Are you ready to score excellent travel deals over Thanksgiving weekend?

By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Content Agency
Taking the Kids

Are you ready? I’m not talking about Thanksgiving or navigating the inevitable family drama (more about that in next week’s column!)

I’m talking about being ready to snare one of the excellent Black Friday-Travel Tuesday travel deals, prime time for scoring major deals on hotels and all-inclusive resorts, according to Expedia travel expert Melanie Fish.

The key is to know what you want ahead of time so you can sift through the deals more efficiently, Fish said.

Score a travel deal to Honolulu, Hawaii.

That’s even more important if you are trying to coordinate with family or friends as often there are only a certain number of these deals available. Follow your favorite brands or hotels on social media and join their loyalty programs. Fish notes that some have exclusive app and member-only deals. For example, The Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico is offering 25 percent off and 30 percent off for World of Hyatt members, including breakfast for two and a bucket of the hotel’s signature lager. (Book now through Dec. 25 and stay between Nov. 20 and April 30, 2026.)

Maybe this year is the time to give travel as a holiday gift. Research suggests people now prioritize experiences over acquiring more things – 72 percent, according to a recent survey from Longwoods International, in fact.

Make sure you understand the fine print. Can you cancel or change the dates without penalty? Must you pay in full in advance? Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, for example, is offering 30 percent off for stays between Nov. 28 and May 31, 2026, as long as you book between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1 and prepay the nonrefundable deal.

So, what’s on your travel wish list?

You don’t need a passport to go to the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico. Sand Castle on the Beach in St. Croix is offering a 40 percent discount when you book Nov. 24 through Dec. 5 and travel between Sept. 1 through Nov. 30 2026.

Book the Caribe Hilton (close to Old Town San Juan and where the pina colada was invented) Cyber Week sale saving up to 20 percent on the best rate for stays between Jan. 18 through Oct. 31 2026.

If Mexico is on your wish list, all-inclusive Sandos Hotels & Resorts in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cabo San Lucas is offering guests 20 percent off, two kids free and a special booklet with resort credits up to $450. Margaritaville Island Resort Riviera Maya has offers up to 65 percent off. (Book between Nov. 4 and Dec. 4, 2025, for travel from Nov. 4, 2025, through Dec. 22, 2026.)

If you have young kids, Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana is offering 60 percent off with kids up to age 6 staying for free. (There are also deals at Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Riviera Maya in Mexico.)

If you are dreaming about a safari, save thousands of dollars on trips in southern Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya with Timbuktu Travel.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with my daughter

For an active adventure away from the crowds, G Adventures is touting up to 30 percent off hundreds of trips for travel through April 30, 2026, including Ecuador, Southeast Asia and USA national parks. (Book now through Dec. 5.)

If your kids love water parks, Great Wolf Lodge with more than 20 destinations around the country with indoor water parks, arcade games, family-friendly events and more is offering up to 50 percent family suites with code Friday (mid-week rates available from $99) as long as you book by Nov. 28. You can stay from Nov. 28 to April 29, 2026.

If the kids are begging to go to Orlando to experience Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park, the Villatel Orlando Resort is next door with condo units and villas that can sleep more than two dozen. Grab 40 percent off as long as you book Nov. 18 through Dec. 3 for stays between Nov. 20 and Dec 15 next year for four nights. Blackout dates: 12/15/25 through 1/1/26, 3/31/26 through 4/12/26, 6/7/25 through 7/31/26. Minimum four-night stay.

Hawaii is more doable than you might have thought. Outrigger Resorts & Hotels is offering up to 45 percent best-available rates in Hawaii across O’ahu, Maui, Kauai,and Hawaii. Every Hawaii booking supports the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Hōkūle‘a Moananuiākea Voyage, a circumnavigation of the Pacific inspiring young leaders and global ocean stewardship. Book now through Dec. 9 on outrigger.com/cyber using code CYBER25.)

Stay in Waikiki as we did at the retro-inspired Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club at 30 percent off their best available rates with $20 parking. Book now through Nov. 30 and travel now through Dec. 31, 2026, though there are blackout dates.

And on the southern coast of Kauai, Ko’a Kea Resort on Poipu Beach is offering 30 percent off stays, 50 percent off resort fees and a $30 daily resort credit as long as you stay four nights. Book now through Dec. 3 and travel Dec. 1 through Dec. 1, 2026, though there are blackout dates.

Those seeking wellness getaways should check out https://evolveretreats.co/retreats for various retreats hosted by top wellness instructors at iconic resorts everywhere from the Caribbean to Mexico to Arizona and North Carolina. (Get $250 off using code FRIDAY, though you must book Friday Nov. 28.)

How about a different kind of cruise? Windstar Cruises, known for their sailing ships and yachts sailing year-round in Europe, among other places, are able to visit smaller, less-crowded ports. They are offering a “Be Thankful for Travel Deal” that includes a free all-inclusive upgrade, plus reduced deposits of just $50 per person. (Book from Nov. 18 to Dec. 2 on all voyages through March 2027.)

HX Expeditions has launched its Black Friday Sale, offering travelers up to 40 percent off select voyages for 2025 through 2027. The sale spans Antarctica, the Galápagos, Svalbard, Norway, Greenland, Alaska, and the Northwest Passage, with all-inclusive expeditions starting at $3,987. This offer is available for bookings from Nov. 11 through Dec. 3, 2025. Travelers booking 2026 sailings will also be part of HX’s 130th anniversary celebration, which will feature specialty dining, limited-edition keepsakes, and exclusive onboard experiences.

How about sailing on your own private yacht, with or without a crew? You can get 20 percent off all Moorings Charter Destinations. No blackout dates. Book between Nov. 25 and Dec. 5 for charters departing by Dec. 14, 2026.

Cruise Critic collects all Black Friday/Travel Monday deals across the cruise industry. This is a good place to comparison shop, suggests Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of Cruise Critic. Look for discounted fares, kids sail-free (or third and fourth passengers free in a cabin), but also added value perks like free onboard credit, beverage packages, cabin upgrades and sometimes even flights, McDaniel said.

There are plenty of deals in snow country. The Gant condos in Aspen, where we have stayed, is offering 35 percent off stays of three or more nights through December and select dates through April 2026. This deal is one that’s nonrefundable. (Book Nov. 28 through Dec. 2.)

In Vail, the Lion and Lodge Tower are offering 20 percent off. (Book between Nov. 27 and Dec. 2 for stays from Nov. 27 through Nov. 19 2026.

Happy travels!

(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)