December Honeymoon 2017

FutureMrsDrejman22

Hello brides!

I am looking for honeymoon destinations in the Caribbean for December. I need an all-inclusive resort that is also adults only. We are going to be going on our honeymoon the week of Christmas and my fiancée and I would prefer not to be surrounded by vacationing families. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

Subwayloves

Don't know about weather in December as we went in June, but I would highly recommend Couples Tower Isle in Jamaica. It is an adults only, couples only, all inclusive, and we absolutely loved it. It includes quite a bit more than most all inclusives (some excursions, top shelf liquor, in room mini bar, 24 hour room service..), and wasn't very expensive compared to many either. The food was also amazing, much more than we were expecting for an all inclusive, one restaurant is definitely five star quality and the rest were all good too. We also went for our honeymoon, and couldn't have asked for anything better.

CMGragain

Water might be a bit chilly in the northern Caribbean at the end of the year.  Try Aruba for warm, clear waters.

Jells2dot0

Most resorts at this time of year have minimum stay requirements and the rates are typically double what they are at every other time of the year. What is your budget and for how long do you want to go?

I believe that Secrets and Couples are probably the best options for rates and minimum stay requirements.

kimmiinthemitten

I'm going the 21st through the 28th and am paying 5k for the Excellence Cancun. All of our other options were in Jamaica. 

Everyday you you can go before the 25th will save you money. We used a travel agent that wasn't tied to any one resort to find our options; it was so much easier than trying to search on our own. 

lyndausvi

The time of the year is the busiest time of the year for the islands.  Do to it being xmas time it's mostly families.    Like Jells was saying, places normally double their rates and have minimums.   At the resorts I work at normally occupancy was 2.5 people per room.    Xmas/nye week it was 4 people per room.  That meant more people using towels, chairs, restaurants were packed.   I have to say it was like hell week for the workers.  

Like @kimmiinthemitten said, the farther out from xmas you are the better.    Our rates would raise around the 18th (depending on when xmas falls) and then go down around the Jan 2-3 (again depending on when nye falls).   With the peak being between the 26th and the first.  

 I would go through a travel agent than do research on your own.  Some typical couples only places will open up their place to families for just that week.  Much easier to let the TA sort through all that.

SaintPaulGal

Agree with everyone who is pointing out that Christmas week at a Caribbean resort means you are going to PAY.  I used to work in the travel industry and we would get tons of inquiries for Christmas vacations.  Very few clients actually wound up booking once they saw that the rates were easily double or triple what they would be one week sooner or one week later.  And even if you are at an adults only resort, you are going to be on a flight with approximately one gazillion children.  There is nothing wrong with a holiday honeymoon as long as you are going into it with your eyes open.  If you do decide to move forward with this plan, get things booked ASAP.  Places fill up fast for these dates, and the longer you wait the more you will pay and the less choice you will have.

I'm a big fan of Secrets resorts.  They have lovely properties all over the Caribbean and Mexico.  If you have beaucoup bucks to spend and you are interested in Mexico, Grand Velas has a couple of properties and one more coming soon that are just unreal.  Sandals is a classic, with locations all over the Caribbean, but my personal opinion is that they rely on their "name brand" a bit much.  What is important to you in selecting a destination and a resort?  Are you the sort of people who just want to grab a drink and a beach chair and relax?  Do you want adventure sports to be available?  Bar hopping off the resort?  Cultural experiences?  Nature tours?  Other points of interest?  Would you be bothered by a long transfer from airport to hotel?  What sort of budget do you have in mind?  There are hundreds of options in the adults only all inclusive category, so it's hard to provide terribly meaningful guidance without more information.

lyndausvi

SaintPaulGal said:

Agree with everyone who is pointing out that Christmas week at a Caribbean resort means you are going to PAY.  I used to work in the travel industry and we would get tons of inquiries for Christmas vacations.  Very few clients actually wound up booking once they saw that the rates were easily double or triple what they would be one week sooner or one week later.  And even if you are at an adults only resort, you are going to be on a flight with approximately one gazillion children.  There is nothing wrong with a holiday honeymoon as long as you are going into it with your eyes open.  If you do decide to move forward with this plan, get things booked ASAP.  Places fill up fast for these dates, and the longer you wait the more you will pay and the less choice you will have.

I'm a big fan of Secrets resorts.  They have lovely properties all over the Caribbean and Mexico.  If you have beaucoup bucks to spend and you are interested in Mexico, Grand Velas has a couple of properties and one more coming soon that are just unreal.  Sandals is a classic, with locations all over the Caribbean, but my personal opinion is that they rely on their "name brand" a bit much.  What is important to you in selecting a destination and a resort?  Are you the sort of people who just want to grab a drink and a beach chair and relax?  Do you want adventure sports to be available?  Bar hopping off the resort?  Cultural experiences?  Nature tours?  Other points of interest?  Would you be bothered by a long transfer from airport to hotel?  What sort of budget do you have in mind?  There are hundreds of options in the adults only all inclusive category, so it's hard to provide terribly meaningful guidance without more information.

I loved the guests who complained it was so crowded with kids AS THEY ARE THERE WITH THEIR OWN KIDS.

Umm, there is not a school in the entire country (or most of the world for that matter) that is open during xmas/nye week.  NOT ONE!  Hardly a shock that families are on vacation together.  

If you do not want kids, wait until Jan 3 or so.  Kids are back at school, they are less likely to be taken out because they just had the last 10-14 days off and spring breaks haven't started yet.