Hi Hive! Mrs. Penguin here! As our belts have been getting tighter with all the holiday spending (and, you know, with everything slathered with butter), we wanted to introduce a series that busted through your honeymoon woes. Each week, we’ll scour the web for the best honeymoon deals by location, just for you. On top of that, we’ve enlisted a honeymoon expert to not just share those deals, but give you an insider’s look into each honeymoon destination. Hopefully we’ll find you the perfect honeymoon spot, at a steal! Please join me in welcoming our resident Honeymoon expert, Sara! You may or may not have recently caught her on ABC’s Shark Tank!
Sara is co-founder of Honeyfund, the world’s most popular honeymoon registry. Sara and her husband, Josh, also started Plumfund, the easiest way to raise money for travel, gifts or anything else—for free. As a champion of budget-conscious honeymooners for the better part of a decade, Sara’s got an eagle-eye for romantic travel deals. Learn more or start your honeyfund today!
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Hi hive! I’m Sara Margulis, CEO of Honeyfund. I’m excited to join the Weddingbee community! Each Wednesday I’ll be bringing you my best honeymoon tips and deals. I’d love to hear from you, so be sure to leave a note or question in the comments, and be sure to let us know about what destinations you’d like to see covered. Cheers!
Honeymoon Deals Spotlight: the Caribbean
Destination: Caribbean Cruise
Mr. and Mrs. Coach went on a Caribbean Cruise for their honeymoon!
It’s easy to see why a Caribbean cruise makes for the ideal honeymoon: Warm climates; a wide variety of ports of call; pristine beaches, including some of the world’s best; the romance of the open sea (“I’m the king of the world!”); and my personal favorite — seeing many beautiful places without having to change hotels or schlep your bags!
Generally stretching from South Florida to South America, the Caribbean offers many combinations of ports, lengths and departure cities for cruisers to choose from. No other honeymoon destination has that variety. I recommend honeymooners take at least eight days (ideally 10+) so they have enough time to sample the culture and history at four or five different ports.
What you need to know:
Best time of year to go: Late Spring and Fall offer the best combination of weather, off-peak savings and last-minute deals. Weather-wise, the warmest and driest season is December to April.
When to book: Six to twelve months in advance to get early bird rates and the best availability of popular ships, especially during peak season. Or book very last minute for off-peak deals.
Top honeymoon tip: Save some money and gain some romantic quality time by staying on board during a port day. Instead, enjoy some peace, quiet and poolside cocktails!
Don’t miss: A premium dining experience. Be sure to make reservations in advance if available, or if not, go straight to the premium restaurant when you board.
Current deals & steals: There are awesome Caribbean cruise deals to be had right now (currently as low as $115 a night!) via this link.
Destination: Costa Rica
Hivemember meke headed to Costa Rica for her honeymoon!
Costa Rica is a honeymooners dream, where the Caribbean, the tropics and the Pacific Ocean come together in one unspoiled paradise. For couples who like a bit of adventure, Costa Rica offers zip lining through jungles, white water rafting and gorgeous wildlife and scenery to explore. Adventure aside, relaxing on Costa Rica’s expansive beaches or at one of many romantic resorts makes for the honeymoon of a lifetime.
What you need to know:
Best time of year to go: December to April is dry (peak) season. Temperatures are usually in the 90s. If you prefer a bit cooler and don’t mind getting wet, save by visiting in May, or August to November. (June and July are very rainy.)
When to book: Three months in advance
Top honeymoon tip: Book all your internal transfers in advanceto reduce stress.
Don’t miss: The many opportunities to explore Costa Rica’s ecological diversity, and eat and drink the products of local and sustainable farms.
Current deals: Marriott Vacations is offering five nights at a Costa Rican resort with airfare starting at $655! Several resort locations to choose from.
Destination: Curaçao
Hivemember mak418 had a blast on her honeymoon in Curaçao
If your idea of the perfect honeymoon is a peaceful Caribbean island with crystal blue waters stretching out from white sand, here you have it: the island of Curaçao. Personally I like an island with the perfect beaches AND a little something different to offer, so I love that the island’s capital Willemstad is a World Heritage Site featuring charming 17th- and 18th-century Dutch colonial architecture. If you’d rather explore by sea, there’s always plenty of snorkel and scuba diving to be had. Other notable stops include 1,500 year-old petroglyphs in the Hato Caves and the island’s history at the Kura Hulanda Museum. The island is only 38 miles long, so you can easily explore it in a day with a rented car.
What you need to know:
Best time of year to go: Unlike the other Caribbean destinations, Curaçao is not subject to hurricane season, so the best time to go is off-peak, May to November. Prices are lowest and rooms are plentiful. Temperatures are in mid 80s year round!
When to book: At least 30 days in advance to get the best flight deals.
Top honeymoon tip: While visiting Willemstad, walk the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge and stop at Handelskade’s floating market.
Don’t miss: Snorkeling at the Curaçao Underwater Park.
Current deals & steals: One of my favorite deal websites, Jetsetter, is featuring the gorgeous Santa Barbara Beach Resort for up to 40% off! All amenities, clear Caribbean waters, onsite diving, golf course and spa…sounds like a fantastic honeymoon to me!
More great Caribbean deals:
Aruba: Book by 12/19 and get 1 night free at Marriott Villas in Aruba
St. Lucia: 25% off the boutique hotel Boucan by Hotel Chocolat in St. Lucia
Puerto Rico: Four nights in Puerto Rico with airfare from $515
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More about our resident honeymoon expert, Sara:
I am a wedding-industry CEO and lover of all things wedding, gifting and travel. I’ve stayed at luxury all-inclusive resorts, hostiles and everything in between. Between myself and my co-founder and husband, Josh, we have visited five continents and will see the sixth this year (South America). Our love of travel fueled our own honeymoon dream, halfway around the world in Fiji. We already had everything we needed for our home, we just wanted one fantastic journey to start our lives together. From the generous contributions of our own wedding guests, Honeyfund was born! Sign Up Today!
Stay tuned next week as Sara jets us off to our next honeymoon locale! Are you headed to the Caribbean for your honeymoon? Where and when are you headed there?
Tags:
honeymoon
BLOGGER
Sara Margulis
Location:
Northern California
Occupation:
CEO of Honeyfund
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