Ice skating might not seem like a holiday splurge — but what if you’re doing it on what’s being billed as the first real-ice outdoor rink in South Florida, set among the palm trees?

The Bosco family, of Brightwaters, is flying to Florida for the holiday week, and their trip will include skating at the new Winter Wonderland at The Ben in West Palm Beach. And while the skating itself isn’t extraordinarily pricey — tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 4 to 11 — getting to the rink is when you’re paying $1,600 for five airfares during peak demand.

The Boscos are just one Long Island family that’s chosen to splurge on an experience during an already expensive time of the year.

"We’ve never gone away for Christmas," says Jennifer Bosco, 40, an insurance agent. She’ll be headed from MacArthur Airport in Islip to West Palm Beach with her husband, Matthew, 41, a CPA, and their three children, Ryan, 10, Ashley, 9, and Cole, 6.

The family’s housing will be covered — after Matthew was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma earlier, a cousin offered them the use of their house in Stuart, Florida, making the trip more affordable, Bosco says.

Bosco’s parents also have a home in Stuart, and her sister lives in West Palm Beach with her husband and two children. Even Bosco’s 100-year-old grandmother will be there. "This is the chance to spend Christmas together," Bosco says of the dozen family members.

In addition to the ice skating, plans include a trip to an outdoor water adventure park and meals out. On top of the $1,600 airfare, Bosco expects to spend an additional $2,000. 

"It’s just going to be fun to be spending time with my family," says Ashley, "and I love ice skating."

December means a trip to see the iconic Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall for the Coico family, of Massapequa. "It’s a yearly tradition," says Vincenzia Coico, 39, a speech therapist.

And, of course, the trip into Manhattan with her husband, Sal, 37, a business owner, and children Maria, 8, and Luigi, 5, includes a stop at FAO Schwarz to see the toys, Coico says. Add lunch and "it becomes a very big splurge day for us," she says, costing at least $1,000.

"Just the tickets alone are like $150, especially if you go at a prime time," Coico says of the Rockettes show. But it’s worth it for the memories, she says. "Every year, they remember it when it’s this time of year. That special day."

Natalie Toler, 46, an associate real estate broker from Rockville Centre, says she’s been to see the Rockettes more than 30 times and takes her children every year. This year, that includes her son Justin, 22, her daughter Dara, 20, and her son Emmanuel, 13. She’s also treating Justin’s girlfriend. Between the tickets for the 4 p.m. show on Dec. 20, which were $212 each, and the dinner after at Del Frisco’s Grille in Rockefeller Plaza, she estimates she’ll spend $1,500.

"When my kids asked, ‘Are we going somewhere for Christmas?’ I said, ‘The tickets and dinner after is our vacation,’ because it was that expensive," Toler says. But it is worth it to her, she says. "It’s really exciting that we do it every year, and my kids still love going every year. It’s just something that’s become a tradition for us."

Kara Buono, 55, general manager of the new Club Pilates in Huntington, will be heading to Puerto Rico with Omar Coss, 47, of Islip, who works for PSEG. They’ll be visiting Coss’ family, staying at an Airbnb.

"That’s our gift to each other for the holidays," she says. "To go for Christmas is a big deal." She says the trip is costing them about $3,500. She hopes, she says, that it will include "a lot of Salsa dancing."

Lots of people bring their children to visit Santa at malls and other venues during the holiday season. But a group of parents from Long Island’s South Shore pitched in to bring Santa to their children.

They splurged on the Santa Express, a new business started this season by Vincent Falzone, 38, of Massapequa, and Jeremy Siracusa, 38, of Middle Village, Queens. An approximately half-hour house call from Santa in his decorated van is $30 per child for fewer than five children and $20 per child for more than five, Falzone says.

"Every kid gets two to three minutes with Santa," Falzone says, and the duo takes photographs that are sent to parents digitally. The Santa Express also brings reindeer food, and children can stamp their letters to Santa.

Elisha Parnofiello, 42, a nurse from Bay Shore, organized the event for 13 neighborhood children, costing them $260. "These kids had a really, really good time with it. It was sweet. And no crowds," she says, like when visiting Santa at a mall. Says her daughter Violet, 9: "It was fun to see. At the end we got cookies."

For an even bigger splurge, engage the Polar Express LI, an airstream trailer wrapped to look like the iconic Polar Express train. It holds 24 people. Prices start at $2,400, says co-owner Jeff Smith, of Stony Brook. "It pulls up to your house or business. You’re greeted with a ticket and you get seated," Smith says. The 90-minute experience includes a conductor, two dancers and photos with Santa Claus.

TJ Sirani, 47, of South Setauket, who works in sales, had the Polar Express come to his house for family members, friends and neighbors who chipped in to share the expense. "We wanted to create some magic for the young people in the neighborhood and the young people in the family. The smiles were out of control," Sirani says.

Don’t have 24 people to split the cost? The Polar Express LI is also parked periodically outside Long Island restaurants such as The Bench in Stony Brook and charges $95 per person to board for the show.

By Beth Whitehouse

beth.whitehouse@newsday.comBethWhitehouse1

Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.