If you are one of the lucky few who can be flexible in vacation
travel, taking fall vacations can be a great bargain for you.
There are a number of special things going on to capatalize on
plus summer venues still looking for the last of the tourist
dollar.
Top summer destinations are usually great fall bargains. The
weather can still be gorgeious and the crowds gone. Take a look
at Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard during this time. Hawaii is
typically a bargain in September. The summer crowds clear out
and there are a few months before the holiday crowds start to
come in.
Look to Europe during this time, too. Many cities emptying out
from the summer tourist crush are still hungry for visitors.
Weather can be great and look for speacial deals on packages
that combine airfare, hotel and transfers plus a tour or two.
Colder European destinations can be a special bargain and look
for great deals to Russia and Scandinavia around this time of
year.
For other ideas look to respositioning cruises. This is when
cruises lines move their ships around to follow the sun. Most
people want to cruise to the warmest, most pleasant regions of
the world. Ships float and therefore they can pick up and just
move from one side of the world to another to follow the sun.
Most Alaska, Europe, Mediterranean and Bermuda cruises, for
instance, are offered in the summer when the weather is the best
in those regions. For cruises to South America, the preferred
time is winter (our winter, when it’s summertime in the southern
hemisphere). The Caribbean is warm year-round, though since
hurricane season stretches from June through November, the
optimal time to cruise the islands is winter and spring, though
many ships are there year-round. In Asia, since much of the
cruising region is near or just north of the equator, temps are
very warm year round, though the wintertime months are slightly
more comfortable.
To be in all of these places at the right time, ships reposition
from one region to another, typically between seasons, during
the months of September and October and April and May. These
one-off oddball itineraries are called repositioning cruises and
they’re often deeply discounted because most don’t include a
whole lot of port calls. Many are two to three weeks in length,
with a long, lazy stretch at sea crossing the Atlantic, Pacific
or Indian oceans — perfect for people who don’t need too much
action, though many lines feature guest lecturers and special
entertainment and activities revolving around music, food, wine
or other topics.
You’ll find some repositioning cruises that don’t include
crossing over vast oceans and therefore offer more ports of call
— for example, when ships move between the Caribbean and New
England/Canada, stopping at points on the eastern coast of the
US along the way. There are a slew of options.
Get the most for your dollar and travel in the fall! See you on
the road