Issue Date: December 7, 2008
TravelSmart |
EVERETT POTTER |
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When to pay extra
Cruising? Spring for a room with a balcony.
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Overall travel costs may be more expensive than ever, but sometimes it's worth it to spend more on your vacation. Here are some instances:
RESERVE AN OCEANFRONT ROOM. A garden-view room may be cheaper, but chances are that a sea view will be a better keepsake memory. The price difference may not be huge: At the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio in Honolulu, a room with a mountain view is $239, while an ocean-view room is $264.
GO FOR FAMILY SPACE. Traveling with your kids? Book a suite. A two-room suite at the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Beach is $359 per night, while a single guest room is $299.
BOOK A BALCONY. Inside cabins are often the cheapest on any cruise ship, but nothing beats an outside cabin (preferably with a balcony) as you sail past a Caribbean island.
JOIN THE CLUB. The club floor of many hotels offers additional perks. At the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, a standard room is $102.71 (breakfast and Internet access are extra). But a club-floor room, which includes breakfast for two, Internet access and evening hors d'oeuvres, is $148.87 -- only about $45 more.
Note that all above rates are for mid-January and are subject to change.
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