Discount airfare to maui

Imagine basking in the sun on Hawaii. Saving big bucks on a cruise. Staying in a staffed villa in the Caribbean. Renting a home or elegant apartment in Europe. Sound like impossible dreams? Not with our penny-pinching tips.

SHOP FOR THE RIGHT PACKAGE

When you think of Hawaii, do you picture palm fronds frolicking in a tropical breeze and waves caressing a golden beach--where someone else basks in the sun because you can't afford the trip?

You can put yourself on that Hawaiian beach without paying an arm and a lei for it. Hawaiian holiday packages mean paradise for you because they often include your airfare, accommodations, transfers, and other perks for about what you would pay for airfare or your hotel separately.

Travel agents have access to more than 100 companies that offer hawaiian packages, providing savings of 20-40 percent, according to the American Society of Travel Agents. You let the travel consultant know when you want to go and what type of lodgings you prefer, and the agent will make the arrangements. The agent also can help you decide which islands to visit and what to do. A travel agent's services are free. Before you plunk down money for a package, figure out what the components cost so you know whether you're getting a good deal.

Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays typically saves you 25-35 percent on its 300-plus vacation combinations, according to Ken Phillips, director of corporate communications. For a seven-night stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel on Waikiki Beach, round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, transfers, hotel taxes, and a breakfast orientation, prices start at $835 per person, double occupancy. If you bought the air and lodgings individually, you'd pay at least $1,047-$1,360, without any of the extras.

If you want a truly top-of-the-line vacation, Pleasant Hawaiian offers first-class airfare from New York, seven nights at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on Maui, a rental car, and other perks for $2,789 per person, double occupancy. At press time, first-class air alone cost $4,312. Add half of the minimum room charge for a total of $5,310 per person.

Contact a travel agent or Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, 800/2-HAWAII.

Known for its condo vacations, Creative Leisure also provides discounted rates for such luxury hotels as the Halekulani overlooking Waikiki Beach and the Four Seasons on Maui. Seven-night Hawaiian packages--good through December 15--start at $624 per person, double occupancy, and include lodgings in a studio apartment with a kitchenette, round-trip air from San Francisco, and a rental car with unlimited miles. From Chicago, $928; New York, $872. Book Creative Leisure packages through a travel agent. For a brochure: 800/426-6367.

SAVE 5--70% ON THE PRICE OF A CRUISE

It used to be that only the rich could afford a cruise. These days, thanks to plenty of ships aimed at a larger market, almost any of us can laze away the afternoon on deck, explore a different tropical isle every day, and toast the sunset as the ship glides toward its next port of call.

Book early. Until recently, one of the surest ways to save money on a cruise was to reserve at the last minute. Cruise lines often discounted deeply as the sailing date drew near. Today, most major lines offer their lowest prices to those who book early, letting you lock in the cabin you want on the date you wish to sail. The Radisson Diamond, which features a unique double-hull design that resembles a catamaran on steroids, takes $200-$2,300 off the price of its upscale cruises booked at least 120 days before sailing. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line offers Breakthrough Rates of up to 35 percent off for reservations six months out.

Gene Stewart, marketing director of South Florida Cruises, suggests that you call your agent before sending in your final payment to ask whether the price has gone down or cabin upgrades are available.

Some lines, such as Princess and Costa, still offer two-for-the-price-of-one deals to fill ships at the last minute.

Use a high-volume cruise agency. For rock-bottom prices, work with a travel agency that sells cruises exclusively or sells a lot of cruises. Such companies often feature bargain-basement rates not available directly to the public or to agents doing less cruise business.

You never should pay brochure rates, according to Gene Stewart, whose discount agency, South Florida Cruises, offers savings of 5-50 percent plus a frequent-cruiser program. South Florida Cruises' consultants will help match you to the proper ship. 800/327-SHIP.

You can reap savings of 5-60 percent by booking through World Wide Cruises Inc., according to its president, Donald Nagel. He says World Wide always can find cruises at half price, if you're flexible about your departure date, the ship, and your cabin. 800/882-9000; Florida, 305/720-9000.

The Cruise Line, Inc., claims to provide savings of 15-50 percent off a ship's published rates. For example, on a seven-day cruise of the eastern Caribbean aboard Carnival's Celebration leaving Miami January 14, 1995, an outside cabin runs $1,399 per person, double occupancy. The Cruise Line offers it for $699, airfare extra.

The Cruise Line publishes a free magazine three times a year with updates on cruises and special deals on specific trips. 800/777-0707.

Sail in the fall. Cruise lines are "desperate" from September until before Christmas, according to World Wide's Nagel. He says, "They'll do anything to fill their ships. I can offer savings up to 70 percent during that time" for people who are flexible. You're also more likely to receive an upgraded cabin, South Florida's Stewart says.

Premier's Big Red Boat, a family cruise line that traded its Disney characters for Looney Tunes, offers a free trip to Disney World for passengers in certain cabin categories on three- or four-day cruises until December 16. Three nights on ship plus two at Disney, from $725; four-night cruise and three at Disney, from $945. See a travel agent.

Go on an older ship. Because new means better to many people, the price for a cruise on an older ship can seem like ocean robbery. You can join a six-night cruise out of Miami to the western Caribbean on Fantasy Cruise's 60-year-old Britanis for only $399 per person, double occupancy.

For a list of travel agencies in your area that specialize in cruises, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to NACOA, Dept. BHG, 3191 Coral Way, Suite 630, Miami, FL 33145; 305/446-7732.

BOOK WITH A VACATION RENTAL SERVICE

The big advantages of vacation rental agencies are: their clout, which helps keep prices down; their ability to match your needs to a variety of properties and price ranges; and the fact that they do all the booking and other legwork for you. Prices range by location and season. If you need to be in the thick of things in the Caribbean during winter or in Europe at midsummer, you'll pay more and should book early. Still, you're likely to beat hotel rates, enjoy more space for your money, and maybe even undercut direct-rental prices.

Kitchen facilities at vacation rental properties let you save on meals. Generally, weekly or monthly bookings are less expensive per day than daily rates. Some rental agencies can arrange car rentals and even air packages.

The Caribbean. Swim in your private pool, stroll through gardens lush with bougainvillea and hibiscus, savor a daiquiri at sunset from your deck, and dine on island dishes prepared to order by your own cook.

You can live in princely luxury on a plebeian budget at a Caribbean villa. Along with privacy, you'll have many of the comforts of home without the work. Most villas come staffed with a housekeeper and often a cook and a butler. Additional fees include food (you tell the cook what to buy) and tips. For the best buys, book mid-April to mid-December.

Many companies handle bookings, generally saving you 10-30 percent, depending on season, accommodations, and whether you split costs with another family. Sample deals from Hideaways International: Off-season in Barbados, a two-bedroom retreat, with cook and maid, a short walk uphill from fashionable Sandy Lane Beach; $250 per day. In Nevis, panoramic Caribbean views from a three-bedroom, waterfront house with daily maid service and a shared freshwater pool; from $1,575 per week. In St. Lucia, a cliffside house with sea views, four bedrooms and baths, tennis court, and long veranda, use of beach at nearby inclusive club; $2,000 a week, low season, $3,000 high season. Hideaways International also represents villas on Nevis, Montserrat, and Jamaica; club membership costs $99 a year. 800/843-4433 or 603/430-4433.

West Indies Management Company (WIMCO) features fully staffed villas on Barbados and properties with daily maid service on St. Barts and St. Martin. An example on St. Barts: one- to three-bedroom air-conditioned units in an 11-villa beachfront complex; from $1,590 per week, low season. 800/932-3222 or 401/849-8012.