Where do you vacation during "Festive Season"?

[dwlevin]

So I am off to plan our Dec 26 2008 - Jan 4 2009 trip for next year already. This year we were in SBH from Jan 1-Jan 12 2008 (great trip) and were able to avoid the high season/festive season surcharge.

However, this coming holiday season, we don't have the flexibility with our dates. Does everyone find that villa prices in resort/beach locales are outrageous across the board? Is it just accepted that one needs to spend upwards of $2500/night for nice 3+ bedroom villa accomodations (I note that I am looking for locations that are in developed areas that are child friendly)? Our choices seem dismal at the moment...Hawaii and Cabo (ughh) are at the top of the list...

Would love some insight from this group for (i) where you travel during this time (if at all) and (ii) some suggestions for alternate locations.

SBH is out for us -- probably for a while. Its just too expensive with all of us traveling in light of the dollar's weakening. Hope to be back in late 2009/early 2010.....

[MIke R]

this is coming for someone who doesnt travel in festive season but works in resorts during festive season....I have worked in tropical and mountain resorts during my way too many years doing this gig...and here is the poop as I see it...

some people have no choice because of jobs and kids....but it really is not a way to see a resort in all its glory..everywhere is packed...lines for almost eveything....everything is at full price and in a LOT of cases over full price ( see Economics 101 - Chapter 1 on Supply and Demand )....temporary employees who dont have a vested interest in the outcome of anything other than their paycheck are working everywhere to help handle the overload ....people on both sides of the equation get crabbier as the week progresses....people who are in the service business are working very long hours, with little sleep and lots of stress so they are not putting their best foot forward either...and on and on.....now some people are actually ok with all that and have fun anyway and thats fine....we in the tourism biz make anywhere from 25 to 40% of our annual income in any given year during that time period so we like the fact that thousands of people can overlook the obvious disadvantages and come anyway and have a good time at full price and then some.....but I can tell you that most of my customers I talk to in my shops hate the fact that they have to vacation during that time period and would love to go another time....they see it all as a much diluted experience and a necessary evil which must be endured more than enjoyed....

St Barts is very mainstream in its Christmas pricing ..its the same everywhere...my ski rental condo rates triple for that week and my minimum stays go up.. nothing is on sale in the shops, lift tickets go up in price and so forth and so on......


and to avoid the masses and have a great time in a great place that week Im sure involves coughin up serious coin

take Dorothys advice as she closed her eyes, hugged Toto, clicked her heels three times and recited that infamous saying