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Posted - Dec 06 2002 : 10:58:15 AM
THIS MAY HELP! NO GUARANTEES!
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The U.S. Virgin Islands have been influenced by the French, Dutch, Danish, German, and British settlers
Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, the US Virgin Islands—All on sale
And for the first time ever, discounted prices are available in November for the high season months of January, February and March
By Pauline Frommer
ARTHUR FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVEL
Nov. 11 — The months of January, February and March are traditionally peak season to the Caribbean. But this year—this exceptionally slow year—nothing is as usual. So for the first time in memory, airlines and tour operators are slashing rates for almost every island in the Caribbean, for the high season, well in advance of that season.
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‘We can’t let another peak season go by without filling those rooms.’
— RICHARD KAHN
Spokesperson, Caribbean Tourism Organization IT’S AN unheard of development, one akin to your local butcher putting turkeys on sale the week of Thanksgiving, or Nestle’s halving the cost of candy right before Halloween. As Greg Thorne, president of Inter Island Tours, a Caribbean specialist commented, “Historically this has never been done before: a sale for the winter, in a proportion like this, that’s available nationwide. It’s really quite a surprising development.”
So why the pre-high season discounting this year? Richard Kahn, spokesperson for the Caribbean Tourism Organization, noted “People are still not traveling at the levels they did in 2000. 2002 has shown some improvement over 2001, but we’re still down nine percent in terms of bookings, which translates to a lot of empty rooms. We can’t let another peak season go by without filling those rooms.”
Author Roger Cox answers your questions about tennis vacations. Read the transcript.
GENESIS OF THE DEAL
American Airlines, the largest carrier to the Caribbean, couldn’t let another season go by without filling its airplane seats either. So it turned to a number of the top hotels in the Caribbean and the tour operators who package air/hotel vacations and made an offer. American promised to cut its fares 25 percent should the hotels cut their rates by 25 percent as well. Some hotels went a full 10 percent better than that, slashing prices by 35 percent.
The one catch to this promotion? In order to get these discounted rates, you’ve got to go with the deal makers, the folks who “married” the air sale with the hotel sale by putting together low cost packages. While US Airways is also currently cutting its air rates to the Caribbean (click here to read our recent article on that), you’ll generally find better overall savings by going with a package.
We’ve broken down the bargains, island by island, listing the most cost-effective packages we could find. Obviously, there are many more hotels on sale than we could include here, as even the most luxurious and deluxe properties are being discounted this winter. By calling the companies below, or contacting other Caribbean specialists, you should be able to find good rates throughout the Caribbean this winter.
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Unless otherwise noted, the prices below are good from Dec. 13 through Apr. 15, with Christmas week, New Year’s week and President’s Week excluded. Bookings must be completed by Dec. 2. Rates are per person, based on double occupancy and do not include departure taxes ($50 to $90), depending on the gateway.
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Hotel: Karisma Hacienda Tropical
Price: $585 for seven nights, including airfare from all the Floriday gateways; just $646 from the Northeast (New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Buffalo, etc.); $773 from Midwest and Southwest (Chicago, Indianapolis, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Oklahoma City, etc.); $865 from the West (Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Reno, Seattle, etc.). Shorter stays also available
The deal: The Hacienda Tropical is a lovely all-inclusive resort in the Puerto Plata region of the D.R., which means that not only your bed, but all food, booze and non-motorized watersports and activities are included in your initial price. Right on the beach, the Tropical is a colorful place, Mediterranean in look, with four restaurant options (Italian, Chinese, beach grill and upscale buffet), a discotheque and live shows each evening. Activities (included in the price) include archery lessons, dance lessons, kayaking, beach volleyball, snorkeling, carbine shooting and more. There’s a children’s club, supervised, for youngsters four to twelve.
To book at this rate, contact Vacation Travel Mart (www.vacmart.com or 800/288-1435. Ask for code “Carib 1”.
PUERTO RICO
Hotel: Regency Plaza
Price: Four nights from $390 from Miami (up to $457 in February and March), $449 to $482 from New York, $682 to $712 from Los Angeles; other gateways are available. To stay more than four nights, add $56.00 per person.
The Deal: The Regency is one of Condado’s many high-rise hotels. It’s clean and well-maintained if a bit impersonal. On the plus side, rooms are oversized, some have balconies facing the sea and it shares facilities with the Condado Plaza next door. That last point is key, because it means that you can hang at the recently renovated (to the tune of $40 million) Condado Plaza, one of the islands most bustling resorts with five very nice pools, a terrific stretch of beach, and a vast number of restaurants (some of which are quite gourmet). It also has good tennis courts, and a nice spa and fitness center (all of which can be used by guests of the Regency, even thought they’re paying not nearly what Condado guests are paying).
To book at this rate: contact InterIsland Tours (www.interislandtours.com or 800/245-3434)
JAMAICA
The hotel: Crane Ridge Resort
Price: Seven nights for $445 from Miami/Fort Lauderdale, $545 from New York, $595 Chicago; $649 Los Angeles
The deal: Set on a lush mountainside in Jamaica (a charming place with pool, a short shuttle ride from the beaches of Ocho Rios), the Crane Ridge has been a big hit with our readers from past offers. The price includes daily breakfast, served at the on-premises restaurant each morn.
To book at this rate, contact Atlas Vacations (www.atlasvacations.net or 800/634-1057)
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OR for Jamaica, a beachside resort this time, look at:
Hotel: Doctor’s Cave
Price: $423 for seven nights with airfare from any airport in Florida; $528 from most of the gateways in the Northeastern US; $562 from the Midwest and Southwest; $624 from the West. (See the Dominican Republic for a full breakdown of gateways). Shorter stays are also being discounted.
The deal: Right off Montego Beach, the Doctor’s Cave is a simple family-owned little property, motel-like in look although cheerfully and colorfully furnished. There are two restaurants on site, as well as a bar and swimming pool.
To book at this rate, contact Vacation Travel Mart at 800/288-1435 or visit its site at www.vacmart.com. Ask for code “Carib 1” to get a voucher good for savings on future travels.
ARUBA
The hotel: The Mill Resort
The price: $629 for five nights with air from Miami; $669 for five nights from Pittsburght, Houston or Chicago; $719 from Providence, Baltimore/Washington, Hartford, New York, Boston and Philadelphia; $759 from Los Angeles. The price includes round-trip transfers airport to hotel.
The deal: The Mill Resort is a colorful place, right next to the faux Dutch windmill that is one of the island’s landmarks. Rooms are well-sized, with brightly patterned bed spreads and rattan furniture, and the resort has its own facilities at Eagle Beach (the popular strip of sand that many of the mega-resorts share). On property are tennis courts, a large pool, a day spa, restaurant and bar (with evening entertainment).
To book at this rate, contact Liberty Travel (www.libertytravel.com or 888/271-1584). Unlike the other offers, this price is only good through early February, call for more info.
ST. JOHN
The hotel: Renaissance Grand Beach Resort
The price: from $543 to $665 (in high season) for four nights, with airfare from Miami, $589 and up from New York, $795 and more from Los Angeles. Extra nights from $68.00 per person. Many more gateways, so be sure to ask. Prices do rise after December, but they’ll still be 25 percent less than they normally are.
The deal: This is a nifty one as the Renaissance is a truly chi chi property, set on its own 34 acre spread which, of course, includes a soft-as-silk white sand beach. Rooms are built into the hillside, and are very plush (think oversized and marble). The hotel boasts two restaurants and two bars; two swimming pools; six tennis courts; a children’s club; and a very nice spa.
To book at this price, contact InterIsland Tours (www.interislandtours.com or 800/245-3434).
This is just a taste of what’s out there. The travel providers above, along with other Carib-based agencies, are slashing prices to St. Maarten, St. John, Nassau (in the Bahamas), Barbados and a number of other peachy beach destinations as well.
Happy hunting!
Copyright © 2002 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc.
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