Trying to help a friend find $5-600 all inclusive pkg - head spinning
 

I'm trying to help a friend find a package which includes everything (flight, hotel room, meals). She'd prefer to stay 3 or possibly 4 nights and wants to spend $500 or $600. She'll be flying from Philadelphia. She'd prefer to go over Mothers Day weekend (May 9-12) but I'm thinking everything may be more expensive then. I've tried to hint to her that the more flexible she can be, the better the chance is of finding her something. She wants to lie around on a beach and doesn't particularly care where ("an island somewhere" is how she put it) as long as the hotel isn't crappy. She'll be going alone.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to help her or even where to look for her. She turns to me for help with things like airline tickets because she really doesn't know how to find good flights and such online. I'm great at planning flights and European vacations, but I've never tried to book a Caribbean destination and don't know where to begin. I have a feeling she's being a wee bit optimistic about the price she wants to pay, but you never know...

Any advice? (besides telling my friend to look for her own dang vacation!)

I agree with you that her budget is unrealistic, especially since she is planning to travel alone and stay at an all-inclusive resort. Most all-inclusive resorts penalize single travelers with a "single supplement" and these often are steep. I have seen AI rates where the daily rate was exactly the same for one person or two.

Having said that, the destinations with the most choice of AI resorts, includinge more reasonably priced AI resorts, are the Dominican Republic and Mexico (Cancun, Riveria Maya area).

There are a number of websites (consolidators, travel agencies) that offer discount packages. I'm not that familiar with them and don't know which offer real bargains, but some ideas are:

wwww.lastminutetravel.com
www.libertytravel.com
www.sidestep.com
www.usa3000.com
www.vacationstogo.com (it looks like it is just cruises but click on the link for "resorts")

I hope this helps, and you are a much better person than I am, because I would have immediately told my friend to either 1) go to a travel agent, 2) do some research and come back to me with a concrete idea of what she wants and a realistic budget, or 3) figure it out herself!

Beachdreams3, you're nicer than I would be, she can't get to Atlantic City for that money??

The least expensive destination I can think of that I would consider traveling to as a single women would be Cozumel or the Riviera Maya/Playa del Carmen.

I checked www.beachdestiantions.com and from PA from May 9 to May 12 on a single rate all inclusive at the El Cozumelo comes to $831.00.

In the Riviera Maya/Playa del Carmen area, for the same dates, the Barcelo Maya all inclusive is $680.00.

The best thing to do is get a Travel Agent that can help with the single rate surcharge. They will also have more knowledge on places to go and hotels that will fit her critiera. Otherwise, just go to all the on-line travel search sites and start looking.

Also try cheapcaribbean.com or bookit.com

If worse comes to worse, she could always book Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay hotel for 3 nights at that price and sit on their man made beach/pool. But it won't be an all inclusive.

Thanks very much for your advice, everyone! I'm going to do some more looking around tomorrow, but honestly, I think a travel agent is totally the way to go in this case. I don't have the time (or more importantly, the patience) to go to every single travel website trying any one of 50 beachy-island-type destinations with a specific set of dates and a limited price range!!!

Tara,

Just call liberty travel talk to someone and let them get back to you. Try and find someone that will work with you. I think Cancun or Dominican republic will be the best and only option. Ask about Natura beach Resort in Cancun. We were there years ago, and it was well kept at the time, clean and not very expensive. Good luck.