Now whether it is your first time working with me or your fortieth, you come to find one of the first questions I ask you is, “What is your budget?”
It may seem like you have no idea because you don’t know what exactly goes into planning a scuba vacation. Or maybe you just think figuring out a budget isn’t as fun as dreaming about the destination, but it really can be an integral part of planning where you will go.
When planning out a dive vacation, you come to learn it generally does not include your international airfare. Sometimes the cost of airfare may factor in to the destination you choose to visit. For instance, a flight from San Diego to La Paz may only cost $130, while a flight from San Diego to Cozumel may run up to $1030. Now lots of reasons may come into play for the cost of the air, like when you are searching, of course, but you get the idea. If you are on a tight budget and the dive packages are comparable, then you might choose La Paz as a more economical choice. However, if the marine life you really want to see is in season in Cozumel, than you might forgo the savings on the air and choose a more economical dive package.
A tip when figuring out airfare – shop early and often. Waiting until the last minute can be a costly mistake. I recommend shopping on a site like Kayak, Skyscanner or Google flights to see what airfare is like, and then set a fare alert to send you a notification when those prices are dropping or are on the rise. When it gets to the point where you decide to purchase your seat, go directly to the airline website to book. Another tip for price comparison shopping, don’t forget to look at those baggage fees. What might seem like a great price for air may not be so great when the airline makes up for the difference and then some in baggage fees.
Another thing about airfare, don’t think you always have to book a round trip ticket. Sometimes booking one way down on a certain airline and then booking one way home on another might give you the best cost savings. Considering that air is generally one of the biggest items that factors into your budget, saving a few bucks this way can’t hurt. Again, don’t forget to check those baggage fees to make sure this hack isn’t hurt by those fees.
The next major decision in budget planning is land-based or liveaboard. Liveaboard vacations are more expensive because it includes all your meals and some drinks, as well as abundant opportunities to dive. But a quick jump back to the topic of airfare, remember when it comes to liveaboards, you may have to factor in a domestic flight to get you back to an international airport in order to get home. Or sometimes, it may just be a ferry, van or bus ride to get you to and from where the boat is harbored. So don’t forget that added cost in the budget.
Now let’s move on to land-based dive packages. When trying to figure out your budget, how important are the quality of the accommodations? Are you fine with staying at a 3- to 4-star property, of do you require 5-star luxury accommodations? Do you want that ocean view from your room for a romantic getaway, or are you all about the diving and will never be in your room so a garden view is fine. Speaking of diving, how many dives a day do you want? Boat diving only? Or do you want that shore diving when you aren’t out on the boat? What about nitrox? Is it included or is there a per tank or weekly supplemental fee?
Next up – food. Are you happy with breakfast only and maybe lunch or a snack on the dive boat so you can go explore the local eateries at night? Or do you want that all-inclusive meal package? Don’t forget to factor in whether drinks, including alcohol, are included in the package. If you don’t just want coffee, tea, juice and water, then remember drinks can definitely add on to your final bill. Sometimes you don’t have much of a choice in meal plans because your resort is relatively remote, then meals will generally be included rather than a la carte, but again look at what is covered for drinks.
Now whether it be land-based or a liveaboard vacation, you might want to consider excursion add-ons. Is there a tour or two you want to do on your surface interval day? Or do you want to plan for an extended stay on land once you get off the boat and before you fly home? These are always optional, but can be an important factor in figuring out if you can afford to include them in the budget.
Just a few more items to take into consideration. Have you set aside enough money to purchase souvenirs for yourself or maybe someone back home? How about tips for the dive crew, hotel and wait staff? And most importantly, dive accident and travel insurance. I cannot stress enough that you should already and always have dive accident insurance whether your are just diving close to home or around the world. This is an absolute no brainer. Now purchasing travel insurance may be up for debate. It depends on whether or not you can afford to gamble and lose your money should the trip not go as planned. It’s a personal choice, but you have to ask yourself how big an investment is this vacation and do you want to take that chance.
After all of that, don’t forget to consider any expenses you may incur back home while you are away. Things like a pet-sitter for your beloved fur-baby. That may be something like $50 per day which can add up over 7 to 14 nights away.
These are just general ideas of where your money may go when you are budgeting for that dream dive vacation. Not everything will apply, but if they do, it can all add up when you look at the $1500 or $3000 dive vacation package and don’t think about everything else that factors into the cost of the trip. This is why I ask what your budget is and does it include airfare because it can make a difference in the choice of your destination.
Hopefully I haven’t put a damper on your dive-dreaming, but instead helped you to plan the greatest scuba vacation ever for your money.