Honeymoon suggestions

brittanypsolomon

Hi everyone! I need advice.  My fiance and I are torn between where to go on our honeymoon. We are thinking Hawaii or an all inclusive resort.  Which would be the most cost efficient?  I'm thinking that the all inclusive resort would be the best route because everything is paid for.  If we do Hawaii we will still have to pay for our food and extra things we want to do.  Do you guys agree?  Do you have any suggestions on any all inclusive resorts?

Thank you for your help ahead of time!

cwaggoner07

I agree. Hawaii is wonderful, but it's not a budget-friendly honeymoon.

Jells2dot0

I agree with pp. Just right off the top, airfare to Hawaii will be more expensive and anything you'd spend while you are in Hawaii is more expensive. I'm not sure what our budget is, but if it's enough to consider both destinations and you think you'll be able to travel a lot after the wedding, you may want to consider Hawaii just because it's harder to get to and may be more "once in a lifetime" whereas getting to an AI in Cancun can be a quick anniversary or long weekend trip. However, your money will get you much further at an AI.

Jells2dot0

Also, just scroll down the posts over the first and second pages and you'll see a ton of posts asking for all inclusive recommendations. A lot will depend on your budget, but you'll get a ton of info by just reading some of the other posts on here.

AdeleDazeem

I think it matters what you are in to.

Do you like history?  Do you want to visit museums?  Do you like looking for a good restaurant that is off the beaten path?  Go to Hawaii.

Do you want to just sit on one resort and relax for days on end?  Do you want to walk to dinner at resort restaurant?  Do you want to have someone else say "These are the activities - pick one and we'll take you!"  Then go for the AI.

Honestly, learning to travel within a budget that includes plane tickets, meals, hotel, excursions, etc.. is a GOOD skill.  But, some people are looking to just relax and unwind on their honeymoon and not sight-see or explore. 

From a purely personal point of view, I will never travel to an AI.  I hate being limited by restaurants, activities, and locations (AIs don't exist everywhere).  But, clearly AIs offer something that other vacations do not, so the choice is really yours!  What do you want to do?  What do you want out of your vacation?

Good luck!

B2Z728

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_honeymoon-suggestions-12?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:c5087d61-da37-4027-9efd-35fa09c57e5bPost:c6214558-9ab7-4b96-a3e4-4747ffbecbfc">Re: Honeymoon suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]I think it matters what you are in to. Do you like history?  Do you want to visit museums?  Do you like looking for a good restaurant that is off the beaten path?  Go to Hawaii. Do you want to just sit on one resort and relax for days on end?  Do you want to walk to dinner at resort restaurant?  Do you want to have someone else say "These are the activities - pick one and we'll take you!"  Then go for the AI. Honestly, learning to travel within a budget that includes plane tickets, meals, hotel, excursions, etc.. is a GOOD skill.  But, some people are looking to just relax and unwind on their honeymoon and not sight-see or explore.  From a purely personal point of view, I will never travel to an AI.  I hate being limited by restaurants, activities, and locations (AIs don't exist everywhere).  But, clearly AIs offer something that other vacations do not, so the choice is really yours!  What do you want to do?  What do you want out of your vacation? Good luck!
Posted by Joy2611[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>This is great advice. You need to think about what you want to get out of your vacation. Hawaii vs. an all inclusive will be two totally different vacations. On top of that, each of the islands in Hawaii will offer you a different experience. </div><div>
</div><div>In terms of price, you'll most likely get more bang for buck at an AI, but you may lose out on the experience of exploring the country you visit, going to different restaurants on the island, and seeing the culture - depending on where you go. </div><div>
</div><div>Airfare alone to Hawaii will probably bring your expenses much higher than going to AI. But perhaps if you're very savy with your budget once you get to Hawaii, you may be able to make it work for you. </div><div>
</div>

alithebride

that would all depend on time of year, flight prices, which hotels etc.. dont automatically assume AIs are cheaper.

jemmini6

Honestly, we priced out a few AIs when we were planning our HM and they were way more expensive than what we've spent in Hawaii the few times we've been (we can usually do flights/hotel/rental car/food/activities for less than $3K in Hawaii, whereas just flights and the AI at some resorts we priced were closer to $5K).  Granted, airfare was a big factor for us, being that it's typically cheaper (and closer) to fly to Hawaii from Phoenix than the Caribbean, so that's something to keep in mind.  Even our HM in Cabo, which has a plethroa of AI's we still chose a non-AI hotel and came out under budget (and that included eating a lot on property and charging it to our room) of what we priced those AI's to be.

However, there are definitely benefits to an AI depending on what you want your vacation to be like.  If you want to just lay on the beach on not venture off-grounds much, then an AI can be great. But if you want to do a lot of sightseeing, then you may end up spending even more money considering you'll probably eat off property, and therefore be double paying for meals.  It's all a matter of what you want to do, but I'd suggest pricing out both options anyways to see what you get for your money.