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Bah Humbug: Play Scrooge and Skip Christmas with These Deals

I like to think of poor Uncle Scrooge as misunderstood. Sure he was miserly and pretty mean, but perhaps discerning and financially savvy would also be a fitting description. Not everyone loves Christmas -- but you'll love these last-minute Christmas deals. You'll only spend a "scroogely" amount but you'll have a memorable holiday and you may even come to discover the joys of the festive season through international travel. But hurry, as there are only a few deals still available and they are sure to disappear quickly.

Site 59 (www.site59.com), the home of last-minute travel, has a selection of Caribbean getaways available over the Christmas period. The cheapest rates are often for packages departing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. All package prices are airfare, accommodation and tax inclusive so no scary hidden fees. Some of the better beach destinations include Ochos Rios, Jamaica for four nights staying at the Crane Ridge Resort departing from New York on December 22, 2004, for $792 or for a quick Christmas escape, try two nights in Freeport, Grand Bahama from New York with accommodations at the Royal Islander Hotel departing on December 24, 2004 for $663.

Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) still has a few last-minute Christmas deals in its coffers. A seven-night package from New York on Delta Airlines to Grand Bahama staying at the Best Western Castaways Resort is priced at $1,096 per person based on dual occupancy. This price also includes airport transfers and all taxes for departures on December 24, 2004. Or on the same date, how about seven-nights from New York flying American Airlines to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, staying at the all-inclusive Villas Doradas Beach Resort. At $1,080 per person, you can leave your wallet at home and enjoy your entire pre-paid vacation, including taxes, airport transfers, non-motorized water sports, meals and beverages without worrying about any additional costs. Another option is to spend Christmas and New Year in Puerto Rico. A seven-night package with round-trip airfare on Northwest Airlines from New York including all taxes, staying at the Park Plaza Normandie in Old San Juan departing on Christmas Day is $1185 per person. The same seven-night package but leaving on December 24 and flying Delta Airlines is $1,041.

Travel By Jen (tel. 800/603-3178; www.travelbyjen.com) has Christmas period specials to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Priced from $799 plus taxes, their packages include round-trip airfare, airport transfers and seven-nights accommodation at Club Embarcadero all-inclusive resort.

  • From Los Angeles on December 21: $799; on December 28: $899
  • From Baltimore December 21 or 28: $889
  • From Denver December 25: $1,049
  • From St. Louis December 25: $929; on Jan 1: $699
  • From Chicago December 21 or 28 for $959

Their seven-night package to Costa Rica is equally inviting. Departing on December 25, it includes round-trip airfare, airport transfers, accommodations at the beachfront Superior Giardini Di Papagayo, all meals, drinks, tips and non-motorized water sports. Departures from Orlando are priced at $999 plus tax or $1,099 from Cincinnati or Atlanta. Arrow Travel (tel. 866/359-2776; www.arrowtravel.com) also has a few Christmas and New Year specials to Mexico and the Dominican Republic. All departures are from New York JFK. Best deals are available to Cancun, including pay for seven-nights and receive the eighth-night free. Examples include round-trip airfare, airport transfers and eight-nights at the Radisson Hacienda Cancun for $815 for departures on December 19 or $999 on December 26. The same package staying at the Grand Melia Cancun is $999 and $1819 respectively. Tax is additional.

If you're prepared to fly for a few more hours, then the magic of Fiji awaits you. For a mere $990 plus taxes of $78, you can fly from Los Angeles to Nadi Fiji on Air Pacific (tel. 800/227-4446; www.airpacificusa.com) until December 28, 2004 so Christmas under your own personal palm tree can be a reality. After December 29, the airfare goes down to $910 plus taxes. The Fiji Visitors Bureau website (www.bulafiji.com) can provide you with accommodation listings with mid-range hotels and bungalows starting at $40 a night including breakfast.

For those more interested in culture, food and shopping than getting a suntan, Tour Crafters (tel. 800/621-2259; www.tourcrafters.com) has a heavenly package to either Rome, Florence or Venice this Christmas with prices starting at $519 plus taxes including round-trip airfare from Boston, New York, Chicago or Washington DC, four nights accommodation in three / four-star hotels with daily breakfast and hotel taxes. They also have three night packages to Tuscany or Umbria including airfares, accommodation and car rental starting at $588 plus taxes.

Happy holidays and happy travels!


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