15 replies to this topic

[lv2dive70]

Hey there, just wanted to put a request out there for more weekend - especially holiday weekend - trips. In 2010, I went on both the Memorial Day and the July 4th trips, and enjoyed both of them. From another thread, I know that 2012 is already booked up on the holiday weekends, but perhaps something to consider for 2013? I'd really like to make a Single Divers trip again, and as my vacation is extremely limited, weekend trips are looking like the best option about now.

[scubaski]

Thanks for floating this question.

For me Thanksgiving holiday is a Get Out of Town card. Last year I made tracks on T-Day to Tobago, got 2 days of diving on my own down by airport and then join a group for 7 more days up in Speyside, a 10 day trip.

Doesn't matter to me if it's a Monday holiday or midweek holiday, doesn't matter if trip starts on a Saturday or midweek start/stop. I'm all for seeing more trip cover Holidays.

[WreckWench]

+1

PPM

John you are agreeing with which post? Kate's or Stan's?

[WreckWench]

Kate when you say "weekend trips" are you referring to places you can fly too or places you can drive too?

Also when you say "Holiday Weekend Trips" are you referring to 3 days of diving or 2 where you miss no work because you have 3 days off?

[WreckWench]

Stan I get your request...make the trip OVER a Holiday right?

If that is correct then you'll be thrilled to know that we have 3 trips so far over holidays next year...

1. Memorial Day - Dominica - Land Based
2. 4th of July - Cozy, Cenotes & Holbox for whalesharks - "Best of Mexico" - Land Based
3. Labor Day - Mayaguana or T&C - Live Aboard


What other holidays would you consider? Thanksgiving? Easter? New Years? Xmas?

[lv2dive70]

I am referring to trips where I can maximize any time taken off work. So for example, I took a day off over memorial day in order to get three solid days of diving in. I think for both of the holiday weekend 2010 trips, I took 1 day in addition to the holiday to get three days of diving. I may be off by a day but that's the general idea. Right now, on average, I'm driving two weekends a month and flying one, to dive (other weekend I'm staying home and volunteering / volunteer diving at aquarium).... So drive or fly, I don't care. I'd just like to get another sd trip in sometime!

[BettyRubble]

I too need more long weekend trips....both over holidays or just a weekend and I take off 1-2 days. My job and custody arrangement make week long trips difficult.

I can fly or drive....

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

[scubaski]

Stan I get your request...make the trip OVER a Holiday right?

If that is correct then you'll be thrilled to know that we have 3 trips so far over holidays next year...

1. Memorial Day - Dominica - Land Based
2. 4th of July - Cozy, Cenotes & Holbox for whalesharks - "Best of Mexico" - Land Based
3. Labor Day - Mayaguana or T&C - Live Aboard


What other holidays would you consider? Thanksgiving? Easter? New Years? Xmas?

Definitly Thanksgiving, better as a front end departure. New Years again better front end departure, any religious holidays work for me even not my own except, Like to be home for X-Mas eve, but have traveled on X-Mas a lot , but week between X-Mas and NY gets used by co-worker. Memorial Day, July 4, Labor day could all be used any which way with deepest discounted airfare. I've been flying more Wednsday out/ Tuesday return and saved a bundle on air. JMTCW

[WreckWench]

You bring up a good point...trading time for money. Yes best airfares are Tue/Wed but many people do not want to use travel days as work days. For instance...traveling Wed to Wed will eat up 6 days of vacation for most people. Traveling Sat to Sat will eat up 5 days.

We tried a Wed to Wed trip late year for Dominica and only had 11 people go. The air was cheaper but people complained about losing the extra day of work/vacation.

[WreckWench]

Definitly Thanksgiving, better as a front end departure. New Years again better front end departure, any religious holidays work for me even not my own except, Like to be home for X-Mas eve, but have traveled on X-Mas a lot , but week between X-Mas and NY gets used by co-worker. Memorial Day, July 4, Labor day could all be used any which way with deepest discounted airfare. I've been flying more Wednsday out/ Tuesday return and saved a bundle on air. JMTCW

When you say BETTER FRONT END OR BACK END DEPARTURE...what do you mean?

[scubaski]

Front end using this 2011 Thanksgiving day as a example would be a departure on Nov 24( Front End T-Day departure) for some dive resort. A 7 night stay would return Dec 1 or extenteded to 10 or 11 day vacation would be return Dec 9 or 10. As my company has T-Day and Day After T-Day as a holiday, I would still be using only 5 vacation days.

A Back End use of holiday would be for instance New Years day 2012. I could depart on Dec 26 to some island for 7 nights and return Jan 2 ( a front end & back end holiday). My employer will celebrate any legal holiday that falls on a Sunday as a Monday holiday ie: I have Dec 26 & Jan 2, 2012 off as holidays. In this example I use only 4 vacation days and in this example a 7 night stay.

If I want to maximize vacation I could travel on Dec 24, 2011 and return Jan 2, 2012 for a 9 night vacation and still use only 4 vacation days.

{ a Saturday Holiday you get Friday before off, a Sunday Holiday you get Monday off}

[scubajan]

I like the idea of long weekend trips....not a full week. Friday-Monday/Tuesday type of trip. The advantages would be using less vacation days and perhaps lower cost of trip?

[WreckWench]

I like the idea of long weekend trips....not a full week. Friday-Monday/Tuesday type of trip. The advantages would be using less vacation days and perhaps lower cost of trip?

Yep...you do use less vacation days and the trip is less money since its less days...but the airfare is not less. And the price of air has been making most people want LONGER trips vs shorter trips.

So its always a tradeoff... trying to find SOME weekend trips (NC, Cooper River, Florida) and then trying to find holiday weekend trips (very hard to do) for people that don't cost an arm and a leg to get there or aren't already being used in conjunction with a week long trip which is now only 4 days of vacation due to the holiday.