Aulani or Rci trade to Caribbean?

[emmababy]

We are planning a trip just dh and I for next Summer for our 10th Anniversary.
Hawaii sounds amazing but the flight sounds like a nightmare!

So, these are my options I am thinking

Fly to San Diego for 2 days and enjoy that area, golf, in n out burger. Then fly to aulani from Sunday and check out Saturday and fly all the way home and have a day to sleep. My best research says that will be about $1200 each for airfare. What's my chances of getting a studio in June? So, room is included, but everything else is spendy, so total trip would be 4k or so. But it is a bucket list trip!

Or

Use rci to trade to Aruba or Punta Cana. Punta Cana would have an AI fee...those islands have expensive airfare, probably $1200 total and then $1000 for AI. And that's even if the trade works

Or

Go to Puerto Rico, quick flight, only $600 total, same time zone but no AI..or pay for our own AI.

So, I am trying to do a very special trip but balance costs too. Any tips would be great on experiences and balancing costs...

 

[Anal Annie]

I can tell you that I have been to a few islands in the Caribbean (including Aruba on our honeymoon) and I have been to Hawaii 4 times (5th trip coming up to visit Aulani this August) and Hawaii is the only destination that gives us the urge & desire to go back to. Forget how long it takes to GET THERE. I wouldn't call the flights a nightmare. But Hawaii is the only one of your choices that's still in the US (so no passports or foreign currency to deal with). The language is beautiful to listen to and each island is unique and has its own personality. I would vote for CA / Hawaii hands down. Yes, flights are expensive but if you have never been before then I say go for it.

We were able to get an OV studio at Aulani for August. I think June may be a little harder to get because the points are lower for a good portion of the month so you may need to be flexible with your dates just a little bit. I booked our flights in Feb., not too long after we booked the trip. We're also stopping in CA on the way (but at DL not SD). I think that added to the cost of the flights and I ended up booking separate legs to get the best price. You are pretty close on the amount to budget for for airfare although you may find it for a little less if you shop it right. We paid $1,074 pp incl our flight to Maui (and when I checked the prices on our flights a couple days ago just because I can't help but watch) the same ones I booked were up to $1,600 so I'm pretty confident booking them early was the right decision. We are hopping to Maui (our fav. island) for a few nights after our week at Aulani - that also added to the cost of our flights because I wanted to fly home from Maui with only 1 stop - I didn't want to fly back to HNL and then have to transfer again someplace on the mainland. I think flights in / out of HNL are typically cheaper than out of Maui. But I've done this trip 4 times before and I want to keep the overall duration as short as possible so we will just have the one connection. We will also leave on a Saturday - but to give us one last full day on Maui we'll be flying out at night so by the time we get back to the east coast it will be late afternoon / early evening on Sunday.

 

[emmababy]

I can tell you that I have been to a few islands in the Caribbean (including Aruba on our honeymoon) and I have been to Hawaii 4 times (5th trip coming up to visit Aulani this August) and Hawaii is the only destination that gives us the urge & desire to go back to. Forget how long it takes to GET THERE. I wouldn't call the flights a nightmare. But Hawaii is the only one of your choices that's still in the US (so no passports or foreign currency to deal with). The language is beautiful to listen to and each island is unique and has its own personality. I would vote for CA / Hawaii hands down. Yes, flights are expensive but if you have never been before then I say go for it.

We were able to get an OV studio at Aulani for August. I think June may be a little harder to get because the points are lower for a good portion of the month so you may need to be flexible with your dates just a little bit. I booked our flights in Feb., not too long after we booked the trip. We're also stopping in CA on the way (but at DL not SD). I think that added to the cost of the flights and I ended up booking separate legs to get the best price. You are pretty close on the amount to budget for for airfare although you may find it for a little less if you shop it right. We paid $1,074 pp incl our flight to Maui (and when I checked the prices on our flights a couple days ago just because I can't help but watch) the same ones I booked were up to $1,600 so I'm pretty confident booking them early was the right decision. We are hopping to Maui (our fav. island) for a few nights after our week at Aulani - that also added to the cost of our flights because I wanted to fly home from Maui with only 1 stop - I didn't want to fly back to HNL and then have to transfer again someplace on the mainland. I think flights in / out of HNL are typically cheaper than out of Maui. But I've done this trip 4 times before and I want to keep the overall duration as short as possible so we will just have the one connection. We will also leave on a Saturday - but to give us one last full day on Maui we'll be flying out at night so by the time we get back to the east coast it will be late afternoon / early evening on Sunday.

Thanks for all your input. Can you compare Aulani vs Maui to me? Everyone says Maui is much better. Will we be disappointed with Oahu and Aulani? We were also considering Puerto Rico, since its still US and short flight..

 

[Happy99]

Oahu has more going on and some nightlife if you are looking for that, you would have to go to other parts of the island though not much near Aulani. Maui is quieter and more of an island feel where Oahu has more city like feel even though there are great areas on the island too

I would do some looking around at photos and decide if you are planning mostly to lay around the hotel or do more on the island and that will help with your decision

My DS liked Oahu better, they thought Maui was too quiet. we like both

 

[Anal Annie]

Thanks for all your input. Can you compare Aulani vs Maui to me? Everyone says Maui is much better. Will we be disappointed with Oahu and Aulani? We were also considering Puerto Rico, since its still US and short flight..

We actually have not been to Aulani yet. We've stayed in Waikiki on all of our previous trips and will be spending a week at Aulani in August. Waikiki is basically still Honolulu and it is a big city with traffic and a nice beach and a nice view of Diamond Head. It's full of shopping and restaurants, tourists and tons of hotels. But it's still a big city. With Aulani being 45 minutes out it's going to have a more resort feel and that's why we decided to stay for a whole week rather than just our usual 2 or 3 nights...it will be more secluded and relaxing. We plan to take the time to do some things we have not done on any of our previous trips like going to the North Shore & taking surf lessons. We have also always said Oahu is our least fav. island but I anticipate that will change once we've stayed at Aulani. People say that because staying in Waikiki is like going to Miami. It's a city.

Maui on the other hand doesn't really have ANY big cities. It has towns but they're small, quaint and more intimate. You can walk from one end of Lahaina to the other end along the ocean. There are 2 primary resort areas on Maui. Wailea and Ka'anapali. Wailea is sort of what I call the high rent district. This is where they tuck resorts like the Fairmont, the Four Seasons and the Grand Wailea along with all the pricey designer shops. We stayed in Wailea once but felt more at home in Ka'anapali so this is where we usually stay. Ka'anapali is next to the whaler's village of Lahaina. The resorts here while still nice (the Marriott, Hyatt and Westin are here) are more spread out. There are also a lot of independent smaller resorts. The resorts on Maui are on acres & acres vs 10 feet away from each other like they are in Waikiki. Maui is more rural and relaxing. You can go to the top of Haleakala crater for sunrise (it's above the clouds, very cold because it's so high up, takes forever to get to but is the most BREATHTAKING sight), take snorkeling excursions to Molokini or just snorkel off-shore or spend the day on the little island of Lanai or spend a day driving the road to Hana (beautiful).

I do not anticipate being disappointed with Aulani and fully expect it to be able to compare it with Maui. But because Hawaii is so far to go and so expensive to get to we would not go to Hawaii without island hopping to at least 1 other island. We're starting out our trip with 4 nights at DL then we're going to Aulani for 7 nights and then Maui for 3 nights or otherwise we might have added another island if we weren't already up to 2 full weeks on this trip. (We converted Amex. Reward points to Starwood points and are using those to stay at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas on Maui - we only had enough points to get 3 nights tho which is how we ended up only going there for 3 nights). If we'd had enough for 4 nights then we'd have probably cut Aulani to 5 or 6 nights and upgraded from a studio to a 1 bedroom. But this is how it worked out. We just couldn't NOT go to Maui again while we were there. I really advise trying to visit more than 1 island while you're there if it's at all possible. A 10 day trip between a couple islands works out pretty good if you can do that.

 

[allforpooh]

I think it would depend on how much you really want to go to Hawaii? If you don't go will you regret it. That said, we love the Caribbean. Our favorite is St Thomas/St John, but also really enjoyed PR, and the BVI. Keep in mind the type of island it is and what you would be looking for. For example Aruba is more dry, not tropical. We had a nice time in Aruba, but would probably not go back. When we go to ST Thomas we usually take a 6am flight out of Detroit and land in St Thomas around 1:30, but coming back usually takes all day.

 

[emmababy]

I think it would depend on how much you really want to go to Hawaii? If you don't go will you regret it. That said, we love the Caribbean. Our favorite is St Thomas/St John, but also really enjoyed PR, and the BVI. Keep in mind the type of island it is and what you would be looking for. For example Aruba is more dry, not tropical. We had a nice time in Aruba, but would probably not go back. When we go to ST Thomas we usually take a 6am flight out of Detroit and land in St Thomas around 1:30, but coming back usually takes all day.

Can you tell me about your experiences at St. John and PR? Where did you stay? Those appeal to me because I like to Explore and get off the resort. Also, not needing a passport or going through customs appeals to me too. My sister owns timeshare at Palace resorts and I could go to punta cana, but I really think I would get stir crazy sitting by pool or beach all week...

When we went to Mexico, I liked going to Playa del Carmen and puerto aventuras.

 

[mtdsnylvr]

We just returned from Oahu. My husband had meetings all week in Honolulu. I snuck out to Aulani for two nights. First, it was fantastic. I wish my kids were still little, it would be heaven. I was impressed with the resort and LOVED being out of Honolulu. There is not a lot to do at the resort but excursions are offered. I had a rental car so could drive to hikes, go to the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, etc.
We have been to St. John twice and love it. We rented a townhouse once and a home once. There are lots of rental agencies for that there. You will need a car in St. John.
You are looking at two different experiences ocean wise as well. The Caribbean is calmer, warmer and the snorkeling is better. In Hawaii, you have rougher surf, but it's beautiful, you can watch surfers, and I think it is so interesting to learn about the history.
The flight back from Hawaii is the bad one, at least for us. We fly part of the night so no sleep there and all those lost hours. We gave ourselves an extra day to catch up on sleep before returning to work.
I don't think you can make a bad choice. Enjoy!

 

[Anal Annie]

St. John is beautiful and it's neat to drive on the left side of the road. We stayed at the Westin there which was beautiful. We went for a destination wedding that my DH was in at Caneel Bay. (We couldn't afford to stay over there plus they don't have TV's so not good for a 6 yr old.) Alot of people rent homes or lofts on St. John because there are few hotels and it's cheaper. I agree that the 2 oceans are nothing alike but we have found our best snorkeling ever in Hawaii. Especially off the coast of the Big Island just south of Kona. But if it's rough it doesn't matter where you are. We went on one excursion on St. John where it was really rough because of an impending storm. The boat was tossing & turning and bouncing and it was virtually impossible to snorkel because we were being tossed around so bad. The crew was talking about staying away from Fire Coral if we saw any and it scared our DS (who was only like 6 or 7 then) so he refused to even get off the boat. Our next best snorkeling experience was in the Bahamas when we were at Castaway Cay on one of our DCL cruises. I think a lot of it had to do with the conditions. It was a crystal clear, calm and a PERFECT day for it.

We have also visited Cozumel on the Atlantic side and the Mexican Riviera on the western coast of Mexico. Snorkeling in Cozumel was like looking thru glass - the water was so clear but there is a very strong current around that island so you need to be a good swimmer (or SHOULD be a good swimmer). We attempted to snorkel in Cabo San Lucas once and the water was FREEZING. We jumped off the boat and swam to the closest ladder and climbed right back on!! Glad we went to Mexico when we did because I am not sure we'd return to very many places now with the unrest there these days. IDK if maybe it's just his security clearance and rank but my BIL is career army and he is forbidden to even GO to anyplace in Mexico (they would like to do a cruise but could never do a Western Caribbean because of this even if they didn't get off the ship in the port). Knowing that he is not allowed to go AT ALL makes me think it should be avoided as a vacation destination for now.

We haven't been yet but I hear that PR is very nice and yes, the flights are cheaper. But to me it just seems like it would be more of a "can go anytime" destination, sort of like going to the Bahamas. Like a good quick long weekend get-away rather than an anniversary trip. But if that's all that fits your budget then go there.

OP - you need to set your budget and think about if you think you will ever really plan another trip to Hawaii. When I went to Hawaii the first time I realllllly thought it would be the ONLY time I ever went. I went with my Mom and it was our only Mom / Daughter trip that we've ever done together. But I loved it so much and once I hooked up with DH every time we went someplace together I kept comparing it to Hawaii so he said HE needed to go to see it. Once he made his first trip he agreed that no place else could compare so we keep going back. Other than cruises and Europe it's the only destination that whispers "come back...come back" to us. There is so much to do in Hawaii and I love that it is one of our 50 states!

 

[emmababy]

Thanks everyone! I am so torn on how t choose. We have 3 kids, so anywhere we go we arent likely to go again due to the expense. so, I'm ready to get pampered. We only have 8days, so I feel Hawaii would be too rushed with losing a day there and back.

We originally thought of a cruise, then that whole Carnival nightmare happened. I thought that would be a fun way to see a lot of places and stil. Be active. But I deal with crowds at WDW, don't really want to deal with there, lol. But, this way we could see St. John and such and then know which we would like..

My sis has a week at Hard Rock at punta Cana for only $2300,, but I don't think I can stay only at a resort all week. I can't sit still for long, lol!

Too many choices lol!

 

[islandtimect]

A 10th anniversary is special, especially when you have 3 kids, so do something that'll make a great memory for you and your hubby. It's very hard to trade into RCI unless your dates and resort are flexible. Plus most of RCI's Caribbean resorts are NOT up to DVC standards, including on Aruba. The ones you might consider are Windjammer Landing on ST Lucia and Sandals Ochos Rios. We stayed at Windjammer 12 years ago and it was beautiful, but in a remote area. Sandals is wonderful because it's only adults and their service is great, but don't leave the property much in Jamaica. DH's Puerto Rican coworkers don't recommend visiting PR due to crime. I visited there several times many years ago, and while the food is great, the driving was crazy.

I understand it's hard to book Aulani in June, so you might consider travelling at a less busy time. Even if that's when our actual anniversary date is. Another option is to rent out a year or two of points, and use the cash to book a Caribbean resort for cash. If you decide to do that, I can recommend some nice resorts and islands depending on what you like to do.

I've stayed on most of the Caribbean islands, and 3 Hawaiian islands, and all have pros and cons. If you want a more active vacation, Oahu is beautiful and has plenty to do. I've stayed on Oahu, Maui and Kaui, and while all these islands are gorgeous, you won't be disappointed with Oahu at all. Rent a car couple of days and travel to the central, north, and east side of Oahu. See the USS Arizona, hike . Diamond Head. The rest of the time, enjoy Aulani. You don't need to spend much time in the busy Waikiki area.

Sorry if I complicated your decision...

 

[Anal Annie]

Thanks everyone! I am so torn on how t choose. We have 3 kids, so anywhere we go we are t likely to go again. We only have 8days, so I feel Hawaii would be too rushed with losing a day there and back.

We originally thought of a cruise, the that whole Carnival nightmare happened. I thought that would be a fun way to see a lot of places and stil. Be active. But I deal with crowds at WDW, don't really want to deal with there, lol. But, this way we could see St. John and such and then know which we would like..

My sis has a week at Hard Rock at punta Cana, but I don't thi k I can stay only at a resort all week. I can't sit still for long, lol!

Too many choices lol!

OK, I'm confused. Are you taking the kids along with you or are you not taking them and having an adults only trip? If you're not taking them then it's the perfect time to go to Hawaii when you're not paying for so many flights... The first time I went to Hawaii I only went for a week and I did 2 islands (Oahu and Maui). My next shortest trip was for 9 nights and we did 3 islands. So 8 nights is definitely doable especially if you're only planning to do 1 island although longer is always better (but that's true with any vacation). Don't get hung up on the jet lag. It goes away (eventually).

If you want to do a cruise do a DCL not Carnival. Cruises really are fabulous. Esp. with kids - it's like they get their own vacation while you get yours because they have so many adult only areas and the kids clubs are built-in babysitters if your youngest is old enough to go alone (ie that usually means potty trained). The nice thing about cruises is that it's like an AI and you only have to unpack once yet get to experience different places.

Personally I wouldn't be happy going someplace where it's only safe if I stayed at the resort all week. We like to sightsee and I wouldn't like being tethered to one place.

My 1st choice would be Hawaii then 2nd choice a cruise. Third choice some island in the Caribbean... Anxious to hear what you decide...

 

[Teacher Princess]

A 10th anniversary is special, especially when you have 3 kids, so do something that'll make a great memory for you and your hubby. It's very hard to trade into RCI unless your dates and resort are flexible. Plus most of RCI's Caribbean resorts are NOT up to DVC standards, including on Aruba. The ones you might consider are Windjammer Landing on ST Lucia and Sandals Ochos Rios. We stayed at Windjammer 12 years ago and it was beautiful, but in a remote area. Sandals is wonderful because it's only adults and their service is great, but don't leave the property much in Jamaica. DH's Puerto Rican friends do NOT recommend visiting PR due to drug violence. I visited there several times many years ago, and while the food is great, the driving was crazy.

I understand it's hard to book Aulani in June, so you might consider travelling at a less busy time. Even if that's when our actual anniversary date is. Another option is to rent out a year or two of points, and use the cash to book a Caribbean resort for cash. If you decide to do that, I can recommend some nice resorts and islands depending on what you like to do.

I've stayed on most of the Caribbean islands, and 3 Hawaiian islands, and all have pros and cons. If you want a more active vacation, Oahu is beautiful and has plenty to do. I've stayed on Oahu, Maui and Kaui, and while all these islands are gorgeous, you won't be disappointed with Oahu at all. Rent a car couple of days and travel to the central, north, and east side of Oahu. See the USS Arizona, hike . Diamond Head. The rest of the time, enjoy Aulani. You don't need to spend much time in the busy Waikiki area.

Sorry if I complicated your decision...

Puerto Rico its not as violent as you been told..
There are some beautiful touristic areas to see and now the Disney cruises are arriving to the San Juan ports as well .. Other pp don't let what other people may told you about my hometown change your opinion and perspective .. There is not perfect country in the world IMHO .. And violence and drugs exist even and sadly in the USA as well...yes my hometown is far from perfect but still there is too much to see and enjoy in P.R.

Army wife and Esl teacher.

 

[Dean]

Thanks everyone! I am so torn on how t choose. We have 3 kids, so anywhere we go we are t likely to go again. We only have 8days, so I feel Hawaii would be too rushed with losing a day there and back.

We originally thought of a cruise, the that whole Carnival nightmare happened. I thought that would be a fun way to see a lot of places and stil. Be active. But I deal with crowds at WDW, don't really want to deal with there, lol. But, this way we could see St. John and such and then know which we would like..

My sis has a week at Hard Rock at punta Cana, but I don't thi k I can stay only at a resort all week. I can't sit still for long, lol!

Too many choices lol!

For 8 days I likely wouldn't do either but would put the Caribbean higher than HI with those choices in mind. Aruba would be my first choice, I don't do AI's. Are you thinking of taking the kids. Air +/- AI fees would be pretty dramatic for 5. If you're thinking AI, check for options for MX & the DR directly to compare. Make sure you investigate the quality and cost as well as what is and is not covered for any AI.

I pulled out one for DR (Reserve at Paradisis) which has an AI fee of $145 a person per day for that time, 1/2 price for 2-12. I chose this one because I know someone who is going there for her wedding next year. They did have a one kid free with prepayment special but the cutoff date has passed.

If you have to chose one from that line of thinking it's be Aruba. I don't see anything for Aruba right now for June this year except for the AI hotel units. I'd try to rent at the Marriott, Playa Linda, Costa Linda, La Cabana, New Divi or Casa Del Mar as my main list.

 

[emmababy]

For 8 days I likely wouldn't do either but would put the Caribbean higher than HI with those choices in mind. Aruba would be my first choice, I don't do AI's. Are you thinking of taking the kids. Air +/- AI fees would be pretty dramatic for 5. If you're thinking AI, check for options for MX & the DR directly to compare. Make sure you investigate the quality and cost as well as what is and is not covered for any AI.

I pulled out one for DR (Reserve at Paradisis) which has an AI fee of $145 a person per day for that time, 1/2 price for 2-12. I chose this one because I know someone who is going there for her wedding next year. They did have a one kid free with prepayment special but the cutoff date has passed.

If you have to chose one from that line of thinking it's be Aruba. I don't see anything for Aruba right now for June this year except for the AI hotel units. I'd try to rent at the Marriott, Playa Linda, Costa Linda, La Cabana, New Divi or Casa Del Mar as my main list.

Thanks! No, we aren't taking kids. This will be for our 10th anniversary and first major trip we have taken since our wedding, besides WDW! I would like to be able to shop and experience a little local flavor where we go. That's what turns me off from PC. We got married in Mexico at Aventuras Palace. Loved it and wouldn't mind going back but wanted to experience somewhere else....

Someone told me that Aruba rolls up at 7 and the island goes to sleep...

 

[Dean]

Thanks! No, we aren't taking kids. This will be for our 10th anniversary and first major trip we have taken since our wedding, besides WDW! I would like to be able to shop and experience a little local flavor where we go. That's what turns me off from PC. We got married in Mexico at Aventuras Palace. Loved it and wouldn't mind going back but wanted to experience somewhere else....

Someone told me that Aruba rolls up at 7 and the island goes to sleep...

There are things to do in Aruba after hours if one wants. If you want safe, activities, good restaurants and somewhere you can experience the local flavor somewhat, I'd say Cancun, Aruba and St. Martin are likely the best Caribbean oriented options. Add to that Cabo and maybe Puerto Vallarta for MX. Bermuda also comes to mind. We don't do AI's because we like to get off the property and explore and restaurants are at the head of that list.

 

[islandtimect]

We've been to Aruba twice, and as long as you stay on one of the popular beaches where most of the resorts are, it definitely does NOT roll up at 7pm. Any resort with a large casino will have evening activities. But your biggest issue if trading out to RCI will be being able to trade at all. If I were in your situation, I'd shoot for Aulani first.

 

[allforpooh]

Can you tell me about your experiences at St. John and PR? Where did you stay? Those appeal to me because I like to Explore and get off the resort. Also, not needing a passport or going through customs appeals to me too. My sister owns timeshare at Palace resorts and I could go to punta cana, but I really think I would get stir crazy sitting by pool or beach all week...

When we went to Mexico, I liked going to Playa del Carmen and puerto aventuras.

We stay at the Marriott Frenchman's Cove St Thomas. We always take the ferry to St John at least a couple of times. We go to Red Hook for the Ferry, after getting off of the ferry we take an open air taxi to one of the beaches, to swim, snorkel or a little hiking in the National Park. At the end of the day we head back to Cruz Bay for a little shopping and dinner before heading back on the ferry. When we go in May this year we are going to try one of the kayaking tours there. We have also done a few tours on a sail boat that goes to St John for snorkeling.

Another option even though you have to have your passport (pretty painless) is to take a Sail Boat trip to the BVI, its one of our favoirte things to do. This year we are actually flying into St Thomas, taking the ferry to the BVI to stay for 5 nights then back to St Thomas for the rest of our trip.

When we went to San Juan, PR we did almost the same thing, we flew to San Juan for a 3 day layover and then onto St Thomas. We stayed on MR points at the La Concha Renaissance Resort, it was a little away from town on a gorgeous beach. The resort was really nice, and staff was very friendly. We took taxi's into town to visit the Fort's and do some shopping. There were several good places to eat around the hotel.

Denise

 

[emmababy]

We stay at the Marriott Frenchman's Cove St
When we went to San Juan, PR we did almost the same thing, we flew to San Juan for a 3 day layover and then onto St Thomas. We stayed on MR points at the La Concha Renaissance Resort, it was a little away from town on a gorgeous beach. The resort was really nice, and staff was very friendly. We took taxi's into town to visit the Fort's and do some shopping. There were several good places to eat around the hotel.

Denise

Can i ask how you got to St Thomas from San Juan?

 

[Dean]

We've been to Aruba twice, and as long as you stay on one of the popular beaches where most of the resorts are, it definitely does NOT roll up at 7pm. Any resort with a large casino will have evening activities. But your biggest issue if trading out to RCI will be being able to trade at all. If I were in your situation, I'd shoot for Aulani first.

For week 51-16 it is a tough trade, not so much for summer with planning, esp for an ongoing search put in a full year out or more.

Can i ask how you got to St Thomas from San Juan?

Jet Blue has a direct flight as does Cape Air, Searborne and Air Sunshine it appears. I have no experience with the later 3. Fare compare says 9 airlines operate between the 2 but I suspect part of those are not non stop. There are a few other smaller carriers in the Caribbean, some of those may make this trip as well.