planning your vacation
Planning your vacation and looking for a bit of guidance? We’re here to help!
Warm sand under your feet. Waves gently lapping the shore. Soft breezes coming off the water so the temperature’s always just right. The smell of the salt air. The list of things we love about staying at the beach goes on and on and you’re almost here! Below we’ve provided information for planning your vacation; from what to bring and expect from our beach homes – whether this is your first trip or your twentieth.
Vacation Rentals 101
Is this your first time renting a vacation home? If so, the planning experience can be quite different than your typical hotel-destined vacation. Here are a few tips to consider when booking your vacation in a rental home:
1) Plan early. Many of our rental homes have been vacation rentals for years, gathering a following of families who come back year after year. This means that dates, especially peak summer weeks, are booked upwards of a year in advance. Booking early not only guarantees you the home, amenities, location, and dates that work best for your entire family but also qualifies you for payment options like our Flex Pay Plan and added savings such as Early Bird Discounts.
2) The basics are here. Unlike a hotel, you will be making yourself at home here for the week. It’s tempting to fill every corner of your car with the contents of your home, but you’ll find that you don’t need many things when staying in a home. Kitchens are stocked with basics – dishes, cups, silverware, cookware, baking sheets and dishes, coffeepots, and toasters. Other items such as blenders, irons, slow cookers, and hair dryers are often at the house. Brooms, vacuums, and mops are at the house as well for tidying during your stay. Should you arrive and find one of these basics missing, just call our Housekeeping Team for a prompt replacement. Paper and plastic products aren’t provided, such as paper towels, toilet paper, trash bags, foil, and plastic wrap.
3) Organize your meals. Much of the cost in your typical vacation is spent on meals– whether it’s fast food or sit-down restaurants. Even if you only spent $7 per person for a family of four for 2 meals a day over the week, that’s about $400. Take advantage of the kitchen and dining room and try your hand at local cuisine. Bring some favorites from home to stock the pantry and pick up anything else from one of our local grocery stores, produce stands, or seafood markets.
4) Pack light. Choose a home that hosts plenty of amenities to keep the family busy for the week. You can choose from private or community pools, game rooms, wireless internet, foosball and pool tables, and gaming systems. In addition to the beach and the activities to enjoy while you’re here, your home’s new activities will keep everyone busy so that you won’t need to pack the typical entertainment stash. To keep the kids to a minimum, try limiting them to 1 bag per child for things other than clothes. We found lots of great tips for packing and traveling with kids on Pinterest!
Large Family Groups
A great way to cut costs for a vacation can be to travel together with multiple generations or groups of friends. This makes vacations more affordable by allowing for resource pooling for the big-ticket costs – lodging, food, and gas. For example, a 5 bedroom home for the week might rent for $3,000. That comes out to roughly $85 per bedroom a night. Add in the value of a full kitchen, parking, full-sized bathrooms, dining space, and the privacy of a residential home, and vacationing in a hotel starts to look more cramped and expensive by the minute.
We often help families find homes that match the needs of a larger group, so we are well-versed in finding the amenities that you need in one or multiple homes within a couple of blocks of one another. Many of our duplex homes offer connecting decks or interior connecting doors, providing the best of both worlds with privacy and togetherness simultaneously. (Plus, twice the cooking, dining, and living space!)
Ask your Vacation Planner to help if you’re having trouble coordinating multiple large homes, or if you need recommendations or guidance in finding one large home to accommodate everyone. We also recommend using the Aerial Maps on our website to find homes that are near to each other. Check them out here.
When To reserve
When it comes to planning your annual family vacation, there can be many stressful factors. Budgeting, of course, is always a consideration. But there’s also planning sleeping arrangements, scheduling activities, planning meals, and carving out free time to relax. Then there’s packing, navigating the highways or airports, and managing family relations…Whew! We suggest reserving 8-12 months in advance in order to take advantage of the best deals, including the Flex Pay Plan!
1)The right house… can make all of the difference in a relaxing getaway. Choosing a home that is in the best location (either close to the action or serenely secluded) for your family is key. If you have 3 kids under 5, you’re going to want something that’s just a short walk from the sand. Insider Tip: No distance is too short when you’re hauling wet, sandy beach gear AND tired toddlers back to the house. For families with multiple generations, you may need something with limited stairs and a layout that allows for more space between the youngest and eldest, so that grandma can get a good night’s sleep without shutting down the kids’ fun too early. Spending a week together making memories is always wonderful, but the right layout and location can make it even better.
2) The right date… for everyone. When you’re making arrangements for a large group, work, school, sports, and family commitments make it difficult to open up the calendar. Booking further in advance ensures that the week you need will be available in a home that meets all or most of your family’s requirements.
3) Flexible interest-free payment plans… split the cost of your vacation into as many as 6 monthly payments leading up to your vacation. Many of our guests take turns making payments, or contribute to a joint account monthly in order to make booking more affordable. You can save with the Military Discount or the Early Bird savings in the spring and fall.
When it comes down to it, choosing the right home for your family and finding availability for your family’s ideal dates is the most important part of planning. By waiting until the last minute, you might save a few dollars but you’re also taking a huge risk that there won’t be anything available that meets your needs. You can always find ways to save on other aspects of your vacation without risking the most important part – somewhere to stay! Be sure to look for coupons for local activities and attractions in our Beacon guide!
Essential Packing
All cottages provide the following for at least the maximum occupancy the home allows:
Blankets, pillows, mattress pads, bedspreads, vacuum cleaner, plunger, mop, broom, and dustpan
Vacation Must-Haves: Don’t forget to pack…
-Paper Towels and Toilet Paper
-Bed Linens, Bath, and Kitchen Towels (Unless Linen Service is Provided)
-Cleaning Supplies (Dishwasher Detergent, Dish Soap, Hand Soap, etc.)
-Paper and Plastic Products (Coffee Filters, Trash Bags, Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Plastic Wrap and Foil, etc.)
-Beach Towels
-Camera (Make sure you submit your photos in our annual Photo Contest!)
-Baby Equipment (If property does not offer based on online information)
-Food and Condiments (Seasonings and Spices, Pantry Staples, etc.)
-Personal Toiletries (Shampoo, Conditioner, Soap, etc.)
-Beach and Fishing Equipment
-Sunscreen and Suntan Lotions, Aloe, etc.
-Remember to bring bed linens (unless linen service is provided) or you can contact us and we can add them to your reservation.
-Also, bring personal toiletries and paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels and cleaning products.
CLICK HERE to view our Vacation Planning blog and download our beach packing cheat sheet!
Handicap Friendly Accommodations
Our island has been praised by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post for providing a vacation getaway that affords an atmosphere that embraces every member of the family. Whatever your needs, they can be met here with several options.
Accessing the beach
The town will provide, at no charge, all-terrain wheelchairs on a first-come, first-served basis. A community center with a gym, exercise room, and aerobics class is available for a small daily fee. Many beach access ramps can accommodate wheelchairs, but some do not extend all the way to the sand. All state and national parks are handicap accessible, but not all are completely negotiable by wheelchair. At the east end of the island, the 3d Street Park furnishes ten parking spaces in addition to a handicap accessible ramp. Bluewater Drive and Seagull Drive each have single parking spaces. At the other end of the island, Ocean Oaks has a single parking space as well as Randy’s Way, a handicap accessible ramp. Wyndtree Lane has a single parking space and Channel Drive has three parking spaces available. These parking spaces may be used with handicap license plates or placards. The fine for violating the use of these spots is a fine of $100.
Finding a vacation spot
None of our homes are ADA compliant, and none are specifically marketed for handicap accessibility. But depending on your needs, we can suggest properties that have a variety of features that will make your stay more comfortable. Some of these features may include Ground level entry, elevator access to all floors, single-story layout, or bathroom modifications such as grab bars, lowered sinks, or roll-in showers. We recommend speaking with a Vacation Planner directly for help in planning a trip where specific accommodations are needed.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARRIVE
KEYED VACATION RENTALS
For keyed rentals, you will need to check in at your designated office location, either Emerald Isle or Atlantic Beach. Your designated office will depend upon your property location and will be shown on your rental agreement. If you aren’t sure which office to check in at, contact our Vacation Planners for assistance.
Standard Check-In Time is 3:00 pm EST, with the only exceptions being properties that have a later arrival time set by the homeowner. Your check-in time will also be listed on your rental agreement.
No early check-ins are given, as required inspections and property maintenance are performed prior to arrival.
At check-in, you will receive: 1 Key Packet containing 2 property keys, any required parking or amenity passes (for condominiums), directions to your vacation rental, and a copy of the annual Beacon Guest Guide
KEYLESS VACATION RENTALS
If your vacation home is keyless, you will not need to come to the office to check-in. Before your arrival, you will receive an email with your code and instructions on using the keyless lock system. Once your check-in time has arrived, you can proceur check-in time has passed.ed directly to your vacation rental.
Standard Check-In Time is 3:00 pm EST, with the only exceptions being properties that have a later arrival time set by the homeowner. Your check-in time will also be listed on your rental agreement. Keyless lock codes will not work until your check-in time has passed.
No early check-ins are given, as required inspections and property maintenance are performed prior to arrival.
Any required parking or amenity passes should be available on your Pre-Arrival email, as well as the address of your vacation rental property. A welcome gift and your annual Beacon Guest Guide will be left inside your rental property.
QUICK TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR VACATION
DO ask for suggestions of what to do if you get here before the house is ready – us ‘locals’ have some great ideas!
DO check out your Bluewater Beacon for rental information, great vacation ideas and extra savings.
DON’T park in the driveway of the house or otherwise occupy the property until it is ready – this will actually delay housekeeping, inspections, maintenance and linen services!
DON’T buy items that need to be refrigerated or frozen before checking in with us (we hate melted ice cream as much as you do!).
Kitchen
All kitchens are adequately stocked for everyday meal preparation. You can expect to find the following items for at least the maximum occupancy: a coffee maker and a toaster, dishes, glasses, coffee mugs, flatware, dishes, pots and pans and cooking utensils. Some cottages provide extra kitchen equipment, but others do not.
Extra kitchen items are provided according to the individual homeowner’s preference, not according to the size, location, or price of the cottage. If you are planning special meal preparations you should bring with you such items as: a blender, food processor, extra large or specialty pots or pans, chef’s knives, specialty cooking utensils, etc.
Housekeeping
Upon arrival to your rental home, please notify us immediately if you are not satisfied with the cleanliness. We will send a Bluewater housekeeping team to address any cleaning issues to your satisfaction. If we have not heard to the contrary within one hour of check-in, we assume that you have found your rental home in acceptable condition. No reimbursements will be given at a later point for lack of cleanliness.
Maintenance
When you first arrive at your rental cottage, please walk through the cottage and check thoroughly to make sure it is clean and everything is in working order (appliances, doors, windows, etc.) If any appliance or electrical outlet does not work, please check the circuit breaker box and/or ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) reset switch, usually located in a bathroom electrical outlet. Simply press the GFCI reset button. If power is not restored, then call our office. All efforts will be made to expedite repair, but no refunds will be made for mechanical failures of appliances and/or electronics or interruption and/or loss of utilities (including Cable TV). Please also report any inoperative and/or missing equipment to our maintenance department.
For routine maintenance problems during business hours, please call 252-354-6128 between 8:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. in the off-season and 8:30 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. in the in-season. For emergencies only after hours, call 252-354-2323 and follow the prompts. Remember, Bluewater-authorized repairmen have the legal right to enter your rental home as required to accomplish needed repairs.
Coastal Golfing
Whether you are a serious golfer with your own clubs and lucky spikes or a novice who just wants to enjoy the scenery, the Crystal Coast has many golf courses to suit your needs.
Country Club of the Crystal Coast
252-726-1034
152 Oakleaf Drive
Pine Knoll Shores, NC
www.crystalcoastcc.com
