We have been to Antigua several times and I thought I would jot down a few thoughts for those that are thinking about traveling to this island.

Antigua is only 108 sq miles with almost 70,000 people living there. Half of the population lives near the capital of St. Johns.

It boast 365 beaches, one for everyday of the year!  Angel and I have not been to all of them but we have been to many and they are speculator.

There are many good choices here for your stay.  Both Angel and I liked the Sandals Grande on the island.  Angel love the Mediterranean Village and I preferred the Caribbean Grove area.  Curtain Bluff is also a great choice on the island.

Jumby Bay is on it's on small island and is another wonderful choice.  In fact it would make a perfect spot for a destination wedding.

There are many activities in Antigua with most focused on the water.  Angel and I loved sailing to Barbuda, Antigua's sister island.  You can also zip line here and my favorite ride ATVs. 

Want to be by yourself for the day?  Try www.miramarsailing.com  where you can have a super day for just the two of you!

Getting around is easy since you are almost always just 30 minutes from where you want to go since the island is so small.  Taxis are everywhere and can easily be had by the hour or by the day.  Car rentals are also easy to arrange but they drive on the wrong side of the road!

If you are looking for great beaches, warm water and great people Antigua just may be the spot for your Honeymoon or just a getaway.

        

Should we book an all inclusive resort or not?  That is a question we are asked many times a week.  Our answer is always the same, it depends.

Why are you traveling?  Honeymoon or just a quick getaway.  Are you looking for the cheapest upfront price or value?

Not all inclusive resorts are the same.  Not even close in some areas.  Find a good travel agent.  They can help you through this.  Angel and I have been to many all inclusive resorts and can tell you first hand there are huge differences.  Knowing this and finding out what you value is key to answering the question All Inclusive or Not.

Most all inclusive do give you drinks.  The real questions is what?  When we tour resorts we take pictures of the bars.  You can tell me you have top shelf liquor but I want to see it.  We were just in Antigua and the resort we were at had lots of great names, problem was each bar had a little something different.  Usually the more you pay the better the alcohol. 

Like wine?  Is that also included?  What kind and when.  Angel and I are not big drinkers so this really is not that important to us. It may be to you.  An all inclusive will let you know up front what the price will be Vs buying your drinks one by one.

How about food.  Same as before, the more you spend the better the food.  If you are a 3 meal, 2 snack eater then an all inclusive may be for you.  Last year Angel and I were in Mexico at a fairly new all inclusive resort that had one of the best steak houses I have ever eaten at before.  Yes, you could eat their every night if you wanted to, it was all included.  By the way we got our choice of several different cuts of steak and choice of several different kids of seafood. This quality would have been very expensive if you ate out like this nightly.

Activities is where Angel and I look for the most value.  Since we are going to go snorkeling, sailing and diving we want to know up front what those cost are going to be.  These can be a huge value depending on where the resort is located if not included in your price. 

How about getting around.  Does the all inclusive have any shopping tours or other site seeing tours they may add value to your trip?
Maybe the transfers to and from the airport are included with the all inclusive.

There are many all inclusive that are adult only.  Again, this can make for a very quiet time around the pool.  It also tends to make nightly dinner much more subdued without children needing attention.

When touring resorts that are not all inclusive we try and take pictures of  the menus and restaurants nearby.  This gives our clients a sense of how much meals may cost.  We were just in the Bahamas and a mixed drink near Atlantis was $12.00.  Yes, their were places cheaper and more expensive but are you really going to shop around on your honeymoon?

Usually when given a price for an all inclusive that is the whole amount.  Tipping is usually included and so are all taxes etc.  Make sure if you are trying to compare The All Inclusive to the Not,  the Not has added all fees into the price.  My favorite is the dreaded resort fee.  This is usually in the fine print when booking on line.  This fee could add an additional $20 or more per person.  Some hotels let you pay this up front, others require you to pay it directly at the hotel/resort.

If you are on a budget we suggest you look at both choices.  Choose the one that give you the best value.  Many times it will be the all inclusive if you are active and plan to use the resort facilities.  If not consider the not all inclusive resort.

The big lesson here is to ask questions.  Get the answers and have a great time!

Don't forget you can visit our website at http://www.kerryf.allabouthoneymoons.com/

        

Recently we have received lots of travel magazines and other magazines with ratings in them.  To be honest those are my favorite issues.  My guess is you also like them since many magazines always have some kind of ratings in them.

First before you look too hard at those ratings, it would be nice to know who made them.  Did the readers vote?  Did the editors vote?  Did they get paid to do this rating from their advertisers?

Second how long did the readers, editors, etc have to vote.  Was this only open for 1 day, 2 weeks or 3 months?

Third and very important to me is can you vote more than once?  Can I log in or send an email 1000 times?

My two favorite travel magazines just came out with polls.  Just like anyone I agree with some of the ratings and others I have to wonder what went wrong.

I get those publications and scream how can they get it so wrong!  My real issue is this, Angel and I visit many resorts every year and  we see these resorts first hand and know the good and the bad.  There are a few bad ones that keep getting in the top every year.

Maybe folks going to those resorts really love it.  Maybe folks going to that hotel answered the email to vote and others did not reply.  Or maybe some of those folks have never been to other hotels or resorts and just have no idea how to compare them.

MAYBE.  I caution our couples to be very suspect of all ratings.  Buyer Beware.  

In fact I just stayed at a 4 diamond resort this past weekend.  You have to be kidding me.  Everything outside of the room was very nice but the room was a dump.  I just could not believe it.  I guess it got enough points for the nice pool and the great bar that it got a high rating. I am glad I did not pay for this room.

This is the one big reason you should find a travel specialist to help you through the maze of resorts and hotels that are around the world.  Your travel agent has been there or knows another agents that can give them feedback.  

Beware of polls, ratings etc. unless you know and trust the source.

        

We recently got to attend an event where we got to interact with lots of people thinking about their honeymoons.  We were at a local bridal show. 

The one question we get more than almost any other question would be, "Is this or that place really worth the $$?"

Since Angel and I have been doing this for awhile I usually give my quick 5 second handy reply, "It depends"!

What a hard question to answer about travel.  So I go here are there because I can save an extra $ or because there is some extra value with that choice Vs the other? 

It really comes down to what is important to you.  Anytime you are leaving your home you should think about what is in it for me.

Do I want to relax?  Eat and sleep?  Be really active during the day and dance the night away.  Do I like to fish or surf?  Does the room really matter with a great view or is looking at the bushes all day just fine.

Do not look at your choices in the total $ cost.  This will be a huge mistake.  Yes, we all have budgets and we must stick to them but does your travel agent know this?  Why are you looking at honeymoon trips that cost $7,000 for the week when you should be looking at the $3500 honeymoons?

Narrow your choices down to 3 that do fit your budget then look at what each offers.  Does the resort give you free breakfast?  Maybe one choice throws in a tour of the area.  Another may have an upgraded view of the ocean.  Can I relax at this resort or do they provide many activities? I think you get the point.

What is important to you?  Spend time with your partner planning what you want to get out of your honeymoon then you will have the answer to that question.

        

Just had this come up and thought I would share this story.

We recently finished a resort wedding.  They got married on the beach in the Caribbean.  This couple invited family and some friends to attend their wedding.  We set up all the arrangements and booked the rooms at the resort.  We helped the bride through the maze of options and made sure all was on track.

Just a note, you can have whatever you want in the Caribbean just like here. Rehearsal dinners, bachelor parties, wedding receptions and so on.  Just because you are near a beach does not mean you can't get the wedding of your dreams with all of the things you think should go with it.

Well this couple had a relative, let's call him Uncle Joe.  This guy was great.  We contacted him about the wedding and he went on and on.  He could find it cheaper on the Internet.  He could save so much money he was going to get them a bigger wedding gift.  He called us at least 3 times beating us up over the price of the rooms. 

I just looked though our emails and he sent us at least 6 notes about pricing.  Now mind you what he was finding did not have all of the cost involved.  We work with lots of folks who think they see a deal.  I just love how some online booking engine's don't add tax in when they give you prices.  Others don't add transportation to and from the airport to the resort.  You never really know what the real price is until you come back from your trip.  In fact my best sales pitch for those who think they have a deal is "call me with your credit card in hand and be ready to book when I meet or beat what you see". 

Anyway, Uncle Joe was convinced he could save lots of $$ and booked his two rooms himself.  I am guessing he booked the last thing he sent us and the cost was the same as what we put together.  He was not adding in a resort fee that the hotel would charge him when he got to the resort.  It was NOT included in his purchase.

Fast forward and the wedding is over and we are now talking with the bride and groom about their big day.  This is where we learn about what we did well and what folks really are looking for.  They had a great time and were talking about taking another trip back soon. 

I just had to ask, my wife did not want me to since we do this together I do try to listen to her but I had to ask about Uncle Joe.  Well he was there but did have a few issues.  Well that is too bad.  Even trips I have booked have had an issue or two that we have had to solve for our clients. 

First, he was at the airport for almost 3 hours before he got taken to the resort.  He had booked his airfare separate from his rooms and the transportation company had no clue when to pick up Uncle Joe since he did not let them know his flight arrangements. Had he booked with a travel agent this should not have happened.  In fact most of the wedding party did their own flights, using air miles etc.

Second, when he got to the resort there were not two rooms next to each other.  In fact they were on either end of a long building on different floors.  So the teenagers got a party room! The bride and groom thought this was great since they knew this irritated their Uncle.

Third, we had arranged late check outs for about half of the wedding party.  Those that did not have early flights checked out around 4pm.  Uncle Joe got kicked out at 11am and walked around with his family in tow for 5 hours.  Again, the bride and groom loved this because the kids got wet etc and this made for good watching from their hammock.


All in all I am sure Uncle Joe had a great time.  I guess?  Those are just a few things a good agent can help you with.  Why not pay the same price you see on line or lower and find a good travel agent?

        

Are all Travel Agents the same?  Are all people the same?  Of course the answer is no. But what is the real difference between one and the other agent?  How can I tell if this is the right fit for my needs?

We suggest you interview your choices.  Talk to them like you would any other service person you would use.  Ask them how many honeymoons have they booked recently.  Have you done many resort weddings?  What was your largest wedding you have done outside of the country? Where did you send these couples.  What is your favorite place to go when traveling.  And so on.

Some travel agents specialize in nothing.  They will do all types of travel. Business travel, family vacations, honeymoons, incentive travel etc.  We don't do it all.  We specialize in honeymoons, resort weddings and have started to do some family travel since after years of honeymoons we have clients that now have children and want us to help them travel since they got great service for their honeymoon. 

I guess it comes down to one word, "Experience".  So you want to book your trip on line and what do you get?  A whole lot to read and maybe just maybe the information you need to make a correct choice.  You then spend time on other web sites looking at reviews that may or may not have been written by real travelers.  You then look at the "Tourist Board" site of that country or area you want to travel.  Think they will give you negative information?

Why not spend your money with an agent who has been there and done that and has the resources to use if they have not.  Ask questions.  Your agent should be able to give you the same or better price Vs on line.  I will use us as an example of what you get if you were to use Angel and myself for your honeymoon or resort wedding.

We specialize in honeymoons, romance travel and resort weddings.  We do NO business travel, don't call us just for airline tickets or for Amtrak etc.  Can we do all of those things? Yes, but we are so much better doing just a few things well.

Would you like to travel to the Caribbean?  We have that covered.  This is a passion for us and has been even before Angel and I became agents.  St Lucia, I have visited there more than 14 times in past 22 years.  Jamaica we have spent more than 24 days there in the past 3 years.  St Thomas, St John, St Kitts, Martinique, St Martin, BVI, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Belize, Honduras,Costa Rica, Barbados, Anguilla, Antigua, I could go own.  No doubt we can give you current information of these area.  First hand knowledge that will effect your trip.  "Experience" 

We have also spent countless days in Mexico, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Key West and Niagara Falls.  I could go own and own but I will try not to bore you.  For those places that we have not traveled our selves we use vendors for our clients who have been there and done that.  I am thinking of one we use for Italy who has 20 years of romance travel in Italy and this person has lived and visits often to keep up with changes.

This is just some of what I mean by "Experience".  Want to get married in paradise? Make sure your agent has booked a group as large as what you are going to invite.  The average couple in the US invites around 150 folks to their wedding.  We have done a group larger than this for a resort wedding.  "Experience" Not all Agents or Travel Suppliers are the same.  We all have different talents and experiences.

When choosing your Travel Supplier look for Experience.  Ask lots of questions and you will save time, money and have a wonderful time!

Check out our website for more links and information at http://www.kerryf.allabouthoneymoons.com/

Enjoy!

        

Many people ask us what hotels or resorts do you like.  Where do you guys stay when you travel.  What resorts have caught your attention?

Angel and I travel lots and have stayed in many hotel rooms and resorts.  Some were great and many were not.  Those questions are kind of hard to answer since all resorts and rooms are not created equal.  We like to look at the whole experience.

Will you be spending lots of time in your room?  Are you looking for lots of activities on the resort or near it?  Is food important to you?  Is the hotel or resort convenient to the things we want to do in the area?

That being said here are a few that we love. 

Raffles Canouan is a luxurious five star resort surrounded by one of the world’s largest coral reefs and is on 300 acres of a 1,200 acre private estate showcasing 156 accommodations including spacious one to four bedroom rooms, suites and junior suites with garden or ocean views, and personality suites with private plunge pools. Located in St Vincent & the Grenadines deep in the southern Caribbean.  This is the kind of desert island I would liked to get ship wrecked onto!  Check out their web site at:
http://www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/RCI/

One & Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas.  Contemporary luxury defines each guest room, suite, and villa. Amenities include butler service for all rooms and maid service 3 times a day!  You also get full guest privileges at nearby Atlantis, Paradise Island.  This is the perfect place to unwind but close to many activities.  Check out their site at: http://www.oneandonlyresorts.com/flash.html

The Pearl Beach Resort in Bora Bora is without a doubt is romantic. Facing one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world and the mystical Mount Otemanu, this resort perfectly blends with nature and offers elegantly appointed bungalows built in the pure Polynesian style. The over water bungalows are outstanding for that special time away from home.  http://www.pearlresorts.com/bora/

Some may say these offer little value, how about a great all inclusive and the air fare will not sink your budget like some resorts above? How about the Iberostar Grand located in the Rivera Maya? The Iberostar Grand hotel is lavishness at its best. This is where adults come to experience a whole new level of luxury. In this five-star all-inclusive resort richness is all around you, from elaborate staircases and an extraordinary garden with every plant and flower conceivable to exclusive a la carte restaurants, and a cigar bar, concierge, and more.  Sounds too good to be true for an all-inclusive?  Angel and I have stayed here and the food was GREAT! 
http://www.iberostar.com/EN/Riviera-Maya-hotels/Iberostar-Grand-Hotel-Paraiso_3_117.html 

Need more ideas?  We suggest you contact your local travel agent.  They know the market and can fit you into the right resort for the right price.  Any prices you see on line your travel agent should be able to meet or beat.  Once booking you now have someone to follow up on all details.  Have a question about the type of beer or wine a resort serves.  No problem your travel agent and find this out for you quickly.  Want to make a spa reservation?  They can also do this for you.  These and other questions are easy for them to get answers for you and all for the same price as you booking yourself.  Why would you book without an agents help?

Don't forget about our website at http://www.kerryf.allabouthoneymoons.com

        

Just back again spending 8 days in St Lucia.  What a great place for a honeymoon or a well deserved vacation.  While there we got to visit and spend time at many of the resorts located there.

I thought we would talk about some of the activity's we did while there. The Gros Islet Friday Night Street Party was a blast.  We grabbed a taxi from our resort and were there in just a few minutes. If you like good local food and lots of local music this could be for you.  We went early since Angel hates big crowds.  It can be crowed late so think about getting there early.  What a great time visiting with the local vendors and listening to the local music.

We also spent time at Marigot Bay.  What a picture perfect place to spend time.  There are several great resorts located here but our favorite was Discovery at Marigot Bay.  Try JJs or the Rainforest Hideaway if you are hungry.  If you go to St Lucia don't miss this area since you will walk away knowing you were in paradise.  There are several tours that stop here.  If you don't take a taxi try one of the tours.

We also hiked the rainforest.  We spent several hours looking at the beautiful tress, birds and flowers of St Lucia.  If you have never walked through a rainforest I suggest you go through with a guide.  There are many tours that give you a guide and many locations have vendors that will guide you through, just ask your taxi driver to bring you to the best guide on the island!

There is a zip line tour that has 9 platforms.  If you don't mind heights this could be for you.  You are in the middle of the rain forest gliding through the air.  What better way is there to spend a few hours?

The beaches here are great.  The water sports are also great.  Spending time at Rodney Bay was fun.  What a great place to sail and swim or just lay out and be lazy.

Here is one of my favorite links for more information on St Lucia  http://www.stlucia.org

        

This really is the big question.  What am I getting for my hard earned money?  Well that depends who you ask and if you are ready to do lots of reading.

If you decide to book on line get ready for lots of research.  But how do you know if it is correct?  Just because the web sites says it is so is it really?  Are you reading an opinion written by someone from another country?  When was that picture taken?  How does it look after the storm or after the staff just had a strike?

Let's start by looking at the star system.  This resort or hotel gets a 3 our of 5 stars.  What does that mean?  Some sites will give you their definition of their ratings but most are so board it is easy to see why not all 5 stars are 5 stars. 

Looking closer almost all web sites have some resorts and or hotels with no ratings.  How can that be?  Some are the biggest names in the world.  Why?  Just this one item should make all would be users question the ratings.  How can you rate resorts but not rate some of them?  Don't you think the web site would want you to have all of their information?

If you can't trust this rating system who can you trust?  How about your local travel agent? 

How about the reviews some sites post.  Every notice that some of the same names post something about the same resorts in the same family.  How can some of those post be believed since anyone and that means anyone can post.  We once had a client that wanted to book a room at a resort that was reviewed on a big travel site.  It had 2 reviews and both were great.  We had never been to this resort and did some checking with others who had been.  We ended up not sending our clients to that resort.

Once you work your way through the maze of ratings and reviews next comes the different parts of your trip.  Do you need airfare, room for how many days, transfers, activities, spa, etc.  Most sites throw all of this together in a nice package with not many options or give you so many options you have a had time picking the correct one for you.

There is not a 14 day period that either Angel or myself talks to someone who got a great deal on line and wants us to see what we can do. 

The first thing I see is that they have got a quote for an over night flight.  First of all why would the web sites post those first.  They make you think your saving $$ but unless you have a friend or cousin that lives in San Juan you will spend just as much for a hotel room for the night and taxi to and from the airport. 

Second, where are the transfers or what kind did you get.  Unless you get a rental car how do you plan to get from the airport to the resort or hotel?  If they did not select a transfer or the resort does not give them a transfer this becomes an extra expense.  Also how far away is the hotel or resort?  Is the transfer on a huge bus with 40 others and will stop and 10 other stops before they get to your stop?  What if you could go non stop for just a few dollars more, would you pay the difference?

Third, room categories are not all the same.  There are better rooms in every category.  All rooms on the second floor may have an ocean view but two of them or located next to an elevator.  What kind of bedding will you get?  King or a double.  Many times this is not listed on the final copy of your receipt from some sites. 

Fourth if you have to cancel before you travel what are the fees and penalties? What are the rules that you will be held to if something does happen.  Who will you call if something goes wrong and you are out of the country?  Did they offer several different kinds of trip insurance?  You may not need some or most of the coverage they are trying to sell to you.

I could go on and on but I think you get the point.

We suggest you find a travel agent and talk with them.  Plan to use them since almost always they will have the same or lower prices that you see on line.  But how do you guys get paid is what we hear a lot.  The same way the big on line travel agents get paid, from the resorts and airlines.  The difference is we live near you and need your ongoing business.  A good agent is looking for a long term client . A good agent will do the work for you and make sure to answer all of your questions while taking the guess work out of your travel plans.

        

I say when dealing with the airlines good luck!  Angel and I have flown on most of the national carriers and many international carriers and for the most part they do get you from one place to the next. But........

If you are looking for anymore than this be ready to pay for it.  Most airlines now have bag fees that can add up.  We just flew to see my parents and this fee cost us an extra $60 per person in addition to the normal airfare.  This seems high to us.  While in line we saw many folks being charged for additional weight. 

If the plane is late or your flight is canceled due to weather(no ones fault) have a back up plan.  You should always have the 800 customer service number for the airline you are flying.  Use your cell phone and dial that number the second you think there may be an issue since there will be many others doing the same.  The wait on the phone will be long and so will the lines at the counter.  At least you have two options for service.

Take advantage of most airlines reminder services.  You can elect to receive emails, phone calls etc. This is key when things go wrong.  On the way to the airport your flight may get canceled and you could easily get this message and start working the phone in order to get on a different flight even before you get to the airport.  Go to your carriers web site and sign up for this free option.

Food. Need I go on?  Give me a break.  I know this is hard but how much smaller can the bag of peanuts get?  This weekend I swear I saw the smallest bag of peanuts ever!  Why even give these out?  This is almost an insult to those that paid $400 for their tickets.  Just tell me you don't serve food.  I suggest you plan snacks out before you get to the airport.  Snacks are just so costly at the airport.  Really think about this for long flights.  It is just so easy to carry on your favorite candy bar or bag of nuts, why would you not do this?

Watch your seat assignment.  This is the one thing that makes Angel go crazy.  If always seems on a full flight,  we get to airport with our seat assignments and we check in a bag or make a small change and the counter person changes our seat assignment.  Yes, it is the computer etc. but if you want to seat near your honey I suggest you always check your boarding pass anytime it gets reprinted.  Mistakes do happen don't let them happen to you.

Long flight, bring a pillow and blanket.  A travel pillow and blanket are easy to pack on a carry on and many airlines have limited the number of pillows and blankets on each plane.  So if you get cold or just like having a pillow, we suggest you bring your own to ensure you have one.

Magazines are also extinct on many flights.  If you need to read to pass the time bring your own.  Again, we suggest for you to plan this out and buy them before you get to the airport since you will pay full price and they may be out of your favorite.

The good old days of air travel may be gone but with a little planning you may just have a great flight.