2024 Vacation. Help me decide please.

[darnheather]

In 2024 I'll be hitting some very BIG milestones including graduating from law school and taking the bar exam. I want to do a really relaxing vacation to somewhere I've never been starting on August 1 or 2 for about a week (the bar exam is the last Tuesday and Wednesday of July). My starting budget is $5000 for two people but I may be able to go up to $10,000 depending on a few factors like funding for my final year of school. So far I've thought about Hawaii, Alaska cruise, or Kenya. Mostly, I want to not have to think very deeply for a week and eat delicious food while my daughter has a good time without needing too much from me. She'll be 18, a tricky age for travel.

I've already checked and DCL's Alaska cruise dates don't line up for me so it'll need to be another line. I have no idea who to cruise with if I go with that option or what perks come with different room levels.

For Hawaii I'd stay at the Hale Koa in Waikiki.

For Kenya I found a package tour that spends a few days in an animal reserve and a few days at the beach with food included.

I really like the idea of an all inclusive type vacation so that I can pay everything in advance and not worry about what or how much dinner will cost. While Hawaii wouldn't be exactly that I would be able to shop and eat on post for some meals which would lower costs.

Places that I've been to and loved but don't want to repeat for this trip: Germany, Turkey, Japan, France. I've been to Costa Rica but I'd be willing to go back if it were an all inclusive stay.

So, give your best vacation ideas and help me plan please.

 

[Skippy918]

Caribbean cruise?
xcaret mexico?

 

[kymom99]

Princess or holland America are good lines for Alaska cruises.

 

[Kestryl]

I know this doesn’t help, but I’d be interested in hearing more about that Kenya trip.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Princess has better itineraries for Alaska than DCL. If you want to include a tour of Denali, Princess has lodges and tours for that.

I love Hawaii, but not in August. Honolulu has too much traffic and Waikiki is too crowded. Kauai and Maui are more relaxing.

 

[unrequited23]

First off, congratulations!

When I think relaxing, no planning, no worrying about cost because it's all prepaid, I think cruise. I would check out the two lines mentioned above and see if any have itineraries that work with your dates. If they both have cruises during that time, pick the one with the best internet package for DD18.

Kenya sounds amazing, but I think that's at least 2 or 3 connecting flights depending on where you live.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

I completely get wanting to reward yourself and wanting to have a fun distraction to dream about when you are studying.

But I also know how consuming and exhausting the 2 days of the exam are.

If you need to travel the day after the bar (or the day after the day after), then I would really encourage you to book a Mexican/Caribbean all inclusive that will require 0 work from you the week before. All you will need to do is show up and relax. Because even your mental checklist of what you need to pack and do to prepare your household to leave is going to feel so much heavier under the weight of the bar.

If you can push your trip back, then I think you could plan Kenya or Hawaii, but no way would I have wanted to deal with any of the little pre travel items the days before and during the bar.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I would do the Alaska cruise. Kenya seems too far to go for just a week - lots of that time is going to be spent in airports getting there or coming back - not relaxing.

 

[antmaril]

I would do a Princess cruise to Alaska. If you book their “Plus” package, the fare includes WiFi, Crew Appreciation (gratuities) and the Beverage Package (among other things). The beverage package would include alcoholic beverages for you and non-alcoholic beverages for your daughter. If you don’t drink, then you might want to book the standard fare.

I have cruised to Alaska twice. It is spectacular. We had very good weather in August, but, of course, Alaska is a crapshoot. You just never know. Either way, it is so beautiful. If you book a cruise to Alaska, be sure you go to Glacier Bay - it’s a must!

 

[sam_gordon]

While I'm usually a cruise proponent, I disagree about it requiring no planning. I mean, you can do that, but then you miss out on excursions at the port stops.

I would suggest an All Inclusive. There are a handful in the US, but many, many more in the Caribbean and Mexico. If all I wanted was just a relaxing vacation, that's what I would shoot for.

 

[Darcy03231]

Based on your criteria, I would do an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean or a Norwegian cruise. Norwegian includes a lot in their upfront pricing. We just did a trip with our son and his girlfriend on the Norwegian Breakaway out of New Orleans and had a ball.

 

[darnheather]

You are all being so helpful and thoughtful. jd b in az thank you for your thoughts on Hawaii. TGIFriday, sounds like you've been through the bar and I hear you about not wanting to pack and prepare and all that. Yes, I want to do it a day or two after before I start working. In the end it depends on were I get a job whether I can put it off or not.

I'm going to look at the cruise lines mentioned plus see if Costa Rica has an all inclusive that might work for us.

 

[darnheather]

I know this doesn’t help, but I’d be interested in hearing more about that Kenya trip.

https://www.mahlatini.com/us/itineraries/kenya-family-safari-and-beach-vacation

 

[CynBeth]

Congrats in advance on your huge achievement! We did Alaska with Royal a number of years ago and loved it. We also have been to Hawaii twice the first time we visited a few islands and had to take the inter island flights between them and the second time we did the cruise on NCL’s Pride of America and liked doing it that way so much better.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Of your three, Hawaii is the one I would really want to do, but if you want the "package" feel, the Alaska cruise is probably your best bet. (And I've heard it's beautiful.)

While the Kenya thing sounds cool, I expect it would involve a lot of pre-trip stuff (like vaccines and international phone plans) that you won't want to deal with during the lead-up to your exam.

And a few people mentioned Mexico, but isn't there a level 4 travel advisory there right now? That would definitely not be on my list.

 

[dvcgirl67]

First of all....congratulations!! That's quite an accomplishment. Of the trips you've listed, interestingly enough, we're about to take a couple of similar trips in the next 17 months or so. And while we haven't been cruising for over twenty+ years, the one cruise we did take was on Celebrity....to Alaska, and we did enjoy it. It's beautiful and we did a couple of fun excursions like white water rafting and a helicopter ride to a glacier.

In six weeks we're going to the Hawaiian Islands for the first time. We chose Kauai and The Big Island for our vacation...with a split stay. Waikiki didn't appeal to us as it seems a bit more touristy/crowded. We wanted chill (it's our 25th anniversary trip), with some adventure. I haven't looked into all-inclusive in Hawaii, so can't speak to those. I will say that Hawaii is pricey when comparing to recent trips that we've taken to nice resorts in Cabo and Costa Rica.

And then in September of 2024, we're heading to South Africa for two weeks spending 5 nights in Cape Town and 9 nights at two safari lodges in the Greater Kruger area. So your Kenya trip got my attention as it seems exciting/interesting.

As someone said, Kenya is a long way to go for one week, but the trip appears to be more like 11 nights with 5 in the Maasai Mara during the period of the great migration....which could be very cool. And then to finish up at the beach for 6 nights....seems to me to be a really nice mix of adventure and relaxation. The price seems *very* reasonable for the. length of the trip, so I'd just really do your homework on the accomodations/food...etc. I googled for the weather in Kenya in August, and seems to be quite nice for both activities.

So, I vote for Kenya if you can swing it on your budget....an epic accomplishment deserves an epic trip . Next I'd choose Hawaii, but as someone else said, possibly another island. And then...if you're looking for super easy and probably budget friendly...the Alaska cruise. On the cruise, I wouldn't expect to be blown away by the food unless you're going on a higher end ship. Good luck with your decision!

 

[bcwife76]

Congrats on the achievement, definitely a cause for celebration!!!

CR is definitely on our short list for 2024 or 2025 and we were looking at Dreams Costa Rica for an all inclusive. For 18+ they also have a Secrets Resort, Secrets Papagayo. Kenya also sounds amazing but I'd want more than a week ,plus I'm no sure how relaxing it would be as there would be SO MUCH to see and do!

 

[barkley]

alaskan cruise is the most relaxing and enjoyable cruise i've ever done. helicoptering to a glacier and walking around was incredible. august is a great month to travel there and depending on your departure port maybe spending a few days in either vancouver or seattle though i've heard doing the combo cruise package of flying into anchorage and doing the train down to the inside passage is SPECTACULAR.

holland America are good lines for Alaska cruises

unless they have VASTLY improved they were horrendous the one time we traveled on them (passengers were complaining non stop). disney was a great line when they first started but had slipped considerably by the last time we cruised with them. best ship/service i've ever experienced was celebrity though everyone i know who has taken royal caribbean to alaska raves about it.

 

[sam_gordon]

see if Costa Rica has an all inclusive that might work for us.

Is there a reason you'd only look at CR? There's a TON of AIs in the Caribbean and Mexico.

 

[Travel60]

A friend and spouse recently vacationed at Barcelo Riviera Maya (Cancun area, I think). She said it was the best vacation they ever had. Her pictures were wonderful. The resort has multiple hotels, restaurants, movie theatre, sports courts, beach, etc. I put it on my "gotta go" list.