Considering a romantic getaway, honeymoon or destination wedding in the Caribbean? After selecting your island, the question most on your mind is when to travel.

PRICE

The Caribbean offers plenty of fun in the sun year around, with very little difference in temperature from month to month. The time of year you travel may have more to do with your budget than with the weather. Prices can vary as much as 40 percent between high and low season.

High season usually runs from December 15 through April 15. During this time, prices peak and rooms can be difficult to reserve (especially during the holiday season). Prices soar during Christmas week. After the holidays, package prices (although sometimes not room rates) drop during January. They rise again by February and remain high until mid-April.

Low season covers the summer and early fall months, for two reasons. First, these are the warmest months in the northeast section of the US, the area from which travelers often flee to the sunny Caribbean during the chilly winter months. Second, this is hurricane season.

HURRICANES

Mention the Caribbean and weather in the same sentence, and one concern quickly arises: hurricanes. These deadly storms officially threaten from June through November, although the greatest danger is during the later months, basically August through October. (September is usually the worst month.)

Keep in mind, however, that the Caribbean is a large region. We've been in the Western Caribbean when storms were picking up force in the eastern reaches and never felt a gust of wind or saw a wave over ankle high.

To minimize the chances of a hurricane ruining or postponing your trip, plan a vacation outside the hurricane season or outside the hurricane zone. In the far southern reaches, the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Cura