What A Difference A Day Makes

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Still, there's that issue of weather vs. bargain, but consider this: just as you're not guaranteed perfect weather in high season, you can't count on poor weather in low season. In fact, from the last few days of one season to the first few days of the next, your odds weatherwise are about the same. So why not save a few bucks? At the Wigwam Resort in Phoenix, Ariz., a popular winter destination, rooms are at a premium through May 1, with rates from $330 to $475 per room per night. On May 2, however, with weather probably not a lot different from May 1, rates drop to $245 to $380. On June 21 (when it can easily be 110[degrees] F in the shade), rates go down again, to a range of $145 to $225.

Comparable bargains can be found at resorts where weather makes one season undesirable. Bermuda's high season is May 1 through Nov. 30, and couples who want to celebrate an anniversary or renew their vows during that time will pay a hefty $2,880 for the anniversary package at the Reefs, one of the island's top hotels. Off-season, which in Bermuda runs from Dec. 1 through March 31, the same package is $1,050 less.

Hardiness Pays
Some travelers have mixed feelings about chancing poor weather on what may be their only vacation of the year. Seldom so golfers, a breed of vacationer for whom low-season rates are made. Bad weather rarely keeps them from their game. And golfers can save twice over. Not only are packages less expensive in low season, but course fees are lower too. Those who want to venture away from the resort they're staying at to play a popular nearby course can save as well. Combined green-and-cart fees on the two Tom Fazio-designed courses at Wild Dunes, an island resort 20 min. from historic Charleston, S.C., are $80 and $50 in December and January, vs. $165 and $100 from mid-March through May. The resort's three-night, three-round golf package, including villa accommodations and breakfast daily, is $89 per person per night in low season, $121 in high.

One of Canada's most popular golfing destinations is Prince Edward Island. Travelers willing to play in cool weather find excellent deals in May and October, when a typical two-night package with accommodations and golf starts at $208 per person. Packages in the first two weeks of June are less than they are from June 15 through Sept. 30, starting at $236 and $262, respectively.

Victory At Sea
It's no surprise that cruising has become one of the most popular forms of vacation. It has the romance of an earlier era, and it's easy: minimal packing and unpacking, plenty of time to relax, and enough food and entertainment to satisfy the most committed sybarite--all at one price. Cruise lines typically have two or three seasons. A seven-night Mediterranean cruise on Premier's elegant Rembrandt runs $1,498 to $2,998 (depending on cabin choice); it's $100 per person more May 31 through Sept. 6. The line's Island Breeze has week-long voyages around the Canary Islands, with stops at Madeira and Morocco, for $1,198 to $2,398 through November; in December the cost goes up $100.

Part of the appeal of a cruise is that it's an easy way for grandparents to take their grandchildren with them on vacation--an increasingly popular option, judging by the growing number of multigeneration tours and packages being offered. With the modern cruise fleet bristling with child-care facilities and supervised children's activities, grandparents don't have to entertain the children all the time. Some lines offer incentives for these two generations to travel together, with no charge or deep discounts for children during certain seasons. Regal China Cruises, which travels the Yangtze River, is offering a 30% discount for grandparents traveling with grandchildren this summer. The line already has a 50% discount for children ages 2 to 12. All told, that translates to a savings of from $580 to $1,386.

Less Is More
Cheap fares and rates aren't the only reasons to travel off-season. Fewer crowds usually mean better service, and many hotels and cruise lines offer special programs. True, they do so as a way to increase bookings and fill rooms, but that doesn't change the fact that these programs are often excellent and usually of particular interest to a sophisticated audience. The Hyatt Regency in Beaver Creek, Colo., co-sponsors an education program for those over age 50 called Explore '99, with wide-ranging areas of study to choose from: astronomy, global issues, painting, history, music. The week-long program costs $1,950 per person, which includes some meals as well as the courses and accommodations. In high season, lodging alone at the tony Hyatt starts at $430 per night. On the East Coast, themed weekends, from birding to ballroom dancing, occur year-round at the 129-year-old historic Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y., where A.A.R.P. members receive 15% off standard room rates regardless of season. Most of the weekend programs are free to hotel guests, as are acres of gardens and trails to explore, plus the full array of traditional resort activities.