It may seem far away, but prices are rising and spots are filling up for 2008 spring break trips. No matter where you feel like going, a little jump start doesn’t hurt.
There are 152 days until that weeklong breath of fresh air in the middle of the second semester.
Maybe it’s nowhere near time to pick out a bathing suit or start that pre-spring break workout, but planning for the time away from lecture halls and textbooks is a different story.
For a fairy tale spring break trip, start now.
Get the deals
Monica Modzelewski’s high school senior year spring break cruise went off without a hitch.
But the general business administration sophomore had to start planning it with a travel agency in November to get it to be just what she wanted.
“It worked out really well,” she said. “Everything went really smoothly.”
As that week in spring — March 3-7, 2008 — gets closer, spring break package prices rise at places like Sun Splash Tours Inc., which is based in New Jersey but books trips for students around the country.
“With our company — and many others — we have what is called an early booking incentive,” said Jill Fratella, a sales representative for the company. “The cheapest prices are from September to November.”
Not only do nonprocrastinating customers get cheaper prices, but other things are added into some packages, such as free meal plans, Fratella said.
If the trip is booked before Nov. 1, the initial deposit is cheaper.
“It’s normally $100 but we’re letting students pay $80 for deposits,” she said.
MSU Alternative Spring Break, or ASB — a spring break trip geared toward service projects and exploring cultures of different areas — started taking applications Monday, said Judie Stork, ASB co-chairperson.
“Alternative Spring Break is a good opportunity for people who want to do something different than the typical ‘get drunk for a week and spend a lot of money’ kind of spring break,” the international relations and Spanish senior said.
The trips have spots for 12 people — two site leaders, one site staff adviser and nine participants — so like normal spring break, spots for more popular trips tend to fill up quickly.
Pick a location
From a crazy party city to a relaxing beach, there’s a place for everyone.
“If they don’t know where to go, we try to narrow down the choices by finding out what their ideal daytime and nighttime activities are,” Fratella said.
Fratella recommends Acapulco or Cancun for pool parties and big clubs, but said there also are options for those who want a little bit more of a lax setting.
“If they prefer a more laid-back atmosphere with open air beach bars and a casual dress code, we push them toward Jamaica or Costa Rica,” Fratella said. “For those who merely want a relaxing trip, want their food and drinks included at the hotel and like to lie on the beach we offer them info on Punta Cana.”
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A cruise is the way to go if you’re not content with staying in just one place, said Stacia DeNoyer, operations manager for Passageways Travel, 3032 E. Lake Lansing Road.
“It’s a great way to go if you want to see a bunch of different destinations and be entertained all the time,” she said.
On a cruise, one person in the group must be 25 or older and the drinking age is 21 for all lines, DeNoyer said.
Mexico is typically the most cost-friendly place to travel out of the country, and Florida is a popular state for those who don’t want to stray too far, DeNoyer said.
But the state still has its drawbacks — such as gas prices and unpredictable weather.
A trip to Miami takes about 22 hours to drive. For a car that gets 17 miles per gallon on $3 per gallon of gas, that would end up costing about $255 one way.
“You’re taking chances heading to Florida,” DeNoyer said. “It can be in the 80s, but it can be in the 50s.”
If location doesn’t matter, ASB is the way to go.
The trips are based around social issues, and locations come second.
“For pre-med students there’s a trip in Georgia in a hospital and they do a lot of shadowing of doctors there,” Stork said.
Other ASB trips focus on issues such as disabilities, health and immigration, and Stork said she has been on trips to Puerto Rico and Costa Rica in the past.
This year, one of the more popular destinations is New Orleans for disaster relief.
Choose your amenities
Not having to carry around cash was one of the biggest reasons Modzelewski opted for an all-inclusive cruise.
And it’s the same reason she said her 2008 spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas will most likely be all-inclusive as well.
“All I needed was spending money for the islands,” she said. “It’s less likely to get stolen.”
The choice between all-inclusive — where meals and drinks are included in the stay — or not is all a matter of preference, Fratella said.
Standard packages, which usually run around $900, are not all-inclusive, she said, but for $500-$600 more, food and drink can be added on.
“If you’re going with a large group of people, hanging by the pool all day and don’t mind leaving the hotel to eat and stuff, not all-inclusive is the way to go,” she said.
In places such as Jamaica, Fratella said, it’s OK to have a trip that isn’t all-inclusive.
“Everything is so close together,” she said. “There are seven miles of beaches. You’re going to want to walk along the beach everywhere you go.”
Many travel agencies also offer party passes, which can range from $150 to $215.
The passes give spring breakers the opportunity to get into a different open bar party every night for free instead of waiting in line and paying about $15 to $20 per night.
Take care of the little things
If you plan on crossing the border, a passport won’t just come in handy — it’s required.
The U.S. government allowed citizens to enter the country with proof of application for a passport until Sept. 30, but now the little blue book is necessary.
A person applying for a passport needs to appear in person to a passport acceptance facility — such as the East Lansing Post Office, 1140 Abbott Road — with two photos, proof of U.S. citizenship and a valid form of photo identification.
Passports usually take four to six weeks to process, DeNoyer said, but with the amount being ordered they are taking longer than normal.
“A lot of people waited until the last minute and didn’t get them in time,” Fratella said about last year’s spring break.
While Modzelewski hasn’t done too much to prepare for Cabo, she said the key to making any spring break trip work is starting early.
“I’m definitely going to start within the next couple weeks to get the cheapest price,” she said.
