Non-Cruise Vacation?

[algorithmannie]

So, I realize this is Cruise Critic and therefore the subject should be cruising. However, I'm going to stray a bit off topic, so please forgive me.

 

My mom, sister and I have all decided to plan a Winter getaway for a few days in February. We can't seem to find any 4 or 5 day cruises that meet our needs. Therefore, we've decided to take our first non-cruising vacation in a very long time. I don't even know how to plan a non-cruise vacation!

 

Do you ever take non-cruising vacations? What are some of your favorite experiences that are similar to cruising? All inclusive resorts? Do you find that your land vacations are significantly more expensive than cruising?

[New Hampshire]

We love cruising too, but we also have some non-cruise vacations planned. We're renting a villa on St John with two other couples this spring. The rates drop after April 15 and dividing the cost between three or four couples makes it very affordable. We've done this previously and loved it. We stay in for some meals and do most of our drinking at the house which is much cheaper than drinking on the ship. The cost is quite comparable if you put it all together.

[jackdiamond]

We love cruising too, but we also have some non-cruise vacations planned. We're renting a villa on St John with two other couples this spring. The rates drop after April 15 and dividing the cost between three or four couples makes it very affordable. We've done this previously and loved it. We stay in for some meals and do most of our drinking at the house which is much cheaper than drinking on the ship. The cost is quite comparable if you put it all together.

That is a very good idea; and, you can transport yourselves to St. Thomas for your booze and food.

[Booyakasha]

That is a very good idea; and, you can transport yourselves to St. Thomas for your booze and food.

 

There is plenty of good food and booze on STJ too! Starfish market is great. expensive, but great.

 

b.

[Islander500]

We have gone to St John, USVI for vacations for years after falling in love with the island when visiting on a cruise. We absolutely loved going to a different, PERFECT beach every single day. And then BBQuing and drinks on our own private deck with beautiful sunset views made for a perfect day. They were all extraordinary vacations!

 

But keep in mind the long flight to St. Thomas, then across island taxi/ferry to St. John might be a lot of time traveling for such a short break.

[pdseeker]

Hi Algorithmannie,

 

I love cruising and self-planned trips.

 

I think that I love planning the non-cruise trips the most! The hardest part is trying to narrow down where you would like to go. Once that is done visit tripadvisor.com for all your great insider tips. They have never steered me wrong (just like cruise critic)! The forums have great advice on hotels, restaurants, things to do ....

 

Print out a list of things that you want to try to fit into your trip, some local maps and you are all set for a great vacation!

 

Enjoy!

[pdseeker]

.... I don't think that I answered all of your question .....

 

I find that my non-cruising vacations cost a bit more than cruise vacations - but worth it - they are just different experiences.

 

My favourite thing is a beautiful view - I have to have a great veranda overlooking a beautiful body of water. I spend most of the day on the veranda enjoying cold beers by day and sipping fine wine by candle light in the evening. My other time is spent swimming in the ocean, self-guided walking tours of the town .... just relaxing somewhere other than home!! As you can see, I don't like to spend my vacation running around - it's all about the relaxation in a beautiful, calming space!

 

I think that we spend more on our accommodations, but save money by cooking some meals in our room and buying alcohol at the local liquor store to enjoy back "home".

 

Our favourite vacation was a week in Oia on Santorini Island in Greece. We rented a cave house with an awesome view of the caldera - Algean Sea .... simply beautiful, simply amazing.

[adbnva]

we cruise once or twice a year. we live 5 hrs. from a beautiful beach, so we go there @ least once a year. we like all-inclusive resorts w/lots of a la carte resturants. we like good food. we have been to aruba (love it), cancun (also) & punta cana (least favorite). like to go gamble a few times a year. we even took bus trips all over canada. we like it all. have been home since oct.4. we are cruising for 2 weeks in dec. then i have to work for 4 months so we will have trip money. ad

[JanineM]

We only started cruising 4 years ago so have done a lot of land vacations, and I'm thinking we may do another one next year.

 

Our favourite February vacation is skiing. Head up to Banff National Park, Whistler or Utah and enjoy some snow! If you go to one of the ski resorts and stay on the hill (or in the immediate vicinity) there isn't much more work involved. Book the hotel, ski in the area, eat in the restaurants on site, etc. It can be a bit more expensive, but nothing like a land based vacation in Europe!

[jackdiamond]

We have gone to St John, USVI for vacations for years after falling in love with the island when visiting on a cruise. We absolutely loved going to a different, PERFECT beach every single day. And then BBQuing and drinks on our own private deck with beautiful sunset views made for a perfect day. They were all extraordinary vacations!

 

But keep in mind the long flight to St. Thomas, then across island taxi/ferry to St. John might be a lot of time traveling for such a short break.

This supports my suggestion of buying the food and booze in St. Thomas, since you will be in your rental vehicle and both the food and booze is much cheaper. You simply buy the food and booze and drive to the ferry, and enjoy the ride. As I recall, the ferry operates hourly.

[fleckle]

So, I realize this is Cruise Critic and therefore the subject should be cruising. However, I'm going to stray a bit off topic, so please forgive me.

 

My mom, sister and I have all decided to plan a Winter getaway for a few days in February. We can't seem to find any 4 or 5 day cruises that meet our needs. Therefore, we've decided to take our first non-cruising vacation in a very long time. I don't even know how to plan a non-cruise vacation!

 

Do you ever take non-cruising vacations? What are some of your favorite experiences that are similar to cruising? All inclusive resorts? Do you find that your land vacations are significantly more expensive than cruising?

We love taking non-cruise vacations to places where cruise ships don't go, such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park, Zion, Bryce Canyon, the Canadian Rockies, Santa Fe, to name a few. Also, I think non-cruise vacations are greatly superior for visiting cities like Rome, which are on cruise itineraries but quite a distance away from the cruise port.

 

As for prices, land vacations can be done in all price ranges depending on your personal choice of accommodations, restaurants, entertainment and mode of transportation.

 

One of our all-time favorites was a snowmobiling trip to Yellowstone Park in winter. We had been to Yellowstone in summer a number of times, but it was a totally different experience in winter, absolutely amazing. It was our first time on snowmobiles and we found the guides very patient and helpful in giving instructions to newbies.

 

As for how to plan a non-cruise vacation, I would suggest starting by going to your public library and checking out a number of travel books on places that appeal to you. Also browse the internet for tons of information on just about anywhere in the world.

If you don't have the time or interest to do your own research, there are always travel agents.

[k8ster72]

We do at least one cruise every year, sometimes two. This past year, apart from our cruise, we tried a week at an all-inclusive in Jamaica, Couples - Tower Isle. We had a fantastic time there! It is actually more of a "no brainer" vacation than a cruise because you don't have to worry about getting back on the ship. I missed being out on the water though.

 

We also spent a week in Germany visiting some friends who had moved there a few years ago. We spent a lot of time on the trains and made it to several other countries including Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. It was a very different kind of vacation for us but really fun.

[algorithmannie]

Thanks for all the advice! I think we're going to stay in US since it will be such a short trip. TripAdvisor has been very helpful, but it's overwhelming to consider all the options!

[cynbar]

Have you considered a Disney World getaway? DH and I went a year ago, our first time without the kids who are older now and (mostly!) on their own. We were skeptical but had a great time, there is plenty to do for adults and we saw and did things we would never have done when we had small children. Disney offers hotels in all price ranges, the new Magical Express bus service transports you to and from the airport for no charge, and there are lots of restaurants and pools and activities in addition to the parks. Just a thought.........

[shagdancer]

Usually we cruise but we have gone to resorts too.

Aruba 2 times to a resort - because we loved it so much from cruises.

Cancun- All inclusive resort

3 times Hawaii - one time stayed on 4 different island resorts for a total of 2 weeks.

My favorite island would be Maui.

I would do Hawaii over all else. S.

[wvufan]

Where do you live? What do you like to do?

 

Places such as Marco Island in Florida are great for a getaway.

 

Happy sails, er uh, trails to you ;)

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[jackdiamond]

Where do you live? What do you like to do?

 

Places such as Marco Island in Florida are great for a getaway.

 

Happy sails, er uh, trails to you ;)

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

You are correct. Additionally, there are a plethora of beautiful beaches on our west coast, such as Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, Sanibel Island, Estero Island and so forth.

[New Hampshire]

Our last vacation in September combined both a land and cruise vacation and it was one of our best trips EVER. We spent 3 nights in Barcelona before boarding the Equinox. Our cruise was a seven night Western Med with wondeful ports. The cruise ended in Rome where we spent an additional three nights with a day in the Tuscan countryside. It was absolutely wonderful. I would love to return to spend a week in Tuscany.

[ladylemondrop]

We just got back from Celebrity Constellation - spent four port days in Italy, and loved Italy so much we have booked a 5 night stay in Umbria, in a remote farmhouse with a pool and a VIEW (and vineyard!) for next May - am sooo looking forward to dressing down, eating well, drinking wine and walks at sunset! Its good to vary how you holiday, it makes you enjoy cruising again if you miss it a little....

[dawnn12]

If im not on a cruise we/I love Disney (we have kids 11 and 6 I still would go as much if we didnt have them and we live in pa)so its kinda hard to get down to FL as much as I would like but I also like just being in FL clearwater area is nice(indian rocks beach is awesome) we loved bermuda when we went there on two cruises(that might be a posibility)

[eddiesgal]

This year we're visiting family in Georgia and so it's a land vacation for us.

But YES, we will certainly miss the warm sea air and beautiful crystal clear waters of the Caribbean that only a cruise can do justice to.:)

[jg2256]

Have you ever tried an All-inclusive in say Riviera Maya (south of Cancun) or Dominican Republic? There are a number of travel companies that have fares for the hotel and air and are competetive if not cheaper than cruises. We have done a few of these (usually four and five star) and IMHO they rate right up there with a cruise at about the same price except you wake up in the same place every day. We stayed at the Barcelo Maya Palace south of Playa del Carmen, Mexico a few years ago and this place was magnificent and the food in the many free specialty restaurants was as good if not better than cruises and the alcohol (premium in this case) was included. This area of Mexico is also nice because it is still very safe and if you want to leave the compound (which you really do not need to do) there are a lot of Mayan ruins to visit within a few hours. The other big difference between an AI and a cruise is that the entertainment is not as good in general but a few free drinks and what difference does it make. If Mexico is not your thing there are many other areas that have all inclusives. Good luck.

[cmtom89]

If im not on a cruise we/I love Disney (we have kids 11 and 6 I still would go as much if we didnt have them and we live in pa)so its kinda hard to get down to FL as much as I would like but I also like just being in FL clearwater area is nice(indian rocks beach is awesome) we loved bermuda when we went there on two cruises(that might be a posibility)

 

Yes, indeed it is!!! :) Indian Rocks Beach is our Sunday beach since we spend most every Sunday there! Love it!!

 

OP, not sure if you are looking for sun and sand or snow or something in between....but we went to Sedona, Arizona in December a couple of years ago. Amazing beauty of a whole different kind. Unique shops, great food, and beautiful scenery.

[Beach Nut]

We've been going to Hawaii - mostly Maui, but also Kauai, the Big Island and Lanai - since '87, and usually have gone in September since that's my birthday month. We'd also been there in May, June, December and early January.

 

However, this year we went (to Maui) in late February and both of us had our sandals blown off by the whale activity. We took a whale watching boat trip, but, in addition, our entire 10 days was spent looking out at the ocean from shore and frequently seeing as many as 3, 4 and even 5 different spots of spouting/breaching activity going on simultaneously.

 

February is now, far and away, our preferred time to go. It is, however, the highest month of the high season.

 

If you live on the West Coast, a 5 day vacation there would be doable. However, be prepared for a bit of depression that you can't stay longer.

 

All the other suggestions sound great too, especially Sanibel Island, which is on our "bucket list".

 

Have a great time!

 

Susan

[OhioDogLover]

If you are looking for a winter easy going trip, try Grand Bahama Island. We have been there 3 times, and everyone loved it. We stayed in the Sheraton right on the beach, and there were the usual water sport type things available. All ages (we went from 5 to 70+) found stuff to amuse themselves. Our son, who is now grown, still talks about what a great time he had. He wants to return. You can generally get pretty good packages.

Ohiodoglover