Aruba on a budget?

[debraW76]

Any advice for going to Aruba on a budget? My BIL is getting married there next summer. We have 5 kids and after a few searches I cannot come up with anything less than $6000 for us to all go. The wedding is week of July 4. My MIL is also going but paying her own way. She will let 2-3 kids stay in her room. Most of the resorts I looked at have all inclusive plans and kids under 12 are free. That helps but it is still too expensive.

This is what I am seeing but hoping that my disfriends can help me find some cheaper deals.

$1000 for passports (none of us have any)
$3000 for airfare (flying out of ATL)
$2000 all inclusive resort for 2 adults 2 kids ($500/night x 4 nights)
$1000 incidentals (parking at ATL, transfer to/fro airport in aua, and a dr visit - don't laugh but we have never been on vacation without taking at least one kid to a dr while we were there so i have learned to budget for it).

I realize the passports are not going to get cheaper. No coupons for that. But I really need some help on airfare and a cheaper resort. Any advice?

TIA

 

[nilseks]

Ask around to friends in your area and try to find a good travel agent. Usually what I do is search around for deals on the travel sites, narrow it down to certain hotels, and then see if my agent can beat them (she often can--even if it means just going from a flight with layovers to a direct flight with better times).

Unfortunately, Aruba isn't really a budget friendly place. They don't really have a rainy season or a bad time of year to go--they aren't in the hurricane belt like much of the carribean and it doesn't get dreadfully hot and humid during the summer so there aren't deals like w/ Cancun, etc. And flying anytime around the 4th of July will not be cheap--that is such a big travel week.

The best you can hope for is to get a good air/hotel combo. I think you can cut down your expenses there. Also, if your brother is getting married at a certain hotel, keep in mind that in the 'hotel zone' a lot of hotels are easily within walking distance. You may be able to find something cheaper just a short walk away (providing he's getting married in that area).

Good luck to you--we are traveling over the 4th for a wedding as well, and it's not cheap! But worth it to be with loved ones on their special day.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

I would just gift them about $300 or $400 cash as a nice wedding gift and let them know it is not in your budget to go. $6,000 to attend a wedding would be out of my budget too and we can afford it. I just wouldn't pay it. You can go to Disney for 10 days for that much money.

I don't put a lot of importance on weddings. I think ppl make too big of a deal about them and spend way too much money on one day of their lives. It is the marriage that is important, not the manner in which you get married.

But that's just my opinion. I wouldn't spend that kind of money to go to ANYBODY'S wedding, relative or not.

And passports here cost around $100 so 7 should cost you $700 not $1,000. That takes about $300 off your cost.

You said your MIL might let 2 or 3 kids stay with her. Is she married or does she have a SO with her? If she does that would put 5 ppl in one room. You may need to check occupancy for the rooms.

 

[AZMermaid]

Is it an option for just you and DH to go and the kids stay home? That would save some money if you really want to attend.

There are two Marriotts in Aruba. We stayed at the Marriott Stellaris on our honeymoon. It is on the beach, the other is downtown. It was really nice and we had enough Marriott points to stay for free for a week. I don't know if that is an option at all, even a night or two could help. We went in early June 2009 and I do know the rate of the hotel went way down closer to the date- I want to say like $150 a night from the $350 it was when we booked.

Dining was pricey, but not moreso than any other vacation place and WAY cheaper than Hawaii. We loved a little place called Salt and Pepper that was pretty inexpensive.

 

[blondietink]

I am also of the opinion that $6000 is too much to go to anybody's wedding. People who have destination weddings really put the pressure on people to come, even when they can't afford it, IMHO. Maybe if they want people to come to their wedding so far away, they need to pay. Give them a nice cash gift and hopefully they will have a reception locally that you can attend.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Have you checked that you need full passports vs. getting just the passport card?

Is your rent/mortgage able to be paid via credit card? If so, then get a Marriott (or other hotel there) Reward credit card and pay your normal expenses with it to get the points. Then, pay it off with the regular money would would normally spend on such things. Don't go into debt, though; pay them right away.

This is going to sound crazy, but why just go for four days? It seems that paying that much for a flight would be more cost effective if you stayed a week and made it your vacation for the year. Have you done all of the Expedia and Priceline and such searches?

Become friends with a travel agent. They are happy to help.

Do you have friends with a timeshare who would "rent" you points for a stay near the wedding?

Is there a timeshare there that you can attend for a free or reduced rate stay in exchange for a sales pitch? (My in-laws do this for fun sometimes.)

I understand. If it were my family, I would be expected to attend and a simple "we don't have the budget" wouldn't fly with my people. And plus, it would be kinda fun for everyone, right?

 

[Swimalie]

Aruba is expensive. They have to import all items but 2 (water and I can't remember the other thing). My husband and I went in 1995 for our honeymoon and were in sticker shock. It is not a place to go budget on at all.

 

[alohamom]

I also amof the opinion that the flight prices could come down. Check on Tuesday/Wednesdays as sales tend to happen then. One of my favorite sites for travel is god old www.hotwire.com especially for combo packages. Plug in your dates and see what comes up, you might be surprised. Anther option might be to rent a house or condo vs an all-inclusive. I know it is more work for you (ie cooking) but could be cheaper. Remember tho you would be buying groceries at island prices so sometimes it isnt worth it. www.vrbo.com is pretty good but this "vacation rental by owner" and you are renting directly from another person, no agency so byer beware, do your homework if you do go that route. Another way would be a blind bidding site like www.priceline.com but not too many all-inclusives there and you need to research before you bid at www.biddingfortravel.com. Also try the site ww.cheapcaribbean.com, they sometimes have specials that are unbeatable. I think if you start looking around you could shave at least 500-1000 off that but not much more, Aruba is a very desirable location and I personally would plan at least 4000 for my family of 4 to get there. Good luck!

 

[JennSaint]

Best advice I can give is try to be as flexible as you can with your dates. But really there are little deals to be had for Aruba. We've been twice. Have you thought about applying for a Delta skymiles credit card? If you and your hubby do it you might be able to save about $500 on airfare. Usually for signing up and making one purchase you receive about 25,000 miles. Delta american express members can use pay with miles feature to receive dollar amounts off airfare. So 25,000 miles is equal to $250 off.
Right now flights around that time are going for $800 per person so you might want to consider budgeting more than $3000.

 

[lastminutemom]

What are your brother in law's expectations? Many people who have destination weddings go into knowing that family/friends won't/can't come?

Is this a vacation you would want to take, if it was more affordable? If not, can you just send your husband, perhaps. When couples make a decision like this, there are certainly going to be people who don't come.

Seven plane tickets make flying anywhere an expensive proposition. (I know you know that already.) There may be sales to Aruba for the summer, but I wouldn't expect less than 400ish a person.

Do you have a travel agency in your town? You might want to sit down with someone there and find out what fares have been historically.

Also, summer is off-season in Aruba and there are sales,

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/aruba/0176020006.html

 

[jjb52]

I am also of the opinion that $6000 is too much to go to anybody's wedding. People who have destination weddings really put the pressure on people to come, even when they can't afford it, IMHO. Maybe if they want people to come to their wedding so far away, they need to pay. Give them a nice cash gift and hopefully they will have a reception locally that you can attend.

Or is a destination wedding a way to keep people from coming? Maybe they don't want anyone there. Have they sent out "save the date" invites or are you assuming they want people at this wedding? Some do not and that is why they go far away. Just my 2 cents worth. If you've been invited and the cost is a burden then just tell them and give a nice gift.

 

[AmandaNied]

Airfare that time of year is going to be expensive. It is 'off season' for Aruba travel, but because of this. They have limited flights to and from Aruba and you'll pay a lot for them. We had planning on going to Aruba last August & the airfare was outrageous.

 

[debraW76]

Thanks everyone for the help. I'll try to answer everyone's questions

My MIL right now is going alone. So she could have 3 in her room and not exceed the occupancy limits.

Yes, it is a real invitation where we are really expected to go. I think they would understand if the children didn't come. But we are expected to go.

They sent out reserve the date cards 6 months ago. Which is when I began searching for deals. I have been searching for 6 months now and haven't found anything that I think is a good deal.

My husband is the best man, so him not going is not an option. We always have the option of him going with his mother and me staying behind with the kids (though DH says he doesn't want to go without me).

It is possible for me and DH to go alone. But my MIL is the only one I trust to keep my kids for that length of time while we are both out of country. And since she is going too... we don't have a lot of options for child care. We haven't eliminated this option and have considered splitting the kids up so that no one has to keep all five.

Passports are $110/adult and $80/child. Plus a $25 acceptance fee per person. That totals $795. Plus photos at $10 per person (our post office is very specific and from other people it is just easier to use a photo service like Walgreens that try to do it yourself). This totals $875.

I have delta skymiles card. We dont use it a lot but have enough points for maybe 1 ticket (and free luggage check for everyone else as a free perk).

I have a timeshare with RCI and can use points to stay. We would still have to pay out of pocket for inclusive plans or eating out and paying OOP. Since most places offered kids eat free if you paid cash, the timeshare points didn't seem to make too much sense. So I held out to see if I could find a better deal.

I am not opposed to light cooking on vacation. I have three that would be perfectly happy eating PB&J for a week. So paying out of pocket and eating some meals in the room is still an option too. Previous posts about high groceries have made me reconsider this as a budget alternative though.

What is everyone's opinion on all inclusive plans? It seems to be a good value if you eat and drink a lot. Our alcohol intake will depend on if the children come or not. (even if they don't come, I am not a big drinker but will probably have one drink a day). I think I could do better (spend less) without an all-inclusive plan. My MIL is getting one. So if we put a child/children in her room they would need the same plan too. It may be too complicated to have three kids on a plan and two not on it)

 

[living20057]

The site skyscanner.com is a good place to find flights. They will show you flexible dates or airports. I think vrbo.com, is a good option. I have used them several times. You can alsontry skyauction.com also gives hotel resorts that are usually offer all inclusive options.

I would look into the passport card, that would cut down on the passport price.

Thanks everyone for the help. I'll try to answer everyone's questions

My MIL right now is going alone. So she could have 3 in her room and not exceed the occupancy limits.

Yes, it is a real invitation where we are really expected to go. I think they would understand if the children didn't come. But we are expected to go.

They sent out reserve the date cards 6 months ago. Which is when I began searching for deals. I have been searching for 6 months now and haven't found anything that I think is a good deal.

My husband is the best man, so him not going is not an option. We always have the option of him going with his mother and me staying behind with the kids (though DH says he doesn't want to go without me).

It is possible for me and DH to go alone. But my MIL is the only one I trust to keep my kids for that length of time while we are both out of country. And since she is going too... we don't have a lot of options for child care. We haven't eliminated this option and have considered splitting the kids up so that no one has to keep all five.

Passports are $110/adult and $80/child. Plus a $25 acceptance fee per person. That totals $795. Plus photos at $10 per person (our post office is very specific and from other people it is just easier to use a photo service like Walgreens that try to do it yourself). This totals $875.

I have delta skymiles card. We dont use it a lot but have enough points for maybe 1 ticket (and free luggage check for everyone else as a free perk).

I have a timeshare with RCI and can use points to stay. We would still have to pay out of pocket for inclusive plans or eating out and paying OOP. Since most places offered kids eat free if you paid cash, the timeshare points didn't seem to make too much sense. So I held out to see if I could find a better deal.

I am not opposed to light cooking on vacation. I have three that would be perfectly happy eating PB&J for a week. So paying out of pocket and eating some meals in the room is still an option too. Previous posts about high groceries have made me reconsider this as a budget alternative though.

What is everyone's opinion on all inclusive plans? It seems to be a good value if you eat and drink a lot. Our alcohol intake will depend on if the children come or not. (even if they don't come, I am not a big drinker but will probably have one drink a day). I think I could do better (spend less) without an all-inclusive plan. My MIL is getting one. So if we put a child/children in her room they would need the same plan too. It may be too complicated to have three kids on a plan and two not on it)

 

[debraW76]

The site skyscanner.com is a good place to find flights. They will show you flexible dates or airports. I think vrbo.com, is a good option. I have used them several times. You can alsontry skyauction.com also gives hotel resorts that are usually offer all inclusive options.

I would look into the passport card, that would cut down on the passport price.

From my understanding, the passport card is not valid for international travel by air. It is only valid if you are driving to mexico or canada, or if you are travelling by sea.

http://travel.state.gov/pdf/ppt_pptCard.pdf

I think the passport cost is a set fee for my budget.

 

[AZMermaid]

From my understanding, the passport card is not valid for international travel by air. It is only valid if you are driving to mexico or canada, or if you are travelling by sea.
.

Correct.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Where is the wedding taking place? What all-inclusive resort are you currently pricing?

All-inclusive plans are not necessary in Aruba. There are a ton of awesome dining options to choose from. The food is delicious and in my opinion eating just at your AI resort would mean missing out on lots of great places on the island. There are 2 for 1 happy hour deals at most bars along Palm Beach. If you are gambling at the resort casinos such as the Hyatt you could get free drinks. The rehearsal dinner and wedding dinner should be two meals you can take off your list for budgeting.

You may want to consider renting a timeshare unit, perhaps at Marriott or Playa Linda.

ETA: Many travel packages include round trip bus/van transfers between airport and resort. So you may want to see if that was an inclusion in your pricing.

 

[winjos]

Loved our super BUDGET trip to Aruba. Summer is the low season, so you should be able to find deals.

Here's what we spent:

**FF miles from Reno to Aruba and then back to Raleigh -- $60 in taxes per person(I think the flights were running around $600 RT from Raleigh)
**We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment with a kitchen at Cunucu Resort -- 4 nights @ $340 total
**Tiny rental car perfect for 2 people at $120.
**We went to the grocery store and bought food and drinks -- less than $100
**Snorkeled and swam at the beach -- $0
**Walked around and had a few drinks -- $75 or so

I think after all was said and done, we spent around $700 for 4 nights/5 days in Aruba. We ate well, enjoyed the relaxing beaches and window shopping, saw Harry Potter 3D for $5.50 per person, and never felt that we were budgeting.

I think if you look around, you can find some deals. The island is tiny (and very very windy), so to drive around is no big deal.

Good luck!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We took thge kids to Aruba last summer. Same week you are going. Even using my moms timeshare at the Occidental and only paying for the all-inclusive plan, the trip with airfare was over $4000 when all was said and done.

Our airfare out of Pittsburgh was about $500 a person. We had our passports but we did do quite a few extras also.

Aruba is very Americanized so there are many eateries, but they are still expensive. No dollar menus or $5 footlongs.

I told DH I would go and stay non-allinclusive if it was the 2 of us, but with the kids, it was nice to know where we were going for dinner and all was paid for. Even if you're not alcoholic drinkers, those cokes, smoothies and such will add up also.

I think it would be difficult to do Aruba cheap with 3 kids. On a side note, it is a gorgeous island and the kids talk constantly about wanting to go back.

 

[jcemom]

$6000? Wow!

I guess I will never be going to Aruba.

I sure hope you can find a better deal than that. I can't think of anywhere I'd be willing to spend that much money on for only 4 days, but then we are really barely a middle class income family, so that's A LOT of money to us...$1500 per day. EEk.

Good luck!