The cool Caribbean water rushes in and wraps around your ankles as you stand in the wet sand, sifting it between your toes. It’s only the second day of your vacation, and already you can feel your skin tanning. Or maybe you’re lounging in the lodge warming up by a huge cherry-wood fire. The conditions on the slopes are excellent, but you’ve decided that you needed a break from the high Rocky Mountain snow. Then you wake up and remember that your meeting with the travel agent is in a half an hour.
Spring break is only a few weeks away. With several vacation options to choose from, the longer you wait, the faster the prices for vacation packages increase.
According to Meghann Barrios, branch manager of STA Travel on Main Campus, the most popular spring break choices this year include Acapulco, Mexico; Barbados, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Europe. The downfall is that the prices of these vacations increase as spring break approaches.
“[STA Travel] books spring breaks with spring break companies,” Barrios said. “After December they increase their prices by fifty dollars and after January they increase them by another $50.”
If you don’t have a passport don’t rule yourself out of all international travel for spring break. The only thing travelers need to get into the Caribbean this year is a birth certificate.
“You do not need a passport for 2006,” Barrios said. “In 2006 you can get into the Caribbean and Mexico with a certified birth certificate.”
Booking a spring break getaway comes down to choosing the best available package for your needs and price range.
“Spring break packages include absolutely everything,” Barrios said. “Meals, party passes, airfare, seven-night hotel accommodations and VIP party invitations.”
According to Barrios, base packages usually start around $700, not including taxes.
Amanda Anderson, a senior public health major, has been on several spring break excursions.
“Last year we went to Jamaica, which was fun, but I can’t wait for Acapulco this year,” Anderson said. “Always get the party pass that the travel agent offers, it’s worth it, and have as much fun as you can.”
Leaving the country is only one option. Vacation spots in the U.S. include places such as Daytona Beach, Fla., and Panama City, Fla., Atlantic City, N.J. and for those that want a chillier atmosphere, Breckenridge, Colo., and Killington, Vt. are two cold weather retreats.
Tanesha Gordon, a junior psychology major, and her friends are heading down to Panama City, Fla., for their spring break.
“We’ll probably drive down,” Gordon said. “The total cost is around $500 for each of us. We just researched it online.” The goal, Gordon said, for she and her friends is to basically “meet a lot of people and have a lot of fun.”
So hurry up and book a trip. It’s just like being late for class. You may have missed the important things, but at least you’ll get your name on the attendance sheet.
T.C. Mazar can be reached at tmazar@temple.edu.
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