Hawaii or Jamaica?

ifeelgoodifeelgreatifeelwonderful

Has anyone gone to Hawaii for their honeymoon that can give me some advice?

My FI's god-father has offered us his time share in hawaii, which is so nice of him...but...my FI isn't great with being on planes so we were originally thinking of going to Jamaica or an all inclusive that is closer (we live in PA). Now I'm torn on where to go. If we go to Hawaii I'm afraid that the longer flight will be hard for FI and also we will lose 2 days to travel. Even though the time share is free for us to use, I wonder if we will spend more for the flight and food/drinks then if we go to an all inclusive that is closer. Is Hawaii expensive? Normally I would go through a travel agent for help but since we already have the timeshare I don't really have a reason to contact one.

Other things to consider are that we are getting married late September so if we do choose the caribbean it would be hurricane season and also we will probably never have another chance to go to Hawaii. For those reasons I'm really torn on what would be the better option for us. I thought I would just leave it up to my FI to decide based on the flight times what he would be more comfortable with but he says either is fine with him as long as he is on a beach with a drink in his hand. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

OliveOilsMom

To Hawaii, I think your flights would be around $700 pp. the high season for Hawaii is the summer and Christmas time. if you have a timeshare, it should include a kitchen of some kind. You can save money by cooking some meals in the timeshare. H & I used my parents timeshare to go on our honeymoon in Hawaii. If you can split the flights in either arizona or california it makes the long flight not as bad. and when you come home, take a later flight home so you can still spend a full day in Hawaii. We flew out of the Philly airport too.

I love Hawaii. H didn't even want to go home! We went to Kauai and it is so beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice. I have also been to Maui and Oahu. If possible, I would advise you to go Maui or Kauai.

I can't speak for Jamaica, but I think Hawaii is awesome!

ifeelgoodifeelgreatifeelwonderful

@oliveoilsmom thanks for the info! That's a good idea about the kitchen. I guess I just want to be able to really enjoy my honeymoon without worrying about budgeting while we are there. If it's really beautiful though I could make some sacrifices in that department

OliveOilsMom

The sacrifices are totally worth it! we used hotwire to rent our car, it was the cheapest we have found. There is also a lot of things you can pre pay, so its less money spent there. I won't lie, it is expensive in Hawaii! I knew that going and we packed as much as we could with us, so we didn't need to buy anything including sunscreen! We actually packed a large bag of cereal to have for breakfast each morning and we also cooked 2 dinners in. If you plan accordingly, you can make your trip work on any budget!

Jells2dot0

I've been to both places several times. I'd choose Hawaii hands down. There is more to do and see (IMHO), the landscape is more stunning, and it's more once in a lifetime. You should also be aware that it's hurricane season in Hawaii during that time as well! So, there is a chance for bad weather in both places. I agree with olive- the timeshare will have a kitchen or kitchenette. You will also most likely have access to a BBQ. You can cook meals to eat in several days. I did that many times on Kauai. You can also stock up on any type of beverage to save on drink costs. Walmart or Costco are great options for that. Yes, the flights may be pricey, but I think you'll enjoy the splurge (as long as you stay within your means) by enjoying this gift and heading to Jamaica for a long weekend or anniversary later on (since it is so close to home.)

ifeelgoodifeelgreatifeelwonderful

@jells2dot0 thanks for the advice, that's a good point we can always go to Jamaica but we may not get the chance to go back to Hawaii. I had no idea it was also hurricane season in Hawaii so that is good to know.

winelover123

We're going to HI and are also from the east coast. I'd definitely contact a travel agent - she saved us quite a bit of money on airfare and the car. We're also using a time share and plan on packing most of our lunches and making most of our dinners. I've heard that meat and milk are expensive, but most other things are comparable (my friend lives in Oahu and told me about prices). We're planning on eating a lot of fresh produce to keep food costs down.

Also, research your must-do activities and plan them out. We budgeted around beach portraits, a luau and zip lining.

ifeelgoodifeelgreatifeelwonderful

@winelover123 thanks for the tips! we have a year to go so I have time to research in more detail but we have to give a yes or no answer about using the timeshare soon.

weddingmuse

We just got back from a week's vacation in Oahu, where we rented a condo from a private party.  We stopped at Safeway on our way to the condo, and spent $175 on food for the week, which included beer and wine, steak, lobster tails, scallops, pork chops, ham, snacks, breakfast food etc.  We ate out dinner once at Duke's on Waikiki Beach, and once at the Paradise Cove Luau, plus some lunches when sightseeing, snack and drinks on the road.  This means that you have to cook most of the time, but we didn't mind, there was a grill and a lovely lanai overlooking the ocean at sunset for wonderful dinners.

We rented an intermediate SUV for the week from Avis via Costco Travel for $148 for the week - a steal; I found this just a couple of days before leaving, when you will find the best prices IMHO.

We paid $389 nonstop R/T each for air from Hawaiian.  This is from the West Coast, though.  It's a 5.5 hour flight.

Our grand total for 7 nights at a wonderful oceanside condo, all meals, sightseeing excursions and activities, souvenirs, car, airfare was $2600.

Subscribe to Groupon from Hawaii and check excursion prices for kayaking, snorkeling, tours, sailing, etc.  Also, we bought the cheapest luau tickets from Fun-Hawaii, a Honolulu travel agent that sells online.

Have fun!

samleanne33

@weddingmuse I am getting married in Hawaii this December, I'm so glad I read this post, subscribing to groupon for Hawaii is such a good idea! Thanks!!  I am definitely going to do that! 

lauracutter

We went to Florida at the end of August and the weather was awful.  I would not recommend the Caribbean during hurricane season, it's way too risky. Hawaii is awesome, and although it is technically "hurricane season" there too, they rarely get them.