Soak Up Sunshine and Savings on a Spring Vacation

March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Got cabin fever? For anyone needing a sunshine fix this month, vacation packages and cruises are the top pick for cheap spring travel, according to data from discount travel site Hotwire.com.

"Although demand to warm destinations is traditionally high in March and April, we're still seeing very affordable deals on vacation packages and cruises," said Gregg Brockway, chief product officer at Hotwire.com. "Cruising the Caribbean continues to be one of the year's best bargains due to numerous new ships and excess capacity. Additionally, great deals are available on air-hotel packages to most warm U.S. destinations and Mexico throughout the spring."

Discount Vacations to Popular Destinations
More and more people are discovering that booking a vacation package can result in big savings versus buying air and hotel separately.

Just how cheap are Hotwire's package deals? The following trips were sold via Hotwire this week for vacations in March/April -- prices are per person, taxes and fees included:(*)

-- $307 Portofino Inn & Suites (3 stars), Disneyland, CA, -- 4 nights hotel and flight from Boise

-- $345 Crowne Plaza Hotel (3.5 stars), Los Angeles, CA -- 4 nights hotel and flight from Memphis

-- $352 Golden Nugget hotel and Casino (4 stars), Las Vegas, NV -- 3 nights hotel and flight from Dayton

-- $363 Sheraton Yankee Clipper Hotel (3 stars), Fort Lauderdale, FL -- 3 nights hotel and flight from Cleveland

-- $385 Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina (4 stars), San Diego, CA -- 3 nights hotel and flight from Philadelphia

-- $555 Sheraton at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort (4 stars), Grand Bahama Island -- 5 nights hotel and flight from Boston

-- $694 Hilton Cancun Beach and Golf Resort (4.5 stars), Cancun, Mexico -- 5 nights hotel and flight from Pittsburgh

-- $695 Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta (4 stars), Puerto Vallarta, Mexico -- 5 nights hotel and flight from Chicago

Hotwire customers searching for a package know the exact hotel where they will stay, and can view photos and read a full description of the property.

Sail Away Into the Sun
Budget-focused travelers have quickly discovered the benefits to cruising: inclusive pricing, great food, free entertainment and a resort-style vacation. Below are examples of discount cruise rates offered this week on Hotwire:(**)

-- Cruise from Miami to the Bahamas -- three nights from $309 on Carnival's "Fascination"

-- Sail from Tampa to the Western Caribbean -- four nights from $349 on Carnival's "Sensation"

-- Travel from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean -- seven nights from $349 on Carnival's "Carnival Destiny"

-- Sail from Miami to the Western Caribbean -- eight nights from $549 on Carnival's "Carnival Sprit"

-- Depart from San Diego to Mexico Sea of Cortez -- seven nights from $599 on Holland America's "Ryndam"

-- Journey from Norfolk to the Eastern Caribbean -- 10 nights from $749 on Holland America's "Maasdam"

Hotwire's discount cruise product guarantees the lowest rates available on more than 25,000 cruise itineraries worldwide, via Hotwire's Best Rates Guarantee. Customers can also view and choose all details of a Hotwire cruise, including port and destination cities, cruise ship reviews and 360-degree virtual tours of more than 80 cruise ships.

(*) Packages shown are actual purchases made between 2/15/04 - 2/29/04. Package prices include round-trip airfare and at least double occupancy. All Hotwire purchases are nonrefundable and nonchangeable. Prices are subject to change and availability and may not represent current prices.

(**) Cruises: All rates are per person, double occupancy and include port charges. Government taxes and fees are additional. Limited availability and based on minimum fares for select departure dates. Other dates may be higher. Cruise fares do not include $14.95 per booking service fee. Foreign Departure Taxes up to $45 may also apply and are payable to the Foreign Government Authority. These rates are for new individual bookings only. Not responsible for last minute changes of price or itinerary by cruise line, or any errors or omissions in the content of this ad. Some restrictions and cancellation penalties may apply. Full details of Hotwire's Best Rates guarantee are available at www.hotwire.com

Source: Hotwire, Inc.