Thinking ahead about going someplace warm and exotic, anyone have suggestions? I was thinking like Costa Rica or Thailand or something, but really the only criteria is that it be somewhere that isn't going to have shit weather. Inexpensive is always good. Relatively safe is always good (e.g. nowhere in Africa or the ME).

I suggest you go to Ixtapa Mexico. My grandparents owned a condo there which we went to each year for vacation. That place is a blast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibiza

basically, if you like nightclubs, you like ibiza

California's got pretty good weather, even during winter. Christmas usually ranges between 90-95 degrees here in So Cal. Pretty cheap, too.

Go to the Bahamas, specifically the sea of Abaco Region, I went there this february and it was still warmish, but not overly warmish, but you can pretty much rent a boat or get a charter and get driven around to all of the islands. Don't go during hurricane season though. But one of the islands is where they do the carona beer commercials. Also, I had the best cinnamon roll on the planet on Man O' War Cay, it was at Lola's bakery which is run by this nice little old lady who gets up at 4 in the morning to make cinammon rolls. I wish I had one right now (starts chewing on hand).

New Zealand would probably be my first choice but tickets are like $3K and it's expensive. Looking into cruises now, anyone ever been on a cruise?

I did a 7 day cruise around Hawaii and LOVED it.  For my wife and I, out the front door and back again (airfare, cruise tickets, food, drinks, souvineers)  $5500.  Again, that is for 2 people flying outta TX.

Think about this, on a cruise ship, you have your room, food, and entertainment all paid for and included.  You can not beat the value.

Yeah that's my big concern with them too, and the whole cruise ship vibe - not that I know wtf it's like but I've seen the commercials. I don't want to be in a fucking ballroom full of  fat midwesterners celebrating their 30th wedding anniversery. I did find a few cruises that looked interesting which left out of the Mediterranean ports, stopped a few places, and then did the transatlantic route through the carribean winding up in Florida. That could be an interesting trip because you could spend a few days at the starting place enjoying the city, the Med ports are all big cities so no tourist trap BS, and then you wind up in the carribean after a week or so and by that point you're probably so ready to see land you won't give a shit that the islanders are trying to sell you coke at american prices.