No alarms, no budgets, no guilt: New rules of vacation

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

IT’S OFFICIAL: BUDGETS AND CALORIES DON’T COUNT ON VACATION AND YOU’RE NOT OBLIGATED TO RESPOND TO MESSAGES.

A NEW SURVEY OF 2,000 AMERICANS FOUND THAT WHEN IT COMES TO VACATION, THE USUAL RULES GO OUT THE WINDOW.

ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH FROM CHEAP-CARIBBEAN VACATIONS, 67 PERCENT SAID THEY EAT OUT FOR EVERY SINGLE MEAL WHEN ON A TRIP AND 23 PERCENT SAID DESSERT WITH EVERY MEAL IS THE NORM.

THEIR THOUGHTS ON BUDGETING WERE SIMILAR. WHILE HALF OF TRAVELERS SAID THEY TRY TO BE FRUGAL, ANOTHER 54 PERCENT SAID IT’S RARE THEY STICK TO A BUDGET

CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH, THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND EVERYDAY RESPONSIBILITIES, LIKE CHECKING EMAILS OR MAKING THE BED, ARE OFTEN THROWN OUT THE WINDOW, TOO. 

WHEN ASKED TO CHOOSE A VACATION MOTTO, ‘TREAT YOURSELF’ CAME OUT ON TOP, WITH 41 PERCENT SAYING IT BEST DESCRIBED THEIR APPROACH TO TIME OFF.

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans; the survey was commissioned by CheapCaribbean Vacations and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Aug. 6 - Aug. 11, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.