Booking Maui...

amianne420

I posted this on Honeymoon and I'm not sure they know what they are talking about...

Any help from brides who already went on their honeymoon?

When I book, do I have to pay in full or can I put a deposit down and then make a payment plan?  Does it depend on the site I book with?
We are staying at the Westin Resort and Spa and I can do it through them or another site like expedia...not sure what to do...

I just don't have all $4000-$5000 right here right now and want to know if I can just do a down deposit and then pay along the way.

NIKIKRUISE

I think GMC is booking something similar right now if I'm not mistaken. Maybe page her? Or maybe she will jump in.

gmc22

Hi! I am curently in the process of booking my HM, however, I went through a travel agent so my situation may be a bit different...  Here is what we are doing:

Today actually (yay!) we're paying our first deposit, which is about $500 p/p - this is to hold and confirm the itinerary/flights/hotels. Then, 3 weeks from the first deposit, we have a second deposit, which is about 1/2 of the total cost. The final payment is then due 50 days out.

I'm not sure how it works booking through a website, but from what I do understand, if you book on your own most hotels only require you to pay a one night deposit to hold your reservation and you can then pay the rest once you arrive. You will most likely have to pay your total air cost when you book if you are doing it on your own. Is it a trip that you put together on your own?  HTH and GL! Maui is fantastic

pantherRN

What G said. If you book through a website,  like Travelocity, you typically have to pay the whole price up front. If you book through the hotel, they will likely ask for a deposit or credit card number to hold your reservation and then you pay the rest when you get there.

Booking through a travel agent is pretty standard to what G described, I think.

ros3392

Any trip I've gone on, I've used a travel agent and we were always able to do what G said was put a deposit down, and then pay an additional 2 or 3 times.

Honestly, I just heard a horror story from a friend when they went to Jamaica the hotel didn't have their reservation and they called their travel agent and they got a room and actually were upgraded. Make sure the website you use is reputable and you have a contact person in case a situation like that arises!

phillychica85

Yes, like the other ladies have said-you book your trip through a site like Orbitz or Expedia, your credit card then and there is charged in full. You almost always get better deals booking through them, especially air & land packages although not many people have 5k to shell out on the spot.

I've found that unless it's a really good rate (almost one that is a steal) or peak travel times, most American hotel chains (Hilton, Marriott, Starwood-the branch that Westins are under) don't charge anything until you stay there except if you cancel your reservation x amount of days before you're to check in (their cancellation policies are always explicit, etc).

If you're just doing Maui and only staying at the one hotel, you would be totally fine booking on your own. Just always remember to jot down a confirmation # for anything you make reservations for. Hotels do loose your reservations, but confirmation numbers guarantee stuff. Going with a travel agent obviously depends on your level of comfort of doing stuff yourself.

 We went to Belgium and Paris for our hm and I did everything myself. The only thing I had to pay upfront was a booking fee for our Paris hotel was 5 euros, so less than $10 USD.

Good luck, sounds like a fantastic hm!

amianne420

This is helping...

Another question:
If I go through a travel agent, is there a charge for using the agency?  And if so, how much is that typically?

Just wondering if it would be easier for me to just go through the agency so I can make payments or book stuff sporadically myself and forego the cost of the agency if it's a lot.

king26

We went on our HM to Maui this summer-it is AMAZING!  If you book through a travel agent you can put a deposit down and make payments.  I think our final payment was due 30 days before leaving which was really helpful since we didn't have all the money upfront either. 

Just a few side notes-the BEST restaurant we ate at on Maui was Mama's Fish House-totally worth the money.  I don't even like fish much and it was amazing.  Also, definitely go on the Road to Hana...it's amazing!  If you need any tips about anything there let me know!  You are staying very close to where we stayed:-)

king26

If the travel agent is a legit one there is NEVER a fee-they get paid through the hotels and airlines.  I went through Rhonda at VIP Vacations for our Hawaiian HM.  She's the Hawaii expert there.  She got us upgrades and champagne at both our hotels for free and actually found a better airfare deal then I could find anywhere onlie.

amianne420

Alrighty...thank you so much girls!

I think I'm going to go through an agency...I'm just too nervous and it's our first big trip with air and hotel so I don't want to screw stuff up.

Thanks again!