2015

csuave said:

I think cruises are a nice option too, but are there any that are adults only?

Costa Rica is great but maybe not what you are looking for now since AI isn't as much of a thing there and might be a bit too much sightseeing. I went years ago and stayed close enough to the Nicaragua border to do a day trip there. Loved seeing part of that country, it was a great way to spend the day.

I'll also support Puerto Rico. Great place. A lot to see but some excursions are easily skipped and the island is so small the travel time on excursions is low.

Your criteria are similar to mine and it is hard to find something that hits on all of them. I'll be interested to hear what you decide!

I'm not sure if there are, but this reminded me of a horror story on my first cruise. It was about the thirdish week of June. Obviously I did not know this until I got on the cruise ship, but apparently a few high schools had set up a cruise package that their just graduated seniors could opt to buy. 1/4 of that ship was 18-year-old kids...who could also legally drink alcohol once we were out of port. Not pretty!

hoffse · September 2015

Check out the 90-day ticker on Vacationstogo.com. It's vritually all of the cruises in the world 90-days out, very often at rock-bottom prices.

H and I are going to plan one last hurrah next year before TTC... but we've also talked about grabbing a 90-day ticker cruise as a babymoon, if I'm feeling good and the budget allows. You're rewarded for waiting until the last minute on those, and that means no need to plan crazy far in advance.

brij2006 · September 2015

Alright cruise people, talk to me more so I know what to look for.

We would be leaving out of any ports in Florida, can do 7 days, and would love a cruiseline that isn't so kid friendly since there aren't really options to do adults only (not that we're against kids, we just don't want to miss DD any more than we already will).

We would love the more easternly stops, but aren't picky in that regard.

What line would you recommend?
Would you recommend doing a balcony if possible?

I have to hype all of this up for H, because he would go for an AI and tell me to just decide and he'll show up. So a cruise will take a lot more convincing, so I want to have all of my facts.

short+sassy · September 2015

Come to think of it, I guess those teenagers would be considered adults for an adults only cruise anyway. It just didn't feel very "adult-like".

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