2015 anyone??

[WanderlustNZ]

Well my bestie wants to jet off to Miami in October for this years BSB Cruise, just the two of us. I'm trying to convince her that the money we'd use we could use next year and have an even better trip but she is adamant to have a "just us" trip It's doable money wise, I just think we could use that $6000 to do more things next year how ever I can see her point of view; she was meant to come with us last year and next year was meant to be just me and her before I opened my big mouth and invited more people.. so do I owe her a solo trip?? Ugh. Caught between a rock and a hard place

In my opinion, No.

From your wording, it sounds like she had a chance to travel with you last year, but pulled out. This shouldn't make you feel like you have to accommodate her wishes this year. If anything (and I'm just speaking as if it was me in your situation), I would be more inclined to want to travel with a lot of people incase she pulls out again. Also, the more the merrier.

At the end of the day, it's a lot of money, so I say, follow your heart. It shouldn't come across as an insult to her if you want to go a year later, as it's not like we're discussing a day trip to the beach here.

It could be that she's worried about the trip becoming all about you and your family, and she might feel like a spare wheel. Perhaps offer to book rooms just for the two of you and put your family in separate hotel rooms. That way she'll know the time you are spending with just her is important.

I'm doing a lot of guessing and presuming here. Feel free to ignore any or all of what I just wrote.

 

[teddykins]

Haha no that's ok I didn't really give you much to go on!! She didn't come last year as she got married and she wished she had chosen either this year or next to get married instead (not only trip wise but also money wise for them) but that's why she had to pull out. We're both huge BSB fans, we always go and see them on tour together it's our 'thing' I guess you could call it ever since 2006 when they first toured Australia - we've been all over Australia to see them and to NZ (well she has, I ended up in hospital but that's a whoole other story I hate to talk about lol) and as much as I loved the last cruise the girl I went with just wasn't the same as my bestie.. She doesn't get my craziness like bestie does (because she's even more crazy) you know?? If I was up front of the stage screaming my lungs out bestie would be there next to me screaming louder, the other girl isn't like that she prefers to stay back and watch.

We have 2 other girls coming on the cruise, one is a old friend of mine from university who I've known for 13 years now and the other is my brothers partner who doesn't really get on all that grand with the bestie -- which is why she wants to do a cruise now. We were going to do a quad cabin to keep the cost if the cruise down (as it's a special charter it's more expensive than your average us cruise) but having separate cabins could be a way to ease the bestie.. Of course the problem with that plan is the other two girls do not know each other at all lol.. Hotels and stuff are cheaper when you share too so that makes it harder!!

I think I have finally got her to see my way, I told her we'll assess the situation in July and if we're doing better than expected I'll think about the cruise -- of course by then I am hoping it'll be sold out or she can realise she'll have more fun next year but shall see, obviously if we win the lotto we'll go hahaha. We worked it out to be $3100 each not inc spending money and while it's very doable I still think putting that towards next year will be better in the long run.. Hopefully I can change her mind because I know she'll enjoy a month over there more than a whirlwind 5 nights!

Oh also she wouldn't be a spare wheel amongst my family; she's more like a sister than a best friend. My parents love her

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I'm not sure I would be at all keen to fly all the way to Miami for just 5 nights no matter how cheap the trip was. 48 hours + of transit and airport time for just 5 days of holiday doesn't seem quite in balance. Likewise, if you divide the cost of your flight over the 5 days of your trip, you aren't getting a lot of bang for your buck.

However, in saying all that, perhaps she's not keen to leave her DH for a whole month? As much as I love travel, I don't think I could travel away from my family for that long. After a week or so I would keep thinking about how much I missed them.

 

[Caroline NZ]

We are travelling in 2015, just created our ticker today

2015:
Plans are for a 2 week trip to WDW in Jan 15 ( and including Harry Potter).
This will be our first trip to WDW

Hopefully we will also make it to England in Jul 2015 for 3 weeks, fingers crossed.
This will be the kids first trip to England.

2014:
No international trips for us this year, but in a few days we are off to the lovely Golden Bay, here in NZ, for a week. Staying in a nice little cottage situated right on a secluded, quiet and safe beach.
And then hopefully a week ski holiday in July down at Cardrona, near beautiful Wanaka

 

[zanzibar138]

We are travelling in 2015, just created our ticker today

2015:
Plans are for a 2 week trip to WDW in Jan 15 ( and including Harry Potter).
This will be our first trip to WDW

Hopefully we will also make it to England in Jul 2015 for 3 weeks, fingers crossed.
This will be the kids first trip to England.

2014:
No international trips for us this year, but in a few days we are off to the lovely Golden Bay, here in NZ, for a week. Staying in a nice little cottage situated right on a secluded, quiet and safe beach.
And then hopefully a week ski holiday in July down at Cardrona, near beautiful Wanaka

Sounds great! We've got heaps going on this year, but we will have a relatively quiet 2015

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We are travelling in 2015, just created our ticker today 2015: Plans are for a 2 week trip to WDW in Jan 15 ( and including Harry Potter). This will be our first trip to WDW Hopefully we will also make it to England in Jul 2015 for 3 weeks, fingers crossed. This will be the kids first trip to England. 2014: No international trips for us this year, but in a few days we are off to the lovely Golden Bay, here in NZ, for a week. Staying in a nice little cottage situated right on a secluded, quiet and safe beach. And then hopefully a week ski holiday in July down at Cardrona, near beautiful Wanaka

Sounds fantastic. It will be so cool to see the WWOHP 2.0.

Plus, I think your trips around NZ definitely count. I'm pretty firm in the belief that some of the most stunning locations in the world are on our own backstep. I'm off to Wanaka in April for the Warbirds. Flying into ChCh and traveling via my favourite location in the whole country, Aoraki. Then after the warbirds, we'll go down to Stewart Island (never been before), through the Catlins, and fly out of Dunedin. I just need to research a few short bush walks and then I'm all planned.

You're lucky there in ChCh as I think you are at the starting point for some pretty special road trips. The loop past Tekapo, Wanaka, Glacier Country, and Arthur's Pass has to be one of the most spectacular and diverse road trips one can do.

A friend and I have also discussed doing a girl's trip to London in 2015 to catch up with our very best friend who now lives there. I think it's a bit of a pipe dream, but who knows? It'll definitely make things more affordable if I go without DH and DS. I just think I'd miss them too much.

 

[Caroline NZ]

Sounds fantastic. It will be so cool to see the WWOHP 2.0.

Plus, I think your trips around NZ definitely count. I'm pretty firm in the belief that some of the most stunning locations in the world are on our own backstep. I'm off to Wanaka in April for the Warbirds. Flying into ChCh and traveling via my favourite location in the whole country, Aoraki. Then after the warbirds, we'll go down to Stewart Island (never been before), through the Catlins, and fly out of Dunedin. I just need to research a few short bush walks and then I'm all planned.

You're lucky there in ChCh as I think you are at the starting point for some pretty special road trips. The loop past Tekapo, Wanaka, Glacier Country, and Arthur's Pass has to be one of the most spectacular and diverse road trips one can do.

A friend and I have also discussed doing a girl's trip to London in 2015 to catch up with our very best friend who now lives there. I think it's a bit of a pipe dream, but who knows? It'll definitely make things more affordable if I go without DH and DS. I just think I'd miss them too much.

We were at Warbirds in 2012. We had glorious weather and a wonderful long Easter weekend that included mountain biking to Lake Hawea, and then on another day to Glendu Bay along a track that ran beside Lake Wanaka. My brother now lives down at Lake Hawea so even more reason to go and visit such a stunning area

 

[WanderlustNZ]

We were at Warbirds in 2012. We had glorious weather and a wonderful long Easter weekend that included mountain biking to Lake Hawea, and then on another day to Glendu Bay along a track that ran beside Lake Wanaka. My brother now lives down at Lake Hawea so even more reason to go and visit such a stunning area

Funny, I was at that Warbirds too. We may have walked within inches of each other and not even realised it. The weather was perfect that weekend.

A few days later we traveled onwards to Lake Hawea and stayed in the holiday camp there. We stayed in a small Bach that was described as 'traditional'. It was the funniest place ever. I swear they decorated it in the mid seventies and have never updated it since. To celebrate being transported into a retro time warp we cooked up a classic 70's dinner of curried sausages and mashed potatoes. We even cooked it up in one of those big cream casserole pots covered in orange and brown flowers that I swear nearly every kiwi home had about 30 years ago. It's funny the things you remember.

 

[Caroline NZ]

Funny, I was at that Warbirds too. We may have walked within inches of each other and not even realised it. The weather was perfect that weekend. A few days later we traveled onwards to Lake Hawea and stayed in the holiday camp there. We stayed in a small Bach that was described as 'traditional'. It was the funniest place ever. I swear they decorated it in the mid seventies and have never updated it since. To celebrate being transported into a retro time warp we cooked up a classic 70's dinner of curried sausages and mashed potatoes. We even cooked it up in one of those big cream casserole pots covered in orange and brown flowers that I swear nearly every kiwi home had about 30 years ago. It's funny the things you remember.

And those are the sort of wonderful memories you will have forever

 

[WanderlustNZ]

And those are the sort of wonderful memories you will have forever

I think it's the reason my accommodation choices have become so important to me. They need not be expensive, or even particularly tasteful, just as long as they're clean, safe, and help create memories. I can barely remember any of the Hiltons, Sheratons, or Marriott I've stayed in, but I remember the strange little backpackers I stayed in in Amsterdam which overlooked the red light district as if it was yesterday.