I'm interrupting my "Journey to the Dress" series because Lu and I need some serious honeymoon help. We've narrowed our choices down to three extremely different experiences, but we're having a tough time committing to one.
Lu and I love to travel, and we really want to do something special for our honeymoon that's both romantic and memorable. Since we're not going on our "official" honeymoon until February at the earliest (our first few days of wedded bliss will be at a secluded bed and breakfast), we thought we'd have time to choose. But, of course, all three destinations are having amazing specials right now for early 2011 booking!
Here are the pros and cons of each. You can read them before you vote, or you can just participate in the poll. Either way, we'd really appreciate your votes, comments, or both!
Honeymoon 1: Luxury All-Inclusive Cruise from Athens, Greece to Venice, Italy ($11,500)
Pros:
-- This is literally the "dream" honeymoon Lu and I talked about a few years ago, and we'd be visiting some of the top spots in the Mediterranean.
-- All of our luxury accommodations would be paid for up front from flights, to our suite with personal veranda on the cruise, to food and drinks, to shore excursions (not just typical tours, but wine tasting, cooking classes, hiking trips, etc.), and all surcharges at half the regular price.
-- Neither of us has been to Europe.
-- We'd get the perfect combination of relaxation, adventure, and Lu would get to add some gorgeous pictures to his portfolio.
Cons:
-- Even though we're getting a half-price special, it's still an $11,000 honeymoon (about $5,500 each).
-- We'd have to wait until next May to take the cruise.
-- Lu's going to Istanbul, Turkey next June for a conference. I could join him over there, and since his flight and hotel will be paid for, we'd only have to worry about my travel. Once we're in Turkey, it's really easy and affordable to hop over to Greece and Italy. It won't be an all-inclusive luxury cruise, but it'd still be gorgeous.
Imagine pulling away from this at sunset?Bottom Line: Between buying a home, starting jobs, and having kids, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime (or at least once in the next 40 years) vacation for us. We've saved enough to pay for the cruise up front and still be debt-free, but we'd totally exhaust our savings. Do we want to start our life together with no nest egg?
Honeymoon #2: Personal Tour of Morocco ($6,000)
Pros:
-- Morocco's Imperial Cities (Fez, Meknes, Marrakesh, and Rabat -- plus a stop in Casablanca) have a little bit of everything: architecture, history, markets, beaches, and great city life.
-- The country's exotic and would be totally different from anything we've experienced.
-- We'd have a local tour guide taking us to areas off the beaten path for regular tourists.
-- The price for flights is reasonable, and the cost of living is a lot less. We'd get to stay in gorgeous hotels, riads, and kasbahs for a fraction of what we'd pay in the US.
Cons:
-- It's not all-inclusive, and it's going to take a lot more planning than the other trips.
-- Our tour company is only a few years old. They're knowledgeable and professional, but not extremely established.
-- My French isn't what it used to be, so there will be somewhat of a language barrier.
-- Even though the experience is amazing and the hotels are beautiful, we'll spend tons of time riding from city to city in a 4x4 with our tour guide -- not exactly my idea of romance.
Marrakesh at sunsetBottom Line: We definitely want to visit Morocco at some point. It's exciting and affordable, but for our honeymoon? We're not so sure.
Honeymoon #3: All-Inclusive Caribbean Resort ($2000-5000)
Pros:
-- We'd get to relax on beautiful Caribbean beaches with white sand and clear blue water.
-- Many companies have adults-only, all-inclusive packages. Sandals resorts even include scuba diving and golf.
-- Most resorts have great reputations and tons of experience with honeymooners.
-- If we stick to the lower end of our budget (which is definitely doable), then we can save more than enough money to do the European country-hopping I wrote about above.
Cons:
-- We've already been to the Caribbean twice.
-- If we go to a different country, we want to see and do more than visit an Americanized resort.
-- This won't be a unique experience. Even though we'd be taking a "honeymoon style" vacation, there are tons of resorts that cater to families that we could visit later down the road.
Classic Caribbean Scene in Turks & CaicosBottom Line: You can't beat the luxury you get for the price in the Caribbean, but many places have the same style. We could try an island that's a little more distinctive -- maybe Antigua, St. Lucia, or Costa Rica. We can also purchase off-resort excursions. While we'd definitely keep some padding in our bank account, we don't want our honeymoon to feel like a vacation that we've already taken.
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