Newlyweds Seek Honeymoon Thrills

The days of lounging on the beach of a tropical island have begun to dwindle, as newly married couples want to be dazzled on their big vacation after several frenetic months of wedding planning.  Jacky Keith, president of Esplanade Travel in Boston, explained that Tahiti and South Africa are the two most sought-after honeymoon locations among her clients. “I think people who are older when they get married are taking honeymoons and not just the standard week in Bermuda type, much more adventurous,” she said.Keith added that destination weddings have become increasingly popular in recent years as well. “I have planned a wedding in Zululand and atop Table Mountain in Cape Town,” she said.According to the Destination Weddings Study conducted by the XO Group in New York, 24 percent of couples plan their wedding in the same location as their honeymoon.  From a financial standpoint, Keith explained that newlyweds tend to spend more on their honeymoon than they would on a typical vacation. However, she said that the majority of couples are working and have the money to finance their trip. Keith also pointed out that friends and relatives can now make online donations towards the honeymoon in lieu of a gift.   Desi Maheras of Clipper Travel in Scituate agreed with Keith on the growing popularity of destination weddings. “It changes the picture of the honeymoon,” she said.Maheras explained that the leading destinations for her clients range from Aruba to Italy to Disney. In addition, she pointed out that Punta Cana and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic are steadily working their way up the list.In contrast, some of the more atypical destinations include Seychelles, Ecuador and Turkey.  Maheras added that unlike prior years, an increasing number of couples do not to take their honeymoons immediately following the wedding. “Some will wait a few days to visit with family, others wait a few weeks citing work,” she said. Michelle Bonomi, president of Scituate Harbor Travel, said that in addition to Tahiti, Hawaii and the Caribbean also experience considerable honeymoon traffic. However, she explained that couples should exercise caution if they are interested in taking a cruise. Bonomi pointed out that Carnival Cruise Lines in Miami has scaled back its advertising and charges up to 50 percent less than its competitors. “You get what you pay for,” she said. “It is clear that they are cutting corners.” Nancy Morgan of the Katlin Travel Group in Lexington said that trips to the tropical islands are common for couples going away for a week to 10 days while European honeymoons are geared for those taking 10-14-day trips. For couples in search of a livelier honeymoon, Morgan said that Africa, Vietnam, Belize and Thailand are popular destinations.     For those newlyweds who choose to cruise for their honeymoon, Morgan explained that they typically opt for a smaller cruise line with less than 700 passengers, thus avoiding the recent problems that the larger cruise companies have experienced.“We will book the larger ship if requested but do suggest a more intimate venue,” she said. In addition, Morgan explained that within the past five years, some of her clients have paid between $6,000 and $10,000 for their trip as they are “looking for a meaningful experience and a destination neither one of them have had.”According to a survey conducted by WeddingClickers.com in Finleyville, Pa., the Honeymoon Industry generates $12 billion per annum with 99 percent of newlyweds running off for an average of seven days.  In addition, the Caribbean was chosen as the top destination by 34 percent of honeymooners followed by Hawaii at 33 percent, the Bahamas at 20 percent, Jamaica at 17 percent and the Cayman Islands at 10 percent.