honeymoon help!

SB1512 · January 2013

FI and I get married June 29, 2013. We haven't really talked honeymoon in detail, but I know we were both thining a cruise since we wouldn't have to get up every day and figure out where to eat, what to do, get directions, drive in a rental car from place to place, etc.

That said, I know our wedding is right in the middle of hurricane season in the carribean, which is where we both want to go. FI thinks that if we find and book a cruise for the summer time, we don't need to buy the travel insurance because if the trip were to entirely get cancelled due to weather, there is no way we wouldn't get refunded. I disagree. Thoughts/experiences? Does policy on complete cancellations vary by cruise line?

FI for some reason thinks travel agents are a scam. For example he thinks if we tell a travel agent that our budget is $2,000 and they found a trip for $1600, wouldn't they just tell us the trip was $2000 and pocket the extra $400. He doesn't understand how you could meet with someone and have them do all the legwork and still get a better deal than an online website. Problem is, is that he hasn't volunteered to do any honeymoon research and I don't want to do it (or rather, I'm in grad school with 3 major research projects going on simultaneously and an internship and I don't have time to do the legwork). Anyway I can convince him that a TA is not a scam so we can take the planning burden off the table?

dazyabbey · January 2013

Well I would say for a cruise you wouldn't need to get a travel agent. But I know CMG our local cruise expert will tell you a little bit more. I would say do some research on your own and price some of it out. Then go see a travel agent. That way you know what prices should be and you are educated before you get there. A lot of the time travel agents have discounts and can include other things into the package that you wouldn't be able to get on your own.

As for Insurance I think it is really important. You can and should get travel insurance that covers hurricanes. That is very important considering you are spending a pretty good chunk of money. As for Hurrican season though I don't think it is a concern. Most of the time you would never have a problem but in the slim chance make sure you have that insurance. It isn't that expensive to add on but very important. We went to Mexico in the month of September and never had any issues. Just rain a little bit once.

What is your budget though? That is probably the most important thing. Also are you looking to go somewhere specific on your cruise?

sparkellyy · January 2013

Travel agents are there to find their clients the lowest price.They wouldn't get return customers by not informing them of newly released discounts. When you make a payment on your vacation, (with any legit travel agency anyway) it is the cruise company that will be charging your credit card (i.e. Royal Caribbean), not Joe's Travel Co. So that extra $400.00 wouldn't be able to be pocketed by the travel agent themselves.

& Travel insurance is a must!

LizM61409 · January 2013

All the cruise lines have their policies outlined on their websites. You can find each line's statement about whether they give you a refund to know for sure and if they don't, use that to convince FI you need travel insurance. I've been on a couple of cruises and loved them. I've always gone on Carnival which admittedly can be a little crowded at times compared to the others but their prices are impossible to beat.

And usually the really bad hurricanes aren't until late August or Sept (or Nov this year I guess). June is technically in the season but I think that's much better than late summer. Take it from someone who grew up in Va Beach and lived with the constant "THIS IS THE BIG ONE" from the weather people only to just get rain. Those threats are almost always later in the summer.

Edit: June in the caribbean will be really hot. I've been in April which I think is the perfect time- highs in the 80s every day. It gets higher from there. I like the Alaska suggestion

SB1512 · January 2013

Thanks for all the help. I think first we need to set a budget, and the decide what exactly we want to do (cruise vs. all inclusive vs. a more do it yourself vacation). I think we are open to cruising anywhere, as long as it is warm. I have heard wonderful things about Alaska, but I am one of those people that is cold. All the time. I won't even think about wearing shorts and short sleeves simultaneously unless it is at least 85 degrees out. Even in the dead of summer I wear sweatpants to bed and burrow under the covers (with our without air conditioning being available) and I think FI would be pretty unhappy if we went on a honeymoon and I spent the majority of it bundled up like it's full on winter. I do see the point though that summer in the carribean might be very very hot. I'd almost rather put of the HM until late fall, sometime between October-December because the weather might be more pleasant, and I think we would appreciate leaving behind cold New England for some time in the warm sunshine!

As for travel agents, I think I agree that we should do our research and find a trip we like. Then seek out someone and see if they can get us a better deal. A friend of mine went on a carribean cruise in August and the travel agent she used got them flights and the cruise for the same price as what the cruiseline was charging for just the cruise.

honeymoon help!

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