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The wife and I just booked our honeymoon vacation for February vacation (in New England, the week of President's Day is extended into a week-long vacation, normally called Ski Week).
We're going on a 7-day cruise of the Caribbean, which we found online and got for a great deal. The problem, however, is getting to the cruise.
The cruise leaves on a Sunday from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and returns the next Sunday — literally the boundaries of Ski Week. And the airlines know this.
Getting down and back to Ft. Lauderdale will cost us just as much as the entire weeklong cruise.
We got such a great deal on the cruise because we booked it five months in advance, but that doesn't matter to the airline companies. Because it is February vacation, we're screwed.
We've even been looking at other airports to fly out of — as far south as Philadelphia — and to fly into. Everything is expensive.
In fact, it would cost us less to fly out of Los Angeles and into Ft. Lauderdale than from New England. How much sense does that make?
So in saving money on the cruise, we end up having to pay through the roof for flights. Alanis Morissette would love this.
Congratulations to you and best wishes to your future bride. I too just booked my honeymoon, but it's in November.
First off: WAIT. Seriously, fares are at their cheapest about 20 days before in most cases. My cruise had a agent who'd find me plane flights (also, if the plane is delayed, missing the cruise ship is THEIR problem, and they have to reimburse me or catch me up on it). See if that cruiseline can get you on a flight to Ft. Lauderdale. This service can also help find when to buy airline tix: http://farecast.com/
I'm not sure where you're located. If you're in NYC, you can drive for 4 hours to Lorton, VA then get on the Amtrak Auto Train to Samford, FL. I've read quite a bit of good things about that train (I have a good friend in Samford and future in-laws in DC, so this will probably be a route for me in the future). This option probably won't work for you if your sail time is too close to your wedding date.
Michael — great tips. (Actually, my wife and I got married this past New Year's Day, so our honeymoon will be right around our 1-year anniversary.)
I have to see if the cruise has someone who can book us flights — that's a great idea.
I've been checking FareCast, but the date is too far in the future for them to predict, apparently. But I love the auto train suggestion — I grew up in Maryland and used to take the auto train down to Florida all the time. It's a lot of fun.
We're in Boston now, though, so it would be a big trip to make it down there.