Free Vacation to Maui - Is it worth it?
 

I won a 5 night, 4 day vacation to Maui. The airfare was included, along with hotel at Wailea Marriott. The taxes will cost us $500 (including surcharges and what we have to pay IRS).

My husband and I have already been to Maui once and we are wondering if the 16 hours of flight time (one way) is worth it. We will only have 4 full days on the island and will spend 32 hours in the air just flying back and forth.

It just seems like a lonnnnnnggg flight for a short trip. I'm concerned about the jetlag and being too exhausted to enjoy ourselves once we're there.

Any suggestions/comments?

Thanks!

With 16 hours of flight time, surley you can spend some of that time sleeping? Personally with 5 nights /4 days in Maui for only $500, I'd go!

Can you extend your stay at the hotel a couple of days to make it more worthwhile? Obviously, you would have to pay for the extra nights, but it may be worth it.

I think anyone would go if given the opportunity. Do you know how many people would LOVE to be in your shoes! Maui for only $500, you can't beat that. I don't understand the dilemma!

Wow, 16 hours?! Out of curiosity, where are you that is 16 hours away?

Agree with Johanna1, you could extend your stay on Maui, or visit nearby Lanai or Molokai inexpensively by Ferry. :S-

My husband spent only 2.5 days in Maui - had to attend a business meeting and stayed an extra day. Although family commitments prevented me from going, he said the one free day he had still was worth the flight from Boston.

However, I am really curious - something about this feels unsettling - what type of "surcharges" - with no offense intended, are you sure this is not some sort of scam. And if you are sure it is not, are meals included - that could bring cost to far more than $500.

If it is all legitimate and it will only cost $500, I would certainly go for it. See your health care provider for some sort of medication if you have trouble sleeping on planes.

I am curious about this one, too.

Maybe I am too tired to think this through but if TravelBel has to pay the IRS it sounds as if she lives in the U.S. Where would she live that would be 16 hours one way to Maui?

Even if she lived on Guam or in Puerto Rico, would it be that long a flight? Are they in the military and stationed overseas, maybe? Why would taxes and surcharges be $500?

I'm sorry if I don't understand this correctly. Someone please explain!

The 16 hours is probably including 2 connections from eastern USA.

I'm also curious about the fees and such. This doesn't sound like a scam based on what you've said, but there are trips which appear to offer much more than they deliver. What kind of contest?

I think TravelBel is including income taxes in the $500 calculation. Prize winnings are considered income according to the IRS and many states, just like lottery or gambling winnings.

If you decide not to go, can I take your free vacation to Maui. I'd be packing my bags right now. I'm serious let me know :-)

Mahalo!!

Maybe he/she won one of the recent Wheel of Fortune sweeps :)
I know I didn't :(

I'd go in a heartbeat.

Forgetting the logistics questions for a moment, I'm still extremely confused!

You and your husband have both been to Maui once before, and now you're offered a trip of X days for Y dollars that will require Z hours of travel time. You want total strangers to determine if it's worth it for you to go?

I'm not trying to be rude at all - just wondering, what is it really that you want people to answer for you? You know what Maui is like, so you can determine if it's worth the headache and expense. Did you love it before and have always dreamed of going back? Then that would make it worth it. Did you think before that it was just "OK" and you didn't care if you ever went back? Less worth it!

Surely you have some idea of how jet-lagged you were the last time you went. Assume you'll feel the same this time.

Another consideration - If you didn't spend that $500 on this trip, but you do really want to go back to Maui, would that be enough to allow you to save more and go for a longer trip at a later date? Would that be worth it to you?

If you post back with specific questions you want answered I'm sure you'll get help. But I'm completely mystified trying to understand how a bunch of people who know nothing about you can determine your priorities involving time, money and choice of travel destination.

I believe she's just asking for opinions. Like bottoms, we all have one! I say, "GO!" But I would also extend it to at least a week even if I had to drag out a credit card!

Here are the specifics - It's not a scam, we won the trip off of the Funjet vacation website. We have to pay the taxes and surcharges on the trip of $158. Then, we have to declare it on our taxes this year which will cost us $300 (I figured out our taxes with and without the trip).

Last time we traveled to Maui, we were on a cruise. It left from Mexico and we had 5 days at sea to recover from the jetlag.

More specific questions - What is the jetlag like? It's taking 16 hours to travel because we are scheduled on possibly the WORST flights. We have 3 legs of the trip - Detroit to Chicago, Chicago to San Diego, San Diego to Maui. We have 2-3 hour layovers each time.

I guess I'm really curious to find out what the jetlag is like since we can't compare it to what we had last time.

Thanks!
TravelBel

Here are some previous posts about jetlag and Hawaii, personally do not find it problem going there, but need to allow a jetlag recovery day upon returning.
"Jet Lag Diet - What's the deal and does it help?"
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1349922

"Jet Lag to Hawaii?"
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1355107

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1355107

:S-

OOPS, 8}last link:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...&tid=81703

In my experience, going is not a problem. You just wake up early a few times. Coming home, however! - I usually have trouble going to sleep at a reasonable hour for almost a week. It's nice to have at least a day at home before you have to start back to work. And ask your doctor for a few Ambien or Sonata for those first few nights back. It will help you get back into your rhythm without feeling hung-over the next day.

Is that the only flight schedule they can offer you? Personally it wouldn't be worth it to me to take those kind of flights for a 5 day trip, but that's just me.

Don't know all our taxes and IRs responsibilities yet, but I am going on a trip won through a radio station. And it's only 4 nights. Never been to Hawaii (destination Honolulu) so am going! Anxious to read these jet lag links. Thanks!