Honeymoon Help!!

aprillm730

Ok, so my wedding is in October of next year and so we have been tossing around ideas about Honeymoons and OMG it is sooo overwhelming trying to go through all of the locations and resorts! How do you decide where you want to go? 1. Where did you go/are you going? 2. Do you think a travel agent is necessary? 3. Did you book everything online? I dont even know where to start!! Thanks so much!

sinnedambition

(We are getting married Sept of next year)We are going to Sandals Jamaica (Royal Car.), we didn't use a travel agent. I've heard that a travel agent could have POSSIBLY gotten us a better deal but I didn't want to deal with anymore sell-y people.I booked the Resort on the phone (they only let you book til August 2010 on the site) and will buy the plane tickets online (you can only buy them 330 days out).If you got anywhere in the Caribbean i recommend getting the travel insurance because technically it is hurricane season.

hippie4yahweh

April I miss you!! mini GTG again soon, huh?!1- No effing clue. Nope. No clue. 2- Yes, I don't know where we're going, but I think I'd rather go to a TA with what we want and have them give us suggestions and stuff. Plus we want to go somewhere that neither of us have been to yet so we won't know exactly what to book, and when- you know? I'd rather just let someone else do it for me ahahaha!3- I don't plan on it, but we'll see about prices, might book some things online

whrldtravlr

I know ksunquest and cinday both used Shelly at brookside travel and had really good things to say. I think there are reviews in their bios. I was planning to email her- sandrus@jebrookside.com

HiggyFan42

1. We are going to Hawaii... leaving Oct 12 of this year!!! Yay. 2. I don't think a travel agent is necessary. We are using one though. At first it was great.... now FI has been trying to contact TA to see if our price went down at all and to find out exactly when the last payment is due and it's been 3 weeks with no response... ummm? 3. No, we used TA.

elizabeth04925

1. Sandals Dunns River - Jamaica...leaving Oct. 5th this year. 2. Probably not but I'm glad we used one. She did everything for us which I loved...and got us the 10% military discount 3. Nope - travel agent.

meret28

How do you decide where you want to go?  Well we wanted to go somewhere warm, and where we could sit on the beach 1. Where did you go/are you going?  Maui 2. Do you think a travel agent is necessary? We booked everything online and didn't have any trouble at all 3. Did you book everything online? Yes.. flights using points partially.. hotel online after much research

bmprocha

1. We're going to Sandals Regency - St Lucia for 8 days, 7 nights. It's beaaaaautiful there! 2. We did book through a travel agent just because my FI had used her before, but I feel like there is enough info on Sandal's website that you could totally do it yourself with a little research into what kind of room you wanted 3. The TA did HTH!

steph0611

1.  We are going to Excellence Playa Mujeres in Mexico (one week from today woot woot!) 2.  I don't think one is necessary if you feel comfortable booking/making accomdations on your own.  We used Paula from Happy Feet travels and she has been nothing less than amazing!3.  I believe she did most of the booking online.**I will let you all know how it goes!!Where to start :)1.  Decide which region you want to go to (ie Europe, Hawaii, South Am, Mexcico, Carribean etc...)2.  Check out tripadvisor.com for comments, reviews and real traveler pictures about resorts.3.  Maybe talk to a travel agent if you need some direction.  You can always decide to book on your own!   

jessimaphone

How do you decide where you want to go? We wanted to go to a place we've never been before. Having gotten engaged in Hawaii, we knew that nowhere in Mexico was going to compare, and the thought of laying around a resort for 8 days didn't really appeal to us anyway1. Where did you go/are you going? Dublin, Ireland2. Do you think a travel agent is necessary? No, but we're both very travel savvy so we like to do the planning ourselves. For places like resorts/all-inclusives, travel agents help because they book you deals on locations that they partner with. If you aren't interested in a place like that, then I'd suggest not using a TA because then you're stuck going on their adventures with tour groups - yuck.3. Did you book everything online? Yes

megalsgv

We wanted somewhere warm and sunny, so we started looking at the Caribbean and decided on Jamaica.1.  Sandals Dunn's River in December2.  We did a lot of research and then met with a TA, the prices she was giving us were actually a little more than what we found, especially at Sandals!3.  Yes, room through Sandals.com and flight through orbitz

ksunquest

How do you decide where you want to go? Everyone told us to go to Hawaii while we were young and didn't have childrens1. Where did you go/are you going? We spent 7 days in Maui and 3 in Oahu.2. Do you think a travel agent is necessary? I think they are helpfull and can get you better deals and upgrades3. Did you book everything online? our was a special situation because DH's parents exhanged one of their timeshares in for teh condo in Maui, so we only had to book the Oahu part. I did not use a TA for my honeymoon because most of our trip was booked when we booked the condo, so we only needed airfare and 3 days in a hotel. Also, I will mention that I did not use Shelly for my HM, but we are using her for our 1-year trip (yes, I am already planning it) and she took on mid-trip my BIL's DW mess. Shelly is awesome. It doesn't hurt to contact a TA and see what they can do for you...

eclipsethecat

1. London, Wales, Scotland, Paris2. No. I would rather be in control of EXACTLY what I am booking down to the last detail. Plus part of the fun planning our honeymoon was that Kevin and I got to plan things together. Plus we didnt have to check in with anyone before making our choices. We also enjoyed booking things as we could pay for them- so we would book a hotel room and then a month later book our train tickets etc. Im not sure that is an option with a TA. 3. Yes, everything was booked online before we left. We saved a lot of money doing it that way and I was able to pick and choose exactly what I wanted. We used tripadvisor.com and found it to be extremely helpful. Plus we were able to book on our own pace.

HeidiMarie95

How do you decide where you want to go? We met with a travel agent and told her we were looking for something warm,with a mix adventurous and relaxing activities. We narrowed it down to Hawaii and St. Lucia 1. Where did you go/are you going? Hawaiii!!!! Going to Maui, Kuai and Oahu. 2. Do you think a travel agent is necessary? For me, yes. I have enough to worry about with wedding planning without doing loads of research and booking and confirming. Hawaii is trickier, I think, because we were basically planning three separate vacations (each island). Plus, she got us good deals on everything. I guess I don't see the downfall of a TA if you're using someone who doesn't charge...unless they push you towards one way or another, which ours did not. 3. Did you book everything online? Not a thing...she literally booked every detail after we selected the resorts and dates and excursions out of a catalog.

cmkuno

I haven't planned my honeymoon yet, so I can't answer questions 1-3, but as far as deciding where to go, I would suggest starting by thinking about what you envision yourself doing on your honeymoon.  I can tell you from experience that traveling in Europe can be exhausting.  There is so much to do and see there that you feel like you don't get your money's worth unless every day is packed with activities!  For my honeymoon, I would prefer to just sit on a beach somewhere and relax with my new husband after the whirlwind of a wedding.  But everyone is different so just start by talking it over with your FI.  I've heard the Caribbean has some good deals and most of the recently married people I know honeymooned there.  I also heard cruises can be pretty cheap.  Look for good deals on packages through travelzoo.com.  I know several people who booked online through this website themselves and had no problems.  Good luck!

mcmcall

We are going on a cruise to the Bahamas, St. Marteen and St. Thomas. We love cruises and its REALLY a good time. We didn't use a travel agent its actually cheaper to just call the cruise lines up and ask. They have some CRAZY deals right now and its SOOO CHEAP!! We booked EVERYTHING online. We decided to go out of Port Canveral which is near Orlando, since the flights would be cheaper. I think the best thing is to sit and talk about what you would like to do and what is in your price range and HAVE FUN!!!

tmo2u

We went to St. Lucia and had a blast! We had a private villa with a pool and oceanview. Full kitchen and patio and sun bathing up top.  It was great!  I booked everything online with the assistance of a travel agent only because you had to use a travel agent to get those accomdations.  But, it is entirely possible to do-it-yourself.  Plus, it saves money (no travel agents fees).We are going to the Dominican Republic for our anniversay, and that is very nice too and nice accomdations.HTH!

ksunquest

Most travel agents are free, if you have to pay a travel agent fee, I wouldn't use that TA.