PJ

: I have a big problem- my honeymoon is in september and i was thinking of heading to the carribean and just learned that it is hurricane season there at that time- so now i am considering either aruba, grenada or hawaii- the problem is that Hawaii does not have all inclusive resorts- and i heard that it can be a little expensive
our budget is under 4500
do you guys think its possible?!and if so how?

michelle

maybe Mexico? All the islands are in the fall hurricane season path.

Jackie

Fall is hurricaine season everywhere, even Hawaii. Aruba is so far down that they tend to have less trouble with hurricaines than other places.

Ellen

How about Grand Cayman? It is out of the hurricane belt. But, remember that once you are on any of the islands, everything is expensive, especially the food. Since you are looking at September, what about Europe? That is a great time to go to the Amalfi Coast in Italy for a week (with side trips to Capri and Pompeii). You can eat very cheaply in Italy and the airfare is very reasonable right now. Or perhaps the Costa del Sol in Spain? September is off-peak, you should be able to do very well on the hotels and everything.

Mickey

My husband & I were also told that Hawaii would be very expensive but we were on 2 islands in 12 days with a rental car the whole time & we were way under 4500. Try Diamond Head Beach Hotel (free breakfast on the beach) most of the activities are minimal in price. We did Pearl Harbour,Int'l pipe line,Dole Factory,luau,Diamond head, Honolulu zoo a free concert at wakiki on the beach plus on the Big Island Hose back riding, kyaking,volcanos park & a dinner cruise it was a wonderful experience. PS We went in October and the weather was spectacular! Also look into timeshares that people are trying to sell their weeks regardless of were you decide to go. Good luck!

kam

If you like to party, how about Cancun? If you like more quiet, Playa del Carmen just south of there. Lots of all inclusive resorts there, hurricanes possible but not probable. Friend of mine was stuck for a couple days in Bermuda sitting in the hall of the Princess hotel, eating apples and pb&j sandwiches---scared to death. I wouldn't take that risk with my honeymoon.

patty

Yes, you can do Hawaii for under $4500. For specials to Hawaii, try www.hawaiispecials.com. It lists most of the companies that offer specials such as United Airlines, apple vacations, suntrips, etc. Also see aloha-hawaii-travel.com/continental.html for a list of hotels/resorts at the islands (scroll down the page). Hawaiivacationsite.com provides information on activities to do.

One more place to check is luxurylink.com (do a "travel search" on the city you are interested in) for discounts on 5 star resorts/hotels. Review previous winners' bids.

Betty

You can definitely do Hawaii on $4500. Consider renting a condo. Try Grand Champions Villas or The Palms in Wailea Maui. Both are great values. Just put the name of the condo in any search engine and you can find web sites of owners who rent directly.

bc

take a look at aruba. its out of the hurricane belt, has great weather all year long and is reasonably priced.

Anon

Whomever above said Grand Cayman is not in the hurricane belt is wrong! There are three islands in the Caribbean supposedly NOT in the hurricane belt and that is Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Grenada and Barbados are far south enough that they tend to be safe as well. As for Cancun, it pretty much got wiped out by Hurricane Gilbert. Remember him?

Dawn Ct

Hawaii is definately affordable. All fo the islands are so beautiful that they can all be enjoyed without the benefit of a five star hotel. You are in the U.S.A. afterall. Rental cars are affordable and just like the mainland there is McDonalds, Burger King and Subway. There are also many very fine restaurants and everything in between. Frankly, I think a good meal in Hawaii is a lot more affordable than a good meal in the Carribean.

karen

PJ: You posted this question once before and I wrote a reply regarding Aruba. Check it out on the other thread and feel free to post back any questions you might still have.

Dianne

Go for Hawaii!!! Try searching for "owner direct rentals" I always rent a condo or townhome direct from owner. You have more space & can do some cooking for yourself, if you don't want to go to restaurants for every meal. I subscribe to "Hawaii" magazine & can give you some resources if you want. I absolutely love Hawaii (especially Maui) & am always happy to share the info & experinces I've had.

Brent

I have been to both Hawaii and Carribean and both could exceed your budget if done right...And, for a Honeymoon, you'll want to do it right. The nice thing about all inclusive post wedding is that you are so sick of spending money by the time the wedding is over, the concept of leaving your wallet in your suitcase for a week is a vacation in itself. My preference in September is Hawaii, however, all inclusives have their attributes. You should be able to find a 7 night package in Hawaii for less than 3,500...just use your remaining 1000 budgeted to prepay your hotel bill when you check in and call your Hawaiian vacation, "all inclusive".

kathy

Go to Europe. For our Honeymoon it was between 10 days in Maui on a budget or a very nice 2 week vacation in England. We found that you can get more bang for the buck in Europe. Plus the weather is great that time of year.

Kathy