Spring break ideas on the cheap

By Kelly Roncace/Gloucester County Times
Girls in bikinis, guys yelling cat calls and excessive alcohol consumption usually set the scene for the few weeks during March and April that college students affectionately refer to as Spring Break.

However, due to the still unstable state of the economy and changing formats at some  popular resorts, many students are changing their ideas about how to spend their precious study breaks.

There are many low-cost destinations on the map that offer fun and sun on a budget, and even some options that offer volunteer opportunities so students can get away from it all cheaply and make a difference in the world at the same time.

According to The Travel Channel’s website, there are many destinations within a few hours drive that offer free activities, including Washington, D.C., which celebrates the Cherry Blossom Festival for two weeks in early April.

In addition to the stunning, flowering cherry trees lining the Tidal Basin and standing proudly around the Washington Monument, the festival offers cultural performances, fireworks and a parade free of charge.

Travel consultant Lisa Vieira of Beckett Travel in Swedesboro said there are many locations in The Sunshine State that are “big” for spring breakers and can be easily reached by jumping in the car and cruising south on I-95.

Panama City, Daytona Beach and South Beach Miami, all in Florida, are very popular sites for spring break revelry.

A group of students can fly south and stay in a beachfront Holiday Inn located in the heart of South Beach for less than $850 per person.

Situated directly on the beach, all 253 rooms overlook the Atlantic Ocean or bay and include flat screen televisions.

“Miami Beach is real popular,” Vieira said. “South Beach Miami is the hot spot, the ‘Latin Playground.’”

For right around $600 per person, students can spend four steamy nights oceanfront in Daytona Beach.

To save on food expenses, the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites provides a microwave, small refrigerator and a coffee maker in each room.

In addition to a heated, outdoor pool and the nearby beach, Daytona Beach is famous for allowing vehicles to drive on the sand and also offers ATV rentals on the beach.

Another reason to spend Spring Break state-side: previously popular international destinations are now geared toward families and honeymooners, she said.

“They got rid of those party hotels in the Cancun zone and you have to be at least 23 or 25 to even check in to a lot of the resorts,” Vieira said. “They are trying to get rid of the spring breakers.”

But for those who are set on lounging on the beaches of an exotic land during their breaks, Jamaica’s Superfun Beach Resort and Spa by SuperClubs, located in Runaway Bay, offers affordable rates for college students who can’t afford to spend a mint.

For less than $1,000 per person, including airfare and accommodations, a group of friends can drench themselves in the luxury of this all-inclusive resort for five relaxing days.

Once settled at Superfun, visitors will have all their meals and snacks provided, unlimited local and international brand cocktails and an endless array of events, activities, and land and water sports at their fingertips.

Another way students can get away and catch some rays is by volunteering their time to help others.

Rowan University’s Office for Service Learning, Volunteerism and Community Engagement offers group excursions to locations in need of assistance. This year, many fortunate students will be traveling to San Francisco, Calif., or Pensacola, Fla., for a fraction of the cost of partying their time away in a wild resort town.

Office Assistant Director Andrew Perrone said students can apply for the Alternative Spring Break program, which immerses the students in different settings and cultures by visiting communities where they perform short-term projects while learning about issues such as poverty, educational and cultural literacy, racism, hunger, the environment, homelessness and health-related issues.

During the week of spring break, groups of Rowan students will participate in a Gulf of Mexico restoration project in Pensacola, Fla., an HIV/AIDS Education program in San Francisco and several local outreach programs in Gloucester and Camden counties.
Perrone said students who travel to Pensacola, Fla., will volunteer with Community Collaborations International on a variety of environmental projects.

“The volunteers will be doing oil spill response work with certain wildlife such as oysters and on the shoreline,” Perrone said.

Students who travel to San Francisco will work with Project Open Hand, an organization which meets community nutrition needs through programs for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homebound critically ill and senior citizens.

“The students will be delivering in-home meals to homebound patients for part of the time and working in the Project Open Hand offices during the other days,” Perrone said.
Locally, students will work with the Food Bank of South Jersey, Boys and Girls Clubs of Glassboro and the Cherry Hill Jewish Community Center, just to name a few.

This alternative means of spending your break can be an inexpensive way of taking a vacation while helping others.

“The students pay one fee to the office which pays for their housing, food, supplies and transportation in and around the city where they are volunteering,” Perrone said. “Once that fee is paid, they can come on the trip with no cash or credit cards if they want. The only money they would need would be for souvenirs.”

Though this year’s Alternative Spring Break costs have not been finalized, Perrone said a trip to Gainesville, Fla., during winter break just a few weeks ago, cost participants only $425, which included the $220 round-trip airfare.

“You can’t beat that for a full week in Florida in January,” he said. “And on top of it being an inexpensive trip, the students have a really good experience.”

Though the deadline for this year’s spring break trips has passed, the office offers volunteer opportunities and trips often during the year.

For more information, e-mail volunteer@rowan.edu.