Honeymoon
The secrets to getting the most bang for your honeymoon buck are to shop around and plan ahead. Keep in mind that you can avoid paying full price about 99% of the time — even some early-booking discounts apply to peak times. Here are 5 money-saving tips to help you plan the romantic vacation of your discount dreams.
1. Consider A Honeymoon Registry
Here’s how it works: Some travel agencies and tour operators offer a registry service by which they collect, track, and apply contributions from your wedding guests toward your honeymoon expenses. Some services, such as www.honeyluna.com, even allow guests to “sponsor” specific activities such as a sunset cruise, scuba trip, spa treatment, or meal at a romantic restaurant.
2. Choose An Off-Season Locale
Assuming your departure date is fixed (i.e., you’re taking a honeymoon immediately after your wedding), choose a destination or cruise itinerary whose off- or shoulder-season (the period right before and after high season) coincides with your travel dates for drastic price breaks and less crowds.
Best of all: Off-season is not synonymous with bad weather. For example, many islands in the Caribbean have ideal temperatures year-round, but rates skyrocket from January to April due to high demand from winter-weary East Coast travelers. In other locales, off-season means searing heat or bitter cold, and many hotels and activities may shut down completely until more hospitable weather returns.
3. Work With A Travel Agent
For one-stop, stress-free trip planning, a travel agent can’t be beat. They can save you money with air/hotel or fly/drive/hotel packages (thanks to their high business volume), they have the skinny on last-minute or ongoing sales, and can offer the wisdom gained from years of travel experience. For savings at sea, call an agency that specializes in booking cruises. And be sure to let the travel agent know your priorities so he knows exactly what to cut and keep from your itinerary
4. Choose Cheaper Locales
Many variables can make a destination a dynamite deal, including a weak local currency (Mexico and Canada, for instance) or heavy tourist traffic (Jamaica and Puerto Rico). Other surprises such as weather disasters (tsunamis in the Pacific, hurricane damage in the Caribbean, earthquakes in Turkey) cannot be planned in advance but have the same cost-cutting effect.