An Introduction to B&Bs

The Inns of Poland Spring, a sprawling resort of 179 rooms (212 including the ten cottages) located in Poland Spring, Maine, some 30 miles north of Portland in a town more famous for its bottled H2O, bills itself as "the last of the vacation bargains." And with room prices beginning at $25 per person per day-including hearty all-you-can-eat breakfasts and dinners, and for another $20 a day, all-you-can-play golf -it's an intriguing boast indeed. I'd heard mixed reviews-everything from "it's the best place on earth to take a vacation" to "what a dump!" - but quickly learned that this three-inn complex attracts a clientele as varied as its reputation (though generally on the older and blue-collar side). At one end of the spectrum are guests who faithfully visit every year, like Dee and Irwin, a cheery seventysomething couple from Florida. They've been vacationing here for two weeks annually (the resort is generally open from mid-May to mid-October) for the past 22 years. When asked why they're so loyal, they rattle off reasons: the price is always right; glorious sunsets; good farm food; and the stress-free environment (something constantly touted here). Then there are the Poland Spring "virgins" like Elizabeth and Charlie from Massachusetts, thirtysomethings I encountered playing bumper pool in the inns' game room. They were turned off by this unusual resort's quirks and house rules: no coolers allowed in the rooms; fixed meal times; simple food; and the old-fashioned, sometimes tatty decor (peeling wallpaper, worn carpets). The one thing both couples could agree on: They liked the no-one-under-18 and no-pet rules, in effect since 1978. This no-minors edict perhaps explains why the average guest age here is about 60 during the week, although it drops considerably on weekends, when the younger set - which appears to travel in packs-arrives for a weekend away from the city and to play a few rounds of golf. Rates, as advertised, start at just under $25 per night including two meals a day, which raises some eyebrows. "The most common question we get," remarked Cyndi Robbins, who has owned the place with her husband Mel for 30 years, "is, 'What's the catch?'" There is none, really, as long as you're not expecting the Ritz - or even the Ramada. Guests have to bring their own towels, soap, and in-room beverage glasses, park their own cars, and carry their own bags. There's even a warning on the Web site and in the brochure that "Poland Spring Inn isn't for everyone!" How's that for truth in advertising? Down to brass tacks But the brochure and Web site don't prepare guests for the real thing. Situated on almost 500 acres of land, of which about 200 are in a pristine state, it's an enormous property. The size and grandeur of the main building, where guests check in, is also a pleasant surprise; with five stately columns and an expansive front veranda, it hardly fits what one would expect from a low-cost vacation spot. The lobby resembles a hunting lodge with its wood-paneled walls and dark plaid carpet, and a huge fireplace complete with a moose head mounted above it. The check-in desk sells popcorn, sundaes, souvenirs (including T-shirts and Cyndi and Mel's Poland Spring Cookbook), and bottled water (Poland Spring brand of course, and a bargain too, at $3 for six half-liter bottles). As for the rooms, they do have A/C, but don't expect down comforters, 300-count Egyptian cotton sheets, or even telephones (the sole pay phone is in the lobby next to a bulletin board plastered with messages for guests and requests for bridge partners). Rooms in the 82-room Maine Inn (from $39.80 per person per night, double occupancy, including two meals daily) are simply furnished with comfy beds, a dresser with a chair, a night table, two lamps, two lounge chairs - and, yes, a 13-inch TV, but black-and-white (appropriate since the decor can best be described as '60s flashback); bathrooms are private but simply furnished. There are two other inns and ten cottages; the Victorian-style four-story Presidential Inn (from $35 per person nightly, again with two meals daily) has 64 rooms that are the complex's most recently renovated; some offer working fireplaces. The third and least-expensive component is the 33-room Motor Court Inn (from $23.80 including two meals), which has the smallest rooms of the three (some so tiny you can barely turn around without bumping into something). The cottages (from $35, including two meals), of various sizes, are scattered over the property and can accommodate two to five couples. Maid service isn't provided, but each has a collection of books, a small kitchen (equipped with toaster, coffeemaker, refrigerator, flatware, and glasses), and some have screened-in porches. Getting fed Breakfast (8 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) and dinner (5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.) are included (as we've already noted), except for Friday's dinner, which is $8.95 per person plus tax. Meals are home-cooked and served buffet-style in the Maine Inn's dining room (which reminded me of my high school cafeteria), and most of the food comes from local farms, so everything's impeccably fresh. Breakfast typically consists of scrambled eggs, ham, home fries, muffins, French toast, and the like. Dinner can be anything from baked chicken or lasagna with meatballs and Italian sausage to corned beef or chicken stir-fry. Desserts (pumpkin bread, apple crisp, and chocolate pie) are usually the best things on the menu. While the food is good and plenty, it tends to be on the bland side; if you have any special dietary needs, you're out of luck. For lunch - which most guests take on the property - Melee's Delee serves such fare as lobster rolls, corned beef sandwiches, burgers, and some of the best fries I've ever had. On the liquid front, dinner libations are limited to water, iced tea, lemonade, milk, and coffee, but from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. the Maine Inn's bar is open for business, mixing rum-and-coke specials for $1 and making a mean martini for $4.50. Keeping busy Although Poland Spring seems plunked in the middle of nowhere, it's not far from some engaging activities. Guests can drive to things like the city of Portland, remarkable discount outlet shopping in Freeport, the Maine Wildlife Park, the original Poland Spring House and Bottling Plant (now restored as a museum) or, right next door, the functioning Shaker Village, said to be the only remaining one of its kind in the world, still inhabited by four elderly Shakers. There's plenty to do on-premises, too, including 18-hole championship golf (Maine's first, and reputedly the first resort course in the country). Other amenities include a putting green, four grass tennis courts, shuffleboard, three bocce courts, and an "almost Olympic-size pool." Activities such as tai chi, bingo, movies, chair massages, and tours of the property with Mel, who knows everything about everything locally, make for pleasant pastimes. In the evenings, guests relax in Adirondack chairs on Maine Inn's porch, sucking in pine-scented fresh air and oohing and aahing at sunsets. Others indulge in spirited games of bocce (a.k.a. lawn bowling). Occasionally, music concerts are held in the gazebo; for something more lively, local bands entertain nightly in the dining hall and guests try to outdo each other boogying to country-and-western or oldies tunes. Tickets cost $10 at the door, $6.95 with a reservation. Finally, history aficionados will love highlights such as the octagonal Maine State Building, built in 1893 as the state pavilion for the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The resort's founder, Hiram Ricker, bought it and moved it here, where it's now a museum with memorabilia on the inns, the founding family, and more. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is All Souls Chapel, dating from 1912, with its atmospheric stained-glass windows, a paneled oak ceiling, and a pipe organ. History buffs aside, is Poland Spring for everyone? Not for those who expect everything to be sparkly new and to be waited on hand and foot. As Elizabeth, the first-timer from Massachusetts, observed, "It's a few steps up from a motel, but several steps down from a hotel resort." But for those who can enjoy what it has to offer - fresh air, good solid food and lots of it, and a host of simple but fun activities - then we say it's a great place to spend a weekend (or more) without spending a lot. More information Info/reservations: 207/998-4351, fax 207/998-2811, polandspringinns.com. Season/pricing: In 2002, the inns are open from the third weekend of May through Columbus Day Weekend (May 17-October 14). There are three package plans; rates listed are per person, double occupancy, for the entire stay; two-night weekends (Fri.-Sun.) with three meals total start at $49 for a double-twin bedroom in the Motor Inn to $139 for a full suite in the Presidential Inn, Maine Inn, or Roosevelt House. Three-night holiday weekends (Fri.-Mon.) with five meals, $89 to $179. Five days midweek (Sun.-Fri.) with ten meals, $119 to $235. Getting there: Fly to Portland (about 30 miles away) or to Boston (125 miles) and rent a car. Otherwise, driving distance is 225 miles from Montreal, 230 from Hartford, 260 from Albany, 350 from New York City, 450 from Philadelphia, 570 from Buffalo, and 580 from Washington, D.C. Amtrak has service from Boston to Portland (800/872-7245, amtrak.com). By bus it's about two hours from Boston to Portland on Vermont Transit Lines (800/552-8737, vermonttransit.com), which runs seven times a day Monday to Friday, eight times a day on weekends, for $13.75 one-way and $24.25 round-trip.

We all know that it's impossible to put a price tag on love, but many are trying. With 2.5 million weddings in the US alone last year, the domestic wedding industry raked in and astounding $120 billion--a number that includes everthing from flowers to tuxedos to furniture for the couple's new home. Are weddings big business? You bet. "The average affair costs $22,000," says Gerard J. Monaghan, president of the Connecticut-based Association of Bridal Consultants, an organization that claims 3,500 members in 26 countries. And that price does not include what the guests pay to attend. At the average wedding, 40 percent of the guests fly in to attend the ceremony. They usually also shell out for hotel rooms and car rentals. With this in mind, a number of couples are turning to destination weddings or "weddingmoons". "The idea of the destination wedding is a movement that's grown up out of the disintegration of the family nucleus with family members scattered all over, and not necessarily living the same town. First came wedding weekends, and now we have destination weddings--a concept that really started to take root 15 years ago," says Monaghan. The cost of a weddingmoon can be much lower for the happy couple--starting at $2,500 for a three-day weekend, including airport transfers, accommodations, food, drink and everything you'd need for the ceremony and reception. Guests pay an average of $900 for their accommodations, transfers and non-wedding food. Location, location, location For those who can avoid familial pressure, the decision where to have your wedding will be personal, and likely one shaped by cost. It's sometimes but not always the case that the farther you go, the more you'll spend. In recent years, the number of resorts and hotels offering one-stop wedding shopping in such popular easy-to-get-to tropical destinations--Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean islands, and Mexico--has grown exponentially. (We'll get to some in just a moment.) "We decided to do a destination wedding for a lot of reasons," says Kim Frye, a resident of Atlanta who married her husband Tom in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a few years ago. "We figured that guests would spend just as much to visit and stay in New York (they lived there at the time) as they would in Mexico. While it was the cost that got us started on the idea, what meant the most to us in the end was that instead of just the four to five hours spent at a normal wedding, our good friends and families really got to know each other, and most stayed for five days." If you decide a destination wedding is for you, then be prepared to apply the flexibility you've acquired in yoga class to planning your wedding; it won't always be possible--or affordable--to fly to your wedding reception site every time you need to make a decision, i.e. you might have to let someone else figure out the flatware or leave the seating assignments to email. Those experienced in destination weddings say micro-managers bent on control should definitely think twice before embarking on the long-distant odyssey of planning a wedding from hundreds, or thousands, of miles away. Frye adds, "Destination weddings are probably not for those people who've planned their wedding in their minds for years, and they're certainly not for control freaks. I liked the idea of doing something different, and I loved the idea of not having to interview a hundred florists. Our wedding wasn't free but we were able to negotiate a great rate at La Jolla de Mismaloya. We even had a huge mariachi band for the event." Rules, regulations and hurricanes Just a few of the important questions to ask before you decide where to have your destination wedding are: When is the best time of year to visit? Is there a hurricane season? Are there enough activities for family and friends to enjoy between planned events? Can you choose from wedding packages or is everything ala carte? And, is there an on-site wedding coordinator to help you with your long-distance arrangements? Wherever you decide to have your destination wedding, it's imperative that you get everything in writing and have agreements for catering, cake and flowers to refer to should problems arise. For ideas on where to plan your weddingmoon, check out the book The Most Romantic Resorts for Destination Weddings, Marriage Renewals & Honeymoonsby Paulette Cooper and Paul Noble. There are also travel companies that specialize in destination weddings--The Wedding Experience/305-421-1260 and Weddings on the Move are two prominent ones--that will not only help you make the most of your budget, but work with you to find the best possible locale. Additionally, these agencies tend to be knowledgeable about local marriage laws, a very important factor as these can vary greatly from country to country. You don't want to be caught at the altar without the proper documentation, which can run the gamut--from blood tests to residency requirements. For example, in the Bahamas there's a 24 residency requirement (easy enough to abide by), a $40 fee, and proof of arrival on the islands, among a handful of other official documents. In England there's a seven-day residency required and the fees can vary depending on region and the type of ceremony. St. Maarten tips the scales with fees reaching as high as $204 and a 10-day residency, a rule that's perhaps inspired some to take their honeymoon before going to the altar. Denise Hinman, a wedding coordinator for The Wedding Experience, says that the Caribbean is one of the easiest parts of the world to have a destination, and discourages against weddings in Europe. "For many, a wedding in Europe will be symbolic because of the strict residency requirements--30 days in Spain, 60 days in France. Greece is one of the few European countries where it's not so complicated." If you have questions regarding regulations we recommend contacting the consulate or tourist board of the country you'll be married in. (For a worldwide directory of tourism offices, go to: http://www.towd.com/). The Association of Bridal Consultants can also answer your questions by calling 860/355-0464, and destination wedding specialists at The Wedding Experience have an entire page devoted to marriage requirements and fees in the most popular destinations. Guess who's coming to the wedding Destination weddings provide the ideal excuse to limit your guest list to only the special people in your life, with many couples choosing quality over quantity when it comes to those with whom they want to share the event. This distillation process can also provide the perfect excuse for not inviting loud-mouthed Uncle Bob, but some still manage to pull-off a faraway wedding for 100. On the flip-side, be aware that it's not always easy for elderly relatives and friends to attend a destination wedding due to the general wear and tear of travel. If it's important to you for your grandmother to be there, then you may want to talk to her about your plans. More often than not, friends and family will be happy for the invitation, and the opportunity to roll the special event into a vacation--provided they can afford it. With destination weddings, guests will have at least a few days to get to know one another before the ceremony, something that serves to unite the different circles in one's life, thereby creating a relaxed (and often highly festive) atmosphere. The benefits of group travel Unless you run around with true jetsetters for whom flitting to Buenos Aires for a birthday party bash is run-of-the-mill, you will want to take the cost of travel for your guests into consideration. Ways to ease the damage on their wallets include inquiring if airlines will give you a group discount and insisting, if possible, on discounted blocks of rooms. This request is not unreasonable when you consider a long wedding weekend at a resort in a foreign country can easily bring-in thousands of dollars. Where the weddings are Many of the Caribbean's biggest resort groups--Breezes, Couples, Superclubs, Sandals--offer "free" weddings. The couple will still pay for room and board, and there are minimum stay requirements to ensure that the husband and wife don't just have the ceremony and bolt. But in order to lure guests, these companies do throw in all of the accoutrements of the wedding itself, which can be a money-saver. The basic packages vary from resort to resort, but most include:   Marriage license   Officiant   Flowers   Photo   Champagne and hors d'oeuvres   Wedding cake   Services of a wedding coordinator The following double occupancy rates were quoted for the lowest priced all-inclusive packages (room, meals, drinks) starting the night of Jun. 24, a time of year. That's typically considered shoulder-to-high season (with autumn dates costing much, much less). Again, to be eligible for the free wedding, you must adhere to the minimum stay requirements. [Editor's note: Some resorts like to advertise the dollar value of what its "free" weddng might cost if it were paid for out of pocket. However, we suspect these sticker prices are often inflated to increase the perceived sense of value associated with the "giveaway" wedding package.] In any case, here's a sampling: Beaches: 888/BEACHES, Beaches Turks & Caicos; 5 night minimum; $277 per person per night; claimed value of wedding package $750-$2,000 Couples: 800/268-7537, Couples Ochos Rios; $168 per person per night; 3 night minimum; claimed value of wedding package: $750 Sandals: 888/SANDALS, Sandals Royal Bahamian; 5 night minimum; $266 per person per night; claimed value of wedding package $750-$2,000 Superclubs: 877/467-8737, Grand Lido Negril; $282 per person per night; 3 night minimum; value of wedding package: $1,700; Breezes Montego Bay; $125 per person per night; 3 night minimum; claimed value of wedding package $850 Of course, these are not your only options; some resort offer weddings at cost, sometimes offsetting the extra price with lower nightly room rates. For example, the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island has multi-featured packages starting at $1,500 (Tropical Bliss Wedding), with its most expensive option, The Fantasy Garden Wedding going for just $2,500 additional. The wedding packages include all of the items mentioned in the list above, along with such extras as steel pan player, breakfast in bed for the newlyweds the morning after, and a press release with the marriage announcement for your home town newspaper. The pricier offer folds in full spa treatments for the bride's beautification and relaxation. Perhaps best of all, its rooms come in at around $200/night (based on availability Jun. 24-27), and it's a very easy flight from the US, with some airlines flying there nonstop. Even though this lush property is large, it's divided into separate sections so you never feel like you're on a massive "compound." There's an array of restaurants and wateringholes, including a very sniffy cigar bar, and the resort overall, is extremely well maintained and manicured. If you're interested in tying the knot at the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya (877/OUR-LUCAYA), then contact Seashell Wedding Coordinators at: 242/350-5350. If mega-resorts are not your style, then you'll want to look into individual properties that cater to the marrying public like Hotelito (little hotel), a rather luxurious and intimate property located 60 miles south of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico's Pacific side. For $1,500 you can be married on the beach with margarita in hand. The price covers the officiant, flowers, champagne/tequila and two hours of live guitar music. For $55 per person, you can have a traditional Mexican dinner with drinks and cake. There is no minimum night stay. Or, perhaps you'd like to get married on a white-washed cliff-side terrace on the Greek island of Santorini? The Wedding Experience (305/421-1260) can arrange everything for you for $3,450, a price tag that includes the whole shebang, from paperwork to wedding cake to 50 photographs with negatives. Lastly, we'll toss out an option for the true budgeteers out there. The sweet 28-room Emerald Escape Beach Resort in Montego Bay (876/952-6133), Jamaica has a low $65/night room rate. Marriage licenses go for all of $6 (call the Ministry of National Security 876/922-0800) for a town hall wedding. Rum drinks at the hotel, which overlooks Montego Bay, start at $4, and just down the road at The Native restaurant you can order enough boonoonoonos, a sampler platter for four of traditional Jamaican specialties such as curried goat, jerk chicken and escabeche fish for $23. If that's not an affordable destination wedding, we don't know what is. "Sometimes, destination weddings are simple one-stop shops, but sometimes they're not," says Vanday High, a wedding coordinator who owns Great Beginnings (914/967-4005). "For example, I helped to organize a wedding on St. Kitt's where I had to fly in with the flowers and enlist the local tourist board to get permission to use some of the islands most historic sites for the reception. But the hardest thing was the transportation; we had to hire every taxi on the island to take the 178 guests around." "The bride was happy and it goes to show you that you can arrange a personal event from far away."

World-class Carnival, calypso, steel drum music, and two masters of the English language--author V. S. Naipaul and playwright/poet Derek Walcott, both Nobel Laureates--all connect artistically with Trinidad in the West Indies. Among Caribbean countries, Trinidad ranks as an arts powerhouse. Yet for most Caribbean vacationers, Trinidad's small sister island in the twinned Republic of Trinidad and Tobago remains better known. That disparity follows an almost half-century-old national decision to promote tourism in picturesque, resource-poor Tobago while developing Trinidad's rich oil and natural-gas deposits. Result is that tourism in Trinidad remains a "Trini thing," distinct, pleasurable, homegrown, and largely outside the international mainstream, driven by local investment with few cost-inflating imports. That, plus the six-to-one exchange rate between Trinidad and Tobago's dollar and the U.S. dollar, ensures Trinidad's position as the best year-round buy in Caribbean travel. And even though farthest removed from North America and therefore more expensive to reach than, say, the Bahamas or Jamaica, among islands of the region Trinidad also ranks as the most complex and rewarding. Both American Airlines and BWIA West Indies Airways (800/538-2942, bwee.com) fly into Port-of-Spain. BWIA flies nonstop from New York, Washington, D.C., Toronto and Miami with recent prices of $400-$600 round-trip. American Airlines (800/433-7300, aa.com) flies nonstop from Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Port-of-Spain starting at $259 and $109 round-trip, respectively. (All prices in this article are stated in U.S. dollars. When calling Trinidad from the U.S., first dial 1, then the area code, 868, followed by the seven-digit number.) Trinidad has the flowers, rain forest, peaks, fertile valleys, and beaches beautifully common to most of the Caribbean. But Trinidad also claims exceptional natural features such as La Brea Pitch Lake, the wildlife-filled Caroni and Nariva Swamps, the mountainside Asa Wright Nature Centre, the bird-breeding grounds of the Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust, and exquisite birding everywhere. Its mineral deposits make the country comparatively wealthy. Result is a rare widespread worldliness among English-speaking islanders. This sophistication combines well with Trinidad's legendary blend of East Indians, Blacks, and mixed ethnicities. Trinidadians are one of the most racially tolerant people anywhere in the world, with a culture adapted from around the globe that, in everything from food to architecture, ranks distinctively as Trinidad's own. Sun, sand, and sea may constitute the standard-issue Tropics. But colorful, one-of-a-kind, and affordable Trinidad supplies travelers with the gift-wrapped version. A little geography Trinidad lies at the southern cusp of the Caribbean archipelago. It's whisper-close to Venezuela. Morning weather reports announce fronts moving up from Brazil. Yet Trinidad is only a five-hour flight from New York, less than four hours from Miami. The island is 50 miles north-south, 37 east-west, big enough to accommodate northern mountains that rise to 3,085 feet, with beaches that ring almost the entire coast (the best beaches skirt the Northern Range). The island is more than ten times the size of sister isle Tobago. Metropolitan Port-of-Spain, with 300,000 of Trinidad's 1.3 million people, is the second-largest English-speaking capital in the region but by far the safest for visitors and the most cosmopolitan. The city rises from a protected gulf in the northwest. The vast industrial complex at Point Lisas that taps Trinidad's oil and natural-gas reserves lies 17 miles south along the coast. Much of the interior remains planted in sugar that controlled the economy from the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth. It's here, in dusty Chaguanas, where Naipaul first lived. Port-of-Spain and north-coast beaches are where most first-time visitors want to be. The contrast between urban sophistication and rural style captures what Trinidad vacationing is about. Street life is at the heart of it. People teem colorfully dressed, prone to hang out--what Trinis call "liming"--even in town, stopping their cars along narrow streets to chat. Buildings are colorful and ornamented, often topped by hand-painted signs. Tropical yards remain in the heart of the city full of broad-leaf palms that rattle in wind and suggest the sound and rhythms of "pan," the steel drum music that backs the ubiquitous calypsos. Port-of-Spain lays out like a hand. The palm is a great green and open space called the Queen's Park Savannah--Port-of-Spain's Central Park--that connects the old, narrow-street commercial city with its more green and spread-out residential districts. Through Belmont, St. Clair, St. James, and Woodbrook, Victorian houses with steep-sloped roofs and Asian-inspired architectural details are juxtaposed among family groceries, "pan yards" where bands practice, and shops that specialize in East Indian foods, notably the national dish called roti (which means "bread" in Hindi), a meat-, seafood-, or vegetable-filled, pitalike yeasted bread, and like-styled "doubles." The Savannah park is two-and-three-quarters of a mile around and hugely popular for informal recreation and special events. Carnival climaxes here each Fat Tuesday (late February or early March) after two months of heightening fervor. Traffic whirls around carousel-like. The immediately surrounding and mostly well-to-do districts contain famous sites: the National Museum and Art Gallery; the "Magnificent Seven," a row of landmark mansions that once sheltered rival plantation barons and that today includes the Prime Minister's office; the Emperor Valley Zoo; the Royal Botanic Gardens; and the "upside-down" Trinidad Hilton (one of two ritzy hotels, the other the Crowne Plaza, both government owned). Nearby is the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, where 43 years ago Derek Walcott established the island's theater tradition. Above Queen's Park Savannah, fingers of the hand reach up through the valleys of the Northern Range to lovely suburbs. Below, the old city improvises its twenty-first-century way along narrow nineteenth-century streets before emptying along a broad boulevard on filled land that connects south around the bay to Point Lisas, east to towns that array below foothills of the Northern Range, and west around Chaguaramas [shah-gwa-rah-mus], site of an American base during World War II and today a sprawling yacht haven with a fascinating military museum near a tasteless rich suburb. Many affordable places to stay The city's affordable lodging ranges from guesthouses and small hotels to homestays. They're found through all parts of the city and surrounding area. Of those described below, all include private bath and air-conditioning except when otherwise noted. Rates are for two. A standout in St. Ann's and only a five-minute walk from the Savannah is Alicia's House, a rambling old residence converted to guest use and popular with traveling West Indians. It's gorgeously floral under its entry arch with 17 rooms, all different, surrounding patios and courtyards and swimming pool. Alicia's is a best buy (7 Coblentz Gardens, Port-of-Spain, 623-2802, aliciashousetrinidad.com, $45-$50 including tax; full breakfast $8). A mile southwest across the Savannah and walking-close to restaurants along Ariapita Avenue and Tragarete Road is architect Bernard Mackay's Gingerbread House. The building dates from the 1920s but stylistically suggests the nineteenth century, ornamentally trimmed and thoroughly renovated by Bernard in 1989. He offers three guest rooms, all different, all high-ceilinged. Neighbors include famed Carnival designer Peter Minshall and fashion designer Meiling (8 Carlos St., Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain, 625-6841, trinidadgingerbreadhouse.com; $35 includes tax and full breakfast). Another top buy. Two blocks west just below Tragarete Road is Williams Villa, the home of retired nurse Edris Todd-Williams whose late husband was a mayor of Port-of-Spain. Health-consciously hospitable, Edris rents six homey rooms and includes full breakfast in the rate (69 Luis St., Woodbrook, Port-of-Spain, 628-0824, williamsvilla.com; $65, tax and service included). Nearer the Savannah and walking-close to everything downtown is the urban Par-May-La's Inn with 12 rooms on two floors. Maids will do personal laundry; you handle the ironing (53 Picton St., Newtown, Port-of-Spain, 628-2008, parmaylas@trinidad.net; $65 includes tax and continental breakfast, add $2 for a full American breakfast or a vegetarian roti with pumpkin and bok choy, tax included). Roads up those fingers of the Maraval Valley crest in the Northern Range before dropping to Trinidad's best beaches. Well shy of the crest, Port-of-Spain shows off wealthy style as distinctive markets, bakeries, and bookshops appear in shopping plazas up Saddle Road. Guesthouses here remain affordable. Two well-run establishments, with in-room phones, include Carnetta's Inn, with 14 rooms (99 Saddle Rd., Maraval, 628-2732, carnettasinn.com; $55, $60 with kitchenette) and, farther up, The Morgan's (48 Perseverance Rd., Haleland Park, Maraval, 629-2587, morga@cablenett.net; $60, including full breakfast). Rooms at Carnetta's are woody, Scandinavian modern. The inn distinctively straddles the Maraval River with a nice B&B style to it, breakfast served on the porch of the owners' house. Rooms at The Morgan's are more upholstered. Guests have use of a pool, two hot tubs, and kitchen. Affordable food, handheld to graciously served Food, like music, celebrates Port-of-Spain's glory. At stalls around the Savannah park, cutlass-wielding vendors open iced coconuts for refreshing coconut water. Roti shops line Tragarete Road. Restaurants deliciously work locally grown produce and tropical fruits and nuts into dishes. Coconut silkily flavors breads, soups, and drinks. Trinis love sweets supplied by ubiquitous vendors in the form of brown-sugared coconut drops, peanut brittle, tamarind balls, and fresh-fruit ice creams, while restaurant desserts include chrystophene (mock apple) pie, luscious guava paste, and coconut bread pudding with rum glaze. Downtown roti shops like Curry Masala, Patraj, and The Hott Shoppe, plus storefronts like the Pepper Pies Shop, which serves a wider variety of Indian take-out, all satisfy for midday meals at $3-$5 including a sweet drink. The little Manna Café in a yellow gingerbread house on St. Vincent Street specializes in low cholesterol foods, while the Breakfast Shed behind yellow zinc sheeting at the cruise-ship complex serves three meals daily of what a local nurse calls "the highest-cholesterol, highest-sodium, most delicious food you can get." Almost all the city's best restaurants serve meals at considerably less than comparable U.S. meals. Stylish in mahogany and stone atop the Kapok Hotel, Tiki Village specializes in Polynesian food. More than 170 entrées including shrimp, fish, beef, pork, and chicken cost less than $10, many $6 or $7. Starters and dessert together add another $6. With 25 percent for tax and tip, many diners will enjoy meals for $20 including drinks. Also in town, the excellent Woodford Café on Tragarete Road occupies a remodeled grocery and rum shop redolent of the colonial city with old neighborhood photos, Carnival costumes, and live steel drum music (three-course dinners about $20). Lazing along north coast beaches Trinidad's pulse slows on the north coast. At popular Maracas Bay, Trinis are out picnicking weekends. Steel bands play while "shark-and-bake" stalls dispense fried fish in buns laced with free condiments, washed down with a Carib, the local lager. Midweek, vacationers can have the beach largely to themselves, whether driving the 30 minutes each way over and back while staying in the city or else moving on to one of the north shore's affordable lodgings. To get there, taxis are more expensive than renting a car in Port-of-Spain's airport. Try Econo-Car Rentals (669-2342), whose prices start at $25 a day. The coastal vacation village of choice is another 30 minutes east from Maracas Bay. That's Blanchisseuse, affordable and totally relaxed, named for laundresses once said to be prevalent here along the Marianne River. Pronounced "blon-she-suhze," the village hugs half a mile of two-lane road beside the sea. Hills rise sharply behind. A hundred-year-old suspension bridge across the river marks the end of town, from where the road turns to dirt, then trail. Eric Blackman rents river kayaks and leads hiking tours to hillside waterfalls. But mostly visitors hang out at the beaches, in the hotel bars, and rum shops, dancing at the Casbah, sampling Rennie Bobb's woodcarvings. Upscale in design but casual in dress like everyplace else in town is Surf's Country Inn. Three hillside rooms with double-door balconies plus terrace restaurant and lounge form a charming compound with a lovely view through dense tropical foliage to the twisty road below, a striking cove beach and the sea (North Coast Rd., Blanchisseuse, 669-2475, fax 669-3016; $60 includes tax, service, and breakfast; four-course meals about $15). Largest compound, just before the suspension bridge, is Laguna Mar Beach Resort with 16 rooms in three hillside lodges and an indoor-outdoor restaurant. Back of the restaurant is the big beach at the river mouth. Rooms are high-ceilinged, simply furnished, and, like all in the village, fan-cooled, unscreened, and, almost everywhere, with mosquito netting--as easy to arrange as it is sensible. (Mile Marker 651/2, Paria Main Rd., Blanchisseuse, 669-2963, lagunamar.com; $75-$85.) Two B&Bs offer three arty rooms, each only steps from dramatic cove beaches: Second Spring lies more quietly west of the village on the sea; Almond Brook in the heart of the village and across from Rennie Bobb's studio. (Second Spring, Lamp Post 191, Paria Main Rd., Blanchisseuse, 669-3909; $50, hot plate and fridge; cottage $70, full kitchen; continental breakfast $5 per person. Almond Brook, Lamp Post 16, Paria Main Rd., Blanchisseuse, 678-0822; $50 for a double includes full breakfast and use of kitchen. Both include tax and service.) Herb Hiller is a former executive director of the Caribbean Travel Association.Wyatt Gallery's photographs were exhibited at The Mercedes-Benz Manhattan Gallery from October 2nd - November 2nd, 2003. The gallery is located at 536 W. 41st Street at 11th Avenue.For more information, go to wyattgallery.com

We all know the ingredients of a perfect wedding: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. But what you might not know is if your choice for something blue is the Caribbean Sea, you can save something green--as in thousands of dollars on wedding costs. According to Bride's Magazine, the average cost of a wedding ranges between $20,000 and $30,000 depending on your location, and that doesn't include the honeymoon. Of course, there are always cheaper options if you remove all the pomp and circumstance from the picture. Renting a chapel and eloping in Vegas, e.g., can run you as little as a few hundred dollars (only $35 for the license)--but what it may cost you in friends and family relations could be a bit steeper. There is a happy medium: getting married on a cruise ship. After doing the math, we found that couples can save upwards of $15,000 on their wedding day if they get hitched at sea. Even on a luxury liner, for seven nights and guests included, the total bill is only a fraction of what getting married the old-fashioned way is expected to cost. But Pat Webb, president of GalaxSea Cruises and Tours, admits shipboard nuptials are not for everyone. "If you're getting married for the second or third time, they're great because you'll invite less people. But first-time wedders, who want all their friends and family there, will end up spending more [than on a conventional wedding] if everyone gets a cruise ticket." Different cruise lines appeal to different marrying folk. Some are best for privacy seeking twosomes (geared toward the renewers or serial "been there, done that" brides and grooms). Others accommodate entire wedding parties--briefly. Guest come aboard at the ship's embarkation point for a one-day ceremony and leave before the newlyweds set sail. There are even programs for those who wish to renew their vows. Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival wants to give lovebirds more, ahem, bang for their buck, offering the cheapest combination wedding and honeymoon getaway deals. 2,200 couples are expected to have partaken in a Carnival wedding on its Glory line by the end of this year. Although it certainly has enough lounge spaces for full-blown receptions, glitzy Carnival (aka the "fun ship") is often more the choice for elopers given its reputation for being a floating Las Vegas. "Just for the Bride and Groom" runs $750 and includes an official civil ceremony, champagne toasts and flutes, flowers for both newlyweds, a two-tiered wedding cake, music and photo ops. Couples either use Carnival's on-board officiant or bring their own religion-specific clergy along. Those who want a private reception, more bubbly, more photos, or live music, pay about twice as much. Total cost? Plan on spending upwards of $2,000 for the deluxe package as Carnival's weeklong Caribbean cruises tend to average about $529. Those who bring guests, let's say 10, still end up paying less than $10,000 in full. Visit carnival.com/ or call 888/CARNIVAL for more info. Windjammer Barefoot Cruises Tall, dark, and handsome. I'm talking about Windjammer ships, not the groom, silly. Windjammer has a unique fleet comprised of restored tall-masted schooners (the kind Ahab used to whale hunt). Its boats, often powered by the wind, can sail into hideaway coves the larger cruise ships cannot-these cruisers carry 120 or so total versus thousands on board Carnival or other biggies. It's a more intimate setting that can serve as an ideal venue for a more private alternative to the altar. Here's the deal (cutely named after tropical flora); only Carnival is cheaper. Windjammer's Hibiscus package is an even $500 per couple and gives future Mr.'s and Mrs.'s a wedding consultant, an officiated wedding, wedding certificate (or vow renewal), cake, bridal bouquet, champagne and dinner at the Captain's table. Drop a few more c-notes for its Jasmine and Orchid packages including more photos and perks. Tack on these prices to the cost of a $700/per person cruise ticket for six-days and wedders end up spending $3,000 for a nearly week-long wedding. That's about 10 percent of what a one-day wedding could cost. Of course, those who want guests to sail along can easily run that number up: 18 guests for six days and the Orchid deal would be around $15,000. But because of the size of the boat, a ceremony and reception on board isn't an option. Visit windjammer.com or call 800/327-2601 for booking information. Norwegian Cruise Lines Unlike Carnival and Windjammer, Norwegian is all about the guests. Many couples bring the hordes of family and friends aboard for a few hours pre-cruise to have the ceremony, then boot them off before they actually set sail. Of course, the more popular you are, the more you'll pay. Here's what Norwegian gives offers: The $799 "exclusive" package includes an intimate ceremony run by an on-board officiant, recorded music, a marriage certificate, photos, champagne and a 10" cake. Prices for on-board weddings start at $1,100, $1,450 for a land wedding. Flowers, music, transportation and reception cost extra. Of course, the total amount couples spend depends on how long they sail. Cruises in Nov-Feb range from $499 to $1,000 per person for a weeklong Caribbean cruise, so the most marrying twosomes pay is $4,399 with the most expensive package-a fifth of what a cheaper-end church wedding would cost. For more info go to ncl.com or call 800/392-3472. Princess Cruises In the middle of the pack price-wise, Princess's claim to fame is that it's the one cruise line that can actually marry people while it's sailing on international waters (passengers on all other cruiselines have to wed while docked or on an island). Why is this? According to atlastravelweb.com, "The marriages conducted on board will be performed AT SEA by the Captain of the vessel under authority of Liberian Maritime Law and are recognized under the Law of Liberia as valid marriages." Princess is uniquely registered with the Liberian government and the U.S. recognizes legal Liberian marriages (I think I get it). Any hoo, because of its newer ships and consequently heftier price tags, Princess' weddings are more appropriate for couples going solo or those renewing their vows. For $2,998/couple, we found a complete (meaning cruise included) 10-day wedding/honeymoon cruise for two with a Mexican Riviera Itinerary. It includes a a candle-lit ceremony at the Hearts and Minds on-board chapel (while sailing), floral arrangements, a wedding coordinator, roses, a boutonniere, a photographer to fill a complimentary photo album, live piano music, champagne, flutes to keep, a sculpted cake for two, and a certificate. Multiple that price by five to get anything close to that at a regular wedding. Check out theweddingexperience.com, to book, or call 877/580-3556. Divorce rates are over 50 percent so married-folk still working at it should be rewarded. Princess' "Renewal of vows" lets couples do it all over again. For $205 per duo, couples get a ceremony (usually in a group of other couples), an orchid bouquet, a certificate of renewal, a portrait of the ceremony, and champagne with flutes. Packages including robes and facials cost more. Add it to a weeklong cruise averaging from $399 to $599/person between Dec. and Feb. for a cost of about $1,700 total. Visit princess.com for more info. Land ahoy! Maybe seasickness and wedding cake aren't a good combination. Or maybe the idea of getting married on a docked boat sounds just plain boring. Couples aren't limited to getting married on the ship: many cruise lines offer onshore ceremonies as well. However, there are strict time limits on these ceremonies (based on the ship's itinerary) and they tend to be much more expensive. Holland America Holland, an upscale line that attracts a slightly older clientele, has the highest prices, although rates for these "destination packages" include transportation, flowers, wedding cake, photos and champagne. Please note that the prices below are in addition to cruise fares (we'll add up everything at the end): Jamaica: $1,695 to get married at Ocho Rios' Paradise Cove or pay $1,995 at the Sunset Beach Resort. St. Thomas: For $1,650, choose to exchange vows overlooking the British Virgin Isles or the gardens at the Marriott Hotel Frenchman's Reef resort. Grand Cayman: Couples can get married at a mansion built nearly a century ago. Choose a beach or gazebo ceremony for prices between $1,595-$2,300. Half Moon Cay: Couples can get married at Holland America's private island, either on the beach or in the island chapel for $1,950. Alaska: For $1,450, couples can get married in the Rainforest Glacier Gardens in Vancouver, or go for a pricier option: $2,595 to be married atop the Herbert Glacier in Juneau, via helicopter. Many islands have residency requirements, blood tests, fees and other headaches couples may want to deal with ahead of time (e.g. the Cayman's requires a $200 fee for a marriage license while Jamaica has a 24-hour residency wait and charges $54 in fees). Contact Royal Ocean Events at 888/47-5511 or royalwed.com for more information.Celebrity Cruises Which to pick--Aruba, Barbados, Cozumel, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, Juneau, Ketchikan, Key West, or San Juan? Planning a wedding with Celebrity (renowned for its cuisine) is a smorgasbord of options as it offers more island destinations for cheaper prices. Starting from $700 (the cheapest for land-based wedding packages), not including cruise fares, bride and groom duos can get hitched on one of 14 tropical locales. Marriage packages includes wedding officiant, bottle of bubbly, wedding cake for eight, bouquet, boutonniere and wedding certificate. A videographer and invitations are extra. Celebrity offers high-season Caribbean cruises for around $850 per person for seven nights. Adding together the cost of two cruise tickets, the wedding package, and a sit-down reception for 20 guests(before departure), the grand total is $3,000. If those 20 guests come along for the cruise, the price jumps to $15,000 all together (about half of the cost of a conventional wedding ceremony). For more info go to celebrity.com or call 866/595-2352. Royal Caribbean International Were you jealous of Prince Charles and Lady Di's posh matrimony? You, too, can have a 'Royal Wedding' (hopefully it'll turn out better)-but prepare to pay the price. Royal Caribbean is offering a few on-shore island wedding deals directed toward those leaving friends and family back home. It's asking about twice the price of Celebrity but not as much as Holland: The "Duet" package (without cruise fare) includes a wedding officiant, recorded music, bridal bouquet, boutonniere for the groom, champagne-toasted ceremony, photos, cake and a wedding certificate. It's $1395/couple for a port-wedding in Juneau, Nassau, Barbados, Bermuda, Hawaii, Jamaica, Cabo, Cozumel, and St. Lucia. It's $100 more in Grand Grayman and St. Maarten. For a seven-night cruise in high season, expect to pay between $450 and $500 per person in cruise fare. Total cost of the wedding is under $2,500. Adding extra champagne and more polaroid memories will run you more. Royal, like Princess, offers a fare-ly cheap vow renewal package at $400 for an onboard ceremony, lovey dovey music on cassette, flowers, wedding cake, champagne, photos and a certificate. Guests are welcome to rent tuxes, get live music, and have personalized wedding announcements made up for additional moola. To book any of these deals call 888/933-7225 or go to royalcaribbean.com. Note: a $100 surcharge will be tacked on to package deals if the wedding is held in May, June, September and October.