Rachael

I am planning a vacation to Grand Cayman Island in August. I will be taking mother (67) and two daughters ages 16 & 19. This will not only be our first big vacation together and I need something that will keep all entertained. We have also never been on a plane!. I have never booked a flight over the net and I don't know anything about U.S. Airways vacations - are they as good as they seem? We are planning to stay at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman. Is the weather good there the first week in August? This whole trip is really making me a nervous wreck so I would appreciate any input.

Bart

HI Rachael, go see a travel agent. They will get as good or better rates than you will get from the USAIR web site. Also , if I may suggest, unless you are going to be in the new facility along the ocean side of the road, you might want to consider the Westin. It's on the beach and it's a beautiful site. The Hyatt is a bit of a walk to the beach. <BR>The weather will be hot. The only problem you may encounter is a hurricane. In the Caribbean, hurricanes are frequent during the summer months. Make sure you understand the air and hotel policies regarding hurricane cancellations. This is something TA could help with also. <BR>There is lots to do on GC and all should have a wonderful time.

Rosie

You sound like you should go see a travel agent. Web bookings are for people who know what they are doing, have been there before, last minute bookings, etc. If you have questions or concerns, your travel agent will be able to help you, and they can surely get you a better deal than USAirways unless you are booking totally last minute for a special only they are running on the web. USAirways has great vacation packages and deals (I've used them lots), and I love that you have embraced etravel, but this doesn't sound like the right time for you guys to go this route. <BR>P.S. I also think you should go through a travel agent so you can get good trip insurance, and you have someone to help you if your trip does get interrupted by a hurricane or something. And you need to talk to a travel agent that has been to the Caymans. It will ease your mind, I think. Good luck!

tweedy

Rachael, never been on a plane? Wow, so I guess you have never used a travel agent before, they are paid by the airline and the hotels and do not charge you for taking care of your reservations. <BR> <BR>They also have access to lots of information as an earlier post mentioned and can get package deals for you which include hotel and airfare, and sometimes additional freebies, based on where you want to go. <BR> <BR>IF you can't find a good one in your area, I would suggest Liberty Travel here in NYC, they specialize in travel to the carribean and usually have great deals to lots of wonderful locations. <BR> <BR>For your first trip, I would suggest going to an island with a large enough airport to handle jet aircraft and not the smaller turbo prop planes. The larger planes will make you feel like you are in a large room that travels, and are much more comfortable. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR> <BR>tweedy <BR>

Bruce

Hi Rachael,, <BR>You're getting some great "tips" on how to proceed with you vacation. Something else to think about, cancellation policies! If for some unfortunate reason you need to cancel you should be aware up front what that cost, if any, will be. <BR>American Airlines and Air Jamaica have the most flights going into the Caribbean and you may want to check out the packages they have. Personally, I use Honeymoon, Holiday and Cruises out of Florida. Here is the e-mail address: [email protected] <BR>I had great service and price on my honeymoon in April of 99. This was done over the net. <BR>Also, if you're paying for all travellers, I would check with 5-10 travel agents regarding price. Most pricing can be done over the net so you only have to e-mail. You'll be quite surprised at the price difference. <BR>Have a great time on your vacation. <BR>Bruce